Mastering ESXi CLI: Essential to Advanced Commands in VMware ESXi 7.0 & 8.0

VMware ESXi is a bare-metal type 2 hypervisor that runs directly on server hardware to host virtual machines. Managing ESXi hosts often requires using the ESXi Shell or SSH to execute commands for configuration, troubleshooting, and monitoring porpoises. SSH and the CLI are the fastest and sometimes the only way to get things done, especially during troubleshooting, automation, or upgrades.

This article covers essential ESXi 7.0 and 8.0 commands, moving from basic administrative tasks to advanced troubleshooting and configuration.

Let’s dive in the some useful ESXi host commands.

Basic ESXi Host Commands

Command	Description	Example / Notes
esxcli system version get	Show ESXi version, build, and patch information	Useful to verify exact build details
esxcli system hostname get	Show the current host name (and domain)	Can verify FQDN settings
esxcli system uptime get	Show how long the host has been running	Helps determine if host was recently rebooted
esxcli system stats installtime get	Show the ESXi installation date/time	Confirms when host was first installed
esxcli system maintenanceMode set --enable yes	Enter maintenance mode	Required before patching or shutdown
esxcli system maintenanceMode set --enable no	Exit maintenance mode	Use after maintenance tasks complete
esxcli system shutdown poweroff -d 60 -r "Updating ESXi"	Shutdown host after delay	e.g., schedule shutdown with reason
esxcli system shutdown reboot -d 60 -r "Rebooting host"	Reboot host after delay	Delay and reason optional (see above)
dcui	Open the Direct Console User Interface	Useful for local console access to host console menu
esxtop	Launch ESX TOP (real-time performance monitor)	Shows CPU, memory, network, and disk stats:contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6}

Networking Commands

Command	Description	Example / Notes
esxcli network ip connection list	List active TCP/UDP connections	Shows network connections and status
esxcli network nic list	List physical NICs on the host	Shows link status, speed, driver, and MAC
esxcli network ip interface list	List VMkernel network interfaces	Shows VMkernel vNICs and their IP info
esxcli network ip interface ipv4 get	Get IPv4 settings for VMkernel interfaces	Useful to confirm IP and subnet
esxcli network vm list	List VMkernel network details per VM	Shows which vNIC is connected to which vSwitch/portgroup
esxcli network vswitch standard list	List standard vSwitches and portgroups	Shows vSwitch names, MTU, and portgroup names
esxcli network nic stats get -n vmnic0	Show statistics for vmnic0	Replace vmnic0 as needed for other NICs
esxcli network firewall get	Get firewall status	Shows if firewall is enabled/disabled
esxcli network firewall ruleset list	List all firewall rulesets	Use --enabled flag to see which are active
esxcli network firewall set --enabled false	Disable the host firewall	Useful for troubleshooting (re-enable after)
esxcli network firewall set --enabled true	Enable the host firewall	Recommended for security

Storage Commands

Command	Description	Example / Notes
esxcli storage filesystem list	List mounted file systems and VMFS datastores	Shows datastore names, UUIDs, and mount points
esxcli storage vmfs extent list	List VMFS extent information	Useful for detailed VMFS volume layout
esxcli storage core path list	List all storage paths	Shows paths to storage devices (used for multipathing)
esxcli storage nfs list	List mounted NFS volumes	Shows NFS server, share, and mount status
esxcli iscsi adapter list	List iSCSI adapters (software and hardware)	Shows iSCSI HBA names
esxcli storage core adapter rescan --all	Rescan all storage adapters	Use to detect new storage devices or LUNs
esxcli storage core device list	List all storage devices (NAA IDs)	Find the device ID for SMART checks or RDMs
esxcli storage core device smart get -d naa.XXX	Get S.M.A.R.T. info for a disk	Replace naa.XXX with device from above
vmkfstools -D /vmfs/volumes/datastore/vm.vmdk	Check disk type (thin/thick)	Output shows if disk is thin (CID=0) or thick

VM Management Commands

Command	Description	Example / Notes
vim-cmd vmsvc/getallvms	List all registered VMs on the host	Shows VMID, name, file path, guest OS
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.on <vmid>	Power on the VM with ID vmid	Replace vmid with the actual VM ID from above
vim-cmd vmsvc/power.off <vmid>	Power off the VM with ID vmid	Equivalent to ACPI shutdown/power off
vim-cmd vmsvc/unregister <vmid>	Unregister (remove) VM from inventory	Does not delete files, just removes from host
esxcli vm process list	List running VMs and World IDs	Shows state of VM processes (use with next command)
esxcli vm process kill --type=soft --world-id=<id>	Forcefully kill a VM process	Use --type=hard or force if soft fails
vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.create <vmid> <snapshot_name>	Create a snapshot for VM	Provide the VM ID and a snapshot name
vim-cmd vmsvc/snapshot.removeall <vmid>	Remove all snapshots for VM	Clean up space by consolidating

Cluster & HA Commands

Command	Description	Example / Notes
esxcli vsan cluster get	Show vSAN cluster membership	Displays cluster UUID and nodes
esxcli vsan cluster join -u <cluster-uuid>	Join this host to a vSAN cluster	Supply the target cluster's UUID
esxcli vsan cluster leave	Remove this host from its vSAN cluster	Leaves vSAN cluster (for maintenance or decommission)
esxcli vsan cluster new	Create a new vSAN cluster with this host	Generates a new cluster UUID
esxcli vsan cluster preferredfaultdomain get	Show preferred fault domain (stretched cluster)	Displays current preferred site
esxcli vsan cluster preferredfaultdomain set --preferred-fault-domain-name <name>	Set the preferred fault domain	Useful for stretched vSAN configurations

Performance & Troubleshooting Commands

Command	Description	Example / Notes
esxtop	Real-time performance monitor (CPU, memory, network, etc.)	Press h inside esxtop for help:contentReference[oaicite:7]{index=7}
vsish	Interactive VMkernel shell (low-level debug)	Use with caution; for advanced troubleshooting
esxcli system process list	List processes on the host	Shows running processes and resource usage
esxcli hardware cpu list	Show CPU configuration and features	Useful to verify CPU model and features
esxcli hardware memory get	Show memory size and module details	Displays total memory installed
esxcli hardware environment get	Retrieve hardware sensor (temperature, fan) status	Shows overall health status
vmkload_mod --list	List loaded VMkernel modules (drivers)	Verify if specific driver modules are loaded
esxcli system syslog config get	Show syslog configuration	See log output location and rotation settings

Advanced Configuration & Debugging Commands

Command	Description	Example / Notes
esxcli system settings advanced list	List current advanced settings (and defaults with -d)	Many tunable parameters are hidden here
esxcli system settings advanced set -o /Net/FollowHardwareMac -i 1	Example: Force following MAC address on network failover	Use the -o path for the setting and -i new value
esxcli system syslog config get	Show current syslog destination and settings	Useful to verify where logs are written
esxcli system syslog reload	Reload syslog configuration after changes	Must run to apply new log settings
esxcli software vib list	List all installed VIB packages	Shows driver/hardware package versions
esxcli hardware pci list	List PCI devices (HBAs, GPUs, NICs, etc.)	Helps identify hardware IDs and drivers