6.5

Command Set Description See
ESXCLI
commands
Manage many aspects of an ESXi host. You can run ESXCLI commands
remotely or in the ESXi Shell.
n
vCLI package - Install the vCLI package on the server of your choice,
or deploy a vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) virtual machine
and target the ESXi system that you want to manipulate. You can run
ESXCLI commands against a vCenter Server system and target the
host indirectly. Running against vCenter Server systems by using the
-vihost parameter is required if the host is in lockdown mode.
n
ESXi Shell - Run ESXCLI commands in the local ESXi Shell to manage
that host.
You can also run ESXCLI commands from the VMware PowerCLI prompt
by using the Get-EsxCli cmdlet.
“Using ESXCLI for Host
Management,” on
page 10
Chapter 2, “Installing
vCLI,” on page 15
vSphere Command‐Line
Concepts and Examples
vSphere Management
Assistant Guide
vSphere Command‐Line
Interface Reference
vicfg- and
other vCLI
commands
Users can manage hosts remotely. Install the vCLI package on a Windows
or Linux system or deploy a vMA virtual machine, and target the ESXi
system that you want to manipulate.
vicfg- commands are included in this release but are deprecated.
Migrate to ESXCLI where possible.
You can run the commands against ESXi systems or against a
vCenter Server system. If you target a vCenter Server system, use the --
vihost option to specify the target ESXi system.
N If the ESXi system is in strict lockdown mode, you must run
commands against the vCenter Server system that manages your ESXi
system.
Chapter 2, “Installing
vCLI,” on page 15
vSphere Command‐Line
Concepts and Examples
vSphere Command‐Line
Interface Reference
esxcfg-
commands
Available in the ESXi Shell. esxcfg- commands are included in this
release but are deprecated. Migrate to ESXCLI where possible.
Command‐Line
Management of vSphere 5
and vSphere 6 for Service
Console Users
DCLI commands Manage VMware SDDC services.
DCLI is a CLI client to the vSphere Automation SDK interface for
managing VMware SDDC services. A DCLI command talks to a
vSphere Automation API endpoint to locate relevant information, and
then runs the command and displays the result to the user.
You can run DCLI commands as follows.
n
vCenter Server Appliance - Run DCLI commands from the
vCenter Server Appliance shell. See “Running DCLI Commands on
the vCenter Server Appliance,” on page 49.
n
vCenter Server Windows command prompt - Install vCenter Server
on a supported Windows system and run DCLI commands from the
command prompt.
n
vCLI package
n
Open a command prompt on a Linux or Windows system on
which you installed vCLI. Enter commands into that command
prompt, specifying connection options. See Chapter 5, “Running
DCLI Commands,” on page 45.
n
Access the vMA Linux console. DCLI does not support the vi-
fastpass connections.
n
Prepare scripts that include DCLI commands and run the scripts as
vCLI scripts from the vCenter Server Windows command prompt or
from the vCenter Server Appliance shell.
Chapter 5, “Running
DCLI Commands,” on
page 45
See the vSphere
Automation SDK
documentation for
information about
supported services and
how they interact.
VMware
PowerCLI
cmdlets
VMware PowerCLI provides a Windows PowerShell interface to the
vSphere API. PowerCLI includes PowerShell cmdlets for administering
vSphere components.
PowerCLI includes more than 500 cmdlets, a set of sample scripts, and a
function library for management and automation. The vSphere Image
Builder PowerCLI and vSphere Auto Deploy PowerCLI modules are
included when you install PowerCLI.
VMware PowerCLI
documentation
Chapter 1 Managing vSphere with Command-Line Interfaces
VMware, Inc. 9