Command line for vSphere (Continuous Updating)

Command for vShpere4 in ESX/ESXi:

1. Change service console ip in ESX

esxcfg-vswif -l

esxcfg-vswif -d vswif0

esxcfg-vswif -a vswif0 -p "Service Console" -i x.x.x.x -n x.x.x.x

after change, manual update /etc/sysconfig/network for gateway info.

2. Register a VM:

/usr/bin/vmware-cmd -s register /vmfs/volumes/VMStorage/vm166_01/vm166_01.vmx

3. Unregister a VM:

/usr/bin/vmware-cmd -s unregister /vmfs/volumes/VMStorage/vm166_01/vm166_01.vmx

4. Start a VM:

/usr/bin/vmware-cmd /vmfs/volumes/VMStorage/vm166_01/vm166_01.vmx start trysoft

Note: once I start it, I got “VMControl error -16: Virtual machine requires user input to continue” error, and checked log “Dec 23 14:52:00.275: vmx| If the virtual machine has been copied, you should create a new unique identifier (UUID). “, as a solution, I added “uuid.action = "create" in the vmx file.

5. Shutdown this VM:

/usr/bin/vmware-cmd /vmfs/volumes/VMStorage/vm166_01/vm166_01.vmx stop trysoft

6. List path and names of .registered VM vmx files on the present host

[root@esx167 ~]# vmware-cmd -l

/vmfs/volumes/4b6780c8-d02bd4c1-08d7-001ec9fd9947/vm166_04/vm166_04.vmx

7. createsnapshot name description quiesce memory 

[root@esx167 ~]# vmware-cmd /vmfs/volumes/4b6780c8-d02bd4c1-08d7-001ec9fd9947/vm166_04/vm166_04.vmx getstate

getstate() = on

8. open ssh 333 port

esxcfg-firewall --openPort 333,tcp,out,WBXSSH ; to allow SSH out as 333

esxcfg-firewall --openPort 333,tcp,in,WBXSSH ; to allow SSH in as 333

9. clone a VM to another

C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vSphere CLI\Perl\apps\vm> perl vmclone.pl --username xxxxxx --password xxxxxx --vmhost x.x.x.x --vmname vm168_02 --vmname_destination vmclone2  --url --datastore VMStorage

Cloning virtual machine 'vm168_02' ...

Clone 'vmclone2' of virtual machine 'vm168_02' successfully created.

**********Issue troubleshoot**********:

C:\Program Files\VMware\VMware vSphere CLI\Perl\apps\vm> perl vmclone.pl --username xxxxxx --password xxxxxx --vmhost x.x.x.x --vmname vm168_02 --vmname_destination vmclone2  --url --customize_vm yes --filename ../sampledata/clone_vm.xml --schema ../schema/vmclone.xsd

Cloning virtual machine 'vm168_02' ...

Fault

SOAP Fault:

-----------

Fault string: Unable to access file [wbxiso] vmclone2

Fault detail: CannotAccessFile

Solution: add --datastore

10. Convert a VM to a template

[root@sjimage vm]# perl vmtemplate.pl --username xxxxxx --password xxxxxx  --vmname vmclonelinux  --url --operation T

The Virtual Machine 'vmclonelinux' under host x.x.x.x is successfully marked as a template.

11. Copy a template to a new VM

[root@sjimage vm]# perl vmclone.pl --username xxxxxx --password xxxxxx --vmhost x.x.x.x --vmname vmclonelinux --vmname_destination vmclonelinux1  --url --datastore VMStorage

Command line in vMA:

12. Add NAS storage by command line remotely

#esxcfg-nas -a New-Datastore -o x.x.x.x -s /xxx/Test -h x.x.x.x --username xxxxxx --password xxxxxx --url /webService