VMware

Virtual Machine Management Commands

1. Command: #Services.sh restart

This command will restart all the management agents and services running on the host. You should see each service stopping and then being started.

2. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc

This is the most useful command for emergency maintenance and takes several extensions.

3. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms

This command will display the list of virtual machines registered on the ESX/ESXi host (Powered Off or Powered On). The list contains additional information such as vmid, name of the virtual machine, Guest OS type, VM HW version, location of the virtual machine configuration file and annotations.

Vmid Name File Guest OS Version Annotation

4. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.getstate <vmid>

This command will display the power status of the virtual machine in question.

5. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.off <vmid>

This command will power off the virtual machine in question.

6. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on <vmid>

This command will power on the specified virtual machine and boot the Guest OS

7. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.reboot <vmid>

This command will reboot the guest operating system.

8. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.reset <vmid>

This command will reset the virtual machine in question.

9. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.shutdown <vmid>

This command will shutdown the guest operating system running inside the virtual machine.

10. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.suspend <vmid>

This command will suspend the virtual machine in question.

1. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power.suspendresume <vmid>

This command will revert the virtual machine from suspended state to normal state.

2. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/power. Hibernate <vmid>

This command will place the guest operating system in standby mode.

3. Command: #vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.create

Usage: snapshot.create <vmid> [snapshotName] [snapshotDescription] [includeMemory] [quiesced]

This command is used to take snapshot of the virtual machine.

Virtual Networking Commands

1. How to create a standard virtual switch.

#esxcfg-vswitch -a <vswitch name>

EX: [root@server root]# esxcfg-vswitch –a vSwitch1

2. How to add a port group to the virtual switch

#esxcfg-vswitch -A <Portgroup name> <vswitch name>

EX: [root@server root]# esxcfg-vswitch –A “Service Console” vSwitch1

3. How to check whether the specified virtual switch exists or not

#esxcfg-vswitch -c <vswitch name>

4. How to check whether the specified portgroup exists or not

#esxcfg-vswitch -C <portgroup name>

Output: Will print 1 if the virtual switch exists and 0 if not

5. How to remove the virtual switch

#esxcfg-vswitch -d <vswitch name>

Output: Remove the virtual switch. This command fails if any ports on the virtual switch are in use by vmkernel networks or virtual machines.

6. How to remove a port group from virtual switch?

#esxcfg-vswitch -D <port group> <vswitch name>

Output: Removes the port group. This command fails if any port group on the virtual switch is in use

7. How to add an uplink adapter to the virtual switch ?

#esxcfg-vswitch -L <physical_nic> <vswitch_name>

Des: Running the command with this option attaches a new unused physical network adapter to a virtual switch

EX: [root@server root]# esxcfg-vswitch –L vmnic1 vSwitch1

8. How to list all virtual switches and their port groups?

#esxcfg-vswitch -l

9. How to remove an uplink adapter from the virtual switch?

#esxcfg-vswitch -U <physical_nic> <vswitch_name>

Des: Remove an uplink adapter from a virtual switch. An uplink adapter corresponds to a physical Ethernet adapter to which the virtual switch is connected. If you remove the last uplink adapter, you lose physical network connectivity for that switch.

10. How to set VLAN ID for a specific port group?

#esxcfg-vswitch -v <vlan_id> --pg <portgroup_name> <vswitch_name>

EX: [root@server root]# esxcfg-vswitch -v <VLAN> -p “Service Console” vSwitch0

Des: Set the VLAN ID for a specific port group of a virtual switch. Setting the option to 0 disables the VLAN for this port group. If you specify this option, you must also specify the --portgroup option.

esxcfg-vmknic

The esxcfg-vmknic command adds, deletes, and modifies VMkernel network interfaces. In vSphere 5, equivalent ESXCLI commands are available.

11. How to add a vmkernel nic to the system?

#esxcfg-vmknic -a -i <ip_address> -n <netmask> <portgroup_name>

EX: esxcfg-vmknic -a –i 192.168.5.6 –n 255.255.255.0 "VMkernel"

Des: Add a VMkernel NIC to the system. When the command completes successfully, the newly added VMkernel NIC is enabled.

12. How to remove a vmkernel nic?

#esxcfg-vmknic -d <vmknic_name>

EX: esxcfg-vmknic -d "VMkernel"

13. How to disable a specified vmkernel nic?

#esxcfg-vmknic --D --interface-name=<nic> --enabled=[true| false]

14. How to enable a specified vmkernel nic?

#esxcfg-vmknic -e <vmknic_name>

15. How to list all vmkernel nics?

#esxcfg-vmknic -l

EX: esxcfg-vmknic -lInterface  Port Group          IP Address      Netmask         Broadcast       MAC Address       MTU     TSO MSS   Enabled
vmk0       VMkernel            192.168.5.5    255.255.255.0   192.168.5.255  00:51:47:3c:20:cc 1500    40960     true

Esxcfg-route

Setting the vmkernel Default Gateway

16. How to set vmkernel default gateway?

#esxcfg-route -a 19.2.168.100.0 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1

Or

#esxcfg-route -a default 192.168.0.1

17. How to delete a vmkernel gateway?

#esxcfg-route -d 192.168.100.0/24 192.168.0.1

18. How to list vmkernel gateway configured?

#esxcfg-route -l

Esxcfg-vswif

Used to configure service console networking in 4.x systems. Not needed and not available in the ESXi 5.x ESXi Shell

19. How to display service console interface?

#esxcfg-vswif -l

EX: esxcfg-vswif -l
Name     Port Group          IP Address       Netmask          Broadcast        Enabled   DHCP
vswif0   Service Console     192.168.5.5     255.255.255.0    192.168.5.255   true      false

20. How to add a new service console networking interface?

#esxcfg-vswif -a -p “service console” -i <ip address> -n <netmask> vswif0

21. How to delete a service console networking interface?

#esxcfg-vswif -d vswif0