Changing the IP Address Used by the Service Console of the ESX Server System

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

How do I change the IP address used by the service console of my ESX Server system?

Environment

VMware ESX Server 2.5.x
VMware ESX Server 2.1.x
VMware ESX Server 2.0.x

Resolution

To change the IP address, follow these steps:

1. Determine the interface name (eth) and IP address used by the service console.
2. Edit /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth to change the IP address.
3. Edit /etc/hosts to update the new IP address there. For more information, see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/861.
4. Edit /etc/sysconfig/network if the hostname or gateway needs an update. Again, see http://kb.vmware.com/kb/861.
5. Search for any additional configuration files with this IP address hardcoded and edit any you find.
6. Finally, restart the network service by running one of the following commands:

   service network restart 

   or

   /etc/init.d/network restart 

   Alternatively, reboot the ESX Server machine.

Important: Even though your version of the service console may include the standard Red Hat Linux command netconfig, VMware advises you not to use this command because it is considered not safe.