6.5
Table Of Contents
- Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces
- Contents
- About This Book
- Managing vSphere with Command-Line Interfaces
- Installing vCLI
- Running Host Management Commands in the ESXi Shell
- Running vCLI Host Management Commands
- Overview of Running vCLI Host Management Commands
- Protecting Passwords
- Authenticating Through vCenter Server and vCenter Single Sign-On
- Authenticating Directly to the Host
- Trust Relationship Requirement for ESXCLI Commands
- Common Options for vCLI Host Management Command Execution
- Using vCLI Commands in Scripts
- Run Host Management Commands from a Windows System
- Run Host Management Commands from a Linux System
- Running DCLI Commands
- Index
Example: Linux
esxcli --server <esxi_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --username snow\-white --password dwarf\$ network ip
interface list
esxcli --server <esxi_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --username snow\-white --password 'dwarf$' network ip
interface list
vicfg-mpath --server <esxi_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --username snow\-white --password dwarf\$ --list
vicfg-mpath --server <esxi_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --username 'snow-white' --password 'dwarf$' --list
Example: Windows
esxcli --server <esxi_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --username "snow-white" --password "dwarf$" network ip
interface list
vicfg-mpath.pl --server <esxo_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --username “snow-white” --password “dwarf$” --list
Using the Microsoft Windows Security Support Provider Interface
With the --passthroughauth option, which is available if you run vCLI commands from a Microsoft
Windows system, you can use the Microsoft Windows Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI).
You can refer to the Microsoft Web site for detailed information on SSPI.
You can use --passthroughauth to establish a connection with a vCenter Server system. After the connection
has been established, authentication for the vCenter Server system or any ESXi system that it manages is no
longer required. Using --passthroughauth passes the credentials of the user who runs the command to the
target vCenter Server system. No additional authentication is required if the user who runs the command is
known by the computer from which you access the vCenter Server system and by the computer running the
vCenter Server software.
If vCLI commands and the vCenter Server software run on the same computer, the user needs only a local
account to run the command. If the vCLI command and the vCenter Server software run on dierent
machines, the user who runs the command must have an account in a domain trusted by both machines.
SSPI supports several protocols. By default, it selects the Negotiate protocol, where client and server try to
nd a protocol that both support. You can use --passthroughauthpackage to explicitly specify a protocol that
is supported by SSPI. Kerberos, the Windows standard for domain-level authentication, is used frequently. If
the vCenter Server system is congured to accept only a specic protocol, specifying the protocol with --
passthroughauthpackage might be required for successful authentication. If you use --passthroughauth, you
do not have to specify authentication information by using other options.
esxcli --server <vc_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --passthroughauth --passthroughauthpackage "Kerberos"
--vihost <esxi_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> network ip interface list
vicfg-mpath.pl --server <vc_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --passthroughauth --passthroughauthpackage
"Kerberos" --vihost <esxi_HOSTNAME_OR_IP> --list
This example establishes a connection to a server that is set up to use SSPI. When a trusted user runs the
command, the system calls the ESXCLI command or vicfg-mpath with the --list option. The system does
not prompt for a user name and password.
Chapter 4 Running vCLI Host Management Commands
VMware, Inc. 37