As per the ESX Server Configuration Guide:
- To add a user to the Users Table.
- Log in to the host using the vSphere Client, using the root userid.
- Click the Local Users & Groups tab and click Users.
- Right-click anywhere in the Users table and click Add to open the Add New User dialog.
- Enter a login name, a user name, and a password.
Note: The vSphere Client automatically assigns the next available UID to the user on the ESX host. You can over-write the populated field.
- Create a password that meets the length and complexity requirements. However, the ESX host checks for password compliance only if you have switched to the pam_passwdqc.so plug-in for authentication. The password settings in the default authentication plug-in, pam_cracklib.so, are not enforced. To allow a user to access the ESX host through a command shell, select Grant shell access to this user.
- In general, do not grant shell access unless the user has a justifiable need. Users that access the host only through the vSphere Client do not need shell access.
- To add the user to a group, select the group name from the Group drop-down menu and click Add.
- Click OK
- To select the Permissions tab, also in the local host vSphere client session, and then:
-
- Right click "Add Permissions"
- select Administrator from the Assigned Role drop-down box
- click Add to bring up a list of available users
- select the user you added in Step 1 and click Add, then OK
- click OK
- At this point, you should now be able to login to the ESX host using that user, and the vSphere client.
Note: System administrators and managers are strongly encouraged to review the Basic System Administration, ESX Server Administration Guide, and Knowledge Base articles that discuss the implications of granting Administrator level access.