Using the vSphere Command-Line Interface

You can run vSphere Command-Line Interface (vCLI) commands from the command line of the system where you installed the package, from the vMA command line, and from scripts. Each command requires at a minimum the target server to run the command on. Users authorized to run commands on the target server do not have to specify authentication information. Other users must specify authentication information.

This chapter includes the following topics:

■	Overview of Running Commands

■	Specifying Authentication Information

■	Common Options for vCLI Execution

■	Using vCLI Commands in Scripts

Important If an ESXi system that you target is in lockdown mode, you cannot run vCLI commands against that system directly. You must target a vCenter Server system that manages the ESXi system and use the --vihost option to specify the ESXi target. See vCLI and Lockdown Mode.