# vmware_host_service_manager – Manage services on a given ESXi host

New in version 2.5.

- Synopsis
- Requirements
- Parameters
- Notes
- Examples
- Status

## Synopsis

- This module can be used to manage (start, stop, restart) services on a given ESXi host.
- If cluster_name is provided, specified service will be managed on all ESXi host belonging to that cluster.
- If specific esxi_hostname is provided, then specified service will be managed on given ESXi host only.

## Requirements

The below requirements are needed on the host that executes this module.

- python >= 2.6
- PyVmomi

## Parameters

Parameter | Choices/Defaults | Comments
--- | --- | ---
cluster_name string |  | Name of the cluster. Service settings are applied to every ESXi host system/s in given cluster. If `esxi_hostname` is not given, this parameter is required.
esxi_hostname string |  | ESXi hostname. Service settings are applied to this ESXi host system. If `cluster_name` is not given, this parameter is required.
hostname string |  | The hostname or IP address of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server. If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable `VMWARE_HOST` will be used instead. Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
password string |  | The password of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server. If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable `VMWARE_PASSWORD` will be used instead. Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6. aliases: pass, pwd
port integer added in 2.5 | Default: 443 | The port number of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server. If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable `VMWARE_PORT` will be used instead. Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
proxy_host string added in 2.9 |  | Address of a proxy that will receive all HTTPS requests and relay them. The format is a hostname or a IP. If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable `VMWARE_PROXY_HOST` will be used instead. This feature depends on a version of pyvmomi greater than v6.7.1.2018.12
proxy_port integer added in 2.9 |  | Port of the HTTP proxy that will receive all HTTPS requests and relay them. If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable `VMWARE_PROXY_PORT` will be used instead.
service_name string / required |  | Name of Service to be managed. This is a brief identifier for the service, for example, ntpd, vxsyslogd etc. This value should be a valid ESXi service name.

service_policy
string

Choices:
- automatic
- off
- on

Set of valid service policy strings.
If set `on`, then service should be started when the host starts up.
If set `automatic`, then service should run if and only if it has open firewall ports.
If set `off`, then Service should not be started when the host starts up.

state
string

Choices:
- absent
- present
- restart
- start ←
- stop

Desired state of service.
State value 'start' and 'present' has same effect.
State value 'stop' and 'absent' has same effect.

username string |  | The username of the vSphere vCenter or ESXi server. If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable `VMWARE_USER` will be used instead. Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6. aliases: admin, user

validate_certs
boolean

Choices:
- no
- yes ←

Allows connection when SSL certificates are not valid. Set to `false` when certificates are not trusted.
If the value is not specified in the task, the value of environment variable `VMWARE_VALIDATE_CERTS` will be used instead.
Environment variable support added in Ansible 2.6.
If set to `yes`, please make sure Python >= 2.7.9 is installed on the given machine.

## Notes

Note

- Tested on vSphere 6.5

## Examples

    - name: Start ntpd service setting for all ESXi Host in given Cluster
      vmware_host_service_manager:
        hostname: '{{ vcenter_hostname }}'
        username: '{{ vcenter_username }}'
        password: '{{ vcenter_password }}'
        cluster_name: '{{ cluster_name }}'
        service_name: ntpd
        state: present
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Start ntpd setting for an ESXi Host
      vmware_host_service_manager:
        hostname: '{{ vcenter_hostname }}'
        username: '{{ vcenter_username }}'
        password: '{{ vcenter_password }}'
        esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
        service_name: ntpd
        state: present
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Start ntpd setting for an ESXi Host with Service policy
      vmware_host_service_manager:
        hostname: '{{ vcenter_hostname }}'
        username: '{{ vcenter_username }}'
        password: '{{ vcenter_password }}'
        esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
        service_name: ntpd
        service_policy: on
        state: present
      delegate_to: localhost

    - name: Stop ntpd setting for an ESXi Host
      vmware_host_service_manager:
        hostname: '{{ vcenter_hostname }}'
        username: '{{ vcenter_username }}'
        password: '{{ vcenter_password }}'
        esxi_hostname: '{{ esxi_hostname }}'
        service_name: ntpd
        state: absent
      delegate_to: localhost

## Status

- This module is not guaranteed to have a backwards compatible interface. [preview]
- This module is maintained by the Ansible Community. [community]

### Authors

- Abhijeet Kasurde (@Akasurde)

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