Check ESXi host power consumption information using vsish

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi
• VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0

Issue/Introduction

This KB explains how to retrieve and interpret ESXi host power consumption statistics using the vsish command. The output provides insight into current power usage, historical ranges, and cumulative energy consumption at the host and component level.

Environment

• VMware ESXi (all supported versions)
• ESXi Shell or SSH access

Resolution

1. Enable ESXi Shell or SSH on the ESXi host.
2. Run the following command:
   
   vsish -e get /power/hostStats
   
   
3. Sample output (All numeric values are masked for illustration purposes. Actual values vary depending on hardware platform and workload)
   
   Host statistics {
      power: xxx W
      powerCap: x W
      powerMin: xxx W
      powerMax: xxx W
      cpuPower: xxx W
      memoryPower: xx W
      otherPower: xxx W
      cpuPowerMin: xxx W
      memoryPowerMin: xx W
      otherPowerMin: xxx W
      cpuPowerMax: xxx W
      memoryPowerMax: xx W
      otherPowerMax: xxx W
      energy: xxxxxxxxxxxxx mJ
      cpuEnergy: xxxxxxxxxxxx mJ
      memoryEnergy: xxxxxxxxxxx mJ
      otherEnergy: xxxxxxxxxxxx mJ
   }

 

Here is the interpretation of each metric,

Overall Power Metrics

• power (W)
  The current total power consumption of the ESXi host, measured in Watt.

• powerCap (W)
  The power cap configured at the hardware or platform level.

  • A value of 0 W indicates that no power cap is enforced.

  • When a power cap is set, ESXi will operate within this limit by adjusting CPU and power states as needed.

  • Power cap is not configurable from ESXi and is enforced by the underlying hardware or management controller.

• powerMin (W)
  The minimum observed total power consumption.

• powerMax (W)
  The maximum observed total power consumption.

 

Component-Level Power Consumption

• cpuPower (W)
  Current power consumption attributed to CPU resources.

• memoryPower (W)
  Current power consumption attributed to system memory.

• otherPower (W)
  Power consumption of other host components, such as storage controllers, network adapters, chipset, fans, and auxiliary devices.

 

Component-Level Power Range

• cpuPowerMin / cpuPowerMax (W)
  Minimum and maximum observed CPU power consumption.

• memoryPowerMin / memoryPowerMax (W)
  Minimum and maximum observed memory power consumption.

• otherPowerMin / otherPowerMax (W)
  Minimum and maximum observed power consumption for non-CPU and non-memory components.

 

Energy Consumption Metrics

• energy (mJ)
  Total cumulative energy consumed by the ESXi host since the last reboot, measured in millijoules

• cpuEnergy (mJ)
  Cumulative energy consumption attributed to CPU usage.

• memoryEnergy (mJ)
  Cumulative energy consumption attributed to memory usage.

• otherEnergy (mJ)
  Cumulative energy consumption attributed to other system components.

Additional Information

 

vsish -e get /power/hostStats provides a low-level view of ESXi host power usage and energy consumption.

• Power values are host-level metrics and may vary depending on workload and hardware capabilities.

• Energy counters are monotonically increasing and typically reset only after a host reboot.

• Not all hardware platforms expose power data with the same level of accuracy.

• These metrics are read-only and intended for monitoring and analysis purposes.

• This command does not modify any power policy or hardware configuration.