VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV) Practice Exam

What action should be taken to allow ESXi Shell or SSH access in Strict Lockdown Mode?

1. Grant the users the administrator role.

2. Add the users to Exception Users.

3. No action can be taken under Strict Lockdown Mode.

4. Enable the service without modifying user access.

The correct answer is: Add the users to Exception Users.

In Strict Lockdown Mode, access to the ESXi host is highly restricted to enhance security, preventing users from accessing the console directly or through SSH. However, there is a way to provide specific users with the ability to access the ESXi Shell or SSH even while in this mode. Adding users to the Exception Users list allows those users to bypass the restrictions imposed by Strict Lockdown Mode. This means that the specified users can have necessary administrative access remotely without compromising the security posture established by the lockdown mode. This is particularly useful in situations where certain users, such as system administrators, need to perform troubleshooting or administrative tasks remotely. In contrast, the other options involve either granting administrator privileges broadly which defeats the purpose of lockdown, suggesting that no access can be given, or enabling services without addressing user permissions. These do not align with the direct intention of managing access rights specifically while in Strict Lockdown Mode.