It is arguably the most important "client" in your arsenal. When vCenter is down, or when you are doing a fresh installation on bare metal, this is your interface. It doesn't require a download (it’s served from the host), but it often requires a different mindset—managing storage and networking at the individual host level rather than the cluster level.
If you are managing "legacy" environments (like ESXi 5.5 or 6.0), you may still need the . download vsphere client
Download VMware vSphere Client (legacy) (Replace with actual link) It is arguably the most important "client" in your arsenal
If you are managing a single ESXi host without vCenter, you use the VMware Host Client , which is also browser-based. Access it at https:// /ui . If you are managing "legacy" environments (like ESXi 5
The industry is moving toward a stateless management approach. The "download" is becoming obsolete. Future iterations of vSphere are pushing toward cloud-based management planes where the "client" is just a standard web browser with enhanced plugins, managed centrally by Broadcom/VMware.
There is a third player in this game that often goes unnoticed by those who only manage via vCenter.
If the web client is superior, why are people still searching for the download?