To improve reliability and reduce security vulnerabilities, VMware removed the service console from ESX 3i. To run commands that one would normally run at the service console, it is necessary to download one of three packages from this location. There are two install packages, one for Windows and one for Linux, and one virtual appliance which can be imported with the VI client.
To import the virtual appliance follow these instructions. These steps can be used to import any appliance that created with the Open Virtual Machine format.
- Download and extract the archive VMware-RCLI-1.1.0-64557.i386.tar.gz. You will have 4 files.
- From the File menu in the VI client, select Virtual Appliance\Import.
- Find the VI_RCLI_Appliance.ovf file and continue through the import wizard. If the host you selected before starting the import only has one datastore or one virtual machine port group, then you will not see the Datastore or Network Mapping screens.
- Once you have completed the wizard, click Finish to begin the import process.
- Before using the RCLI appliance, you will need to accept the license agreement, set a password for the root and network accounts and confirm a choice for the VM’s time zone.
- You will now be able to use the RCLI appliance. You can log in at https://<ip_address>:8080 with the network login to configure network settings, at the console of the VM or via SSH with the root login to execute RCLI commands.