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vSphere CLI and Service Console Parity Issues (1008194)
Details
Some vSphere CLI commands differ from corresponding service console commands.
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vSphere CLI commands are supported on both ESX and ESXi systems. Service console commands are supported only on ESX systems.
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vSphere CLI commands require authentication. You can set up your system for explicit or automatic authentication.
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Many vSphere CLI commands start with vicfg-. T he corresponding service console commands start with esxcfg-.
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Some vSphere CLI commands do not support all the options the corresponding service console command supports.
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In some cases, the service console output and the vSphere CLI output differ.
Solution
The following table lists the differences between vSphere CLI and service console commands.
| Command | Parity |
| vmkfstools |
vSphere CLI does not support the following options that are supported in the vmkfstools service console command:
-G --growfs <grown-partition>
-T --upgradevmfs
-u --upgradefinish
-k --eagerzero
-M --migratevirtualdisk
-v --verbose
-L --lock [reserve|release|lunreset|targetreset|busreset]
-B --breaklock
For -z --expandfs and -C --createfs, the service console command warns the user and prompts for confirmation before expanding or creating the file system. The vSphere CLI runs the command without warnings or confirmation.
For --expandfs, the corresponding service console command has been renamed to --spanfs.
The vmkfstools vSphere CLI command does not support relative paths. You must specify absolute paths.
For some options, the vmkfstools vSphere CLI command returns to the prompt, whereas the service console command displays a success message. |
| vicfg–module |
vSphere CLI does not support the following option:
-q --query |
| vmware-cmd |
The vSphere CLI command does not support the -s listvms option:
The vSphere CLI command does not support the following options. In these options <cfg> points to the virtual machine configuration file.
<cfg> getconfig <variable> <cfg> getid <cfg> getheartbeat When you run the vmware-cmd getstate vSphere CLI command on a virtual machine that is waiting for user input, it returns on. Running the service console command in that case returns stuck.
When you register a virtual machine using the vSphere CLI, you must specify the datacenter and the resource pool to register the virtual machine in. The default datacenter is ha-datacenter and the default resource pool is Resources.
The service console command default power mode is soft. With the vSphere CLI, you must specify the default power mode. |
| vicfg-vswitch |
vSphere CLI vicfg-vswitch does not support retrieving or setting cpd on switches that have no associated uplinks. The service console command does support those tasks.
You can use the vicfg-vswitch vSphere CLI command to add a new virtual switch, but you cannot specify its port number. |
| vicfg-scsidevs |
vSphere CLI does not fully support some options.
--list does not include the following fields:
In contrast running the esxcfg-scsidevs -a service console command, running vicfg-scsidevs -a does not list USB devices. When you run vicfg-scsidevs --hbas, the third column (adapter UID) differs from the service console output and the adapter vendor information is not available. The adapter UID for SATA devices is included and in some situations. When you run vicfg-scsidevs -a, it does not list USB storage devices. |
| vicfg-iscsi |
When you use the -P -l options with the vSphere CLI, the display does not include some information such as SERIAL NUMBER, NODE NAME, ALIAS SETTABLE, and MAC ADDRESS SETTABLE. The information is available to users working with the vmkiscsi-tool command in the service console.
When you run vicfg-iscsi <conn_options> -N -l vmhba2, the following properties display values that differ from those in the service console. ARP REDIRECT SETTABLE : 0 (service console value: 1) MTU SETTABLE : 0 (service console value: 1) |
| vicfg-vmknic |
vSphere CLI does not support the following options:
-P --peerdns
-e --enable
-d --disable
The --list option does not display the broadcast, tso mss, and mtu columns in the vSphere CLI command. |
| vicfg-mpath | When you run vicfg-mpath -s off, the state is listed as off when you use the service console command but as disabled when you use the vSphere CLI command. |
| vicfg-mpath35 | The -a option displays less information than the corresponding service console command. |
| vicfg-nics | The --list option does not display an MTU size for the VMkernel NIC if the VMkernel NIC is not attached to a virtual switch. |
| vicfg-dumppart |
The --list option displays less information than the corresponding service console command.
The --find option output differs from the output of the corresponding service console command.
The vSphere CLI makes no distinction between an active and a configured diagnostic partition.
The vSphere CLI requires a device name as an argument to --activate, whereas the service console command activates the configured diagnostic partition.
The vSphere CLI has separate options for setting and activating the diagnostic partition.
The vSphere CLI does not support --smart-activate. |
| resxtop | When you run the vSphere CLI command, you cannot specify the --password option on the command line. Instead, you can leave out the password and the vSphere CLI command prompts you. |
| vicfg-route | The vicfg-route vSphere CLI command does not always immediately detect the default route of a VMkernel NIC that has been added with the esxcfg-vmknic service console command. In contrast, the default route is always visible when you run the esxcfg-route service console command. |
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