This is a quick post on how to Start, Stop, Restart services on VMware vSphere ESXi server via PowerCLI or using PowerShell.
The service you will need to start or stop simultaneously on multiple servers is likely to be the SSH (TSM-SSH) service.
Here is how you do it with PowerShell / PowerCLI:
$vCenter = 'lab-vc01.lab.local' #Name or IP address of your vCenter Server
$Cluster = 'lab-esxi01.lab.local' #Name of the cluster
Connect-VIServer $vCenter
$Scope = Get-Cluster $Cluster | Get-VMHost
foreach ($ESXhost in $Scope){
Get-VMHost -name $ESXhost | Get-VMHostService | where {$_.key -eq 'TSM-SSH'} | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
# Change the line above with the following:
# Start-VMHostService
# Stop-VMHostService
# Restart-VMHostService
}
Disconnect-VIServer -Server $vCenter -Confirm:$false
## Should you need to start / stop or restart other services, just change the service key.
## Here is the list of services:
Get-VMHost -name lab-esxi01.lab.local | Get-VMHostService | ft -a
Key | Label | Policy | Running | Required |
DCUI | Direct Console UI | on | True | False |
TSM | ESXi Shell | off | False | False |
TSM-SH | SSH | off | False | False |
lbtd | lbtd | on | True | False |
lsassd | Local Security Authentication Server (Active Directory Service) | off | False | False |
lwiod | I/O Redirector (Active Directory Service) | off | False | False |
netlogond | Network Login Server (Active Directory Service) | off | False | False |
ntpd | NTP Daemon | on | True | False |
sfcbd-watchdog | CIM Server | on | True | False |
vmware-fdm | vSphere High Availability Agent | on | True | False |
vpxa | vpxa | on | True | FALSE |
$vCenter = 'lab-vc01.lab.local' #Name or IP address of your vCenter Server
$Cluster = 'lab-esxi01.lab.local' #Name of the cluster
Connect-VIServer $vCenter
$Scope = Get-Cluster $Cluster | Get-VMHost
foreach ($ESXhost in $Scope){
Get-VMHost -name $ESXhost | Get-VMHostService | where {$_.key -eq 'TSM-SSH'} | Start-VMHostService -Confirm:$false
# Change the line above with the following:
# Start-VMHostService
# Stop-VMHostService
# Restart-VMHostService
}
Disconnect-VIServer -Server $vCenter -Confirm:$false
## Should you need to start / stop or restart other services, just change the service key.
## Here is the list of services:
Get-VMHost -name lab-esxi01.lab.local | Get-VMHostService | ft -a
