ESX/ESXi 4.

0 Remote CLI
Product Support Engineering

VMware Confidential

Module 1-5 Lessons

Lesson 1 Virtual Infrastructure Upgrade Lesson 2 ESX 4.0 Install Lesson 3 vCenter Server 4.0 Lesson 4 Virtual Infrastructure 4.0 Licensing Lesson 5 Remote CLI & vSphere Management Assistant (vMA)

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Module 1-6 Lessons

Lesson 1 Overview of Remote CLI Lesson 2 Using the Remote CLI Lesson 3 Installing Remote CLI on Linux Lesson 4 Installing Remote CLI on Windows Lesson 5 Installing vSphere Management Assistant (vMA)

Lesson 6 Configuring vSphere Management Assistant (vMA)

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vSphere CLI Overview

vSphere CLI commands allow you to perform many of the operations you might currently perform using the ESX Server service console. vSphere CLI commands are especially useful for an ESXi host because it does not include a service console You can use vSphere CLI commands in scripts that run on those hosts. vSphere CLI commands run on top of the vSphere SDK Perl Toolkit
The vSphere SDK Perl Toolkit and prerequisite software are included in the installation package on Windows and on supported Linux distributions.

You can use an installable package to run vSphere CLI and vSphere SDK Perl Toolkit commands
4

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Using vSphere CLI Commands

You can install a vSphere CLI package on either Linux or Microsoft Windows, or import a virtual appliance (vMA) that includes the vSphere CLI and all prerequisite software into your ESX/ESXi host. vSphere CLI packages You can install a vSphere CLI package on one server, which could become the administration server for all ESX/ESXi hosts.

After you have installed the package, you can run vSphere CLI commands or invoke scripts from the operating system command line. Each time you run a command, you specify the connection options directly or indirectly.

vMA (vSphere Management Assistant) A virtual machine that includes

prepackaged software that developers and administrators can use to run agents and scripts to manage ESX/ESXi systems. vMA includes the vSphere SDK for Perl and vSphere CLI in a Linux environment.

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Using vSphere CLI Commands

You can use the vSphere CLI commands interactively or in scripts, as follows:
Open a command prompt on a Linux or Windows system where you installed the vSphere CLI and enter commands there. Prepare scripts with sets of vSphere CLI commands. Then run the scripts from an administration server that has the vSphere CLI package installed or from a vSphere CLI virtual appliance Linux console. Open or access a Linux console on the virtual appliance (vMA), and enter vSphere CLI commands there.

When you execute commands, you must specify the ESX/ESXi host on which you want to run the command and the user name and password

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Using vSphere CLI Commands

Specifying the password in plain text risks exposing the password to other users. The password might also become exposed in backup files. Do not provide plain-text passwords on production systems.

You have the following alternatives:

If you use a vSphere CLI command interactively and do not specify a user name and password, you are prompted. What you type is not echoed to the screen. For noninteractive use, you can create a session file using the save_session.pl script included in the apps/session directory of the VI Perl Toolkit. If you are running on Windows systems, you can use the passthroughauth command. If the user who runs the command is known, no password is required.

If you are running vMA, you can set up target servers and execute vSphere CLI commands against target servers without additional authentication.
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ESX Management vs. vMA

Service Console (COS) End-user Scripts
VMware CLI: esxcfg-*, vmware-cmd

vMA End-user Scripts

Remote CLI: vicfg-*, vmware-cmd

Management Agents

Updated Management Agents Updated Hardware Agents

CIM SMASH

Hardware Agents

VI API

Classic VMware ESX

VMware ESX/ESXi

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vSphere CLI - Linux

The Perl installation script for the vSphere CLI is supported on default installations of the following Linux distributions:
Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 5.1 (32-bit)
vMA (64 bit)

A number of prerequisite libraries are included in the default installation of each supported Linux distribution.

The vSphere CLI package installer installs the vSphere CLI scripts and the vSphere SDK for Perl

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To install the vSphere CLI package - Linux

Copy and extract the vSphere CLI package on your RedHat VM Start the installer > vmware-install.pl (vmware-rcli-distrib folder) The installer prompts you to accept the terms of the license agreement. Type yes at the prompt to accept the license terms and press Enter to continue. When prompted, specify an installation directory, or press Enter to accept the default (/usr/bin). If a previous version of the vSphere SDK for Perl or the vSphere CLI package exists on the target system, the installer offers to replace the previous version. [Optional] If prompted to remove older versions of vSphere SDK for Perl or vSphere CLI, you can either accept the offer or install the package on a different system.

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Executing vSphere CLI Commands

After you have installed the vSphere CLI, you can execute commands from the Linux command prompt or include them in scripts

To execute a vSphere CLI command from a Linux command prompt

Open a command prompt.

Go to the directory where you installed the vSphere CLI. (/usr/bin)

Execute the command including the connection options. <command> <conn_params> <params> Specify connection options in a configuration or pass them on the command line. The extension .pl is not required on Linux.
For example: vicfg-nas --server my_vcserver --username u42 --password mypwd --vihost my_esxhost --list

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Uninstalling the vSphere CLI Package

To uninstall the vSphere CLI on a Linux system
Connect to the directory where you installed the vSphere CLI. (default is/usr/bin) Execute the vmware-uninstall-rcli.pl script. The command uninstalls both the vSphere CLI and the VI Perl Toolkit.

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Lab Installing vSphere CLI on Linux

Lab 6 Part 1 Installing the RCLI for Linux

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vSphere CLI - Windows

When you install the vSphere CLI package on Windows, the installation package includes all prerequisite software.

The vSphere CLI package is supported on the following Windows operating systems:
Windows Vista SP 1 Windows XP SP 2

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Installing the Windows vSphere CLI Package

Download the vSphere CLI Windows installer from the VMware Communities site for the Release Candidate. The vSphere CLI package is not included with the ESX/ESXi installation. Start the installer. If a previous version of the vSphere SDK for Perl or the vSphere CLI package exists on the target Windows system, the installer offers to replace the previous version. [Optional] If prompted to remove older versions of vSphere SDK for Perl or vSphere CLI, you can either accept the offer or install the package on a different system. Click Next in the Welcome page to continue.

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Installing the Windows vSphere CLI Package

If you do not want to install the vSphere CLI in the default directory, click Change and select a different directory. The default location is the following: C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Infrastructure CLI\bin Click Next to continue. Click Install to proceed with the installation. The installation might take several minutes to complete.

Utility applications C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Infrastructure CLI\Perl\apps Sample scripts

C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware Infrastructure CLI\Perl\samples

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Executing vSphere CLI Commands

After you install the vSphere CLI, you can execute commands from the Windows command prompt or include them in scripts
To execute a vSphere CLI command from a Windows command prompt
Open a command prompt. Navigate to the directory in which the vSphere CLI is installed. cd C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware VI Remote CLI\bin Execute the command, passing in the connection options and any other options. <command>.pl <conn_params> <params> The extension .pl is required. For example: vicfg-nas.pl --server my_vcserver --username u42 --password mypwd vihost my_esxhost --list

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Executing vSphere CLI Commands

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Uninstalling the vSphere CLI Package

You can uninstall the vSphere CLI package like any other package.
To uninstall the vSphere CLI on a Windows system
Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs. In the panel that appears, select vSphere CLI, and click Remove. Click Yes when prompted.

The system uninstalls both the vSphere SDK for Perl and the vSphere CLI package.

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Specifying Options for vSphere CLI Commands

When you execute a vSphere CLI command, you must specify at a minimum the name of the execution server and the name and password of a user with login privileges. Order of Precedence
When you execute a vSphere CLI command, the appliance or vSphere CLI package uses the following order of precedence: Command line Password (--password), session file (--sessionfile), or configuration file (--config) specified on the command line Configuration file Passwords specified in .visdkrc configuration file Environment variable Password specified in an environment variable Credential store Password retrieved from the credential store. Current account (Active Directory) You can set up a current account connection using the Windows Security Support Provider Interface (SSPI). Prompt the user for a password.

This order of precedence always applies. You cannot override an environment variable setting in a configuration file.

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vSphere CLI - Using a Session File

Connect to the directory where the script is located. For example:
Windows: Linux: cd C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware CLI\Perl\apps\session cd /usr/share/doc/vmware-vicli/samples/session

Call save_session.pl You must specify the server to connect to and the name of a session file in which the script saves an authentication cookie. For example:
Windows: save_session.pl --savesessionfile C:\Temp\my_session -server my_vc_server --vihost my_esx1 Linux: save_session.pl --savesessionfile /tmp/vimsession server <servername_or_address> --username <username> --password <password>

If you specify a server but no user name or password, the script prompts you.

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Adding Target Servers to vMA

Adding Target Servers
sudo vifp addserver <servername>

Example:
sudo vifp addserver cs-tse-f113.csl.vmware.com

Result :
Creates users vi-admin and vi-user on the added server

Stores obfuscated credentials on the VIMA appliance

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vSphere CLI - Using a Session File

Pass in the session file using the --sessionfile option when you execute vSphere CLI commands, as follows:
<command> --sessionfile <sessionfile_location> <command_options>

For example:
Windows: Linux: vicfg-mpath.pl --sessionfile C:\Temp\my_session --list vicfg-mpath --sessionfile /tmp/vimsession --list

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vSphere CLI - Using Environment Variables

You can set environment variables
In a Linux profile, In the Environment properties of the dialog box of the Microsoft System control panel For the current session, at the command line. For example:

set VI_SERVER=<your_server_name_or_address>

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vSphere CLI - Using a Configuration File

You use a text file that contains variable names and settings as a configuration file. Pass in the configuration file when you execute vSphere CLI commands, as follows: <command> --config <my_saved_config> --list For example: vicfg-mpath --config <my_saved_config> --list

To administer multiple vCenter Server or ESX/ESXi systems create multiple configuration files with different names.
To execute a command or a set of commands on a server, you pass in the --config option with the appropriate filename at the command line. If you specify --config, the system ignores the settings in the .visdkrc file.

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Examples for Specifying Connection Options

Example for Using a Configuration File The following example shows the contents of a configuration file:
VI_SERVER = NN.NNN.NNN.NN VI_USERNAME = root VI_PASSWORD = my_password VI_PROTOCOL = https VI_PORTNUMBER = 443

If you have set up your system to run this file, you can execute scripts on the specified server afterwards.
NOTE The password is in plain text, so you must limit access to this file.

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vSphere CLI - Using Command-Line Options

You can pass in command-line options using option name and option value pairs. Some options have no value (--help)
--<optionname optionvalue>
The following syntax results:

<command> --server <vc_server> --username <privileged_user> --password

<pw> --vihost <esx_host> <--option_name option_value>
NOTE: Enclose passwords and other text with special characters in quotation marks. On Linux, use single quotes ( ), on Windows, use double quotes ( ). On Linux, you can also use a backslash (\) before special characters.

Linux vicfg-mpath --server <server> --user snow\-white --password dwarf\$ vicfg-mpath --server <server> --user snow-white --password dwarf$ Windows vicfg-mpath.pl --server <server> --user snow-white --password dwarf$
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Microsoft Windows Security Support Provider Interface

You can use the --passthroughauth command-line argument to log in to a vCenter Server

Using --passthroughauth passes the credentials of the user who runs the command to the server
If the executing user is known by the Source and Destination no additional authentication is required.

SSPI supports a number of protocols.

By default, it chooses the Negotiate protocol you can use --passthroughauthpackage to specify another protocol supported by SSPI e.g. Kerberos

vicfg-mpath --server <vc_server> --passthroughauth --passthroughauthpackage Kerberos --list

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Using vSphere CLI Commands in Scripts

Editing Files on ESXi Hosts
You cannot edit a file on ESXi hosts directly because there is no service console. You must retrieve the file from the host, make the change or changes, and then place the file on the ESXi host. For example, to change the host agent log level, you must edit the hostAgentConfig.xml file. The following script uses vifs to download the host agent configuration file, uses sed to replace the log level with a user-supplied string, and replaces the file on the ESX/ESXi host with the changed configuration file. The script then deletes temporary files it generated as part of the process.
HOST=your.hostname.com vifs --server $HOST --username admin --password xxyyzz get /host/hostAgentConfig.xml /tmp/ha.xml sed -e "s#<level>.*</level>#<level>$1</level>#" < /tmp/ha.xml > /tmp/ha_new.xml vifs --server $HOST --username admin --password xxyyzz --put /tmp/ha_new.xml /host/hostAgentConfig.xml rm /tmp/ha.xml rm /tmp/ha_new.xml

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Using vSphere CLI Commands in Scripts

The following sample script illustrates how to make a NAS datastore available to three hosts (esxi_server_a, esxi_server_b, and esxi_server_c). The sample assumes that a configuration file /home/admin/.visdkrc.<hostname> exists for each host. For example, the configuration file for esxi_server_a has the following contents:
VI_SERVER = esxi_server_a VI_USERNAME = root VI_PASSWORD = xysfdjkat

The script itself adds the NAS datastore by calling the different configuration files.
#!bin/sh for i in {"esxi_server_a","esxi_server_b","esxi_server_c"} do echo "Adding NAS datastore for $i... vicfg-nas --config /home/admin/.visdkrc.$i -a -o mainnas.x.com -s /shared nas_ds vicfg-nas --config /home/admin/.visdkrc.$i l done

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Lab Install vSphere CLI on Windows

Lab 6 Part 2 Installing the RCLI for Windows

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