In vSphere 5, the new command-line interface has been introduced. The tools are called esxcli; it offers a structured and intuitive interface with real-time discovery of syntax options.

The esxcli is the first attempt to standardize multiple command-line tools required; which before, were different depending on the way the administrator connects to hosts. The new tool has improved syntax and additional functionalities, which were not available before. Among them are network and security policies, firewalls, and VIN management.

Esxcli can be used to manage hosts via the ESXi shell, with the vCLI package, which can be installed on Windows or Linux servers, and through vSphere Management Assistant (vMA).

The general command structure is as follows:

esxcli <connect options> <namespace> <cmd options>

For example, have a look at the following command:

esxcli --server 192.168.1.25 network ip interface list

Among other enhancements is the option to...