VMware vSphere 5 features a new ESXi firewall that you can configure though the vSphere Client or command line. The addition brings a feature to ESXi 5 that was previously found only in the recently discontinued ESX hypervisor. VMware argued that ESXi didn’t require a firewall, because the lightweight hypervisor had hardly any services or ports open, leaving it with almost nothing to attack. I believe VMware added a firewall to ESXi 5 for few reasons. With a firewall, ESXi 5 isn’t missing a notable feature found in the old ESX Server. Also, a firewall signals to customers and partners that VMware is committed to security. And finally, vSphere 5 is just as secure as before, if not more so.
Five things to know about the ESXi 5 firewall
- It?s a stateless firewall based on ESXi services.
- It?s enabled by default.
- It sits between the ESXi host management interface and the management network on the local area network.
- It?s configurable through the vSphere Client. Go to Host Configuration > Software > Security Profile.
- It?s also configurable via the vSphere Management Assistance or directly to the