How to Integrate ESX 4.0 or 4.1 with AD Without VI or vCenter?

[venkateshvcp5]

How to Integrate ESX 4.0 or 4.1 with AD Without VI or vCenter?

[peetz]

You can connect directly to the host with the vSphere client and do the necessary configuration.

See Online docs here:

http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-4-esx-vcenter/topic/com.vmware.vsphere.server_configclassic.doc_41/es...

[venkateshvcp5]

I think you didn't get my question properly. I know how to integrate with VI or vCenter. I am asking without using them

[weinstein5]

CHeck out page 181 of http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp_41_esx_server_config.pdf - this how you can configure an ESX server to use AD for authentication -

[venkateshvcp5]

So, in the doc it says to use VI, cant I do without using VI? I mean directly from ESX Console?

[HyderabadVMware]

No, you can't without vCenter...!

[aravinds3107]

You can use vCLI to join host to domain without GUI

Command : vicfg-authconfig

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vsphere4/r41/vsp4_41_vcli_inst_script.pdf (Page 32)

http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vcli/vcli41/doc/reference/vicfg-authconfig.html

[venkateshvcp5]

Let's take an example : i have an user root with Admin privileges and I dont want to use the root and i dont want to create a user, i want to integrate that esx with AD so i can use Admin group in AD to use as an Admin in esx server. i want to do this with out using VI or vCenter..

[aravinds3107]

I am not sure if i understand your question correcty..

Please explain what are you are trying to achieve without GUI (VI or vCenter)

[venkateshvcp5]

It's a question asked by someone, can it be possible to access the AD Admin users in ESX.

Ex: I have an AD group called VMAdmin and user xyz.

Now i have an ESX sever with root as default user. so Now I dont want to login with root user into esx and I want to use XYZ user,

This can be achieved by integrating ESX with AD(Right)

But i dont want to that Integartion with ESX and AD by using VI Client or vCenter Sever.

Can I do it from directly ESX console or any other commands to do it?

I hopes this explains in clear....

[peetz · Accepted solution]

As posted earlier you can use the vCLI to do that.

And here is a post that explains how to do it from the ESX service console:

http://www.vmadmin.co.uk/vmware/35-esxserver/55-esxadauth

- Andreas

[aravinds3107]

Yes it is possible as suggested use  vicfg-authconfig for joining the host to domain and later you can give the AD group necessary permission at the vCenter level and start using that.