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How to Access ESXi 6.5 Hosts without vCenter Server

By: Author Alex Lim

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Learn how to log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a web browser when the vCenter Server is not available, and how to start the vCenter Server VM manually.

VMware ESXi is a hypervisor that runs on physical servers and allows you to create and manage virtual machines. VMware vCenter Server is a centralized management platform that provides a single pane of glass for managing multiple ESXi hosts and virtual machines. However, what if the vCenter Server is not available due to a power outage or a network issue? How can you access your ESXi hosts and virtual machines without vCenter Server?

In this article, we will show you how to log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a web browser when the vCenter Server is not available, and how to start the vCenter Server VM manually. We will also provide some tips and best practices for avoiding this situation in the future.

Logging in to ESXi 6.5 Hosts from a Web Browser

ESXi 6.5 introduced a new web-based interface called the VMware Host Client, which allows you to manage your ESXi host and its virtual machines from any web browser. You can use the VMware Host Client to log in to your ESXi host directly, without relying on the vCenter Server. To log in to your ESXi host from a web browser, follow these steps:

  1. Open your web browser and enter the URL for the VMware Host Client: https://<esxi_host_ip_address_or_fqdn>/ui. Replace <esxi_host_ip_address_or_fqdn> with the IP address or the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of your ESXi host.
  2. Enter the credentials of a user who has permissions on the ESXi host, such as the root user, and click Login. If a warning message about an untrusted SSL certificate appears, select the appropriate action based on your security policy.
  3. You should see the VMware Host Client dashboard, which displays the status and configuration of your ESXi host and its virtual machines. You can use the VMware Host Client to perform various tasks, such as starting, stopping, or migrating virtual machines, monitoring the performance and health of the host and the virtual machines, configuring the network and storage settings, and updating the host software.

Starting the vCenter Server VM Manually

If the vCenter Server is running as a virtual machine on one of your ESXi hosts, you can use the VMware Host Client to start it manually. To start the vCenter Server VM manually, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to the ESXi host that hosts the vCenter Server VM by using the VMware Host Client, as described in the previous section.
  2. In the VMware Host Client, click on the Virtual Machines tab, and locate the vCenter Server VM in the list. The vCenter Server VM may have a name like “vCenter Server Appliance” or “VMware vCenter Server”.
  3. Right-click on the vCenter Server VM, and select Power > Power On. Alternatively, you can select the vCenter Server VM, and click on the Power On button in the toolbar.
  4. Wait for the vCenter Server VM to boot up. You can monitor the progress by clicking on the Console tab, which shows the graphical or text console of the VM.
  5. Once the vCenter Server VM is up and running, you can log in to the vCenter Server by using the vSphere Web Client or the vSphere Client, as usual.

Tips and Best Practices

To avoid the situation where the vCenter Server is not available, and to ensure the availability and reliability of your ESXi hosts and virtual machines, we recommend the following tips and best practices:

  • Configure the vCenter Server VM to start automatically when the ESXi host boots up. You can do this by using the VMware Host Client, and setting the Startup Policy of the vCenter Server VM to “Start and stop with the host”. This way, you don’t have to start the vCenter Server VM manually after a power outage or a host reboot.
  • Configure the vCenter Server VM to run on a dedicated ESXi host, or on a host that has enough resources to support the vCenter Server VM. This way, you can avoid the vCenter Server VM being affected by the performance or availability issues of other virtual machines or hosts.
  • Configure the vCenter Server VM to use a static IP address, or a reliable DNS service. This way, you can avoid the vCenter Server VM being unreachable due to IP address changes or DNS failures.
  • Configure the vCenter Server VM to use a separate network adapter and a separate network segment from the ESXi host management network. This way, you can avoid the vCenter Server VM being isolated due to network congestion or misconfiguration on the host management network.
  • Configure the vCenter Server VM to use a high availability solution, such as VMware vSphere High Availability (HA) or VMware vCenter Server Heartbeat. This way, you can ensure that the vCenter Server VM is automatically restarted or failed over to another host in case of a host failure or a VM failure.
  • Configure the vCenter Server VM to use a backup and recovery solution, such as VMware vSphere Data Protection (VDP) or VMware vCenter Server Appliance Backup and Restore. This way, you can restore the vCenter Server VM from a backup in case of a VM corruption or a data loss.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Question: How can I log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a command-line interface?

Answer: You can log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a command-line interface by using SSH or the ESXi Shell. SSH allows you to connect to the ESXi host remotely, while the ESXi Shell allows you to access the ESXi host locally. To use SSH or the ESXi Shell, you need to enable them on the ESXi host by using the VMware Host Client, and then use a SSH client or a console to log in to the ESXi host.

Question: How can I log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a Windows desktop application?

Answer: You can log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a Windows desktop application by using the vSphere Client. The vSphere Client is a legacy application that allows you to manage your ESXi hosts and virtual machines from a Windows machine. However, the vSphere Client is deprecated and does not support all the features of ESXi 6.5. Therefore, we recommend using the VMware Host Client or the vSphere Web Client instead.

Question: How can I log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a PowerShell script?

Answer: You can log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a PowerShell script by using PowerCLI. PowerCLI is a PowerShell module that provides a set of cmdlets to manage your ESXi hosts and virtual machines. You can use PowerCLI to automate various tasks, such as creating, configuring, or migrating virtual machines, monitoring the performance and health of the host and the virtual machines, or updating the host software. To use PowerCLI, you need to install it on your Windows machine, and then use the Connect-VIServer cmdlet to connect to your ESXi host.

Summary

In this article, we have shown you how to log in to ESXi 6.5 hosts from a web browser when the vCenter Server is not available, and how to start the vCenter Server VM manually. We have also provided some tips and best practices for ensuring the availability and reliability of your ESXi hosts and virtual machines.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. You should always consult with your IT department or a qualified expert before making any changes to your ESXi or vCenter Server settings. We are not responsible for any damages or losses that may result from following the instructions in this article.