. When you're managing dozens of hosts or recovering a vCenter Server Appliance (VCSA) that has lost its web interface, the CLI is your lifeline. It bypasses the overhead of the browser and talks directly to the License Service The Engine:
curl -k -X POST \ -H "vmware-api-session-id: $SESSION_ID" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '"license_key":"XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX"' \ https://vcenter.example.com/api/licensing/license vcenter license key command line
PowerCLI is the standard method for automating license management. You must first connect to your vCenter Server before running these commands. powershell vcenter license key command line