======VMware - ESX - Management======
[[http://www.vi-toolkit.com/|VI Toolkit]] contains information for developers and administrators about extending and managing your VMware virtual environments. This includes everything from automation on virtual machines in VMware player up to managing your Virtual Infrastructure using the available Software Development Kits from VMware.

[[http://sanbarrow.com/vmx.html|VMX-file parameters]]

[[https://www.vmware.com/go/download-vmrc|VMware - Latest VMware Remote Console Download]]


=====Commercial Tools=====

[[http://www.convirture.com/solutions_vmware.php|ConVirt for VMware]] Convirt has an Open Source edition, but that is only for managing KVM and Xen. \\


=====Free Tools=====

[[http://sourceforge.net/projects/veman/|vEMan - VMware ESX/ESXi Manager]] (2015-05-05: last release 2013-11-29, [[http://www.gofundme.com/vEMan|fundraiser from februari 2015]]).

[[http://desktopecho.com/iMKS/|iMKS]] [[https://communities.vmware.com/blogs/dmilisic|VMware Communities - The iMKS Weblog]] a "helper" VM for managing VMware guests from non-Windows/Mac hosts (2015-06-18: last release 2009-02-03) \\


=====Manage VM with VNC=====

[[http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1246|VMware Knowledge Base - Using a VNC Client to connect to virtual machines (1246)]] \\
[[https://www.petri.com/virtual_using_vnc_and_vmware_server|Petri - How to Use VNC to ‘Backdoor’ Access VMware Servers]] \\
[[http://www.geeklab.info/2010/01/use-vnc-to-access-vmware-esx-guests/|GeekLab - Use VNC to Access VMware ESX guests]] \\


=====VMware KB Articles=====

[[http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2012964|Performing common virtual machine-related tasks with command-line utilities (2012964)]] \\
[[http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1038043|Powering on a virtual machine from the command line when the host cannot be managed using vSphere Client (1038043)]] \\
[[http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1034616|Unable to remove the floppy device in the Windows virtual machine (1034616)]] \\
[[https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2005083|Minimum requirements for installing the vSphere Client and vSphere Web Client 5.x (2005083)]] \\


=====Blogposts/Articles=====

[[http://virtuallyhyper.com/2012/04/cloning-a-vm-from-the-command-line/|VirtuallyHyper - Cloning a VM from the Command Line]] \\
[[http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2011/04/how-to-mount-cdrom-using-vsish-on-esxi.html|virtuallyGhetto - How to mount a cdrom using vsish on ESXi]] \\
[[http://www.vm-help.com/esx40i/manage_without_VI_client_1.php|vm-help.com - Managing ESXi without the VI client or the vCLI - Part 1]] \\
[[http://www.doublecloud.org/2013/11/dummy-virtual-machine-for-dummies-how-to-create-hundreds-of-them-with-several-lines-of-scripts/|DoubleCloud - Dummy Virtual Machine For Dummies: How To Create Hundreds of Them with Several Lines of Scripts]] demonstrates the use of // vim-cmd vmsvc/createdummyvm // \\
[[http://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2012/09/joining-vsphere-hosts-to-active-directory.html|VMware vSphere Blog - Joining vSphere Hosts to Active Directory]] \\
[[http://blog.clearpathsg.com/blog/bid/301156/Lost-Your-ESXi-Root-Password-Reset-It-with-Host-Profiles|Clearpath’s Blog on Clouds and the Tools to Make Them – Private, Public and Hybrid - Lost Your ESXi Root Password? Reset It with Host Profiles!]] \\


=====Notes=====


====Join to Active Directory=====

Joining an ESXi host to Active Directory allows using AD accounts to log into the ESXi host. Both with the vSphere Client, and with SSH (account format: DOMAIN\SamAccountName).

Open the following ports from the ESXi server to the Active Directory Domain Controllers:
  - tcp/88
  - tcp,udp/389
  - tcp,udp/445
  - tcp/464
  - tcp,udp/49152-65535

Source: [[https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2039095|Required ports for ESXi 5.1.x (2039095)]] \\

Then add the host to the domain:

  - Log in with the vSphere Client.
  - Go to Configuration tab -> Software -> Authentication Services
  - Click on the Properties... link in the upper right corner.
  - Set Directory Service Type to Active Directory.
  - Set Domain to domain.tld or domain.tld/Location/Servers/ to place it in the Servers OU under the Location OU.
  - Click on Join Domain and enter an account that is allowed to join computers to the domain.

[[https://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-60/index.jsp#com.vmware.vsphere.security.doc/GUID-63D22519-38CC-4A9F-AE85-97A53CB0948A.html|ESXi and vCenter Server 6.0 Documentation > vSphere Security > Securing ESXi Hosts > Using Active Directory to Manage ESXi Users > Add a Host to a Directory Service Domain]] \\