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Results
The direct console is redirected to the serial port until you reboot the host. To redirect the direct
console for subsequent boots, see Redirect the Direct Console to a Serial Port from the vSphere
Client
Redirect the Direct Console to a Serial Port from the vSphere Client
You can manage the ESXi host remotely from a console that is connected to the serial port
by redirecting the direct console to either of the serial ports com1 or com2. When you use the
vSphere Client to redirect the direct console to a serial port, the boot option that you set persists
after subsequent reboots.
Prerequisites
n Verify that you can access the host from the vSphere Client.
n Verify that the serial port is not in use for serial logging and debugging, or for ESX Shell
(tty1Port).
Procedure
1 From the vSphere Client, connect to the vCenter Server.
2 Select the host in the inventory.
3 Click the Configure tab.
4 Under System, select Advanced System Settings.
5 Make sure that the VMkernel.Boot.logPort and VMkernel.Boot.gdbPort fields are not set to
use the com port that you want to redirect the direct console to.
6 Set VMkernel.Boot.tty2Port to the serial port to redirect the direct console to: com1 or com2.
7 Reboot the host.
Results
You can now manage the ESXi host remotely from a console that is connected to the serial port.
Redirect the Direct Console to a Serial Port in a Host Deployed with Auto Deploy
After you redirect the direct console to a serial port, you can make that setting part of the host
profile that persists when you reprovision the host with Auto Deploy.
Prerequisites
The serial port must not already be in use for serial logging and debugging.
Procedure
1 From the , connect to the vCenter Server.
2 Select the host in the inventory.
VMware ESXi Installation and Setup
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