You are unable to access your vCenter server to initiate the maintenance mode command inside the vCenter. This can occur if there is a network outage, database corruption, or failed hardware. The method shown here will allow you to put the ESXi Host in maintenance mode and will allow for a safe shutdown if needed.

This command is not supported as of ESXi 5.0 in the esxshell and will require an additional installation on a Windows Server to access the vCLI Toolkit. Putting ESXi hosts in maintenance mode should be completed inside the vCenter if possible.

To enter the maintenance mode, use this command:

vicfg-hostops.pl --server <ip> --username root --password <pass> --operation enter

To exit the maintenance mode, enter:

vicfg-hostops.pl --server <ip> --username root --password <pass> --operation exit

You want to display current information about your ESX Server.

Run the esxcfg-info command on the ESXI server.

This command-line tool is a powerful yet simple way to find out about your ESXI server and its environment. By using the esxcfg-info command, you can get detailed information about your configuration and server hardware:

~ # esxcfg-info -h
Usage: esxcfg-info mode
  -a, --all           Print all information
  -w, --hardware      Print hardware information
  -r, --resource      Print resource information
  -s, --storage       Print storage information
  -n, --network       Print network information
  -y, --system        Print system information
  -o, --advopt        Print advanced options
  -u, --hwuuid        Print hardware uuid
  -b, --bootuuid      Print boot partition uuid
  -e, --boottype      Print boot type (VMVisor Only)
  -c, --cmdline       Print vmkernel command line
  -F, --format        Print the information in the given format
                      Valid values are "xml" and "perl"
  -h, --help          Print this message.

The options can be entered in any combination to display the specified information. If you run the esxcfg-info command alone or with the -a switch, it will dump all values. The following example displays the first few lines of output on one of our systems:

$ esxcfg-info | more
+Host :
   ==+Hardware Info :
      |----BIOS UUID................................................0x44 0x45 0x4c
0x4c 0x34 0x0 0x10 0x38 0x80 0x56 0xb6 0xc0 0x4f 0x4b 0x46 0x31
      |----Product Name.............................................PowerEdge R900
      |----Vendor Name..............................................Dell Inc.
      |----Serial Number............................................XXXXXXXX
      |----Hardware Uptime..........................................1762529093951
...............

The information you can gather about your system from this command is so comprehensive that you may wish to export it to a text file, like this:

esxcfg-info > esxcfginfo12102008.txt

The -F option will also let you export the data in XML or Perl formatting. This can be useful if you wish to parse the output and store it in a proprietary or third-party application.

An example of exporting the network and storage information in Perl format as follows (we’ve truncated the output in this example to save space):

~ # esxcfg-info -s -n -F perl > test1.log
$host = {
{ #network_info
   current_max_virtual_switches => 256,
   next_reboot_max_virtual_switches => 256,
   { #console_nic_info
      console_nics => [
      ],
   },
   { #routing_info
      kernel_gateway => "0.0.0.0",
      kernel_ipv6_gateway => "::",
      console_gateway => "0.0.0.0",
      console_gateway_device => ",
      console_ipv4_gateway_interface => ",
      console_ipv6_gateway_interface => ",
      vmkernel_ipv4_gateway_interface => ",
      vmkernel_ipv6_gateway_interface => ",
      vmkernel_routes => [
         route => {
            network => "172.16.102.0/24",
            gateway => "0.0.0.0",
            interface => "vmk0",
         },

An example of exporting network and storage information in XML format is as follows (we’ve truncated the output in this example to save space):

~ # esxcfg-info -s -n -F xml | more

<network-info>
   <value name="current-max-virtual-switches" type="uint32" format="dec">256</value>
   <value name="next-reboot-max-virtual-switches" type="uint32" format="dec">256</value>
   <console-nic-info>
      <console-nics>
      </console-nics>
   </console-nic-info>
   <routing-info>
      <value name="kernel-gateway" type="string">10.0.1.1</value>
      <value name="kernel-ipv6-gateway" type="string">::</value>
      <value name="console-gateway" type="string">0.0.0.0</value>
      <value name="console-gateway-device" type="string"></value>
      <value name="console-ipv4-gateway-interface" type="string"></value>
      <value name="console-ipv6-gateway-interface" type="string"></value>
      <value name="vmkernel-ipv4-gateway-interface" type="string"></value>
      <value name="vmkernel-ipv6-gateway-interface" type="string"></value>
      <vmkernel-routes>
         <route>
            <value name="network" type="string">0.0.0.0/0</value>
            <value name="gateway" type="string">10.0.1.1</value>
            <value name="interface" type="string">vmk0</value>
         </route>
         <route>
            <value name="network" type="string">10.0.1.0/24</value>
            <value name="gateway" type="string">0.0.0.0</value>
            <value name="interface" type="string">vmk0</value>
         </route>
      </vmkernel-routes>
   </routing-info>

You want to find the version of ESXi you are running. This may be needed for a variety of reasons, such as for upgrading or support issues.

There are multiple ways to find the version of ESXi you are running. Two easy ways we’ll cover are:

To find the version of ESXi that you are running within the vCenter, click on your ESXi Host. The version will be displayed to the right of the hostname. For instance, Figure 5-1 shows we are running ESXi 5.0.0 build 469512.

Figure 5-1. Displaying the ESXi version in the vCenter

If you need to store the version, you can generate a report within the vCenter. Choose File→Report→Host Summary and save the file. The results include the version information.

You need to change the virtual disk SCSI driver after a physical-to-virtual conversion.

Use the vCenter to make the change.

After using VMware’s Converter application, you may notice that your virtual machine’s SCSI controller has switched from LSI Logic to BusLogic. This is because on some OSs—notably, Windows 2003—the VMware Converter automatically uses the BusLogic driver, unlike when you create a new virtual machine using the vCenter client, which uses an LSI Logic driver. The LSI Logic driver offers better performance, so it’s a good idea to switch back:

Figure 5-2. Configuring your hardware in the vCenter

Figure 5-3. Changing the SCSI controller type

Figure 5-4. Warning when virtual machine boots

Many VMware users would like to hide or remove the VMware Tools icon, and are frustrated because the VMware Tools configuration offers no way to do it.

You can hide the Tools icon by editing the Windows registry.

Open the registry and navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareVMware, Inc.VMware ToolsShowTray

Set the ShowTray variable to 0 (zero) and save it. Reboot your virtual machine, and the settings will be reflected; the Tools icon will now be hidden.

You want to view information on the current mounts and disks attached to your ESXI server.

Use the vdf -h command to view this information.

Using the ESXi Shell, you can run the following command to see a list of datastores, their status, size, etc. Typical output looks like this:

~ # esxcli storage filesystem list
Mount Point              Volume Name           UUID                Mounted  Type    
-----------------------  --------------------  ------------------  -------  ------  
/vmfs/volumes/4f535fea-  datastore250 (1)      4f535fea-a7b3e465-  true     VMFS-5  
a7b3e465-7829-                                 7829-5404a6487afd                    
5404a6487afd

/vmfs/volumes/4f546274-  esx02_datastore_lun1  4f546274-32257e8a-  true     VMFS-5  
32257e8a-132c-                                 132c-5404a64c91b1                    
5404a64c91b1

/vmfs/volumes/4f54625f-  esx01_datastore_lun0  4f54625f-e702187c-  true     VMFS-5  
e702187c-a9aa-                                 a9aa-5404a64c91b1                    
5404a64c91b1

/vmfs/volumes/2a35d7e3-                        2a35d7e3-f089ea92-  true     vfat    
f089ea92-3611-                                 3611-fd54134d921f                    
fd54134d921f

/vmfs/volumes/cc7ca9e2-                        cc7ca9e2-579492ac-  true     vfat    
579492ac-832f-                                 832f-d7eabf6ec3f9                    
d7eabf6ec3f9

/vmfs/volumes/4f3669f1-                        4f3669f1-dd9e8a3e-     true  vfat    
dd9e8a3e-e9ba-                                 e9ba-000c290e79de                    
000c290e79de

This example shows our local OS-level disks and partitions (here, datastore1) along with the VMFS filesystems that are recognized only by the ESXI server.

You want to monitor your ESXI server’s CPU usage.

Use the esxtop utility.

From the command line on your ESXI server, run the following:

esxtop

If you are familiar with the Unix top utility, esxtop will feel similar. Once esxtop is running, press c to switch to CPU mode. This will display your server’s current CPU usage statistics (Figure 5-5).

Figure 5-5. Default CPU display for esxtop

The first line displayed tells you:

The PCPU(%) line displays the percentage of CPU use per physical CPU and the total average across all the physical CPUs.

The CCPU(%) line shows the CPU time as reported by the ESXI server or console. This is a user time variable, as opposed to the PCPU, which measures time from the CPU’s point of view.

Below the PCPU and CCPU lines, the following attributes are available:

You can find additional information regarding performance monitoring at http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/index.jsp?topic=/com.vmware.vsphere.monitoring.doc_50/GUID-AC5FAD2D-96DE-41C4-B5C6-A06FE65F34C6.html.

Recipes 5.8, 5.9, and 5.10

You want to monitor your ESXI server’s memory using the command line.

Use the esxtop utility.

From the command line on your ESXI server, run the following command:

esxtop

Once esxtop is running, press the m key to switch to memory mode. This will display your server’s current memory usage statistics. Your output will be similar to that in Figure 5-6. Note that here we have two virtual machines running, TEST01 and TEST02.

Figure 5-6. Default memory view for esxtop

If you are familiar with the Unix top utility, esxtop has a similar feel, but it provides added information specific to your ESXI server. The first line displayed tells you:

The next line, PMEM, break downs the total physical memory. In this example, the ESXI server has 16GB (1,6330MB) of memory. Let’s take a look at the variables:

The VMKMEM line displays the memory statistics for the VMkernel, including these variables:

COSMEM displays memory statistics that are being reported by the ESXI server console. All values are specified in megabytes. The values present here are:

PSHARE tells you the current page-sharing status in the following categories. All values are specified in megabytes:

SWAP tells you about the swap usage on the ESXI server. Again, all values are in megabytes:

MEMCTL displays the memory ballooning statistics. All stats are measured in megabytes:

After the general status lines, the output shows the memory usage of each virtual machine. The line with a white background contains a header.

Additional variables can be configured by pressing the F key while in esxtop memory mode.

The variables reported for each virtual machine are:

For additional details, please refer to the VMware documentation located at http://pubs.vmware.com/vsphere-50/index.jsp?topic=/com.vmware.vsphere.monitoring.doc_50/GUID-AC5FAD2D-96DE-41C4-B5C6-A06FE65F34C6.html.

Recipes 5.7, 5.9, and 5.10

You want to find out how well your storage system is working with the ESXI server.

Using esxtop, you can also monitor your disk statistics and troubleshoot your storage infrastructure.

From the command line on your ESXI server, run the following:

esxtop

If you are familiar with the Unix top command, esxtop will feel similar. Once esxtop is running, press the d key to switch to storage mode. This will display statistics for your server’s SCSI adapters, including HBAs attached through iSCSI and the Fibre NAS. Figure 5-7 shows multiple adapters, including local SCSI, Fibre, and iSCSI HBAs, but there is no indication on this screen as to which adapter belongs to which storage type.

Figure 5-7. Default storage view (truncated) for esxtop

The first line displayed tells you the following information:

The header that follows lists columns that will describe each disk. To view additional variables while in esxtop, you can press the f key to toggle them:

Other useful tools to monitor disk usage, such as perfmon and iostat, can also be launched from the ESXI server’s command line. These are useful tools that are native to Linux and that can help you troubleshoot alongside esxtop.

Recipes 5.7, 5.8, and 5.10

You want to monitor your network adapters via the command line.

Use the esxtop utility to monitor network usage.

From the command line on your ESXI server, run the following:

esxtop

Once esxtop is running, press the n key to switch to network mode. This will display your server’s current network statistics (Figure 5-8).

Figure 5-8. Default network view for esxtop

If you are familiar with the Unix top command, esxtop will feel similar. Let’s take a look at some of the values displayed in Figure 5-8:

Recipes 5.7, 5.8, and 5.9

You want to manage internal virtual switch (vSwitch) entities within your ESXi environment.

Run the esxcli network vswitch standard command on the ESXI server.

You’ll find this one of the most useful commands to use from your ESXi shell. It allows you to list, add, modify, or delete virtual Ethernet switches on your server using standard vSwitches. The second command here is specific to the distributed vSwitches which at this time, you can only view.

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard -h

Available Namespaces:
  policy                Commands to manipulate network policy settings governing the
                        given virtual switch.
  portgroup             Commands to list and manipulate Port Groups on an ESXi host.
  uplink                Commands to add and remove uplink on given virtual switch.

Available Commands:
  add                   Add a new virtual switch to the ESXi networking system.
  list                  List the virtual switches current on the ESXi host.
  remove                Remove a virtual switch from the ESXi networking system.
  set                   This command sets the MTU size and CDP status of a given
                        virtual switch.


~ # esxcli network vswitch dvs -h
Usage: esxcli network vswitch dvs {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  vmware                Commands to retrieve VMware vSphere Distributed Switch
                        information

The -l option lists the virtual switches and port groups that are configured on your ESXI server. Its output will look something like this:

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard list
vSwitch0
   Name: vSwitch0
   Class: etherswitch
   Num Ports: 128
   Used Ports: 3
   Configured Ports: 128
   MTU: 1500
   CDP Status: listen
   Beacon Enabled: false
   Beacon Interval: 1
   Beacon Threshold: 3
   Beacon Required By:
   Uplinks: vmnic0
   Portgroups: VM Network, Management Network

vSwitch1
   Name: vSwitch1
   Class: etherswitch
   Num Ports: 128
   Used Ports: 1
   Configured Ports: 128
   MTU: 1500
   CDP Status: listen
   Beacon Enabled: false
   Beacon Interval: 1
   Beacon Threshold: 3
   Beacon Required By:
   Uplinks:
   Portgroups: vMotion

As you can see in this example, we have two vSwitch: vSwitch0 contains our VM and Management Network portgroup, and vSwitch1 contains our vMotion portgroup.

Using the add option, you can add more virtual switches to your ESXI server:

esxcli network vswitch standard add -v vSwitch1 -P 128

Using the -l option again will show you that the new virtual switch has been added but doesn’t have a portgroup or an uplink:

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard list
...
vSwitch1
   Name: vSwitch1
   Class: etherswitch
   Num Ports: 128
   Used Ports: 1
   Configured Ports: 128
   MTU: 1500
   CDP Status: listen
   Beacon Enabled: false
   Beacon Interval: 1
   Beacon Threshold: 3
   Beacon Required By:
   Uplinks:
   Portgroups:

To configure a portgroup on your new virtual switch, use the -v (lowercase) option along with the -p (lowercase) option to designate the new portgroup being added to the vSwitch.

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard portgroup add -v vSwitch1 -p vMotion

Again using the -l option to verify the changes, you will notice that the backup network portgroup has been added under vSwitch1 but that it has not yet been assigned to an uplink:

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard list
vSwitch1
   Name: vSwitch1
   Class: etherswitch
   Num Ports: 128
   Used Ports: 1
   Configured Ports: 128
   MTU: 1500
   CDP Status: listen
   Beacon Enabled: false
   Beacon Interval: 1
   Beacon Threshold: 3
   Beacon Required By:
   Uplinks:
   Portgroups: vMotion

The -u option (uppercase) allows us to assign the PNIC (physical NIC) to the virtual switch. In this example, we are configuring physical Ethernet port 1 to vSwitch1.

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard uplink add -u vmnic1 -v vSwitch1

Verify your configuration change again and notice this time that the uplinks on the vSwitch and the portgroup have been assigned to vmnic1:

~ # esxcli network vswitch standard list
...
vSwitch1
   Name: vSwitch1
   Class: etherswitch
   Num Ports: 128
   Used Ports: 2
   Configured Ports: 128
   MTU: 1500
   CDP Status: listen
   Beacon Enabled: false
   Beacon Interval: 1
   Beacon Threshold: 3
   Beacon Required By:
   Uplinks: vmnic1
   Portgroups: vMotion

And finally, to remove a vmnic from a vSwitch and portgroup, use the following command. The -u represents the uplink and -v the vSwitch in which the uplink will be removed.

esxcli network vswitch standard uplink remove -u vmnic1 -v vSwitch1

VMware support may require you to send in a configuration dump of your ESXI server for troubleshooting specific issues.

Use vm-support to gather the data needed for troubleshooting.

If you open a ticket with VMware support, VMware might request you to send a support bundle. This is an archive package filled with logs and other information about your ESXI server. Luckily, there is a very simple and powerful command that will generate a tar file that includes everything necessary. The vm-support command is also useful for your own troubleshooting:

~ # vm-support -h
Usage: vm-support [options]

Options:
  -h, --help            show this help message and exit
  -g GROUPS, --groups=GROUPS
                        Gather data from listed groups
  -a MANIFESTS, --manifests=MANIFESTS
                        Gather from listed manifests
  -e EXCLUDEMANIFESTS, --excludemanifests=EXCLUDEMANIFESTS
                        Exclude the listed manifests
  --listmanifests       List available manifests
  -G, --listgroups      List available manifest groups
  -t, --listtags        List available manifest tags
  -p, --performance     Gather performance data
  -d DURATION, --duration=DURATION
                        Duration of performance monitoring (in seconds)
  -i INTERVAL, --interval=INTERVAL
                        Interval between performance snapshots
  -v VM, --vm=VM        Gather detailed information about this specific VM (ie
                        --vm <path to .vmx file>)
  -V, --listvms         List currently registered VMs
  -w WORKINGDIR, --workingdir=WORKINGDIR
                        Directory to create .tgz in
  -D, --dryrun          Prints out the data that would have been gathered
  -s, --stream          stream data to stdout
  -q, --quiet           Output only the location of the bundle
  -E ERRORFILE, --errorfile=ERRORFILE
                        Prints (non-fatal) errors to specified file (overrides
                        --quiet and --stream)
  --loglevel=LOGLEVEL   Set logging to specified level: 0-50 (0=most verbose)
  --version             Display the vm-support version
  -l, --listfiles       List all files gathered by vm-support
~ #

The -v option displays all the running virtual machines on the ESXI server:

~ # vm-support -V

Available worlds to debug:

vmid=1104      TEST01
vmid=1116      TEST02
vmid=1124      TEST03

To bundle up all your logs on the ESXI server, just run vm-support without arguments. This process will take about 5 to 15 minutes and will produce a .tgz file in the same directory where the command is run. You will see something similar to this while the tarball is being generated:

~ # vm-support
19:03:41: Creating /var/tmp/esx-test01-2011-10-10--19.03.tgz

When the command completes, it will give you detailed information on the location of the file and how to submit it to VMware support:

19:07:17: Done.
Please attach this file when submitting an incident report.
To file a support incident, go to http://www.vmware.com/support/sr/sr_login.jsp
To see the files collected, run: tar -tzf '/var/tmp/esx-test01-2011-10-10--19.05.tgz'

You can do a lot of other things with this command, such as collect performance data or run an SCSI trace on a virtual machine. Use the -h option to see the available options.

You want to see what patches are applied to your ESX Server.

Run the esxupdate utility.

A typical run of this command produces output like:

~ # esxcli software vib list
Name                  Version                             Vendor  Acceptance Level
--------------------  ----------------------------------  ------  ----------------
ata-pata-amd          0.3.10-3vmw.500.0.0.469512          VMware  VMwareCertified
ata-pata-atiixp       0.4.6-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified
ata-pata-cmd64x       0.2.5-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified
ata-pata-hpt3x2n      0.3.4-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified
ata-pata-pdc2027x     1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
ata-pata-serverworks  0.4.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified
ata-pata-sil680       0.4.8-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified
ata-pata-via          0.3.3-2vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified
block-cciss           3.6.14-10vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified
ehci-ehci-hcd         1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
esx-base              5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified
esx-tboot             5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified
ima-qla4xxx           2.01.07-1vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified
ipmi-ipmi-devintf     39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
ipmi-ipmi-msghandler  39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
ipmi-ipmi-si-drv      39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
misc-cnic-register    1.1-1vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
misc-drivers          5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified
net-be2net            4.0.88.0-1vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified
net-bnx2              2.0.15g.v50.11-5vmw.500.0.0.469512  VMware  VMwareCertified
net-bnx2x             1.61.15.v50.1-1vmw.500.0.0.469512   VMware  VMwareCertified
net-cnic              1.10.2j.v50.7-2vmw.500.0.0.469512   VMware  VMwareCertified
net-e1000             8.0.3.1-2vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified
net-e1000e            1.1.2-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified
net-enic              1.4.2.15a-1vmw.500.0.0.469512       VMware  VMwareCertified
net-forcedeth         0.61-2vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
net-igb               2.1.11.1-3vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified
net-ixgbe             2.0.84.8.2-10vmw.500.0.0.469512     VMware  VMwareCertified
net-nx-nic            4.0.557-3vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified
net-r8168             8.013.00-3vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified
net-r8169             6.011.00-2vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified
net-s2io              2.1.4.13427-3vmw.500.0.0.469512     VMware  VMwareCertified
net-sky2              1.20-2vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
net-tg3               3.110h.v50.4-4vmw.500.0.0.469512    VMware  VMwareCertified
ohci-usb-ohci         1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
sata-ahci             3.0-6vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
sata-ata-piix         2.12-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
sata-sata-nv          3.5-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
sata-sata-promise     2.12-3vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
sata-sata-sil         2.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
sata-sata-svw         2.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-aacraid          1.1.5.1-9vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-adp94xx          1.0.8.12-6vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-aic79xx          3.1-5vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-bnx2i            1.9.1d.v50.1-3vmw.500.0.0.469512    VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-fnic             1.5.0.3-1vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-hpsa             5.0.0-17vmw.500.0.0.469512          VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-ips              7.12.05-4vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-lpfc820          8.2.2.1-18vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-megaraid-mbox    2.20.5.1-6vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-megaraid-sas     4.32-1vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-megaraid2        2.00.4-9vmw.500.0.0.469512          VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-mpt2sas          06.00.00.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512     VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-mptsas           4.23.01.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512      VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-mptspi           4.23.01.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512      VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-qla2xxx          901.k1.1-14vmw.500.0.0.469512       VMware  VMwareCertified
scsi-qla4xxx          5.01.03.2-3vmw.500.0.0.469512       VMware  VMwareCertified
uhci-usb-uhci         1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified
tools-light           5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified

As you can see, we have an extensive history of patches that have been applied to our server. This command is useful for confirming that specific patches have been applied, or learning about the history of a machine that has been running for a while but for which you have just been given responsibility.

You want to enable NTP on your ESXi host.

By using the vCenter, you can easily configure NTP on your ESX host.

Keeping your ESXI servers and virtual machines in sync is crucial to your virtual environment. Using NTP to manage time on your ESXi Server and the virtual machines ensures that your virtual machines are not losing CPU cycles due to mismatched time synchronization.

This example shows you how to configure time via the vCenter, the preferred method of for your ESXI server. However, if you are feeling brave, you can refer to Recipe 5.15 to configure NTP via the command line.

To get started, log in to the vCenter with your administrator account. Then follow these steps:

Figure 5-9. The default timeserver configuration page

Figure 5-10. The Time Configuration page showing various information

Figure 5-11. Selecting a startup NTP policy

Figure 5-12. Displaying the current time servers

Recipe 5.15

You want to enable NTP on your ESXi host using the command line.

Using the service console, you can configure NTP services on your ESXi host.

Although Recipe 5.14 showed you how to enable NTP interactively, you may want to do it in a script. All the steps shown in Recipe 5.14 can also be performed through shell commands:

The NTP client will now be enabled and the time will set on the ESXI server correctly.

Recipe 5.14

You want to restart the vCenter agent on your ESXI server via the ESXi shell.

You can restart the agent from the command line.

From time to time, you may have to restart the virtual center agent on your ESXI server. For example, the vCenter may not see changes made with command-line utilities until you restart the agent. You can do this with the following command:

/sbin/services.sh restart

While the agent is restarting, you may see your ESXI server become disconnected from the vCenter. Don’t worry, your virtual machines will continue to run, and the ESXI server will reconnect once the agent and the vCenter server reestablish a connection.

You need to find snapshots for your virtual machines.

You can list all the snapshots via the command line.

This command will list all the snapshots in your virtual machine’s directories:

~ # ls -Ral /vmfs/volumes/* |grep .vmsn
-rw-------    1 root     root         4304896432 Mar 12 12:01 DNS-Snapshot1.vmsn

This is helpful if you need to track down which virtual machines currently have snapshots associated with them.

Snapshots will consume a lot of disk space if left unattended and should be reverted when possible.

You need to rename a virtual machine.

You can rename virtual machines in the vCenter.

Log in to your vCenter server and follow these quick steps:

This method requires you to have more than one datastore available to your ESXI servers. However, it is the quickest method available to rename a virtual machine, because it will actually copy the virtual machine’s files to the new datastore and rename them accordingly.

You want to set advanced configuration variables on your ESXI server, but you can’t use the vCenter (or you want to automate the process by using command-line tools).

Run the esxcli system settings advanced command on the ESXI server.

This command allows you to adjust the advanced configuration values from the command line. These values can also be changed inside the vCenter, which is much easier; however, if the vCenter isn’t available, this command will allow you to make the needed adjustments. Options you can change are:

~ # esxcli system settings advanced
Usage: esxcli system settings advanced {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Commands:
  list                  List the advanced options available from the VMkernel.
  set                   Set the value of an advanced option.

To get an idea of what is configurable via the command line, run the list command. This will give you a very large output of options that can be tweaked:

~ # esxcli system settings advanced list
   Path: /Irq/BestVcpuRouting
   Type: integer
   Int Value: 0
   Default Int Value: 0
   Min Value: 0
   Max Value: 1
   String Value:
   Default String Value:
   Valid Characters:
   Description: 1: try to route the virtual interrupt to the best vcpu; 0 to disable

   Path: /Irq/IRQRebalancePeriod
   Type: integer
   Int Value: 50
   Default Int Value: 50
   Min Value: 10
   Max Value: 20000
   String Value:
   Default String Value:
   Valid Characters:
   Description: time in ms between attempts to rebalance interrupts
...

Inside these directories are text files that contain configurable values. For example, the Misc subdirectory has a file named HostName that contains a value like the following:

~ # esxcli system settings advanced list -o /Misc/HostName
   Path: /Misc/HostName
   Type: string
   Int Value: 0
   Default Int Value: 0
   Min Value: 0
   Max Value: 0
   String Value: localhost.test.com
   Default String Value: localhost
   Valid Characters: **
   Description: Host name

The -s switch lets you set a specific parameter. For instance, the following command changes the hostname of the ESXI server:

esxcli system settings advanced set -s servername.test.com -o /Misc/hostName

ESXi 3.5/4.x ONLY - You want to use the command line to set authentication parameters such as the type of authentication, the authentication server, and password aging.

Run the esxcfg-auth command on the ESXI server.

The esxcfg-auth command allows you to configure different authentication methods on your ESXI server. We won’t go into detail on the configurable options here, because we discuss setting up an Active Directory in Chapter 6. However, here’s a list of those options:

$ esxcfg-auth -h
usage: esxcfg-auth [options]

options:
  --enablemd5              Enable MD5 password storage
  --disablemd5             Disable MD5 password storage
  --enableshadow           Enable Shadow password storage
  --disableshadow          Disable Shadow password storage
  --enablenis              Enable NIS Authentication
  --disablenis             Disable NIS Authentication
  --nisdomain=domain       Set the NIS domain
  --nisserver=server       Set the NIS server
  --enableldap             Enable LDAP User Management
  --disableldap            Disable LDAP User Management
  --enableldapauth         Enable LDAP Authentication
  --disableldapauth        Disable LDAP Authentication
  --ldapserver=server      Set the LDAP Server
  --ldapbasedn=basedn      Set the base DN for the LDAP server
  --enableldaptls          Enable TLS connections for LDAP
  --disableldaptls         Disable TLS connections for LDAP
  --enablekrb5             Enable Kererbos Authentication
  --disablekrb5            Disable Kererbos Authentication
  --krb5realm=domain       Set the Kerberos Realm
  --krb5kdc=server         Set the Kebreros Key Distribution Center
  --krb5adminserver=server Set the Kerberos Admin Server
  --enablead               Enable Active Directory Authentication
  --disablead              Disable Active Directory Authentication
  --addomain=domain        Set the Active Directory Domain
  --addc=server            Set the Active Directory Domain Controller
  --usepamqc=values        Enable the pam_passwdqc module
  --usecrack=values        Enable the pam_cracklib module
  --enablecache            Enables caching of login credentials
  --disablecache           Disables caching of login credentials
  --passmaxdays=days       Set the maximum number of days a password remains valid
  --passmindays=days       Set the minimum number of days a password remains valid
  --passwarnage=days       Set the number of days a warning is given before a
                           password expires
  --maxfailedlogins=count  Sets the maximum number of login failures before the
                           account is locked out, setting to 0 will disable this
  -p, --probe              Print the settings to the console
  -v, --verbose            Enable verbose logging
  -h, --help               show this help message and exit

You wish to manage the VMkernel crash dump partition. Normally, this is set up during the installation of your ESXI server and will not require any further maintenance. However, a tool is available if you need to look at or manipulate it.

Run the esxcli system coredump command on the ESXI server.

A dump partition is a section of your hard drive that is set aside as a place for information from crashes to be automatically stored for later retrieval and use in troubleshooting. There are a few options available here, network and partition, which will gather statistics and data to include in the core dump file.

~ # esxcli system coredump
Usage: esxcli system coredump {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  network               Operations pertaining to the VMkernel Core dump configuration
                        on network dump servers.
  partition             Operations pertaining to the VMkernel Core dump configuration
                        on VMkernel Diagnostic partitions.

Running the command with the list option lists the ESXI server’s crash dump partition, which is normally set up when ESXi is installed. A typical output will look similar to this:

~ # esxcli system coredump partition list
Name                   Path                                       Active  Configured
---------------------  -----------------------------------------  ------  ----------
mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0:7  /vmfs/devices/disks/mpx.vmhba1:C0:T0:L0:7    true        true

You will probably never need to make changes to this partition.

You want to configure the firewall on your ESXI server using the command line.

Run the esxcli network firewall command on the ESXI server.

VMware makes it easy to configure the firewall on your ESXi Hosts with the following command. Generally, the firewall is configured via the vCenter client. However, it is important to understand how to do this via the command line as well. The configuration options are listed here:

~ # esxcli network firewall
Usage: esxcli network firewall {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  ruleset               Commands to list and update firewall ruleset configuration

Available Commands:
  get                   Get the firewall status
  load                  Load firewall module and rulesets configuration
  refresh               Load ruleset configuration for firewall
  set                   Set firewall enabled status and default action
  unload                Allow unload firewall module
                                      Show this message

We won’t go into detail on the configuration options here because we discuss configuring your firewall in Chapter 6.

Recipe 6.11

You wish to manage modules that are loaded in the VMkernel on a system boot.

Run the esxcli system module command on the ESXI server.

The esxcli system module command provides you with a way to adjust the driver modules that are loaded during the ESXI server’s startup sequence. Here’s a list of the configurable options:

~ # esxcli system module
Usage: esxcli system module {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  parameters            Operations that allow manipulation of parameters of VMkernel
                        loadable modules and device drivers. Operations include list
                        and set options.

Available Commands:
  get                   Show the ELF header information for the given VMkernel module.
  list                  List the VMkernel modules that the system knows about.
  load                  Load a VMkernel module with the given name if it is enabled.
                        If the module is disabled then the use of --force is required
                        to load the module.
  set                   Allow enabling and disabling of a VMkernel module.

Use the list option to find out which modules are loaded on boot and whether any modules are disabled. In our example, we have no modules disabled (modules that are disabled will display as false):

~ # esxcli system module list
Name                 Is Loaded  Is Enabled
-------------------  ---------  ----------
vmkernel                  true        true
procfs                    true        true
vmkplexer                 true        true
vmklinux_9                true        true
vmklinux_9_2_0_0          true        true
random                    true        true
usb                       true        true
ehci-hcd                  true        true
usb-uhci                  true        true
hid                       true        true
dm                        true        true
nmp                       true        true
vmw_satp_local            true        true
vmw_satp_default_aa       true        true
vmw_psp_lib               true        true
vmw_psp_fixed             true        true
vmw_psp_rr                true        true
vmw_psp_mru               true        true
libata                    true        true
usb-storage               true        true
vfat                      true        true
vprobe                    true        true
vmci                      true        true
iscsi_trans               true        true
etherswitch               true        true
netsched                  true        true
cnic_register             true        true
e1000                     true        true
iscsi_linux               true        true
libfc                     true        true
libfcoe                   true        true
ata_piix                  true        true
mptspi                    true        true
lvmdriver                 true        true
deltadisk                 true        true
multiextent               true        true
heartbeat                 true        true
shaper                    true        true
cdp                       true        true
ipfix                     true        true
fence_overlay             true        true
tcpip3                    true        true
dvsdev                    true        true
dvfilter                  true        true
esxfw                     true        true
vmkibft                   true        true
vmfs3                     true        true
nfsclient                 true        true
vmkstatelogger            true        true
migrate                   true        true
cbt                       true        true
svmmirror                 true        true
hbr_filter                true        true
vmkapei                  false        true

The get option allows you to view information specific to a module. For example, here is the output of the vmfs3 module:

~ # esxcli system module get -m vmfs3
   Module: vmfs3
   Module File: /usr/lib/vmware/vmkmod/vmfs3
   License: VMware
   Version: Version 14.54, Built on: Aug 18 2011
   Signed Status: VMware Signed
   Signature Issuer: VMware, Inc.
   Signature Digest: cfae f194 c756 d2a1 b1ae eae1 8e59 3e93 29d5 4aac 55db ea10 46a7
                     5b3e 5008 e9e3
   Signature FingerPrint: cb44 247a 1614 cea1 2079 362d ec86 9d0e
   Provided Namespaces: esx@nover
   Required Namespaces: com.vmware.vmkapi@v2_0_0_0, scsiVMware@0, vmkernel@nover

You want to manage the paths between the ESXI server and its storage devices via the command line instead of using the vCenter client.

By running the esxcli storage core path command on the ESXI server, you can configure the pathing information for your SAN storage.

The easiest way to manage your storage’s paths is using the vCenter. However, VMware also provides the esxcli storage core path command to enable you to manage them via the command line.

Let’s take a look at the options available for configuring multipathing via the ESXi Shell:

~ # esxcli storage core path
Usage: esxcli storage core path {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  stats                 Stats operations pertaining to the pluggable storage archite-
                        ctures' device paths on the system.

Available Commands:
  list                  List all the SCSI paths on the system.
  set                   Provide control to allow a user to modify a single path's
                        state. This effectively allows a user to enable or disable
                        SCSI paths. The user is not able to change the full range of
                        path states, but can toggle between 'active' and 'off'. Please
                        NOTE changing the Path state on any path that is the only path
                        to a given device is likely to fail. The VMkernel will not
                        change the path's state if changing the state would cause an
                        'All paths down' state or the device is currently in use.

Using the following command, you can get the output of your current paths, adapter information, target, LUN, etc. The following output on our development system shows our current paths to the local disk, Local VMware, Disk. In addition, we can also see the driver we are using, which is NMP, which is the native multipathing driver built into ESXi, and the drive type in this example its IDE.

~ # esxcli storage core path list
usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   UID: usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Runtime Name: vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Device: mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Device Display Name: Local USB Direct-Access (mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0)
   Adapter: vmhba32
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: usb
   Adapter Identifier: usb.vmhba32
   Target Identifier: usb.0:0
   Adapter Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed
   Target Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L0
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 1
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000002 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L1
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 1
   Target: 0
   LUN: 1
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000002 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L2
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 1
   Target: 0
   LUN: 2
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000002 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L0
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000001 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L1
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 1
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000001 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L2
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 2
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000001 PortalTag=1

sata.vmhba33-sata.0:0-t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
                    __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   UID: sata.vmhba33-sata.0:0-t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
        __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   Runtime Name: vmhba33:C0:T0:L0
   Device: t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0__________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   Device Display Name: Local ATA Disk (t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
                        __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048)
   Adapter: vmhba33
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: sata
   Adapter Identifier: sata.vmhba33
   Target Identifier: sata.0:0
   Adapter Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed
   Target Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed

You want to manage the remote storage mounted over NFS.

Run the esxcli storage nfs command on the ESXI server.

Using this tool, you can list, mount, and unmount NFS exports from the VMkernel.

Let’s take a look at the options available for the esxcli storage nfs command:

~ # esxcli storage nfs
Usage: esxcli storage nfs {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Commands:
  add                   Add a new NAS volume to the ESXi Host and mount it with the 
                        given volume name
  list                  List the NAS volumes currently known to the ESXi host
  remove                Remove an existing NAS volume from the ESXi host

The list option displays the current NFS mounts on your ESXI server:

~ # esxcli storage nfs list
NFSMOUNT01 is /NFS from 172.20.44.100 mounted

One of the most important requirements of NAS and software-based iSCSI is that you need to have a VMkernel port configured on the ESX Server’s network. Assuming the VMkernel port is already configured, you can add a new mount as follows:

$ esxcli storage nfs add -H 172.20.44.101 -s /nfs02 -v NFSMOUNT02
Connecting to NAS volume: NFSMOUNT02
NFSMOUNT02 created and connected.

You want to use the command line to manage snapshots or replica volumes.

Run the esxcli storage filesystem command on the ESXI server.

VMware added a new command-line tool in ESXi to enable the management of disk snapshot/replica volumes. This new command allows you to:

This command can come in handy if you need to mount a snapshot of your LUN because of corruption on the original LUN.

Let’s take a look at the options available for the esxcli storage filesystem command:

~ # esxcli storage filesystem
Usage: esxcli storage filesystem {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Commands:
  automount             Request mounting of known datastores not explicitly unmounted.
  list                  List the volumes available to the host. This includes VMFS, 
                        NAS, and VFAT partitions.
  mount                 Connect to and mount an unmounted volume on the ESXi host.
  rescan                Issue a rescan operation to the VMkernel to have is scan sto-
                        rage devices for new mountable filesystems.
  unmount               Disconnect and unmount and existing VMFS or NAS volume. This
                        will not delete the configuration for the volume, but will
                        remove the volume from the list of mounted volumes.

You want to manage and set specific variables on the physical Ethernet adapters in the ESXI server.

Run the esxcli network nic command on the ESXI server.

Let’s take a look at the options available for the esxcli network nic command:

~ # esxcli network nic
Usage: esxcli network nic {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Commands:
  down                  Bring down the specified network device.
  get                   Get the generic configuration of a network device.
  list                  This command will list the Physical NICs currently installed
                        and loaded on the system.
  set                   Set the general options for the specified ethernet device.
  up                    Bring up the specified network device.

To list all Ethernet ports in the server, use the list option. The output will give you a variety of information about the interface, including the driver, PCI, speed, duplex, and MTU, along with a description. Multiple interfaces will be displayed as vmnic0, vmnic1, and so on. For example:

~ # esxcli network nic list
Name    PCI Device     Driver  Link  Speed  Duplex  MAC Address   MTU  Description
------  -------------  ------  ----  -----  ------  -----------  ----  -----------------
vmnic0  0000:002:01.0  e1000   Up     1000  Full    00:0c:29:    1500  Intel Corporation 
                                                    7f:3a:5d           Gigabit Ethernet 
                                                                       Controller 
vmnic1  0000:002:04.0  e1000   Up     1000  Full    00:0c:29:    1500  Intel Corporation 
                                                    7f:3a:67           Gigabit Ethernet 
                                                                       Controller 

You can also set the speed of your interface using the options that follow. The following example sets the speed to 100MBps and the duplex mode to full duplex on the vmnic0 interface (note that if you are changing the speed, you must also specify a duplex mode):

esxcli network nic set -S 100 -D full -n vmnic0

Changing the adapter to use the maximum speed can be accomplished using the -S option. Remember, you can use the -l option to verify your changes.

You wish to rescan the HBAs in your ESXI server. This is useful if you add new LUNs or need to troubleshoot the HBAs.

Run the esxcli storage core command on the ESXI server.

Use these commands to rescan a single adapter, or all the adapters on your ESXI server:

~ # esxcli storage core
Usage: esxcli storage core {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  adapter               Operations on SCSI Host Bus Adapters on the system.
  device                Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architectures'
                        logical devices on the system. The operation currently allowed
                        is to list the available devices on the system and the filters
                        attached to each
  path                  Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architectures'
                        SCSI device paths on the system.
  plugin                Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architectures'
                        plugins. The operation currently allowed is to list the available
                        plugins on the system with the type of those plugins.
  claiming              Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage direct path
                        claiming system. These operations will allow a user to directly
                        control the claiming and unclaiming process. These operations are
                        considered temporary and any claiming operations that need to
                        survive a reboot should use claimrules instead.
  claimrule             Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architecture
                        claiming rule system. These operations operate on the rules used
                        to determine the PSA plugin used to claim storage paths.

The following example rescans the specified HBA card for new LUNs. A typical scan, without adding any new LUNs, will look like this:

esxcli storage core adapter rescan --all

You wish to manage available add-ons via the command line using ESXi4.

Run the esxcli software command on the ESXI server.

The following command allows you to enable, disable, and list all the available add-ons (perhaps better understood as modules):

~ # esxcli software
Usage: esxcli software {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  sources               Query depot contents for VIBs and image profiles
  acceptance            Retrieve and set the host acceptance level setting
  profile               Display, install, update, or validates image profiles
  vib                   Install, update, remove, or display individual VIB packages

The command is easy to use and pretty self-explanatory. If you have already installed ESX4, you may have noticed during the installation a new option to load add-ons. By default, your ESX4 installation will get a preloaded list of add-ons. The ones loaded by default on our Dell 1950 are shown in the following list:

~ # esxcli software vib list
Name                  Version                             Vendor  Acceptance Level  
--------------------  ----------------------------------  ------  ----------------  
ata-pata-amd          0.3.10-3vmw.500.0.0.469512          VMware  VMwareCertified   
ata-pata-atiixp       0.4.6-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified   
ata-pata-cmd64x       0.2.5-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified   
ata-pata-hpt3x2n      0.3.4-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified   
ata-pata-pdc2027x     1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
ata-pata-serverworks  0.4.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified   
ata-pata-sil680       0.4.8-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified   
ata-pata-via          0.3.3-2vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified   
block-cciss           3.6.14-10vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified   
ehci-ehci-hcd         1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
esx-base              5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified   
esx-tboot             5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified   
ima-qla4xxx           2.01.07-1vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified   
ipmi-ipmi-devintf     39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
ipmi-ipmi-msghandler  39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
ipmi-ipmi-si-drv      39.1-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
misc-cnic-register    1.1-1vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
misc-drivers          5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-be2net            4.0.88.0-1vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-bnx2              2.0.15g.v50.11-5vmw.500.0.0.469512  VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-bnx2x             1.61.15.v50.1-1vmw.500.0.0.469512   VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-cnic              1.10.2j.v50.7-2vmw.500.0.0.469512   VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-e1000             8.0.3.1-2vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-e1000e            1.1.2-3vmw.500.0.0.469512           VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-enic              1.4.2.15a-1vmw.500.0.0.469512       VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-forcedeth         0.61-2vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-igb               2.1.11.1-3vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-ixgbe             2.0.84.8.2-10vmw.500.0.0.469512     VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-nx-nic            4.0.557-3vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-r8168             8.013.00-3vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-r8169             6.011.00-2vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-s2io              2.1.4.13427-3vmw.500.0.0.469512     VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-sky2              1.20-2vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
net-tg3               3.110h.v50.4-4vmw.500.0.0.469512    VMware  VMwareCertified   
ohci-usb-ohci         1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
sata-ahci             3.0-6vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
sata-ata-piix         2.12-4vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
sata-sata-nv          3.5-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
sata-sata-promise     2.12-3vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
sata-sata-sil         2.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
sata-sata-svw         2.3-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-aacraid          1.1.5.1-9vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-adp94xx          1.0.8.12-6vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-aic79xx          3.1-5vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-bnx2i            1.9.1d.v50.1-3vmw.500.0.0.469512    VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-fnic             1.5.0.3-1vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-hpsa             5.0.0-17vmw.500.0.0.469512          VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-ips              7.12.05-4vmw.500.0.0.469512         VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-lpfc820          8.2.2.1-18vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-megaraid-mbox    2.20.5.1-6vmw.500.0.0.469512        VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-megaraid-sas     4.32-1vmw.500.0.0.469512            VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-megaraid2        2.00.4-9vmw.500.0.0.469512          VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-mpt2sas          06.00.00.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512     VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-mptsas           4.23.01.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512      VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-mptspi           4.23.01.00-5vmw.500.0.0.469512      VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-qla2xxx          901.k1.1-14vmw.500.0.0.469512       VMware  VMwareCertified   
scsi-qla4xxx          5.01.03.2-3vmw.500.0.0.469512       VMware  VMwareCertified   
uhci-usb-uhci         1.0-3vmw.500.0.0.469512             VMware  VMwareCertified   
tools-light           5.0.0-0.0.469512                    VMware  VMwareCertified   

Disabling add-ons is simple:

esxcli software vib remove -n tools-light

Enabling add-ons is also very simple:

esxcli software vib install -n tools-light

Only one add-on can be enabled or disabled in each command.

In a listing, when the star preceding the add-on is red, the associated add-on is installed but disabled.

You want to set or change the routes the VMkernel uses to reach networks.

Run the vicfg-route command using the vCLI toolkit. This command is not supported as of ESXi 5.0 in the esxshell and will require an additional installation on a Windows Server to access the vCLI Toolkit.

VMware gives you the ability to modify the network routes via the command line using vicfg-route. Alternatively, you can configure the routes using the vCenter client.

Let’s take a look at the options available for the vicfg-route command:

Synopsis: vicfg-route.pl OPTIONS [<gateway>]


Command-specific options:
   --add
    -a
          Add route to the VMkernel (valid for vSphere 4.0 and later),
                     requires <network> (described below)
                     <network> can be specified in 3 ways:
                             * As a single argument in <IP>/<Mask> format
                             * Or as a <IP> <Netmask> pair
                             * Or as 'default'
   --del
    -d
          Delete route from the VMkernel (valid for vSphere 4.0 and later),
                     requires <network> (described below)
                     <network> can be specified in 3 ways:
                             * As a single argument in <IP>/<Mask> format
                             * Or as a <IP> <Netmask> pair
                             * Or as 'default'
   --family (default 'v4')
    -f Address family to work on ('v4' or 'v6').  Default to 'v4' (valid for vSphere 
       4.0 and later)
   --list
    -l List configured routes for the VMkernel
   --vihost
    -h The host to use when connecting via a vCenter server

As you can see, VMware provides some nice usage examples for the vicfg-route command. Let’s take a look at using the -l option to display the current routes on our ESXI server. Your display might be similar to the following:

vicfg-route -l

VMkernel Routes:
Network             Netmask             Gateway             Inter
default             0.0.0.0             10.0.1.1            vmk0
10.0.1.0            255.255.255.0       Local Subnet        vmk0

To add a route to the 172.20.44.0 network using the gateway of 172.20.44.254, we would do something like this:

vicfg-route -a 172.20.46.0/24 172.20.44.254

or this:

vicfg-route -a 172.20.44.0 255.255.255.0 172.20.44.254

To set the default gateway for the VMkernel, issue the following command:

vicfg-route -a default 172.20.44.254

And finally, to delete a route, use the -d option. For example:

vicfg-route -d 172.20.46.0/24 172.20.44.254

You can also use the vCenter to manage your ESXI server’s routes, which is the preferred method.

You need to manage your software-based iSCSI connections on your ESXI server.

Run the esxcli iscsi command on the ESXI server.

Although the vCenter provides access to all the options you can manipulate on iSCSI devices, you might want to manage them through command-line tools. Let’s take a look at a few of the options available to the esxcli iscsi command:

~ # esxcli iscsi
Usage: esxcli iscsi {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  adapter               Operations that can be performed on iSCSI adapters
  networkportal         Operations that can be performed on iSCSI Network 
                        Portal (iSCSI vmknic)
  physicalnetworkportal Operations that can be performed on iSCSI Physical Network 
                        Portal (vmnic)
  session               Operations that can be performed on iSCSI sessions
  ibftboot              Operations that can be performed on iSCSI IBFT boot table
  logicalnetworkportal  Operations that can be performed on iSCSI Logical Network 
                        Portal (vmknic)
  plugin                Operations that can be performed on iSCSI management plugins
  software              Operations that can be performed on software iSCSI

Running the esxcli iscsi command with the get switch will query the server to let you know whether software-based iSCSI is enabled. In our case, it is not enabled:

~ # esxcli iscsi software get
false

Using the -e option, we can enable software-based iSCSI and open the firewall ports it requires:

~ # esxcli iscsi software set -e yes
Software iSCSI Enabled

Finally, using the -e switch, we can disable software-based iSCSI on the ESXI server. Note that if you do this, you will need to manually restart the firewall to ensure the ports are closed for iSCSI:

~ # esxcli iscsi software set -e no
Software iSCSI Disabled. (Reboot Required)

If you choose to manage your software-based iSCSI via the command line, these changes might not be immediately reflected in the vCenter; you will need to reboot the ESXi Server.

Recipe 5.32

You want to configure and display basic information for the hardware iSCSI cards used by an ESXI server.

Run the iscsi adapter command on the ESXi Server.

VMware provides a command-line utility you can use to list and configure a few options for hardware iSCSI. However, you may also find additional options that can be configured on your iSCSI HBA; check with the manufacturer to see if it offers a Linux command-line configuration tool.

Let’s take a look at the options available with the esxcli iscsi command:

~ # esxcli iscsi adapter
Usage: esxcli iscsi adapter {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  auth                  Operations that can be performed on iSCSI adapter authentications
  discovery             Operations that can be performed on iSCSI adapter discovery
  target                Operations that can be performed on iSCSI targets
  capabilities          Operations that can be performed on iSCSI adapter capabilities
  firmware              Operations that can be performed on iSCSI adapter firmware
  param                 Operations that can be performed on iSCSI adapter parameters

Available Commands:
  get                   List the iSCSI information for the iSCSI Host Bus Adapter.
  list                  List all the iSCSI Host Bus Adapters on the system.
  set                   Set the iSCSI name and alias for the iSCSI Host Bus Adapter.

You can display a small set of configurable values for your hardware-based iSCSI adapters using this command. For instance, in the following example, we specified vmhba19, one of our iSCSI ports, in the -A option to learn about its configured values (keep in mind that your device ID will probably be different from ours):

~ # esxcli iscsi adapter get -A vmhba19

vmhba19
   Name: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:test11-4f0fa379
   Alias:
   Serial Number:
   Hardware Version:
   Asic Version:
   Firmware Version:
   Option Rom Version:
   Driver Name: iscsi_vmk
   Driver Version:
   TCP Protocol Supported: false
   Bidirectional Transfers Supported: false
   Maximum Cdb Length: 64
   Can Be NIC: false
   Is NIC: false
   Is Initiator: true
   Is Target: false
   Using TCP Offload Engine: false
   Using ISCSI Offload Engine: false

Recipe 5.31

You want to upgrade a VIB using the command line.

Run the esxcli software vib update command on the ESXI server.

The following command will update the VIB package to a newer version. However, this will not install new VIB packages. This is useful for third-party VIBs that add new features to the ESXI server.

esxcli software vib update -n <name of vib

You want to see which Linux device, service console partition, or VMFS volume is associated with each vmhba.

Run the esxcli storage core path command on the ESXI server.

The storage core path command shows how vmhba adapters are mapped on the server to physical Linux devices. Let’s take a look at the available options:

~ # esxcli storage core path
Usage: esxcli storage core path {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  stats                 Stats operations pertaining to the pluggable storage 
                        architectures' device paths on the system.

Available Commands:
  list                  List all the SCSI paths on the system.
  set                   Provide control to allow a user to modify a single path's state.
                        This effectively allows a user to enable or disable SCSI paths.
                        The user is not able to change the full range of path states, but
                        can toggle between 'active' and 'off'. Please NOTE changing the
                        Path state on any path that is the only path to a given device is
                        likely to fail. The VMkernel will not change the path's state if
                        changing the state would cause an 'All paths down' state or the
                        device is currently in use.

The list option displays all devices, regardless of whether a console device is connected. The vmhba adapter is displayed along with the associated mount point:

~ # esxcli storage core path list
usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   UID: usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Runtime Name: vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Device: mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Device Display Name: Local USB Direct-Access (mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0)
   Adapter: vmhba32
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: usb
   Adapter Identifier: usb.vmhba32
   Target Identifier: usb.0:0
   Adapter Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed
   Target Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L0
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk 
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 1
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000002 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L1
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 1
   Target: 0
   LUN: 1
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000002 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L2
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 1
   Target: 0
   LUN: 2
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000002 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L0
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk 
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000001 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L1
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 1
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000001 PortalTag=1

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L2
   Device: t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Device Display Name: FreeBSD iSCSI Disk
                        (t10.FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________)
   Adapter: vmhba38
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 2
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: iscsi
   Adapter Identifier: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Identifier: 00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1
   Adapter Transport Details: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c
   Target Transport Details: IQN=iqn.esx Alias= Session=00023d000001 PortalTag=1

sata.vmhba33-sata.0:0-t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
                    __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   UID: sata.vmhba33-sata.0:0-t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
        __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   Runtime Name: vmhba33:C0:T0:L0
   Device: t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0__________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   Device Display Name: Local ATA Disk (t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
                        __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048)
   Adapter: vmhba33
   Channel: 0
   Target: 0
   LUN: 0
   Plugin: NMP
   State: active
   Transport: sata
   Adapter Identifier: sata.vmhba33
   Target Identifier: sata.0:0
   Adapter Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed
   Target Transport Details: Unavailable or path is unclaimed

The stats option adds the ability to take a deeper look into the path information.

~ # esxcli storage core path stats get
usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   UID: usb.vmhba32-usb.0:0-mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Runtime Name: vmhba32:C0:T0:L0
   Successful Commands: 19410
   Blocks Read: 246676
   Blocks Written: 20172
   Read Operations: 16653
   Write Operations: 1809
   Reserve Operations: 0
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 477
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 0
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 18654
   PAE Commands: 18474

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L0
   Successful Commands: 561
   Blocks Read: 0
   Blocks Written: 0
   Read Operations: 0
   Write Operations: 0
   Reserve Operations: 0
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 24
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 0
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 0
   PAE Commands: 0

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L1
   Successful Commands: 288
   Blocks Read: 0
   Blocks Written: 0
   Read Operations: 0
   Write Operations: 0
   Reserve Operations: 0
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 24
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 0
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 0
   PAE Commands: 0

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000002,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C1:T0:L2
   Successful Commands: 1901
   Blocks Read: 1122
   Blocks Written: 0
   Read Operations: 1062
   Write Operations: 0
   Reserve Operations: 0
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 0
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 0
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 0
   PAE Commands: 0

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da000_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L0
   Successful Commands: 56284
   Blocks Read: 233318
   Blocks Written: 52797
   Read Operations: 1121
   Write Operations: 52722
   Reserve Operations: 1
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 54
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 36
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 189
   PAE Commands: 0

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da001_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L1
   Successful Commands: 68523
   Blocks Read: 261722
   Blocks Written: 52796
   Read Operations: 13689
   Write Operations: 52721
   Reserve Operations: 1
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 54
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 36
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 198
   PAE Commands: 0

iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
                       FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   UID: iqn.1998-01.com.vmware:esx2-6d027a7c-00023d000001,iqn.esx,t,1-t10.
        FreeBSD_iSCSI_Disk______001d60f814da002_________________
   Runtime Name: vmhba38:C0:T0:L2
   Successful Commands: 278
   Blocks Read: 0
   Blocks Written: 0
   Read Operations: 0
   Write Operations: 0
   Reserve Operations: 0
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 1
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 0
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 0
   PAE Commands: 0

sata.vmhba33-sata.0:0-t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
                    __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   UID: sata.vmhba33-sata.0:0-t10.ATA_____WDC_WD2500KS2D00MJB0
        __________________________WD2DWCANK7551048
   Runtime Name: vmhba33:C0:T0:L0
   Successful Commands: 101610
   Blocks Read: 296388
   Blocks Written: 322170
   Read Operations: 2345
   Write Operations: 97847
   Reserve Operations: 74
   Reservation Conflicts: 0
   Failed Commands: 553
   Failed Blocks Read: 0
   Failed Blocks Written: 0
   Failed Read Operations: 0
   Failed Write Operations: 0
   Failed Reserve Operations: 0
   Total Splits: 90906
   PAE Commands: 0

Recipe 5.35

You want to manage your SCSI device mappings via the command line with ESX4 vSphere.

Run the esxcli storage core command on the ESXI server.

In ESXi 5, VMware replaced the esxcli storage core command with the storage core option within the esxcli command. Using this command will allow us to manage the storage mappings within the ESXi environment.

~ # esxcli storage core
Usage: esxcli storage core {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  adapter               Operations on SCSI Host Bus Adapters on the system.
  device                Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architectures'
                        logical devices on the system. The operation currently allowed
                        is to list the available devices on the system and the filters
                        attached to each
  path                  Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architectures'
                        SCSI device paths on the system.
  plugin                Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architectures'
                        plugins. The operation currently allowed is to list the available
                        plugins on the system with the type of those plugins
  claiming              Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage direct path
                        claiming system. These operations will allow a user to directly
                        control the claiming and unclaiming process. These operations
                        are considered temporary and any claiming operations that need
                        to survive a reboot should use claimrules instead.
  claimrule             Operations pertaining to the pluggable storage architecture
                        claiming rule system. These operations operate on the rules used
                        to determine the PSA plugin used to claim storage paths.

                 Show this message.

Recipe 5.34

You want to create, update, or delete entries in the VMkernel configuration for VMotion, NAS, and software iSCSI.

Run the esxcli network ip interface command on the ESXI server.

This command is used to configure the VMkernel ports on virtual switches. The VMkernel port is a special port that is used for vMotion, software-based iSCSI, and NFS access. Let’s take a look at the available options:

~ # esxcli network ip interface
Usage: esxcli network ip interface {cmd} [cmd options]

Available Namespaces:
  ipv6                  Commands to get and set IPv6 settings for vmknic.
  ipv4                  Commands to get and set IPv4 settings for vmknic.

Available Commands:
  add                   Add a new VMkernel network interface.
  list                  This command will list the VMkernel network interfaces
                        currently known to the system.
  remove                Remove a new VMkernel network interface from the ESXi host.
  set                   This command sets the enabled status and MTU size of a
                        given IP interface.

The list option shows the ports that are already created on our vSwitches. In our case, we have a vMotion port on vmk0 (the lines are wrapped here to fit on the page):

~ # esxcli network ip interface list
vmk0
   Name: vmk0
   MAC Address: 00:0c:29:7f:3a:5d
   Enabled: true
   Portset: vSwitch0
   Portgroup: Management Network
   VDS Name: N/A
   VDS Port: N/A
   VDS Connection: -1
   MTU: 1500
   TSO MSS: 65535
   Port ID: 16777219

The following example allows you to add a new VMkernel port on the ESXI server and assign it to a port group. In the following example, we have created a VMkernel called vmk1 and have assigned it to the vMotion port group. However, you must have a port group present before adding a new NIC to the system. You can create a new port group using the esxcli network command, as discussed in Recipe 5.11.

esxcli network ip interface add -i vmk1 -p vMotion
esxcli network ip interface ipv4 set -i vmk1 -I 192.168.1.41 -N 255.255.255.0 -t static

The remove -i option allows you to remove the VMkernel NIC from the system:

esxcli network ip interface remove -i vmk1

Another important option is -m, which allows you to set an MTU speed for the VMkernel NIC port. This is important for NFS or iSCSI connections, where you might use something similar to the following:

esxcli network ip interface set -m 9000 -i vmk1

If you use the -l option to verify the results, you will notice that the MTU speed is now set to 9,000 instead of the default 1,500.