Hey everyone! I'm fairly new to server administration and need some guidance on shutting down one of our HP servers while we have some electrical work done. The server is running VMware ESXi as a hypervisor. What's the best way to shut it down safely without risking any damage? Should I just log into the server using the local admin password and shut it down, or are there additional steps I should follow? I also have access to the web interface for VMware. Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
5 Answers
Log into the ESXi web interface and shut down all the VMs. Then, put the VM server into maintenance mode before shutting it down. That’s the simplest method to ensure everything is done right.
You can also just power down the virtual servers, then shut down ESXi itself. Make sure you reverse the power order when you turn everything back on. If you’re using vCenter, consider setting it to auto power on when the host starts—that makes things easier.
For standalone ESXi hosts, here’s what I usually do: shut down each guest VM first, either by remote access or using VMware tools. Once all VMs are down, log into the ESXi web GUI, check that they are indeed powered off, put the host into maintenance mode, and then shut down the host itself. If you’re going offline for electric work, it’s a good idea to physically disconnect the power to avoid any surges while everything is down.
To shut down the server safely, first make sure to migrate or turn off all the VMs running on it. Then, log into the ESXi web interface and put the host into maintenance mode by going to Actions > Enter Maintenance Mode. After that, you can find the shutdown option in the interface to power down the host safely.
Always shut down each guest VM first, which you can do remotely. After that, go to the physical machine, log in, and you’ll see a few options—one of which is to shut it down. Just give it time to complete any necessary tasks before it powers off!
If you have set up automatic startup for your VMs, you can skip maintenance mode since they'll power back up once the host is back on. Don’t forget to configure a static IP for your workstation if one of your VMs manages DHCP!