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

Procedure

  1. From the vSphere Client, navigate to the host and click Configure > Services. Confirm that the SSH and Direct Console User Interface services are running.
  2. Open an SSH client and connect to the vCenter Server.
  3. Log in with the root account.
  4. Enter DCUI to start the Direct Console User Interface.
  5. Click inside the console window and press F2 to customize the system.
  6. Type the password for the root user 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, edit the network settings, and enable access to the vCenter Server appliance Bash shell.