Vcenter License Key Command Line -

The VCSA uses several licensed services (vCenter Standard, vSAN, etc.). To list services:

/usr/lib/vmware-vdcs-cli/bin/license-cli --operation list-services

To assign:

/usr/lib/vmware-vdcs-cli/bin/license-cli --operation assign --key "XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX" --service vc

Note: The license-cli tool is powerful but not commonly documented for end-users; PowerCLI is often safer for production. vcenter license key command line

vim-cmd provides a direct interface to the vSphere API.

# List all license labels (to get LicenseManager reference)
vim-cmd vimsvc/license/ls_labels
For environments without PowerCLI, you can use REST API calls (vCenter 6.5+) or SOAP-based vmware-cmd scripts. Modern vCenter APIs allow license assignment via HTTP requests. The VCSA uses several licensed services (vCenter Standard,
Example using curl with vCenter REST API:
curl -k -X POST \
  -H "vmware-api-session-id: $SESSION_ID" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '"license_key":"XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"' \
  https://vcenter.example.com/api/licensing/license

This method is more complex but ideal for automation in Linux-based environments. Note: The license-cli tool is powerful but not
To list all license keys installed on vCenter:
Get-VMLicense

This returns Key, Name (e.g., vSphere 7 Enterprise Plus), and Total (number of available CPU licenses).
| Error | Likely Cause | Solution |
|-------|--------------|----------|
| Invalid license key | Typo or wrong product version | Verify key matches vCenter edition (Standard/Foundation/ROBO) |
| Permission denied | Insufficient vCenter privileges | Use [email protected] or assign Global.Licenses role |
| License already in use | Key assigned to another asset | Deactivate on old asset first or use --force (where supported) |
| Command not found | Wrong path or vCenter type | Use PowerCLI instead of direct SSH on Windows vCenter |