Changing the hostname of an ESXi host

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

This article provides steps to change the hostname of a VMware ESXi host.

If the hostname and DNS configuration revert to original values after rebooting the VCSA machine see VMware vCenter Server Appliance hostname and DNS configuration revert after a reboot

Environment

VMware vSphere ESXi 7.X
VMware vSphere ESXi 8.X

VMware vSAN 7.x
VMware vSAN 8.x

Resolution

Notes:

• If the management network of the ESXi host is on a vSphere Distributed Switch, migrate the network to a vSphere Standard Switch before proceeding. For more information, see Disabling vNetwork Distributed Switches
• If the ESXi host is part of a vSAN cluster, the node in maintenance mode may still be the primary or backup node in the vSAN cluster, and you must manually drag the ESXi host out of the cluster to remove it from the cluster.

To rename a VMware ESXi host using the HTML5 client:

1. If the ESXi host is part of a cluster, first enter the Maintenance mode to remove it from the cluster.
2. If the ESXi host is managed by the vCenter Server, disconnect and remove the ESXi host from the vCenter Server.
3. Connect to the host directly with a vSphere Client and select the ESXi host
4. Select Configure - TCP/IP configuration
5. Select the Default TCP/IP Stack, and then click the Edit button
6. Set hostname and Domain Click OK.
7. Join the ESXi host to vCenter Server and clusters

Additional Information

The iSCSI Qualified Name used for iSCSI storage configuration is based on the hostname of the ESXi host. If you are facing a storage connectivity issue after changing the hostname of the ESXi host, make sure to review your iSCSI software initiator configuration. 

Unable to rename the iSCSI initiator on the ESXi host
Disabling vNetwork Distributed Switches