Some of Our Most-Used VMware Web Client Shortcuts

Looking to improve your workflow and be more efficient when you’re managing virtual machines in the VMware vSphere Web Client? Keyboard shortcuts not only make you look like a wizard when you’re showing someone how to perform an operation, they also make your daily admin life a little bit faster and easier.

While you may be used to the desktop client, the web client also includes some handy features that can help speed up your workflow. Below are some of our most-used keyboard shortcuts and tips for quickly navigating the VMware vSphere web client.
 

Keyboard Shortcuts

Note: on MacOS, use the Command (⌘) key instead of Ctrl.

• CTRL + ALT + 1 or CTRL + ALT + Home: Return to Home Screen
• CTRL + ALT + 2: Open Virtual Infrastructure Inventory
• CRL + ALT + 3: Open Hosts and Clusters Inventory
• CTRL + ALT + 4: Open Virtual Machines and Templates list
• CTRL + Alt + 5: Open Datastores and Datastore Cluster list
• CTRL + Alt + 6: Open Network Inventory
• CTRL + ALT + S: Open Quick Search
• CTRL + ALT + H: Goes to vSphere documentation help center
• CTRL + ALT + SHIFT + H: Open context-specific help depending on your current task

Tips for a Faster Workflow

Quick filters are one feature the web client added that the desktop client lacks. When you are on any of your object tabs (Datacenters, Clusters, Hosts, Virtual Machines, Templates, etc), hit the icon that has a square and two arrows pointing in opposite directions, next to the icon that looks like a funnel with an X (see picture for more clarity).

Image courtesy VMware

You can now sort by a wide variety of criteria to quickly find the object you need. VMs can be sorted by powered on/off, guest OS, memory size, number of vCPUs, uptime, IP address, and much more.

vCenter Operations Manager integration is tighter in the web client, so you can get a quick overview of the health of your VM or cluster by hitting the Monitor and then the Health tab. This is a good way to quickly see the overall workload in percentages on CPU, memory, disk, and network, as well as any recent faults and a trend graph. This health tab can also be found if you click on the overall Health badge displayed under Health State on the Summary tab of an object.

Image courtesy Petri IT Knowledgebase

You likely already know this, but right clicking on an object in the web client opens a menu that includes All vCenter Actions as an option. Mouseover Actions to quickly access many of the common activities you tend to perform on vCenter objects, including Power choices, Guest OS, Snapshots, Migration, Cloning, Fault Tolerance settings, Exports, Storage Policies, Permissions, and more.

These are fairly basic ways to interact with the vSphere web client, but making them second nature will help you quickly manage your virtual machines and associated objects within the client. You’ll be able to navigate and administrate with lightning speed in no time!