Since the release of VMware vSphere 5.1, VMware introduced the new vSphere web client. Although many of the features/functions are still available through the traditional Windows vSphere client, many of the configuration settings and integrations are being released in the web client ONLY.
From my experience the web client still has room for improvement (mostly in performance/speed) but it is great to now have a client that is device agnostic. It can be accessed using Windows, OSX, Linux, Mobile, etc. Pretty much anything with a web browser.
Installation is very easy as it is included and installed with vCenter. Once installed, it can be accessed using a web browser https://<FQDN_of_vCenter>:9443
Don’t forget the 9443 because the web client will not load without it.
To login, enter your domain credentials (if you have configured Active Directory / LDAP) or vCenter Single Sign-On (SSO) login information.
If you need access to the client from outside of your network, you will need to add a firewall access list and NAT statement to forward TCP port 9443 to your vCenter server (Windows or Virtual Appliance).
The web client has its own Windows service (vSphere Web Client). If you experience issues with loading the web client, make sure it is running or restart it.
- Open services. Start –> Run –> services.msc –> Ok
- Go to the vSphere Web Client and start if stopped or restart it.
