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Vimsh is one of the most powerful tools that you can use to configure ESX servers. When it comes to configuration, there are things you can do with that command that just cannot be done any other way. In case you are not familiar with it, vimsh is a terminal/shell buffer script for python enabled [g]vim (+python), which allows execution of shell commands in a vim buffer. If you look for information about this tool on Vmware’s site you will find nada, zilch, but you WILL find plenty from the VMware community with samples of the code and the power of the utility. The last I heard, vimsh was a non-supported utility as far as VMware goes. It is kind of like, look at this great tool, just do not touch. On the community forums I have seen comments where people are not willing to use this command at all because it was not blessed by VMware. Well, as for me personally, I am all for it and use it over and over again on my build processes. Then again, you are not supposed to install rpm’s that are not on the ESX installation CD and again, I am guilty of that when getting my Secure LDAP Search script running to automate central control to add and/or remove users that log on to an ESX server. I guess that makes me a rebel in VMware’s eyes.
I am curious to see how many other rebels we have out in the community? I am sure that most of the people that I consider to be the advanced Virtual Administrators use this tool at will and without hesitation, but what about you? Are there any other rule breakers out there that want to share how naughty they have been?
Christmas is over, you can come clean now….
Configuration, ESX, ESXi, Scripting, vCenter, Vimsh, Virtual Center, virtualization, VMTN, vmware
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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 8th, 2009 at 1:14 pm and is filed under Virtual Tech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
January 8th, 2009 2:15 pm
Somethings you just can’t do with any other command. I really like vimsh and use it when ever I can. I wrote a short article on vimsh it was mainly a plug for a great website revolving around vimsh: http://www.yellow-bricks.com/2009/01/05/vimsh-what-can-i-do-with-it/
January 8th, 2009 4:11 pm
To add to Duncan’s link of Wil’s site which I’ve started to contribute.
I also have a page of scripts I’ve worked on and examples, of which many utilizes “vimsh” as that is the most common tool between various release of ESX.
http://engineering.ucsb.edu/~duonglt/vmware/
January 28th, 2009 10:49 am
Thanks guys for the kind words.
Yes “vimsh” is the current main topic over at the http://www.vi-toolkit.com site and I will continue to add as much as I find out about it to the site (be it by myself while experimenting or by reading online about it).
Being able to search on what you want to automate and immediately get the relevant vimsh commands does make it much easier to use the undocumented goodies.
As the site is open for everyone to add/edit content, anyone is welcome to add/change/improve on what’s there already. Hopefully it does help you guys as much as it helps me.
FWIW, I’ve also just started out on adding documentation for the normal CLI interface.
–
Wil
January 28th, 2009 11:05 am
Thanks for adding the link
March 19th, 2009 7:33 am
Hello
i try to use vimsh in ESXI to manage iSCSI and this command not work with me.
i have the same problem with vmware-vim-cmd and vim-cmd.
my question is there is pre-requisites to use this command?
thanks
_
Luc
March 19th, 2009 7:57 am
Luc,
I think you are going to find that ESXi is just lacking and to try to do anything on ESXi you will need to use the remote CLI appliance and or VIMA (Virtual Infrastructure Management Appliance). Thos commands work out of the box on the full blown version of ESX
April 26th, 2009 10:35 am
Steve,
Actually with the current release of RCLI, there are no tools to manage/configure iSCSI, that’s one of the limitations of the RCLI today. You’ll have to use the VI Client or use the unsupported SSH console using something like *vimsh*. As of vSphere 4.0 release, the newly revised vCLI will have support for iSCSI commands that we’re all familiar/fond of on the classic ESX Server along with other new iSCSI features.
–William