transitioning to esxi 4.1

7/31/2019 Transitioning to ESXi 4.1

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2009 VMware Inc. All rights reserved

Transitioning to ESXi

Spencer Cuffe, Sr. Escalation Engineer


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Agenda

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Overview of ESXi

Hardware Monitoring and Systems ManagementUpgrading/Migrating to ESXi

Infrastructure Services

Command Line Interfaces

Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

Next Steps


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Why ESXi?

Full-featured hypervisorSuperior consolidation and scalabilitySame performance as VMware ESX architecture

More secure and reliableSmall code base thanks to OS-Independent, thin architecture

No Service console means smaller attack footprint

Streamlined deployment and configurationFewer configuration items making it easier to maintainconsistencyAutomation of routine tasks through scripting environmentssuch as vCLI or PowerCLI

Simplified hypervisor Patching and UpdatingSmaller code base = fewer patchesEliminates patch drifting due to single image updateThe dual -image approach lets you revert to prior image if desired VMware components and third party components can beupdated independently

Next generation of VMwares Hypervisor Architecture


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New and Improved ESX Management

Commands forconfiguration and

diagnostics

Management Agents

Hardware Agents

Service Console (COS)

VMware ESXi

CIM API

Agentless vAPI-based

Classic VMware ESX

Agentless CIM-based

vCLI, PowerCLI, vMA

vSphere API

InfrastructureService Agents Native Agents:hostd, vpxa, NTP,Syslog, SNMP, etc.

Local Support ConsoleRemote Support Console


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Agenda

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Overview of ESXi





Next Steps


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W S - M A N

Hardware Monitoring with CIM

Common Information Model (CIM) Agent-less, standards based

monitoring of hardware resources Output readable by 3rd party

management tools via standardAPIs

VMware and Partner CIMproviders for specific hardwaredevices

Management Server

ManagementClient

Hardware

VMkernel

Hardware Platform

CPU Network StorageMemory

CIM Broker

VMwareProviders

PartnerProviders
http://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/NIC_icon.ziphttp://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/NIC_icon.ziphttp://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/Memory_icon.ziphttp://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/Memory_icon.ziphttp://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/CPU_icon.ziphttp://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/NIC_icon.ziphttp://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/CPU_icon.zip


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Monitor and Manage Health of Server Hardware with vCenter

New CIM Interface

Detailed hardware healthmonitoring Physical and virtual visibility

on server health vCenter alarms alert when

hardware failures occurHost hardware fan statusHost hardware power statusHost hardware system boardstatusHost hardware temperaturestatus

NewvCenter

Alarms forHardware


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Third Party Hardware Monitoring

OEMs HW Monitoring through their Management Consoles

Dell Open Manager Server Administrator 6.1HP SIM 5.3.2+

view server and storage asset data view server and storage health information view alert and command logs configure hardware (e.g. storage, BIOS)


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Monitoring of Installed Software Component

In vCenter Server In ESXi 4.1 directly

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ESXi OEM Versions

VMware, Dell, IBM, HP versions available at www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxi (requires registration)
http://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxihttp://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxihttp://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxihttp://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxihttp://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxihttp://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxihttp://www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxi


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BPM for Virtual ServersBPA for Virtual ServersCapacity Mgmt EssentialsAtrium OrchestratorBladelogic OperationsManagerProactiveNet v7.7 *Client Automation

Atrium Discovery &Dependency Mappingv7.4 *

CA VirtualPerformanceManager (VPM)Spectrum AutomationManagementSpectrumeHealthCohesion

ARCserve

Smarts ESM v1.1ADM v6.2ControlCenterAvamarNetworker

ITM for VirtualServers v6.1.2 *TPMITUAMITLCMTivoli StorageManager

Operations OrchestrationVI SPIClient AutomationDDMOperations AgentUCMDBSiteScopePerformance Agent

DataProtectorHP Operations

Majority of Systems Management and Back Up Vendors Support ESXi
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Agenda

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Overview of ESXi





Next Steps


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Information on Migration to ESXi

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http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdf

Provides an overview of differences between ESX Classic and ESXi

Provides examples of tasks and how to complete them on ESXi Vs.ESX Classic
http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdfhttp://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/techpaper/VMW-ESXi41-Migration-Guide.pdf


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Installation methods for ESXi 4.1

Details Numerous choices for installation

Installer booted from- CD-ROM (default)

- Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

ESXi Installation image on- CD-ROM (default), HTTP/S, FTP, NFS

Script can be stored and accessed- Within the ESXi Installer ramdisk(Default Script)

- On the installation CD-ROM

- HTTP / HTTPS, FTP, NFS , USB

Config script (ks.cfg) can include - Preinstall

- Postinstall

- First boot


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ESXi 4.1 Installer

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ESXi 4.1 Installer

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ESXi 4.1 Installer

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ESXi 4.1 Installer

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ESXi 4.1 Installer

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Agenda

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Overview of ESXi





Next Steps


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Infrastructure Services for Production Environments

Function ESX ESXi

Time

synchronization

NTP agent in COS Built-in NTP service

Centralized logcollection

Syslog agent in COS Built-in Syslog service

SNMP monitoring SNMP agent in COS Built-in SNMP service

Persistent Logging Filesystem of the COS Log to files on datastore

Local access authentication

AD agent in COS , Built-in Active Directory service

Built-in Active Directory service

Large-Scale Deployment

Boot from SAN, PXEInstall, Kickstart

Boot from SAN, PXE Install, Scripted Installation

New in vSphere 4.1


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New Feature: Boot from SAN

Details Fully supported in ESXi 4.1

Only experimentally supported in ESXi 4.0 Boot from SAN supported for FC, iSCSI, and FCoE ESX and ESXi have different requirement:

iBFT (Boot Firmware Table) required The host must have an iSCSI boot capable NIC that supports the iSCSI iBFT

format. iBFT is a method of communicating parameters about the iSCSI boot device to

an OS


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Agenda

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Overview of ESXi





Next Steps


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vCLI and PowerCLI: primary scripting interfaces

vCLI and PowerCLI built on same API as vSphere Client Same authentication (e.g. Active Directory), roles and privileges, event logging API is secure, optimized for remote environments, firewall-friendly, standards-

based

vSphere Web Service API

vSphere SDK

Other languages

vCLIOther utility

scripts

vSphere Client

vSpherePowerCLI


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New Feature: Additional vCLI commands

Storage Configuration esxcli swiscsi session : Manage iSCSI sessions esxcli swiscsi nic : Manage iSCSI NICs esxcli swiscsi vmknic : List VMkernel NICs available for binding to particular

iSCSI adapter esxcli swiscsi vmnic : List available uplink adapters for use with a specified

iSCSI adapter esxcli vaai device : Display information about devices claimed by the VMware

VAAI (vStorage APIs for Array Integration) Filter Plugin. esxcli corestorage device : List devices or plugins. Used in conjunction with

hardware acceleration.

Host Operations vicfg-hostops : Perform operations on ESX/ESXi hosts: enter/exit

maintenance mode shutdown/reboot host


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Agenda

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Overview of ESXi





Next Steps


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ESXi Troubleshooting Options vCLI commands DCUI-based troubleshooting Browser-based troubleshooting Tech Support Mode

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Diagnostic Commands for ESXi: vCLI

Familiar set of esxcfg -* commands available in vCLI Names mapped to vicfg- * Also includes

vmkfstoolsvmware-cmdresxtopesxcli : suite of diagnostic tools


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New Feature: Additional vCLI troubleshooting commands

Network esxcli network : List active connections or list active ARP table entries.

Storage NFS statistics available in resxtop

VM esxcli vms vm kill : Forcibly stop VMs that do not respond to normal stop

operations, by using kill commands.# esxcli vms vm kill --type --world-id

NOTE: designed to kill VMs in a reliable way (not dependent upon well-behaving system)

Eliminates one of the most common reasons for wanting to use COS.


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Browser-based access of config files

https:///host


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Browser-based access of log files

https:///host/messages

f f


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Browser-based access of datastore files

https:///folder

Disk Descriptor

ll f h d


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New Feature: Full Support of Tech Support Mode

Two ways to access Local: on console of host (press Alt -F1) Remote: via SSH

N F F ll S f T h S M d


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Toggle on DCUIDisable/Enable

Both Local and Remote Optional timeout

automatically disablesTSM (local and remote)

Running sessions arenot terminated.New sessions arerejected

All commands issued inTech Support Mode aresent to syslog



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Can also enable in vCenter Server and HostProfiles



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Recommended uses Support, troubleshooting, and break-fix Scripted deployment preinstall, postinstall, and first boot scripts

Discouraged uses Any other scripts Running commands/scripts periodically (cron jobs) Leaving open for routine access or permanent SSH connection

Admin will benotified when active

N F t Additi l d i T h S t M d


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New Feature: Additional commands in Tech Support Mode

Additional commands for troubleshooting vscsiStat nc (netcat) tcpdump-uw

S f ESXi Di g ti d T bl h ti g


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TSM: Advanced troubleshooting

DCUI: misconfigs / restart mgmt agents

Summary of ESXi Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

ESXiAPIAccess

Browser vCLI

vSphere APIs

During normal operations: If things go wrong:

Direct Access

N F t T t l L kd


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New Feature: Total Lockdown

Ability to totally control local access via vCenter Server Lockdown Mode (prevents all access except root on DCUI) DCUI can additionally disable If both configured, then no local activity possible (except pull the plugs)

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Access Mode Normal Lockdown

vSphere API (e.g., vSphereClient, PowerCLI, vCLI, etc)

Any user, based on localroles/privileges

None (except vCenter vpxuser)

CIM Any user, based on localrole/privilege

None (except via vCenterticket)

DCUI Root and users with Admin

privileges

Root only

Tech Support Mode (Local) Root and users with Adminprivileges

None

Tech Support Mode (Remote) Root and users with Adminprivileges

None

Agenda


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Agenda

42 Confidential

Overview of ESXi




Diagnostics and TroubleshootingNext Steps

Summary of new ESXi features in vSphere 4 1


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Summary of new ESXi features in vSphere 4.1

Capability ESX i 4.0 ESX i 4.1 ESX 4.1

Admin/config CLIs PowerCLI + vCLI PowerCLI + vCLI COS + vCLI + PowerCLI

Advancedtroubleshooting

Tech Support Mode ( restricted ) Tech Support Mode COS

Scripted installation Not supported Supported Supported

Boot from SAN Not supported Supported Supported

SNMP Supported ( limited ) Supported ( limited ) Supported

Active Directory Not supported Integrated Integrated

HW monitoring CIM providers CIM providers 3 rd party agents in COS

Jumbo frames Supported Supported Supported

Serial port hostmanagement

Not supported Not supported Supported

Web Access Not supported Not supported Not Supported

Total Lockdown Not available Supported Not available

Planning the transition


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Planning the transition

Start Testing ESXi All the functionality of vSphere is supported on both ESX and ESXi architectures

Familiarize Yourself with Remote Command Lines vCLI and PowerCLI can also be used to manage ESX hosts

Start using them even before you fully migrate to the ESXi architecture

Ensure Your Backup and Systems Management Products Integrate with ESXi. If you are using an agent-based partner solution to integrate with vSphere, please check with

your vendor to see if a newer version of the product supports the ESXi architecture

Plan an ESXi Migration as Part of Your vSphere Upgrade During the upgrade process, prior versions of VMware ESX can be replaced with the latest

version of VMware ESXi.

Testing of ESXi architecture can be incorporated into overall vSphere testing

We Are Converging on the ESXi Architecture


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We Are Converging on the ESXi Architecture

VMware will converge on the ESXi architecture in mid 2011.

End-of- Sale End of Support: ESX 4.0 (with Service Console) willbe supported at least through May 2014 according to the VMwarevSphere Support Life Cycle (HW enablement is limited to first 2years):

987654321

General Extended

General Extended

General

Availability1st Minor Rel.

Years AfterRelease

Please Look up the Details on vmware.com

Questions?


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Questions?

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transitioning to esxi 4.1

Documents