Enable or Disable a Service in the Security Profile

You can enable or disable one of the services listed in the Security Profile from the vSphere Web Client.

After installation, certain services are running by default, while others are stopped. In some cases, additional setup is necessary before a service becomes available in the vSphere Web Client UI. For example, the NTP service is a way of getting accurate time information, but this service only works when required ports are opened in the firewall.

Prerequisites

Connect to vCenter Server with the vSphere Web Client.

Procedure

1. Browse to a host in the vSphere Web Client inventory, and select a host.
2. Click Configure.
3. Under System, select Security Profile and click Edit.
4. Scroll to the service that you wish to change.
5. In the Service Details pane, select Start, Stop, or Restart for a one-time change to the host's status, or select from the Startup Policy menu to change the status of the host across reboots.
   • Start automatically if any ports are open, and stop when all ports are closed: The default setting for these services. If any port is open, the client attempts to contact the network resources for the service. If some ports are open, but the port for a particular service is closed, the attempt fails. If and when the applicable outgoing port is opened, the service begins completing its startup.
   • Start and stop with host: The service starts shortly after the host starts, and closes shortly before the host shuts down. Much like Start automatically if any ports are open, and stop when all ports are closed, this option means that the service regularly attempts to complete its tasks, such as contacting the specified NTP server. If the port was closed but is subsequently opened, the client begins completing its tasks shortly thereafter.
   • Start and stop manually: The host preserves the user-determined service settings, regardless of whether ports are open or not. When a user starts the NTP service, that service is kept running as long as the host is powered on. If the service is started and the host is powered off, the service is stopped as part of the shutdown process, but as soon as the host is powered on, the service is started again, preserving the user-determined state.

   Note: These settings apply only to service settings that are configured through the vSphere Web Client or to applications that are created with the vSphere Web Services SDK. Configurations made through other means, such as from the ESXi Shell or with configuration files, are not affected by these settings.