Problem adding ESXi Free host to AD domain

[pizzim13]

I pre-create the computer object in active directory. I then log into the 5.5 ESXi free edition host using the .net client, from there I can successfully join the host to my domain.

But trying to do the same from PowerCLI when logged into the host as root I receive an error

Get-VMHost | Get-VMHostAuthentication | Set-VMHostAuthentication -Domain "domain.com" -Credential (Get-Credential) -JoinDomain

Set-VMHostAuthentication : 3/24/2014 4:16:15 PM    Set-VMHostAuthentication

    Current license or ESXi version prohibits execution of the requested operation.

At line:1 char:41

+ get-vmhost | Get-VMHostAuthentication | Set-VMHostAuthentication -Domain

" ...

+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~

    + CategoryInfo          : NotSpecified: (:) [Set-VMHostAuthentication], Re

   strictedVersion

    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ViCore_SystemManagementServiceImpl_JoinDomain_Vi

   Error,VMware.VimAutomation.ViCore.Cmdlets.Commands.Host.SetVMHostAuthentication

---------------------------------------------------------------

I see that the error states "Current license or ESXi version prohibits execution of the requested operation." but it works from the .net client and I haven't read anything stating that you cannot add esxi free hosts to a domain. I have also used JoinDomain_task method and still receive the same error

$ADCreds = Get-Credential
$Domain = "Domain.com"
$AuthObj = Get-View -Id 'HostActiveDirectoryAuthentication-ha-ad-auth'
$AuthObj.JoinDomain_Task($Domain, $ADCreds.GetNetworkCredential().username, $ADCreds.GetNetworkCredential().password)

[LucD]

One the free ESXi license limitations is the fact that it doesn't have a "writeable API".

That means no changes through CLI, PowerCLI and other tools that use the API.

[pizzim13]

Good to know. Thanks for the info.