How to create a read-only account for VMware monitoring

Auvik requires read-only credentials to collect inventory, performance, and configuration information from VMware ESXi hosts.

These instructions apply to standalone ESXi hosts managed through the VMware Host Client. If your hosts are managed by vCenter Server, consider monitoring through vCenter instead of configuring credentials on each individual host.

Before You Begin

Ensure that:

• You have administrative access to the ESXi host.
• The Auvik collector can communicate with the ESXi host over HTTPS (TCP 443).
• The host is reachable from the network where the collector is installed.

Create a Read-Only User

1. Log in to the VMware Host Client using an administrator account.
2. From the left navigation menu, select Manage.
3. Open the Security & Users tab.
4. Select Users.
5. Click Add User.

Enter the following information:

• Username
• Description (optional)
• Password
• Confirm Password

6. Click Add.

The user account is now created but does not yet have permissions assigned.

Assign Read-Only Permissions

1. From the left navigation menu, select Host.
2. Right-click the host and select Permissions.

Alternatively, select:

Actions > Permissions

3. Click Add User.
4. Select the user you created.
5. Assign the Read-Only role.
6. Verify that System permissions are included in the role.
7. Click Add User to save the permission assignment.

Note: Auvik only requires read-only access. Administrative privileges are not necessary for monitoring.

Verify the Account

Before adding the credentials to Auvik, verify that the account can successfully log in to the VMware Host Client.

Confirm that the account can:

• Authenticate successfully
• View host information
• View virtual machine inventory
• Access performance and configuration information in read-only mode

Add the Credentials to Auvik

After verifying the account:

1. In Auvik, navigate to Discovery > VMware Credentials.
2. Click Add VMware Credentials.
3. Enter the username and password for the account you created.
4. Assign the credential to the appropriate site or host.
5. Click Save.

Auvik will attempt to authenticate to the ESXi host during the next discovery and polling cycle.

Troubleshooting

If Auvik cannot authenticate to the ESXi host:

• Verify the username and password are correct.
• Confirm the account has been assigned the Read-Only role.
• Verify HTTPS access (TCP 443) is permitted between the collector and the host.
• Confirm the account is not locked or disabled.
• Test the credentials directly through the VMware Host Client.

If the host is managed by vCenter, consider monitoring through vCenter rather than adding credentials for individual hosts.

Additional Information

With valid read-only credentials, Auvik can collect information such as:

• Host inventory
• Virtual machine inventory
• Hardware details
• Performance metrics
• Configuration information

The read-only account cannot make configuration changes to the ESXi host.