Supplementing the vCenter Server API

Some less common features of vCenter Server are not accessible by API. These features require direct shell access or specific user interfaces.

Direct Console User Interface to vCenter Server
The Direct Console User Interface provides access to basic operations for vCenter Server management and set up.
vCenter Server Management Interface
The vCenter Server Management Interface is an interface for configuring, monitoring, and patching vCenter Server.
vCenter Server Appliance Bash Shell
You can use the vCenter Server appliance Bash shell to access all vCenter Server commands and plug-ins that you use for monitoring, troubleshooting, and configuring the vCenter Server instance through the API.
vSphere Client and the vCenter Server
The vSphere Client is a user interface for general management tasks.
DCLI and vCenter Server
The Data Center CLI (DCLI) is a CLI client of the VMware vSphere^® Automation™ SDK. Almost all methods that are available in the vSphere Automation SDKs are available as DCLI commands.

Parent topic: Introduction to the vCenter Server APIs