VMware: How to revert root user role from "Read-only" to "Administrator"
Today on the Dutch VMug forum somebody got some trouble to connect a ESX host after changing the “root” permissions from Administrator to Read-only. Nice problem to find a solution, I created the same situation in my test environment.
Situation:
User: Root – Role: Read-Only
You can’t connect the host anymore with your VI Client..
Solution:
… but you can still login at the console or putty session.. so what to do:
Edit the authorization.xml file: nano /etc/vmware/hostd/authorization.xml
Change the "<ACEDataRoleId>-2</ACEDataRoleId>" number 2 in number 1.. so it must look like in "<ACEDataRoleId>-1</ACEDataRoleId>"
Administrator = 1
Read-only = 2
Restart some services:
- service vmware-vmkauthd restart
- service mgmt-vmware restart
I can login again 
Tip: Create always a second account to manage or troubleshoot your environment.
I figured out how to revet root from read-only back to administrator by just plugging in directly to it via my KVM, pressing F2 (customize system), go down to “Configure Lockdown Mode” & disabling. I was then able to KVM back over to my main PC & login using VMware Infrastructure Client w/ Administrator privileges & then created a 2ndary admin login & changed its permissions to be administrator as well.