Virtual Server: How to Access Your Virtual Server via VMware Console Access

With the vSphere Web Client, you can access a virtual server's desktop by launching a console to the virtual server. From the console, you can perform activities in the virtual server such as configure operating system settings, run applications, monitor performance, and so on. Features will be different based on the permission level assigned to your account. 

You can also monitor the resources the virtual server uses from the console, but you will not be able to modify the configuration of the virtual machine, such as changing RAM/vCPU or disk allocation.

NOTE: The ITS VMware infrastructure has been updated to a more recent version of VMware vSphere, so the older vSphere "thick" Client no longer works, as some of our users in the past had used that. The current client is now the vSphere Web Client that you access from a web browser.

Prerequisites

  • You must be a VM Hosting customer.
     
  • You must be be listed as the technical contact for your VM.
     
  • You must have an Enterprise VPN account.
     
  • You will also need a Hawaii Domain account. This is a different account from your UH Username/@hawaii.edu account. This account is provided to you as part of the activation process for VM console access.
     

Procedure

  1. As part of completing your console access request, your UH Username and Password will be activated for VPN access. Download and install the VPN client by following the instructions (ITS will email you that).
     
  2. On your web browser (Google Chrome appears to have the best experience), go to https://vcr02.hawaii.uh/ (accept the SSL warning). On the right hand side, click on vSphere Web Client (HTML5) and log in with your Hawaii Domain account.



     

  3. Login with your Hawaii Domain account, which should be in the form of "hawaii\<username>" or "username@hawaii.uh" as in the example below.

  4. Click on the VM and Templates icon and expand esx_datacenter. Your VMs may be organized in a folder if you own several of them.


     

  5. Expand the inventory tree on the left-hand side of the page, and browse through it to find the VM you want and then click to select that VM. You may also search for a virtual machine and select it using the Search field in the upper right corner of the page.
     

  6. When a VM is selected, click on the Summary tab, then click on the "Launch Web Console" link. The virtual machine console opens in a new tab of the web browser. You may need allow popups on your browser for vcr02.hawaii.uh.

     

  7. Click anywhere inside the console window to enable your mouse, keyboard, and other input devices to work in the console.
     

Here are some tips on how to use the virtual console: 

  • Press Ctrl+Alt to release the cursor from the console window and work outside the console window.

  • Click Full Screen to display the console in full screen mode.

  • Press Ctrl+Alt+Enter to exit full screen mode.

  • Click Send Ctrl-Alt-Delete to send a Ctrl+Alt+Delete to the guest operating system.

 

 

 

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Article ID: 1693
Created: Tue, 05 Apr 2016 10:51am
Modified: Thu, 09 Feb 2023 8:55am