You can use the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) to view system logs on an ESXi host. These logs provide information about system operational events.

Procedure

  1. From the ESXi Host Client, click Manage > Services. Confirm that the DCUI service is running.
  2. Open an SSH client (such as PuTTY) and connect to the ESXi host.
  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.
  7. Use the arrow keys to select View System Logs.
  8. Press a corresponding number key to view a log.
    vCenter Server agent (vpxa) logs appear if the host is managed by vCenter Server.
  9. Press Enter or the spacebar to scroll through the messages.
  10. (Optional) Perform a regular expression search.
    1. Press the slash key (/).
    2. Type the text to find.
    3. Press Enter
      The found text is highlighted on the screen.
  11. Press q to return to the direct console.