---
title: "Step 6. Specify VM Guest OS Credentials"
description: "After you connect one or more VMware vSphere servers, you must specify credentials of an account that will be used to collect data from Windows-based guest OSes on VMs."
canonical: "https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/one/userguide/vsphere_guest_credentials.html"
breadcrumb: "User Guide > Configuring Veeam ONE > Data Collection > Adding Data Source > Connecting VMware vSphere Servers > Step 6. Specify VM Guest OS Credentials"
dateModified: "2026-10-23"
---

# Step 6. Specify VM Guest OS Credentials

After you connect one or more VMware vSphere servers, you must specify credentials of an account that will be used to collect data from Windows-based guest OSes on VMs. If you do not specify guest OS credentials, Veeam ONE will use connection credentials to display guest OS data in monitoring dashboards, alarms and reports.

You can specify the account credentials for VM guest OS at the following levels of the VMware vSphere infrastructure:

- VMware vSphere infrastructure
- VM containers, such as hosts and clusters
- Individual VMs

If you specify guest OS account credentials at multiple levels, Veeam ONE will use the following order of priority: VM > VM containers > VMware vSphere infrastructure. For example, if account credentials are specified both at the VM and VM container level, Veeam ONE will collect guest OS data using an account set at the VM level.

## Specifying Account Credentials for VMware vSphere Infrastructure

You can specify account credentials at the level of the VMware vSphere infrastructure. Veeam ONE will use this account to connect to all VMs running on VMware vSphere hosts unless you specify other credentials for specific VMs or VM containers.

To specify account credentials for all VMs in the VMware vSphere infrastructure:

1. Open Veeam ONE Client.
2. In the main menu, click **Settings** and select **Server Settings**.

   Alternatively, press the `[CTRL+S]` on the keyboard.

3. In the **Server Settings** window, open the **Guest OS Credentials** tab. 
4. Specify guest OS credentials:

   - In the **Microsoft Windows** section, select credentials of an account that will be used to collect data from the guest OS of Windows-based VMs. To create a new credentials record, click **Add**.
   - In the **Linux** section, select credentials of an account that will be used to collect data from the guest OS of Linux-based VMs. To create a new credentials record, click **Add** and select **Standard account** or **Linux private key**.

     In the **SSH port** field, change the default connection port if required.

     To disable fingerprint validation for Linux VMs, select **Skip fingerprint check**.

   To access credentials manager, click the **Manage Credentials** link. For more information on working with credentials, see [Security](credentials_manager.md).

5. Click **OK**.

[![Specify VM Guest OS Account Credentials](images/credentials_management.png "Specify VM Guest OS Account Credentials")](images/credentials_management.png){.toggle}

## Specifying Account Credentials for Containers and VMs

You can specify account credentials at the level of specific VMs or VM containers. This can be helpful if an account specified at the level of the VMware vSphere infrastructure does not have enough permissions on specific VMs or VM containers.

To specify account credentials for individual VMs or VM containers:

1. Open Veeam ONE Client.
2. At the bottom of the inventory pane, click **Virtual Infrastructure**.
3. Right-click the necessary VM and select **Guest OS Credentials** from the shortcut menu.
4. In the **Guest OS Credentials** window, specify credentials of a Windows or Linux account that will be used to collect guest OS data from VMware vSphere VMs.
5. Select **Propagate credentials to child objects** to use the specified account credentials to connect to child objects of a container.
6. Click **OK**.