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Transitioning to ESXi

Transitioning to ESXi. Spencer Cuffe, Sr. Escalation Engineer. Agenda. Overview of ESXi Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi Infrastructure Services Command Line Interfaces Diagnostics and Troubleshooting Next Steps. Why ESXi?.

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Transitioning to ESXi

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  1. Transitioning to ESXi Spencer Cuffe, Sr. Escalation Engineer

  2. Agenda • Overview of ESXi • Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management • Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi • Infrastructure Services • Command Line Interfaces • Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • Next Steps

  3. Why ESXi? Next generation of VMware’s Hypervisor Architecture • Full-featured hypervisor • Superior consolidation and scalability • Same performance as VMware ESX architecture • More secure and reliable • Small code base thanks to OS-Independent, thin architecture • No Service console means smaller attack footprint • Streamlined deployment and configuration • Fewer configuration items making it easier to maintain consistency • Automation of routine tasks through scripting environmentssuch as vCLI or PowerCLI • Simplified hypervisor Patching and Updating • Smaller code base = fewer patches • Eliminates patch drifting due to single image update • The “dual-image” approach lets you revert to prior image if desired • VMware components and third party components can be updated independently

  4. New and Improved ESX Management Service Console (COS) Agentless vAPI-based Management Agents Hardware Agents Agentless CIM-based Commands forconfiguration anddiagnostics vCLI, PowerCLI, vMA Local Support Console Remote Support Console CIM API vSphere API Infrastructure Service Agents Native Agents:hostd, vpxa, NTP, Syslog, SNMP, etc. “Classic” VMware ESX VMware ESXi

  5. Agenda • Overview of ESXi • Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management • Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi • Infrastructure Services • Command Line Interfaces • Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • Next Steps

  6. Management Server Management Client VMkernel Platform CPU Memory Network Storage Hardware Monitoring with CIM • Common Information Model (CIM) • Agent-less, standards based monitoring of hardware resources • Output readable by 3rd party management tools via standard APIs • VMware and Partner CIM providers for specific hardware devices WS-MAN CIM Broker VMware Providers Partner Providers Hardware Hardware

  7. Monitor and Manage Health of Server Hardware with vCenter New CIM Interface • Detailed hardware health monitoring • Physical and virtual visibility on server health • vCenter alarms alert when hardware failures occur • Host hardware fan status • Host hardware power status • Host hardware system board status • Host hardware temperature status New vCenter Alarms for Hardware

  8. Third Party Hardware Monitoring • OEMs HW Monitoring through their Management Consoles HP SIM 5.3.2+ Dell Open Manager Server Administrator 6.1 • view server and storage asset data • view server and storage health information • view alert and command logs • configure hardware (e.g. storage, BIOS)

  9. Monitoring of Installed Software Component • In vCenter Server • In ESXi 4.1 directly

  10. ESXi OEM Versions • VMware, Dell, IBM, HP versions available at www.vmware.com/go/get-free-esxi (requires registration)

  11. Majority of Systems Management and Back Up Vendors Support ESXi

  12. Agenda • Overview of ESXi • Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management • Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi • Infrastructure Services • Command Line Interfaces • Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • Next Steps

  13. Information on Migration to ESXi • 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

  14. 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

  15. ESXi 4.1 Installer

  16. ESXi 4.1 Installer

  17. ESXi 4.1 Installer

  18. ESXi 4.1 Installer

  19. ESXi 4.1 Installer

  20. ESXi 4.1 Installer

  21. Agenda • Overview of ESXi • Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management • Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi • Infrastructure Services • Command Line Interfaces • Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • Next Steps

  22. Infrastructure Services for Production Environments New in vSphere 4.1

  23. 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

  24. Agenda • Overview of ESXi • Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management • Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi • Infrastructure Services • Command Line Interfaces • Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • Next Steps

  25. 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 vCLI vSpherePowerCLI Other utility scripts Otherlanguages vSphere SDK vSphere Client vSphere Web Service API

  26. 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

  27. Agenda • Overview of ESXi • Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management • Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi • Infrastructure Services • Command Line Interfaces • Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • Next Steps

  28. Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • ESXi Troubleshooting Options • vCLI commands • DCUI-based troubleshooting • Browser-based troubleshooting • Tech Support Mode

  29. Diagnostic Commands for ESXi: vCLI • Familiar set of ‘esxcfg-*’ commands available in vCLI • Names mapped to ‘vicfg-*’ • Also includes • vmkfstools • vmware-cmd • resxtop • esxcli: suite of diagnostic tools

  30. 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 <kill_type> --world-id <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.

  31. DCUI-based Troubleshooting • Menu item to restart all management agents, including • Hostd • vpxa • Menu item to reset all configuration settings • Fix a misconfigured vNetwork Distributed Switch • Reset all configurations

  32. Browser-based access of config files https://<hostname>/host

  33. Browser-based access of log files https://<hostname>/host/messages

  34. Browser-based access of datastore files Disk Descriptor https://<hostname>/folder

  35. New Feature: Full Support of Tech Support Mode • Two ways to access • Local: on console of host (press “Alt-F1”) • Remote: via SSH

  36. New Feature: Full Support of Tech Support Mode • Toggle on DCUI • Disable/Enable • Both Local and Remote • Optional timeout automatically disables TSM (local and remote) • Running sessions are not terminated. • New sessions are rejected • All commands issued in Tech Support Mode are sent to syslog

  37. New Feature: Full Support of Tech Support Mode Can also enable in vCenter Server and Host Profiles

  38. New Feature: Full Support of Tech Support Mode • 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

  39. New Feature: Additional commands in Tech Support Mode • Additional commands for troubleshooting • vscsiStat • nc (netcat) • tcpdump-uw

  40. Summary of ESXi Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • If things go wrong: • During normal operations: DCUI: misconfigs / restart mgmt agents vCLI Browser vSphere APIs TSM: Advanced troubleshooting ESXi Direct Access API Access

  41. 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)

  42. Agenda • Overview of ESXi • Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management • Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi • Infrastructure Services • Command Line Interfaces • Diagnostics and Troubleshooting • Next Steps

  43. Summary of new ESXi features in vSphere 4.1

  44. 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

  45. 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) will be supported at least through May 2014 according to the VMware vSphere Support Life Cycle (HW enablement is limited to first 2 years): Years After Release 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 General Availability General Extended 1st Minor Rel. General Extended Please Look up the Details on vmware.com

  46. Questions?

  47. Thank You Spencer Cuffe scuffe@vmware.com

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