Vcenter License Key Command Line Jun 2026
$LicenseMan = Get-View LicenseManager $LicenseMan.Licenses | Select-Object LicenseKey, Name, Total, Used Use code with caution. 3. Add a New vCenter License Key to the Inventory
Later, in a quieter hour, Mira wrote a small script to prevent future surprises: a nightly check that would alert her a week before expiration and hold the new key in a secure vault until needed. She documented the steps in the runbook with crisp comments and a timestamp.
New-VLicenseAssignment -LicenseKey "<new-license-key>" -Server <vcenter-server-fqdn>
$LicenseAssMan = Get-View $LicenseMan.LicenseAssignmentManager $LicenseAssMan.UpdateAssignedLicense("LicenseEntityToken", $LicenseKey, "vCenter Server License") Use code with caution. vcenter license key command line
If you have a list of keys, you can wrap these commands in a foreach loop to license an entire fleet of ESXi hosts and vCenter instances in seconds. No more orange banners, no more manual clicking.
While vim-cmd is primarily for ESXi hosts, it can sometimes be used within the vCenter shell to query local information. However, for vCenter-specific licensing, we typically use the -related tools. Querying the License via Postgres DB
Type shell to switch from the appliance shell to the BASH shell if prompted. Step 2: Use the vim-cmd Utility $LicenseMan = Get-View LicenseManager $LicenseMan
vifs --server vcenter.example.com --username administrator@vsphere.local --list /vmfs/volumes/
In the world of virtual infrastructure management, vCenter Server acts as the central nervous system for VMware environments. While the vSphere Client (Web UI) provides a convenient graphical interface for managing licenses, enterprise environments often demand speed, automation, and remote capabilities. This is where the becomes indispensable.
This command outputs the license type, the serial key (partially masked), and the expiration date. 2. Adding a New License Key To apply a new vCenter Server license key, use the flag followed by your 25-character key: vim-cmd vim-svc/license --set=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard She documented the steps in the runbook with
Secure Shell (SSH) must be enabled on your vCenter Server. You can enable this via the vCenter Server Management Interface (VAMI) at https://your-vcenter-ip:5480 .
# Remove license from all entities Get-VMHost | Set-VMHost -License "None" # Remove the key from vCenter Remove-VMLicense -LicenseKey "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" -Confirm:$false
To begin, open your terminal or command prompt and connect to your vCenter Server via SSH. ssh root@your-vcenter-ip Use code with caution.
Before adding a new key, it is helpful to see what is currently installed. You can list the licenses and their features using: vim-cmd vim-svc/license --show Use code with caution. Copied to clipboard