6.0
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
- Running Host Management Commands from a Windows System
- Running Host Management Commands from a Linux System
- Running DCLI Commands
- Index
Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces
24 VMware, Inc.
3 ChooseEnableESXiShellandpressEnter.
Ontheleft,EnableESXiShellchangestoDisableESXiShell.Ontheright,ESXiShellisDisabled
changestoESXiShellisEnabled.
4PressEscuntilyoureturntothemaindirectconsolescreen.
Ifyoudonothaveaccesstothe
DirectConsoleInterface,youcanenabletheESXiShellfromthevSphereWeb
Client.
To enable the ESXi Shell from the vSphere Web Client or the vSphere Client
1 Selectthehost,clickManage,andkeepSettingsselected.
2ClickSecurityProfile.
3IntheServicessection,clickEdit.
4 SelectESXiShell.
Totemporarilystartorstoptheservice,clicktheStartorStopbutton.
TochangetheStartuppolicyacrossreboots,selectStartandstopwithhostandrebootthehost.
5ClickOK.
AfteryouhaveenabledtheESXiShell,youcanuseitfromthatmonitororthroughaserialport.
ESXi Shell Timeout
TheESXiShellsupportsatimeoutforESXiShellavailabilityandatimeoutforidleESXiShellsessions.
Availabilitytimeout:Theavailabilitytimeoutsettingistheamountoftimethatcanelapsebeforeyou
mustloginaftertheESXiShellisenabled.Afterthetimeoutperiod,theserviceisdisabledandusersare
notallowedtologin.
Idletimeout:IfauserenablestheESXiShellonahost,butforgetstologoutofthesession,theidlesession
remainsconnectedindefinitely
YoucansetbothtimeoutvaluesfromtheDirectConsoleUserInterface,fromthevSphereWebClient,orfrom
thevSphereClient.SeethevSphere
SecuritydocumentinthevSphereDocumentationCenterfordetailed
instructions.
Using the ESXi Shell
AfteryouenabletheESXiShellinthedirectconsole,youcanuseitfromthemaindirectconsolescreenor
remotelythroughaserialport.
To use the local ESXi Shell
1Atthemaindirectconsolescreen,pressAlt‐F1toopenavirtualconsolewindowtothehost.
2Providecredentialswhenprompted.
Whenyoutype
thepassword,charactersarenotdisplayedontheconsole.
3Entershellcommandstoperformmanagementtasks.
4Tologout,typeexitintheshell.
5Toreturntothedirectconsole,typeAlt‐F2.
SeevSphereInstallationandSetupdocumentationforinformationonserialportsetup.
Remote ESXi Shell Access with SSH
IfSSHconnectionsareenabledforyourESXihost,youcanrunshellcommandsbyusingaSecureShellclient
suchasSSHorPuTTY.