The Direct Console User Interface lets you interact with the appliance locally by using text-based menus.

Procedure

  1. Browse to the vCenter Server Appliance in the vSphere Web Client or the VMware Host Client inventory.
  2. Open the vCenter Server Appliance console.
    • From the vSphere Web Client, on the Summary tab, click Launch Console.
    • From the VMware Host Client, click Console and select an option from the drop-down menu.
  3. Click inside the console window and press F2 to customize the system.
  4. Type the password for the root user of the appliance and press Enter.
    Important: If you enter invalid credentials thrice, the root account is locked for five minutes.

Results

You logged in to the Direct Console User Interface. You can change the password of the root user of the vCenter Server Appliance, edit the network settings, and enable access to the vCenter Server Appliance Bash shell.