By default, remote command execution is disabled on an ESXi host, and you cannot log in to the host by using a remote shell. You can enable remote command execution from the direct console or from the vSphere Web Client.
Procedure
- Select the host, click Manage, and keep Settings selected.
- Click Security Profile.
- In the Services section, click Edit.
- Select SSH.
- To temporarily start or stop the service, click the Start or Stop button.
- To change the Startup policy across reboots, select Start and stop with host and reboot the host.
- Click OK.
What to do next
After you have enabled SSH, you can log in to the ESXi Shell remotely and run ESXi Shell commands.