The Direct Console User Interface provides access to basic operations for appliance management and set up.

The DCUI provides access to a subset of management functions. It provides direct access to the appliance if the vSphere Web Client and the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface become unavailable.

For an illustration showing appliance connections, see the block diagram vCenter Server Appliance Management Connections.

After the vCenter Server Appliance startup is complete, the DCUI displays basic CPU, memory, and network information on the operator console. The root user can use the DCUI screen to configure network interfaces, DNS, and super administrator password.