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VMware ESXi CLI Command List
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Host Information & System Status
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esxcli system version get --> Show ESXi version and build number
vmware -v --> Show ESXi version (short)
esxcli system hostname get --> Display the hostname
esxcli system uptime get --> Check host uptime
esxcli hardware cpu list --> Show CPU info
esxcli hardware memory get --> Show memory info
esxcli hardware platform get --> Show hardware platform details
esxcli software profile get --> Show installed ESXi software profile
esxcli system maintenanceMode get --> Check if host is in maintenance mode
esxcli system settings advanced list --> List advanced system settings
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Networking
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esxcli network nic list --> List all physical NICs
esxcli network nic get -n vmnicX --> Details about a specific NIC
esxcli network vswitch standard list --> List vSwitches
esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup list --> List port groups
esxcli network ip interface list --> Show VMkernel interfaces
esxcli network ip route ipv4 list --> Show IPv4 routes
esxcli network ip route ipv6 list --> Show IPv6 routes
esxcli network firewall get --> Show firewall status
esxcli network firewall set --enabled true/false --> Enable/disable firewall
esxcli network ip dns server list --> Show DNS servers
esxcli network ip dns search list --> Show DNS search domains
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Storage Management
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esxcli storage core device list --> List all storage devices
esxcli storage filesystem list --> List datastores
esxcli storage core adapter list --> Show storage adapters (HBA)
esxcli storage core device stats get -d <device> --> Show storage stats
esxcli storage nmp device list --> Show multipathing info
esxcli storage nmp path list --> Show all storage paths
esxcli storage nmp device set --device <device> --psp <policy> --> Set path selection policy
esxcli storage core device set --state off/on --> Disable/Enable a storage device
esxcli storage core path list --> Show path status of devices
esxcli storage core claimrule list --> Show storage claim rules
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Virtual Machines (VMs)
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vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms --> List all VMs
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstate <VMID> --> Get VM power state
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on <VMID> --> Power on VM
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.off <VMID> --> Power off VM
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.reset <VMID> --> Reset VM
vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.create <VMID> <name> <desc> --> Create snapshot
vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.remove <VMID> <snapshotID> --> Remove snapshot
vim-cmd vmsvc/reload <VMID> --> Reload VM configuration
vim-cmd vmsvc/unregister <VMID> --> Unregister VM from host
vim-cmd vmsvc/message <VMID> "<message>" --> Send message to VM guest OS
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Services Management
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esxcli system services list --> List all services
esxcli system services start -s <service> --> Start a service
esxcli system services stop -s <service> --> Stop a service
esxcli system services restart -s <service> --> Restart a service
services.sh restart --> Restart all management agents (legacy)
chkconfig --list --> List service runlevels and status
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Security & Users
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esxcli system account list --> List ESXi users
esxcli system account add -i <user> -p <pass> --> Add user
esxcli system account remove -i <user> --> Remove user
esxcli system permission list --> Show permissions
esxcli system permission set --id <user> --role <role> --> Assign role to user
esxcli system account lock -i <user> --> Lock user account
esxcli system account unlock -i <user> --> Unlock user account
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Logs & Monitoring
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esxcli system syslog config get --> Show syslog configuration
esxcli system syslog reload --> Reload syslog
tail -f /var/log/hostd.log --> Monitor hostd logs in real-time
tail -f /var/log/vmkernel.log --> Monitor VMkernel logs
esxcli system coredump network get --> Show coredump network settings
esxcli system coredump network set --enable true/false --> Enable/disable coredump network
esxcli hardware ipmi sdr list --> Show hardware sensor data (IPMI)
esxcli hardware ipmi sel list --> Show hardware event log
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Host Maintenance & Performance
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esxcli system maintenanceMode get --> Check maintenance mode status
esxcli system maintenanceMode set --enable true/false --> Enter/Exit maintenance mode
esxcli hardware cpu global get --> Show CPU performance info
esxcli hardware memory get --> Show memory usage stats
esxtop --> Real-time performance monitoring
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VMware ESXi System Configuration Files
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Host Configuration
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/etc/hosts --> Hostname and IP mapping file
/etc/hostname --> ESXi hostname configuration
/etc/resolv.conf --> DNS servers and search domains
/etc/syslog.conf --> Syslog configuration (legacy)
/etc/vmware/esx.conf --> Main ESXi host configuration file
/etc/vmware/hostd/hostd.xml --> Host Management daemon (hostd) configuration
/etc/vmware/hostd/authorization.xml --> Hostd permissions and roles
/etc/vmware/vpx/ --> vCenter agent configuration files (vpxa)
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Networking Configuration
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/etc/vmware/esx.conf --> Includes vSwitches and VMkernel interfaces
/etc/vmware/esx/portgroups --> Portgroup definitions
/etc/vmware/esx/vmkernel/interfaces --> VMkernel interface configurations
/etc/vmware/esx/networks.xml --> Network adapters and VLAN configuration
/etc/network/interfaces --> Legacy ESXi network interface info
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Storage Configuration
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/etc/vmware/esx.conf --> Includes datastore and HBA configuration
/etc/vmware/storage/core.xml --> Storage core settings
/etc/vmware/vmfs/ --> VMFS datastore metadata and UUIDs
/etc/vmware/scsi/ --> SCSI adapter settings
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Virtual Machines Configuration
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/vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/<VM_Name>/<VM_Name>.vmx --> VM configuration file
/vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/<VM_Name>/<VM_Name>.nvram --> VM BIOS/firmware settings
/vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/<VM_Name>/<VM_Name>.vmdk --> VM virtual disk descriptor
/vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/<VM_Name>/<VM_Name>.vmxf --> VM team/folder configuration
/vmfs/volumes/<datastore>/<VM_Name>/<VM_Name>.vmss --> VM suspend state file
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Services & Management Configuration
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/etc/vmware/hostd/ --> Hostd daemon configs
/etc/vmware/hostd/proxy.xml --> Hostd proxy settings
/etc/vmware/hostd/vim.xml --> Hostd VM inventory configuration
/etc/vmware/vpxa/vpxa.cfg --> vCenter agent configuration file
/etc/vmware/vpxa/logging.conf --> vCenter agent logging configuration
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Security & Users
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/etc/passwd --> Local ESXi user accounts
/etc/shadow --> Password hashes for ESXi users
/etc/pam.d/ --> PAM authentication configuration
/etc/vmware/hostd/authorization.xml --> User permissions and roles
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Logs & Monitoring
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/var/log/hostd.log --> Host management daemon logs
/var/log/vmkernel.log --> VMkernel logs
/var/log/vpxa.log --> vCenter agent logs
/var/log/vmkwarning.log --> Kernel warnings
/var/log/syslog.log --> System logs
/var/run/log --> Temporary runtime logs
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Advanced / Backup-Ready
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/etc/vmware/esx.conf --> Single most important config file for backup
/etc/vmware/hostd/ --> Backup hostd configs for host management restore
/etc/vmware/vpxa/ --> Backup vCenter agent configs for vCenter connectivity
/etc/network/ --> Backup network settings
/etc/ssh/ --> Backup SSH configuration if enabled
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vCenter CLI Cheat Sheet
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Login & Basic Info
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ssh root@<vcenter_ip> ---> Login to VCSA shell
hostnamectl ---> Show vCenter hostname and system info
uptime ---> Show vCenter uptime
vpxd -v ---> Display vCenter Server version
vami-cli info ---> Show VCSA system information
appliance-version ---> Show appliance version and build
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vCenter Services
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service-control --list ---> List all vCenter services
service-control --start <service_name> ---> Start a vCenter service
service-control --stop <service_name> ---> Stop a vCenter service
service-control --restart <service_name> ---> Restart a vCenter service
service-control --status <service_name> ---> Show status of a service
service-control --all status ---> Show status of all services
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Networking
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ip addr show ---> List all network interfaces
ip route show ---> Show network routing table
appliance firewall status ---> Show firewall status
appliance firewall enable <service> ---> Enable firewall for service
appliance firewall disable <service> ---> Disable firewall for service
esxcli network ip dns server list ---> Show DNS servers
esxcli network ip dns search list ---> Show DNS search domains
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Backup & Restore
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vami-cli backup list ---> List existing vCenter backups
vami-cli backup create --description "<desc>" --mode file --destination <path> ---> Create backup
vami-cli restore --mode file --source <backup_file> ---> Restore from backup
vami-cli system restore point list ---> List restore points
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Host / Cluster Management via govc
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govc host.info ---> List all ESXi hosts in vCenter
govc host.uptime -host <hostname> ---> Show host uptime
govc host.maintenance -enter -host <hostname> ---> Put host in maintenance mode
govc host.maintenance -exit -host <hostname> ---> Exit host from maintenance mode
govc cluster.info /<datacenter>/host/<cluster_name> ---> Show cluster info
govc cluster.addhost -cluster /<datacenter>/host/<cluster_name> <host_ip> ---> Add host to cluster
govc cluster.removehost -cluster /<datacenter>/host/<cluster_name> <host_ip> ---> Remove host from cluster
govc cluster.das.info /<datacenter>/host/<cluster_name> ---> Show HA/DRS settings
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VM Management via govc
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govc ls /<datacenter>/vm ---> List all VMs
govc vm.info -json <vm_name> ---> Show VM info
govc vm.power -on <vm_name> ---> Power on VM
govc vm.power -off <vm_name> ---> Power off VM
govc vm.power -reset <vm_name> ---> Reset VM
govc vm.markastemplate <vm_name> ---> Mark VM as template
govc snapshot.create <vm_name> <snapshot_name> ---> Create snapshot
govc snapshot.remove <vm_name> <snapshot_name> ---> Remove snapshot
govc snapshot.revert <vm_name> <snapshot_name> ---> Revert VM to snapshot
govc vm.rename <vm_name> <new_name> ---> Rename a VM
govc vm.clone -vm <vm_name> <new_vm_name> ---> Clone a VM
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VM Management via PowerCLI
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Connect-VIServer -Server <vcenter_ip> -User <user> -Password <pass> ---> Connect to vCenter
Get-VM ---> List all VMs
Start-VM -VM <vm_name> ---> Power on VM
Stop-VM -VM <vm_name> ---> Power off VM
Restart-VM -VM <vm_name> ---> Reset VM
New-Snapshot -VM <vm_name> -Name <snapshot_name> ---> Create snapshot
Remove-Snapshot -VM <vm_name> -VM <vm_name> -Name <snapshot_name> ---> Remove snapshot
Set-VM -VM <vm_name> -MemoryGB <size> ---> Change VM memory
Set-VM -VM <vm_name> -NumCPU <count> ---> Change VM CPU
Rename-VM -VM <vm_name> -NewName <new_name> ---> Rename VM
Export-VM -VM <vm_name> -Destination <path> ---> Export VM to OVF/OVA
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Datastore Management
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govc datastore.info /<datacenter>/datastore/<datastore_name> ---> Show datastore info
govc datastore.ls -json ---> List all datastores
govc datastore.mkdir /<datacenter>/datastore/<datastore_name>/<folder> ---> Create folder in datastore
govc datastore.rm /<datacenter>/datastore/<datastore_name>/<folder> ---> Remove folder from datastore
govc datastore.upload <local_file> /<datacenter>/datastore/<datastore_name>/<file> ---> Upload file to datastore
govc datastore.download /<datacenter>/datastore/<datastore_name>/<file> <local_file> ---> Download file
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Users & Permissions
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govc role.ls ---> List all roles
govc permissions.ls ---> List all permissions
govc permissions.set -principal <user> -role <role> -entity /<datacenter>/vm/<vm_name> ---> Assign role to user
govc permissions.remove -principal <user> -entity /<datacenter>/vm/<vm_name> ---> Remove permission
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Logs & Monitoring
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journalctl -u vpxd.service ---> Show vCenter logs
tail -f /var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log ---> Monitor vCenter log in real-time
appliance-monitoring summary ---> Show VCSA appliance health
appliance-monitoring network ---> Show network monitoring info
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Advanced / Maintenance
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vpxd_servicecfg_init ---> Re-initialize vCenter services (advanced)
appliance-shell ---> Enter appliance shell mode
vami-cli services list ---> List VCSA appliance services
vami-cli services restart <service> ---> Restart a specific appliance service
appliance-control --shutdown ---> Shutdown VCSA
appliance-control --reboot ---> Reboot VCSA
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vCenter System Configuration Files
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Host & Basic System Configuration
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/etc/hostname ---> VCSA hostname configuration
/etc/hosts ---> Static IP and hostname mappings
/etc/resolv.conf ---> DNS servers and search domains
/etc/locale.conf ---> Locale and language settings
/etc/vmware/identity/sso.cfg ---> Single Sign-On (SSO) configuration
/etc/vmware/vmdir/config ---> VMware Directory Service (vmdir) config
/etc/vmware/applmgmt/appliance.cfg ---> Appliance management settings
/etc/vmware/applmgmt/applmgmt.cfg ---> Appliance management network config
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Networking Configuration
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/etc/network/interfaces ---> Network interfaces and IP configuration
/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-<interface> ---> Legacy interface config (RHEL-based)
/etc/vmware/network/config ---> VCSA appliance network config
/etc/vmware/network/firewall.xml ---> Firewall rules configuration
/etc/vmware/vami/firewall.conf ---> VAMI firewall settings
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vCenter Services Configuration
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/etc/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.cfg ---> Main vCenter Server (vpxd) configuration
/etc/vmware/vpxd/license.cfg ---> vCenter license info
/etc/vmware/vpxd/vpxd-profiler.xml ---> Service profiling configuration
/etc/vmware/vpxd/logging.properties ---> Logging configuration for vCenter services
/etc/vmware/applmgmt/appliance-services.conf ---> Appliance service management configuration
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Database Configuration
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/etc/vmware/vpostgres/pg_hba.conf ---> PostgreSQL access control configuration
/etc/vmware/vpostgres/postgresql.conf ---> PostgreSQL database settings
/etc/vmware/vpostgres/data/ ---> PostgreSQL database files for vCenter
/etc/vmware/vpostgres/data/pg_ident.conf ---> User mapping for database authentication
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Users & Permissions
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/etc/passwd ---> Local users on VCSA appliance
/etc/shadow ---> Password hashes for VCSA users
/etc/sudoers ---> Sudo privileges for VCSA users
/etc/vmware/identity/roles.xml ---> SSO user roles and permissions
/etc/vmware/identity/users.xml ---> SSO user configuration
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Logging Configuration & Logs
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/var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd.log ---> Main vCenter Server log
/var/log/vmware/vpxd/vpxd-profiler.log ---> vCenter profiling log
/var/log/vmware/applmgmt/applmgmt.log ---> Appliance management log
/var/log/messages ---> System-level logs
/var/log/vmware/vpostgres/postgresql.log ---> vCenter PostgreSQL logs
/var/log/vmware/sso/ ---> SSO service logs
7. Backup & Restore Configuration
/etc/vmware/vami/backup.conf ---> VCSA backup configuration
/etc/vmware/vami/restore.conf ---> VCSA restore configuration
/var/lib/vami/backup/ ---> VCSA backup storage location
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Advanced / Miscellaneous
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/etc/vmware/applmgmt/ssl/certs/ ---> SSL certificate files for appliance
/etc/vmware/ssl/ ---> vCenter SSL certificate store
/etc/vmware/applmgmt/ceip.conf ---> VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) settings
/etc/vmware/applmgmt/health.xml ---> Appliance health monitoring configuration
/etc/vmware/applmgmt/network.xml ---> Appliance network monitoring configuration
