• Attempting to upload a file to the vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) using SCP tools like WinSCP, or PSCP for example, fails

• You see the following error:
  
  Host is not communicating for more than 15 seconds. If the problem repeats, try turning off 'Optimize connection buffer size'.

When you copy files using WinSCP, part of the operation happens on the target Linux system. The default Appliance Shell cannot be the remote partner of WinSCP. You must enable the Bash shell on the appliance, as follows:

1. Initiate an SSH connection to the vCenter Server Appliance.
    

2. Provide the root user user name and password when prompted.
    

3. Run this command to enable the BASH shell, if you are using vCenter Server 6.0. On For vCSA 6.5,6.7 and 7.0 this is no longer needed:

   
   # shell.set --enable True
   
    

4. Run this command to access the Bash shell:

   
   # shell
   
    

5. In the Bash shell, run this command to change the default shell to Bash:
    

   # chsh -s /bin/bash root
   
   
   Note: If you get the following message, it indicates the root password has expired:
   
   root@myvcsa [ ~ ]# chsh -s /bin/bash root
   You are required to change your password immediately (root enforced)
   chsh: PAM: Authentication token is no longer valid; new one required
       
   If this happens, run the following command to check if the root password has expired:
   
   # chage -l root

               
   When the password is expired, you will see the following output:
   
   chage -l root
   You are required to change your password immediately (root enforced)
   chage: PAM: Authentication token is no longer valid; new one required
   
   To fix this, you need to change the root password using passwd command:
   
   # passwd root
   
   Then verify the root account password has been changed and is no longer expired:
   
   # chage -l root
   
   Minimum: 0
   Maximum: 365
   Warning: 7
   Inactive: -1
   Last Change: Feb 03, 2020
   Password Expires: Feb 03, 2021
   Password Inactive: Never
   Account Expires: Never
               
   Note: The preceding log excerpts are only examples. Date, time, and environmental variables may vary depending on your environment.
    

6. You can now use SCP (e.g. WinSCP, SCP command line, PSCP on Linux etc.) to upload the files to the vCenter Server Appliance.
    

7. To switch the default shell back to the Appliance Shell, run this command:
   
   # chsh -s /bin/appliancesh root