The esxcli command suite is another powerful tool built directly into ESXi. You can execute these commands either locally in the ESXi Shell or remotely by using Get-EsxCli in PowerCLI.
Once executed, the terminal will output the properties of the newly registered key. You can confirm its presence by re-running the list command outlined in the previous section. Assigning the License Key to the vCenter Server Asset
First, install the VMware PowerCLI module:
The vim-cmd utility interfaces directly with the host's management daemon ( hostd ). This method is perfect for troubleshooting or configuring a newly installed host before adding it to a vCenter inventory. vcenter license key command line
/usr/lib/vmware-vmafd/bin/vecs-cli entry list --store LICENSES
Locate the asset entry that corresponds to your vCenter Server instance and copy its ID string. 2. Bind the License Key
Make sure your administrator account has the Global.Licenses privilege on the vCenter Server when executing PowerCLI commands. The esxcli command suite is another powerful tool
$newKey = "NEWXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" $oldKey = "OLDXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" New-VMLicense -LicenseKey $newKey Set-VCenter -LicenseKey $newKey Remove-VMLicense -LicenseKey $oldKey -Confirm:$false
: When updating licenses via CLI, the vSphere Client UI may take up to 5–10 minutes to reflect changes unless you manually refresh the browser.
PowerCLI is the standard tool for automating vSphere license management. You must have a valid connection to your vCenter Server before running these commands. View Current vCenter License Get-VCLicense You can confirm its presence by re-running the
vcenter.host.list
This swaps the license on all currently assigned assets (hosts, clusters, vCenter itself).
This is a critical distinction: . In the context of vSphere, licenses are applied to individual ESXi hypervisors to enable specific features (e.g., vMotion, HA, DRS). vCenter Server, on the other hand, is a centralized management platform that requires its own license key to manage all vSphere hosts. Think of it this way: vSphere licenses unlock the capabilities of your ESXi hosts, while a vCenter license enables the central management pane that controls those hosts.