Esxcli Command Line
VMware esxcli is suitable for many administration tasks and can be easily accessed from the command line. It is available directly on the ESXi Host and also as part of the VMware vSphere CLI 5.0.
When using esxcli on the vSphere CLI the IP, the desired ESXi host name or the vCenter server must be entered with the -s option.
Help Option
Information about the available commands (Available Namespaces) for each case are given with the help option:
user@ubuntu-11-10:~$ esxcli -s 10.1.102.154 -u root --help Enter password: Usage: esxcli [options] {namespace}+ {cmd} [cmd options] Options: -c CONFIG, --config=CONFIG (variable VI_CONFIG) Location of the configuration file --encoding=ENCODING (variable VI_ENCODING, default 'utf8') Encoding: utf8, cp936 (Simplified Chinese), iso-8859-1 (German), shiftjis (Japanese) -s SERVER, --server=SERVER (variable VI_SERVER) vCenter server or ESX host to connect to. Required if url is not present --portnumber=PORTNUMBER (variable VI_PORTNUMBER) Port used to connect to server --protocol=PROTOCOL (variable VI_PROTOCOL, default 'https') Protocol used to connect to server (http / https) --servicepath=SERVICEPATH (variable VI_SERVICEPATH, default '/sdk/webService') Service path used to connect to server -r URL, --url=URL (variable VI_URL) VI SDK URL to connect to. Required if server is not present -h VIHOST, --vihost=VIHOST (variable VI_HOST, no default) ESX host when connecting through vCenter -u USERNAME, --username=USERNAME (variable VI_USERNAME) Username -p PASSWORD, --password=PASSWORD (variable VI_PASSWORD) Password -f SESSIONFILE, --sessionfile=SESSIONFILE (variable VI_SESSIONFILE) File containing session ID/cookie to utilize --savesessionfile=SAVESESSIONFILE (variable VI_SAVESESSIONFILE) File to save session ID/cookie to utilize --credstore=CREDSTORE (variable VI_CREDSTORE), defaults to <HOME>/.vmware/credstore/vicredentials.xml on Linux and <APPDATA>/VMware/credstore/vicredentials.xml on Windows) Credential store file path -a, --passthroughauth (variable VI_PASSTHROUGHAUTH) Attempt to use pass-through authentication --passthroughauthpackage=PASSTHROUGHAUTHPACKAGE (variable VI_PASSTHROUGHAUTHPACKAGE, default 'Negotiate') Pass-through authentication negotiation package -t CACERTSFILE, --cacertsfile=CACERTSFILE (variable VI_CACERTFILE) CA certificates file --formatter=FORMATTER Override the formatter to use for a given command. Available formatter: xml, csv, keyvalue --debug Enable debug or internal use options --version Display version information for the script -?, --help Display usage information for the script Available Namespaces: esxcli Commands that operate on the esxcli system itself allowing users to get additional information. fcoe VMware FCOE commands. hardware VMKernel hardware properties and commands for configuring hardware. iscsi VMware iSCSI commands. network Operations that pertain to the maintenance of networking on an ESX host. This includes a wide variety of commands to manipulate virtual networking components (vswitch, portgroup, etc) as well as local host IP, DNS and general host networking settings. software Manage the ESXi software image and packages storage VMware storage commands. system VMKernel system properties and commands for configuring properties of the kernel core system. vm A small number of operations that allow a user to Control Virtual Machine operations.
Name Spaces
The available name spaces can be displayed by using the esxcli command list option:
user@ubuntu-11-10:~$ esxcli -s 10.1.102.154 -u root esxcli command list Enter password: Namespace Command -------------------------------------------------- ----------- esxcli.command list fcoe.adapter list fcoe.nic disable fcoe.nic discover fcoe.nic list hardware.bootdevice list hardware.clock get hardware.clock set hardware.cpu.cpuid get hardware.cpu.global get hardware.cpu.global set hardware.cpu list hardware.memory get hardware.pci list hardware.platform get iscsi.adapter.auth.chap get iscsi.adapter.auth.chap set iscsi.adapter.capabilities get iscsi.adapter.discovery rediscover iscsi.adapter.discovery.sendtarget add iscsi.adapter.discovery.sendtarget.auth.chap get iscsi.adapter.discovery.sendtarget.auth.chap set iscsi.adapter.discovery.sendtarget list iscsi.adapter.discovery.sendtarget.param get iscsi.adapter.discovery.sendtarget.param set iscsi.adapter.discovery.sendtarget remove iscsi.adapter.discovery.statictarget add iscsi.adapter.discovery.statictarget list iscsi.adapter.discovery.statictarget remove iscsi.adapter.discovery.status get iscsi.adapter.firmware get iscsi.adapter.firmware set iscsi.adapter get iscsi.adapter list iscsi.adapter.param get iscsi.adapter.param set iscsi.adapter set iscsi.adapter.target list iscsi.adapter.target.portal.auth.chap get iscsi.adapter.target.portal.auth.chap set iscsi.adapter.target.portal list iscsi.adapter.target.portal.param get iscsi.adapter.target.portal.param set iscsi.ibftboot get iscsi.ibftboot import iscsi.logicalnetworkportal list iscsi.networkportal add iscsi.networkportal.ipconfig get iscsi.networkportal.ipconfig set iscsi.networkportal list iscsi.networkportal remove iscsi.physicalnetworkportal list iscsi.physicalnetworkportal.param get iscsi.physicalnetworkportal.param set iscsi.plugin list iscsi.session add iscsi.session.connection list iscsi.session list iscsi.session remove iscsi.software get iscsi.software set network.fence list network.fence.network.bte list network.fence.network list network.fence.network.port list network.firewall get network.firewall load network.firewall refresh network.firewall.ruleset.allowedip add network.firewall.ruleset.allowedip list network.firewall.ruleset.allowedip remove network.firewall.ruleset list network.firewall.ruleset.rule list network.firewall.ruleset set network.firewall set network.firewall unload network.ip.connection list network.ip.dns.search add network.ip.dns.search list network.ip.dns.search remove network.ip.dns.server add network.ip.dns.server list network.ip.dns.server remove network.ip get network.ip.interface add network.ip.interface.ipv4 get network.ip.interface.ipv4 set network.ip.interface.ipv6.address add network.ip.interface.ipv6.address list network.ip.interface.ipv6.address remove network.ip.interface.ipv6 get network.ip.interface.ipv6 set network.ip.interface list network.ip.interface remove network.ip.interface set network.ip.neighbor list network.ip set network.nic down network.nic get network.nic list network.nic set network.nic up network.vswitch.dvs.vmware list network.vswitch.standard add network.vswitch.standard list network.vswitch.standard.policy.failover get network.vswitch.standard.policy.failover set network.vswitch.standard.policy.security get network.vswitch.standard.policy.security set network.vswitch.standard.policy.shaping get network.vswitch.standard.policy.shaping set network.vswitch.standard.portgroup add network.vswitch.standard.portgroup list network.vswitch.standard.portgroup.policy.failover get network.vswitch.standard.portgroup.policy.failover set network.vswitch.standard.portgroup.policy.security get network.vswitch.standard.portgroup.policy.security set network.vswitch.standard.portgroup.policy.shaping get network.vswitch.standard.portgroup.policy.shaping set network.vswitch.standard.portgroup remove network.vswitch.standard.portgroup set network.vswitch.standard remove network.vswitch.standard set network.vswitch.standard.uplink add network.vswitch.standard.uplink remove software.acceptance get software.acceptance set software.profile get software.profile install software.profile update software.profile validate software.sources.profile get software.sources.profile list software.sources.vib get software.sources.vib list software.vib get software.vib install software.vib list software.vib remove software.vib update storage.core.adapter list storage.core.adapter rescan storage.core.adapter.stats get storage.core.claiming autoclaim storage.core.claiming reclaim storage.core.claiming unclaim storage.core.claimrule add storage.core.claimrule convert storage.core.claimrule list storage.core.claimrule load storage.core.claimrule move storage.core.claimrule remove storage.core.claimrule run storage.core.device.detached list storage.core.device.detached remove storage.core.device list storage.core.device.partition list storage.core.device set storage.core.device setconfig storage.core.device.stats get storage.core.device.vaai.status get storage.core.device.world list storage.core.path list storage.core.path set storage.core.path.stats get storage.core.plugin list storage.core.plugin.registration add storage.core.plugin.registration list storage.core.plugin.registration remove storage.filesystem automount storage.filesystem list storage.filesystem mount storage.filesystem rescan storage.filesystem unmount storage.nfs add storage.nfs list storage.nfs remove storage.nmp.device list storage.nmp.device set storage.nmp.path list storage.nmp.psp.fixed.deviceconfig get storage.nmp.psp.fixed.deviceconfig set storage.nmp.psp.generic.deviceconfig get storage.nmp.psp.generic.deviceconfig set storage.nmp.psp.generic.pathconfig get storage.nmp.psp.generic.pathconfig set storage.nmp.psp list storage.nmp.psp.roundrobin.deviceconfig get storage.nmp.psp.roundrobin.deviceconfig set storage.nmp.satp.generic.deviceconfig get storage.nmp.satp.generic.deviceconfig set storage.nmp.satp.generic.pathconfig get storage.nmp.satp.generic.pathconfig set storage.nmp.satp list storage.nmp.satp.rule add storage.nmp.satp.rule list storage.nmp.satp.rule remove storage.nmp.satp set storage.vmfs.extent list storage.vmfs.snapshot.extent list storage.vmfs.snapshot list storage.vmfs.snapshot mount storage.vmfs.snapshot resignature storage.vmfs upgrade system.boot.device get system.coredump.network get system.coredump.network set system.coredump.partition get system.coredump.partition list system.coredump.partition set system.hostname get system.hostname set system.module get system.module list system.module load system.module.parameters list system.module.parameters set system.module set system.process list system.process.stats.load get system.process.stats.running get system.secpolicy.domain list system.secpolicy.domain set system.settings.advanced list system.settings.advanced set system.settings.kernel list system.settings.kernel set system.settings.keyboard.layout get system.settings.keyboard.layout list system.settings.keyboard.layout set system.stats.uptime get system.syslog.config get system.syslog.config.logger list system.syslog.config.logger set system.syslog.config set system.syslog mark system.syslog reload system.time get system.time set system.uuid get system.version get system.visorfs get system.visorfs.ramdisk add system.visorfs.ramdisk list system.visorfs.ramdisk remove system.visorfs.tardisk list system.welcomemsg get system.welcomemsg set vm.process kill vm.process list
Author: Werner Fischer Werner Fischer, working in the Knowledge Transfer team at Thomas-Krenn, completed his studies of Computer and Media Security at FH Hagenberg in Austria. He is a regular speaker at many conferences like LinuxTag, OSMC, OSDC, LinuxCon, and author for various IT magazines. In his spare time he enjoys playing the piano and training for a good result at the annual Linz marathon relay.
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