Which client to manage 5.1 environment?

[TedAppleberry]

I had 2 ESXi 4.1 hosts I was using the vSphere client to attach to each host and manage.

I have now upgraded both hosts to 5.1 and added a 3rd host plus brought vCenter on-line.

What client should I be using to manage the environment? vCenter web client? vSphere windows client connected to vCenter? vSphere web client? So many options..

Thanks..

[jrmunday]

Some features such as live migrations without shared storage are only available with the Web client, so if you want all the new features that were introduced with 5.1 then you should use the Web client.

[TomHowarth]

the 5.1 web client is a lot more fully featured in this latest release and there are certain things that can only  be done with the Web Client.  that said.  for the forseeable future you may need to use both the Web Client and the standard client to manage your environment.  especially if you use VUM and SRM for example as their is no web plugin for those applications

[sparrowangelste]

TedAppleberry wrote:

I had 2 ESXi 4.1 hosts I was using the vSphere client to attach to each host and manage.

I have now upgraded both hosts to 5.1 and added a 3rd host plus brought vCenter on-line.

What client should I be using to manage the environment? vCenter web client? vSphere windows client connected to vCenter? vSphere web client? So many options..

Thanks..

I prefer the vi client but the future is goign to be web clinet so better get ready.

in the meantime you actually need to use both

Here are features that are VI client only:

• VMware Desktop Plug-ins (VUM, SRM, etc)
• 3rd Party Desktop Plugins (various)
• VXLAN Networking
• Ability to change Guest OS on an existing virtual machine
• vCenter Server Maps
• Create and edit custom attributes
• Connect direct to a vSphere host
• Inflate thin disk option found in the Datastore Browser

Here are features that are web client only:

• vCenter Single Sign-On 
  • Authentication
  • Administration
• Navigation with Inventory Lists
• Inventory Tagging
• Work In Progress (Pause)
• Pre-emptive Searching
• Save Searches
• Enhanced read performance utilizing the Inventory Service
• vSphere Replication (not SRM)
• Virtual Infrastructure Navigator
• Enhanced vMotion (no shared storage)
• Integration with vCenter Orchestrator (vCO) Workflows (Extended Menus)
• Virtual Distributed Switch (vDS) 
  • Health Check
  • Export/Restore Configuration
  • Diagram filtering
• Log Browser Plugin
• vSphere Data Protection (VDP)

Thx to Justin King for info