This chapter provides an overview of ESXCLI, connection options, and discusses ESXCLI and lockdown mode. What to read next Introduction to ESXCLIYou can use the commands in the ESXCLI package to manage many aspects of an ESXi host. You can run ESXCLI commands remotely or in the ESXi Shell. Targets and Protocols for ESXCLI Host Management CommandsMost ESXCLI commands are used to manage or retrieve information about one or more ESXi hosts. They can target an ESXi host or a vCenter Server system. ESXCLI Commands Available on Different ESXi HostsThe available ESXCLI commands depend on the ESXi host version. Trust Relationship Requirement for ESXCLI CommandsESXCLI checks whether a trust relationship exists between the machine where you run the ESXCLI command and the ESXi host. An error results if the trust relationship does not exist. Using ESXCLI OutputMany ESXCLI commands generate output you might want to use in your application. You can run esxcli with the --formatter dispatcher option and send the resulting output as input to a parser. Connection Options for ESXCLI Host Management CommandsYou can run ESXCLI host management commands and other commands with several different connection options. ESXCLI Host Management Commands and Lockdown ModeFor additional security, an administrator can place one or more hosts managed by a vCenter Server system in lockdown mode. Lockdown mode affects login privileges for the ESXi host.