You can access a virtual machine through a browser console or through VMware Remote Console (VMRC) in the VMware Host Client and perform different tasks on the virtual machine.

Using Browser Console

Note: The browser console is not supported for any version of ESXi prior to 6.0. You must use VMRC in order to access the browser console.

You can use a browser console to gain access to the guest operating system without installing additional software. For additional console functionalities, such as attaching local hardware, install VMware Remote Console.

Note: Currently browser consoles support only US, Japanese and German keyboard layouts. You must select the desired keyboard layout before opening the console.

Using VMware Remote Console

VMware Remote Console provides access to virtual machines on remote hosts and performs console and device operations, such as configuring operating system settings and monitoring the virtual machine console for VMware vSphere. You can perform a variety of tasks on the virtual machine, such as restarting and shutting down the virtual machine guest operating system, resuming and suspending the virtual machine, configuring VMware Tools updates, configuring and managing the virtual machine and different devices, and so on. VMRC can also modify virtual machine settings such as RAM, CPU cores, and disks. VMware Workstation™, VMware Fusion™ or VMware Player™ work as VMRC clients so you do not need to download and install VMRC if you have any of the three installed on your system.

For a full set of console features, download and install VMRC.

Install the VMware Remote Console Application in the VMware Host Client

The VMware Remote Console (VMRC) is a standalone console application that enables you to connect to client devices and launch virtual machine consoles on remote hosts.

Procedure

  1. Click Virtual Machines in the VMware Host Client inventory.
    The list of virtual machines available on the host is displayed.
  2. Select a virtual machine from the list and from the Actions menu, select Console > Download VMRC. VMware Remote Console Download Menu
    The VMware Customer Connect website opens.
  3. Download the VMRC installer at Broadcom Support.
    Note: You must have a profile at Broadcom Support to download the VMRC installer.

Launch Remote Console for a Virtual Machine in the VMware Host Client

You can access virtual machines in the VMware Host Client by using VMware Remote Console. You can launch one or more consoles to access several remote virtual machines at the same time.

Prerequisites

Verify that VMware Remote Console is installed on your local system.

Procedure

  1. Click Virtual Machines in the VMware Host Client inventory and select a virtual machine from the list.
  2. From the Actions menu, select Console > Launch remote console.
    The VMware Remote Console opens as a standalone application for the selected virtual machine.

Open a Virtual Machine Console in the VMware Host Client

With the VMware Host Client, you can access the desktop of a virtual machine by launching a console to the virtual machine. From the console, you can perform tasks in the virtual machine, such as configuring operating system settings, running applications, monitoring performance, and so on.

Procedure

  1. Click Virtual Machines in the VMware Host Client inventory.
  2. Select a powered-on virtual machine from the list.
  3. From the Actions menu, select Console and select whether to open the console in a pop-up window, new window, or a new tab.