Perform Basic Troubleshooting for ESXi Hosts

 Perform Basic Troubleshooting for ESXi Hosts

For this objective I used the following resources:

• vSphere Monitoring and Performance
• vSphere Troubleshooting
• VMware White Paper “The Architecture of VMware ESXi”
• VMware Support Insider Blog
• VMware KB Article 2000988 (Troubleshooting vSphere Auto Deploy)
• VMware KB Article 1011641 (Collecting Diagnostic Information for VMware vCenter Server)
• VMware KB Article 653 (Collecting Diagnostic Information for VMware ESX/ESXi Using the vSphere Client)
• VMware KB Article 1010705 (Collecting Diagnostic Information for VMware ESX/ESXi Using the vm-support Command)
• VMware KB Article 1027932 (Collecting Diagnostic Information for VMware vCenter Server and ESX/ESXi Using the vSphere PowerCLI)

Knowledge

Identify General ESXi Host Troubleshooting Guidelines

The vSphere Troubleshooting guide is the one stop shop for this section

Troubleshoot Common Installation Issues

Refer to Objective 1.3 and make sure your hosts meet the hardware requirements as well as the VMware HCL. If using AutoDeploy refer to pages 20 thru 26 of the vSphere Troubleshooting guide and also VMware KB 2000988 (Troubleshooting vSphere Auto Deploy).

Monitor ESXi System Health

With the release of ESXi back in the VI 3.5 days it provided a new way to manage your hosts, the Common Information Model (CIM). CIM allows for a standard framework to manage computing resources and presents this information via the vSphere Client. For further information read the VMware White Paper “The Architecture of VMware ESXi” as well as this VMware Support Insiderblog post.

To actually see how ESXi and vSphere Client leverages CIM read pages 25 thru 28 of the vSphere Monitoring and Performance documentation.

Export Diagnostic Information

There are multiple ways to get at this information, but I will assume the exam is going to be geared more towards using the vSphere Client for this task. For completeness however I have included links that cover using a console session as well as PowerCLI.

Gathering vCenter Server Log Bundles (VMware KB 1011641, Collecting Diagnostic Information for VMware vCenter Server)

To generate a vCenter Server log bundle, select Start > All Programs > Vmware and select either “Generate vCenter Server Log Bundle – Extended” or “Generate vCenter Server Log Bundle” (Be sure to “Run as Administrator”).

Gathering vCenter Server and ESXi Log Bundles (VMware KB 653, Collecting Diagnostic Information for Vmware ESX/ESXi Using the vSphere Client)

From within the vSphere Client connected to vCenter click Administration from the menu bar and select Export System Logs. This will allow you to export either vCenter logs, ESX/ESXi logs, are all of the above in a single zip file.

To use the vm-support command or PowerCLI refer to VMware KB 1010705 (Collecting diagnostic information for VMware ESX/ESXi using the vm-support command) and VMware KB 1027932(Collecting diagnostic information for VMware vCenter Server and ESX/ESXi using the vSphere PowerCLI)

Tools

• vCenter Server and Host Management Guide
• vSphere Monitoring and Performance Guide
• vSphere Troubleshooting Guide