vSphere 5 also offers vSphere Web Client, which is an application that provides a browser-based alternative to the traditional vSphere Client. With vSphere Web Client, administrators can use a web browser to connect to vSphere or directly to the ESXi host through a vCenter Server.
In Version 5.1 and later of vSphere, web client becomes a core administrative interface for your virtual environment and comes with additional features not available in vSphere Client, which are listed as follows:
For vSphere 5.1 and 5.5, hardware Versions 9 and 10 for virtual machines can be chosen only in web client
Web client in vSphere 5.5 supports drag-and-drop actions for different objects, which gives administrators the ability to perform bulk operations easily
vSphere 5.5 Web Client also supports filters for the list of displayed objects and recent items that improve navigation through vSphere objects
To install and start vSphere Web Client, you will need the vCenter installer. Launch autorun.exe, select the VMware vSphere® Web Client (Server) option, and then click on Install. Follow the wizard to finish installation. Once it's completed, register one or more vCenter servers on the vSphere Web Client Administration application page in the browser. You will need to use the address in IPv6 format if your vCenter uses an IPv6 address or enter FQDN, which is preferable.
vSphere Client hardware requirements are:
At least one 500 MHz CPU. 1 GHz processor is recommended
500 MB of memory. 1 GB is recommended.
At least 1 GB of disk space, which includes the space needed for installing the following products:
Microsoft .NET 2.0 SP2
Microsoft .NET 3.0 SP2
Microsoft .NET 3.5 SP1
Microsoft Visual J#
vSphere Client
A gigabit network connection is recommended.
vSphere Client requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. If it is not installed, it will be deployed by the vSphere Client installer.
The operating systems supported by vSphere Client are Windows clients starting from Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows servers starting from Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2.
The vSphere Web Client hardware requirements are:
At least 2 GB of memory
At least one 2 GHz processor with four cores
The following browsers are supported by vSphere Web Client 5:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 and 8
Mozilla Firefox 3.6
vSphere Web Client 5.1 also supports:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 9
Mozilla Firefox versions later than 3.6
Google Chrome 14 or later
The operating systems supported by vSphere Web Client are:
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter SP2 64-bit
Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter R2 SP2 64-bit
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter SP2 64-bit
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Standard, Enterprise, or Datacenter R2 SP1 64-bit
vSphere Web Client also requires Adobe Flash Player Version 10.1.0 or later to be installed with the appropriate plugin for your browser.