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User Manual: vmware vCenter Server - 6.0 - vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client Free User Guide for VMware vCenter Software, Manual

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vSphere Administration with the
vSphere Client
vCenter Server 6.0
ESXi 6.0

This document supports the version of each product listed and
supports all subsequent versions until the document is
replaced by a new edition. To check for more recent editions
of this document, see http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs.

EN-001606-02

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware Web site at:
http://www.vmware.com/support/
The VMware Web site also provides the latest product updates.
If you have comments about this documentation, submit your feedback to:
docfeedback@vmware.com

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3401 Hillview Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94304
www.vmware.com

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Contents

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Updated Information 11

1 Using the vSphere Client 13

Start the vSphere Client and Log In 14
Stop the vSphere Client and Log Out 14
Status Bar and Recent Tasks 14
Getting Started Tabs 15
View Virtual Machine Console 15
Using Lists 16
Save vSphere Client Data 17
Panel Sections 17
Searching the vSphere Inventory 17
Custom Attributes 18
Select Objects 20
Manage vCenter Server Plug-Ins 20
Working with Active Sessions 21

2 Configuring ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server in the vSphere Client 23

Configuring ESXi Hosts 23
Configuring vCenter Server in the vSphere Client 26
Configuring Communication Among ESXi , vCenter Server, and the vSphere Client
Reboot or Shut Down an ESXi Host 32

3 Organizing Your Inventory 35
Create Datacenters 36
Add Hosts 37
Create Clusters 38
Create Resource Pools 38
Create Datastores 39
Create Host-Wide Networks 40
Create Datacenter-Wide Networks

4 Managing License Keys in the vSphere Client 45
Licensing Limitations in the vSphere Client 45
Managing License Keys on ESXi Hosts 45
Managing License Keys on vCenter Server 47

5 Managing Tasks 51
Viewing Tasks

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Cancel a Task

Schedule Tasks 53
Policy Rules for Task Operations

6 Securing the Management Interface 59
Securing ESXi Hosts 59
Securing Virtual Machines

7 ESXi Authentication and User Management 69

Managing Users with the vSphere Client 69
Assigning Permissions for ESXi 72
Managing ESXi Roles 73
Using Active Directory to Manage ESXi Users 76
Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to Add a Host to a Domain
Adjust the Search List in Large Domains 78

8 Managing Hosts in vCenter Server 79

Disconnecting and Reconnecting a Host 79
Remove a Host from a Cluster 80
Remove a Managed Host from vCenter Server

9 Using vCenter Maps 83

Set the Maximum Number of Map Objects
View vCenter Maps 84
Print vCenter Maps 84
Export vCenter Maps 84

10 Creating a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client 85

Start the Virtual Machine Creation Process in the vSphere Client 85
Select a Configuration Option for the New Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
Enter a Name and Location for the Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client 87
Select a Host or Cluster in the vSphere Client 87
Select a Resource Pool in the vSphere Client 88
Select a Datastore in the vSphere Client 88
Select a Virtual Machine Version in the vSphere Client 89
Select an Operating System in the vSphere Client 89
Select the Number of Virtual CPUs in the vSphere Client 90
Configure Virtual Memory in the vSphere Client 90
Configure Networks in the vSphere Client 91
Select a SCSI Controller in the vSphere Client 92
Selecting a Virtual Disk Type 92
Complete Virtual Machine Creation in the vSphere Client 96

11 Working with Templates and Clones in the vSphere Client 97

Clone a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client 97
Create a Scheduled Task to Clone a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
Create a Template in the vSphere Client 100
Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template in the vSphere Client 103

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Contents

Change Template Name in the vSphere Client

105

Deleting Templates 106
Convert a Template to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client

107

12 Customizing Guest Operating Systems 109

Guest Operating System Customization Requirements 109
Configure a Script to Generate Computer Names and IP Addresses During Guest Operating
System Customization in the vSphere Client 110
Customize Windows During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere Client 111
Customize Linux During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere Client 113
Managing Customization Specifications in the vSphere Client 115

13 Migrating Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client 123

Migrate a Powered-On Virtual Machine with vMotion in the vSphere Client 124
Migrate a Virtual Machine with Storage vMotion in the vSphere Client 125
Migrate a Powered-Off or Suspended Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client 126
CPU Compatibility and EVC 128

14 Deploying OVF Templates 133

Deploy an OVF Template in the vSphere Client
Export an OVF Template 134

133

15 Configuring Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client 137

Virtual Machine Limitations in the vSphere Client 138
Virtual Machine Hardware Versions 139
Locate the Hardware Version of a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client 140
Change the Virtual Machine Name in the vSphere Client 141
View the Virtual Machine Configuration File Location in the vSphere Client 141
Edit Configuration File Parameters in the vSphere Client 141
Change the Configured Guest Operating System in the vSphere Client 142
Configure Virtual Machines to Automatically Upgrade VMware Tools 142
Virtual CPU Configuration 143
Virtual Memory Configuration 149
Network Virtual Machine Configuration 153
Parallel and Serial Port Configuration 154
Virtual Disk Configuration 160
SCSI and SATA Storage Controller Conditions, Limitations, and Compatibility 163
Other Virtual Machine Device Configuration 167
Configuring vServices 172
USB Configuration from an ESXi Host to a Virtual Machine 173
USB Configuration from a Client Computer to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
Manage Power Management Settings for a Virtual Machine 180
Configure the Virtual Machine Power States 180
Delay the Boot Sequence in the vSphere Client 182
Enable Logging in the vSphere Client 182
Disable Acceleration in the vSphere Client 183
Configure Debugging and Statistics in the vSphere Client 183

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

16 Managing Virtual Machines 185

Edit Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown Settings
Open a Console to a Virtual Machine 186
Adding and Removing Virtual Machines 186
Using Snapshots To Manage Virtual Machines 187

185

17 Managing Multi-Tiered Applications with vSphere vApp in the vSphere
Client 195

Create a vApp 196
Power On a vApp in the vSphere Client 197
Clone a vApp 198
Power Off a vApp in the vSphere Client 198
Suspend a vApp in the vSphere Client 198
Resume a vApp in the vSphere Client 199
Populate the vApp 199
Edit vApp Settings in the vSphere Client 200
Configuring IP Pools 204
Edit vApp Annotation in the vSphere Client 206

18 Monitoring Solutions with the vCenter Solutions Manager 207
Viewing Solutions 208
Monitoring Agents 208
Monitoring vServices 209

19 Using Host Profiles in the vSphere Client 211
Host Profiles Usage Model 211
Access Host Profiles View 212
Creating a Host Profile 212
Export a Host Profile 213
Import a Host Profile 214
Clone a Host Profile 214
Edit a Host Profile 214
Manage Profiles 217
Checking Compliance 220
Host Profiles and vSphere Auto Deploy

222

20 Networking in the vSphere Client 225

Networking Limitations in the vSphere Client 225
View Networking Information in the vSphere Client 226
View Network Adapter Information in the vSphere Client 226
Setting Up Networking with vSphere Standard Switches 227
Setting Up Networking with vSphere Distributed Switches 230

21 Managing Network Resources 247

vSphere Network I/O Control 247
TCP Segmentation Offload and Jumbo Frames
DirectPath I/O 252
Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) 254

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Contents

22 Networking Policies 257

Applying Networking Policies on a vSphere Standard or Distributed Switch 257
Teaming and Failover Policy 259
VLAN Policy 267
Security Policy 269
Traffic Shaping Policy 273
Resource Allocation Policy 277
Monitoring Policy 278
Port Blocking Policies 279
Manage Policies for Multiple Port Groups on a vSphere Distributed Switch 279

23 Advanced Networking 285

Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Support 285
VLAN Configuration 286
Working With Port Mirroring 286
Configure NetFlow Settings 293
Switch Discovery Protocol 293
Change the DNS and Routing Configuration 295
MAC Address Management 296

24 Managing Storage in the vSphere Client 299

Storage Limitations in the vSphere Client 300
Display Storage Devices for a Host in the vSphere Client 300
Display Storage Devices for an Adapter in the vSphere Client 301
View Storage Adapters Information in the vSphere Client 301
Review Datastore Information in the vSphere Client 301
Assign WWNs to Virtual Machines 301
Modify WWN Assignments 302
Set Up Networking for Software FCoE 303
Add Software FCoE Adapters 304
Disable Automatic Host Registration 304
Setting Up Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters 305
Configuring Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters 306
Configuring Software iSCSI Adapters 308
Setting Up iSCSI Network 310
Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI 315
Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters 316
Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters 317
Configure Advanced Parameters for iSCSI in the vSphere Client 320
Managing Storage Devices 321
Working with Datastores 322
Raw Device Mapping 332
Understanding Multipathing and Failover 333
Storage Hardware Acceleration 335
Storage Thin Provisioning 336
Using Storage Vendor Providers 338

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

25 Resource Management for Single Hosts 341

Configuring Resource Allocation Settings 341
Administering CPU Resources 342
Administering Memory Resources 345
Managing Storage I/O Resources 349
Managing Resource Pools 352
Using DRS Clusters to Manage Resources 356
Creating a Datastore Cluster 368
Using Datastore Clusters to Manage Storage Resources
Using NUMA Systems with ESXi 379
Advanced Attributes 381

371

26 Creating and Using vSphere HA Clusters 383

vSphere HA Checklist 383
Creating and Configuring a vSphere HA Cluster 384
Customize an Individual Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client

389

27 Providing Fault Tolerance for Virtual Machines 391

Fault Tolerance Use Cases 391
Fault Tolerance Checklist 392
Preparing Your Cluster and Hosts for Fault Tolerance 393
Using Fault Tolerance 396
Viewing Information About Fault Tolerant Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client
Best Practices for Fault Tolerance 400

398

28 Monitoring a Single Host with the vSphere Client 403
View Charts 403
Working with Advanced and Custom Charts 403
Monitoring Host Health Status 406
Monitoring Events, Alarms, and Automated Actions 408
Viewing Solutions 422
Configure SNMP Settings for vCenter Server 423
System Log Files 424

Index

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

The vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client documentation provides information on managing a
single ESXi host or vCenter Server system through a direct connection from the vSphere Client. You can use
these tasks to manage hosts that are not connected to a vCenter Server system, or to troubleshoot or manage
hosts that have become disconnected from the vCenter Server system that managed them.
This documentation is intended primarily as a reference for tasks that you can perform when you connect
directly to a host or vCenter Server with the vSphere Client. For detailed information about vSphere
networking, storage, security, virtual machine management, and other topics, see the appropriate vSphere
documentation.

Intended Audience
This information is intended for anyone who wants to manage a single ESXi host or vCenter Server system
by connecting directly with the vSphere Client. The information is written for experienced Windows system
administrators who are familiar with virtual machine technology and datacenter operations.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

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Updated Information

This vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client is updated with each release of the product or when
necessary.
This table provides the update history of the vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client .
Revision

Description

EN-001606-02

n
n

EN-001606-01

n
n
n

EN-001606-00

VMware, Inc.

Removed information related to vSphere Storage Appliance. This functionality is deprecated in
vSphere 6.0.
Added a note to Chapter 1, “Using the vSphere Client,” on page 13 about enabling an Active
Directory user.
Removed information related to Storage Views and Storage Reports. This functionality is deprecated
inv Sphere 6.0.
Updated the number of LUN IDs in “Change the Number of Scanned Storage Devices,” on page 322
Added licensing limitation topic “Licensing Limitations in the vSphere Client,” on page 45.

Initial release.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

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Using the vSphere Client

The vSphere Client is an interface for administering vCenter Server and ESXi.
The vSphere Client user interface is configured based on the server to which it is connected:
n

When the server is a vCenter Server system, the vSphere Client displays all the options available to the
vSphere environment, according to the licensing configuration and the user permissions.

When the server is an ESXi host, the vSphere Client displays only the options appropriate to single host
management.

NOTE If you want to enable an Active Directory user to log in to a vCenter Server instance by using the
vSphere Client with SSPI, you must join the vCenter Server instance to the Active Directory domain. For
information on how to join a vCenter Server Appliance with an external Platform Services Controller to an
Active Directory domain, see the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2118543.
When you first log in to the vSphere Client, it displays a Home page with icons that you select to access
vSphere Client functions. When you log out of the vSphere Client, the client application retains the view
that was displayed when it closed, and returns you to that view when you next log in.
You perform many management tasks from the Inventory view, which consists of a single window
containing a menu bar, a navigation bar, a toolbar, a status bar, a panel section, and pop-up menus.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Start the vSphere Client and Log In,” on page 14

“Stop the vSphere Client and Log Out,” on page 14

“Status Bar and Recent Tasks,” on page 14

“Getting Started Tabs,” on page 15

“View Virtual Machine Console,” on page 15

“Using Lists,” on page 16

“Save vSphere Client Data,” on page 17

“Panel Sections,” on page 17

“Searching the vSphere Inventory,” on page 17

“Custom Attributes,” on page 18

“Select Objects,” on page 20

“Manage vCenter Server Plug-Ins,” on page 20

“Working with Active Sessions,” on page 21

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Start the vSphere Client and Log In
The vSphere Client is a graphical user interface for ESXi host and vCenter Server management.
A login screen appears when you start the vSphere Client. After you log in, the client displays the objects
and functionality appropriate to the server you are accessing and the permissions available to the user you
logged in as.
Procedure
1

Log in to your Windows system.
If this is the first time you are starting the vSphere Client, log in as the administrator.
n

If the managed host is not a domain controller, log in as either local_host_name\user or user, where
user is a member of the local Administrators group.

If the managed host is a domain controller, you must log in as domain\user, where domain is the
domain name for which the managed host is a controller and user is a member of that domain’s
Domain Administrators group. VMware does not recommend running on a domain controller.

Double-click a shortcut or select the vSphere Client from Start > Programs > VMware > VMware
vSphere Client.

Enter the IP address or server name, your user name, and your password.

Click Login to continue.

You are now connected to the host.
NOTE If you connect to an ESXi host that is currently managed by a vCenter Server system, you will receive
a warning message and changes made to the host may not be reflected in the vCenter Server system

Stop the vSphere Client and Log Out
When you no longer need to view or alter the activities that the ESXi host or vCenter Server system is
performing, log out of the vSphere Client.
NOTE Closing a vSphere Client session does not stop the host system.
Procedure
u

Click the close box (X) , or select File > Exit.

The vSphere Client shuts down. The vSphere Client is logged out of the ESXi host or vCenter Server system.
The host continues to run all its normal activities in the background.

Status Bar and Recent Tasks
Use the status bar to view information about recently completed or active tasks.
The status bar appears at the bottom of the window. It displays any currently running or recently completed
active tasks. Included is a progress bar indicating the percentage complete of each task.

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Chapter 1 Using the vSphere Client

Getting Started Tabs
In the case where ESXi or vCenter Server is newly installed and no inventory objects have been added, the
Getting Started tabs guide you through the steps of adding items to the inventory and setting up the virtual
environment.
n

Disable Getting Started Tabs on page 15
You can disable the Getting Started tabs if you do not want to display them.

Restore Getting Started Tabs on page 15
If you turned off the display of the Getting Started tabs, you can restore the settings to display these
tabs for all inventory objects.

Disable Getting Started Tabs
You can disable the Getting Started tabs if you do not want to display them.
You can disable the tabs in the following ways.
Procedure
n

Click the Close Tab link to disable Getting Started tabs for the type of object selected.

Change the vSphere Client settings to hide all Getting Started tabs.
a

Select Edit > Client Settings.

Select the General tab.

Deselect the Show Getting Started Tabs check box and click OK.

Restore Getting Started Tabs
If you turned off the display of the Getting Started tabs, you can restore the settings to display these tabs for
all inventory objects.
Procedure
1

Select Edit > Client Settings.

Click the General tab.

Select Show Getting Started Tabs and click OK.

View Virtual Machine Console
The console of a powered-on virtual machine is available through a connected server. All console
connections to the virtual machine see the same information. The message line indicates the number of
active connections viewing the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

Select a powered-on virtual machine.

In the Information panel, click the Console tab.

(Optional) Click the pop-out icon in the navigation bar to show the virtual machine console in a
separate window.

(Optional) Press Ctrl+Alt+Enter to enter or exit full screen mode.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Using Lists
Many vSphere Client inventory tabs display lists of information.
For example, the Virtual Machines tab displays a list of all the virtual machines associated with a host or a
cluster. Sort any list in the vSphere Client by clicking the column label heading. A triangle in the column
head shows the sort order as ascending or descending.
You can also filter a list, sorting and including only selected items. A filter is sorted by a keyword. Select the
columns to include in the search for the keyword.

Filter a List View
You can filter a list if it is too long, or if you are looking for specific items in the list. For example, you can
filter a list of alarms for alarms that begin with the word "datastore". You can show and hide the filter field
by using the Filtering option in the View menu.
The list view is updated based on whether filtering is on or off. For example, if you are in the Virtual
Machines tab and the filtered text is “powered on", then only virtual machines whose state is set to powered
on will be displayed. If the state of any virtual machine changes, the virtual machine is removed from the
list. Virtual machines that are added to the list are also filtered.
Procedure
1

On any inventory panel that displays a list, click the arrow next to the filter box at the top right of the
pane.

Select the attributes on which to filter.

Enter search criteria into the filter field.
The search automatically starts after a pause of more than one second. Neither boolean expressions nor
special characters are supported. Filtering is not case-sensitive.

(Optional) Click Clear to clear the filter field.

Export a List
You can export a list in the vSphere Client to a file. Multiple file types are available when saving the file
locally.
Procedure

In the vSphere Client, navigate to a list view. For example, click the Virtual Machines tab when
viewing a host.

Select File > Export > Export List.

Type a filename and select a file type.

Click Save.

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Chapter 1 Using the vSphere Client

Save vSphere Client Data
The vSphere Client user interface is similar to a browser. Most user actions are persistent in the ESXi host
and vCenter Server data that appears. You typically do not have to save the data.
Procedure
u

You can save the client data by either printing a copy of the window or exporting the server data.
Option

Description

Copy the window

Use the Microsoft Windows Print Screen option to print a copy of the
vSphere Client window.

Export server data

Select File > Export and select a format in which to save the data. Open the
data in an appropriate application and print from that application.

Panel Sections
The body of the vSphere Client page has a panel section. Most views have a left and a right panel: the
Inventory panel and the Information panel.
You can resize these panels.
Inventory panel

Displays a hierarchical list of vSphere objects when an Inventory or Maps
view appears.

Information panels

Display lists and charts. Depending on the navigation items or Inventory
item selected, the Information panel is divided into tabbed elements.

Searching the vSphere Inventory
When you are connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client, you can search the vSphere
inventory for virtual machines, hosts, datastores, networks, or folders that match specified criteria.
If the vSphere Client is connected to a vCenter Server system that is part of a connected group in vCenter
Linked Mode, you can search the inventories of all vCenter Server systems in that group. You can view and
search only for inventory objects that you have permission to view. Because the search service queries
Active Directory for information about user permissions, you must be logged in to a domain account to
search all vCenter Server systems in Linked Mode. If you log in using a local account, searches return results
only for the local vCenter Server system, even if it is joined to other servers in Linked Mode.
NOTE If your permissions change while you are logged in, the search service might not immediately
recognize these changes. To ensure that your search is performed with up-to-date permissions, log out of all
your open sessions and log in again before performing the search.

Perform a Simple Search
A simple search searches all the properties of the specified type or types of objects for the entered search
term.
Procedure
1

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Click the icon in the search field at the top right of the vSphere Client window and select the type of
inventory item to search for.
n

Virtual Machines

Hosts

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Folders

Datastores

Networks

Inventory, which finds matches to the search criteria in any of the available managed object types.

Type one or more search terms into the search field and press Enter.

(Optional) If more items are found than can be displayed in the results pane, click Show all.

What to do next
If you are not satisfied with the results of the simple search, perform an advanced search.

Perform an Advanced Search
Using advanced search allows you to search for managed objects that meet multiple criteria. For example,
you can search for virtual machines matching a particular search string which reside on hosts whose names
match a second search string.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server system

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select View > Inventory > Search to display the advanced search page.

Click the icon in the search text box and select the type of object you want to search for.

Type one or more search terms into the search text box.

(Optional) Refine the search based on additional properties.
a

Click Show options.

From the drop-down menu, select the additional property that you want to use to restrict the
search results. The available properties depend on the type of object you are searching for.

Select or type the appropriate options for the property you have selected.

To add more properties, click Add and repeat steps a through c.
An advanced search always finds objects that match all the properties in the list.

Click Search.
The search results are displayed below the search specification.

Custom Attributes
You can use custom attributes to associate user-specific meta-information with virtual machines and
managed hosts.
Attributes are the resources that are monitored and managed for all the managed hosts and virtual
machines in your vSphere environment. Attributes’ status and states appear on the inventory panels.
After you create the attributes, set the value for the attribute on each virtual machine or managed host, as
appropriate. This value is stored with vCenter Server and not with the virtual machine or managed host.
Use the new attribute to filter information about your virtual machines and managed hosts. If you no longer
need the custom attribute, remove it. A custom attribute is always a string.

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Chapter 1 Using the vSphere Client

For example, suppose you have a set of products and you want to sort them by sales representative. Create a
custom attribute for sales person name, Name. Add the custom attribute, Name, column to one of the list
views. Add the appropriate name to each product entry. Click the column title Name to sort alphabetically.
The custom attributes feature is available only when you are connected to a vCenter Server system.
n

Add Custom Attributes on page 19
You can create custom attributes to associate with virtual machines or managed hosts.

Edit a Custom Attribute on page 19
You can edit custom attributes and add annotations for a virtual machine or host from the Summary
tab for the object. Annotations can be used to provide additional descriptive text or comments for an
object.

Add Custom Attributes
You can create custom attributes to associate with virtual machines or managed hosts.
Procedure
1

Select Administration > Custom Attributes.
This option is not available when connected only to an ESXi host.

Click Add.

Enter the values for the custom attribute.
a

Type the name of the attribute in the Name text box.

Select the attribute type from the Type drop-down menu: Virtual Machine, Host, or Global.

In the Value text box, type the value you want to give to the attribute for the currently selected
object.

Click OK.
After you have defined an attribute on a single virtual machine or host, it is available to all objects
of that type in the inventory. However, the value you specify is applied only to the currently
selected object.

(Optional) To change the attribute name, click in the Name field and type the name you want to assign
to the attribute.

Click OK.

Edit a Custom Attribute
You can edit custom attributes and add annotations for a virtual machine or host from the Summary tab for
the object. Annotations can be used to provide additional descriptive text or comments for an object.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine or host in the inventory.

Click the Summary tab for the virtual machine or host.

In the Annotations box, click the Edit link.
The Edit Custom Attributes dialog box appears.

To edit the value of an attribute that has already been defined, double-click the Value field for that
attribute and enter the new value.

Click OK to save your changes.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Select Objects
vCenter Server objects are datacenters, networks, datastores, resource pools, clusters, hosts, and virtual
machines. Selecting an object allows you to view the status of the object and enables the menus so you can
select actions to take on the object.
Procedure
u

Locate the object by browsing or search.
n

From the vSphere Client Home page, click the icon for the appropriate inventory view, and browse
through the inventory hierarchy to select the object.

Perform a search for the object, and double-click it in the search results.

Manage vCenter Server Plug-Ins
After the server component of a plug-in is installed and registered with vCenter Server, its client component
is available to vSphere clients. Client component installation and enablement are managed through the
Plug-in Manager dialog box.
The Plug-in Manager lets you perform the following actions:
n

View available plug-ins that are not currently installed on the client.

View installed plug-ins.

Download and install available plug-ins.

Enable and disable installed plug-ins.

Install Plug-Ins
You can install plug-ins using the Plug-in Manager.
Procedure
1

Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

Select Plug-ins > Manage Plug-ins.

Select the Available Plug-ins tab in the Plug-in Manager dialog box.

Click Download and Install for the plug-in you want.

Follow the prompts in the installation wizard.

After installation is complete, verify that the plug-in is listed under the Installed Plug-ins tab and that
it is enabled.
There might be short delay between the completion of the installation and the plug-in appearing in the
list of installed plug-ins.

Disable and Enable Plug-Ins
You can disable or enable plug-ins using the Plug-in Manager.
Disabling a plug-in does not remove it from the client. You must uninstall the plug-in to remove it.
Procedure

Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

Select Plug-ins > Manage Plug-ins.

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Chapter 1 Using the vSphere Client

Select the Installed tab in the Plug-in Manager dialog box.

Right-click on a plug-in and select Enable to enable a plug-in, or select Disable to disable it.

Remove Plug-Ins
You can remove plug-ins through the operating system’s control panel.
Procedure
u

Consult your operating system’s documentation for instructions on how to use the Add/Remove
Programs control panel.

Troubleshooting vCenter Server Plug-Ins
In cases where vCenter Server plug-ins are not working, you have several options to correct the problem.
vCenter Server plug-ins that run on the Tomcat server have extension.xml files, which contain the URL
where the corresponding Web application can be accessed. These files are located in C:\Program
Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\extensions. Extension installers populate these XML
files using the DNS name for the machine.
Example from the stats extension.xml file: https://SPULOV-XP-VM12.vmware.com:
8443/statsreport/vicr.do.
vCenter Server, plug-in servers, and the clients that use them must be located on systems under the same
domain. If they are not under the same domain, or if the DNS of the plug-in server is changed, the plug-in
clients will not be able to access the URL, and the plug-in will not work.
You can edit the XML files manually by replacing the DNS name with an IP address. Reregister the plug-in
after you edit its extension.xml file.

Working with Active Sessions
You can view a list of users who are logged in to a vCenter Server system when your vSphere Client is
connected to that server. You can end sessions, and you can send a message to all users logged on to an
active session.
These features are not available when your vSphere Client is connected to an ESXi host.

View Active Sessions
You can view active sessions on the home page of a vSphere Client.
Procedure
u

From the Home page of a vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, click the Sessions
button.

Terminate Active Sessions
Terminating an active session ends the vSphere Client session and any remote console connections started
by the user during the session.
Procedure
1

On the Home page of a vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, click the Sessions button.

Right-click a session and select Terminate Session.

Click OK to confirm the termination.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Send a Message to All Active Users
You can send a Message of the Day to all active session users and to new users when they log into the
vSphere Client.
The Message of the day text is sent as a notice message to all active session users and to new users when
they log in.
Procedure
1

On the Home page of a vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, click the Sessions button.

Type a message in the Message of the day field.

Click Change.
The message is broadcast to all users logged into the vSphere Client.

VMware, Inc.

Configuring ESXi Hosts and vCenter
Server in the vSphere Client

Use the vSphere Client to configure ESXi and vCenter Server settings.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Configuring ESXi Hosts,” on page 23

“Configuring vCenter Server in the vSphere Client,” on page 26

“Configuring Communication Among ESXi, vCenter Server, and the vSphere Client,” on page 32

“Reboot or Shut Down an ESXi Host,” on page 32

Configuring ESXi Hosts
You can perform a variety of host configuration tasks when you connect directly to an ESXi host or
vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client, such as setting the scratch partition, redirecting the direct
console, and configuring syslog.

Host Limitations in the vSphere Client
The host configuration tasks that you can perform when you connect directly to an ESXi host or
vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client are limited.
The following host features are unavailable or read-only in the vSphere Client
n

Deleted file reclamation

Guest authorization

Host profiles reference host independence

Lockdown mode

Use the vSphere Web Client as the primary interface for managing the full range of host functions available
in your vSphere 6.0 environment.

Redirect the Direct Console to a Serial Port by Using the vSphere Client
You can redirect the direct console to either of the serial ports com1 or com2. When you use the vSphere
Client to redirect the direct console to a serial port, the boot option that you set persists after subsequent
reboots.
Prerequisites
n

VMware, Inc.

Verify that you can access the host from the vSphere Client.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Verify that the serial port is not already in use for serial logging and debugging, or for ESX Shell
(tty1Port).

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, click Advanced Settings.

In the left pane, expand the VMkernel listing and select Boot.

Make sure that the VMkernel.Boot.logPort and VMkernel.Boot.gdbPort fields are not set to use the
com port that you want to redirect the direct console to.

Set VMkernel.Boot.tty2Port to the serial port to redirect the direct console to: com1 or com2.

Click OK.

Reboot the host.

You can now manage the ESXi host remotely from a console that is connected to the serial port.

Set the Scratch Partition in the vSphere Client
If a scratch partition is not set up, you might want to configure one, especially if low memory is a concern.
When a scratch partition is not present, vm-support output is stored in a ramdisk.
Prerequisites
The directory to use for the scratch partition must exist on the host.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, click Advanced Settings.

Select ScratchConfig.
The field ScratchConfig.CurrentScratchLocation shows the current location of the scratch partition.

In the field ScratchConfig.ConfiguredScratchLocation, enter a directory path that is unique for this
host.

Reboot the host for the changes to take effect.

Configure Syslog on ESXi Hosts
All ESXi hosts run a syslog service (vmsyslogd), which logs messages from the VMkernel and other system
components to log files.
You can use the vSphere Client or the esxcli system syslog vCLI command to configure the syslog service.
For more information about using vCLI commands, see Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces.
Procedure

In the vSphere Client inventory, select the host.

Click the Configuration tab.

In the Software panel, click Advanced Settings.

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Chapter 2 Configuring ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server in the vSphere Client

Select Syslog in the tree control.

To set up logging globally, click global and make changes to the fields on the right.

Option

Description

Syslog.global.defaultRotate

Sets the maximum number of archives to keep. You can set this number
globally and for individual subloggers.

Syslog.global.defaultSize

Sets the default size of the log, in KB, before the system rotates logs. You
can set this number globally and for individual subloggers.

Syslog.global.LogDir

Directory where logs are stored. The directory can be located on mounted
NFS or VMFS volumes. Only the /scratch directory on the local file
system is persistent across reboots. The directory should be specified as
[datastorename] path_to_file where the path is relative to the root of the
volume backing the datastore. For example, the path
[storage1] /systemlogs maps to the
path /vmfs/volumes/storage1/systemlogs.

Syslog.global.logDirUnique

Selecting this option creates a subdirectory with the name of the ESXi host
under the directory specified by Syslog.global.LogDir. A unique directory
is useful if the same NFS directory is used by multiple ESXi hosts.

Syslog.global.LogHost

Remote host to which syslog messages are forwarded and port on which
the remote host receives syslog messages. You can include the protocol
and the port, for example, ssl://hostName1:514. UDP (default), TCP,
and SSL are supported. The remote host must have syslog installed and
correctly configured to receive the forwarded syslog messages. See the
documentation for the syslog service installed on the remote host for
information on configuration.

(Optional) To overwrite the default log size and log rotation for any of the logs.
a

Click loggers.

Click the name of the log you that want to customize and enter the number of rotations and log
size you want.

Click OK.

Changes to the syslog options take effect immediately.

Set the Host Image Profile Acceptance Level
The Host Image Profile acceptance level determines which vSphere installation bundles (VIBs) are accepted
for installation.
VIB signatures are checked and accepted for installation based on a combination of the VIB acceptance level
and the host image profile acceptance level. VIBs are tagged with an acceptance level that depends on their
signature status.
Prerequisites
Required privileges: Host.Configuration.SecurityProfile and Host.Configuration.Firewall
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Under Software, click Security Profile.

Under Host Image Profile Acceptance Level, click Edit.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Select the acceptance level and click OK.
Table 2‑1. Host Image Profile Acceptance Levels
Host Image Profile Acceptance Level

Accepted Levels of VIBs

VMware Certified

VMware Accepted

VMware Certified, VMware Accepted

Partner Supported

VMware Certified, VMware Accepted, Partner
Supported

Community Supported

VMware Certified, VMware Accepted, Partner
Supported, Community Supported

Configuring vCenter Server in the vSphere Client
Use the vCenter Server Settings dialog box to configure licensing, statistics collection, logging and other
settings.

vCenter Server Limitations in the vSphere Client
The vCenter Server tasks that you can perform when you connect directly to vCenter Server with the
vSphere Client are limited.
The following vCenter Server features are unavailable or read-only in the vSphere Client:
n

Runtime settings

Licensing reports

Certificate management

Creating and managing categories and tags

Use the vSphere Web Client as the primary interface for managing the full range of vCenter Server functions
available in your vSphere 6.0 environment.

Configure License Settings for vCenter Server
You must configure a license to use vCenter Server. License keys are required for various vSphere
components and features.
Prerequisites
To configure licenses, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Procedure

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

If the vCenter Server system is part of a connected group, select the server you want to configure from
the Current vCenter Server drop-down menu.

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Chapter 2 Configuring ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server in the vSphere Client

In the vCenter License section, select the type of license key to assign to this vCenter Server.
n

Select Assign an existing license key to this vCenter Server and select a license key from the
Product list.

Select Assign a new license key to this vCenter Server, click Enter Key, and enter a
vCenter Server license key and an optional label for the key.
NOTE To enter ESXi host license keys, select View > Administration > Licensing
.

Configure Statistics Intervals
Statistic intervals determine the frequency at which statistic queries occur, the length of time statistical data
is stored in the database, and the type of statistical data collected.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
NOTE Not all interval attributes are configurable.
Prerequisites
To configure statistics settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, select Administration > Settings to open the vCenter Server Settings dialog box
vCenter Server.

In the navigation panel, select Statistics.

In the Statistics Intervals section, select or deselect a collection interval to enable or disable it.
Enabling a longer interval automatically enables all shorter intervals.

To change a collection interval attribute, select its row in the Statistics Interval section and click Edit to
open the Edit Collection Interval dialog box.
a

In Keep Samples for, select an archive length.
This option is configurable only for the Day and Year intervals.

In Statistics Interval, select an interval duration.
This option is configurable only for the Day interval.

In Statistics Level select a new level interval level.
Level 4 uses the highest number of statistics counters. Use it only for debugging purposes.
The statistics level must be less than or equal to the statistics level set for the preceeding statistics
interval. This is a vCenter Server dependency.

(Optional) In the Database Size section, estimate the effect of the statistics settings on the database.
a

Enter the number of Physical Hosts.

Enter the number of Virtual Machines.
The estimated space required and number of database rows required are calculated and displayed.

c
6

VMware, Inc.

If necessary, make changes to your statistics collection settings.

Click OK.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Configure Runtime Settings
You can change the vCenter Server ID and the vCenter Server Managed IP address. Usually, you do not
need to change these settings, but you might need to make changes if you run multiple vCenter Server
systems in the same environment.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Prerequisites
To configure runtime settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to the vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

If the vCenter Server system is part of a connected group, select the server you want to configure from
the Current vCenter Server drop-down menu.

In the navigation panel, select Runtime Settings.

In vCenter Server Unique ID, enter a unique ID.
You can change this value to a number from 0 through 63 to uniquely identify each vCenter Server
system running in a common environment. By default, an ID value is generated randomly.

In vCenter Server Managed IP, enter the vCenter Server system IP address.

In vCenter Server Name, enter the name of the vCenter Server system.
If you change the DNS name of the vCenter Server, use this option to modify the vCenter Server name
to match.

Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.

What to do next
If you made changes to the vCenter Server system Unique ID, you must restart the vCenter Server system
for these changes to take effect.

Configure Active Directory Settings
You can configure some of the ways vCenter Server interacts with the Active Directory server.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Prerequisites
To configure active directory settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to the vCenter Server system.
Procedure

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

In the navigation pane, select Active Directory.

In Active Directory Timeout, enter the timeout interval in seconds for connecting to the Active
Directory server.

Select Enable Query Limit to limit the number of users and groups displayed in the Add Permissions
dialog box.

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Chapter 2 Configuring ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server in the vSphere Client

In Users & Groups, enter the maximum number of users and groups to display.
If you enter 0 (zero), all users and groups appear.

Select Enable Validation to have vCenter Server periodically check its known users and groups against
the Active Directory server.

In Validation Period, enter the number of minutes between instances of synchronization.

Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.

Configure Mail Sender Settings
You must configure the email address of the sender account in order to enable vCenter Server operations,
such as sending email notifications as alarm actions.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Prerequisites
To configure SMTP notifications, the vSphere Client must be connected to the vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

In the navigation pane, select Mail.

Enter the SMTP server information.
The SMTP Server is the DNS name or IP address of the SMTP gateway to use for sending email
messages

Enter the sender account information.
The Sender Account is the email message address of the sender.
NOTE The full email address must be entered, including the domain name (the information after the @
sign).
For example, mail_server@datacenter.com.

Click OK.

What to do next
To test the mail settings, create an alarm that can be triggered by a user action, such as an alarm triggered by
powering off a virtual machine, and verify that you receive an email when the alarm is triggered.

Configure SNMP Settings
You can configure up to four receivers to receive SNMP traps from vCenter Server. For each receiver,
specify a host name, port, and community.
Prerequisites
To configure SNMP settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Procedure
1

VMware, Inc.

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

In the settings list, select SNMP.

In Receiver URL, enter the host name or IP address of the SNMP receiver.

In the field next to the Receiver URL field, enter the port number of the receiver.
The port number must be a value between 1 and 65535.

In Community String, enter the community identifier.

Click OK.

Configure Timeout Settings
You can configure the timeout intervals for vCenter Server operations. These intervals specify the amount of
time after which the vSphere Client times out.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Prerequisites
To configure timeout settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to the vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

In the navigation pane, select Timeout Settings.

In Normal Operations, enter the timeout interval in seconds for normal operations.
Do not set the value to zero (0).

In Long Operations, enter the timeout interval in minutes for long operations.
Do not set the value to zero (0).

Click OK.

Restart the vCenter Server system for the changes to take effect.

Configure Logging Options
You can configure the amount of detail that vCenter Server collects in log files.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Prerequisites
To configure statistics settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

In the navigation pane, select Logging Options.

From the vCenter Server Logging list, select logging options.
Option

Description

None (Disable logging)

Turn off logging

Error (Errors only)

Display only error log entries

Warning (Errors and warnings)

Display warning and error log entries

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Chapter 2 Configuring ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server in the vSphere Client

Option

Description

Info (Normal logging)

Displays information, error, and warning log entries

Verbose (Verbose)

Displays information, error, warning, and verbose log entries

Trivia (Extended verbose)

Displays information, error, warning, verbose, and trivia log entries

Click OK.

Changes to the logging settings take effect immediately. You do not need to restart vCenter Server system.

Configure the Maximum Number of Database Connections
You can configure the maxiumum number of database connections that can occur simultaneously.
Prerequisites
To configure database settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

In the navigation pane, select Database.

In Maximum number, type the number.
Generally, you do not need to change this value. You might want to increase this number if your
vCenter Server system frequently performs many operations and performance is critical. You might
want to decrease this number, if the database is shared and connections to the database are costly.
VMware recommends that you not change this value unless one of these issues pertains to your system.

Click OK.

Configure Database Retention Policy
In order to limit the growth of the vCenter Server database and conserve storage space, you can configure
the database to discard information about tasks or events after a specified period of time.
Do not use these options if you want to retain a complete history of tasks and events for your
vCenter Server.
Prerequisites
To configure the database retention policy, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server
system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

Select Database Retention Policy.

(Optional) Select Tasks retained for, and type a value in days in the text box.
Information about tasks performed on this vCenter Server system will be discarded after the specified
number of days.

(Optional) Select Events retained for, and type a value in days in the text box.
Information about events for this vCenter Server system will be discarded after the specified number of
days.

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Click OK.

Configure Advanced Settings
You can use the Advanced Settings page to modify the vCenter Server configuration file, vpxd.cfg.
This page can be used to add entries to the vpxd.cfg file, but not to edit or delete them. VMware
recommends that you change these settings only when instructed to do so by VMware technical support or
when you are following specific instructions in VMware documentation.
Required privilege: Global.Settings
Prerequisites
To configure statistics settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings to display the vCenter Server Settings
dialog box.

In the navigation pane, select Advanced Settings.

In the Key field, type a key.

In the Value field, type the value for the specified key.

Click Add.

Click OK.

What to do next
Many advanced options changes require that the vCenter Server system be restarted before they take effect.
Consult VMware technical support to determine if your changes require a restart.

Configuring Communication Among ESXi , vCenter Server, and the
vSphere Client
By default, the vSphere Client uses ports 80 and 443 to communicate with vCenter Server and ESXi hosts.
Configure your firewall to allow communication between the vSphere Client and vCenter Server by opening
ports 80 and 443.
vCenter Server acts as a web service. If your environment requires the use of a web proxy, vCenter Server
can be proxied like any other web service.

Reboot or Shut Down an ESXi Host
You can power off or restart (reboot) any ESXi host using the vSphere Client. Powering off a managed host
disconnects it from vCenter Server, but does not remove it from the inventory.
Procedure

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Shut down all virtual machines running on the ESXi host.

Right-click the ESXi host and select Reboot or Shut Down.
n

If you select Reboot, the ESXi host shuts down and reboots.

If you select Shut Down, the ESXi host shuts down. You must manually power the system back on.

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Chapter 2 Configuring ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server in the vSphere Client

Provide a reason for the shut down.
This information is added to the log.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

VMware, Inc.

Organizing Your Inventory

Plan how you will set up your virtual environment. A large vSphere implementation might contain several
virtual data centers with a complex arrangement of hosts, clusters, resource pools, and networks. Smaller
implementations might require a single virtual data center with a much less complex topology. Regardless
of the scale of your virtual environment, consider how the virtual machines it will support are going to be
used and administered.
Here are questions you should answer as you create and organize an inventory of virtual objects:
n

Will some virtual machines require dedicated resources?

Will some virtual machines experience periodic spikes in workload?

Will some virtual machines need to be administered as a group?

Do you want to use multiple vSphere Standard Switches, or you want to have a single vSphere
Distributed Switch per data center?

Do you want to use vMotion and Distributed Resource Management with certain virtual machines but
not others?

Will some virtual objects require one set of system permissions, while other objects will require a
different set of permissions?

The left pane of the vSphere Client displays your vSphere inventory. You can add and arrange objects in
any way with the following restrictions:
n

The name of an inventory object must be unique with its parent.

vApp names must be unique within the Virtual Machines and Templates view.

System permissions are inherited and cascade.

Tasks for Organizing Your Inventory
Populating and organizing your inventory involves the following activities:
n

Create data centers.

Add hosts to the data centers.

Organize inventory objects in folders.

Setup networking by using vSphere Standard Switches or vSphere Distributed Switches. To use
services such as vMotion, TCP/IP storage, Virtual SAN, and Fault Tolerance, setup VMkernel
networking for these services. For more information, see vSphere Networking.

Configure storage systems and create datastore inventory objects to provide logical containers for
storage devices in your inventory. See vSphere Storage.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Create clusters to consolidate the resources of multiple hosts and virtual machines. You can enable
vSphere HA and vSphere DRS for increased availability and more flexible resource management. See
vSphere Availability for information about configuring vSphere HA and vSphere Resource Management for
information about configuring vSphere DRS.

Create resource pools to provide logical abstraction and flexible management of the resources in
vSphere. Resource pools can be grouped into hierarchies and used to hierarchically partition available
CPU and memory resources. See vSphere Resource Management for details.

This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Create Datacenters,” on page 36

“Add Hosts,” on page 37

“Create Clusters,” on page 38

“Create Resource Pools,” on page 38

“Create Datastores,” on page 39

“Create Host-Wide Networks,” on page 40

“Create Datacenter-Wide Networks,” on page 40

Create Datacenters
A virtual datacenter is a container for all the inventory objects required to complete a fully functional
environment for operating virtual machines. You can create multiple datacenters to organize sets of
environments. For example, you might create a datacenter for each organizational unit in your enterprise or
create some datacenters for high performance environments and others for less demanding virtual
machines.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to create a datacenter object.

NOTE Inventory objects can interact within a datacenter, but interaction across datacenters is limited. For
example, you can hot migrate virtual machines from one host to another host in the same datacenter, but not
from a host in one datacenter to a host in a different datacenter.
Procedure
1

Go to Home > Inventory > Hosts and Clusters.

Select File > New > Datacenter.

Rename the datacenter.

What to do next
Add hosts, clusters, resource pools, vApps, networking, datastores, and virtual machines to the datacenter.

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Chapter 3 Organizing Your Inventory

Add Hosts
You can add hosts under a datacenter object, folder object, or cluster object. If a host contains virtual
machines, those virtual machines are added to the inventory together with the host. Information about
configuring hosts is located in the vSphere Networking, vSphere Storage, vSphere Security, and vSphere Host
Profiles documentation.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to create a host object.

Verify that a Datacenter, folder, or cluster exists in the inventory.

Obtain the user name and password for an account with administrative privileges on the host.

Verify that hosts behind a firewall are able to communicate with the vCenter Server system and all
other hosts through port 902 or other custom-configured port.

Verify that all NFS mounts on the host are active.

Procedure
1

Select Home > Inventory > Hosts and Clusters.

Select a datacenter, cluster, or folder within a datacenter.

Select File > New > Add Host.

Enter host name or IP address and administrator credentials and click Next.

(Optional) Select Enable Lockdown Mode to disable remote access for the administrator account after
vCenter Server takes control of this host.
Selecting this check box ensures that the host is managed only through vCenter Server. You can
perform certain management tasks while in lockdown mode by logging into the local console on the
host.

Review host information and click Next.

(Optional) Assign a license key to the host if needed and click Next.

Do one of the following:

Option

Description

If you are adding the host to a
cluster

Select a resource pool option and click Next.

If you are not adding the host to a
cluster

Select a location where you want to place virtual machines that already
exist on the host and click Next.

Review the summary information and click Finish.

The host and its virtual machines are added to the inventory.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Create Clusters
A cluster is a group of hosts. When a host is added to a cluster, the host's resources become part of the
cluster's resources. The cluster manages the resources of all hosts within it. Clusters enable the vSphere
High Availability (HA) and vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) solutions.
Prerequisites
n

Open vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to create a cluster object.

Verify that a Datacenter, or folder within a datacenter, exists in the inventory.

Procedure
1

Right-click a datacenter or folder in the vSphere Client and select New Cluster.

Enter a name for the cluster.

Choose cluster features.

Option

Description

If you chose to use DRS with this
cluster

a
b
c

Click the vSphere DRS box.
Select an automation level and a migration level and click Next.
Select a default power management setting and a DPM threshold, and
click Next.

If you chose to use HA with this
cluster

a
b
c
d
e
f

Click vSphere HA.
Select whether to enable host monitoring and admission control.
If admission control is enabled, specify a policy.
Click Next.
Specify cluster default behavior and click Next.
Specify virtual machine monitoring settings and click Next.

Select an Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) setting and click Next.
EVC ensures that all hosts in a cluster present the same CPU feature set to virtual machines, even if the
actual CPUs on the hosts differ. This prevents migrations with vMotion from failing due to
incompatible CPUs.

Select a swap file policy and click Next.

Review the options you selected for the cluster and click Finish.

The cluster is added to the inventory.
What to do next
Add hosts and resource pools to the cluster.

Create Resource Pools
You can use resource pools to hierarchically partition available CPU and memory resources of a standalone
host or a cluster. Use resource pools to aggregate resources and set allocation policies for multiple virtual
machines, without the need to set resources on each virtual machine.
Prerequisites

Verify that the vSphere Client is connected to a vCenter Server system.

Make sure you have permissions sufficient to create a resource pool object.

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Chapter 3 Organizing Your Inventory

Verify that a cluster, vApp, or other resource pool object is parent to the resource pool.

Procedure
1

Select Home > Inventory > Hosts and Clusters.

Select a cluster, vApp, or resource pool.

Select File > New > Resource Pool.

Enter a name and specify resource settings.

Click OK.

The resource pool is added to the inventory.
What to do next
Add virtual machines and vApps to your resource pool.

Create Datastores
A datastore is a logical container that holds virtual machine files and other files necessary for virtual
machine operations. Datastores can exist on different types of physical storage, including local storage,
iSCSI, Fibre Channel SAN, or NFS. A datastore can be VMFS-based or NFS-based.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to create a datastore object.

Verify that at least one host in the inventory has access to physical storage.

Procedure
1

Select Home > Inventory > Datastores.

Right-click on a datacenter and select Add Datastore.

Select a host and click Next.

Select a type of storage and click Next.

Option

Description

Disk or LUN

a
b
c
d
e

Select a disk or LUN and click Next.
Review the disk layout information and click Next.
Enter a name for the datastore and click Next.
Specify maximum file and block sizes.
Specify disk or LUN capacity and click Next.

Network File System

a
b
c

Enter server and folder information.
Select whether clients should mount the NFS as read-only.
Enter a name and click Next.

Review summary information and click Finish.

A datastore is added to the inventory.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Create Host-Wide Networks
In vSphere, you can create standard networks and distributed networks. Standard networks provide a
method of communication among the virtual machines on a standalone host and consist of standard
switches and port groups. Distributed networks aggregate the networking capabilities of multiple hosts and
enable virtual machines to keep consistent network configuration as they migrate across hosts. Distributed
networks consist of vSphere Distributed Switches, uplink port groups, and port groups.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to create a standard switch.

Verify that a host exists in the inventory.

Procedure
1

Select a host from the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

In the Hardware section, click Networking.

Click vSphere Standard Switch.

Click Add Networking.

Select a connection type and click Next.

Select an existing virtual switch or create one and click Next.

Enter a display label for the port group on the switch.

Select a VLAN ID and click Next.

Review your settings and click Finish.

If you chose to use an existing standard switch, a new port group is added to it. If you chose to create a
standard switch, it is added with a port group.

Create Datacenter-Wide Networks
In vSphere, you can create standard networks and distributed networks. Standard networks provide a
method of communication among the virtual machines on a standalone host and consist of standard
switches and port groups. Distributed networks aggregate the networking capabilities of multiple hosts and
enable virtual machines to keep consistent network configuration as they migrate across hosts. Distributed
networks consist of vSphere Distributed Switches, uplink port groups, and port groups.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to create a distributed switch.

Verify that a host exists in the inventory.

Procedure

Select Home > Inventory > Networking view, and select a data center.

Right-click on the data center and select New vSphere Distributed Switch.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch Version and click Next.

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Chapter 3 Organizing Your Inventory

In the General section, type a name for the switch.

Specify the maximum number of uplink ports (physical adapters per host) and click Next.

Select Add now to add hosts and their physical adapters to the switch.
Select Add later to add hosts and their physical adapters to the switch after the vSphere Distributed
Switch has been created.

Select the hosts to add in the Host/Physical adapters section and click Next.

Select Automatically create a default port group to automatically create a port group and click Finish.

A vSphere Distributed Switch, with its associated uplink ports and port groups, is added to the inventory.
What to do next
n

Add hosts to the switch.

Add port groups to the switch.

Edit switch properties.

Edit General vSphere Distributed Switch Settings
You can edit the general settings for a vSphere distributed switch, such as the distributed switch name and
the number of uplink ports on the distributed switch.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select General to edit the vSphere distributed switch settings.

Option

Description

Name

Type the name for the distributed switch.

Number of Uplink Ports

Select the number of uplink ports for the distributed switch.

Notes

Type any notes for the distributed switch.

(Optional) Edit uplink port names.
a

Click Edit uplink names.

Type new names for one or more uplink ports.

Click OK.

Edit Advanced vSphere Distributed Switch Settings
You can change advanced vSphere distributed switch settings such as Cisco Discovery Protocol and the
maximum MTU for the vSphere distributed switch.
Prerequisites
n

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Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Advanced to edit the following vSphere distributed switch settings.

Option

Description

Maximum MTU

Maximum MTU size for the vSphere distributed switch.

Discovery Protocol Status

Choose the status for discovery protocol on the vSphere distributed
switch.
n Enabled. Enabled discovery protocol for the vSphere distributed
switch.
1 Select Cisco Discovery Protocol or Link Layer Discovery Protocol
from the Type drop-down menu.
2 Set Operation to Listen, Advertise, or Both.
n Disabled.

Admin Contact Info

Enter the Name and Other Details for the vSphere distributed switch
administrator.

Click OK.

Add Hosts to a vSphere Distributed Switch
You can add hosts and physical adapters to a vSphere distributed switch at the distributed switch level after
it is created.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Add Host.

Select the hosts to add.

Under the selected hosts, select the physical adapters to add and click Next.
You can select physical adapters that are not being used and physical adapters that are being used.
NOTE Moving a physical adapter to a distributed switch without moving any associated virtual
adapters can cause those virtual adapters to lose network connectivity.

For each virtual adapter, select Destination port group and select a port group from the drop-down
menu to migrate the virtual adapter to the distributed switch or select Do not migrate.

(Optional) Set the maximum number of ports on a host.

Click View Details for the host.

Select the maximum number of ports for the host from the drop-down menu.

Click OK.

Click Next.

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Chapter 3 Organizing Your Inventory

(Optional) Migrate virtual machine networking to the distributed switch.
a

Select Migrate virtual machine networking.

For each virtual machine, select Destination port group and select a port group from the dropdown menu or select Do not migrate.

Click Next.

(Optional) If you need to make any changes, click Back to the appropriate screen.

Review the settings for the distributed switch and click Finish.

Add a Distributed Port Group
Add a distributed port group to a vSphere distributed switch to create a distributed switch network for your
virtual machines.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane and select New Port Group.

Enter a Name and the Number of Ports for your new distributed port group.

Select a VLAN Type.
Option

Description

None

Do not use VLAN.

VLAN

In the VLAN ID field, enter a number between 1 and 4094.

VLAN Trunking

Enter a VLAN trunk range.

Private VLAN

Select a private VLAN entry. If you did not create any private VLANs, this
menu is empty.

Click Next.

Click Finish.

Edit General Distributed Port Group Settings
You can edit general distributed port group settings such as the distributed port group name and port
group type.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Select General to edit the following distributed port group settings.
Option

Action

Name

Type the name for the distributed port group.

Description

Type a brief description of the distributed port group.

Number of Ports

Type the number of ports on the distributed port group.

Port binding

Choose when ports are assigned to virtual machines connected to this
distributed port group.
n Select Static binding to assign a port to a virtual machine when the
virtual machine connects to the distributed port group. This option is
not available when the vSphere Client is connected directly to ESXi.
n Select Dynamic binding to assign a port to a virtual machine the first
time the virtual machine powers on after it is connected to the
distributed port group. Dynamic binding is deprecated in ESXi 5.x.
n Select Ephemeral for no port binding. This option is not available
when the vSphere Client is connected directly to ESXi.

Click OK.

Edit Advanced Distributed Port Group Settings
You can edit advanced distributed port group settings, such as override settings and reset at disconnect.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Advanced to edit the distributed port group properties.

Option

Description

Allow override of port policies

Select this option to allow distributed port group policies to be overridden
on a per-port level. Click Edit Override Settings to select which policies
can be overridden at the port level.

Edit Override Settings

Select which policies can be overridden at the port level.

Configure reset at disconnect

When a distributed port is disconnected from a virtual machine, the
configuration of the distributed port is reset to the distributed port group
setting. Any per-port overrides are discarded.

Click OK.

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Managing License Keys in the
vSphere Client

Use the vSphere Client to manage license keys directly on individual ESXi hosts or centrally in the license
inventory of a vCenter Server system.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Licensing Limitations in the vSphere Client,” on page 45

“Managing License Keys on ESXi Hosts,” on page 45

“Managing License Keys on vCenter Server,” on page 47

Licensing Limitations in the vSphere Client
The licensing tasks that you can perform when you connect directly to an ESXi host or vCenter Server
system with the vSphere Client are limited
The following licensing features are unavailable in the vSphere Client:
n

License Reporting

Use the vSphere Web Client as the primary interface for managing the full range of licensing functions
available in your vSphere 6.0 environment.

Managing License Keys on ESXi Hosts
When you connect the vSphere Client directly to an ESXi host, you can view and assign license keys, see
which features are licensed on the host, and put the host in evaluation mode.

Access the ESXi License Key and Licensed Features in the vSphere Client
If you are not local to the host and cannot access the direct console, use the vSphere Client to access the ESXi
license key.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

In the Software section, click Licensed Features.
The license key and a list of features that you can configure on the host appears. The license key
appears in the form XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Assign a License Key to an ESXi Host
Using the vSphere Client, you can assign an existing or new license key to an ESXi host.
If the vSphere Client is connected directly to the host, on the host Configuration tab, click Licensed
Features > Edit to change the license key.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have the Global.Licenses privilege.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory and click the Configuration tab.

In the Software section, click Licensed Features and click Edit.

Assign a license key.

Select Assign an existing license key to this host and select a license key from the Product list.

Select Assign a new license key to this host, click Enter Key, and specify a license key in the form
XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

Click OK.

Set an ESXi Host to Evaluation Mode
If you have assigned a license key to an ESXi host, you can switch to evaluation mode to explore the full set
of features that are available for the host.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

In the Software section, click Licensed Features.

Click Edit next to ESX Server License Type.

Click Product Evaluation.

Click OK to save your changes.

The host is in evaluation mode and you can explore the entire set of features for ESXi. If you have already
used the host in evaluation mode, the time that remains in the evaluation period is decreased by the time
already used. For example, suppose you have used the host in evaluation mode for 20 days and then
assigned a vSphere Standard license key to the host. If you set the host back in evaluation mode, you can
explore the entire set of features that are available for the host for the remaining evaluation period of 40
days. You can track the remaining days from the evaluation period of a host in the host's page in the
vSphere Client.
NOTE After the evaluation period of the host expires, you receive a warning message, and the host cannot
be connected to a vCenter Server system. All powered-on virtual machines continue to work, but you
cannot power on any new virtual machines. You cannot change the current configuration of the features that
are already in use. You cannot use the features that remained unused while the host was in evaluation
mode.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 4 Managing License Keys in the vSphere Client

The License Key of an ESXi Host is Replaced
The license key that you assigned through a direct connection with the vSphere Client to an ESXi host
changes.
Problem
You use the vSphere Client to connect directly to an ESXi host. You use the Configuration > Licensed
Features > Edit operation to assign a license key to the host. Later, a different license key replaces the license
key you assigned to the host.
Cause
If a vCenter Server system manages an ESXi host, changes made to the host license through direct
connection to the host do not persist, because the license key assigned through vCenter Server overwrites
the changes.
If you use the Configuration > Licensed Features > Edit operation, any license assignment operation that
you perform in vCenter Server overrides the host license configuration.
Solution
If you use vCenter Server to manage the host, use either the Home > Administration > Licensing interface
or the Add Host operation to configure host licensing.

Managing License Keys on vCenter Server
vSphere license management is centralized. You can use the vSphere Client to manage all licenses that are
available in the license inventory of a vCenter Server system.

Access vCenter Server License Keys and Features
You can access the license keys and features available in the vCenter Server license inventory from the
Licensing page in the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have the Global.Licenses privilege.

Ensure that the vSphere Client is connected to the vCenter Server system.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select View > Administration > Licensing.
You can view and manage the license keys available in the vCenter Server inventory from the
Management tab.

(Optional) Click Refresh.

In the Management tab, select a sorting option for the license information.

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Option

Description

Product

Displays the available license keys listed by product.

License key

Displays the available license keys listed by license key.

Asset

Displays the available license keys listed by the asset to which they are
assigned: host, vCenter Server, or solution.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

The Management tab displays the available license keys listed by product, license key, or asset. You can
right-click any of the listed items to add, assign, and remove license keys and copy license information to
your clipboard.
What to do next
If you have a license key with zero assigned capacity, you can:
n

Assign the license key to assets that require licensing.

Remove the license key if the key is no longer required.

You should not keep unassigned license keys in the vCenter Server license inventory.

Add License Keys to the vCenter Server License Inventory
After you obtain license keys, you can add them to the vCenter Server license inventory. You can add
multiple license keys at the same time.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have the Global.Licenses privilege.

Ensure that the vSphere Client is connected to the vCenter Server system.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select Home > Administration > Licensing.

Click Manage vSphere Licenses.

In the Add License Keys text area, specify license keys one per line.
You can specify a list of keys in one operation.

(Optional) Type a brief label of the keys.

Click Add License Keys.
If you specify any invalid license keys, you receive an error message that lists only the invalid keys. You
can either delete the invalid keys, or add them after correcting them.

If you are not ready to assign the license keys to assets, click Next through the remaining wizard
screens and click Finish to save your changes.

The license keys are added to the vCenter Server license inventory.
What to do next
Assign the license keys to assets that require licensing. You should not keep unassigned license keys in the
vCenter Server license inventory.

Assign a License Key to Assets
You can assign license keys to single or multiple assets, individually, or in batches.
NOTE If an ESXi host disconnects from vCenter Server immediately after you assign a license key, the
license assignment operation does not complete but the host appears as licensed. The host is licensed after it
reconnects to vCenter Server.
Prerequisites

Verify that you have the Global.Licenses privilege.

Ensure that the vSphere Client is connected to the vCenter Server system.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 4 Managing License Keys in the vSphere Client

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select Home > Administration > Licensing.

Click Manage vSphere Licenses.

Click Next to go to the Assign Licenses page.

Click the ESX, vCenter Server, or Solutions tab to display the available assets.

Select the assets to show.

In the Asset window, select one or more assets to license.
To select multiple assets, use Ctrl-click or Shift-click.

In the Product window, select an appropriate license key and click Next.
If the license key you assign has a strong limit, the license capacity must be greater than or equal to the
required license use for the asset. Otherwise, you cannot assign the license key. Check the EULA of the
license to determine whether it has a strong limit.

(Optional) If you are not ready to remove any license keys, click Next to skip the Remove License Keys
page and click Finish to save your changes.

Add a License Key and Assign It to an Asset
After you obtain a license key, you can add it to the vCenter Server license inventory and assign the license
key to assets.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have the Global.Licenses privilege.

Ensure that the vSphere Client is connected to the vCenter Server system.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select Home > Administration > Licensing.

In the Management tab, select Asset as a primary entity for sorting the license information.

Right-click an asset and select Change license key.

Select Assign a new license key and click Enter Key.

Specify the license key, type an optional label for the key, and click OK.

Click OK.

The license key is added to the vCenter Server license inventory and assigned to the corresponding asset.
What to do next
Assign the license key to other assets of the same type in case the license key has available capacity.

Export License Information
You can export license information in a file that you can later open with third-party applications.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have the Global.Licenses privilege.

Ensure that the vSphere Client is connected to the vCenter Server system.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Procedure

In the vSphere Client, select Home > Administration > Licensing.

In the Management tab, select the view that you want to export.
n

Product

License key

Asset

Click Export.

In the Save As dialog box, select a folder, a filename, and a format for the exported license data and
click Save.

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Managing Tasks

Tasks represent system activities that do not complete immediately, such as migrating a virtual machine.
They are initiated by high-level activities that you perform with the vSphere Client in real time and activities
that you schedule to occur at a later time or on a recurring basis.
For example, powering off a virtual machine is a task. You can perform this task manually every evening, or
you can set up a scheduled task to power off the virtual machine every evening for you.
NOTE The functionality available in the vSphere Client depends on whether the vSphere Client is connected
to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host. Unless indicated, the process, task, or description applies to both
kinds of vSphere Client connections. When the vSphere Client is connected to an ESXi host, the Tasks
option is not available; however, you can view recent tasks in the Status Bar at the bottom of the
vSphere Client.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Viewing Tasks,” on page 51

“Cancel a Task,” on page 53

“Schedule Tasks,” on page 53

“Policy Rules for Task Operations,” on page 57

Viewing Tasks
You can view tasks that are associated with a single object or all objects in the vSphere Client inventory. The
Tasks & Events tab lists completed tasks and tasks that are currently running.
By default, the tasks list for an object also includes tasks performed on its child objects. You can filter the list
by removing tasks performed on child objects and by using keywords to search for tasks.

View All Tasks
You view completed tasks and running tasks in the vSphere Client Tasks & Events tab.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Procedure
1

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In the vSphere Client, select the object in the inventory.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Display the tasks for a single object or the entire vCenter Server.
n

To display the tasks for a single object, select the object.

To display the tasks in the vCenter Server, select the root folder.

Click the Tasks & Events tab.
The task list contains tasks performed on the object and its children.

(Optional) To view detailed information for a task, select the task in the list.
The Task Details pane displays details such as task status, any error messages in the error stack, and
any related events.

View Recent Tasks
You view recent tasks for an ESXi host in the vSphere Client Recent Tasks pane.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host from the inventory.

If necessary, select View > Status Bar to display the status bar at the bottom of the vSphere Client.
The list of tasks appears in the Recent Tasks pane of the Status Bar.

View Scheduled Tasks
You view scheduled tasks in the vSphere Client Scheduled Tasks pane. The scheduled task list includes
tasks that are scheduled to run and those that have already run.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Procedure
u

In the vSphere Client, select Home > Management > Scheduled Tasks.

Filter Tasks for a Host or Datacenter
Filtering the task list removes tasks performed on child objects.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Procedure

In the vSphere Client, select the host or datacenter in the inventory and click the Tasks & Events tab.

In View, click Tasks to display the tasks list.

If the Show all entries list and the search field are not displayed under the Tasks and Events buttons,
select View > Filtering.

Click Show all entries and select Show host entries or Show datacenter entries, depending on the
object selected.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 5 Managing Tasks

Use Keywords to Filter the Tasks List
You can filter the tasks list based on any task attribute, including task name, target, status, initiator, change
history, and time. Filtering is inclusive, not exclusive. If the keyword is found in any of the selected
columns, the task is included in the filtered list.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the object in the inventory.

If the Name, Target or Status contains search field is not displayed above the Recent Tasks pane, select
View > Filtering.

Click the search field arrow and select the attributes to include in the search.

Type a keyword into the box and press Enter.

Cancel a Task
Canceling a task stops a running task from occurring. Canceling a scheduled task does not cancel
subsequent runs. To cancel a scheduled task that has not run, reschedule it.
NOTE You can only cancel a subset of tasks by using the vSphere Client.
Required privileges:
n

Manual tasks: Tasks.Update Task

Scheduled tasks:Scheduled Task.Remove Task

Appropriate permissions on the host where the task is running

Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server.

Procedure
1

Locate the task in the Recent Tasks pane of the Status Bar.
By default, the Status Bar is displayed at the bottom of the vSphere Client. If it is not visible, select
View > Status Bar.

Right-click the appropriate task and select Cancel.
If the cancel option is unavailable, the selected task cannot be canceled.

The vCenter Server system or ESXi host stops the progress of the task and returns the object to its previous
state. The vSphere Client displays the task with a Canceled status.

Schedule Tasks
You can schedule tasks to run once in the future or multiple times, at a recurring interval.
The tasks you can schedule are listed in the following table.

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Table 5‑1. Scheduled Tasks
Scheduled Task

Description

Add a host

Adds the host to the specified data center or cluster.

Change the power state of a virtual
machine

Powers on, powers off, suspends, or resets the state of the virtual machine.

Change cluster power settings

Enable or disable DPM for hosts in a cluster.

Change resource settings of a resource pool
or virtual machine

Changes the following resource settings:
CPU – Shares, Reservation, Limit.
n Memory – Shares, Reservation, Limit.

Check compliance of a profile

Checks that a host's configuration matches the configuration specified in a
host profile.

Clone a virtual machine

Makes a clone of the virtual machine and places it on the specified host or
cluster.

Create a virtual machine

Creates a new virtual machine on the specified host.

Deploy a virtual machine

Creates a new virtual machine from a template on the specified host or
cluster.

Migrate a virtual machine

Migrate a virtual machine to the specified host or datastore by using
migration or migration with vMotion.

Make a snapshot of a virtual machine

Captures the entire state of the virtual machine at the time the snapshot is
taken.

Scan for Updates

Scans templates, virtual machines, and hosts for available updates.
This task is available only when vSphere Update Manager is installed.

Remediate

Installs missing patches from the baselines selected for remediation on the
hosts discovered during the scan operation and applies the newly
configured settings.
This task is available only when vSphere Update Manager is installed.

You create scheduled tasks by using the Scheduled Task wizard. For some scheduled tasks, this wizard
opens the wizard used specifically for that task. For example, if you create a scheduled task that migrates a
virtual machine, the Scheduled Task wizard opens the Migrate Virtual Machine wizard, which you use to
set up the migration details.
Scheduling one task to run on multiple objects is not possible. For example, you cannot create one scheduled
task on a host that powers on all virtual machines on that host. You must create a separate scheduled task
for each virtual machine.
After a scheduled task runs, you can reschedule it to run again at another time.

Create a Scheduled Task
To schedule a task, use the Scheduled Task wizard.
Required privilege: Schedule Task.Create Tasks
You can schedule a limited number of tasks by using the vSphere Client. If the task to schedule is not
available, use the vSphere API. See the vSphere SDK Programming Guide.
CAUTION Do not schedule multiple tasks to be performed at the same time on the same object. The results
are unpredictable.
Prerequisites
The vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server system to schedule tasks.

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 5 Managing Tasks

Procedure
1

In the navigation bar, click Home > Management > Scheduled Tasks.
The current list of scheduled tasks appears.

In the toolbar, click New.

In the Select a Task to Schedule dialog box, select a task and click OK to open the wizard for that task.
NOTE For some scheduled tasks, the wizard opens the wizard used specifically for that task. For
example, to migrate a virtual machine, the Scheduled Task wizard opens the Migrate Virtual Machine
Wizard, which you use to set up the migration details.

Complete the wizard that opens for the task.

In the Schedule Task section, enter a task name and task description.

Select a Frequency and specify a Start Time.
You can schedule a task to run only once during a day. To set up a task to run multiple times in one
day, set up additional scheduled tasks.
Table 5‑2. Scheduled Task Frequency Options
Frequency
Once

Action

To run the scheduled task immediately, select Now and click Next.
To run the scheduled task at a later time and date, select Later and enter a Time. Click
the Date arrow to display the calendar and click a date.

After Startup

In Delay, enter the number of minutes to delay the task.

Hourly

1
2

In Start Time, enter the number of minutes after the hour to run the task.
In Interval, enter the number of hours after which to run the task.

For example, to start a task at the half-hour mark of every 5th hour, enter 30 and 5.
Daily

Enter the Start Time and Interval.

For example, to run the task at 2:30 pm every four days, enter 2:30 and 4.
Weekly

1
2

Enter the Interval and Start Time.
Select each day on which to run the task.

For example, to run the task at 6 am every Tuesday and Thursday, enter 1 and 6 am, and
select Tuesday and Thursday.
Monthly

1
2

Enter the Start Time.
Specify the days by using one of the following methods.
n Enter a specific date of the month.
n Select first, second, third, fourth, or last, and select the day of the week.
last runs the task on the last week in the month that the day occurs. For example, if
you select the last Monday of the month and the month ends on a Sunday, the task
runs six days before the end of the month.
In Interval, enter the number of months between each task run.

Click Next.

Set up email notifications and click Next.

Click Finish.

The vCenter Server system adds the task to the list in the Scheduled Tasks window.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Change or Reschedule a Task
After a scheduled task is created, you can change the timing, frequency, and specifics of the task. You can
edit and reschedule tasks before or after they run.
Required privilege:Schedule Task.Modify Task
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server system.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, click Home > Management > Scheduled Tasks.

Select the task.

In the toolbar, click Properties.

Change task attributes as necessary.

Click Next to advance through the wizard.

Click Finish.

Remove a Scheduled Task
Removing a scheduled task removes all future occurrences of the task. The history associated with all
completed occurrences of the task remains in the vCenter Server database.
Prerequisites
To remove scheduled tasks, the vSphere Client must be connected to the vCenter Server system.
Required privilege:Scheduled Task.Remove Task
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, click Home > Management > Scheduled Tasks.

Select the task.

Select Inventory > Scheduled Task > Remove.

Click OK.

The task is removed from the list of scheduled tasks.

Canceling Scheduled Tasks
Canceling a task stops a running task from occurring, regardless of whether the task was a real-time task or
a scheduled task. The operation cancels only the running task. If the task being canceled is a scheduled task,
subsequent runs are not canceled.
Tasks that aren’t running can be cleared when they are in a queued or scheduled state. In such cases,
because the cancel operation is not available, either remove the task or reschedule it to run at a different
time. Removing a scheduled task requires that you recreate it to run it in the future, rescheduling does not.
You can cancel the following tasks:

Connecting to a host

Cloning a virtual machine

Deploying a virtual machine

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Chapter 5 Managing Tasks

Migrating a powered off virtual machine. This task is cancelable only when the source disks have not
been deleted.

If your vSphere environment uses virtual services, you can also cancel the following scheduled tasks:
n

Change the power state of a virtual machine

Make a snapshot of a virtual machine

Policy Rules for Task Operations
The vCenter Server system and ESXi hosts adhere to certain rules when managing tasks.
The vCenter Server system and ESXi hosts use the following rules to process tasks:
n

The user performing the task in the vSphere Client must have the correct permissions on the relevant
objects. After a scheduled task is created, it will be performed even if the user no longer has permission
to perform the task.

When the operations required by manual tasks and scheduled tasks conflict, the activity due first is
started first.

When a virtual machine or host is in an incorrect state to perform any activity, manual or scheduled,
vCenter Server or the ESXi host does not perform the task. A message is recorded in the log.

When an object is removed from the vCenter Server or the ESXi host, all associated tasks are also
removed.

The vSphere Client and vCenter Server system use UTC time to determine the start time of a scheduled
task. This ensures vSphere Client users in different time zones see the task scheduled to run at their
local time.

Events are logged in the event log at start and completion of a task. Any errors that occur during a task are
also recorded in the event log.
CAUTION Do not schedule multiple tasks to be performed at the same time on the same object. The results
are unpredictable.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

VMware, Inc.

Securing the Management Interface

Secure the management Interface of an ESXi host and the virtual machine guest operating system by
restricting the services and management agents that are allowed to interface directly with the host or virtual
machine.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Securing ESXi Hosts,” on page 59

“Securing Virtual Machines,” on page 63

Securing ESXi Hosts
The ESXi hypervisor architecture has many built-in security features such as CPU isolation, memory
isolation, and device isolation. You can configure additional features such as lockdown mode, certificate
replacement, and smart card authentication for enhanced security.
An ESXi host is also protected with a firewall. You can open ports for incoming and outgoing traffic as
needed, but should restrict access to services and ports. Using the ESXi lockdown mode and limiting access
to the ESXi Shell can further contribute to a more secure environment. Starting with vSphere 6.0, ESXi hosts
participate in the certificate infrastructure. Hosts are provisioned with certificate that are signed by the
VMware Certificate Authority (VMCA) by default.
See the VMware white paper Security of the VMware vSphere Hypervisor for additional information on ESXi
security.

Allow or Deny Access to an ESXi Service or Management Agent
You can configure firewall properties to allow or deny access for a service or management agent.
You add information about allowed services and management agents to the host configuration file. You can
enable or disable these services and agents using the vSphere Client or at the command line.
NOTE If different services have overlapping port rules, enabling one service might implicitly enable
overlapping services. To minimize the effects of this behavior, you can specify which IP addresses are
allowed to access each service on the host.
Procedure
1

Select the host in the inventory panel.

Click the Configuration tab, then in the Software section, click Security Profile.
The vSphere Client displays a list of active incoming and outgoing connections with the corresponding
firewall ports.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

In the Firewall section, click Properties.
The Firewall Properties dialog box lists all the rule sets that you can configure for the host.

Select the rule sets to enable, or deselect the rule sets to disable.
The Incoming Ports and Outgoing Ports columns indicate the ports that the vSphere Client opens for
the service. The Protocol column indicates the protocol that the service uses. The Daemon column
indicates the status of daemons associated with the service.

Click OK.

Add Allowed IP Addresses
You can specify which networks are allowed to connect to each service that is running on the host.
You can use the vSphere Client or the command line to update the Allowed IP list for a service. By default,
all IP addresses are allowed.
Procedure
1

Select the host in the inventory panel.

Click the Configuration tab and click Security Profile.

In the Firewall section, click Properties.

Select a service in the list and click Firewall.

Select Only allow connections from the following networks and enter the IP addresses of networks
that are allowed to connect to the host.
You can enter IP addresses in the following formats: 192.168.0.0/24, 192.168.1.2, 2001::1/64, or fd3e:
29a6:0a81:e478::/64.

Click OK.

Set Service or Client Startup Options
By default, daemon processes start when any of their ports are opened and stop when all of their ports are
closed. You can change this startup policy for the selected service or client.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab, then under Software click Security Profile.

In the Firewall section, click Properties.
All the firewall services and management agents that you can configure for the host are listed.

Select the service or management agent to configure and click Options.
You can set the service start policy, verify the status of the service, and manually start, stop, or restart
the service through this configuration.

Select a policy from the Startup Policy list.

Click OK.

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Chapter 6 Securing the Management Interface

Using the ESXi Shell
The ESXi Shell (formerly Tech Support Mode or TSM) is disabled by default on ESXi hosts. You can enable
local and remote access to the shell if necessary.
Enable the ESXi Shell for troubleshooting only. The ESXi Shell can be enabled and disabled whether or not
the host is running in lockdown mode. See the vSphere Security publication for more information on
lockdown mode behavior.
ESXi Shell

Enable this service to access the ESXi Shell locally.

SSH

Enable this service to access the ESXi Shell remotely using SSH. You can
upload SSH keys to your hosts. See the vSphere Security publication for more
information on SSH keys.

Direct Console UI
(DCUI)

When you enable this service while running in lockdown mode, you can log
in locally to the direct console user interface as the root user and disable
lockdown mode. You can then access the host using a direct connection to
the vSphere Client or by enabling the ESXi Shell.

The root user and users with the Administrator role can access the ESXi Shell. Users who are in the Active
Directory group ESX Admins are automatically assigned the Administrator role. By default, only the root
user can execute system commands (such as vmware -v) using the ESXi Shell.
NOTE Do not enable the ESXi Shell until you actually need access.

Use the vSphere Client to Enable Access to the ESXi Shell
Use the vSphere Client to enable local and remote access to the ESXi Shell.
Procedure
1

Select the host in the inventory panel.

Click the Configuration tab and click Security Profile.

In the Services section, click Properties.

Select a service from the list.

ESXi Shell

SSH

Direct Console UI

Click Options and select Start and stop manually.
When you select Start and stop manually, the service does not start when you reboot the host. If you
want the service to start when you reboot the host, select Start and stop with host.

Select Start to enable the service.

Click OK.

Create a Timeout for ESXi Shell Availability
The ESXi Shell is disabled by default. You can set an availability timeout for the ESXi Shell to increase
security when you enable the shell.
The availability timeout setting is the amount of time that can elapse before you must log in after the
ESXi Shell is enabled. After the timeout period, the service is disabled and users are not allowed to log in.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Procedure
1

Select the host in the inventory and click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, select Advanced Settings.

In the left panel, select UserVars.

In the UserVars.ESXiShellTimeOut field, enter the availability timeout setting.
You must restart the SSH service and the ESXi Shell service for the timeout to take effect.

Click OK.

If you are logged in when the timeout period elapses, your session will persist. However, after you log out
or your session is terminated, users are not allowed to log in.

Create a Timeout for Idle ESXi Shell Sessions
If a user enables the ESXi Shell on a host, but forgets to log out of the session, the idle session remains
connected indefinitely. The open connection can increase the potential for someone to gain privileged access
to the host. You can prevent this by setting a timeout for idle sessions.
The idle timeout is the amount of time that can elapse before the user is logged out of an idle interactive
sessions. Changes to the idle timeout apply the next time a user logs in to the ESXi Shell and do not affect
existing sessions.
Procedure
1

Select the host in the inventory and click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, select Advanced Settings.

In the left panel, select UserVars.

In the UserVars.ESXiShellInteractiveTimeOut field, enter the availability timeout setting.
You must restart the SSH service and the ESXi Shell service for the timeout to take effect.

Click OK.

If you are logged in when the timeout period elapses, your session will persist. However, after you log out
or your session is terminated, users are not allowed to log in.

Enable Lockdown Mode in the vSphere Client
Enable lockdown mode to require that all configuration changes go through vCenter Server. You can also
enable or disable lockdown mode through the direct console user interface.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to a vCenter Server system.

Procedure
1

Select the host in the inventory panel.

Click the Configuration tab and click Security Profile.

Click the Edit link next to lockdown mode.
The Lockdown Mode dialog box appears.

Select Enable Lockdown Mode.

Click OK.

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Chapter 6 Securing the Management Interface

Securing Virtual Machines
The guest operating system that runs in the virtual machine is subject to the same security risks as a physical
system. Secure virtual machines as you would secure physical machines.
1

Prevent Virtual Disk Shrinking on page 63
Nonadministrative users in the guest operating system are able to shrink virtual disks. Shrinking a
virtual disk reclaims the disk's unused space. However, if you shrink a disk repeatedly, the disk can
become unavailable or cause a Denial of Service (DoS). To prevent this, disable the ability to shrink
virtual disks.

Disable Copy and Paste Operations Between Guest Operating System and Remote Console on
page 64
Copy and paste operations between the guest operating system and remote console are disabled by
default. For a secure environment, retain the default setting. If you require copy and paste operations,
you must enable them using the vSphere Client.

Modify Guest Operating System Variable Memory Limit on page 64
You can increase the guest operating system variable memory limit if large amounts of custom
information are being stored in the configuration file.

Prevent the Guest Operating System Processes from Sending Configuration Messages to the Host on
page 65
You can prevent guests from writing any name-value pairs to the configuration file that are sent to the
host. This is appropriate when guest operating systems must be prevented from modifying
configuration settings.

Prevent a Virtual Machine User or Process from Disconnecting Devices on page 65
Users and processes without root or administrator privileges within virtual machines have the
capability to connect or disconnect devices, such as network adaptors and CD-ROM drives, as well as
the ability to modify device settings. To increase virtual machine security, remove these devices. If you
do not want to permanently remove a device, you can prevent a virtual machine user or process from
connecting or disconnecting the device from within the guest operating system.

Configure Syslog on ESXi Hosts on page 66
All ESXi hosts run a syslog service (vmsyslogd), which logs messages from the VMkernel and other
system components to log files.

Prevent Virtual Disk Shrinking
Nonadministrative users in the guest operating system are able to shrink virtual disks. Shrinking a virtual
disk reclaims the disk's unused space. However, if you shrink a disk repeatedly, the disk can become
unavailable or cause a Denial of Service (DoS). To prevent this, disable the ability to shrink virtual disks.
Prerequisites
Turn off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine in the inventory.

On the Summary tab, click Edit Settings.

Select Options > Advanced > General and click Configuration Parameters.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Add or edit the following parameters.
Name

Value

isolation.tools.diskWiper.disable

TRUE

isolation.tools.diskShrink.disable

TRUE

Click OK to close the Configuration Parameters dialog box, and click OK again to close the Virtual
Machine Properties dialog box.

When you disable this feature, you cannot shrink virtual machine disks when a datastore runs out of space.

Disable Copy and Paste Operations Between Guest Operating System and
Remote Console
Copy and paste operations between the guest operating system and remote console are disabled by default.
For a secure environment, retain the default setting. If you require copy and paste operations, you must
enable them using the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the virtual machine.

On the Summary tab, click Edit Settings.

Select Options > Advanced > General and click Configuration Parameters.

Ensure that the following values are in the Name and Value columns, or click Add Row to add them.
Name

Value

isolation.tools.copy.disable

TRUE

isolation.tools.paste.disable

TRUE

These options override any settings made in the guest operating system’s VMware Tools control panel.
5

Click OK to close the Configuration Parameters dialog box, and click OK again to close the Virtual
Machine Properties dialog box.

(Optional) If you made changes to the configuration parameters, restart the virtual machine.

Modify Guest Operating System Variable Memory Limit
You can increase the guest operating system variable memory limit if large amounts of custom information
are being stored in the configuration file.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure

In the vSphere Client, select the virtual machine in the inventory panel.

On the Summary tab, click Edit Settings.

Select Options > Advanced > General and click Configuration Parameters.

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Chapter 6 Securing the Management Interface

If the size limit attribute is not present, you must add it.
a

Click Add Row.

In the Name column, type tools.setInfo.sizeLimit.

In the Value column, type Number of Bytes.

If the size limit attribute exists, modify it to reflect the appropriate limits.
5

Click OK to close the Configuration Parameters dialog box, and click OK again to close the Virtual
Machine Properties dialog box.

Prevent the Guest Operating System Processes from Sending Configuration
Messages to the Host
You can prevent guests from writing any name-value pairs to the configuration file that are sent to the host.
This is appropriate when guest operating systems must be prevented from modifying configuration
settings.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the virtual machine in the inventory panel.

On the Summary tab, click Edit Settings.

Click Options > Advanced > General, and click Configuration Parameters.

Click Add Row and type the following values in the Name and Value columns.

In the Name column: isolation.tools.setinfo.disable

In the Value column: true

Click OK to close the Configuration Parameters dialog box, and click OK again to close the Virtual
Machine Properties dialog box.

Prevent a Virtual Machine User or Process from Disconnecting Devices
Users and processes without root or administrator privileges within virtual machines have the capability to
connect or disconnect devices, such as network adaptors and CD-ROM drives, as well as the ability to
modify device settings. To increase virtual machine security, remove these devices. If you do not want to
permanently remove a device, you can prevent a virtual machine user or process from connecting or
disconnecting the device from within the guest operating system.
Prerequisites
Turn off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

On the Summary tab, click Edit Settings.

Select Options > Advanced > General and click Configuration Parameters.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Add or edit the following parameters.
Name

Value

isolation.device.connectable.disabl
e

true

isolation.device.edit.disable

true

These options override any settings made in the guest operating system's VMware Tools control panel.
5

Click OK to close the Configuration Parameters dialog box, and click OK again to close the Virtual
Machine Properties dialog box.

(Optional) If you made changes to the configuration parameters, restart the virtual machine.

In the vSphere Client inventory, select the host.

Click the Configuration tab.

In the Software panel, click Advanced Settings.

Select Syslog in the tree control.

To set up logging globally, click global and make changes to the fields on the right.
Option

Description

Syslog.global.defaultRotate

Sets the maximum number of archives to keep. You can set this number
globally and for individual subloggers.

Syslog.global.defaultSize

Sets the default size of the log, in KB, before the system rotates logs. You
can set this number globally and for individual subloggers.

Syslog.global.LogDir

Syslog.global.logDirUnique

Syslog.global.LogHost

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Chapter 6 Securing the Management Interface

(Optional) To overwrite the default log size and log rotation for any of the logs.
a

Click loggers.

Click the name of the log you that want to customize and enter the number of rotations and log
size you want.

Click OK.

Changes to the syslog options take effect immediately.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

VMware, Inc.

ESXi Authentication and User
Management

ESXi handles user authentication and supports user permissions.
When you connect directly to an ESXi host with the vSphere Client, you can create users and groups that are
local to that ESXi host. You can also assign permissions to these users and groups.
vCenter Server is not aware of users that are local to ESXi, and ESXi is not aware of vCenter Server users.
For more information on managing users for ESXi hosts managed by vCenter Server, see the vSphere Security
documentation.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Managing Users with the vSphere Client,” on page 69

“Assigning Permissions for ESXi,” on page 72

“Managing ESXi Roles,” on page 73

“Using Active Directory to Manage ESXi Users,” on page 76

“Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to Add a Host to a Domain,” on page 77

“Adjust the Search List in Large Domains,” on page 78

Managing Users with the vSphere Client
Manage users to control who is authorized to log in to ESXi.
In vSphere 5.1 and later, ESXi user management has the following caveats.
The users created when you connect directly to an ESXi host are not the same as the vCenter Server
n
users. When the host is managed by vCenter Server, vCenter Server ignores users created directly on
the host.
n

You cannot create ESXi users with the vSphere Web Client. You must log directly into the host with the
vSphere Client to create ESXi users.

ESXi 5.1 and later does not support local groups. However, Active Directory groups are supported.

To prevent anonymous users such as root from accessing the host with the Direct Console User Interface
(DCUI) or ESXi Shell, remove the user's administrator privileges on the root folder of the host. This applies
to both local users and Active Directory users and groups.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Add an ESXi User
Adding a user to the users table updates the internal user list that the host maintains.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to an ESXi host.

Review the password requirements as described in the vSphere Security publication.

Procedure
1

Log in to ESXi using the vSphere Client.
You cannot create ESXi users with the vSphere Web Client. You must directly log into the host with the
vSphere Client to create ESXi users.

Click Users.

Right-click anywhere in the Users table and click Add.

Enter a login, a user name, and a password.
NOTE Do not create a user named ALL. Privileges associated with the name ALL might not be available
to all users in some situations. For example, if a user named ALL has Administrator privileges, a user
with ReadOnly privileges might be able to log in to the host remotely. This is not the intended
behavior.

Specifying the user name is optional.

Create a password that meets the length and complexity requirements. The host checks for
password compliance using the default authentication plug-in, pam_passwdqc.so. If the password is
not compliant, the following error appears: A general system error occurred: passwd:
Authentication token manipulation error.

Click OK.

Modify the Settings for a User on the Host
You can change the login, user name, and password for a user.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to an ESXi host.

Procedure
1

Log in to ESXi using the vSphere Client.
You cannot create ESXi users with the vSphere Web Client. You must log directly into the host with the
vSphere Client to create ESXi users.

Click Users.

Right-click the user and click Edit to open the Edit User dialog box.

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Chapter 7 ESXi Authentication and User Management

Specifying the user name is optional.

Click OK.

Remove a Local ESXi User from a Host
You can remove a local ESXi user from the host.
CAUTION Do not remove the root user.

If you remove a user from the host, they lose permissions to all objects on the host and cannot log in again.
NOTE Users who are logged in and are removed from the domain keep their host permissions until you
restart the host.
Procedure
1

Click the Local Users & Groups tab and click Users.

Right-click the user to remove and select Remove.
Do not remove the root user for any reason.

Sort, Export, and View Local ESXi Users
You can view, sort, and export lists of a host's local users to a file that is in HTML, XML, Microsoft Excel, or
CSV format.
Procedure
1

Click the Local Users & Groups tab and click Users .

Determine how to sort the table, and hide or show columns according to the information you want to
see in the exported file.
n

To sort the table by any of the columns, click the column heading.

To show or hide columns, right-click any of the column headings and select or deselect the name of
the column to hide.

Right-click anywhere in the table and click Export List to open the Save As dialog box.

Select a path and enter a filename.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Select the file type and click OK.

Assigning Permissions for ESXi
For ESXi, permissions are defined as access roles that consist of a user and the user’s assigned role for an
object such as a virtual machine or ESXi host. Permissions grant users the right to perform the activities
specified by the role on the object to which the role is assigned.
For example, to configure memory for the host, a user must be granted a role that includes the
Host.Configuration.Memory Configuration privilege. By assigning different roles to users for different
objects, you can control the tasks that users can perform in your vSphere environment.
When connecting directly to a host with the vSphere Client, the root and vpxuser user accounts have the
same access rights as any user assigned the Administrator role on all objects.
All other users initially have no permissions on any objects, which means they cannot view these objects or
perform operations on them. A user with Administrator privileges must assign permissions to these users to
allow them to perform tasks.
Many tasks require permissions on more than one object. These rules can help you determine where you
must assign permissions to allow particular operations:
n

Any operation that consumes storage space, such as creating a virtual disk or taking a snapshot,
requires the Datastore.Allocate Space privilege on the target datastore, as well as the privilege to
perform the operation itself.

Moving an object in the inventory hierarchy requires appropriate privileges on the object itself, the
source parent object (such as a folder or cluster), and the destination parent object.

Each host and cluster has its own implicit resource pool that contains all the resources of that host or
cluster. Deploying a virtual machine directly to a host or cluster requires the Resource.Assign Virtual
Machine to Resource Pool privilege.

The list of privileges is the same for both ESXi and vCenter Server.
You can create roles and set permissions through a direct connection to the ESXi host.

Permission Validation
vCenter Server and ESXi hosts that use Active Directory regularly validate users and groups against the
Windows Active Directory domain. Validation occurs whenever the host system starts and at regular
intervals specified in the vCenter Server settings.
For example, if user Smith was assigned permissions and in the domain the user’s name was changed to
Smith2, the host concludes that Smith no longer exists and removes permissions for that user when the next
validation occurs.
Similarly, if user Smith is removed from the domain, all permissions are removed when the next validation
occurs. If a new user Smith is added to the domain before the next validation occurs, the new user Smith
receives all the permissions the old user Smith was assigned.

Change Permissions
After a user and role pair is set for an inventory object, you can change the role paired with the user or
change the setting of the Propagate check box. You can also remove the permission setting.
Procedure

From the vSphere Client, select an object in the inventory.

Click the Permissions tab.

Right-click the line item to select the user and role pair.

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Chapter 7 ESXi Authentication and User Management

Select Properties.

Select a role for the user or group from the drop-down menu.

To propagate the privileges to the children of the assigned inventory object, click the Propagate check
box and click OK.

Remove Permissions
Removing a permission for a user does not remove the user from the list of those available. It also does not
remove the role from the list of available items. It removes the user and role pair from the selected inventory
object.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client session to an ESXi host.

Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client, click the Inventory button.

Expand the inventory as needed and click the appropriate object.

Click the Permissions tab.

Click the appropriate line item to select the user and role pair.

Select Inventory > Permissions > Delete.

Change Permission Validation Settings
vCenter Server periodically validates its user and group lists against the users and groups in the Windows
Active Directory domain. It then removes users or groups that no longer exist in the domain. You can
change the interval between validations.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, select Administration > vCenter Server
Settings.

In the navigation pane, select Active Directory.

(Optional) Deselect the Enable Validation check box to disable validation.
Validation is enabled by default. Users and groups are validated when vCenter Server system starts,
even if validation is disabled.

If validation is enabled, enter a value in the Validation Period text box to specify a time, in minutes,
between validations.

Managing ESXi Roles
ESXi grants access to objects only to users who are assigned permissions for the object. When you assign a
user permissions for the object, you do so by pairing the user with a role. A role is a predefined set of
privileges.
ESXi hosts provide three default roles, and you cannot change the privileges associated with these roles.
Each subsequent default role includes the privileges of the previous role. For example, the Administrator
role inherits the privileges of the Read Only role. Roles you create yourself do not inherit privileges from
any of the default roles.

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You can create custom roles by using the role-editing facilities in the vSphere Client to create privilege sets
that match your user needs. If you use the vSphere Client connected to vCenter Server to manage ESXi
hosts, you have additional roles to choose from in vCenter Server. Also, the roles you create directly on a
host are not accessible within vCenter Server. You can work with these roles only if you log in to the host
directly from the vSphere Client.
NOTE When you add a custom role and do not assign any privileges to it, the role is created as a Read Only
role with three system-defined privileges: System.Anonymous, System.View, and System.Read.
If you manage ESXi hosts through vCenter Server, maintaining custom roles in the host and vCenter Server
can result in confusion and misuse. In this type of configuration, maintain custom roles only in
vCenter Server.
You can create host roles and set permissions through a direct connection to the ESXi host with the vSphere
Client.

Create a Role
VMware recommends that you create roles to suit the access control needs of your environment.
Prerequisites
Verify that you are logged in as a user with Administrator privileges, such as root or vpxuser.
Procedure
1

On the vSphere Client Home page, click Roles.

Right-click the Roles tab information panel and click Add.

Type a name for the new role.

Select privileges for the role and click OK.

Clone a Role
You can make a copy of an existing role, rename it, and later edit it. When you make a copy, the new role is
not applied to any users or groups and objects. You must assign the role to users or groups and objects.
Prerequisites
Verify that you are logged in as a user with Administrator privileges, such as root or vpxuser.
Procedure
1

On the vSphere Client Home page, click Roles.

To select the role to duplicate, click the object in the list of Roles.

To clone the selected role, select Administration > Role > Clone.

A duplicate of the role is added to the list of roles. The name is Copy of rolename.

Edit a Role
When you edit a role, you can change the privileges selected for that role. When completed, these privileges
are applied to any user or group assigned the edited role.
Prerequisites
Verify that you are logged in as a user with Administrator privileges, such as root or vpxuser.

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Chapter 7 ESXi Authentication and User Management

Procedure
1

On the vSphere Client Home page, click Roles.

Right-click the role to edit and select Edit Role.

Select privileges for the role and click OK.

Rename a Role
When you rename a role, no changes occur to that role’s assignments.
Prerequisites
Verify that you are logged in as a user with Administrator privileges, such as root or vpxuser.
Procedure
1

On the vSphere Client Home page, click Roles.

Click the object in the list of roles that you want rename.

Select Administration > Role > Rename.

Type the new name.

Remove a Role
When you remove a role that is not assigned to any users or groups, the definition is removed from the list
of roles. When you remove a role that is assigned to a user or group, you can remove assignments or replace
them with an assignment to another role.
CAUTION You must understand how users will be affected before removing all assignments or replacing
them. Users who have no permissions granted to them cannot log in.
Prerequisites
Verify that you are logged in as a user with Administrator privileges, such as root or vpxuser.
Procedure
1

On the vSphere Client Home page, click Roles.

Click the object you want to remove in the list of roles.

Select Administration > Role > Remove.

Click OK.
The role is removed from the list.
If the role is assigned to a user or group, a warning message appears.

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Select a reassignment option and click OK.
Option

Description

Remove Role Assignments

Removes configured user or group and role pairings on the server. If a
user or group does not have other permissions assigned, they lose all
privileges.

Reassign affected users to

Reassigns any configured user or group and role pairings to the selected
new role.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Using Active Directory to Manage ESXi Users
You can configure ESXi to use a directory service such as Active Directory to manage users.
Creating local user accounts on each host presents challenges with having to synchronize account names
and passwords across multiple hosts. Join ESXi hosts to an Active Directory domain to eliminate the need to
create and maintain local user accounts. Using Active Directory for user authentication simplifies the ESXi
host configuration and reduces the risk for configuration issues that could lead to unauthorized access.
When you use Active Directory, users supply their Active Directory credentials and the domain name of the
Active Directory server when adding a host to a domain.

Configure a Host to Use Active Directory
You can configure the host to use a directory service such as Active Directory to manage users and groups.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have an Active Directory domain. See your directory server documentation.

Verify that the host name of ESXi is fully qualified with the domain name of the Active Directory forest.
fully qualified domain name = host_name.domain_name

Procedure
1

Synchronize the time between ESXi and the directory service system using NTP.
ESXi supports synchronizing time with an external NTPv3 or NTPv4 server that is compliant with RFC
5905 and RFC 1305. The Microsoft Windows W32Time service does not meet these requirements when
running with default settings. See the vSphere Security documentation or the VMware Knowledge Base
for information about how to synchronize ESXi time with a Microsoft Domain Controller.

Ensure that the DNS servers you configured for the host can resolve the host names for the Active
Directory controllers.
a

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab and click DNS and Routing.

Click the Properties link at the top right of the panel.

In the DNS and Routing Configuration dialog box, verify that the host name and DNS server
information for the host are correct.

What to do next
Use the vSphere Client to join a directory service domain.

Add a Host to a Directory Service Domain
To use a directory service, you must join the host to the directory service domain.
You can enter the domain name in one of two ways:
n

name.tld (for example, domain.com): The account is created under the default container.

name.tld/container/path (for example, domain.com/OU1/OU2): The account is created under a particular

organizational unit (OU).

To use the vSphere Authentication Proxy service (CAM service), see the vSphere Security documentation.

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Chapter 7 ESXi Authentication and User Management

Prerequisites
Verify that the vSphere Client is connected to the host.
Procedure
1

Select a host in the vSphere Client inventory, and click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, click Authentication Services.

Click Properties.

In the User Directory Services dialog box, select the directory service from the drop-down menu.

Enter a domain.
Use the form name.tld or name.tld/container/path.

Click Join Domain.

Enter the user name and password of a directory service user who has permissions to join the host to
the domain, and click OK.

Click OK to close the Directory Services Configuration dialog box.

View Directory Service Settings
You can view the type of directory server, if any, the host uses to authenticate users and the directory server
settings.
Procedure
1

Select a host in the vSphere Client inventory, and click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, select Authentication Services.
The Authentication Services Settings page displays the directory service and domain settings.

Use vSphere Authentication Proxy to Add a Host to a Domain
When you join a host to a directory service domain, you can use the vSphere Authentication Proxy server
for authentication instead of transmitting user-supplied Active Directory credentials.
You can enter the domain name in one of two ways:
n
n

name.tld (for example, domain.com): The account is created under the default container.
name.tld/container/path (for example, domain.com/OU1/OU2): The account is created under a particular

organizational unit (OU).
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the vSphere Client is connected to the host.

If ESXi is configured with a DHCP address, set up the DHCP range as described in the vSphere Security
documentation..

If ESXi is configured with a static IP address, verify that its associated profile is configured to use the
vSphere Authentication Proxy service to join a domain so that the authentication proxy server can trust
the ESXi IP address.

If ESXi is using a self-signed certificate, verify that the host has been added to vCenter Server. This
allows the authentication proxy server to trust ESXi.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

If ESXi is using a CA-signed certificate and is not provisioned by Auto Deploy, verify that the CA
certificate has been added to the local trust certificate store of the authentication proxy server as
described in the vSphere Security documentation.

Authenticate the vSphere Authentication Proxy server to the host as described in the vSphere Security
documentation.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, select the host.

Select the Configuration tab and click Authentication Services.

Click Properties.

In the Directory Services Configuration dialog box, select the directory server from the drop-down
menu.

Enter a domain.
Use the form name.tld or name.tld/container/path.

Select the Use vSphere Authentication Proxy check box.

Enter the IP address of the authentication proxy server.

Click Join Domain.

Click OK.

Adjust the Search List in Large Domains
If you have domains with thousands of users or groups, or if searches take a long time to complete, adjust
the search settings in the Select Users or Groups dialog box.
NOTE This procedure applies only to vCenter Server user lists. ESXi host user lists cannot be searched in the
same way.
Prerequisites
To configure Active Directory settings, the vSphere Client must be connected to the vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, select Administration > vCenter Server
Settings.

In the navigation pane, select Active Directory.

Change the values as needed.

Option

Description

Active Directory Timeout

Timeout interval in seconds for connecting to the Active Directory server.
This value specifies the maximum amount of time vCenter Server allows a
search to run on the selected domain. Searching large domains can take a
long time.

Enable Query Limit

Select the check box to limit the number of users and groups that vCenter
Server displays in the Add Permissions dialog box for the selected domain.

Users & Groups value

Specifies the maximum number of users and groups vCenter Server
displays from the selected domain in the Select Users or Groups dialog
box. If you enter 0 (zero), all users and groups appear.

Click OK.

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Managing Hosts in vCenter Server

To access the full capabilities of your hosts and to simplify the management of multiple hosts, you should
connect your hosts to a vCenter Server system.
For information about configuration management of ESXihosts, see the vSphere Networking documentation,
the vSphere Storage documentation, or the vSphere Security documentation.
The views and capabilities displayed vary depending on whether the vSphere Client is connected to a
vCenter Server system or an ESXi host. Unless indicated, the process, task, or description applies to all kinds
of vSphere Client connections.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Disconnecting and Reconnecting a Host,” on page 79

“Remove a Host from a Cluster,” on page 80

“Remove a Managed Host from vCenter Server,” on page 81

Disconnecting and Reconnecting a Host
You can disconnect and reconnect a host that a vCenter Server system manages. Disconnecting a managed
host does not remove it from vCenter Server; it temporarily suspends all monitoring activities that
vCenter Server performs.
The managed host and its associated virtual machines remain in the vCenter Server inventory. By contrast,
removing a managed host from vCenter Server removes the managed host and all its associated virtual
machines from the vCenter Server inventory.

Disconnect a Managed Host
Use the vSphere Client to disconnect a managed host from vCenter Server.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, display the inventory and click the
managed host to disconnect.

Right-click the host and select Disconnect from the pop-up menu.

In the confirmation dialog box that appears, click Yes.
If the managed host is disconnected, the word “disconnected” is appended to the object name in
parentheses, and the object is dimmed. All associated virtual machines are similarly dimmed and
labeled.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Reconnect a Managed Host
Use the vSphere Client to reconnect a managed host to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, display the inventory and click the
managed host to reconnect.

Right-click the host and select Connect from the pop-up menu.
When the managed host’s connection status to vCenter Server is changed, the statuses of the virtual
machines on that managed host are updated to reflect the change.

Reconnecting Hosts After Changes to the vCenter Server SSL Certificate
vCenter Server uses an SSL certificate to encrypt and decrypt host passwords stored in the vCenter Server
database. If the certificate is replaced or changed, vCenter Server cannot decrypt host passwords, and
therefore cannot connect to managed hosts.
If vCenter Server fails to decrypt a host password, the host is disconnected from vCenter Server. You must
reconnect the host and supply the login credentials, which will be encrypted and stored in the database
using the new certificate.

Remove a Host from a Cluster
When a host is removed from a cluster, the resources it provides are deducted from the total cluster
resources. The virtual machines deployed on the host are either migrated to other hosts within the cluster,
or remain with the host and are removed from the cluster, depending on the state of the virtual machines
when the host is removed from the cluster.
You can remove hosts from a cluster by selecting them in the inventory and dragging them to a new location
within the inventory. The new location can be a folder as a standalone host or another cluster.
Prerequisites
Before you can remove a host from a cluster, you must power off all virtual machines that are running on
the host, or migrate the virtual machines to a new host using vMotion.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, display the inventory.

Right-click the appropriate managed host icon in the inventory panel, and select Enter Maintenance
Mode from the pop-up menu.
If all virtual machines on the host are not powered off, the host will not enter maintenance mode.
If the host is inside a DRS-enabled cluster, entering maintenance mode causes DRS to attempt to
automatically evacuate powered-on virtual machines from the host using vMotion.

In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Yes.
The confirmation dialog also asks if you want to automatically evacuate virtual machines that are not
powered on from the host. This is useful if you want those virtual machines to remain registered to a
host within the cluster.
The host icon changes and the term “maintenance mode” is added to the name in parentheses.

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Chapter 8 Managing Hosts in vCenter Server

Select the host icon in the inventory panel, and drag it to the new location.
The host can be moved to another cluster or another datacenter. When the new location is selected, a
blue box surrounds the cluster or datacenter name.
vCenter Server moves the host to the new location.

Right-click the host, and select Exit Maintenance Mode from the pop-up menu.

(Optional) Restart any virtual machines, as needed.

Remove a Managed Host from vCenter Server
Remove a managed host from vCenter Server to stop all vCenter Server monitoring and management of that
host.
If possible, remove managed hosts while they are connected. Removing a disconnected managed host does
not remove the vCenter Server agent from the managed host.
Prerequisites
Make sure NFS mounts are active. If NFS mounts are unresponsive, the operation fails.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client connected to a vCenter Server system, display the inventory.

(Optional) If the host is part of a cluster, you must put it in maintenance mode.
a

Right-click the managed host in the inventory and select Enter Maintenance Mode from the popup menu.

On the confirmation dialog, click Yes.
The host icon changes and the term “maintenance mode” is added to the name in parentheses.

Right-click the appropriate host in the inventory panel, and select Remove from the pop-up menu.

In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Yes to remove the managed host.
vCenter Server removes the managed host and associated virtual machines from the vCenter Server
environment. vCenter Server then returns the status of all associated processor and migration licenses
to available.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

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Using vCenter Maps

A vCenter map is a visual representation of your vCenter Server topology. Maps show the relationships
between the virtual and physical resources available to vCenter Server.
Maps are available only when the vSphere Client is connected to a vCenter Server system.
The maps can help you determine such things as which clusters or hosts are most densely populated, which
networks are most critical, and which storage devices are being utilized. vCenter Server provides the
following map views.
Virtual Machine
Resources

Displays virtual machine-centric relationships.

Host Resources

Displays host-centric relationships.

Datastore Resources

Displays datastore-centric relationships.

vMotion Resources

Displays hosts available for vMotion migration.

You can use a map view to limit or expand the scope of a map. You can customize all map views, except
vMotion Resources maps. If you are accessing map views using the navigation bar, all vCenter Server
resources are available for display. If you are using the Maps tab of a selected inventory item, only items
related to that item are displayed. For virtual machine inventory items, the vMotion Resources view is the
only map view available on the Maps tab.
You can customize a map view by selecting or deselecting objects in the inventory pane or by selecting or
deselecting options in the Map Relationships area.
You can reposition the map by dragging it (click and hold anywhere on the map and drag the map to the
new location). A grey box in the overview area represents the section of the total map that is viewable and
moves as you drag the map. You can resize the grey box to zoom in or out of a section of the map.
You can double-click any object in a map to switch to the Map tab for that item (providing a Map tab is
available for that type of object).
Right-click on any object in a map to access its context menu.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Set the Maximum Number of Map Objects,” on page 84

“View vCenter Maps,” on page 84

“Print vCenter Maps,” on page 84

“Export vCenter Maps,” on page 84

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Set the Maximum Number of Map Objects
In large environments, maps can be slow to load and difficult to read. You can set the maximum number of
objects maps can display so that maps load more quickly and are easier to read.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select Edit > Client Settings > Maps tab.

Enter the maximum number of objects you want maps to display.

Click OK.

When a user attempts to view a map that has more objects than the specified limit, the user encounters a
message that provides the option to cancel the map or to proceed with displaying it.

View vCenter Maps
Resource maps enable you to view the relationships among hosts, clusters, and virtual machines. You can
view a resource map for an entire vCenter Server system or for a specific object, such as a datacenter or
cluster. Maps for specific objects show only the object relationships for that object.
Procedure
1

Display the object in the inventory.

Select the object and click the Maps tab.
For example, to display the resource map for your entire vCenter Server system, select the
vCenter Server in the inventory panel. To display the resource map for a host, select the host in the
inventory panel.

Print vCenter Maps
You can print resource maps to any standard printer.
Perform this procedure on the vSphere Client Map tab.
Procedure
1

Select File > Print Maps > Print.

In the printer Name list, select the printer.

Click Print.

Export vCenter Maps
Exporting a resource map saves the map to an image file.
Perform this procedure on the vSphere Client Map tab.
Procedure

If necessary, view the resource map.

Select File > Export > Export Maps.

Navigate to the location to save the file.

Type a name for the file and select a file format.

Click Export.

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Creating a Virtual Machine in the
vSphere Client

Virtual machines are the key component in a virtual infrastructure. You can create virtual machines to add
to the host inventory.
When you create a virtual machine, you associate it to a particular datastore and select an operating system
and virtual hardware options. After you turn on the virtual machine, it consumes resources dynamically as
the workload increases, or it returns resources dynamically as the workload decreases.
Every virtual machine has virtual devices that provide the same function as physical hardware. A virtual
machine gets CPU and memory, access to storage, and network connectivity from the host it runs on.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Start the Virtual Machine Creation Process in the vSphere Client,” on page 85

“Select a Configuration Option for the New Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 86

“Enter a Name and Location for the Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 87

“Select a Host or Cluster in the vSphere Client,” on page 87

“Select a Resource Pool in the vSphere Client,” on page 88

“Select a Datastore in the vSphere Client,” on page 88

“Select a Virtual Machine Version in the vSphere Client,” on page 89

“Select an Operating System in the vSphere Client,” on page 89

“Select the Number of Virtual CPUs in the vSphere Client,” on page 90

“Configure Virtual Memory in the vSphere Client,” on page 90

“Configure Networks in the vSphere Client,” on page 91

“Select a SCSI Controller in the vSphere Client,” on page 92

“Selecting a Virtual Disk Type,” on page 92

“Complete Virtual Machine Creation in the vSphere Client,” on page 96

Start the Virtual Machine Creation Process in the vSphere Client
You use the Create New Virtual Machine wizard to create a virtual machine to place in the vSphere
inventory. You open the wizard from the vSphere Client.
The selections you make in the New Virtual Machine wizard are not saved until you click Finish on the
Ready to Complete page. If you cancel the wizard without completing all tasks, you cannot resume the
wizard where you left off. You must start a new creation task.
You can create a new virtual machine in a datacenter, host, cluster, resource pool, or virtual machine folder.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Prerequisites
Verify that you have the following privileges:
n

Host.Local operations.Create virtual machine

Virtual machine.Inventory.Create new on the destination folder or datacenter.

Virtual machine.Configuration.Add new disk on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are
adding a new disk.

Virtual machine.Configuration.Add existing disk on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are
adding an existing disk.

Virtual machine.Configuration.Raw device on the destination folder or datacenter, if you are using a
RDM or SCSI pass-through device.

Virtual Machine.Configuration.Network

Resource.Assign virtual machine to resource pool on the destination host, cluster, or resource pool.

Datastore.Allocate space on the destination datastore or datastore folder.

Network.Assign network on the network that the virtual machine will be assigned to.

Procedure
1

Display the inventory objects in the vSphere Client by using the Host and Clusters view or the VM and
Templates view.

Right-click an object and select New > Virtual Machine.
The New Virtual Machine wizard opens.

What to do next
Select a Typical or Custom configuration option in the New Virtual Machine wizard.

Select a Configuration Option for the New Virtual Machine in the
vSphere Client
The Typical option shortens the virtual machine creation process by skipping choices that you rarely need
to change from their defaults. The Custom option provides more flexibility and choices.
Several relationships affect the information that you must provide during virtual machine creation. These
relationships include the inventory object on which you place the virtual machine, the customization path
option you select, the datastore on which the virtual machine and its files reside, and the host or cluster on
which it runs.
If you select a Typical configuration, the virtual machine hardware version defaults to that of the host on
which you place the virtual machine. If you select a Custom configuration, you can accept the default or
select an earlier hardware version. This configuration is useful if maintaining compatibility with an earlier
version of an ESX/ESXi host is necessary.
Prerequisites
For a Typical configuration, verify that you have the following information:

Virtual machine name and inventory location.

Location in which to place the virtual machine (cluster, host, resource pool).

Datastore on which to store the virtual machine's files.

Guest operating system and version.

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Chapter 10 Creating a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client

Parameters for the virtual disk size and provisioning settings.

In addition to the information for a Typical configuration, for a Custom configuration, verify that you have
the following information:
n

Virtual machine version.

Number of CPUs and memory size.

Number of NICs, network to connect to, and network adapter types.

SCSI controller type.

Disk type (new disk, existing disk, RDM, or no disk).

Procedure
1

On the Configuration page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select an option for creating the virtual
machine.

Click Next.
The Name and Location page appears.

What to do next
Select a name and location for the virtual machine.

Enter a Name and Location for the Virtual Machine in the vSphere
Client
The name you enter is used as the virtual machine’s base name in the inventory. It is also used as the name
of the virtual machine’s files.
The name can be up to 80 characters long. Names are not case-sensitive, so the name my_vm is identical to

My_Vm.

Prerequisites
Verify that you have an appropriate naming strategy in place.
Procedure
1

On the Name and Location page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, type a name.

Select a folder or the root of the datacenter.
NOTE This option is only available when you are connected to a vCenter Server system.

Click Next.
The Host / Cluster or the Resource Pool page opens.

Select a Host or Cluster in the vSphere Client
You can place the virtual machine in a cluster or on a host that is not in a cluster.
A cluster is a collection of ESXi hosts and associated virtual machines with shared resources and a shared
management interface. Grouping hosts into clusters allows you to enable many optional features that
enhance the availability and flexibility of your infrastructure.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Procedure
1

On the Host / Cluster page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select the host or cluster where you
want to run the virtual machine.
NOTE The Host / Cluster page is only available when you are connected to a vCenter Server system.

Click Next.
If resource pools are configured on the host, the Resource Pool page opens. Otherwise, the Datastore
page opens.

What to do next
Select a resource pool or a datastore on which to run the virtual machine.

Select a Resource Pool in the vSphere Client
Resource pools let you manage your computing resources within a host or cluster by setting them up in a
meaningful hierarchy. Virtual machines and child resource pools share the resources of the parent resource
pool.
The Resource Pool page appears only when resource pools are configured on the host.
Procedure
1

On the Resource Pool page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, navigate to the resource pool where
you want to run the virtual machine.

Select the resource pool and click Next.
The virtual machine is placed in the resource pool you selected.

What to do next
Select a datastore in which to store the virtual machine files.

Select a Datastore in the vSphere Client
Datastores are logical containers that hide specifics of each storage device and provide a uniform model for
storing virtual machine files. You can use datastores to store ISO images and virtual machine templates.
You can select from datastores already configured on the destination host or cluster.
Procedure
1

On the Storage page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select a datastore in which to store the virtual
machine files.

(Optional) To turn off Storage DRS for the virtual machine, select Disable Storage DRS for this virtual
machine.

Click Next.
If you selected a Typical configuration path, the Guest Operating System page appears. If you selected a
Custom configuration path, the Virtual Machine Version page appears.

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Chapter 10 Creating a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client

Select a Virtual Machine Version in the vSphere Client
If the host or cluster where you place the virtual machine supports more than one VMware virtual machine
version, you can select a version for the virtual machine.
For virtual machine and host compatibility options, see “Virtual Machine Hardware Versions,” on
page 139.
Procedure
1

Select a virtual machine hardware version.
Option

Description

Virtual machine version 11

Compatible with ESXi 6.0 hosts. Provides the latest virtual machine
features including improved accelerated 3D graphics rendering.
Recommended for virtual machines that do not need to migrate to
ESX/ESXi 4.x and 5.x hosts.

Virtual machine version 10

Compatible with ESXi 5.5 and later hosts. Recommended for virtual
machines that do not need to migrate to ESX/ESXi 4.x and 5.1 hosts.

Virtual machine version 9

Compatible with ESXi 5.1 and later hosts. Recommended for virtual
machines that do not need to migrate to ESX/ESXi 4.x and 5.0 hosts.

Virtual machine version 8

Compatible with ESXi 5.0 and later hosts. Recommended for virtual
machines that do not need to migrate to ESX/ESXi 4.x hosts.

Virtual machine version 7

Compatible with ESX/ESXi 4, 4.x, and later hosts. Recommended for
sharing storage or virtual machines with ESX/ESXi versions 3.5 to 4.1.

Virtual machine version 4

Compatible with ESX/ESXi 4 and later hosts. Recommended for virtual
machines that need to run on ESX/ESXi versions 4.

Click Next.
The Guest Operating System page opens.

What to do next
Select a guest operating system for the virtual machine.

Select an Operating System in the vSphere Client
The guest operating system that you select affects the supported devices and number of virtual CPUs
available to the virtual machine.
The New Virtual Machine wizard does not install the guest operating system. The wizard uses this
information to select appropriate default values, such as the amount of memory needed.
When you select a guest operating system, BIOS or Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) is selected by
default, depending on the firmware supported by the operating system. Mac OS X Server guest operating
systems support only EFI. If the operating system supports BIOS and EFI, you can change the default from
the Options tab of the Virtual Machine Properties editor after you create the virtual machine and before you
install the guest operating system. If you select EFI, you cannot boot an operating system that supports only
BIOS, and the reverse.
IMPORTANT Do not change the firmware after the guest operating system is installed.
The Mac OS X Server must run on Apple hardware. You cannot power on a Mac OS X Server if it is running
on other hardware.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Procedure
1

On the Guest Operating System page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select an operating system
family.

Select an operating system and version from the drop-down menu and click Next.
If any of the total cores available on the host, the maximum virtual CPUs supported by the virtual
machine hardware version, or the maximum supported CPUs on the guest operating system equal 1,
the virtual machine CPU count is set to 1 and the Memory page opens.

If you selected Other (32-bit) or Other (64-bit), enter a name for the operating system in the text box.

Click Next.

What to do next
You can add memory or CPUs for the virtual machine.

Select the Number of Virtual CPUs in the vSphere Client
You can configure a virtual machine to have up to 128 virtual CPUs. The number of licensed CPUs on the
host, the number of CPUs that the guest operating system supports, and the virtual machine hardware
version determine the number of virtual CPUs that you can add.
VMware Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing (Virtual SMP) enables a single virtual machine to use multiple
physical processors simultaneously. You must have Virtual SMP to power on multiprocessor virtual
machines.
Procedure
1

On the CPUs page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select a value from the Number of virtual
sockets drop-down menu.

Select a value from the Number of cores per socket drop-down menu.
To determine the total number of cores, multiply the number of cores per socket by the number of
virtual sockets. The resulting total number of cores is a number equal to or less than the number of
logical CPUs on the host.
The total number of cores appears.

Click Next.
The Memory page opens.

What to do next
Select the memory for the virtual machine.

Configure Virtual Memory in the vSphere Client
The amount of memory that you allocate for a virtual machine is the amount of memory that the guest
operating system detects.
The minimum memory size is 4 MB for virtual machines that use BIOS firmware. Virtual machines that use
EFI firmware require at least 96 MB of RAM or they cannot power on.
The maximum memory size for a virtual machine depends on the host's physical memory and the virtual
machine's hardware version.

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Chapter 10 Creating a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client

If the virtual machine memory is greater than the host memory size, swapping occurs, which can have a
severe effect on virtual machine performance. The memory size must be a multiple of 4 MB. The maximum
for best performance represents the threshold above which the host’s physical memory is insufficient to run
the virtual machine at full speed. This value fluctuates as conditions on the host change, for example, as
virtual machines are powered on or off.
Table 10‑1. Maximum Virtual Machine Memory
Introduced in Host Version

Virtual Machine Version

Maximum Memory Size

ESXi 6.0

4080 GB

ESXi 5.5

1011 GB

ESXi 5.1

1011 GB

ESXi 5.0

1011 GB

ESX/ESXi 4.x

255 GB

ESX/ESXi 3.x

65,532 MB

The ESXi host version indicates when support began for the increased memory size. For example, the
memory size of a version 7 virtual machine that is running on ESXi 5.0 is restricted to 255 GB.
Procedure
1

On the Memory page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select a size for the virtual memory.
You can use the slider or use the up and down arrows to select the number. To access the predefined
default or recommended setting, click the colored triangles on the right side of the memory bar.

Click Next.
The Network page opens.

What to do next
Select network adapters for the virtual machine.

Configure Networks in the vSphere Client
You can select the virtual network interface cards (NICs) to create on the virtual machine so that the virtual
machine can communicate with other hosts and virtual machines. For each NIC, select the network and
adapter type.
CAUTION Because virtual machines share their physical network hardware with the host, the accidental or
malicious bridging of two networks by a virtual machine can occur. Spanning Tree protocol cannot protect
against these occurrences.
You can select only four NICs during virtual machine creation. You can add more virtual NICs by selecting
Edit the virtual machine settings before completion on the Ready to Complete page of the wizard, or by
editing the virtual machine after it is created.
For more information about networking, see the vSphere Networking documentation.
Procedure
1

VMware, Inc.

On the Network page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select the number of NICs to connect from
the drop-down menu.

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

For each NIC, select a network and adapter type from the drop-down menus
Depending on the host version and the guest operating system, a choice of adapter types for each
virtual NIC might not be available. In many cases, only one type of adapter is supported. If more than
one type of adapter is supported, the recommended type for the guest operating system is selected by
default.

(Optional) Click Connect at Power On to connect the NIC when the virtual machine is powered on.

Click Next to add a SCSI Controller.

Select a SCSI Controller in the vSphere Client
To access virtual disks, a virtual machine uses virtual SCSI controllers. Each virtual disk that a virtual
machine can access through one of the virtual SCSI controllers resides in the VMFS datastore, NFS-based
datastore, or on a raw disk. The choice of SCSI controller does not affect whether your virtual disk is an IDE
or SCSI disk.
The wizard preselects the correct default controller based on the guest operation system you selected on the
Guest Operating System page.
LSI Logic SAS and VMware Paravirtual controllers are available only for virtual machines with hardware
version 7 or later. For details about VMware Paravirtual controllers, including conditions for use and
limitations, see “About VMware Paravirtual SCSI Controllers,” on page 166.
Disks with snapshots might not experience performance gains when used on LSI Logic SAS and LSI Logic
Parallel controllers.
Procedure
1

On the SCSI Controller page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, accept the default or select a SCSI
controller type.
n

BusLogic Parallel

LSI Logic Parallel

LSI Logic SAS

VMware Paravirtual

Click Next.
The Select a Disk page opens.

What to do next
Select a disk on which to store the guest operating system files and data.

Selecting a Virtual Disk Type
You can create a virtual disk, use an existing virtual disk, or create Raw Device Mappings (RDMs), which
give your virtual disk direct access to SAN. A virtual disk comprises one or more files on the file system that
appear as a single hard disk to the guest operating system. These disks are portable among hosts.
You use the Create Virtual Machine wizard to add virtual disks during virtual machine creation. To add
disks later, select the Do Not Create Disk option and use the Add Hardware wizard in the Virtual Machine
Properties dialog box.
NOTE You cannot reassign virtual disks to a different controller type.
You can select from the following options:

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Chapter 10 Creating a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client

Create a Virtual Disk in the vSphere Client on page 93
When you create a virtual disk, you can specify disk properties such as size, format, clustering
features, and more.

Use an Existing Virtual Disk in the vSphere Client on page 94
You can use an existing disk that is configured with an operating system or other virtual machine
data. This choice allows you to freely move the virtual hard drive from virtual machine to virtual
machine.

Add an RDM Disk to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client on page 95
You can store virtual machine data directly on a SAN LUN instead of storing it in a virtual disk file.
This ability is useful if you are running applications in your virtual machines that must detect the
physical characteristics of the storage device. Mapping a SAN LUN allows you to use existing SAN
commands to manage storage for the disk.

Create a Virtual Disk in the vSphere Client
When you create a virtual disk, you can specify disk properties such as size, format, clustering features, and
more.
For detailed information about disk types, see the vSphere Storage publication.
Procedure
1

On the Create a Disk page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select the disk size.
You can increase the disk size later or add disks in the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.

Select the format for the virtual machine's disks and click Next.
Option

Action

Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed

Create a virtual disk in a default thick format. Space required for the
virtual disk is allocated during creation. Any data remaining on the
physical device is not erased during creation, but is zeroed out on demand
at a later time on first write from the virtual machine.

Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

Create a thick disk that supports clustering features such as Fault
Tolerance. Space required for the virtual disk is allocated at creation time.
In contrast to the flat format, the data remaining on the physical device is
zeroed out during creation. It might take much longer to create disks in
this format than to create other types of disks.

Thin Provision

Use the thin provisioned format. At first, a thin provisioned disk uses only
as much datastore space as the disk initially needs. If the thin disk needs
more space later, it can grow to the maximum capacity allocated to it.

Select a location to store the virtual disk files and click Next.
Option

Description

Store with the virtual machine

Stores the files with the configuration and other virtual machine files. This
option makes file management easier.

Specify a datastore or datastore
cluster

Stores the file separately from other virtual machine files.

The Advanced Options page opens.
4

Accept the default or select a different virtual device node.
In most cases, you can accept the default device node. For a hard disk, a nondefault device node is
useful to control the boot order or to have different SCSI controller types. For example, you might want
to boot from an LSI Logic controller and share a data disk with another virtual machine using a
BusLogic controller with bus sharing turned on.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

(Optional) To change the way disks are affected by snapshots, click Independent and select an option.
Option

Description

Independent - Persistent

Disks in persistent mode behave like conventional disks on your physical
computer. All data written to a disk in persistent mode are written
permanently to the disk.

Independent - Nonpersistent

Changes to disks in nonpersistent mode are discarded when you power off
or reset the virtual machine. With nonpersistent mode, you can restart the
virtual machine with a virtual disk in the same state every time. Changes
to the disk are written to and read from a redo log file that is deleted when
you power off or reset.

Click Next.
Your changes are recorded and the Ready to Complete page opens.

What to do next
View the selections for your virtual machine on the Ready to Complete page.

Use an Existing Virtual Disk in the vSphere Client
You can use an existing disk that is configured with an operating system or other virtual machine data. This
choice allows you to freely move the virtual hard drive from virtual machine to virtual machine.
Procedure
1

On the Select Existing Disk page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, browse for a virtual disk file, click
OK, and click Next.

(Optional) To change the way disks are affected by snapshots, click Independent and select an option.
Option

Description

Independent - Persistent

Disks in persistent mode behave like conventional disks on your physical
computer. All data written to a disk in persistent mode are written
permanently to the disk.

Independent - Nonpersistent

Click Next.
Your changes are recorded and the Ready to Complete page opens.

What to do next
Review the virtual machine configuration.

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Chapter 10 Creating a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client

Add an RDM Disk to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
You can store virtual machine data directly on a SAN LUN instead of storing it in a virtual disk file. This
ability is useful if you are running applications in your virtual machines that must detect the physical
characteristics of the storage device. Mapping a SAN LUN allows you to use existing SAN commands to
manage storage for the disk.
When you map a LUN to a VMFS volume, vCenter Server creates a Raw Device Mapping (RDM) file that
points to the raw LUN. Encapsulating disk information in a file allows vCenter Server to lock the LUN so
that only one virtual machine can write to it at a time. For details about RDM, see the vSphere Storage
documentation.
The RDM file has a .vmdk extension, but the file contains only disk information that describes the mapping
to the LUN on the ESXi host. The actual data is stored on the LUN.
You can create the RDM as an initial disk for a new virtual machine or add it to an existing virtual machine.
When you create the RDM, you specify the LUN to be mapped and the datastore on which to put the RDM.
NOTE You cannot deploy a virtual machine from a template and store its data on a LUN. You can only store
its data in a virtual disk file.
Procedure
1

On the Select a Disk page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, select Raw Device Mapping and click
Next.

From the list of SAN disks or LUNs, select a LUN for your virtual machine to access directly and click
Next.

Select a datastore for the LUN mapping file and click Next.
You can place the RDM file on the same datastore where your virtual machine configuration file
resides, or select a different datastore.
NOTE To use vMotion for virtual machines with enabled NPIV, make sure that the RDM files of the
virtual machines are located on the same datastore. You cannot perform Storage vMotion or vMotion
between datastores when NPIV is enabled.

Select a compatibility mode and click Next.
Option

Description

Physical

Allows the guest operating system to access the hardware directly.
Physical compatibility is useful if you are using SAN-aware applications
on the virtual machine. However, a virtual machine with a physical
compatibility RDM cannot be cloned, made into a template, or migrated if
the migration involves copying the disk.

Virtual

Allows the RDM to behave as if it were a virtual disk, so you can use such
features as taking a snapshot, cloning, and so on. When you clone the disk
or make a template from it, the contents of the LUN are copied into
a .vmdk virtual disk file. When you migrate a virtual compatibility mode
RDM, you can migrate the mapping file or copy the contents of the LUN
into a virtual disk.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

(Optional) To change the way disks are affected by snapshots, click Independent and select an option.
Option

Description

Independent - Persistent

Disks in persistent mode behave like conventional disks on your physical
computer. All data written to a disk in persistent mode are written
permanently to the disk.

Independent - Nonpersistent

Click Next.
Your changes are recorded and the Ready to Complete page opens.

What to do next
Review the virtual machine configuration.

Complete Virtual Machine Creation in the vSphere Client
The Ready to Complete page lets you review the configuration selections that you made for the virtual
machine. You can change existing settings, configure resources, add hardware, and more.
You can configure additional virtual machine settings before or after completing the wizard.
Procedure
1

On the Ready to Complete page of the New Virtual Machine wizard, review the configuration settings
for the virtual machine.

(Optional) Select Edit the virtual machine settings before completion and click Continue.
The Virtual Machine Properties editor opens. After you complete your changes and click Finish, both
the Virtual Machine Properties editor and the New Virtual Machine wizard close. You cannot go back
to review the wizard settings unless you click Cancel.

(Optional) Click Cancel to go back and review the wizard settings.

Click Finish to complete the creation task and close the wizard.

The virtual machine appears in the vSphere Client Inventory view.
What to do next
Before you can use the new virtual machine, you must partition and format the virtual drive, install a guest
operating system, and install VMware Tools. Typically, the operating system’s installation program handles
partitioning and formatting the virtual drive.

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Working with Templates and Clones
in the vSphere Client

A clone is a copy of a virtual machine. A template is a master copy of a virtual machine that can be used to
create many clones.
When you clone a virtual machine, you create a copy of the entire virtual machine, including its settings,
any configured virtual devices, installed software, and other contents of the virtual machine's disks. You
also have the option to use guest operating system customization to change some of the properties of the
clone, such as the computer name and networking settings.
Cloning a virtual machine can save time if you are deploying many similar virtual machines. You can create,
configure, and install software on a single virtual machine, and then clone it multiple times, rather than
creating and configuring each virtual machine individually.
If you create a virtual machine that you want to clone frequently, make that virtual machine a template. A
template is a master copy of a virtual machine that can be used to create and provision virtual machines.
Templates cannot be powered on or edited, and are more difficult to alter than ordinary virtual machine. A
template offers a more secure way of preserving a virtual machine configuration that you want to deploy
many times.
When you clone a virtual machine or deploy a virtual machine from a template, the resulting cloned virtual
machine is independent of the original virtual machine or template. Changes to the original virtual machine
or template are not reflected in the cloned virtual machine, and changes to the cloned virtual machine are
not reflected in the original virtual machine or template.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Clone a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 97

“Create a Scheduled Task to Clone a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 100

“Create a Template in the vSphere Client,” on page 100

“Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template in the vSphere Client,” on page 103

“Change Template Name in the vSphere Client,” on page 105

“Deleting Templates,” on page 106

“Convert a Template to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 107

Clone a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
Cloning a virtual machine creates a duplicate of the virtual machine with the same configuration and
installed software as the original.
Optionally, you can customize the guest operating system of the clone to change the virtual machine name,
network settings, and other properties. This prevents conflicts that can occur if a virtual machine and a clone
with identical guest operating system settings are deployed simultaneously.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to vCenter Server in order to clone a virtual machine. You cannot clone virtual
machines if you connect directly to an ESXi host.

To customize the guest operating system of the virtual machine, check that your guest operating system
meets the requirements for customization. See “Guest Operating System Customization Requirements,”
on page 109.

To use a customization specification, you must first create or import the customization specification.

To use a custom script to generate the host name or IP address for the new virtual machine, configure
the script. See “Configure a Script to Generate Computer Names and IP Addresses During Guest
Operating System Customization in the vSphere Client,” on page 110.

Procedure
1

Right-click the virtual machine and select Clone.

Enter a virtual machine name, select a location, and click Next.

Select a host or cluster on which to run the new virtual machine.
Option

Action

Run the virtual machine on a
standalone host.

Select the host and click Next.

Run the virtual machine in a cluster
with DRS automatic placement.

Select the cluster and click Next.

Run the virtual machine in a cluster
without DRS automatic placement.

a
b

Select a resource pool in which to run the virtual machine and click Next.

Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option

Action

Store all virtual machine files in the
same location on a datastore.

b
Store all virtual machine files in the
same datastore cluster.

b
Store virtual machine configuration
files and disk in separate locations.

a
b
c

Select the cluster and click Next.
Select a host within the cluster and click Next.

Apply a virtual machine storage policy for the virtual machine home
files and the virtual disks from the VM storage policy drop-down
menu.
The list shows which datastores are compatible and which are
incompatible with the selected virtual machine storage policy.
Select a datastore and click Next.
Apply a virtual machine storage policy for the virtual machine home
files and the virtual disks from the VM storage policy drop-down
menu.
The list shows which datastores are compatible and which are
incompatible with the selected virtual machine storage policy.
Select a datastore and click Next.
Click Advanced.
For the virtual machine configuration file and for each virtual disk,
click Browse and select a datastore or datastore cluster.
Click Next.

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Chapter 11 Working with Templates and Clones in the vSphere Client

Select the format for the virtual machine's disks.
Option

Action

Same format as source

Use the same format as the source virtual machine.

Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed

Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

Create a thick disk that supports clustering features such as Fault
Tolerance. Space required for the virtual disk is allocated at creation time.
In contrast to the thick provision lazy zeroed format, the data remaining
on the physical device is zeroed out during creation. It might take longer
to create disks in this format than to create other types of disks.

Thin Provision

Select a guest operating system customization option.
Option

Description

Do not customize

Select Do not customize and click Next.
Does not customize any of the guest operating system settings. All settings
remain identical to those of the source virtual machine.

Customize using the Customization
Wizard

Opens the Customization Wizard so that you can select customization
options for the guest operating system.
Select this option and click Next to launch the Customization Wizard.
n To customize a Linux guest operating system, see “Customize Linux
During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere Client,” on page 113.
n To customize a Windows guest operating system, see “Customize
Windows During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere Client,” on
page 111.

Customize using an existing
customization specification

Uses the settings in a saved customization specification to customize the
guest operating system.
a Select Customize using an existing customization specification.
b Select the customization specification that you want to use.
c (Optional) Select Use the Customization Wizard to temporarily
adjust the specification before deployment if you want to make
changes to the specification for this deployment only.
d Click Next.

Review your selections and select whether to power on the virtual machine or edit virtual machine
settings.
Option

Action

Power on this virtual machine after
creation.

Select this option and click Finish.
The virtual machine powers on after the deployment task completes.

Edit virtual hardware.

a
b

Select this option and click Continue.
Make any changes and click OK.

The cloned virtual machine is deployed. You cannot use or edit the virtual machine until the cloning is
complete. This might take several minutes if the cloning involves creating a virtual disk. You can cancel the
cloning at any point before the customization stage.

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vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Create a Scheduled Task to Clone a Virtual Machine in the vSphere
Client
This procedure creates a scheduled task to clone a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

Procedure
1

From the Home page, click Scheduled Tasks.

Select File > New > Scheduled Task, or click New.
The Select a Task to Schedule dialog box appears.

Select Clone a virtual machine from the drop-down menu, and click OK.
The Clone Virtual Machine wizard appears.

Select the virtual machine to clone and click Next.

Follow the wizard through the same steps as those in the previous task in which you cloned a virtual
machine.

Enter a name and a task description in the text box.

Select the frequency of the task.

Select Now or Later. If later, enter the time and date when you want the virtual machine to be
deployed, and click Next.
To see the calendar, click Later, and click the drop-down arrow to select a date from the calendar. A red
circle indicates today’s date, and a dark circle indicates the scheduled date.

Review the information on the Ready to Complete New Virtual Machine page, and click Finish.
Optionally, you can select the check box to power on the new virtual machine after it is created.
vCenter Server adds the new task to the scheduled task list and completes it at the designated time.
When it is time to perform the task, vCenter Server first verifies that the user who created the task still
has permission to complete the task. If the permission levels are not acceptable, vCenter Server sends a
message to the log and the task is not performed.

Create a Template in the vSphere Client
Create a template to create a master image of a virtual machine from which you can deploy many virtual
machines.
You can create a template by converting a virtual machine to a template, cloning a virtual machine to a
template, or cloning another template.

Convert a Virtual Machine to a Template in the vSphere Client
You can convert a virtual machine directly to a template instead of making a copy by cloning.
When you convert a virtual machine to a template, you cannot edit or power on the template unless you
convert it back to a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
n

100

You must be connected to vCenter Server to convert a virtual machine to a template. You cannot create
templates if you connect the vSphere Client directly to an ESXi host.

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Chapter 11 Working with Templates and Clones in the vSphere Client

Before you convert a virtual machine to a template, select it in the inventory and power it off.

Procedure
u

Right-click the virtual machine and select Template > Convert to Template.
vCenter Server marks that virtual machine as a template and displays the task in the Recent Tasks pane.

Clone Virtual Machine to Template in the vSphere Client
Cloning a virtual machine to a template creates a template copy of the virtual machine while leaving the
original virtual machine in place.
Prerequisites
You must be connected to vCenter Server to clone a virtual machine to a template. You cannot create
templates if you connect directly to an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Right-click the virtual machine and select Template > Clone to Template.

Give the new template a name, select its inventory location, and click Next.

Pass through the target location page and click Next.

Specify in which format to store the template’s virtual disks and click Next.

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Option

Action

Same format as source

Use the same format as the source virtual machine.

Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed

Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

Thin Provision

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Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option

Action

Store all virtual machine files in the
same location on a datastore.

b
Store all virtual machine files in the
same datastore cluster.

b
Store virtual machine configuration
files and disk in separate locations.

a
b
c

Click Finish.
vCenter Server displays the Tasks inventory panel for reference and adds the cloned template to the list
in the information panel.

Clone a Template in the vSphere Client
Clone a template to create a copy of it.
Prerequisites
You must be connected to vCenter Server to clone a template. You cannot create templates if you connect
directly to an ESXi host.
Procedure

102

Right-click the template and select Clone.

Give the new template a unique name and description and click Next.

Select the host or cluster and click Next.

Select a datastore for the template and click Next.

Specify in which format to store the template’s virtual disks.
Option

Action

Same format as source

Use the same format as the source virtual machine.

Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed

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Chapter 11 Working with Templates and Clones in the vSphere Client

Option

Action

Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

Thin Provision

Click Next.

Review the information for the template and click Finish.
You cannot use the new template until the cloning task completes.
vCenter Server adds the cloned template to the list in the Virtual Machines tab.

Deploy a Virtual Machine from a Template in the vSphere Client
Deploying a virtual machine from a template creates a new virtual machine that is a copy of the template.
The new virtual machine has the virtual hardware, installed software, and other properties configured for
the template.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you are connected to vCenter Server. You cannot work with templates if you connect the
vSphere Client directly to an ESXi host.

You must be connected to vCenter Server to deploy a virtual machine from a template. You cannot
deploy from a template if you connect the vSphere Client directly to an ESXi host.

To use a customization specification, create or import the customization specification.

Procedure
1

Right-click the template, and select Deploy Virtual Machine from this Template.

Enter a virtual machine name, select a location, and click Next.

Select a host or cluster on which to run the new virtual machine.

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Option

Action

Run the virtual machine on a
standalone host.

Select the host and click Next.

Run the virtual machine in a cluster
with DRS automatic placement.

Select the cluster and click Next.

Run the virtual machine in a cluster
without DRS automatic placement.

a
b

Select the cluster and click Next.
Select a host within the cluster and click Next.

Select a resource pool in which to run the virtual machine and click Next.

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Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option

Action

Store all virtual machine files in the
same location on a datastore.

Store all virtual machine files in the
same datastore cluster.

Select a datastore and click Next.

(Optional) Apply a virtual machine storage policy for the virtual
machine home files and the virtual disks from the VM storage policy
drop-down menu.

b
c

d
Store virtual machine configuration
files and disks in separate
locations.

a
b
c

104

The list shows which datastores are compatible and which are
incompatible with the selected virtual machine storage profile.
Select a datastore cluster.
(Optional) If you do not want to use Storage DRS with this virtual
machine, select Disable Storage DRS for this virtual machine and
select a datastore within the datastore cluster.
Click Next.
Click Advanced.
For the virtual machine configuration file and for each virtual disk,
click Browse and select a datastore or datastore cluster.
(Optional) Apply a virtual machine storage policy from the VM
storage profile drop-down menu.
The list shows which datastores are compatible and which are
incompatible with the selected virtual machine storage policy.
(Optional) If you selected a datastore cluster and do not want to use
Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select Disable Storage DRS for
this virtual machine and select a datastore within the datastore
cluster.
Click Next.

Select the format for the virtual machine's disks.
Option

Action

Same format as source

Use the same format as the source virtual machine.

Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed

Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

Thin Provision

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Chapter 11 Working with Templates and Clones in the vSphere Client

Select a guest operating system customization option.
Option

Description

Do not customize

Select Do not customize and click Next.
Does not customize any of the guest operating system settings. All settings
remain identical to those of the source virtual machine.

Customize using the Customization
Wizard

Customize using an existing
customization specification

Review your selections and select whether to power on the virtual machine or edit virtual machine
settings.
Option

Action

Power on this virtual machine after
creation

Select this option and click Finish.
The virtual machine powers on after the deployment task completes.

Edit virtual hardware

a
b

Show all storage recommendations

This option appears only when the virtual machine disks are stored on a
datastore cluster and Storage DRS is enabled.
Select this option, and click Continue. The dialog box lists the datastores in
the datastore cluster that are recommended for virtual machine placement.

Edit Storage DRS rules

This option appears only when the virtual machine disks are stored on a
datastore cluster.
This option is selected when you select Edit virtual hardware. You can edit
Storage DRS rules on the Options tab of the Virtual Machine Properties
dialog box.
Select the Edit Storage DRS rules check box, and click Continue.

Select this option and click Continue.
Make any changes and click OK.

The virtual machine is deployed. You cannot use or edit the virtual machine until the deployment is
complete. This might take several minutes if the deployment involves creating a virtual disk.

Change Template Name in the vSphere Client
Unlike other changes to templates, you do not have to convert a template to a virtual machine to change the
name of a template.
Prerequisites
Verify that you are connected to vCenter Server. You cannot work with templates if you connect the
vSphere Client directly to an ESXi host.

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Procedure
1

Right-click the template and select Rename.

Enter a new name and click outside the field to save your changes.

Deleting Templates
You can delete a template by removing it from the inventory or deleting the template from the disk. If you
remove the template from the inventory, it remains on the disk and can be reregistered with vCenter Server
to restore it to the inventory.
n

Remove Templates from the Inventory in the vSphere Client on page 106
If you remove a template from the inventory, it is unregistered from the vCenter Server inventory, but
it is not removed from the datastore.

Delete a Template from the Disk in the vSphere Client on page 106
Deleted templates are permanently removed from the system.

Reregister Templates in the vSphere Client on page 107
Templates can become unregistered from the vCenter Server if they are removed from the inventory
or if the hosts with which they are associated are removed from the vCenter Server and then readded.

Remove Templates from the Inventory in the vSphere Client
If you remove a template from the inventory, it is unregistered from the vCenter Server inventory, but it is
not removed from the datastore.
Prerequisites
You must be connected to vCenter Server to remove a template from the inventory. You cannot work with
templates if you connect directly to an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Right-click the template, and select Remove from Inventory.

Click OK to confirm removing the template from the vCenter Server database.
The template is unregistered from the vCenter Server inventory.

Delete a Template from the Disk in the vSphere Client
Deleted templates are permanently removed from the system.
Prerequisites
You must be connected to vCenter Server to delete a template. You cannot work with templates if you
connect the vSphere Client directly to an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Right-click the template, and select Delete from Disk.

Click OK to confirm removing the template from the datastore.
The template is deleted from the disk and cannot be recovered.

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Reregister Templates in the vSphere Client
Templates can become unregistered from the vCenter Server if they are removed from the inventory or if
the hosts with which they are associated are removed from the vCenter Server and then readded.
Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

Procedure
1

From the Home page, click Datastores and Datastore Clusters.

Right-click the datastore that contains the template and select Browse Datastore.

Browse through the datastore folders to find the .vmtx file.

Right-click the .vmtx file and select Add to Inventory.
The Add to Inventory wizard appears.

Enter a template machine name, select a location, and click Next.
If you want the template to retain its original name, do not enter a name in the Add to Inventory
wizard. vCenter Server will use the original name if the field in the wizard is left blank.

Select a host or cluster on which to store the template, and click Next.

Review your selections, and click Finish.

The template is registered to the host. You can view the template from the host’s Virtual Machine tab.

Convert a Template to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
Converting a template to a virtual machine changes the template rather than making a copy. You can
convert a template to a virtual machine to edit the template. You might also convert a template to a virtual
machine if you no longer need to preserve it as a master image for deploying virtual machines.
Prerequisites
You must be connected to vCenter Server to convert a template to a virtual machine. You cannot work with
templates if you connect directly to an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Right-click the template and select Convert to Virtual Machine.

Select the host or cluster on which to run the virtual machine.
Option

Action

Run the virtual machine on a
standalone host.

Select the host and click Next.

Run the virtual machine in a cluster
with DRS automatic placement.

Select the cluster and click Next.

Run the virtual machine in a cluster
without DRS automatic placement.

a
b

Select the cluster and click Next.
Select a host within the cluster and click Next.

If the template resides on a legacy VMFS2 datastore, you must select the host on which the template
was created as the destination for the virtual machine.
3

Select a resource pool in which to run the virtual machine and click Next.

Review your selections and click Finish.

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Customizing Guest Operating
Systems

When you clone a virtual machine or deploy a virtual machine from a template, you can customize the guest
operating system of the virtual machine to change properties such as the computer name, network settings,
and license settings.
Customizing guest operating systems can help prevent conflicts that can result if virtual machines with
identical settings are deployed, such as conflicts due to duplicate computer names.
You can specify the customization settings by choosing to launch the Guest Customization wizard during
the cloning or deployment process. Alternatively, you can create customization specifications, which are
customization settings stored in the vCenter Server database. During the cloning or deployment process,
you can select a customization specification to apply to the new virtual machine.
Use the Customization Specification Manager to manage customization specifications you create with the
Guest Customization wizard.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Guest Operating System Customization Requirements,” on page 109

“Configure a Script to Generate Computer Names and IP Addresses During Guest Operating System
Customization in the vSphere Client,” on page 110

“Customize Windows During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere Client,” on page 111

“Customize Linux During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere Client,” on page 113

“Managing Customization Specifications in the vSphere Client,” on page 115

Guest Operating System Customization Requirements
To customize the guest operating system, you must configure the virtual machine and guest to meet
VMware Tools and virtual disk requirements. Other requirements apply, depending on the guest operating
system type.

VMware Tools Requirements
The current version of VMware Tools must be installed on the virtual machine or template to customize the
guest operating system during cloning or deployment.

Virtual Disk Requirements
The guest operating system being customized must be installed on a disk attached as SCSI node 0:0 in the
virtual machine configuration.

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Windows Requirements
Customization of Windows guest operating systems requires the following conditions:
n

Microsoft Sysprep tools must be installed on the vCenter Server system.

The ESXi host that the virtual machine is running on must be 3.5 or later.

Guest operating system customization is supported on multiple Windows operating systems.

Linux Requirements
Customization of Linux guest operating systems requires that Perl is installed in the Linux guest operating
system.
Guest operating system customization is supported on multiple Linux distributions.

Verifying Customization Support for a Guest Operating System
To verify customization support for Windows operating systems or Linux distributions and compatible
ESXi hosts, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility. You can
use this online tool to search for the guest operating system and ESXi version. After the tool generates your
list, click the guest operating system to see whether guest customization is supported.

Configure a Script to Generate Computer Names and IP Addresses
During Guest Operating System Customization in the vSphere Client
As an alternative to entering the computer name or IP addresses for virtual NICs during guest operating
system customization, you can create a custom application and configure it so that vCenter Server can use it
to generate the computer name and IP addresses.
The application can be an arbitrary executable binary or script file appropriate for the corresponding
operating system in which vCenter Server is running. After you configure a name-ip-generation application
in vCenter Server, each time you initiate a guest os customization for a virtual machine, the name-ip-app is
executed and an XML string is generated in place and passed to its standard input. The name-ip-generation
application on its behalf should generate and return the resulting XML string through its standard output.
The application must comply with the reference XML file in the VMware knowledge base article at
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2007557.
Prerequisites
Verify that Perl is installed on vCenter Server.
Procedure

110

Create the script and save it on the vCenter Server system's local disk.

In the vSphere Client connected to vCenter Server, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings.

Select Advanced Settings.

Enter the configuration parameters for the script.
a

In the Key text box, type config.guestcust.name-ip-generator.arg1.

In the Value text box, type c:\sample-generate-name-ip.pl and click Add.

In the Key text box, type config.guestcust.name-ip-generator.arg2.

In the Value text box, type the path to the script file on the vCenter Server system and click Add.
For example, type c:\sample-generate-name-ip.pl.

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In the Key text box, type config.guestcust.name-ip-generator.program.

In the Value text box, type c:\perl\bin\perl.exe and click Add.

Click OK.

You can select the option to use an application to generate computer names or IP addresses during
customization.

Customize Windows During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere
Client
When you deploy a new virtual machine from a template or clone an existing virtual machine, you can
customize Windows guest operating systems for the virtual machine.
NOTE The default administrator password is not preserved for Windows Server 2008 after customization.
During customization, the Windows Sysprep utility deletes and recreates the administrator account on
Windows Server 2008. You must reset the administrator password when the virtual machine boots the first
time after customization.
Prerequisites
Verify that all requirements for customization are met. See “Guest Operating System Customization
Requirements,” on page 109.
Procedure
1

Select View > Management > Customization Management Manager and click New to start the
Windows Guest Customization.

Select the Target Virtual Machine OS and enter the name and description for the Customization
Specification Information, then click Next.
NOTE If you want to use a custom sysprep file, select Use Custom Sysprep Answer File.

Type the virtual machine owner’s name and organization and click Next.

Enter the guest operating system's computer name and click Next.
The operating system uses this name to identify itself on the network. On Linux systems, it is called the
host name.
Option

Action

Enter a name

Type a name.

The name can contain alphanumeric characters and the hyphen (-)
character. It cannot contain periods (.) or blank spaces and cannot be
made up of digits only. Names are not case-sensitive.
(Optional) To ensure that the name is unique, select Append a
numeric value to ensure uniqueness. This appends a hyphen
followed by a numeric value to the virtual machine name. The name is
truncated if it exceeds 15 characters when combined with the numeric
value.

Use the virtual machine name

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The computer name that vCenter Server creates is identical to the name of
the virtual machine on which the guest operating system is running. If the
name exceeds 15 characters, it is truncated.

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Option

Action

Enter a name in the Deploy wizard

The vSphere Web Client prompts you to enter a name after the cloning or
deployment is complete.

Generate a name using the custom
application configured with vCenter
Server

Enter a parameter that can be passed to the custom application.

Provide licensing information for the Windows operating system and click Next.
Option

Action

For non-server operating systems

Type the Windows product key for the new guest operating system.

For server operating systems

a
b
c
d

Type the Windows product key for the new guest operating system.
Select Include Server License Information.
Select either Per seat or Per server.
(Optional) If you select Per server, enter the maximum number of
simultaneous connections for the server to accept.

Configure the administrator password for the virtual machine and click Next.
a

Type a password for the administrator account and confirm the password by typing it again.
NOTE You can change the administrator password only if the administrator password on the
source Windows virtual machine is blank. If the source Windows virtual machine or template
already has a password, the administrator password does not change.

(Optional) To log users into the guest operating system as Administrator, select the check box, and
select the number of times to log in automatically.

Select the time zone for the virtual machine and click Next.

(Optional) On the Run Once page, specify commands to run the first time a user logs into the guest
operating system and click Next.
See the Microsoft Sysprep documentation for information about RunOnce commands.

Select the type of network settings to apply to the guest operating system.
Option

Action

Typical settings

Select Typical settings and click Next.
vCenter Server configures all network interfaces from a DHCP server
using default settings.

Custom settings

a
b
c
d

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Select Custom settings and click Next.
For each network interface in the virtual machine, click the ellipsis
button (...) .
Enter IP address and other network settings and click OK.
When all network interfaces are configured, click Next.

Select how the virtual machine will participate in the network and click Next.
Option

Action

Workgroup

Type a workgroup name. For example, MSHOME.

Windows Server Domain

a
b

Type the domain name.
Type the user name and password for a user account that has
permission to add a computer to the specified domain.

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(Optional) Select Generate New Security ID (SID) and click Next.
A Windows Security ID (SID) is used in some Windows operating systems to uniquely identify systems
and users. If you do not select this option, the new virtual machine has the same SID as the virtual
machine or template from which it was cloned or deployed.
Duplicate SIDs do not cause problems when the computers are part of a domain and only domain user
accounts are used. However, if the computers are part of a Workgroup or local user accounts are used,
duplicate SIDs can compromise file access controls. For more information, see the documentation for
your Microsoft Windows operating system.

Save the customized options as an .xml file.
a

Select Save this customization specification for later use.

Specify the filename for the specification and click Next.

Click Finish to save your changes.

You return to the Deploy Template or to the Clone Virtual Machine wizard. The customization is finished
after you complete the Deploy Template or the Clone Virtual Machine wizard.
When the new virtual machine starts for the first time, the guest operating system runs finalization scripts to
complete the customization process. The virtual machine might restart several times during this process.
If the guest operating system pauses when the new virtual machine starts, it might be waiting for you to
correct errors, such as an incorrect product key or an invalid user name. Open the virtual machine’s console
to determine whether the system is waiting for information.
What to do next
After you deploy and customize versions of Windows XP or Windows 2003 that are not volume licensed,
you might need to reactivate your operating system on the new virtual machine.
If the new virtual machine encounters customization errors while it is booting, the errors are logged to

%WINDIR%\temp\vmware-imc. To view the error log file, click the Windows Start button and select Programs >

Administrative Tools > Event Viewer.

Customize Linux During Cloning or Deployment in the vSphere Client
In the process of deploying a new virtual machine from a template or cloning an existing virtual machine,
you can customize Linux guest operating systems for the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Ensure that all requirements for customization are met. See “Guest Operating System Customization
Requirements,” on page 109.
Procedure
1

Select View > Management > Customization Management Manager and click New to start the
Windows Guest Customization.

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Select Customize using the Customization Wizard and click Next.

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Specify how to determine the host name to identify the guest operating system on the network.
Option

Action

Enter a name

Type a name.

Use the virtual machine name

The computer name that vCenter Server creates is identical to the name of
the virtual machine on which the guest operating system is running. If the
name exceeds 15 characters, it is truncated.

Enter a name in the Deploy wizard

The vSphere Web Client prompts you to enter a name after the cloning or
deployment is complete.

Generate a name using the custom
application configured with vCenter
Server

Enter a parameter that can be passed to the custom application.

Enter the Domain Name for the computer and click Next.

Select the time zone for the virtual machine and click Next.

Select the type of network settings to apply to the guest operating system.
Option

Action

Typical settings

Select Typical settings and click Next.
vCenter Server configures all network interfaces from a DHCP server
using default settings.

Custom settings

a
b
c
d

Enter DNS and domain settings.

Save the customized options as an .xml file.

Select Save this customization specification for later use.

Specify the filename for the specification and click Next.

Click Finish to save your changes.

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What to do next
If the new virtual machine encounters customization errors while it is booting, the errors are reported using
the guest’s system logging mechanism. View the errors by opening /var/log/vmwareimc/toolsDeployPkg.log.

Managing Customization Specifications in the vSphere Client
Customization specifications are XML files that contain guest operating system settings for virtual
machines. You create customization specifications with the Guest Customization wizard, and manage
specifications using the Customization Specification Manager.
vCenter Server saves the customized configuration parameters in the vCenter Server database. If the
customization settings are saved, the administrator, and domain administrator, passwords are stored in
encrypted format in the database. Because the certificate used to encrypt the passwords is unique to each
vCenter Server system, reinstalling vCenter Server, or attaching a new instance of the server the database,
invalidates the encrypted passwords. The passwords must be re-entered before they can be used.

Create a Customization Specification for Linux in the vSphere Client
Use the Guest Customization wizard to save guest operating system settings in a specification that you can
apply when cloning virtual machines or deploying from templates.
Prerequisites
Ensure that all requirements for customization are met. See “Guest Operating System Customization
Requirements,” on page 109.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Click the Create New Specification icon.

Select Linux from the Target Virtual Machine OS menu.

Under Customization Specification Information, enter a name for the specification and an optional
description and click Next.

Specify how to determine the host name to identify the guest operating system on the network.

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Option

Action

Enter a name

Type a name.

Use the virtual machine name

The computer name that vCenter Server creates is identical to the name of
the virtual machine on which the guest operating system is running. If the
name exceeds 15 characters, it is truncated.

Enter a name in the Deploy wizard

The vSphere Web Client prompts you to enter a name after the cloning or
deployment is complete.

Generate a name using the custom
application configured with vCenter
Server

Enter a parameter that can be passed to the custom application.

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Enter the Domain Name for the computer and click Next.

Select the time zone for the virtual machine and click Next.

Select the type of network settings to apply to the guest operating system.
Option

Action

Typical settings

Select Typical settings and click Next.
vCenter Server configures all network interfaces from a DHCP server
using default settings.

Custom settings

a
b
c
d

Enter DNS and domain settings.

Click Finish to save your changes.

The customization specification that you created is listed in the Customization Specification Manager. You
can use the specification to customize virtual machine guest operating systems.

Create a Customization Specification for Windows in the vSphere Client
Use the Guest Customization wizard to save Windows guest operating system settings in a specification
that you can apply when cloning virtual machines or deploying from templates.
NOTE The default administrator password is not preserved for Windows Server 2008 after customization.
During customization, the Windows Sysprep utility deletes and recreates the administrator account on
Windows Server 2008. You must reset the administrator password when the virtual machine boots the first
time after customization.
Prerequisites
Ensure that all requirements for customization are met. See “Guest Operating System Customization
Requirements,” on page 109.
Procedure

116

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Click the Create New Specification icon.

In the Guest Customization wizard, select Windows from the Target Virtual Machine OS menu.

Under Customization Specification Information, enter a name for the specification and an optional
description and click Next.

Type the virtual machine owner’s name and organization and click Next.

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Enter the guest operating system's computer name and click Next.
The operating system uses this name to identify itself on the network. On Linux systems, it is called the
host name.

Option

Action

Enter a name

Type a name.

Use the virtual machine name

The computer name that vCenter Server creates is identical to the name of
the virtual machine on which the guest operating system is running. If the
name exceeds 15 characters, it is truncated.

Enter a name in the Deploy wizard

The vSphere Web Client prompts you to enter a name after the cloning or
deployment is complete.

Generate a name using the custom
application configured with vCenter
Server

Enter a parameter that can be passed to the custom application.

Provide licensing information for the Windows operating system and click Next.
Option

Action

For non-server operating systems

Type the Windows product key for the new guest operating system.

For server operating systems

a
b
c
d

Configure the administrator password for the virtual machine and click Next.
a

(Optional) To log users into the guest operating system as Administrator, select the check box, and
select the number of times to log in automatically.

Select the time zone for the virtual machine and click Next.

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Select the type of network settings to apply to the guest operating system.
Option

Action

Typical settings

Select Typical settings and click Next.
vCenter Server configures all network interfaces from a DHCP server
using default settings.

Custom settings

a
b
c
d

Select how the virtual machine will participate in the network and click Next.
Option

Action

Workgroup

Type a workgroup name. For example, MSHOME.

Windows Server Domain

a
b

Type the domain name.
Type the user name and password for a user account that has
permission to add a computer to the specified domain.

Click Finish to save your changes.

The customization specification that you created is listed in the Customization Specification Manager. You
can use the specification to customize virtual machine guest operating systems.

Create a Customization Specification for Windows Using a Custom Sysprep
Answer File in the vSphere Client
A custom sysprep answer file is a file that stores a number of customization settings such as computer
name, licensing information, and workgroup or domain settings. You can supply a custom sysprep answer
file as an alternative to specifying many of the settings in the Guest Customization wizard.
Windows 2000, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP use a text file called sysprep.inf. Windows Server
2008, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 use an XML file called sysprep.xml. You can create these files using a
text editor, or use the Microsoft Setup Manager utility to generate them. For more information about how to
create a custom sysprep answer file, see the documentation for the relevant operating system.
Prerequisites
Ensure that all requirements for customization are met. See “Guest Operating System Customization
Requirements,” on page 109.
Procedure

118

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Click the Create New Specification icon.

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In the Guest Customization wizard, select Windows from the Target Virtual Machine OS menu.

(Optional) Select Use Custom Sysprep Answer File.

Under Customization Specification Information, enter a name for the specification and an optional
description and click Next.

Select the option to import or create a sysprep answer file and click Next.

Option

Description

Import a Sysprep answer file

Click Browse and browse to the file.

Create a Sysprep answer file

Type the contents of the file in the text box.

Select the type of network settings to apply to the guest operating system.
Option

Action

Typical settings

Select Typical settings and click Next.
vCenter Server configures all network interfaces from a DHCP server
using default settings.

Custom settings

a
b
c
d

Click Finish to save your changes.

The customization specification that you created is listed in the Customization Specification Manager. You
can use the specification to customize virtual machine guest operating systems.

Edit a Customization Specification in the vSphere Client
You can edit existing specifications using the Customization Specification Manager.
Prerequisites
You must have at least one customization specification.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Right-click a specification and select Edit.

Proceed through the Guest Customization wizard to change specification settings.

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Remove a Customization Specification in the vSphere Client
You can remove customization specifications from the Customization Specification Manager.
Prerequisites
You must have at least one customization specification.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Right-click a specification and select Remove.

In the confirmation dialog box, select Yes.

The specification is deleted from the disk.

Copy a Customization Specification in the vSphere Client
You can copy an existing customization specification using the Customization Specification Manager.
Prerequisites
You must have at least one customization specification.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Right-click a specification and select Copy.

A new specification is created, Copy of specification_name.

Export a Customization Specification in the vSphere Client
You can export customization specifications and save them as .xml files. To apply an exported specification
to a virtual machine, import the .xml file using the Customization Specification Manager.
Prerequisites
You must have at least one customization specification.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Right-click a specification and select Export.

In the Save As dialog, enter a file name and location.

Click Save.

The specification is saved as an .xml file to the location you specified.

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Import a Customization Specification in the vSphere Client
You can import an existing specification using the Customization Specification Manager, and use the
specification to customize the guest operating system of a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Before you begin, you must have at least one customization specification saved as an xml file located on a
file system accessible from the vSphere Client.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client Home page, select Customization Specifications Manager.

Click Import.

From the Open dialog, browse to the .xml to import and click Open.

The imported specification is added to the list of customization specifications.

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Migrating Virtual Machines in the
vSphere Client

You can move virtual machines from one host or storage location to another location using hot or cold
migration. For example, with vMotion you can move powered on virtual machines away from a host to
perform maintenance, to balance loads, to collocate virtual machines that communicate with each other, to
move virtual machines apart to minimize fault domain, to migrate to new server hardware, and so on.
You can use cold or hot migration to move virtual machines to different hosts or datastores.
Cold Migration

You can move a powered off or suspended virtual machine to a new host.
Optionally, you can relocate configuration and disk files for powered off or
suspended virtual machines to new storage locations. You can also use cold
migration to move virtual machines from one datacenter to another. To
perform a cold migration, you can move virtual machines manually or set up
a scheduled task.

Hot Migration

Depending on the type of migration you are using, vMotion or Storage
vMotion, you can move a turned on virtual machine to a different host, or
move its disks or folder to a different datastore without any interruption in
the availability of the virtual machine. vMotion is also referred to as live
migration or hot migration.
You cannot move a powered on virtual machine from one datacenter to
another.

NOTE Copying a virtual machine creates a new virtual machine. It is not a form of migration. Cloning a
virtual machine or copying its disks and configuration file creates a new virtual machine. Cloning is not a
form of migration.

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In vCenter Server, you have the following migration options:
Change Host

Moving a virtual machine, but not its storage to another host. You can move
the virtual machine using cold migration or hot migration. You use vMotion
to move a powered on virtual machine to another host.

Change Datastore

Moving a virtual machine and its storage, including virtual disks and
configuration files or a combination of these, to a new datastore on the same
host. You can change the datastore using cold or hot migration. You use
Storage Migration to move a powered on virtual machine and its storage to a
new datastore.

Change Host and
Datastore

Moving a virtual machine to another host and moving its disk or virtual
machine folder to another datastore. You can change the host and datastore
using cold or hot migration. Hot migration is a combination of Storage
vMotion and vMotion.

To migrate virtual machines with disks larger than 2TB, the source and destination hosts must run ESXi 5.5
or later.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Migrate a Powered-On Virtual Machine with vMotion in the vSphere Client,” on page 124

“Migrate a Virtual Machine with Storage vMotion in the vSphere Client,” on page 125

“Migrate a Powered-Off or Suspended Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 126

“CPU Compatibility and EVC,” on page 128

Migrate a Powered-On Virtual Machine with vMotion in the vSphere
Client
You can use the Migration wizard to migrate a powered-on virtual machine from one host to another using
vMotion technology. To relocate the disks of a powered-on virtual machine, migrate the virtual machine
using Storage vMotion.
Prerequisites
Before migrating a virtual machine with vMotion, ensure that your hosts and virtual machines meet the
requirements for migration with vMotion. See the vCenter Server and Host Management publication for more
information on host configuration and VM conditions and limitations for vMotion.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine that you want to migrate in the inventory.

Right-click on the virtual machine and select Migrate from the pop-up menu.

Select Change host and click Next.

Select a destination host or cluster for the virtual machine.
Any compatibility problem appears in the Compatibility panel. Fix the problem, or select another host
or cluster.
Possible targets include hosts and fully automated DRS clusters. You can select a non-automated cluster
as a target. You are prompted to select a host within the non-automated cluster.

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Select a resource pool and click Next.

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Select the migration priority level and click Next.
Option

Description

High Priority

On hosts running ESX/ESXi version 4.1 or later, vCenter Server attempts to
reserve resources on both the source and destination hosts to be shared
among all concurrent migrations with vMotion. vCenter Server grants a
larger share of host CPU resources to high priority migrations than to
standard priority migrations. Migrations always proceed regardless of the
resources that have been reserved.
On hosts running ESX/ESXi version 4.0 or earlier, vCenter Server attempts
to reserve a fixed amount of resources on both the source and destination
hosts for each migration. High priority migrations do not proceed if
resources are unavailable.

Standard Priority

On hosts running ESX/ESXi version 4.1 or later, vCenter Server reserves
resources on both the source and destination hosts to be shared among all
concurrent migration with vMotion. vCenter Server grants a smaller share
of host CPU resources to standard priority migrations than to high priority
migrations. Migrations always proceed regardless of the resources that
have been reserved.
On hosts running ESX/ESXi version 4.0 or earlier, vCenter Server attempts
to reserve a fixed amount resources on the source and destination hosts for
each migration. Standard priority migrations always proceed. However,
the migration might proceed more slowly or fail to complete if sufficient
resources are not available.

Review the page and click Finish.

A task is created that begins the virtual machine migration process.

Migrate a Virtual Machine with Storage vMotion in the vSphere Client
Use migration with Storage vMotion to relocate a virtual machine’s configuration file and virtual disks
while the virtual machine is powered on.
You cannot change the virtual machine’s execution host during a migration with Storage vMotion.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine that you want to migrate in the inventory.

Right-click on the virtual machine and select Migrate from the pop-up menu.

Select Change datastore and click Next.

Select a disk format.

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Option

Description

Same as Source

Use the format of the original virtual disk.

Thin provisioned

Use the thin format to save storage space. The thin virtual disk uses just as
much storage space as it needs for its initial operations. When the virtual
disk requires more space, it can expand up to its maximum allocated
capacity.

Thick

Allocate a fixed amount of hard disk space to the virtual disk. The virtual
disk in the thick format does not change its size and from the beginning
occupies the entire datastore space provisioned to it.

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Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option

Action

Store all virtual machine files in the
same location on a datastore.

b
Store all virtual machine files in the
same datastore cluster.

b
Store virtual machine configuration
files and disk in separate locations.

a
b
c

Review the page and click Finish.

Migrate a Powered-Off or Suspended Virtual Machine in the vSphere
Client
You can use the Migration wizard to migrate a powered-off virtual machine or suspended virtual machine.
Procedure
1

Right-click the virtual machine and select Migrate.
a

To locate a virtual machine, select a data center, folder, cluster, resource pool, host, or vApp.

Click the Related Objects tab and click Virtual Machines.

Select the migration type and click Next.
Option

Description

Change compute resource only

Move the virtual machine to another host.

Change storage only

Move the virtual machine’s configuration file and virtual disks.

Change both compute resource and
storage

Move the virtual machine to another host and move its configuration file
and virtual disks.

Migrate virtual machine(s) to a
specific datacenter

Move the virtual machine to a virtual data center, where you can assign
policies to VMs.

To move the virtual machine to another host, select the destination host or cluster for this virtual
machine migration and click Next.
Any compatibility problem appears in the Compatibility panel. Fix the problem, or select another host
or cluster.
Possible targets include hosts and DRS clusters with any level of automation. If a cluster has no DRS
enabled, select a specific host in the cluster rather than selecting the cluster itself.

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Select the destination resource for the virtual machine migration.

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If you chose to move the configuration file and virtual disks of the virtual machine, select a disk format.
Option

Description

Same as Source

Use the format of the original virtual disk.

Thin provisioned

Thick

Disks are converted from thin to thick format or thick to thin format only when they are copied from
one datastore to another. If you leave a disk in its original location, the disk format is not converted,
regardless of the selection made here.
6

Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option

Action

Store all virtual machine files in the
same location on a datastore.

b
Store all virtual machine files in the
same datastore cluster.

b
c

d
Store virtual machine configuration
files and disks in separate
locations.

a
b
c

(Optional) Apply a virtual machine storage policy for the virtual
machine home files and the virtual disks from the VM storage policy
drop-down menu.
The list shows which datastores are compatible and which are
incompatible with the selected virtual machine storage policy.
Select a datastore and click Next.
(Optional) Apply a virtual machine storage policy for the virtual
machine home files and the virtual disks from the VM storage policy
drop-down menu.
The list shows which datastores are compatible and which are
incompatible with the selected virtual machine storage profile.
Select a datastore cluster.
(Optional) If you do not want to use Storage DRS with this virtual
machine, select Disable Storage DRS for this virtual machine and
select a datastore within the datastore cluster.
Click Next.
Click Advanced.
For the virtual machine configuration file and for each virtual disk,
click Browse and select a datastore or datastore cluster.
(Optional) Apply a virtual machine storage policy from the VM
storage profile drop-down menu.
The list shows which datastores are compatible and which are
incompatible with the selected virtual machine storage policy.
(Optional) If you selected a datastore cluster and do not want to use
Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select Disable Storage DRS for
this virtual machine and select a datastore within the datastore
cluster.
Click Next.

Review the page and click Finish.

vCenter Server moves the virtual machine to the new host. Event messages appear in the Events tab. The
data displayed on the Summary tab shows the status and state throughout the migration. If errors occur
during migration, the virtual machines revert to their original states and locations.

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CPU Compatibility and EVC
vCenter Server performs compatibility checks before it allows migration of running or suspended virtual
machines to ensure that the virtual machine is compatible with the target host.
vMotion transfers the running state of a virtual machine between underlying ESXi systems. Live migration
requires that the processors of the target host provide the same instructions to the virtual machine after
migration that the processors of the source host provided before migration. Clock speed, cache size, and
number of cores can differ between source and target processors. However, the processors must come from
the same vendor class (AMD or Intel) to be vMotion compatible.
NOTE Do not add virtual ESXi hosts to an EVC cluster. ESXi virtual machines are not supported in EVC
clusters.
Migrations of suspended virtual machines also require that the virtual machine be able to resume execution
on the target host using equivalent instructions.
When you initiate a migration with vMotion or a migration of a suspended virtual machine, the Migrate
Virtual Machine wizard checks the destination host for compatibility and produces an error message if
compatibility problems will prevent migration.
The CPU instruction set available to the operating system and to applications running in a virtual machine
is determined at the time that a virtual machine is powered on. This CPU feature set is based on the
following items:
n

Host CPU family and model

Settings in the BIOS that might disable CPU features

ESX/ESXi version running on the host

The virtual machine's compatibility setting

The virtual machine's guest operating system

To improve CPU compatibility between hosts of varying CPU feature sets, some host CPU features can be
hidden from the virtual machine by placing the host in an Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) cluster.
NOTE You can hide Host CPU features from a virtual machine by applying a custom CPU compatibility
mask to the virtual machine, but this is not recommended. VMware, in partnership with CPU and hardware
vendors, is working to maintain vMotion compatibility across the widest range of processors. For additional
information, search the VMware Knowledge Base for the vMotion and CPU Compatibility FAQ.

Create an EVC Cluster
Create an EVC cluster to help ensure vMotion compatibility between the hosts in the cluster.
When you create an EVC cluster, use one of the following methods:
n

Create an empty cluster, enable EVC, and move hosts into the cluster.

Enable EVC on an existing cluster.

VMware recommends creating an empty EVC cluster as the simplest way of creating an EVC cluster with
minimal disruption to your existing infrastructure.
Prerequisites

128

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

Before you create an EVC cluster, ensure that the hosts you intend to add to the cluster meet the
requirements listed in the vCenter Server and Host Management publication.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click on a data center and click New Cluster.

Enter a name for the cluster and select cluster features, then click Next.
Cluster features such as vSphere DRS and vSphere HA are fully compatible with EVC. You can enable
these features when you create the cluster. For information on specific cluster options, see the vSphere
Client online Help.

Select the CPU vendor and EVC mode appropriate for the hosts you intend to add to the cluster and
click Next.

Select the Swapfile Policy and click Next.

Review the selected options for the cluster and click Finish to create the cluster.

Select a host from the inventory to move into the cluster.

If the host feature set is greater than the EVC mode that you have enabled for the EVC cluster, ensure
that the cluster has no powered-on virtual machines.

Power off all the virtual machines on the host.

Migrate the host’s virtual machines to another host using vMotion.

Move the host into the cluster.
You can power on the virtual machines on the host, or migrate virtual machines into the cluster with
vMotion, if the virtual machines meet CPU compatibility requirements for the cluster’s EVC mode.
Virtual machines running on hosts with more features than the EVC mode must be powered off before
migration into the cluster.

Repeat Step 7 and Step 8 for each additional host that you want to move into the cluster.

Enable EVC on an Existing Cluster
Enable EVC on an existing cluster to help ensure vMotion compatibility between the hosts in the cluster.
Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

Before you enable EVC on an existing cluster, ensure that the hosts in the cluster meet the requirements
listed in the vCenter Server and Host Management publication.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the cluster for which you want to enable EVC.

If virtual machines are running on hosts that have feature sets greater than the EVC mode you intend to
enable, ensure that the cluster has no powered-on virtual machines.
n

Power off all the virtual machines on the hosts with feature sets greater than the EVC mode

Migrate the cluster’s virtual machines to another host using vMotion.
Because these virtual machines are running with more features than the EVC mode you intend to
set, power off the virtual machines to migrate them back into the cluster after enabling EVC.

Ensure that the cluster contains hosts with CPUs from only one vendor, either Intel or AMD.

Edit the cluster settings and enable EVC.
Select the CPU vendor and feature set appropriate for the hosts in the cluster.

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If you powered off or migrated virtual machines out of the cluster, power on the virtual machines in the
cluster, or migrate virtual machines into the cluster.
Any virtual machines running with a larger feature set than the EVC mode you enabled for the cluster
must be powered off before they can be moved back into the cluster.

Change the EVC Mode for a Cluster
If all the hosts in a cluster are compatible with the new mode, you can change the EVC mode of an existing
EVC cluster. You can raise the EVC mode to expose more CPU features, or lower the EVC mode to hide
CPU features and increase compatibility.
To raise the EVC mode from a CPU baseline with fewer features to one with more features, you do not need
to turn off any running virtual machines in the cluster. Virtual machines that are running do not have access
to the new features available in the new EVC mode until they are powered off and powered back on. A full
power cycling is required. Rebooting the guest operating system or suspending and resuming the virtual
machine is not sufficient.
To lower the EVC mode from a CPU baseline with more features to one with fewer features, you must first
power off any virtual machines in the cluster that are running at a higher EVC mode than the one you
intend to enable, and power them back on after the new mode has been enabled.
Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

If you intend to lower the EVC mode, power off any currently running virtual machines with a higher
EVC mode than the one you intend to enable. See “Determine EVC Modes for Virtual Machines,” on
page 130.

Procedure
1

Display the cluster in the inventory.

Right-click the cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the left panel, select VMware EVC.
The dialog box displays the current EVC settings.

To edit the EVC settings, click Change EVC Mode.

From the VMware EVC Mode drop-down menu, select the baseline CPU feature set you want to enable
for the cluster.
If the selected EVC Mode cannot be selected, the Compatibility pane displays the reason or reasons
why, along with the relevant hosts for each reason.

Click OK to close the EVC Mode dialog box, and click OK to close the cluster settings dialog box.

Determine EVC Modes for Virtual Machines
The EVC mode of a virtual machine defines the CPU features that the virtual machine can access. The
virtual machine's EVC mode is determined when it is powered on in an EVC-enabled cluster.
When a virtual machine is powered on, it determines the EVC mode of the cluster in which it is running. If
the EVC mode of the cluster is subsequently raised, the virtual machine does not change its EVC mode until
it is powered off and powered on again. This means that the virtual machine does not make use of any
additional CPU features exposed by the cluster's new EVC mode until the virtual machine has been
powered off and powered on again.

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For example, consider a cluster containing hosts with Intel Xeon 45nm Core™ 2 processors that have been
®
®
set to the Intel "Merom" Generation (Xeon Core™ 2) EVC mode. A virtual machine powered on in this
cluster runs in the Intel "Merom" Generation (Xeon Core 2) EVC mode. If the cluster's EVC mode is raised to
Intel "Penryn" Generation (Xeon 45nm Core 2), the virtual machine remains at the lower Intel "Merom"
Generation (Xeon Core 2) EVC mode. To use any of the features exposed by the higher cluster EVC mode,
such as SSE4.1, you must power off the virtual machine and power it on again.
You can use the Virtual Machines tab of a cluster or a host to determine the EVC modes of the running
virtual machines.
Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

Procedure
1

Select the cluster or host in the inventory.

Click the Virtual Machines tab.

If the EVC Mode column is not displayed, right-click on the column titles and select EVC Mode.
The EVC modes of all running or suspended virtual machines are displayed in the EVC Mode column.
Powered off virtual machines and virtual machines that are not in EVC clusters show N/A as the EVC
mode.

Prepare Clusters for AMD Processors Without 3DNow!
Newer generations of AMD processors do not include 3DNow! processor instructions. If hosts in a cluster
have different generations of AMD processors, some with 3DNow! instruction sets and some without, you
cannot successfully migrate virtual machines between the hosts. You must use an EVC mode or CPU
compatibility mask to hide the instructions.
The vCenter Server AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode masks the 3DNow! instructions from
virtual machines. You can apply this EVC mode to EVC clusters containing only AMD Opteron Generation
3 hosts to allow the clusters to maintain vMotion compatibility with AMD Opteron hosts that do not have
3DNow! instructions. Clusters containing AMD Opteron Generation 1 or AMD Opteron Generation 2 hosts
cannot be made vMotion-compatible with hosts that do not have 3DNow! instructions.
Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

Ensure that the cluster contains only hosts with AMD Opteron Generation 3 or newer processors.

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Procedure
u

Enable the AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode for your EVC cluster.
The steps to enable the EVC mode differ depending on whether you are creating a cluster or enabling
the mode on an existing cluster, and on whether the existing cluster contains powered-on virtual
machines.
Option

Description

Creating a new cluster

In the New Cluster wizard, enable EVC for AMD hosts and select the
AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode.

Editing a cluster without poweredon virtual machines

In the Cluster Settings dialog box, edit the VMware EVC settings and
select the AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode.

Editing a cluster with powered-on
virtual machines

The AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode cannot be enabled
while there are powered-on virtual machines in the cluster.
a Power-off any running virtual machines in the cluster, or migrate them
out of the cluster using vMotion.

b
c
d

Migrating the virtual machines out of the cluster with vMotion allows
you to delay powering off the virtual machines until a more
convenient time.
In the Cluster Settings dialog box, edit the VMware EVC settings and
select the AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode.
If you migrated virtual machines out of the cluster, power them off
and cold migrate them back into the cluster.
Power on the virtual machines.

You can now add hosts with AMD processors without 3DNow! instructions to the cluster and preserve
vMotion compatibility between the new hosts and the existing hosts in the cluster.

View CPUID Details for an EVC Cluster
The feature set exposed by an EVC cluster corresponds to the feature set of a particular type of processor.
Processor feature sets can be described by a set of feature flags that you can examine using the CPUID
instruction.
You can view the CPUID feature flags currently exposed by the hosts in an EVC cluster using the Current
CPUID Details dialog box.
Prerequisites
n

You must be connected to a vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client.

Procedure
1

Display the cluster in the inventory.

Right-click the cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the left panel, select VMware EVC.

To view the CPUID feature flags currently enforced by EVC, click Current CPUID Details.

The Current CPUID Details dialog box displays the CPUID feature flags that EVC is enforcing for the hosts
in this cluster. For more information on CPUID feature flags, see Intel Processor Identification and the CPUID
Instruction (available from Intel), or CPUID Specification (available from AMD).

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Deploying OVF Templates

You can export virtual machines, virtual appliances, and vApps in Open Virtual Machine Format (OVF).
You can then deploy the OVF template in the same environment or in a different environment.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Deploy an OVF Template in the vSphere Client,” on page 133

“Export an OVF Template,” on page 134

Deploy an OVF Template in the vSphere Client
When you connect directly to a host with the vSphere Client, you can deploy an OVF template from a local
file system accessible to the vSphere Client machine, or from a web URL.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select File > Deploy OVF Template.
The Deploy OVF Template wizard appears.

Specify the source location and click Next.
Option

Action

Deploy from File

Browse your file system for an OVF or OVA template.

Deploy from URL

Specify a URL to an OVF template located on the internet. Example:
http://vmware.com/VMTN/appliance.ovf

View the OVF Template Details page and click Next.

If license agreements are packaged with the OVF template, the End User License Agreement page
appears. Agree to accept the terms of the licenses and click Next.

Select the deployment configuration from the drop-down menu and click Next.
The option selected typically controls the memory settings, number of CPUs and reservations, and
application-level configuration parameters.
NOTE This page appears only if the OVF template contains deployment options.

Select a datastore to store the deployed OVF template, and click Next.
Datastores are a unifying abstraction for storage locations such as Fibre Channel, iSCSI LUNs, or NAS
volumes. On this page, you select from datastores already configured on the destination cluster or host.
The virtual machine configuration file and virtual disk files are stored on the datastore. Select a
datastore large enough to accommodate the virtual machine and all of its virtual disk files.

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Select the disk format to store the virtual machine virtual disks, and click Next.
Format

Description

Thick Provisioned Lazy Zeroed

Creates a virtual disk in a default thick format. Space required for the
virtual disk is allocated when the virtual disk is created data remaining on
the physical device is not erased during creation, but is zeroed out on
demand at a later time on first write from the virtual machine.

Thick Provision Eager Zeroed

A type of thick virtual disk that supports clustering features such as Fault
tolerance. Space required for the virtual disk is allocated at creation time.
In contrast to the flat format the data remaining on the physical device is
zeroed out when the virtual disk is created. it might take much longer to
create disks in this format than to create other types o disks.

Thin Provision

Use this format to save storage space. For the thin disk, you provision as
much datastore space as the disk would require based on the value that
you enter for the disk size. However, the thin disk starts small and at first,
uses only as much datastore space as the disk needs for its initial
operations. The disk space grows as the virtual machine needs more
storage.

If the appliance that you are deploying has one ore more vService dependencies, select a binding
service provider.

For each network specified in the OVF template, select a network by right-clicking the Destination
Network column in your infrastructure to set up the network mapping and click Next.

On the IP Allocation page, configure how IP addresses are allocated for the virtual appliance and click
Next.
Option

Description

Fixed

You will be prompted to enter the IP addresses in the Appliance
Properties page.

Transient

IP addresses are allocated from a specified range when the appliance is
powered on. The IP addresses are released when the appliance is powered
off.

DHCP

A DHCP server is used to allocate the IP addresses.

This page does not appear if the deployed OVF template does not contain information about the IP
scheme it supports.
11

Set the user-configurable properties and click Next.
The set of properties that you are prompted to enter depend on the selected IP allocation scheme. For
example, you are prompted for IP related information for the deployed virtual machines only in the
case of a fixed IP allocation scheme.

Review your settings and click Finish.

The progress of the import task appears in the vSphere Client Status panel.

Export an OVF Template
An OVF package captures the state of a virtual machine or vApp into a self-contained package. The disk
files are stored in a compressed, sparse format.
Required privilege: vApp.Export
Procedure
1

134

In the vSphere Client, select the virtual machine or vApp and select File > Export > Export OVF
Template.

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In the Export OVF Template dialog, type the Name of the template.
For example, type MyVm.
NOTE When exporting an OVF template with a name that contains asterisk (*) characters, those
characters turn into underscore characters (_).

Enter the Directory location where the exported virtual machine template is saved, or click “...” to
browse for the location.
The C:\ drive is the default location where the template is stored.
For example, OvfLib.

In the Format field, determine how you want to store the files.
n

Select Folder of files (OVF) to store the OVF template as a set of files (.ovf, .vmdk, and .mf) This
format is optimal if you plan to publish the OVF files on a web server or image library. The
package can be imported, for example, into the vSphere client by publishing the URL to the .ovf
file.

Select Single file (OVA) to package the OVF template into a single .ova file. This might be
convenient to distribute the OVF package as a single file if it needs to be explicitly downloaded
from a web site or moved around using a USB key.

In Description, type a description for the virtual machine.
By default, the text from the Notes pane on the virtual machine’s Summary tab appears in this text box.

Select the checkbox if you want to include image files attached to floppy and CD/DVD devices in the
OVF package.
NOTE This checkbox only shows if the virtual machine is connected to an ISO file or if the floppy drive
is connected to a floppy image.

Click OK.

The download process is shown in the Export window.

Example: Folder Locations for OVF and OVA Files
If you type OvfLib for a new OVF folder, the following files might be created:
n

C:\OvfLib\MyVm\MyVm.ovfI

C:\OvfLib\MyVm.mf

C:\OvfLib\MyVm-disk1.vmdk

If you type C:\NewFolder\OvfLib for a new OVF folder, the following files might be created:
n

C:\NewFolder\OvfLib\MyVm\MyVm.ovfI

C:\NewFolder\OvfLib\MyVm.mf

C:\NewFolder\OvfLib\MyVm-disk1.vmdk

If you choose to export into the OVA format, and type MyVm, the file C:\MyVm.ova is created.

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Configuring Virtual Machines in the
vSphere Client

You can add or configure most virtual machine properties during the virtual machine creation process or
after you create the virtual machine and install the guest operating system.
You can configure three types of virtual machine properties.
Hardware

View existing hardware configuration and add or remove hardware.

Options

View and configure a number of virtual machine properties, such as power
management interaction between the guest operating system and virtual
machine, and VMware Tools settings.

Resources

Configure CPUs, CPU hyperthreading resources, memory and disks.

This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Virtual Machine Limitations in the vSphere Client,” on page 138

“Virtual Machine Hardware Versions,” on page 139

“Locate the Hardware Version of a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 140

“Change the Virtual Machine Name in the vSphere Client,” on page 141

“View the Virtual Machine Configuration File Location in the vSphere Client,” on page 141

“Edit Configuration File Parameters in the vSphere Client,” on page 141

“Change the Configured Guest Operating System in the vSphere Client,” on page 142

“Configure Virtual Machines to Automatically Upgrade VMware Tools,” on page 142

“Virtual CPU Configuration,” on page 143

“Virtual Memory Configuration,” on page 149

“Network Virtual Machine Configuration,” on page 153

“Parallel and Serial Port Configuration,” on page 154

“Virtual Disk Configuration,” on page 160

“SCSI and SATA Storage Controller Conditions, Limitations, and Compatibility,” on page 163

“Other Virtual Machine Device Configuration,” on page 167

“Configuring vServices,” on page 172

“USB Configuration from an ESXi Host to a Virtual Machine,” on page 173

“USB Configuration from a Client Computer to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 177

“Manage Power Management Settings for a Virtual Machine,” on page 180

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“Configure the Virtual Machine Power States,” on page 180

“Delay the Boot Sequence in the vSphere Client,” on page 182

“Enable Logging in the vSphere Client,” on page 182

“Disable Acceleration in the vSphere Client,” on page 183

“Configure Debugging and Statistics in the vSphere Client,” on page 183

Virtual Machine Limitations in the vSphere Client
The virtual machine configuration tasks that you can perform when you connect directly to an ESXi host or
vCenter Server system with the vSphere Client are limited.
The following virtual machine features are unavailable or read-only in the vSphere Client:
n

Intel vGPU

AMD vGPU

2TB HDD

128 vCPUs for virtual machines with hardware versions earlier than version 10

32 Serial Ports for virtual machines with hardware versions earlier than version 10

255 PVSCI devices

SVGA for virtual machines with hardware versions 10 and 11

VMCI firewall

Smart card authentication

SATA controller and hardware settings

SR-IOV settings

GPU 3D render and memory settings

Tuning latency settings

vSphere Flash Read Cache settings

Nested hypervizor

Fast checkpointing

vCPU reference counters

Ease and scheduled hardware upgrade

Default compatibility level

VMware Tools reporting and upgrade

Use the vSphere Web Client as the primary interface for managing the full range of virtual machine
functions available in your vSphere 6.0 environment.

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Virtual Machine Hardware Versions
The hardware version of a virtual machine reflects the virtual machine's supported virtual hardware
features. These features correspond to the physical hardware available on the ESXi host on which you create
the virtual machine. Virtual hardware features include BIOS and EFI, available virtual PCI slots, maximum
number of CPUs, maximum memory configuration, and other characteristics typical to hardware.
When you create a virtual machine, you can accept the default hardware version, which corresponds to the
host on which you create the virtual machine, or an earlier version. You can use an earlier hardware version
in the following situations:
n

To standardize testing and deployment in your virtual environment.

If you do not need the capabilities of the newer version.

To maintain compatibility with older hosts.

Virtual machines with hardware versions earlier than version 11 can run on ESXi 6.0 hosts, but do not have
all the capabilities available in hardware version 11. For example, you cannot use 128 virtual processors or
4080GB of memory in virtual machines with hardware versions earlier than version 11.
The vSphere Web Client and the vSphere Client allows you to upgrade virtual machines only to the latest
hardware version. If virtual machines do not have to stay compatible with older ESX/ESXi hosts, you can
upgrade them on ESXi 6.0 hosts. In this case, they are upgraded to version 11.
n

To maintain virtual machine compatibility with ESX/ESXi 3.5 hosts, upgrade the virtual machine on an
ESX/ESXi 3.5 host, which results in a virtual machine upgrade to version 4.

To maintain virtual machine compatibility with ESX/ESXi 4.x hosts, upgrade the virtual machine on an
ESX/ESXi 4.x host, which results in a virtual machine upgrade to version 7.

To maintain virtual machine compatibility with ESXi 5.0 hosts, upgrade the virtual machine on an
ESX/ESXi 5.0 host, which results in a virtual machine upgrade to version 8.

To maintain virtual machine compatibility with ESXi 5.1 hosts, upgrade the virtual machine on an
ESX/ESXi 5.1 host, which results in a virtual machine upgrade to version 9.

To maintain virtual machine compatibility with ESXi 5.5 hosts, upgrade the virtual machine on an
ESX/ESXi 5.5 host, which results in a virtual machine upgrade to version 10.

A virtual machine can have an earlier hardware version than that of the host on which it runs in the
following cases:
n

You migrate a virtual machine created on an ESX/ESXi 4.x or earlier host to an ESXi 5.0 host.

You create a virtual machine on an ESXi 5.0 host by using an existing virtual disk that was created on
an ESX/ESXi 4.x or earlier host.

You add a virtual disk created on an ESX/ESXi 4.x or earlier host to a virtual machine created on an
ESXi 5.0 host.

You can create, edit, and run different virtual machine versions on a host if the host supports that version.
Sometimes, virtual machine actions on a host are limited or the virtual machine has no access to the host.

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Table 15‑1. ESXi Hosts and Compatible Virtual Machine Hardware Versions
Versio
n 11

Versio
n 10

Versio
n9

Version
8

Version
7

Version 4

Compatible with vCenter
Server Version

ESXi 6.0

Create,
edit,
run

Create,
edit, run

Create, edit,
run

vCenter Server 6.0

ESXi 5.5

Not
support
ed

Create,
edit,
run

Create,
edit, run

Create, edit,
run

vCenter Server 5.5 and later

ESXi 5.1

Not
support
ed

Create,
edit,
run

Create,
edit, run

Create, edit,
run

vCenter Server 5.1 and later

ESXi 5.0

Not
support
ed

Create,
edit,
run

Create,
edit, run

Create, edit,
run

vCenter Server 5.0 and later

ESX/ESXi 4.x

Not
support
ed

Create,
edit, run

Create, edit,
run

vCenter Server 4.x and later

ESX/ESXi 3.x

Not
support
ed

Not
supporte
d

Create, edit,
run

vCenter Server 3.5 and later

Virtual machine hardware versions earlier than hardware version 4 are not supported on ESXi 6.0 hosts. To
make full use of these virtual machines, upgrade the virtual hardware.
NOTE Virtual machine hardware versions 9, 10 and 11 features are limited to hardware version 8 and earlier
when connected to the ESXi host or vCenter Server system using the vSphere Client.

Locate the Hardware Version of a Virtual Machine in the vSphere
Client
You can locate the hardware version of a virtual machine by looking in the virtual machine Summary tab or
the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box. You can also locate the hardware version for multiple virtual
machines on the Virtual Machine tab of a datacenter, host, or cluster.
Procedure

140

In the vSphere Client inventory, select the virtual machine.

Select a method for viewing the version information.
Option

Description

Click the Summary tab.

The virtual machine hardware version appears under General on the
virtual machine's Summary tab.

Right-click the virtual machine and
select Edit Settings.

The virtual machine hardware version appears in the upper-right corner of
the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.

Select a datacenter, host, or cluster
and click the Virtual Machine tab.

The virtual machine hardware version appears in the VM Version column.
If the VM Version column is not displayed, right-click any column title and
select VM Version.

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Change the Virtual Machine Name in the vSphere Client
You can change the virtual machine name in the Virtual Machine Name panel in the Virtual Machine
Properties dialog box.
Changing the name does not change the name of any virtual machine files or the name of the directory that
the files are located in.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have access to the virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory list.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and select General Options.

Type a new name for the virtual machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

View the Virtual Machine Configuration File Location in the vSphere
Client
You can view the location of the virtual machine configuration and working files. This information is useful
when you are configuring backup systems.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you are connected to the vCenter Server or ESXi host on which the virtual machine runs.

Verify that you have access to the virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory list.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and select General Options.

Record the location of the configuration and working files and click OK to close the dialog box.

Edit Configuration File Parameters in the vSphere Client
You can change or add virtual machine configuration parameters if you intend to use experimental features
or when instructed by a VMware technical support representative.
You also might see VMware documentation that instructs you to change or add a parameter. In such cases,
you can safely follow the recommended procedure.
The following conditions apply:
n

To change a parameter, you change the existing value for the keyword/value pair. For example, if you
start with the keyword/value pair, keyword/value, and change it to keyword/value2, the result is
keyword=value2.

You cannot delete a configuration parameter entry.

CAUTION You must assign a value to configuration parameter keywords. If you don't assign a value, the
keyword can return a value of 0, false, or disable, which can result in a virtual machine that cannot power
on.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced, click General.

Click Configuration Parameters.

(Optional) Change or add a parameter.

Click OK to exit the Configuration Parameters dialog box.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change the Configured Guest Operating System in the vSphere Client
When you change the guest operating system type in the virtual machine settings, you change the setting for
the guest operating system in the virtual machine's configuration file. To change the guest operating system
itself, you must install the new operating system in the virtual machine.
When you set the guest operating system type for a new virtual machine, vCenter Server chooses
configuration defaults based on the guest type. Changing the guest operating system type after the virtual
machine is created does not retroactively change those settings. It affects the recommendations and setting
ranges offered after the change.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and select General Options.

Select a guest operating system type and version.

Click OK to save your changes.

The virtual machine configuration parameters for the guest operating system are changed. You can now
install the guest operating system.

Configure Virtual Machines to Automatically Upgrade VMware Tools
You can configure virtual machines to automatically update VMware Tools.
NOTE Automatic VMware Tools upgrade is not supported for virtual machines with Solaris or NetWare
guest operating systems.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the virtual machines have a version of VMware Tools shipped with ESX/ESXi 3.5 or later
installed.

Verify that the virtual machines are hosted on ESX/ESXi 3.5 or later and vCenter Server 3.5 or later.

Verify that the virtual machines are running a Linux or Windows guest OS that ESX/ESXi 3.5 or later
and vCenter Server 3.5 or later support.

Procedure

142

Right-click the virtual machine and click Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and select VMware Tools.

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Select Check and upgrade Tools during power cycling in the Advanced pane.

Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.

The next time the virtual machine is powered on, it checks the ESX/ESXi host for a newer version of
VMware Tools. If one is available, it is installed and the guest operating system is restarted (if required).

Virtual CPU Configuration
You can add, change, or configure CPU resources to improve virtual machine performance. You can set
most of the CPU parameters when you create virtual machines or after the guest operating system is
installed. Some actions require that you power off the virtual machine before you change the settings.
VMware uses the following terminology. Understanding these terms can help you plan your CPU resource
allocation strategy.
CPU

The CPU or processor is the portion of a computer system that carries out the
instructions of a computer program and is the primary element carrying out
the computer's functions. CPUs contain cores.

CPU Socket

A physical connector on a computer motherboard that accepts a single
physical CPU. Many motherboards can have multiple sockets that can in
turn accept multicore processors (CPUs). The vSphere Web Client computes
the total number of virtual sockets from the number of cores and the cores
per socket that you select.

Core

Comprises a unit containing an L1 cache and functional units needed to run
programs. Cores can independently run programs or threads. One or more
cores can exist on a single CPU.

Corelet

An AMD processor corelet is architecturally equivalent to a logical processor.
Certain future AMD processors will comprise a number of compute units,
where each compute unit has a number of corelets. Unlike a traditional
processor core, a corelet lacks a complete set of private, dedicated execution
resources and shares some execution resources with other corelets such as an
L1 instruction cache or a floating-point execution unit. AMD refers to
corelets as cores, but because these are unlike traditional cores, VMware uses
the nomenclature of corelets to make resource sharing more apparent.

Thread

Some cores can run independent streams of instructions simultaneously. In
existing implementations, cores can run one or two software threads at one
time by multiplexing the functional units of the core between the software
threads, as necessary. Such cores are called dual or multithreaded.

Resource sharing

Shares specify the relative priority or importance of a virtual machine or
resource pool. If a virtual machine has twice as many shares of a resource as
another virtual machine, it is entitled to consume twice as much of that
resource when these two virtual machines are competing for resources.

Resource allocation

You can change CPU resource allocation settings, such as shares, reservation,
and limit, when available resource capacity does not meet demands. For
example, if at year end, the workload on accounting increases, you can
increase the accounting resource pool reserve.

vSphere Virtual
Symmetric
Multiprocessing (Virtual
SMP)

Feature that enables a single virtual machine to have multiple processors.

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Change CPU Hot-Plug Settings in the vSphere Client
The CPU hot plug option lets you add CPU resources for a virtual machine while the machine is powered
on.
The following conditions apply:
n

For best results, use virtual machines with hardware version 8 or later.

Hot-adding multicore virtual CPUs is supported only with hardware version 8 or later.

Not all guest operating systems support CPU hot add. You can disable these settings if the guest is not
supported.

To use the CPU hot-add feature with hardware version 7 virtual machines, set Number of cores per
socket to 1.

Adding CPU resources to a running virtual machine with CPU hot plug enabled disconnects and
reconnects all USB passthrough devices connected to that virtual machine.

Prerequisites
Verify that the virtual machine is running under the following conditions:
n

VMware Tools is installed. This condition is required for hot plug functionality with Linux guest
operating systems.

The virtual machine has a guest operating system that supports CPU hot plug.

The virtual machine is using hardware version 7 or later.

The virtual machine is powered off.

Required privileges: Virtual Machine.Configuration.Settings on the virtual machine

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced, select Memory/CPU Hotplug.

Change the CPU Hot Plug setting.

Click OK to save your changes.

What to do next
You can now add CPUs to the powered on virtual machine.

Change the Number of Virtual CPUs
You can configure a virtual machine that runs on an ESXi host to have up to 128 virtual CPUs. You can
change the number of virtual CPUs while the virtual machine is running or powered off.
Virtual CPU hot add is supported for virtual machines with multicore CPU support that are running on
hardware version 8 or later. When the virtual machine is powered on, and CPU hot add is enabled, you can
hot add virtual CPUs to the running virtual machine. You can add only multiples of the number of cores per
socket. For multicore CPUs, the host must have a license for vSphere Virtual Symmetric Multiprocessing
(Virtual SMP).
IMPORTANT When you configure your virtual machine for multicore virtual CPU settings, you must ensure
that your configuration complies with the requirements of the guest operating system EULA.

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Prerequisites
n

If CPU hot add is not enabled, power off the virtual machine before adding CPUs.

If CPU hot remove is not enabled, power off the virtual machine before removing CPUs.

To hot add multicore CPUs, verify that the virtual machine has hardware version 8.

Required privilege: Virtual Machine.Configuration.Change CPU Count on the virtual machine

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select CPUs.

Select a value from the Number of virtual sockets drop-down menu.

Select a value from the Number of cores per socket drop-down menu.
The resulting total number of cores is a number equal to or less than the number of logical CPUs on the
host.

Click OK to save your changes.

Example: Adding Multicore CPU Resources to a Virtual Machine
You might have the following existing CPU resources, which you configured for the virtual machine while
you were creating it, or after you created it and it was in a powered off state.
CPU Resource Settings

Existing Value

Number of virtual sockets

Number of cores per socket

Total number of cores

With CPU hot plug enabled and the virtual machine running, you can select the number of sockets to add
from the Number of virtual sockets drop-down menu. The Number of cores per socket drop-down menu
is unavailable and retains a value of 2. If you select 3 virtual sockets, you are adding 1 socket with 2 cores so
that the virtual machine has 6 virtual CPUs.
CPU Resource Settings

Existing Value

Hot-plug value

Number of virtual sockets

Number of cores per socket

Total Number of cores

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Allocate CPU Resources in the vSphere Client
You can change the amount of CPU resources allocated to a virtual machine by using the shares,
reservations, and limits settings.
A virtual machine has the following user-defined settings that affect its CPU resource allocation.
Limit

Places a limit on the consumption of CPU time for a virtual machine. This
value is expressed in MHz.

Reservation

Specifies the guaranteed minimum allocation for a virtual machine. The
reservation is expressed in MHz.

Each virtual machine is granted a number of CPU shares. The more shares a
virtual machine has, the more often it gets a time slice of a CPU when there is
no CPU idle time. Shares represent a relative metric for allocating CPU
capacity.

NOTE Virtual machine hardware versions 9, 10 and 11 features are read-only when connected to the ESXi
host or vCenter Server system using the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Required Privilege: Virtual machine.Configuration.Change resource
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Resources tab and select CPU.

Allocate the CPU capacity for this virtual machine.

146

Option

Description

CPU shares for this virtual machine in relation to the parent’s total. Sibling
virtual machines share resources according to their relative share values
bounded by the reservation and limit. Select Low, Normal, or High, which
specify share values respectively in a 1:2:4 ratio. Select Custom to give each
virtual machine a specific number of shares, which express a proportional
weight.

Reservation

Guaranteed CPU allocation for this virtual machine.

Limit

Upper limit for this virtual machine’s CPU allocation. Select Unlimited to
specify no upper limit.

Click OK to save your changes.

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Configuring Advanced CPU Scheduling Settings
You can select CPU options that involve scheduling the virtual machine processing to physical processor
cores and hyperthreads. ESXi generally manages processor scheduling well, even when hyperthreading is
enabled. These settings are useful only for detailed tweaking of critical virtual machines.

Configure Hyperthreaded Core Sharing in the vSphere Client
You can select how the virtual CPUs of a virtual machine share physical cores on a hyperthreaded system.
Hyperthreading technology allows a single physical processor to behave like two logical processors. The
hyperthreaded core sharing option provides detailed control over whether to schedule a virtual machine to
share a physical processor core. The processor can run two independent applications at the same time.
Although hyperthreading does not double the performance of a system, it can increase performance by
better utilizing idle resources.
Prerequisites
n

The hyperthreaded core sharing option must be enabled in your system's BIOS settings. For more
information, see the Resource Management documentation.

Power off the virtual machine.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Resources tab and select Advanced CPU.

Select a mode from the Hyperthreading Sharing Mode drop-down menu.

Option

Description

Any (default)

The virtual CPUs of this virtual machine can share cores with other virtual
CPUs of this or other virtual machines.

None

The virtual CPUs of this virtual machine have exclusive use of a processor
core whenever they are scheduled to it. The other hyperthread of the core
is halted while this virtual machine is using the core.

Internal

On a virtual machine with exactly two virtual processors, the two virtual
processors are allowed to share one physical core (at the discretion of the
host scheduler), but this virtual machine never shares a core with any
other virtual machine. If this virtual machine has any other number of
processors other than two, this setting is the same as the None setting.

Click OK to save your changes.

Configure Processor Scheduling Affinity in the vSphere Client
The Scheduling Affinity option gives you detailed control over how virtual machine CPUs are distributed
across the host's physical cores (and hyperthreads if hyperthreading is enabled). This panel does not appear
for virtual machines in a DRS cluster or when the host has only one processor core and no hyperthreading.
Using CPU affinity, you can assign a virtual machine to a specific processor. This assignment allows you to
restrict the assignment of virtual machines to a specific available processor in multiprocessor systems.
For potential issues with CPU affinity, see the Resource Management documentation.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Resources tab and select Advanced CPU.

In the Scheduling Affinity panel, enter a comma-separated list of hyphenated processor ranges.
For example, "0,4-7" would indicate affinity with CPUs 0,4,5,6, and 7. Selecting all processors is identical
to selecting no affinity. You must provide at least as many processor affinities as you have virtual
CPUs.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change CPU Identification Mask Settings in the vSphere Client
CPU identification (CPU ID) masks control the CPU features visible to the virtual machine's guest operating
system. Masking or hiding CPU features can make a virtual machine widely available to ESXi hosts for
migration. vCenter Server compares the CPU features available to a virtual machine with the CPU features
of the destination host to determine whether to allow or disallow migration with vMotion.
For example, masking the AMD No eXecute (NX) and the Intel eXecute Disable (XD) bits prevents the
virtual machine from using these features, but provides compatibility that allows you to migrate virtual
machines to ESXi hosts that do not include this capability. When the NX/XD bit is visible to the guest
operating system, the virtual machine can use this feature, but you can migrate the virtual machine only to
hosts on which the feature is enabled.
NOTE You rarely need to change the CPU identification mask configuration settings. Almost all changes are
made only to the NX/XD bit.
See the vCenter Server and Host Management documentation for detailed information about vMotion
compatibility and CPU masks.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have access to the virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory list.

Power off the virtual machine.

Procedure

148

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced, select CPUID Mask.

In the CPU Identification Mask panel, select an NX flag option.
Option

Description

Hide the NX/XD flag from guest

Increases vMotion compatibility.
Hiding the NX/XD flag increases vMotion compatibility between hosts, but
might disable certain CPU security features.

Expose the NX/XD flag to guest

Keeps all CPU security features enabled.

Keep current Advanced setting
values for the NX/XD flag

Uses the NX/XD flag settings specified in the CPU Identification Mask
dialog box. Enabled only when current settings specify something other
than what is specified in the other NX/XD flag options, for example, if the
NX/XD flag bit setting varies with processor brand.

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(Optional) To edit mask values other than the NX bit or to set NX mask values to states other than “0”
or “H”, click Advanced.
a

Select the relevant tab.

Click a row and edit the mask value.
To view an explanation of a values symbol, click Legend.

c
5

Click OK to apply the changes and return to the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change CPU/MMU Virtualization Settings in the vSphere Client
ESXi can determine whether a virtual machine should use hardware support for virtualization. It makes this
determination based on the processor type and the virtual machine. Overriding the automatic selection can
provide better performance for some use cases.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced, select CPU/MMU Virtualization.

Select an instruction set.

Automatic

Use Software for instruction set and MMU

Use Intel VT-x/AMD-V for instruction set virtualization and software for MMU

Use Intel VT-x/AMD-V for instruction set virtualization and Intel EPT/AMD RVI for MMU
virtualization

Click OK to save your changes.

Virtual Memory Configuration
You can add, change, or configure virtual machine memory resources or options to enhance virtual machine
performance. You can set most of the memory parameters during virtual machine creation or after the guest
operating system is installed. Some actions require that you power off the virtual machine before changing
the settings.
The memory resource settings for a virtual machine determine how much of the host's memory is allocated
to the virtual machine. The virtual hardware memory size determines how much memory is available to
applications that run in the virtual machine. A virtual machine cannot benefit from more memory resources
than its configured virtual hardware memory size. ESXi hosts limit the memory resource use to the
maximum amount useful for the virtual machine, so that you can accept the default of Unlimited memory
resources.

Change the Memory Configuration in the vSphere Client
You can reconfigure the memory allocated to a virtual machine's hardware.
Minimum memory size is 4 MB for virtual machines that use BIOS firmware. Virtual machines that use EFI
firmware require at least 96 MB of RAM or they cannot power on.
Maximum memory size for a virtual machine depends on the host's physical memory and the virtual
machine's hardware version.

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If the virtual machine memory is greater than the host memory size, swapping occurs, which can have a
severe effect on virtual machine performance. The memory size must be a multiple of 4 MB. The maximum
for best performance represents the threshold above which the host’s physical memory is insufficient to run
the virtual machine at full speed. This value fluctuates as conditions on the host change, for example, as
virtual machines are powered on or off.
Table 15‑2. Maximum Virtual Machine Memory
Introduced in Host Version

Virtual Machine Version

Maximum Memory Size

ESXi 6.0

4080 GB

ESXi 5.5

1011 GB

ESXi 5.1

1011 GB

ESXi 5.0

1011 GB

ESX/ESXi 4.x

255 GB

ESX/ESXi 3.x

65532 MB

The ESXi host version indicates when support began for the increased memory size. For example, the
memory size of a version 7 virtual machine running on ESXi 5.0 is restricted to 255 GB.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select Memory.

Adjust the amount of memory allocated to the virtual machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

Allocate Memory Resources in the vSphere Client
You can change the amount of memory resources allocated to a virtual machine by using the shares,
reservations, and limits settings.
A virtual machine has three user-defined settings that affect its memory resource allocation.
Limit

Places a limit on the consumption of memory for a virtual machine. This
value is expressed in megabytes.

Reservation

Specifies the guaranteed minimum allocation for a virtual machine. The
reservation is expressed in megabytes.

Each virtual machine is granted a number of memory shares. The more
shares a virtual machine has, the more often it gets a time slice of a memory
when no memory idle time is present. Shares represent a relative metric for
allocating memory capacity. For more information about share values, see
the vSphere Resource Management documentation.

Assigning a virtual machine a reservation larger than its configured memory is wasteful. The vSphere Client
does not allow you to make such an assignment on the Resources tab. If you give a virtual machine a large
reservation and then reduce its configured memory size on the Hardware tab, the reservation is reduced to
match the new configured memory size. You must power off the virtual machine before configuring
memory resources.
NOTE Virtual machine hardware versions 9, 10 and 11 features are read-only when connected to the ESXi
host or vCenter Server system using the vSphere Client.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Resources tab and select Memory.

Allocated the memory capacity for this virtual machine.

Option

Description

The values Low, Normal, High, and Custom are compared to the sum of
all shares of all virtual machines on the server. You can use share
allocation symbolic values to configure their conversion into numeric
values.

Reservation

Guaranteed memory allocation for this virtual machine.

Limit

Upper limit for this virtual machine’s memory allocation.

Unlimited

No upper limit is specified.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change Memory Hot-Add Settings in the vSphere Client
Memory hot add lets you add memory resources for a virtual machine while the machine is powered on.
Prerequisites
n

The virtual machine has a guest operating system that supports Memory hot add functionality.

The virtual machine is using hardware version 7 or later.

VMware Tools is installed.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced, select Memory/CPU Hotplug.

Enable or disable memory hot add.

Enable memory hot add for this virtual machine.

Disable memory hot add for this virtual machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

Associate Memory Allocations with a NUMA Node in the vSphere Client
You can specify that all future memory allocations on a virtual machine use pages associated with a single
NUMA node (also known as manual memory affinity). When the virtual machine uses local memory, the
performance improves on that virtual machine.
The following conditions apply to memory optimization with NUMA:
n

The NUMA option is available on the Advanced Memory Resources page only if the host uses NUMA
memory architecture.

Affinity settings are meaningful only when used to modify the performance of a specific set of virtual
machines on one host. This option is not available when the virtual machine resides on a DRS cluster.
All affinity values are cleared when you move the virtual machine to a new host.

You can specify nodes to use for future memory allocations only if you have also specified CPU affinity.
If you make manual changes only to the memory affinity settings, automatic NUMA rebalancing does
not work properly.

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Checking all the boxes is the same as applying no affinity.

For information about NUMA and advanced memory resources, including usage examples, see the Resource
Management documentation.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Select the Resources tab, and select Memory.

In the NUMA Memory Affinity panel, set the NUMA node affinity for the virtual machine.

No affinity

Use memory from nodes

Click OK to save your changes.

Change the Swap File Location in the vSphere Client
When a virtual machine is powered on, the system creates a VMkernel swap file to serve as a backing store
for the virtual machine's RAM contents. You can accept the default swap file location or save the file to a
different location. By default, the swap file is stored in the same location as the virtual machine's
configuration file.
For more information about host swap file settings, see the vCenter Server and Host Management
documentation. For more information about cluster settings, see the Resource Management documentation.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Option tab and under Advanced, select Swapfile Location.

Select an option.

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Option

Description

Default

Stores the virtual machine swap file at the default location defined by the
host or cluster swap file settings.

Always store with the virtual
machine

Stores the virtual machine swap file in the same folder as the virtual
machine configuration file.

Store in the host's swapfile
datastore

Stores the virtual machine swap file in the swap file datastore defined by
the host or cluster swap file settings.

Click OK to save your changes.

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Network Virtual Machine Configuration
ESXi networking features provide communication between virtual machines on the same host, between
virtual machines on different hosts, and between other virtual and physical machines. The networking
features also allow management of ESXi hosts and provide communication between VMkernel services
(NFS, iSCSI, or vSphere vMotion) and the physical network. When you configure networking for a virtual
machine, you select or change an adapter type, a network connection, and whether to connect the network
when the virtual machine powers on.

Change the Virtual Network Adapter (NIC) Configuration in the vSphere Client
You can change the power-on connection setting, the MAC address, and the network connection for the
virtual network adapter configuration for a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Required Privileges:
n

Virtual machine.Configuration.Modify device settings for editing the MAC address and network.

Virtual machine.Interaction.Device connection for changing Connect and Connect at power on.

Network.Assign network

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the appropriate NIC in the Hardware list.

(Optional) To connect the virtual NIC when the virtual machine is powered on, select Connect at power
on.

(Optional) Click the blue information icon under DirectPath I/O to view details regarding the virtual
NIC's DirectPath I/O status and capability.

Select an option for MAC address configuration.

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Option

Description

Automatic

vSphere assigns a MAC address automatically.

Manual

Type the MAC address to use.

Configure the Network Connection for the virtual NIC.
Option

Description

Standard settings

The virtual NIC connects to a standard or distributed port group. Select
the port group for the virtual NIC to connect to from the Network label
drop-down menu.

Advanced settings

The virtual NIC connects to a specific port on a vSphere distributed switch.
This option appears only when a vSphere distributed switch is available.
a Click Switch to advanced settings.
b Select a vSphere distributed switch for the virtual NIC to use from the
VDS drop-down menu.
c Type the Port ID of the distributed port for virtual NIC to connect to.

Click OK to save your changes.

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Add a Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
When you add a Network adapter (NIC) to a virtual machine, you select the adapter type, the network
connection, and whether the device should connect when the virtual machine is powered on.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select Ethernet Adapter, and click Next.

Select an adapter type from the drop-down menu.

In the Network connection panel, select either a named network with a specified label or a legacy
network.

To connect the virtual NIC when the virtual machine is powered on, select Connect at power on.

Click Next.

Review your selections and click Finish.

Click OK to save your changes.

Parallel and Serial Port Configuration
Parallel and serial ports are interfaces for connecting peripherals to the virtual machine. The virtual serial
port can connect to a physical serial port or to a file on the host computer. You can also use it to establish a
direct connection between two virtual machines or a connection between a virtual machine and an
application on the host computer. You can add parallel and serial ports and change the serial port
configuration.

Using Serial Ports with vSphere Virtual Machines
You can set up virtual serial port connections for vSphere virtual machines in several ways. The connection
method that you select depends on the task that you need to accomplish.
You can set up virtual serial ports to send data in the following ways.

154

Physical serial port on
the host

Sets the virtual machine to use a physical serial port on the host computer.
This method lets you use an external modem or a hand-held device in a
virtual machine.

Output to file

Sends output from the virtual serial port to a file on the host computer. This
method lets you capture the data that a program running in the virtual
machine sends to the virtual serial port.

Connect to a named
pipe

Sets a direct connection between two virtual machines or a connection
between a virtual machine and an application on the host computer. With
this method, two virtual machines or a virtual machine and a process on the
host can communicate as if they were physical machines connected by a
serial cable. For example, use this option for remote debugging of a virtual
machine.

Connect over the
network

Enables a serial connection to and from a virtual machine's serial port over
the network. The Virtual Serial Port Concentrator (vSPC) aggregates traffic
from multiple serial ports onto one management console. vSPC behavior is
similar to physical serial port concentrators. Using a vSPC also allows

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network connections to a virtual machine's serial ports to migrate seamlessly
when you use vMotion to migrate the virtual machine. For requirements and
steps to configure the Avocent ACS v6000 virtual serial port concentrator, see
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1022303.

Server and Client Connections for Named Pipe and Network Serial Ports
You can select a client or server connection for serial ports. Your selection determines whether the system
waits for a connection or initiates it. Typically, to control a virtual machine over a serial port, you select a
server connection. This selection lets you control the connections, which is useful if you connect to the
virtual machine only occasionally. To use a serial port for logging, select a client connection. This selection
lets the virtual machine connect to the logging server when the virtual machine starts and to disconnect
when it stops.

Supported Serial Ports
When you use a physical serial port for serial port passthrough from an ESXi host to a virtual machine,
serial ports that are integrated into the motherboard are supported.

Unsupported Serial Ports
When you use a physical serial port for serial port passthrough from an ESXi host to a virtual machine, the
following serial ports are not supported.
n

Serial ports connected through USB are not supported for serial port passthrough. They might be
supported by USB passthrough from an ESXi host to a virtual machine. See USB Configuration from an
ESXi Host to a Virtual Machine.

In addition, you cannot use Migration with VMotion when you use a physical serial port for serial
passthrough.

Adding a Firewall Rule Set for Serial Port Network Connections
If you add or configure a serial port that is backed by a remote network connection, ESXi firewall settings
can prevent transmissions.
Before you connect network-backed virtual serial ports, you must add one of the following firewall rule sets
to prevent the firewall from blocking communication:
n

VM serial port connected to vSPC. Use to connect the serial port output through a network with the
Use virtual serial port concentrator option enabled to allow only outgoing communication from the
host.

VM serial port connected over network. Use to connect the serial port output through a network
without the virtual serial port concentrator.

IMPORTANT Do not change the allowed IP list for either rule set. Updates to the IP list can affect other
network services that might be blocked by the firewall.
For details about allowing access to an ESXi service through the firewall, see the vSphere Security
documentation.

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Add a Serial Port to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
A virtual machine can use up to four virtual serial ports. You can connect the virtual serial port to a physical
serial port or to a file on the host computer. You can also use a host-side-named pipe to set up a direct
connection between two virtual machines or a connection between a virtual machine and an application on
the host computer. In addition, you can use a port or vSPC URI to connect a serial port over the network.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the virtual machine is powered off.

Familiarize yourself with the media types for the port to access, vSPC connections, and any conditions
that might apply. See “Using Serial Ports with vSphere Virtual Machines,” on page 154.

To connect a serial port over a network, add a Firewall rule set. See Adding a Firewall Rule Set for
Serial Port Network Connections.

Required privilege: Virtual Machine .Configuration.Add or Remove Device

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select Add.

Select Serial Port and click Next.

On the Serial Port Type page, select the type of media for the port to access.
Option

Description

Use physical serial port on the host

Click Next and select the port from the drop-down menu.

Output to file

Click Next and browse to the location of the file on the host to store the
output of the virtual serial port.

Connect to named pipe

a
b

Click Next and type a name for the pipe in the Pipe Name field.
Select the Near end and Far end of the pipe from the drop-down
menus.

Connect via network

Click Next and clickServer or Client and type the Port URI.

The URI is the remote end of the serial port to which the virtual
machine's serial port should connect.
If vSPC is used as an intermediate step to access all virtual machines
through a single IP address, select Use Virtual Serial Port
Concentrator (vSPC) and type the vSPC URI location.

(Optional) Deselect Connect at power on if you do not want the parallel port device to be connected
when the virtual machine powers on.

(Optional) Select Yield on poll.
Select this option only for guest operating systems that use serial ports in polled mode. This option
prevents the guest from consuming excessive CPUs.

Review the information on the Ready to Complete page and click Finish.

Example: Establishing Serial Port Network Connections to a Client or Server
Without Authentication Parameters
If you do not use vSPC and you configure your virtual machine with a serial port connected as a server with
a telnet://:12345 URI, you can connect to your virtual machine's serial port from your Linux or Windows
operating system.
telnet yourESXiServerIPAddress 12345

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Similarly, if you run the Telnet Server on your Linux system on port 23 (telnet://yourLinuxBox:23), you
configure the virtual machine as a client URI.
telnet://yourLinuxBox:23

The virtual machine initiates the connection to your Linux system on port 23.

Change the Serial Port Configuration in the vSphere Client
A virtual machine can use up to four virtual serial ports. You can connect the virtual serial port to a physical
serial port or to a file on the host computer. You can also set up a direct connection between two virtual
machines or a connection between a virtual machine and an application on the host computer by using a
host-side-named pipe. In addition, you can use a port or vSPC URI to connect a serial port over the network.
Virtual machines can be in a powered-on state during configuration.
Prerequisites
n

Check that you known the correct media types for the port to access, vSPC connections, and any
conditions that might apply. See “Using Serial Ports with vSphere Virtual Machines,” on page 154.

To connect a serial port over a network, add a Firewall rule set. See Adding a Firewall Rule Set for
Serial Port Network Connections.

Required privilege: Virtual machine.Configuration.Device connection

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select a serial port in the Hardware list.

(Optional) Change the Device status settings.

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Option

Description

Connected

Connects or disconnects the device while the virtual machine is running.

Connect at power on

Connects the device whenever you power on the virtual machine. You can
change this setting when the virtual machine is either powered on or
powered off.

Select a connection type.
Option

Description

Use physical serial port

Select this option to have the virtual machine use a physical serial port on
the host computer. Select the serial port form the drop-down menu.

Use output file

Select this option to send output from the virtual serial port to a file on the
host computer. Browse to select an output file to connect the serial port to.

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Option

Description

Use named pipe

Select this option to set a direct connection between two virtual machines
or a connection between a virtual machine and an application on the host
computer.
a Type a name for the pipe in the Pipe Name field.
b Select the Near End and Far End of the pipe from the drop-down
menus.

Use network

Select Use network to connect through a remote network.
a Select the network backing.
n Select Server to have the virtual machine monitor incoming
connections from other hosts.
n Select Client to have the virtual machine initiate a connection to
another host.
b Enter a Port URI.

(Optional) Select Yield on poll.
Select this option only for guest operating systems that use serial ports in polled mode. This option
prevents the guest from consuming excessive CPUs.

Click OK to save your changes.

Similarly, if you run the Telnet Server on your Linux system on port 23 (telnet://yourLinuxBox:23), you
configure the virtual machine as a client URI.
telnet://yourLinuxBox:23

The virtual machine initiates the connection to your Linux system on port 23.

Add a Parallel Port to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
You can use the Add Hardware wizard to add and configure a parallel port to send output to a file on the
host computer.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the virtual machine is powered off.

Required privilege: Virtual machine.Configuration.Add or remove device

Procedure

158

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select Parallel Port and click Next.

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Select Output to file and click Next.

Browse to the location of the output file and Select or deselect the Connect at power on check box to
connect or disconnect the device.

Click Next.

Review the information on the Ready to Complete page, and click Finish.

Change the Parallel Port Configuration in the vSphere Client
You can change the output file and schedule the parallel port to connect or disconnect when the virtual
machine powers on.
You can use a parallel port on the virtual machine to send output to a file. You cannot use a physical parallel
port on ESXi hosts.
Virtual machines can be powered on during the configuration
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the parallel port to change.

Select Output to file and click Browse to navigate to the file location.

(Optional) Deselect Connect at power on if you do not want the parallel port device to be connected
when the virtual machine powers on.

Click OK to save your changes.

Configure Fibre Channel NPIV Settings in the vSphere Client
N-port ID virtualization (NPIV) provides the ability to share a single physical Fibre Channel HBA port
among multiple virtual ports, each with unique identifiers. This capability lets you control virtual machine
access to LUNs on a per-virtual machine basis.
Each virtual port is identified by a pair of world wide names (WWNs): a world wide port name (WWPN)
and a world wide node name (WWNN). These WWNs are assigned by vCenter Server.
For detailed information on how to configure NPIV for a virtual machine, see vSphere Storage.
NPIV support is subject to the following limitations:
n

NPIV must be enabled on the SAN switch. Contact the switch vendor for information about enabling
NPIV on their devices.

NPIV is supported only for virtual machines with RDM disks. Virtual machines with regular virtual
disks continue to use the WWNs of the host’s physical HBAs.

The physical HBAs on the ESXi host must have access to a LUN using its WWNs in order for any
virtual machines on that host to have access to that LUN using their NPIV WWNs. Ensure that access is
provided to both the host and the virtual machines.

The physical HBAs on the ESXi host must support NPIV. If the physical HBAs do not support NPIV,
the virtual machines running on that host will fall back to using the WWNs of the host’s physical HBAs
for LUN access.

Each virtual machine can have up to 4 virtual ports. NPIV-enabled virtual machines are assigned
exactly 4 NPIV-related WWNs, which are used to communicate with physical HBAs through virtual
ports. Therefore, virtual machines can utilize up to 4 physical HBAs for NPIV purposes.

You can view or edit the virtual machines WWNs on the Options tab.

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Prerequisites
n

To edit the virtual machine’s WWNs, power off the virtual machine.

Verify that the virtual machine has a datastore containing a LUN that is available to the host.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced select Fibre Channel NPIV.

(Optional) Select the Temporarily Disable NPIV for this virtual machine check box.

Assigned WWNs appear in the WWN Assignments panel.
n

To leave WWNs unchanged, select Leave unchanged.

To have the ESXi host generate new WWNs, select Generate New WWNs.

To remove the current WWN assignments, select Remove WWN assignment.

Click OK to save your changes.

Provide the WWN assignments to your SAN administrator.
The administrator needs the assignments to configure virtual machine access to the LUN.

Virtual Disk Configuration
You can add large-capacity virtual disks to virtual machines and add more space to existing disks, even
when the virtual machine is running. You can set most of the virtual disk parameters during virtual
machine creation or after you install the guest operating system.
You can store virtual machine data in a new virtual disk, an existing virtual disk, or a mapped SAN LUN. A
virtual disk, which appears as a single hard disk to the guest operating system, is composed of one or more
files on the host file system. You can copy or move virtual disks on the same hosts or between hosts.
For virtual machines running on an ESXi host, you can store the virtual machine data directly on a SAN
LUN instead of storing it in a virtual disk file. This ability is useful if you are running applications in your
virtual machines that must detect the physical characteristics of the storage device. Additionally, mapping a
SAN LUN allows you to use existing SAN commands to manage storage for the disk.
To accelerate virtual machine performance, you can configure virtual machines to use vSphere Flash Read
Cache™. For details about Flash Read Cache behavior, see the vSphere Storage documentation.
When you map a LUN to a VMFS volume, vCenter Server or the ESXi host creates a raw device mapping
(RDM) file that points to the raw LUN. Encapsulating disk information in a file allows vCenter Server or the
ESXi host to lock the LUN so that only one virtual machine can write to it. This file has a .vmdk extension,
but the file contains only disk information that describes the mapping to the LUN on the ESXi system. The
actual data is stored on the LUN. You cannot deploy a virtual machine from a template and store its data on
a LUN. You can store only its data in a virtual disk file.
The amount of free space in the datastore is always changing. Ensure that you leave sufficient space for
virtual machine creation and other virtual machine operations, such as growth of sparse files, snapshots,
and so on. To review space utilization for the datastore by file type, see the vSphere Monitoring and
Performance documentation.
Thin provisioning lets you create sparse files with blocks that are allocated upon first access, which allows
the datastore to be over-provisioned. The sparse files can continue growing and fill the datastore. If the
datastore runs out of disk space while the virtual machine is running, it can cause the virtual machine to
stop functioning.

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Change the Virtual Disk Configuration in the vSphere Client
You can change the virtual device node, the size of the disk, and the persistence mode for virtual disk
configuration for a virtual machine.
NOTE The Manage Paths feature for RDM disks is not available for virtual machines on legacy hosts
running versions of ESX Server earlier than 3.0.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the hard disk to modify.
The name of the disk file and the disk type (thick or thin) appear in the upper-right pane.

Select a Virtual Device Node type from the drop-down menu.
This option is read-only when editing a virtual machine that is powered on.

To change the size of the disk, enter a new value in the Provisioned Size text box.

(Optional) To change the way disks are affected by snapshots, click Independent and select an option.

Option

Description

Independent - Persistent

Disks in persistent mode behave like conventional disks on your physical
computer. All data written to a disk in persistent mode are written
permanently to the disk.

Independent - Nonpersistent

Click OK to save your changes.

Add a Hard Disk to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
When you add a hard disk to a virtual machine, you can create a new virtual disk, add an existing virtual
disk, or add a mapped SAN LUN.
In most cases, you can accept the default device node. For a hard disk, a nondefault device node is useful to
control the boot order or to have different SCSI controller types. For example, you might want to boot from
an LSI Logic controller and use a Buslogic controller with bus sharing turned on to share a data disk with
another virtual machine.
NOTE You cannot use migration with vMotion to migrate virtual machines that use raw disks for clustering
purposes.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select Hard Disk and click Next.

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Select the type of disk to use.
Option

Action

Create a new virtual disk

a
b

c
d

Type the disk capacity.
Select a disk format.
n Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed creates a virtual disk in a default
thick format.
n Thick Provision Eager Zeroed creates a type of thick virtual disk
that supports clustering features such as Fault Tolerance.
n Thin Provision creates a disk in thin format. Use this format to
save storage space.
Select a location to store the disk. Store with the virtual machine or
Specify a datastore.
If you selected Specify a datastore, browse for the datastore location,
and click Next.

Use an Existing Virtual Disk

Browse for the disk file path and click Next.

Raw Device Mappings

Gives your virtual machine direct access to SAN.
a Select the LUN to use for the raw disk, and click Next.
b Select the datastore and click Next.
c Select the compatibility mode.
n Physical allows the guest operating system to access the hardware
directly.
n Virtual allows the virtual machine to use VMware snapshots and
other advanced functions.
d Click Next.

(Optional) To change the way disks are affected by snapshots, click Independent and select an option.
Option

Description

Independent - Persistent

Disks in persistent mode behave like conventional disks on your physical
computer. All data written to a disk in persistent mode are written
permanently to the disk.

Independent - Nonpersistent

Click Next.

Review the information and click Finish.

Click OK to save your changes.

Use Disk Shares to Prioritize Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client
You can change the disk resources for a virtual machine. If multiple virtual machines access the same VMFS
datastore and the same logical unit number (LUN), use disk shares to prioritize the disk accesses from the
virtual machines. Disk shares distinguish high-priority from low-priority virtual machines.
You can allocate the host disk's I/O bandwidth to the virtual hard disks of a virtual machine. Disk I/O is a
host-centric resource so you cannot pool it across a cluster.

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Shares is a value that represents the relative metric for controlling disk bandwidth to all virtual machines.
The values are compared to the sum of all shares of all virtual machines on the server.
Disk shares are relevant only within a given ESXi host. The shares assigned to virtual machines on one host
have no effect on virtual machines on other hosts.
You can select an IOP limit, which sets an upper bound for storage resources that are allocated to a virtual
machine. IOPs are the number of I/O operations per second.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Resources tab and select Disk.

In the Resource Allocation panel, select the virtual hard disk to change.

Click the Shares column and change the value to allocate a number of shares of its disk bandwidth to
the virtual machine.
n

Low (500)

Normal (1000)

High (2000)

Custom

When you select a shares symbolic value, the numeric value appears in the Shares Value column. You
can select Custom to enter a user-defined shares value.
5

Click the Limit - IOPS column and enter the upper limit of storage resources to allocate to the virtual
machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

SCSI and SATA Storage Controller Conditions, Limitations, and
Compatibility
To access virtual disks, CD/DVD-ROM, and SCSI devices, a virtual machine uses storage controllers, which
are added by default when you create the virtual machine. You can add additional controllers or change the
controller type after virtual machine creation. You can make these changes while you are in the creation
wizard. If you know about node behavior, controller limitations, and compatibility of different types of
controllers before you change or add a controller, you can avoid potential boot problems.

How Storage Controller Technology Works
Storage controllers appear to a virtual machine as different types of SCSI controllers, including BusLogic
Parallel, LSI Logic Parallel, LSI Logic SAS, and VMware Paravirtual SCSI. AHCI SATA controllers are also
available.
When you create a virtual machine, the default controller is optimized for best performance. The controller
type depends on the guest operating system, the device type, and in some cases, the virtual machine's
compatibility. For example, when you create virtual machines with Apple Mac OS X guests and ESXi 5.5
and later compatibility, the default controller type for both the hard disk and the CD/DVD drive is SATA.
When you create virtual machines with Windows Vista and later guests, a SCSI controller is the default for
the hard disk and a SATA controller is the default for the CD/DVD drive.
Each virtual machine can have a maximum of four SCSI controllers and four SATA controllers. The default
SCSI or SATA controller is 0. When you create a virtual machine, the default hard disk is assigned to the
default controller 0 at bus node (0:0).

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When you add storage controllers, they are numbered sequentially 1, 2, and 3. If you add a hard disk, SCSI,
or CD/DVD-ROM device to a virtual machine after virtual machine creation, the device is assigned to the
first available virtual device node on the default controller, for example (0:1).
If you add a SCSI controller, you can reassign an existing or new hard disk or device to that controller. For
example, you can assign the device to (1:z ), where 1 is SCSI controller 1 and z is a virtual device node from 0
to 15. For SCSI controllers, z cannot be 7. By default, the virtual SCSI controller is assigned to virtual device
node (z:7), so that device node is unavailable for hard disks or other devices.
If you add a SATA controller, you can reassign an existing or new hard disk or device to that controller. For
example, you can assign the device to (1:z ), where 1 is SATA controller 1 and z is a virtual device node from
0 to 29. For SATA controllers, you can use device nodes 0 through 29, including 0:7.

Storage Controller Limitations
Storage controllers have the following requirements and limitations:
n

LSI Logic SAS and VMware Paravirtual SCSI are available for virtual machines with ESXi 4.x and later
compatibility.

AHCI SATA is available only for virtual machines with ESXi 5.5 and later compatibility.

BusLogic Parallel controllers do not support virtual machines with disks larger than 2TB.

CAUTION Changing the controller type after the guest operating system is installed will make the disk and
any other devices connected to the adapter inaccessible. Before you change the controller type or add a new
controller, make sure that the guest operating system installation media contains the necessary drivers. On
Windows guest operating systems, the driver must be installed and configured as the boot driver.

Storage Controller Compatibility
Adding different types of storage controllers to virtual machines that use BIOS firmware can cause
operating system boot problems. In the following cases, the virtual machine might fail to boot correctly and
you might have to enter the BIOS setup and select the correct boot device:
n

If the virtual machine boots from LSI Logic SAS or VMware Paravirtual SCSI, and you add a disk that
uses BusLogic, LSI Logic, or AHCI SATA controllers.

If the virtual machine boots from AHCI SATA, and you add BusLogic Parallel or LSI Logic controllers.

Adding additional disks to virtual machines that use EFI firmware does not cause boot problems.
Table 15‑3. VMware Storage Controller Compatibility
Added Controller

164

LSI Logic

LSI Logic
SAS

VMware
Paravirtual
SCSI

AHCI SATA

IDE

Yes

LSI Logic

Yes

LSI Logic SAS

Requires BIOS
setup

Usually
Works

Requires BIOS
setup

Yes

VMware
Paravirtual
SCSI

Requires BIOS
setup

Usually
Works

Requires BIOS
setup

Yes

AHCI SATA

Requires BIOS
setup

Yes

IDE

Yes

N/A

Existing
Controller

BusLogic
Parallel

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Add SCSI Controllers
You can add SCSI controllers to an existing virtual machine by adding hard disks on unused SCSI Bus
numbers.
Adding a new hard disk on an unused SCSI bus number automatically creates a new SCSI controller.
Prerequisites
Sufficient privileges to edit the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

Right-click on a virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Select the Hardware tab.

Click Add.

Select Hard Disk and click Next.

Proceed through the wizard, selecting options that suit your needs.

In the Advanced Options page > Virtual Device Node section, select an unused SCSI Bus number.
For example, bus and device numbers 0:0 - 0:15 are used by the initial SCSI controller. The second SCSI
controller uses bus and device numbers 1:0 - 1:15.

On the Ready to Complete page, click Finish.

The new hard disk and new SCSI controller are simultaneously created.

Change the SCSI Bus Sharing Configuration in the vSphere Client
You can set the type of SCSI bus sharing for a virtual machine and indicate whether the SCSI bus is shared.
Depending on the type of sharing, virtual machines can access the same virtual disk simultaneously on the
same server or on any server.
You can change the SCSI controller configuration for a virtual machine on an ESXi host only.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select a SCSI Controller in the hardware list.

Select the type of sharing in the SCSI Bus Sharing list.

Option

Description

None

Virtual disks cannot be shared by other virtual machines.

Virtual

Virtual disks can be shared by virtual machines on the same server.

Physical

Virtual disks can be shared by virtual machines on any server.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change the SCSI Controller Type in the vSphere Client
You configure virtual SCSI controllers on your virtual machines to attach virtual disks and RDMs to.
The choice of SCSI controller does not affect whether your virtual disk is an IDE or SCSI disk. The IDE
adapter is always ATAPI. The default for your guest operating system is already selected. Older guest
operating systems default to the BusLogic adapter.

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If you create an LSI Logic virtual machine and add a virtual disk that uses BusLogic adapters, the virtual
machine boots from the BusLogic adapters disk. LSI Logic SAS is available only for virtual machines with
hardware version 7 or later. Disks with snapshots might not experience performance gains when used on
LSI Logic SAS, VMware Paravirtual, and LSI Logic Parallel adapters.
CAUTION Changing the SCSI controller type might result in a virtual machine boot failure.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select a SCSI controller.

In the SCSI Controller Type pane, click Change.

Select a SCSI controller type and click OK.

Click OK to save your changes.

About VMware Paravirtual SCSI Controllers
VMware Paravirtual SCSI controllers are high performance storage controllers that can result in greater
throughput and lower CPU use. These controllers are best suited for high performance storage
environments.
VMware Paravirtual SCSI controllers are available for virtual machines with ESXi 4.x and later
compatibility. Disks on such controllers might not experience optimal performance gains if they have
snapshots or if memory on the ESXi host is over committed. This behavior does not mitigate the overall
performance gain of using VMware Paravirtual SCSI controllers as compared to other SCSI controller
options.
If you have virtual machines with VMware Paravirtual SCSI controllers, those virtual machines cannot be
part of an MSCS cluster.
For platform support for VMware Paravirtual SCSI controllers, see the VMware Compatibility Guide at
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility.

Add a Paravirtual SCSI Controller
You can add a VMware Paravirtual SCSI high performance storage controller to provide greater throughput
and lower CPU utilization.
VMware Paravirtual SCSI controllers are best suited for environments, especially SAN environments,
running I/O-intensive applications.
Prerequisites

166

Verify that the virtual machine has a guest operating system with VMware Tools installed.

Verify that the virtual machine has hardware version 7 or later.

Ensure that you are familiar with VMware Paravirtual SCSI limitations. See “About VMware
Paravirtual SCSI Controllers,” on page 166.

To access boot disk devices attached to a VMware Paravirtual SCSI controller, verify that the virtual
machine has a Windows 2003 or Windows 2008 guest operating system.

In some operating systems, before you change the controller type you need to create a virtual machine
with an LSI Logic controller, install VMware Tools, then change to paravirtual mode.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select SCSI Device and click Next.

Select a SCSI device in the Connection panel.

Select an unused Virtual Device Node and click Next.
For device node SCSI (0:2), 0 is the controller number and 2 is the number of the device that is attached
to the controller. If you select a node on which devices already exist (for example, SCSI 0:3) you will
add a SCSI device to the existing controller. To add a new controller, you must select an unused device
node on an unused SCSI controller (for example 1:0).

Review your selections and click Finish.
New SCSI Controller (adding) and New SCSI Device (adding) appear in the Hardware list.

Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Reopen the Virtual Machine Properties Editor.

Select the new SCSI controller and click Change Type.

Select VMware Paravirtual and click OK.

Click OK to save your changes.

Other Virtual Machine Device Configuration
In addition to configuring virtual machine CPU and Memory and adding a hard disk and virtual NICs, you
can also add and configure virtual hardware, such as DVD/CD-ROM drives, floppy drives, and SCSI
devices. Not all devices are available to add and configure. For example, you cannot add a video card, but
you can configure available video cards and PCI devices.

Add a CD or DVD Drive to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
You can use a physical drive on a client or host or you can use an ISO image to add a CD/DVD drive to a
virtual machine.
If you are adding a CD/DVD drive that is backed by USB CD/DVD drive on the host, you must add the
drive as a SCSI device. Hot adding or removing SCSI devices from an ESXi host is not supported.
You cannot use vMotion to migrate virtual machines that have CD drives that are backed by the physical
CD drive on the host. You must disconnect these devices before you migrate the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Ensure that the host is powered off before you add USB CD/DVD devices.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Select the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select CD/DVD Drive, and click Next.

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Select one option.
Option

Description

Use physical drive

a
b

Use ISO Image

Enter the path and filename for the image file, or click Browse to navigate
to the file.

Select Client or Host as the location.
Select a Pass through (recommended) or ATAPI emulation
connection type.

If you do not want the CD-ROM drive connected when the virtual machine starts, deselect Connect at
power on.

Click Next.

Select the virtual device node the drive uses in the virtual machine and click Next.

Review the information on the Ready to Complete window, and click Finish or click Back to change
the settings.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change the CD/DVD Drive Configuration
You can configure DVD or CD devices to connect to client devices, host devices, or Datastore ISO files.

Configure a Client Device Type for the DVD/CD-ROM Drive in the vSphere Client
You can connect the DVD/CD-ROM device to a physical DVD or CD-ROM device on the system running the
vSphere Client.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory.

Click the CD/DVD Connections icon on the virtual machine toolbar.

Select a drive or ISO image from the CD/DVD drive drop-down menu.
Passthrough IDE (raw) mode access is set by default, which lets you write or burn a remote CD.

Configure a Host Device Type for the CD/DVD Drive in the vSphere Client
You can connect the CD/DVD device to a physical DVD or CD-ROM device that resides on the host.
You cannot use vMotion to migrate virtual machines that have CD drives that are backed by the physical
CD drive on the host. You must disconnect these devices before you migrate the virtual machine.
When you add a CD/DVD-ROM drive that is backed by a USB CD/DVD drive on the host, you must add the
drive as a SCSI device. Hot adding or removing SCSI devices from an ESXi host is not supported.
Prerequisites
Ensure that the host is powered off before you add USB CD/DVD-ROM devices.
Procedure

168

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the CD/DVD drive.

Select or deselect the Connected check box to connect or disconnect the device.

If you do not want the CD-ROM drive connected when the virtual machine starts, deselect Connect at
power on.

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Select Host Device under Device Type and select a device from the drop-down menu.

(Optional) In the drop-down menu under Virtual Device Node, select the node the drive uses in the
virtual machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

Configure a Datastore ISO File for the CD/DVD Drive in the vSphere Client
You can connect the CD/DVD device to an ISO file that is stored on a datastore accessible to the host.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the CD/DVD drive.

Select or deselect the Connected check box to connect or disconnect the device.

If you do not want the CD-ROM drive connected when the virtual machine starts, deselect Connect at
power on.

Select Datastore ISO File under Device Type and click Browse to navigate to the file.

In the drop-down menu under Virtual Device Node, select the node the drive uses in the virtual
machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

Add a Floppy Drive to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
Use a physical floppy drive or a floppy image to add a floppy drive to a virtual machine.
ESXi does not support floppy drives that are backed by a physical floppy drive on the host.
NOTE You cannot use vMotion to migrate virtual machines that have floppy drives backed by a physical
floppy drive on ESX 3.5, 4. 0, and 4.x hosts that vCenter Server 5.0 manages. You must disconnect these
devices before you migrate the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Select the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select Floppy Drive, and click Next.

Select the device type to use for this virtual device.
Option

Description

Use a physical floppy drive

Select this option to connect the floppy device to a physical floppy device
or a .flp floppy image on the system running the vSphere Client.
To connect the device, click the Floppy Connections button in the toolbar
when you power on the virtual machine.

Use a floppy image

a
b

Create a blank floppy image

a
b
c

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Select this option to connect the virtual device to an existing floppy
image on a datastore accessible to the host.
Click Browse and select the floppy image.
Select this option to create a floppy image on a datastore accessible to
the host.
Click Browse and browse to the location for the floppy image.
Enter a name for the floppy image and click OK.

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To have the floppy drive connected to the virtual machine when you power it on, select Connect at
power on.

Click Next.

Review the information on the Ready to Complete page, and click Finish.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change the Floppy Drive Configuration in the vSphere Client
You can configure a virtual floppy drive device to connect to a client device or to an existing or new floppy
image.
ESXi does not support floppy drives that are backed by a physical floppy drive on the host.
NOTE You cannot use vMotion to migrate virtual machines that have floppy drives backed by a physical
floppy drive on ESX 3.5, 4. 0, and 4.x hosts that vCenter Server 5.0 manages. You must disconnect these
devices before you migrate the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the Floppy drive.

Under Device Status, select Connect at power on to connect this virtual machine to the floppy drive
when the virtual machine is powered on.

Select the device type to use for this virtual device.
Option

Description

Client Device

Use existing floppy image in
datastore

a
b

Create new floppy image in
datastore

a
b
c

Click OK to save your changes.

Add a SCSI Device to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
You can add a SCSI device to a virtual machine through the Add Hardware wizard.
Procedure

170

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select Add.

Select SCSI Device and click Next.

Under Connection, use the drop-down menu to select a physical device.

Under Virtual Device Node, select the virtual device node where you want this device to appear in the
virtual machine.

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Review the information in the Ready to Complete page, and click Finish.

Click OK to save your changes.

Change the SCSI Device Configuration in the vSphere Client
You can change the physical device and the virtual device node of the SCSI device connection.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select a SCSI device in the Hardware list.

Under Connection, select the physical device you want to use.
Under Virtual device node, select the virtual device node where you want this device to appear in the
virtual machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

Add a PCI Device in the vSphere Client
vSphere DirectPath I/O allows a guest operating system on a virtual machine to directly access physical PCI
and PCIe devices connected to a host. Each virtual machine can be connected to up to six PCI devices.
PCI devices connected to a host can be marked as available for passthrough from the Hardware Advanced
Settings in the Configuration tab for the host.
Snapshots are not supported with PCI vSphere Direct Path I/O devices.
Prerequisites
®

To use DirectPath I/O, verify that the host has Intel Virtualization Technology for Directed I/O (VT-d)
or AMD I/O Virtualization Technology (IOMMU) enabled in the BIOS.

Verify that the PCI devices are connected to the host and marked as available for passthrough.

Verify that the virtual machine is using hardware version 7 or later.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

On the Hardware tab, click Add.

In the Add Hardware wizard, select PCI Device and click Next.

Select the passthrough device to connect to the virtual machine from the drop-down list and click Next.

Click Finish.

Configure Video Cards in the vSphere Client
You can change the number of displays for a virtual machine, allocate memory for the displays, and enable
3D support.
The default setting for total video RAM is adequate for minimal desktop resolution. For more complex
situations, you can change the default memory.
Some 3D applications require a minimum video memory of 64MB. Keep this in mind when you assign video
memory.
Prerequisites
Verify that the virtual machine is powered off.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select Video card.

Select the display settings type and configure the available settings.

Option

Description

Auto-detect video settings

Applies common video settings to the guest operating system.

Specify custom settings

Lets you select the number of displays and the total video memory.

Select the number of displays from the drop-down menu.
The vSphere Client supports setting a number of displays and extending the screen across them. True
multimonitor support is not available with the vSphere Client.

Enter the video memory required for the displays.

(Optional) Click Video Memory Calculator to calculate the required video memory based on the
maximum number of displays, resolution, and color depth that the guest operating system must
support and click OK.

(Optional) Click Enable 3D support.
This check box is active only for guest operating systems on which VMware supports 3D.

Click OK to save your changes.

Sufficient memory allocation is set for the virtual machine’s video display.

Configuring vServices
A vService dependency allows a vApp or a virtual machine to request that a vService be available on a
specified platform.
A vService specifies a particular service on which vApps and virtual machines can depend.
The vService configuration tab monitors and manages vService dependencies. This tab displays all the
dependencies that a virtual machine or vApp has and each of their states. Each dependency shows the
dependency name, description, requirement, bound status, and provider name.

Add a vService Dependency
You can add a vService dependency to a virtual machine or vApp. This dependency allows a virtual
machine or vApp to request that a specific vService be available.
Procedure

172

Display the virtual machine or vApp in the inventory.

Power off the virtual machine or vApp.

Right-click the virtual machine or vApp and select Edit Settings.

Click the vServices tab.

Click Add.

In the Add Dependency wizard, select the provider for this dependency and click Next.

Enter the name and description for this dependency.

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(Optional) If this dependency is required, select the check box and click Next.
Required dependencies must be bound before powering on.

(Optional) If this dependency should be bound to the provider immediately, select the Bind to provider
immediately check box, and click Next after the validation is complete.
If you choose to bind this dependency now, the validation result displays. If the validation fails, you
cannot complete adding the dependency. Deselect the check box to proceed.

Review the options and click Finish to create the dependency.

Edit a vService Dependency
You can edit a vService dependency name, description, and requirement.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine or vApp and select Edit Settings

From the vServices tab in the Edit Settings dialog box, right-click on the dependency and click Edit.

In the Dependency Properties dialog box, edit the dependency name and description.

Select or deselect the check box to change the required status of the dependency.
The required check box is disabled if the virtual machine or vApp is running.

Select a provider for the dependency.
When you select a provider, the description is entered containing the provider description. The
validation box displays the results of the validation. If validation fails, the OK button is disabled until
another provider or no provider is selected.

Click OK.

Remove a vService Dependency
You can remove a vService dependency from a virtual machine or vApp.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine or vApp and select Edit Settings

From the vServices tab in the Edit Settings dialog box, select the dependency and click Remove.

The dependency is removed from the list.

USB Configuration from an ESXi Host to a Virtual Machine
You can add multiple USB devices to a virtual machine when the physical devices are connected to an ESXi
host. USB passthrough technology supports adding USB devices, such as security dongles and mass storage
devices to virtual machines that reside on the host to which the devices are connected.

How USB Device Passthrough Technology Works
When you attach a USB device to a physical host, the device is available only to virtual machines that reside
on that host. The device cannot connect to virtual machines that reside on another host in the datacenter.
A USB device is available to only one virtual machine at a time. When a device is connected to a powered-on
virtual machine, it is not available to connect to other virtual machines that run on the host. When you
remove the active connection of a USB device from a virtual machine, it becomes available to connect to
other virtual machines that run on the host.

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Connecting a USB passthrough device to a virtual machine that runs on the ESXi host to which the device is
physically attached requires an arbitrator, a controller, and a physical USB device or device hub.
USB Arbitrator

Manages connection requests and routes USB device traffic. The arbitrator is
installed and enabled by default on ESXi hosts. It scans the host for USB
devices and manages device connection among virtual machines that reside
on the host. It routes device traffic to the correct virtual machine instance for
delivery to the guest operating system. The arbitrator monitors the USB
device and prevents other virtual machines from using it until you release it
from the virtual machine it is connected to.

USB Controller

The USB hardware chip that provides USB function to the USB ports that it
manages. The virtual USB Controller is the software virtualization of the USB
host controller function in the virtual machine.
USB controller hardware and modules that support USB 3.0, 2.0, and USB 1.1
devices must exist on the host. Eight virtual USB controllers are available to
each virtual machine. A controller must be present before you can add USB
devices to the virtual computer.
The USB arbitrator can monitor a maximum of 15 USB controllers. Devices
connected to controllers numbered 16 or greater are not available to the
virtual machine.
You can add up to 20 USB devices to a virtual machine. This is the maximum
number of devices supported for simultaneous connection to one virtual
machine. The maximum number of USB devices supported on a single ESXi
host for simultaneous connection to one or more virtual machines is also 20.
For a list of supported USB devices, see the VMware knowledge base article
at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1021345. You can add USB 3.0 devices to Mac
OSX guest operating system for VMware Fusion.

USB Devices

Add a USB Controller to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
USB controllers are available to add to virtual machines to support USB passthrough from an ESXi host or
client computer to the virtual machine.
You can add one virtual xHCI controller, one virtual EHCI controller, and one virtual UHCI controller per
virtual machine. With Hardware Version 11, the supported number of root hub ports per xHCI controller is
eight (four logical USB 3.0 ports and four logical USB 2.0 ports).
The conditions for adding a controller vary, depending on the device version, the type of passthrough (host
or client computer), and the guest operating system.
Table 15‑4. USB Controller Support
Controller type

Supported USB Device
Version

Supported for Passthrough
from ESXi Host to VM

Supported for Passthrough from
Client Computer to VM

EHCI+UHCI

2.0 and 1.1

Yes

xHCI

3.0, 2.0, and 1.1

Yes (USB 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1
devices only)

Yes (Linux, Windows 8 and later, and
Windows Server 2012 and later
guests)

NOTE Drivers are not available for the xHCI controller on Windows guest operating systems.
For Mac OS X systems, the EHCI+UHCI controller is enabled by default and is required for USB mouse and
keyboard access.

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For virtual machines with Linux guests, you can add one or both controllers, but 3.0 superspeed devices are
not supported for passthrough from an ESXi host to a virtual machine. You cannot add two controllers of
the same type.
For USB passthrough from an ESXi host to a virtual machine, the USB arbitrator can monitor a maximum of
15 USB controllers. If your system includes controllers that exceed the 15 controller limit and you connect
USB devices to them, the devices are not available to the virtual machine.
Prerequisites
n

ESXi hosts must have USB controller hardware and modules that support USB 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1 devices
present.

Client computers must have USB controller hardware and modules that support USB 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1
devices present.

To use the xHCI controller on a Linux guest, ensure that the Linux kernel version is 2.6.35 or later.

Verify that the virtual machine is powered on.

Required Privilege (ESXi host passthrough): Virtual Machine.Configuration.Add or Remove Device

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select USB Controller and click Next.

Select the Controller Type and click Next.

Click Finish.
New USB Controller (adding) appears in the hardware list as Present.

Click OK to save your changes.

When you reopen the Properties Editor, the xHCI controller appears on the Hardware tab as USB xHCI
controller. The EHCI+UHCI controller appears as USB controller.
What to do next
Add one or more USB devices to the virtual machine.

Remove a USB Controller from a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
You can remove a USB controller from a virtual machine if you do not want to connect to USB devices.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that all USB devices are disconnected from the virtual machine.

Required Privilege: Virtual Machine.Configuration.Add or Remove Device

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select USB controller.

Click Remove.

Click OK to save your changes.

The controller is no longer connected to the virtual machine, but remains available to add at a later time.

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Add USB Devices from an ESXi Host to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
You can add one or more USB passthrough devices from an ESXi host to a virtual machine if the physical
device is connected to the host on which the virtual machine runs.
If a USB device is connected to another virtual machine, you cannot add it until that machine releases it.
NOTE If you have the Apple Frontpanel Controller device in your environment, you can safely add it to a
virtual machine. However, this device has no documented function and no known use. ESXi hosts do not
use it and do not provide Xserver functionality for USB passthrough
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the virtual machine is using hardware version 7 or later.

Verify that a USB controller is present. See “Add a USB Controller to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere
Client,” on page 174.

To use vMotion to migrate a virtual machine with multiple USB devices, you must enable all attached
USB devices for vMotion. You cannot migrate individual USB devices.

When you add a CD/DVD-ROM drive that is backed by a USB CD/DVD drive on the host, you must
add the drive as a SCSI device. Hot adding and removing SCSI devices is not supported.

Verify that you know the virtual machine requirements for USB devices. See USB Configuration from
an ESXi Host to a Virtual Machine.

Required privileges: Virtual Machine.Configuration.HostUSBDevice

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and click Add.

Select USB Device and click Next.

(Optional) Select Support vMotion while device is connected.

If you do not plan to migrate a virtual machine with USB devices attached, deselect the Support
vMotion option.
This reduces migration complexity, which results in better performance and stability.

Select a device to add.
You can add multiple USB devices, but only one device at a time.

Click Finish.
New USB Device (adding) appears in the hardware list as Present.

Click OK to save your changes.

When you reopen the Properties editor, the USB device appears on the Hardware tab of the Properties
Editor. The device type and ID appear in the right pane.

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Remove a USB Device from a Virtual Machine
When you remove a USB device from a virtual machine, it reverts to the host and becomes available to other
virtual machines that run on that host.
To minimize the risk of data loss, follow the instructions to safely unmount or eject hardware for your
operating system. Safely removing hardware allows accumulated data to be transmitted to a file. Windows
operating systems typically include a "Remove Hardware" icon located in the System Tray. Linux operating
systems use the umount command.
NOTE It might be necessary to use the sync command instead of or in addition to the umount command, for
example after you issue a dd command on Linux or other UNIX operating systems.
Procedure
1

Unmount or eject the USB device from the guest operating system.

Right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the USB device.

Click Remove and click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.

USB Configuration from a Client Computer to a Virtual Machine in the
vSphere Client
You can add multiple USB devices to a virtual machine when the physical devices connect to a client
computer on which the vSphere Client is running. The vSphere Client must be logged in to an instance of
vCenter Server that manages the ESXi host or directly into the host where the virtual machines reside. USB
passthrough technology supports adding multiple USB devices, such as security dongles, mass storage
devices, and smartcard readers to virtual machines.

How USB Device Passthrough Technology Works
The USB controller is the USB hardware chip that provides USB function to the USB ports that it manages.
USB controller hardware and modules that support USB 3.0, 2.0, and USB 1.1 devices must exist in the
virtual machine. Two USB controllers are available for each virtual machine. The controllers support
multiple USB 3.0, 2.0, and 1.1 devices. The controller must be present before you can add USB devices to the
virtual machine.
You can add up to 20 USB devices to a virtual machine. This is the maximum number of devices supported
for simultaneous connection to one virtual machine.
You can add multiple devices to a virtual machine, but only one at a time. The virtual machine retains its
connection to the device while in S1 standby. USB device connections are preserved when you migrate
virtual machines to another host in the datacenter.
A USB device is available to only one powered-on virtual machine at a time. When a virtual machine
connects to a device, that device is no longer available to other virtual machines or to the client computer.
When you disconnect the device from the virtual machine or shut the virtual machine down, the device
returns to the client computer and becomes available to other virtual machines that the client computer
manages.
For example, when you connect a USB mass storage device to a virtual machine, it is removed from the
client computer and does not appear as a drive with a removable device. When you disconnect the device
from the virtual machine, it reconnects to the client computer's operating system and is listed as a removable
device.

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USB 3.0 Device Limitations
USB 3.0 devices have the following requirements and limitations:
n

The virtual machine that you connect the USB 3.0 device to must be configured with an xHCI controller
and have a Linux guest operating system with a 2.6.35 or later kernel.

You can connect only one USB 3.0 device operating at superspeed to a virtual machine at a time.

USB 3.0 devices are available only for passthrough from a client computer to a virtual machine. They
are not available for passthrough from an ESXi host to a virtual machine.

Avoiding Data Loss
Before you connect a device to a virtual machine, make sure the device is not in use on the client computer.
If the vSphere Client disconnects from the vCenter Server or host, or if you restart or shut down the client
computer, the device connection breaks. It is best to have a dedicated client computer for USB device use or
to reserve USB devices connected to a client computer for short-term use, such as updating software or
adding patches to virtual machines. To maintain USB device connections to a virtual machine for an
extended time, use USB passthrough from an ESXi host to the virtual machine.

Connect USB Devices to a Client Computer
You can connect multiple USB devices to a client computer so that virtual machines can access the devices.
The number of devices that you can add depends on several factors, such as how the devices and hubs chain
together and the device type.
The number of ports on each client computer depends on the physical setup of the client. When you
calculate the depth of hub chaining, remember that on a typical server the front ports connect to an internal
hub.
The USB arbitrator can monitor a maximum of 15 USB controllers. If your system includes controllers that
exceed the 15 controller limit and you connect USB devices to them, the devices are not available to the
virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Verify that you know the requirements for configuring USB devices from a remote computer to a virtual
machine.
Procedure
u

To add a USB device to a client computer, connect the device to an available port or hub.

The USB device appears in the virtual machine toolbar menu.
What to do next
You can now add the USB device to the virtual machine.

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Add USB Devices From a Client Computer to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere
Client
You can add one or more USB passthrough devices from a client computer to a virtual machine in the
vSphere Client. The devices must be connected to a client computer that connects to the ESXi host on which
the virtual machines reside.
The devices maintain their virtual machine connections in S1 standby, if the vSphere Client is running and
connected. After you add the USB device to the virtual machine, an information message appears on the
client computer stating that the device is disconnected. The device remains disconnected from the client
computer until the virtual machine releases it.
FT is not supported with USB passthrough from a client computer to a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that a USB controller is installed.

Verify that the vSphere Client is connected to the ESXi host on which the virtual machines are running.

Required Privilege: Virtual Machine.Interaction.Add or Remove Device

Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory.

Click the USB icon on the virtual machine toolbar.

Select an available device from the Connect to USB Devices drop-down menu.
The status of the device appears as Connecting.

The device appears in the USB Connections drop-down menu and is ready to use. The device remains
connected until you power off the virtual machine or disconnect the vSphere Client from the ESXi host.

Remove USB Devices That Are Connected Through a Client Computer in the
vSphere Client
You can remove USB devices from a virtual machine if the devices are no longer needed. When you
disconnect a USB device from a virtual machine, the device is released from the virtual machine and is given
back to the client computer, which starts using it.
Prerequisites
To minimize the risk of data loss, follow the instructions to safely unmount or eject hardware for your
operating system. Safely removing hardware allows accumulated data to be transmitted to a file. Windows
operating systems typically include a "Remove Hardware" icon located in the System Tray. Linux operating
systems use the umount command.
NOTE You might need to use the sync command instead of or in addition to the umount command, for
example after you run a dd command on Linux or other UNIX operating systems.
Procedure
1

Unmount or eject the USB device from the guest operating system.

Select the virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory.

Click USB Connections on the virtual machine toolbar.

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Select the device to remove from the drop-down menu.
For example, select USB Device 1 > Disconnect from device name.
The menu shows the device status as Disconnecting.

The device reconnects to the client computer and is available to add to another virtual machine. In some
cases, Windows Explorer detects the device and opens a dialog box on the client computer. You can close
this dialog box.

Manage Power Management Settings for a Virtual Machine
You can set the power options so that a virtual machine is suspended or remains powered on when the
guest operating system is placed on standby.
Power Management options are not available on every guest operating system. Wake on LAN supports
only Windows guest operating systems and is not available on Vlance NICs, or when a Flexible NIC is
operating in Vlance mode (that is, the current VMware Tools are not installed on the guest operating
system).
Wake on LAN can resume virtual machines that are in an S1 sleep state only. It cannot resume suspended,
hibernated, or powered off virtual machines.
The following NICs support Wake on LAN:
n

Flexible (VMware Tools required).

vmxnet

Enhanced vmxnet

vmxnet 3

Prerequisites
You must power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and expand Power Management.

Select a power option.

Suspend the virtual machine

Put the guest OS into standby mode and leave the virtual machine powered on

(Optional) Select Wake on LAN for virtual machine traffic on and select the virtual NICs to trigger this
action.
Unsupported NICs might be listed, but are unavailable to connect.

Click OK to save your changes.

Configure the Virtual Machine Power States
Changing virtual machine power states is useful when you do maintenance on the host. You can use the
system default settings for the toolbar power controls or you can configure the controls to interact with the
guest operating system. For example, you can configure the stop button on the toolbar to power off the
virtual machine or shut down the guest operating system.
You can modify many virtual machine configurations while the virtual machine is running, but you might
need to change the virtual machine power state for some configurations.

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Table 15-5 lists available power buttons and describes their behavior.
Table 15‑5. Virtual Machine Power Button Settings
Power Button

Description
Shuts down the guest operating system or powers off the virtual machine. A
power off operation displays a confirmation dialog box indicating that the
guest operating system might not shut down properly. Use this power off
option only when necessary.
Suspends the virtual machine without running a script when VMware Tools is
not installed. When VMware Tools is installed and available, a suspend action
runs a script, and suspends the virtual machine.
Powers on a virtual machine when a virtual machine is stopped, or resumes the
virtual machine and runs a script when it is suspended and VMware Tools is
installed and available. Resumes the virtual machine and does not run a script
when VMware Tools is not installed.
Resets the virtual machine when VMware Tools is not installed. Restarts the
guest operating system when VMware Tools is installed and available. A reset
operation displays a confirmation dialog box indicating that the guest
operating system is not shut down properly.

Prerequisites
n

Verify that you have access to at least one virtual machine in the inventory.

Verify that you have privileges to perform the intended power operation on the virtual machine.

To set optional power functions, you must install VMWare Tools in the virtual machine.

Power off the virtual machine before editing the VMware Tools options.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and select VMware Tools.

In the right panel, select the Power Controls for the virtual machine.

Select an option for the Power Off button.

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Option

Description

Shut Down Guest

Uses VMware Tools to initiate an orderly system shut down of the virtual
machine. This type of powering off is known as a "soft" power operation.
Soft power operations are possible only if the tools are installed in the
guest operating system.

Power Off

Immediately stops the virtual machine. This type of powering off is known
as a "hard" power operation.

System Default

Follows system settings. The current value of the system settings is shown
in parentheses.

Select an option for the Suspend button.
Option

Description

Suspend

Pauses all virtual machine activity.

System Default

Follows system settings. The current value of the system setting is shown
in parentheses.

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Select an option for the Reset button.
Option

Description

Restart Guest

Uses VMware Tools to initiate an orderly reboot. (This type of reset is
known as a "soft" power operation. Soft power operations are possible only
if the tools are installed in the guest operating system.)

Reset

Shuts down and restarts the guest operating system without powering off
the virtual machine. (This type of reset is known as a "hard" power
operation.)

System Default

Follows system settings; the current value of the system setting is shown in
parentheses.

Click OK to save your changes.

What to do next
Configure VMware Tools scripts to run before or after power operations.

Delay the Boot Sequence in the vSphere Client
The time between when you power on the virtual machine and when it exits the BIOS or EFI and launches
the guest operating system software can be short. You can change the boot delay or force the virtual
machine to enter the BIOS or EFI setup screen after power on.
Delaying the boot operation is useful for changing BIOS or EFI settings such as the boot order. For example,
you can change the BIOS or EFI settings to force a virtual machine to boot from a CD-ROM.
Prerequisites
Required Privilege: Virtual machine.Configuration.Settings
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced select Boot Options.

In the Power on Boot Delay panel, select the time in milliseconds to delay the boot operation.

(Optional) Select whether to force entry into the BIOS or EFI setup screen the next time the virtual
machine boots.

(Optional) Select whether to try to reboot after a boot failure.

Click OK to save your changes.

Enable Logging in the vSphere Client
You can enable logging to collect log files to help troubleshoot issues with your virtual machine.
Required privilege: Virtual machine.Configuration.Settings
Procedure

182

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced select General.

In the Settings pane, select Enable logging.

Click OK to save your changes.

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Disable Acceleration in the vSphere Client
You can temporarily disable acceleration to allow a virtual machine to successfully run or install software.
In rare instances, you might find that when you install or run software in a virtual machine, the virtual
machine appears to stop responding. Generally, the problem occurs early in the program’s execution. Often,
you can get past the problem by temporarily disabling acceleration in the virtual machine.
Disabling acceleration slows down virtual machine performance. You must enable acceleration after the
program stops encountering problems to run the program with acceleration.
You can enable and disable acceleration when the virtual machine is running.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced select General.

In the Settings pane, select Disable acceleration.

Click OK to save your changes.

Configure Debugging and Statistics in the vSphere Client
You can run a virtual machine so that it collects debugging information and statistics that are helpful to
VMware technical support in resolving issues.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings

Click the Options tab and under Advanced select General.

To enable debugging mode, select an option from the Debugging and Statistics pane.

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Run normally

Record Debugging Information

Record Statistics

Record Statistics and Debugging

Click OK to save your changes.

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Managing Virtual Machines

When you connect directly to an ESXi host or vCenter Server system using the vSphere Client, you can open
a console to any of the host's virtual machines, add and remove virtual machines in the host's inventory, and
manage virtual machine snapshots.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Edit Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown Settings,” on page 185

“Open a Console to a Virtual Machine,” on page 186

“Adding and Removing Virtual Machines,” on page 186

“Using Snapshots To Manage Virtual Machines,” on page 187

Edit Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown Settings
You can configure virtual machines running on an ESXi host to start up and shut down with the host. You
can also set the default timing and startup order for selected virtual machines. This ability allows the
operating system to save data when the host enters maintenance mode or is being powered off for another
reason.
The Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown (automatic startup) feature is disabled for all virtual machines
residing on hosts that are in (or moved into) a vSphere HA cluster. Automatic startup is not supported
when used with vSphere HA.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, select the host where the virtual machine is located and click the
Configuration tab.

Under Software, click Virtual Machine Startup/Shutdown and click Properties.
The Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown dialog box opens.

Select Allow virtual machines to start and stop automatically with the system.

(Optional) Configure the startup and shutdown behavior.

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Option

Action

Default Startup Delay

Select the amount of time to delay starting the operating system.
This delay allows time for VMware Tools or the booting system to run
scripts.

Continue immediately if the VMware
Tools starts

Select to start the operating system immediately after VMware Tools starts.

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Option

Action

Default Shutdown Delay

Select the amount of time to delay shutdown for each virtual machine.
The shutdown delay applies only if the virtual machine does not shut
down before the delay period elapses. If the virtual machine shuts down
before the delay time is reached, the next virtual machine starts shutting
down.

Shutdown Action

Select a shutdown option from the drop-down menu.
Power Off
n Suspend
n Guest Shutdown

Move Up and Move Down

Select a virtual machine in the Manual Startup category and use the Move
Up button to move it up to Automatic Startup or Any Oder.
When virtual machines are in the Automatic Startup category, you can use
Move Up and Move Down to order them so that they start in a preferred
sequence. During shutdown, the virtual machines are stopped in the
opposite order.

Edit

Click Edit to configure user-specified autostartup and shutdown behavior
for virtual machines in the Automatic Startup or Any Order category.

Click OK to close the dialog box and save your settings.

Open a Console to a Virtual Machine
With the vSphere Client, you can access a virtual machine's desktop by launching a console to the virtual
machine. From the console, you can perform activities within the virtual machine such as configure
operating system settings, run applications, monitor performance, and so on.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, select the virtual machine and click the Summary tab.

In the Commands section, select Open Console.

Click anywhere inside the console window to enable your mouse, keyboard, and other input devices to
work in the console.

Adding and Removing Virtual Machines
You add virtual machines to the vCenter Server inventory through their managed hosts. You can remove
virtual machines from vCenter Server, from their managed host’s storage, or from both.

Remove Virtual Machines from a Host
Removing a virtual machine from the inventory unregisters it from the host, but does not delete it from the
datastore. Virtual machine files remain at the same storage location and the virtual machine can be reregistered by using the datastore browser.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Remove from Inventory.

To confirm that you want to remove the virtual machine from the inventory, click Yes.

The host removes references to the virtual machine and no longer tracks its condition.

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Remove Virtual Machines from the Datastore
You use the Delete from Disk option to remove a virtual machine from a host and delete all virtual machine
files, including the configuration file and virtual disk files, from the datastore.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Delete from Disk.

Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

The host deletes the virtual machine from its datastore. Disks that are shared with other virtual machines
are not deleted.

Return a Virtual Machine or Template to a Host
If you remove a virtual machine or template from a host, but do not remove it from the host’s datastore, you
can return it to the host's inventory by using the Datastore Browser.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, navigate to Home > Inventory > Datastores and Datastore Clusters.

Right-click the datastore and select Browse Datastore.

Navigate to the virtual machine or template folder to add to the inventory.

Right-click the virtual machine or template .vmx file and select Add to Inventory.

Complete the Add to Inventory wizard to add the virtual machine or template.

Using Snapshots To Manage Virtual Machines
Snapshots preserve the state and data of a virtual machine at the time you take the snapshot. Snapshots are
useful when you must revert repeatedly to the same virtual machine state, but you do not want to create
multiple virtual machines.
You can take multiple snapshots of a virtual machine to create restoration positions in a linear process. With
multiple snapshots, you can save many positions to accommodate many kinds of work processes. Snapshots
operate on individual virtual machines. Taking snapshots of multiple virtual machines, for example, taking
snapshots for all members of a team, requires that you take a separate snapshot of each team member's
virtual machine.
Snapshots are useful as a short term solution for testing software with unknown or potentially harmful
effects. For example, you can use a snapshot as a restoration point during a linear or iterative process, such
as installing update packages, or during a branching process, such as installing different versions of a
program. Using snapshots ensures that each installation begins from an identical baseline.
With snapshots, you can preserve a baseline before diverging a virtual machine in the snapshot tree.
The Snapshot Manager in the vSphere Web Client and the vSphere Client provide several operations for
creating and managing virtual machine snapshots and snapshot trees. These operations let you create
snapshots, restore any snapshot in the snapshot hierarchy, delete snapshots, and more. You can create
extensive snapshot trees that you can use to save the virtual machine state at any specific time and restore
the virtual machine state later. Each branch in a snapshot tree can have up to 32 snapshots.

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A snapshot preserves the following information:
n

Virtual machine settings. The virtual machine directory, which includes disks that were added or
changed after you took the snapshot.

Power state. The virtual machine can be powered on, powered off, or suspended.

Disk state. State of all the virtual machine's virtual disks.

(Optional) Memory state. The contents of the virtual machine's memory.

The Snapshot Hierarchy
The Snapshot Manager presents the snapshot hierarchy as a tree with one or more branches. The
relationship between snapshots is like that of a parent to a child. In the linear process, each snapshot has one
parent snapshot and one child snapshot, except for the last snapshot, which has no child snapshots. Each
parent snapshot can have more than one child. You can revert to the current parent snapshot or restore any
parent or child snapshot in the snapshot tree and create more snapshots from that snapshot. Each time you
restore a snapshot and take another snapshot, a branch, or child snapshot, is created.
Parent Snapshots

The first virtual machine snapshot that you create is the base parent
snapshot. The parent snapshot is the most recently saved version of the
current state of the virtual machine. Taking a snapshot creates a delta disk
file for each disk attached to the virtual machine and optionally, a memory
file. The delta disk files and memory file are stored with the base .vmdk file.
The parent snapshot is always the snapshot that appears immediately above
the You are here icon in the Snapshot Manager. If you revert or restore a
snapshot, that snapshot becomes the parent of the You are here current state.
NOTE The parent snapshot is not always the snapshot that you took most
recently.

Child Snapshots

A snapshot that is taken of the same virtual machine after the parent
snapshot. Each child constitutes delta files for each attached virtual disk, and
optionally a memory file that points from the present state of the virtual disk
(You are here). Each child snapshot's delta files merge with each previous
child snapshot until reaching the parent disks. A child disk can later be a
parent disk for future child disks.

The relationship of parent and child snapshots can change if you have multiple branches in the snapshot
tree. A parent snapshot can have more than one child. Many snapshots have no children.
IMPORTANT Do not manually manipulate individual child disks or any of the snapshot configuration files
because doing so can compromise the snapshot tree and result in data loss. This restriction includes disk
resizing and making modifications to the base parent disk using vmkfstools.

Snapshot Behavior
Taking a snapshot preserves the disk state at a specific time by creating a series of delta disks for each
attached virtual disk or virtual RDM and optionally preserves the memory and power state by creating a
memory file. Taking a snapshot creates a snapshot object in the Snapshot Manager that represents the
virtual machine state and settings.

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Each snapshot creates an additional delta .vmdk disk file. When you take a snapshot, the snapshot
mechanism prevents the guest operating system from writing to the base .vmdk file and instead directs all
writes to the delta disk file. The delta disk represents the difference between the current state of the virtual
disk and the state that existed at the time that you took the previous snapshot. If more than one snapshot
exists, delta disks can represent the difference between each snapshot. Delta disk files can expand quickly
and become as large as the entire virtual disk if the guest operating system writes to every block of the
virtual disk.

Taking Snapshots of a Virtual Machine
You can take one or more snapshots of a virtual machine to capture the settings state, disk state, and
memory state at different specific times. When you take a snapshot, you can also quiesce the virtual machine
files and exclude the virtual machine disks from snapshots.
When you take a snapshot, other activity that is occurring in the virtual machine might affect the snapshot
process when you revert to that snapshot. The best time to take a snapshot from a storage perspective, is
when you are not incurring a large I/O load. The best time to take a snapshot from a service perspective is
when no applications in the virtual machine are communicating with other computers. The potential for
problems is greatest if the virtual machine is communicating with another computer, especially in a
production environment. For example, if you take a snapshot while the virtual machine is downloading a
file from a server on the network, the virtual machine continues downloading the file and communicating
its progress to the server. If you revert to the snapshot, communications between the virtual machine and
the server are confused and the file transfer fails. Depending on the task that you are performing, you can
create a memory snapshot or you can quiesce the file system in the virtual machine.
Memory Snapshots

The default selection for taking snapshots. When you capture the virtual
machine's memory state, the snapshot retains the live state of the virtual
machine. Memory snapshots create a snapshot at a precise time, for example,
to upgrade software that is still working. If you take a memory snapshot and
the upgrade does not complete as expected, or the software does not meet
your expectations, you can revert the virtual machine to its previous state.
When you capture the memory state, the virtual machine's files do not
require quiescing. If you do not capture the memory state, the snapshot does
not save the live state of the virtual machine and the disks are crash
consistent unless you quiesce them.

Quiesced Snapshots

When you quiesce a virtual machine, VMware Tools quiesces the file system
of the virtual machine. A quiesce operation ensures that a snapshot disk
represents a consistent state of the guest file systems. Quiesced snapshots are
appropriate for automated or periodic backups. For example, if you are
unaware of the virtual machine's activity, but want several recent backups to
revert to, you can quiesce the files.
If the virtual machine is powered off or VMware Tools is not available, the
Quiesce parameter is not available. You cannot quiesce virtual machines that
have large capacity disks.

IMPORTANT Do not use snapshots as your only backup solution or as a long-term backup solution.

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Change Disk Mode to Exclude Virtual Disks from Snapshots in the vSphere Client
You can set a virtual disk to independent mode to exclude the disk from any snapshots taken of its virtual
machine.
Prerequisites
Power off the virtual machine and delete any existing snapshots before you change the disk mode. Deleting
a snapshot involves committing the existing data on the snapshot disk to the parent disk.
Required privileges:
n

Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Remove Snapshot

Virtual machine.Configuration.Modify device settings

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select the hard disk to exclude.

Under Mode, select Independent.
Snapshots do not affect the state of an independent disk.
NOTE Any disk, regardless of its type, that is created after you take a snapshot does not appear if you
revert to that snapshot.

Select an independent disk mode option.
Option

Description

Independent - Persistent

Disks in persistent mode behave like conventional disks on your physical
computer. All data written to a disk in persistent mode are written
permanently to the disk.

Independent - Nonpersistent

Click OK.

Take a Snapshot in the vSphere Client
Snapshots capture the entire state of the virtual machine at the time you take the snapshot. You can take a
snapshot when a virtual machine is powered on, powered off, or suspended. If you are suspending a virtual
machine, wait until the suspend operation finishes before you take a snapshot.
When you create a memory snapshot, the snapshot captures the state of the virtual machine's memory and
the virtual machine power settings. When you capture the virtual machine's memory state, the snapshot
operation takes longer to complete. You might also see a momentary lapse in response over the network.
When you quiesce a virtual machine, VMware Tools quiesces the file system in the virtual machine. The
quiesce operation pauses or alters the state of running processes on the virtual machine, especially processes
that might modify information stored on the disk during a restore operation.
NOTE You cannot revert to a snapshot with dynamic disks, so quiesced snapshots are not used when you
restore dynamic disks. Snapshot technology has no visibility into Dynamic Disks. Dynamic Disks are
commonly known as Microsoft specific file systems.

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Prerequisites
n

If you are taking a memory snapshot of a virtual machine that has multiple disks in different disk
modes, verify that the virtual machine is powered off. For example, if you have a special purpose
configuration that requires you to use an independent disk, you must power off the virtual machine
before taking a snapshot.

To capture the memory state of the virtual machine, verify that the virtual machine is powered on.

To quiesce the virtual machine files, verify that the virtual machine is powered on and that VMware
Tools is installed.

Required privilege: Virtual machine.Snapshot management. Create snapshot on the virtual machine.

Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine and select Snapshot > Take Snapshot.

Type a name for the snapshot.

Type a description for the snapshot.
Adding a date and time or a description, for example, "Snapshot before applying XYZ patch," can help
you determine which snapshot to restore or delete.

(Optional) When the virtual machine is powered on, select the Snapshot the virtual machine’s memory
check box to capture the memory of the virtual machine.

(Optional) When the virtual machine is powered on, select the Quiesce guest file system (Needs
VMware Tools installed) check box to pause running processes on the guest operating system so that
file system contents are in a known consistent state when you take the snapshot.

Click OK.

After you take the snapshot, you can view its status in the Recent Tasks field at the bottom of the vSphere
Client.

Restoring Snapshots
To return a virtual machine to its original state, or to return to another snapshot in the snapshot hierarchy,
you can restore a snapshot.
When you restore a snapshot, you return the virtual machine's memory, settings, and the state of the virtual
machine disks to the state they were in at the time you took the snapshot. If you want the virtual machine to
be suspended, powered on, or powered off when you start it, make sure that it is in the correct state when
you take the snapshot.
You can restore snapshots in the following ways:
Revert to Latest
Snapshot

Restores the parent snapshot, one level up in the hierarchy from the You are
Here position. Revert to Latest Snapshot activates the parent snapshot of the
current state of the virtual machine.

Revert To

Lets you restore any snapshot in the snapshot tree and makes that snapshot
the parent snapshot of the current state of the virtual machine. Subsequent
snapshots from this point create a new branch of the snapshot tree.

Restoring snapshots has the following effects:
n

The current disk and memory states are discarded, and the virtual machine reverts to the disk and
memory states of the parent snapshot.

Existing snapshots are not removed. You can restore those snapshots at any time.

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If the snapshot includes the memory state, the virtual machine will be in the same power state as when
you created the snapshot.
Table 16‑1. Virtual Machine Power State After Restoring a Snapshot
Virtual Machine State When Parent Snapshot Is
Taken

Virtual Machine State After Restoration

Powered on (includes memory)

Reverts to the parent snapshot, and the virtual machine is
powered on and running.

Powered on (does not include memory)

Reverts to the parent snapshot and the virtual machine is
powered off.

Powered off (does not include memory)

Reverts to the parent snapshot and the virtual machine is
powered off.

Virtual machines running certain kinds of workloads can take several minutes to resume responsiveness
after reverting from a snapshot.
NOTE vApp metadata for virtual machines in vApps does not follow the snapshot semantics for virtual
machine configuration. vApp properties that are deleted, modified, or defined after a snapshot is taken
remain intact (deleted, modified, or defined) after the virtual machine reverts to that snapshot or any
previous snapshots.

Revert to a Snapshot in the vSphere Client
You can restore the parent snapshot of the current state of the virtual machine.
When you revert to a snapshot, disks that you added or changed after the snapshot was taken are reverted
to the snapshot point. For example, when you take a snapshot of a virtual machine, add a disk, and revert
the snapshot, the added disk is removed.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Revert to snapshot on the virtual machine.
Procedure
u

Right-click a virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory and select Revert to Current Snapshot.

The virtual machine power and data states are returned to the states they were in at the time you took the
parent snapshot. If the parent snapshot is a memory snapshot, the virtual machine is restored to an on
power state.

Go To a Snapshot in the vSphere Client
You can go to any snapshot in the snapshot tree to restore the virtual machine to the state of that snapshot.
NOTE Virtual machines running certain kinds of workloads might take several minutes to resume
responsiveness after reverting from a snapshot.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Revert to snapshot on the virtual machine
Procedure

192

Right-click a virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory and select Snapshot Manager.

In the Snapshot Manager, click a snapshot to select it.

Click Go to to restore the virtual machine to the snapshot.

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Click Yes in the confirmation dialog box.

Subsequent child snapshots from this point create a new branch of the snapshot tree. The delta disks for
snapshots that you took after you restored the current snapshot are not removed and you can restore those
snapshots at any time.

Deleting Snapshots
Deleting a snapshot removes the snapshot from the Snapshot Manager. The snapshot files are consolidated
and written to the parent snapshot disk and merge with the virtual machine base disk.
Deleting a snapshot leaves the current state of the virtual machine or any other snapshot untouched.
Deleting a snapshot consolidates the changes between snapshots and previous disk states and writes to the
parent disk all data from the delta disk that contains the information about the deleted snapshot. When you
delete the base parent snapshot, all changes merge with the base virtual machine disk.
Deleting snapshots involves large amounts of disk reads and writes, which can reduce virtual machine
performance until consolidation is complete. Consolidating snapshots removes redundant disks, which
improves virtual machine performance and saves storage space. The time it takes to delete snapshots and
consolidate the snapshot files depends on the volume of data that the guest operating system wrote to the
virtual disks after you took the last snapshot. The required time is proportional to the amount of data the
virtual machine is writing during consolidation if the virtual machine is powered on.
If disk consolidation fails when you delete a snapshot or delete all snapshots and you notice a degradation
in virtual machine performance, you can view a list of virtual machines to determine if any files require
consolidation, and if so, run a separate consolidation operation. For information about locating and viewing
the consolidation state of multiple virtual machines and running a separate consolidation operation, see
“Consolidate Snapshots in the vSphere Client,” on page 194
Delete

Use the Delete option to remove a single parent or child snapshot from the
snapshot tree. Delete writes disk changes between the snapshot and the
previous delta disk state to the parent snapshot.
You can also use the Delete option to remove a corrupt snapshot and its files
from an abandoned branch of the snapshot tree without merging them with
the parent snapshot.

Delete All

Use the Delete All option to delete all snapshots from the Snapshot
Manager. Delete all consolidates and writes changes between snapshots and
previous delta disk states to the base parent disk and merges them with the
base virtual machine disk.

To prevent snapshot files from merging with the parent snapshot, for example in cases of failed updates or
installations, first use the Go to command to restore to a previous snapshot. This action invalidates the
snapshot delta disks and deletes the memory file. You can then use the Delete option to remove the
snapshot and any associated files.

Delete a Snapshot in the vSphere Client
You can use the Snapshot Manager to delete a single snapshot or all snapshots in a snapshot tree.
Use care when you delete snapshots. You cannot restore a deleted snapshot. For example, you might want
to install several browsers, a, b, and c, and capture the virtual machine state after you install each browser.
The first, or base snapshot, captures the virtual machine with browser a and the second snapshot captures
browser b. If you restore the base snapshot that includes browser a and take a third snapshot to capture
browser c and delete the snapshot that contains browser b, you cannot return to the virtual machine state
that includes browser b.

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Prerequisites
n

Ensure that you are familiar with the Delete and Delete all actions and how they might affect virtual
machine performance. See “Deleting Snapshots,” on page 193.

Required Privilege: Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Remove Snapshot on the virtual machine.

Procedure
1

Select Inventory > Virtual Machine > Snapshot > Snapshot Manager.

In the Snapshot Manager, click a snapshot to select it.

Select a delete option.

Option

Description

Delete

Consolidates the snapshot data to the parent snapshot and removes the
selected snapshot from the Snapshot Manager and virtual machine.

Delete All

Consolidates all of the immediate snapshots before the You are here
current state to the base parent disk and removes all existing snapshots
from the Snapshot Manager and virtual machine.

Click Yes.

Consolidate Snapshots in the vSphere Client
The snapshot Consolidation command searches for hierarchies or delta disks to combine without violating
data dependency. After consolidation, redundant disks are removed, which improves virtual machine
performance and saves storage space.
Snapshot consolidation is useful when snapshot disks fail to compact after a Delete or Delete all operation
or if the disk did not consolidate. This might happen, for example, if you delete a snapshot but its associated
disk does not commit back to the base disk.
The Needs Consolidation column in the vSphere Client shows the virtual machines that need to be
consolidated and the virtual machine's Summary tab shows a Configuration Issues consolidation message if
the virtual machine needs to be consolidated. If you see errors for failed conditions, such as running out of
disk space, correct them and run the consolidation task.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Virtual machine.Snapshot management.Remove Snapshot
Procedure
1

Display the Need Consolidation column in the vSphere Client.
a

Select a vCenter Server, host, or cluster and click the Virtual Machines tab.

Right-click the menu bar for any virtual machine column and select Needs Consolidation from the
menu.

The Needs Consolidation column appears. A Yes status indicates that the snapshot files for the virtual
machine should be consolidated and that the virtual machine's Tasks and Events tab shows a
configuration problem. A No status indicates that the files are OK.
2

To consolidate the files, right-click the virtual machine and select Snapshot > Consolidate.

Check the Need Consolidation column to verify that the task succeeded.
If the task succeeded, the Configuration Issues message should be cleared and the Needs Consolidation
value should be No.

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Managing Multi-Tiered Applications
with vSphere vApp in the vSphere
Client

You can use VMware vSphere as a platform for running applications, in addition to using it as a platform
for running virtual machines. The applications can be packaged to run directly on top of VMware vSphere.
The format of how the applications are packaged and managed is called vSphere vApp.
A vApp is a container, like a resource pool and can contain one or more virtual machines. A vApp also
shares some functionality with virtual machines. A vApp can power on and power off, and can also be
cloned.
In the vSphere Client, a vApp is represented in both the Host and Clusters view and the VM and Template
view. Each view has a specific summary page with the current status of the service and relevant summary
information, as well as operations on the service.
The distribution format for vApp is OVF.
NOTE The vApp metadata resides in the vCenter Server's database, so a vApp can be distributed across
multiple ESXi hosts. This information can be lost if the vCenter Server database is cleared or if a standalone
ESXi host that contains a vApp is removed from vCenter Server. You should back up vApps to an OVF
package to avoid losing any metadata.
vApp metadata for virtual machines within vApps do not follow the snapshots semantics for virtual
machine configuration. So, vApp properties that are deleted, modified, or defined after a snapshot is taken
remain intact (deleted, modified, or defined) after the virtual machine reverts to that snapshot or any prior
snapshots.
You can use VMware Studio to automate the creation of ready-to-deploy vApps with pre-populated
application software and operating systems. VMware Studio adds a network agent to the guest so that
vApps bootstrap with minimal effort. Configuration parameters specified for vApps appear as OVF
properties in the vCenter Server deployment wizard. For information about VMware Studio and for
download, see the VMware Studio developer page on the VMware web site.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Create a vApp,” on page 196

“Power On a vApp in the vSphere Client,” on page 197

“Clone a vApp,” on page 198

“Power Off a vApp in the vSphere Client,” on page 198

“Suspend a vApp in the vSphere Client,” on page 198

“Resume a vApp in the vSphere Client,” on page 199

“Populate the vApp,” on page 199

“Edit vApp Settings in the vSphere Client,” on page 200

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“Configuring IP Pools,” on page 204

“Edit vApp Annotation in the vSphere Client,” on page 206

Create a vApp
A vApp allows you to perform resource management and certain other management activities such as
power operations for multiple virtual machines at the same time. You can think of the vApp as the container
for the virtual machines, and you can perform the operations on the container.
When you create a vApp, you can add it to a folder, standalone host, resource pool, cluster enabled for DRS,
or another vApp.
Prerequisites
Verify that one of those objects is available in your datacenter.
n

A standalone host that is running ESX 4.0 or greater.

A cluster that is enabled for DRS.

Procedure

196

Navigate to an object that supports vApp creation and select the New vApp icon (

In the vApp Name text box, type a name for the vApp.

Select the vApp Inventory Location and click Next.

If you start the action from a folder or vApp, you are prompted for a host, cluster, or resource pool.

If you start the action from a resource pool, host, or cluster, you are prompted for a folder or data
center.

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In the Resource Allocation page, allocate CPU and memory resources to this vApp.
a

Allocate CPU resources for this vApp.
Option

Description

CPU shares for this vApp with respect to the parent's total. Sibling
vApps share resources according to their relative share values bounded
by the reservation and limit. Select Low, Normal, or High, which
specify share values respectively in a 1:2:4 ratio. Select Custom to give
each vApp a specific number of shares, which express a proportinal
weight.

Reservation

Guaranteed CPU allocation for this vApp.

Reservation Type

Select the Expandable check box to make the reservation expandable.
When the vApp is powered on, if the combined reservations of its
virtual machines are larger than the reservation of the vApp, the vApp
can use resources from its parent or ancestors.

Limit

Upper limit for this vApp's CPU allocation. Select Unlimited to specify
no upper limit.

Allocate memory resources for this vApp.
Option

Description

Memory shares for this vApp with respect to the parent's total. Sibling
vApps share resources according to their relative share values bounded
by the reservation and limit. Select Low, Normal, or High, which
specify share values respectively in a 1:2:4 ratio. Select Custom to give
each vApp a specific number of shares, which express a proportinal
weight.

Reservation

Guaranteed memory allocation for this vApp.

Reservation Type

Limit

Upper limit for this vApp's memory allocation. Select Unlimited to
specify no upper limit.

Click Next.

Review the vApp settings and click Finish.

Power On a vApp in the vSphere Client
Each virtual machine within the vApp is powered on according to the startup order configuration.
When powering on a vApp within a DRS cluster in manual mode, no DRS recommendations are generated
for virtual machine placements. The power-on operation performs as if DRS is run in a semiautomatic or
automatic mode for the initial placements of the virtual machines. This does not affect vMotion
recommendations. Recommendations for individual powering on and powering off of virtual machines are
also generated for vApps that are running.
Procedure
u

In the Summary page for the service, click Power On.
If a delay is set in the startup settings, the vApp waits for the set length of time before powering up that
virtual machine.

In the Summary tab, the status indicates when the vApp has started and is available. Links to the product
and vendor Web sites are also found under the General section.

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Clone a vApp
Cloning a vApp is similar to cloning a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
To clone a vApp, the vSphere Client must be connected to the vCenter Server system.
A host must be selected in the inventory that is running ESX 4.0 or greater, or a cluster enabled with DRS.
Procedure
1

Select the vApp in the inventory.

Select Inventory > vApp > Clone.
Complete each page in Clone vApp the wizard.

Select the vApp destination and click Next.

Specify a Host and click Next.
NOTE This step is available only if you select a cluster that is in DRS manual mode.

Enter a name for the vApp clone and select the vApp Inventory Location, then click Next.

Select a datastore and click Next.

Select a disk format to store the virtual machines virtual disks and click Next.

Same format as source

Thin provisioned format

Thick format

Review the new vApp settings and click Finish.

Power Off a vApp in the vSphere Client
Each virtual machine within the vApp is powered off in reverse order to how they are configured for
startup.
Procedure
u

In the Summary page for the service, click Power Off.
If a delay is set in the shutdown settings, the vApp waits for the set length of time before powering
down that virtual machine.

Suspend a vApp in the vSphere Client
A suspended vApp pauses all its running virtual machines until you resume the vApp.
The virtual machines within a vApp are suspended based on their stop order. All virtual machines are
suspended regardless of stop action.
Procedure

198

From the vSphere Client select the vApp you want to place in suspended state.

Right-click the vApp and select Suspend.

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Resume a vApp in the vSphere Client
You can continue the activity of the virtual machines within a vApp that is in a suspended state.
The suspended virtual machines within the vApp are resumed in reverse order to the order in which they
were suspended.
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client, select the vApp.

Right-click the vApp and select Power On.

Populate the vApp
Virtual machines and other vApps can be added to and removed from a vApp.
After you create a vApp, you can populate it with virtual machines or other vApps.

Create an Object Inside the vApp in the vSphere Client
Within a vApp, you can create a new virtual machine, resource pool, or another vApp.
Procedure
1

In the inventory, select the vApp in which you want to create the object machine.

Select the menu option to create a specific object.
Menu Option

Description

Inventory > vApp > New Virtual
Machine

Creates a new virtual machine inside the vApp. Complete the Create New
Virtual Machine wizard. See Chapter 10, “Creating a Virtual Machine in
the vSphere Client,” on page 85 for instructions on creating a new virtual
machine.

Inventory > vApp > New Resource
Pool

Adds a resource pool inside the vApp. Complete the Create Resource Pool
window.

Inventory > vApp > New vApp

Creates a new vApp inside the currently selected vApp. Complete the
New vApp wizard. See “Create a vApp,” on page 196 for instructions on
creating a new vApp.

The new object appears as part of the vApp in the inventory.

Add an Object to a vApp in the vSphere Client
You can add an object, such as a virtual machine or another vApp, to an existing vApp.
An existing virtual machine or another vApp that is not already contained inside the vApp can be moved
into the currently selected vApp.
Procedure
1

Display the object in the inventory.

Click and drag the object to the target object.

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If the move is permitted, a box appears around the target-object, indicating it is selected.

If the move is not permitted, a naught sign (zero with a slash) appears, and the object is not moved.

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Release the mouse button.
Either the object moves to the new location or an error message indicates what needs to be done to
permit the move.

Edit vApp Settings in the vSphere Client
You can edit and configure several vApp settings, including startup order, resources, and custom
properties.
Procedure
1

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab to edit or view vApp properties.
NOTE The deployer typically edits the IP allocation policy and properties. The vApp author typically
edits the other, more advanced settings.

Click the Start Order tab to edit vApp startup and shutdown options.

Click OK.

Edit vApp Startup and Shutdown Options
You can change the order in which virtual machines and nested vApps within a vApp start up and shut
down. You can also specify delays and actions performed at startup and shutdown.
Required privilege: vApp.vApp application configuration
Procedure
1

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

In the Start Order tab of the Edit vApp Settings window, select a virtual machine and use the arrow
keys to change the startup order.
Virtual Machines and vApps with the same start order (or within the same grouping) will start
concurrently with each other.
The reverse order will be used for shutdown.

Select the startup and shutdown action for each virtual machine.

(Optional) Use the arrow keys to change the time delay for startup and shutdown for each virtual
machine.

Click OK.

Edit vApp Resources
You can edit the CPU and memory resource allocation for the vApp.
Required privilege: vApp.vApp application configuration
Reservations on vApps and all their child resource pools, child vApps, and child virtual machines count
against the parent resources only when they are powered on.
Procedure

200

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

Click Resources in the Options list.

Edit the CPU and memory resource allocation.

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Chapter 17 Managing Multi-Tiered Applications with vSphere vApp in the vSphere Client

Click OK.

Edit vApp Properties
You can edit any vApp property that is defined in Advanced Property Configuration.
Required privilege: vApp.vApp application configuration
Procedure
1

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

Click Properties in the Options list.

Edit the vApp properties.

Click OK.

Edit IP Allocation Policy
You can edit how IP addresses are allocated for the vApp.
Prerequisites
n

For automatic (transient) IP allocation to work, you must use the vSphere Client and configure an IP
pool. See “Configuring IP Pools,” on page 204.

Required privilege: vApp.vApp instance configuration.
Procedure
1

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

Click IP Allocation Policy in the Options list.

Select an IP allocation option.

Option

Description

Fixed

IP addresses are manually configured. No automatic allocation is
performed.

Transient

IP addresses are automatically allocated using IP pools from a specified
range when the vApp is powered on. The IP addresses are released when
the appliance is powered off.

DHCP

A DHCP server is used to allocate the IP addresses. The addresses
assigned by the DHCP server are visible in the OVF environments of
virtual machines started in the vApp.

Click OK.

Add a vService Dependency
You can add a vService dependency to a virtual machine or vApp. This dependency allows a virtual
machine or vApp to request that a specific vService be available.
Procedure
1

Display the virtual machine or vApp in the inventory.

Power off the virtual machine or vApp.

Right-click the virtual machine or vApp and select Edit Settings.

Click the vServices tab.

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Click Add.

In the Add Dependency wizard, select the provider for this dependency and click Next.

Enter the name and description for this dependency.

(Optional) If this dependency is required, select the check box and click Next.
Required dependencies must be bound before powering on.

Review the options and click Finish to create the dependency.

Edit a vService Dependency
You can edit a vService dependency name, description, and requirement.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine or vApp and select Edit Settings

From the vServices tab in the Edit Settings dialog box, right-click on the dependency and click Edit.

In the Dependency Properties dialog box, edit the dependency name and description.

Select or deselect the check box to change the required status of the dependency.
The required check box is disabled if the virtual machine or vApp is running.

Click OK.

Remove a vService Dependency
You can remove a vService dependency from a virtual machine or vApp.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the virtual machine or vApp and select Edit Settings

From the vServices tab in the Edit Settings dialog box, select the dependency and click Remove.

The dependency is removed from the list.

Configure Advanced vApp Properties
You can edit and configure advanced settings, such as product and vendor information, custom properties,
and IP allocation.
Required privilege: vApp.vApp application configuration
Procedure

202

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

Click Advanced in the Options list.

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Chapter 17 Managing Multi-Tiered Applications with vSphere vApp in the vSphere Client

Set and configure the settings that appear on the summary page of the virtual machine.
vApp Setting

Description

Product Name

Product Name.

Version

vApp version.

Full Version

Full version of the vApp.

Product URL

If you enter a product URL, a user can click the product name on the
virtual machine summary page and go to the product's web page.

Vendor URL

If you enter a vendor URL, a user can click the vendor name on the virtual
machine summary page and go to the vendor's web page.

Application URL

If you use properties to specify the virtual machine IP address, you can
enter a dynamic application URL that points to a web page exposed by
running the virtual machine. If you enter a valid application URL, the state
of the virtual machine changes to the Available link when the virtual
machine begins running.

If you configure the virtual machine to use the property called webserver_ip and the virtual machine has
a web server, you can enter http://${webserver_ip}/ as the Application URL.
4

(Optional) Click View to test the Product URL and Vendor URL.

Click Properties to edit the custom vApp properties.

Click IP Allocation to edit the supported IP allocation schemes of this vApp.

Click OK.

Define OVF Environment Properties
You can view or modify the OVF environment properties for the vApp.
Procedure
1

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

Click Advanced in the Options list.

Click Properties.

In Advanced Property Configuration, you can perform the following actions.

Click New to add a new custom property.

Select the property and click Edit to edit a property.

Click Delete to delete a property.

Click OK.

Edit Advanced IP Allocation Properties
You can edit the IP allocation scheme for the vApp.
Procedure
1

On the Summary page of the vApp, click Edit Settings.

Click Advanced in the Options list.

Click IP Allocation.

In the Advanced IP Allocation dialog box, you can perform the following actions.

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Select an IP allocation scheme.

Select the IP protocols supported by the vApp: IPv4, IPv6, or both.

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Click OK.

Configuring IP Pools
IP pools provide a network identity to vApps. An IP pool is a network configuration that is assigned to a
network used by a vApp. The vApp can then leverage vCenter Server to automatically provide an IP
configuration to its virtual machines.

Specify an IP Address Range
You can set up an IP address range by specifying a host address range within a network.
IP pool ranges are configured with IPv4 and IPv6. vCenter Server uses these ranges to dynamically allocate
IP addresses to virtual machines when a vApp is set up to use transient IP allocation.
Procedure
1

In the inventory, select the datacenter that contains the vApp.

In the IP Pools tab, right-click the IP pool that you want to edit and select Properties.
If no IP pools appear, click Add to add a new IP pool.

In the Properties dialog box, select the IPv4 or the IPv6 tab, depending on your IP protocol.

Enter the IP Subnet and Gateway in their respective fields.

(Optional) Select the Enable IP Pool check box.
Enable this setting to specify an IP address range.

(Optional) Enter a comma-separated list of host address ranges in the Ranges field.
A range consists of an IP address, a pound sign (#), and a number indicating the length of the range.
The gateway and the ranges must be within the subnet, but must exclude the gateway address.
For example, 10.20.60.4#10, 10.20.61.0#2 indicates that the IPv4 addresses can range from 10.20.60.4
to 10.209.60.13 and 10.20.61.0 to 10.20.61.1.

Click OK.

Select DHCP
You can specify that an IPv4 or IPv6 DHCP server is available on the network.
Procedure
1

In the inventory, select the datacenter that contains the vApp you are configuring.

In the IP Pools tab, right-click the IP pool that you want to edit and select Properties.
If no IP pools appear, click Add to add a new IP pool.

204

In the Properties dialog box, select the DHCP tab.

Select either the IPv4 DHCP Present or IPv6 DHCP Present check box to indicate that one of the DHCP
servers is available on this network.

Click OK.

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Chapter 17 Managing Multi-Tiered Applications with vSphere vApp in the vSphere Client

Specify DNS Settings
Enter the DNS settings for the vApp.
Procedure
1

In the inventory, select the datacenter that contains the vApp you are configuring.

In the IP Pools tab, right-click the IP pool that you want to edit and select Properties.
If no IP pools appear, click Add to add a new IP pool.

In the Properties dialog box, select the DNS tab.

Enter the DNS server information.
Specify the servers by IP addresses separated by a comma, semicolon, or space.
You can enter the following types of DNS information:

DNS Domain

Host Prefix

DNS Search Path

IPv4 DNS Servers

IPv6 DNS Servers

Click OK.

Specify a Proxy Server
Specify a HTTP proxy server for the vApp.
Procedure
1

In the inventory, select the datacenter that contains the vApp.

In the IP Pools tab, right-click the IP pool that you want to edit and select Properties.
If no IP pools appear, click Add to add a new IP pool.

In the Properties dialog box, select the Proxy tab.

Enter the server name and port number for the proxy server.
The server name can optionally include a colon and a port number.
For example, web-proxy:3912 is a valid proxy server.

Click OK.

Select Network Associations
You can associate one or more networks with an IP pool.
Procedure
1

In the inventory, select the datacenter that contains the vApp.

In the IP Pools tab, right-click the IP pool that you want to edit and select Properties.
If no IP pools appear, click Add to add a new IP pool.

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In the Properties dialog box, select the Associations tab.

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Select the networks that use this IP pool.
A network can be associated with one IP pool at a time.

Click OK.

Edit vApp Annotation in the vSphere Client
You can add or edit notes for a particular vApp.
Procedure
1

Select the vApp in the inventory.

Click the Summary tab for the vApp.

In the Annotation section, click Edit.

Type your comments in the Edit Service Annotation window.

Click OK.

Your comments appear under Annotation.

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Monitoring Solutions with the
vCenter Solutions Manager

A vSphere administrator uses the vCenter Solutions Manager in the vSphere Client to view the installed
solutions, view detailed information about the solutions, and monitor the solution health status. You can
also perform those tasks in the vSphere Web Client.
You can monitor and manage vSphere solutions from the vSphere Client or the vSphere Web Client. Both
clients display an inventory of vSphere solutions and details about each solution.
A solution is an extension of the vCenter Server that adds new functions to a vCenter Server instance. For
example, vSphere ESX Agent Manager is a standard vCenter solution provided by VMware that allows you
to manage ESX host agents that add new capabilities to ESX hosts. Another standard solution that vSphere
provides is vService Manager. VMware products that integrate with vCenter Sever are also considered
solutions. You can install a solution to add functionality from third-party technologies to the standard
functions of vCenter Server. Solutions typically are delivered as OVF packages. You can install and deploy
solutions from vSphere Client. Solutions can be integrated into the vCenter Solutions Manager.
If a virtual machine or vApp is running a solution, a custom icon appears next to it in the inventory view of
the vSphere Client. When you power on or power off a virtual machine or vApp, you are notified that you
are performing this operation on an entity that is managed by the solution manager.
Each solution registers a unique icon to identify that the virtual machine or vApp is being managed by that
solution. The icons show the power states (powered on, paused, powered off).
The solutions display more than one type of icon if they manage more than one type of virtual machine or
vApp.
When you attempt an operation on a virtual machine or a vApp that is managed by a solution, an
informational warning message appears.
For more information, see the Developing and Deploying vSphere Solutions, vServices, and ESX Agents
documentation.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Viewing Solutions,” on page 208

“Monitoring Agents,” on page 208

“Monitoring vServices,” on page 209

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Viewing Solutions
You can deploy, monitor, and interact with solutions that are installed in a vCenter Server instance with the
vCenter Solutions Manager. The Solutions Manager displays information about the health of a solution.
You can navigate to the Solutions Manager from the home page of the vSphere Client. The Solutions
Manager view displays information about the solution:
n

Solution name

Solution health

vService providers

Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Solutions Manager icon from vSphere Client home.

Navigate through the tabs in the Solutions Manager.

Summary tab. Lists the number of installed solutions and a brief health overview for each of the
solutions.

Solutions tab. Lists each managed solution.

Health tab. Provides the health status of the vCenter services. It also shows alerts or warnings for
each of the services.

In the Solutions Manager inventory, click one of the solutions.
n

Summary tab. Lists information about the solution, including a link to the product and vendor
Web sites, a link to launch the management UI in a separate window, and a link to the virtual
machine or vApp running this solution.
Selecting the vendor Web site link takes you to the Summary page of the virtual machine or vApp.
A link under "Managed by" returns you to the solution.

Virtual Machines tab. Lists all the virtual machines belonging to the solution

vServices Providers tab.

Management tab or any other tabs the solution specified.

Monitoring Agents
The vCenter Solutions Manager displays the vSphere ESX Agent Manager agents that you use to deploy and
manage related agents on ESX/ESXi hosts.
You can use the Solutions Manager to keep track of whether the agents of a solution are working as
expected. Outstanding issues are reflected by the solution's ESX Agent Manager status and a list of issues.
When the status of a solution changes, the Solutions Manager updates the ESX Agent Manager summary
status and state. Administrators use this status to track whether the goal state is reached.
The agent health status is indicated by a specific color.

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Table 18‑1. ESX Agent Manager health status
Status

Description

Red

The solution must intervene for the ESX Agent Manager to
proceed. For example, if a virtual machine agent is
powered off manually on a compute resource and the ESX
Agent Manager does not attempt to power on the agent.
The ESX Agent Manager reports this action to the solution,
and the solution alerts the administrator to power on the
agent.

Yellow

The ESX Agent Manager is actively working to reach a goal
state. The goal state can be enabled, disabled, or
uninstalled. For example, when a solution is registered, its
status is yellow until the ESX Agent Manager deploys the
solutions agents to all the specified compute resources. A
solution does not need to intervene when the ESX Agent
Manager reports its ESX Agent Manager health status as
yellow.

Green

A solution and all its agents have reached the goal state.

Monitoring vServices
A vService is a service or function that a solution provides to virtual machines and vApps. A solution can
provide one or more vServices. These vServices integrate with the platform and are able to change the
environment in which the vApp or virtual machine runs.
A vService is a type of service for a virtual machine and a vApp provided by a vCenter extension. Virtual
machines and vApps can have dependencies on vServices. Each dependency is associated with a vService
type. The vService type must be bound to a particular vCenter extension that implements that vService type.
This vService type is similar to a virtual hardware device. For example, a virtual machine can have a
networking device that at deployment must be connected to a particular network.
The vService Manager allows a solution to connect to operations related to OVF templates:
n

Importing OVF templates. Receive a callback when OVF templates with a vService dependancy of a
certain type is imported.

Exporting OVF templates. Inserts OVF sections when a virtual machine is exported.

OVF environment generation. Inserts OVF sections into the OVF environment at the power-on instance.

The vServices tab in the Solution Manager provides details for each vCenter extension. This information
allows you to monitor vService providers and list the virtual machines or vApps to which they are bound.

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Using Host Profiles in the vSphere
Client

The host profiles feature creates a profile that encapsulates the host configuration and helps to manage the
host configuration, especially in environments where an administrator manages more than one host or
cluster in vCenter Server.
Host profiles eliminates per-host, manual, or UI-based host configuration and maintains configuration
consistency and correctness across the datacenter by using host profile policies. These policies capture the
blueprint of a known, validated reference host configuration and use this to configure networking, storage,
security, and other settings on multiple hosts or clusters. You can then check a host or cluster against a
profile’s configuration for any deviations.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Host Profiles Usage Model,” on page 211

“Access Host Profiles View,” on page 212

“Creating a Host Profile,” on page 212

“Export a Host Profile,” on page 213

“Import a Host Profile,” on page 214

“Clone a Host Profile,” on page 214

“Edit a Host Profile,” on page 214

“Manage Profiles,” on page 217

“Checking Compliance,” on page 220

“Host Profiles and vSphere Auto Deploy,” on page 222

Host Profiles Usage Model
You perform host profiles tasks in a certain workflow order.
You must have an existing vSphere installation with at least one properly configured host.
1

Set up and configure the host that will be used as the reference host.
A reference host is the host from which the profile is created.

Create a profile using the designated reference host.

Attach a host or cluster to the profile.

Check the host's compliance to the reference host's profile. If all hosts are compliant with the reference
host, they are correctly configured.

Apply the host profile of the reference host to other hosts or clusters of hosts.

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Using host profiles is only supported for VMware vSphere 4.0 hosts or later. This feature is not supported
for VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier hosts. If you have VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier hosts
managed by your vCenter Server 4.0 or later, the following problems can occur if you try to use host profiles
for those hosts:
n

You cannot create a host profile that uses a VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier host as a reference host.

You cannot apply a host profile to any VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier hosts. The compliance check
fails.

While you can attach a host profile to a mixed cluster that contains VMware Infrastructure 3.5 or earlier
hosts, the compliance check for those earlier hosts fails.

As a licensed feature of vSphere, host profiles are only available when the appropriate licensing is in place.
If you see errors, ensure that you have the appropriate vSphere licensing for your hosts.
If you want the host profile to use directory services for authentication, the reference host needs to be
configured to use a directory service. See the vSphere Security documentation.

Hosts Provisioned with vSphere® Auto Deploy
For hosts provisioned with vSphere Auto Deploy, vCenter Server owns the entire host configuration, which
is captured in a host profile. In most cases, the host profile information is sufficient to store all configuration
information. Sometimes the user is prompted for input when the host provisioned with Auto Deploy boots.
The answer file mechanism manages those cases. See the vSphere Installation and Setup documentation.

Access Host Profiles View
The Host Profiles main view lists all available profiles. Administrators can also use the Host Profiles main
view to perform operations on host profiles and configure profiles.
The Host Profiles main view should be used by experienced administrators who wish to perform host
profile operations and configure advanced options and policies. Most operations such as creating new
profiles, attaching entities, and applying profiles can be performed from the Hosts and Clusters view.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
u

Select View > Management > Host Profiles.

Any existing profiles are listed on the left side in the profiles list. When a profile is selected from the profile
list, the details of that profile are displayed on the right side.

Creating a Host Profile
You create a new host profile by using the designated reference host's configuration.
A host profile can be created from:

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Host Profile main view

host's context menu

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Create a Host Profile from Host Profiles View
You can create a host profile from the Host Profiles main view using the configuration of an existing host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
You must have a vSphere installation and at least one properly configured host in the inventory.
Procedure
1

In the Host Profiles main view, click Create Profile.
The Create Profile wizard appears.

Select the option to create a new profile and click Next.

Select the host you want to designate as the reference host for the new host profile and click Next.
The reference host must be a valid host.

Type the name and enter a description for the new profile and click Next.

Review the summary information for the new profile and click Finish to complete creating the profile.

The new profile appears in the profile list.

Create a Host Profile from Host
You can create a new host profile from the host's context menu in the Hosts and Clusters inventory view.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
You must have a vSphere installation and at least one properly configured host in the inventory.
Procedure
1

In the Host and Clusters view, select the host that you want to designate as the reference host for the
new host profile.
The host must be a valid host to use as a reference host.

Right-click the host and select Host Profile > Create Profile from Host
The Create Profile from Host wizard opens.

Type the name and enter a description for the new profile and click Next.

Review the summary information for the new profile and click Finish to complete creating the profile.

The new profile appears in the host's Summary tab.

Export a Host Profile
You can export a profile to a file that is in the VMware profile format (.vpf).
NOTE When a host profile is exported, administrator and user profile passwords are not exported. This is a
security measure and stops passwords from being exported in plain text when the profile is exported. You
will be prompted to re-enter the values for the password after the profile is imported and the password is
applied to a host.

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Procedure
1

In the Host Profiles view page, select the profile to export from the profile list.

Right-click the profile and select the Export Profile.

Select the location and type the name of the file to export the profile.

Click Save.

Import a Host Profile
You can import a profile from a file in the VMware profile format (.vpf).
NOTE When a host profile is exported, administrator and user profile passwords are not exported. This is a
security measure and stops passwords from being exported in plain text when the profile is exported. You
will be prompted to re-enter the values for the password after the profile is imported and the password is
applied to a host.
Procedure
1

In the Host Profiles main view, click the Create Profile icon.
The Create Profile wizard appears.

Select the option to import a profile and click Next.

Enter or browse the VMware Profile Format file to import and click Next.

Select a valid host you want to designate as the reference host for the imported profile and click Next.

Type the name, enter a description for the imported profile, and click Next when finished.

Review the summary information for the imported profile and click Finish to complete importing the
profile.

The imported profile appears in the profile list.

Clone a Host Profile
A host profile clone is a copy of an existing host profile.
Procedure
1

In the Host Profiles main view, select the profile to clone.

Click Clone Profile.

A clone of the profile appears in the Host Profiles view.

Edit a Host Profile
You can view and edit host profile policies, select a policy to be checked for compliance, and change the
policy name or description.
Procedure

214

In the Host Profiles main view, select the profile to edit from the profile list.

Click Edit Host Profile.

(Optional) Change the profile name or description in the fields at the top of the Profile Editor.

Edit the policy.

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(Optional) Enable or disable the policy compliance check.

Click OK to close the Profile Editor.

Edit a Policy
A policy describes how a specific configuration setting should be applied. The Profile Editor allows you to
edit policies belonging to a specific host profile.
On the left side of the Profile Editor, you can expand the host profile. Each host profile is composed of
several subprofiles that are designated by functional group to represent configuration instances. Each
subprofile contains many policies and compliance checks that describe the configuration that is relevant to
the profile. You can configure certain subprofiles, example policies, and compliance checks.
Each policy consists of one or more options that contains one or more parameters. Each parameter consists
of a key and a value. The value can be one of a few basic types, for example integer, string, string array, or
integer array.
Table 19‑1. Subset of Host Profile Subprofile Configurations
Sub-Profile Configuration

Example Policies and Compliance
Checks

Memory reservation

Set memory reservation to a fixed value.

Storage

Configure storage options, including
Native Multi-Pathing (NMP), Pluggable
Storage Architecture (PSA), FCoE and
iSCSI adapters, and NFS storage.

Notes

Networking

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Configure virtual switch, port groups,
physical NIC speed, security and NIC
teaming policies, vSphere Distributed
Switch, and vSphere Distributed Switch
uplink port.

Use the vSphere CLI to configure or modify
the NMP and PSA policies on a reference
host first, and then extract the host profile
from that host. If you use the Profile Editor
to edit the policies, to avoid compliance
failures, make sure that you thoroughly
understand interrelationships between the
NMP and PSA policies and the
consequences of changing individual
policies. For information on the NMP and
PSA, see the vSphere Storage documentation.
Setting values for the Initiator IPv6 Address
and Initiator IPv6 Prefix options in a host
profile with independent hardware iSCSI
adapters has no effect on the HBA because
no independent iSCSi HBAs have IPv6
support.
Add the rules that change device attributes
before extracting the host profile from the
reference host. After attaching a host to the
host profile, if you edit the profile and
change the device attributes (for example,
mask device paths or adding SATP rules to
mark the device as SSD) you are prompted
to reboot the host in order to make the
changes. However, after rebooting
compliance failures occur because the
attributes changed. Because Host Profiles
extract device attributes before rebooting, if
any changes occur after the reboot, it
evaluates and finds those changes, and
reports it as non-compliant.

When DHCPv6 is enabled in the networking
sub-profile, the corresponding ruleset must also
be manually turned on in the firewall
subprofile.

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Table 19‑1. Subset of Host Profile Subprofile Configurations (Continued)
Sub-Profile Configuration

Example Policies and Compliance
Checks

Date and Time

Configure the time settings and
timezone of server.

Firewall

Enable or disable a ruleset.

Security

Add a user or a usergroup and set the
root password.

Service

Configure settings for a service.

Advanced

Modify advanced options.

Notes
For the time zone, enter a UTC string. For
example, "America/Los_Angeles" for United
States Pacific time zone.
The default time zone is set to the local time
and location of the vSphere Client machine.
Network Time Protocol (NTP) should be
correctly configured. You can configure the
NTP settings on the host's configuration tab.
Click Time Configuration, then Properties at
the top right of the panel.

Host Profiles do not check advanced
settings if they are the same as the default
settings. vCenter Server only copies the
advanced configuration settings that have
changed and differ from the default values.
In addition, compliance checks are limited
to only the settings that are copied.
Host Profiles does not support the
configuration of PCI devices for virtual
machine passthrough on the ESXi host.

Other profile configuration categories include: user group, authentication, kernel module, DCUI keyboard,
host cache settings, SFCB, resource pools, login banner, SNMP agent, power system, and CIM indication
subscriptions.
Procedure
1

Open the Profile Editor for the profile to edit.

On the left side of the Profile Editor, expand a subprofile until you reach the policy to edit.

Select the policy.
On the right side of the Profile Editor, the policy options and parameters are displayed on the
Configuration Details tab.

Select a policy option from the drop-down menu and set its parameter.

Click OK when you are finished editing the profile.
NOTE The change is made when the "Update host profile" task is completed in the Recent Tasks status.
If you attempt to apply the profile before the task is complete, the profile configuration does not contain
the change.

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(Optional) If you make a change to a policy, but want to revert back to the default option, click Revert
and the option is reset.

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Enable Compliance Check
You can decide whether a host profile policy is considered during compliance check.
Procedure
1

Open the Profile Editor for a profile and navigate to the policy you wish to enable for compliance check.

On the right side of the Profile Editor, select the Compliance Details tab.

Enable the check box for the policy.
NOTE The check box is enabled by default. If you disable the check box so this policy is not checked for
compliance, the other policies that are enabled for compliance check will still be checked.

Manage Profiles
After you create a host profile, you can manage the profile by attaching a profile to a particular host or
cluster and then applying that profile to the host or cluster.
You can associate a profile and a host or cluster either by attaching the profile to the host or cluster, or by
attaching the host or cluster to the profile. You can then apply the profile to the host or cluster.
NOTE A host profile must have a valid reference host associated with it before you can manage the profile.

Attaching Host or Cluster Entities to a Host Profile
If you want to set up a host to use the same configuration as a reference host, you can attach the host to a
profile. You can also attach a cluster to a profile.
Profiles can also be attached to a cluster. In order to be compliant, all hosts within an attached cluster must
be configured according to the profile. Hosts are not automatically configured in accordance to the host
profile that is attached with the cluster when it is added to the cluster. When a host is added to a cluster that
is attached to a profile, the host is automatically attached to the profile.
You can attach a host or cluster to a profile from:
n

Host Profiles main view

Host's context menu

Cluster's context menu

Cluster's Profile Compliance tab

Attach Entities from the Host Profiles View
Before you can apply the profile to an entity (host or cluster of hosts), you need to attach the entity to the
profile or the profile to the entity.
You can attach a host or cluster to a profile from the Host Profiles main view.
When a host profile is attached to a cluster, the host or hosts within that cluster are also attached to the host
profile. However, when the host profile is detached from the cluster, the association between the host or
host within the cluster and that host profile remains.
Procedure
1

In the Host Profiles main view, select the profile to which you want to add the host or cluster from the
profile list.

Click the Attach Host/Cluster icon.

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Select the host or cluster from the expanded list and click Attach.
The host or cluster is added to the Attached Entities list.

Click OK to close the dialog.

Attach Profiles from the Host
Before you can apply the profile to a host you need to attach the host to the profile or the profile to the host.
You can attach a profile to a host from the host's context menu in the Hosts and Clusters inventory view.
When a host profile is attached to a cluster, the host or hosts within that cluster are also attached to the host
profile. However, when the host profile is detached from the cluster, the association between the host or
host within the cluster and that host profile remain.
Procedure
1

In the Host and Clusters view, select the host to which you want to attach a profile.

Right-click the host and select Host Profile > Manage Profile.
NOTE If no host profiles exist in your inventory, a dialog appears asking if you want to create and
attach the host to this profile.

In the Attach Profile dialog, select the profile to attach to the host and click OK.

The host profile is updated in the Summary tab of the host.

Applying Profiles
To bring a host to the desired state as specified in the profile, apply the profile to the host.
You can apply a profile to a host from:
n

Host Profiles main view

Host's context menu

Cluster's Profile Compliance tab

If the profile is not applied, or configured to what is specified in the profile, it will cause the compliance
status for the profile to fail the next time a compliance check is performed. You fix this by applying the
profile to the host.

Apply a Profile from the Host Profiles View
You can apply a profile to a host from the Host Profiles main view.
Prerequisites
The profile must be attached to the host and the host must be in maintenance mode before a profile is
applied to it.
Procedure
1

In the Host Profiles main view, select the profile you want to apply to the host.

Select the Hosts and Clusters tab.
The list of attached hosts are shown under Entity Name.

Click Apply Profile.
In the Profile Editor, you might be prompted to enter the required parameters needed to apply the
profile.

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Enter the parameters and click Next.

Continue until all the required parameters are entered.

Click Finish.

Compliance Status is updated.

Apply a Profile from the Host
You can apply a profile to a host from the host's context menu.
Prerequisites
The host must be in maintenance mode before a profileis applied to it.
Procedure
1

In the Host and Clusters view, select the host to which you want to apply a profile.

Right-click the host and select Host Profile > Apply Profile.

In the Profile Editor, enter the parameters and click Next.

Continue until all the required parameters are entered.

Click Finish.

Compliance Status is updated.

Change Reference Host
The reference host configuration is used to create the host profile.
You can perform this task from the Host Profiles main view or from the host's context menu.
Prerequisites
The host profile must already exist.
Procedure
1

In the Host Profiles main view, right-click the profile you wish to change the reference host and select
Change Reference Host.

Expand the inventory list and select the host you want to use as the new reference host for the profile.

Click Update.
The Reference Host is updated.

Click OK.

The Summary tab for the host profile lists the updated reference host.

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Manage Profiles from a Cluster
You can create a profile, attach a profile, or update reference hosts from the cluster's context menu.
Procedure
u

In the Hosts and Clusters view, right-click a cluster and select Host Profile > Manage Profile.
Depending on your host profile setup, one of the following results occurs:
Profile Status and Task

Result

If the cluster is not attached to a
host profile and no profile exist in
your inventory, create a profile.

a
b

A dialog box opens asking if you would like to create a profile and
attach it to the cluster.
If you select Yes, the Create Profile wizard opens.

If the cluster is not attached to a
host profile and one or more
profiles exist in your inventory,
attach a profile.

a
b

The Attach Profile dialog opens.
Select the profile you want to attach to the cluster and click OK.

If the cluster is already attached to
a host profile, detach a profile or
attach to a different profile.

In the dialog box, click Detach to detach the profile from the cluster or
Change to attach a different profile to the cluster.

Updating Profiles From the Reference Host
If the configuration of the host from which a profile was created (the reference host) changes, you can
update the local profile so that the local host configuration matches the reference host's configuration.
Once you create a host profile, you might need to make incremental updates to the profile. You can do this
using two methods:
n

Make the configuration changes to the reference host in the vSphere Client, then update the profile
from the reference host. The settings within the existing profile are updated to match those of the
reference host.

Update the profile directly using the Profile Editor.

While updating the profile from the Profile Editor can be more comprehensive and provide more options,
updating the profile from the reference host allows you to validate the configuration before rolling it out to
other hosts that are attached to the profile.
Updating the profile from the reference host is performed from the Host Profiles main view.
Procedure
u

In the Host Profiles main view, right-click the profile you want to update and select Update Profile
From Reference Host.

Checking Compliance
Checking compliance ensures that the host or cluster continues to be correctly configured.
After a host or cluster is configured with the reference host profile, a manual change, for example, can occur,
making the configuration incorrect. Checking compliance on a regular basis ensures that the host or cluster
continues to be correctly configured.

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Check Compliance from the Host Profiles View
You can check the compliance of a host or cluster to a profile from the Host Profiles main view.
Procedure
1

From the Host Profiles list, select the profile that you want to check.

In the Hosts and Clusters tab, select the host or cluster from the list under Entity Name.

Click Check Compliance Now.
The compliance status is updated as Compliant, Unknown, or Non-compliant.
If the compliance status is Non-compliant, you can apply the the profile to the host.

Check Compliance from Host
After a profile has been attached to a host, run a compliance check from the host's context menu to verify the
configuration.
Procedure
1

In the Host and Clusters view, select the host on which you want to run the compliance check.

Right-click the host and select Host Profile > Check Compliance
The host's compliance status is displayed in the host's Summary tab.

If the host is not compliant, you must apply the profile to the host.

Check Cluster Compliance
A cluster may be checked for compliance with a host profile or for specific cluster requirements and settings.
Procedure
1

In the Host and Clusters view, select the cluster on which you want to run the compliance check.

In the Profile Compliance tab, click Check Compliance Now to check the cluster's compliance with
both the host profile that is attached to this cluster and the cluster requirements, if any.
n

The cluster is checked for compliance with specific settings for hosts in the cluster, such as DRS,
HA, and DPM. For example, it may check if vMotion is enabled. The compliance status for the
cluster requirements is updated. This check is performed even if a host profile is not attached to the
cluster.

If a host profile is attached to the cluster, the cluster is checked for compliance with the host profile.
The compliance status for the host profile is updated.

(Optional) Click Description next to the Cluster Requirements for a list of the specific cluster
requirements.

(Optional) Click Description next to Host Profiles for a list of the specific host profile compliance
checks.

(Optional) Click Change to change the host profile that is attached to the cluster.

(Optional) Click Remove to detach the host profile that is attached to the cluster.

If the cluster is not compliant, the profile must be applied separately to each host within the cluster.

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Host Profiles and vSphere Auto Deploy
Host profiles are used to help vSphere Auto Deploy provision physical ESXi hosts with configuration state
information (virtual switches, driver settings, boot parameters, and so on).
Configuration state information cannot be stored directly on a host provisioned with Auto Deploy. Instead,
you can create a reference host and configure it with the settings you want. Then, create a host profile using
this reference host. Auto Deploy can apply the host profile to these hosts so they are configured with these
settings, or you can apply the host profile using the client.
To apply a host profile to a host, the host must be placed into maintenance mode. The user is prompted to
type answers for policies that are specified during host profile creation when the host profile is applied.
A host provisioned with Auto Deploy can be rebooted while the host profile is attached to the host. After
rebooting, values stored in the answer file help the host provisioned with Auto Deploy to apply the profile.
An answer file is created that contains a series of key value pairs for the user input options.
The answer file contains the user input policies for a host profile. The file is created when the profile is
initially applied to a particular host.
NOTE If you deploy ESXi through host profiles, configure syslog to store logs on a remote server. See "Set
up Syslog from the Host Profiles Interface" in the Installation and Setup documentation for instructions.
See "Setting up an Auto Deploy Reference Host" in the vSphere Auto Deploy documentation for more
information.

Check Answer File Status
The answer file status indicates the state of the answer file. The status of an answer file can be complete,
incomplete, missing, or unknown.
Prerequisites
The answer file status can only be checked when the host profile is atached to a host.
Procedure
u

In the host profiles view, click Check Answer File.

The Answer File Status for the host profile is updated. The status indicates one of the following states:
Incomplete

The answer file is missing some of the required user input answers.

Complete

The answer file has all of the user input answers needed.

Unknown

The host and associated profile exist but the status of the answer file is not
known. This is the initial state of an answer file.

Update Answer File
You can update or change the user input parameters for the host profiles policies in the answer file.
Procedure

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Right-click the host entity and select Update Answer File.

When prompted, enter or change the user input parameter, and click Next.

Click Update when finished entering changes.

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Import Answer File
You can import a previously exported answer file to associate with a host profile.
Prerequisites
The imported answer file must be associated with at least one host.
Procedure
1

Right-click the host entity and select Import Answer File.

Select the answer file to import.

Export Answer File
You can export an answer file so that it can be imported and used by another host profile.
The answer file might contain sensitive information such as passwords and IP addresses. If exported, this
information is vulnerable to unauthorized access. During the export process all passwords are removed
from the answer file. When the answer file is imported, the password information must be re-entered.
Procedure
1

Right-click the host entity and select Export Answer File.

Select the location to save the answer file.

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Networking in the vSphere Client

When you connect directly to a host or vCenter Server with the vSphere Client, you can view and configure
vSphere standard switches.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Networking Limitations in the vSphere Client,” on page 225

“View Networking Information in the vSphere Client,” on page 226

“View Network Adapter Information in the vSphere Client,” on page 226

“Setting Up Networking with vSphere Standard Switches,” on page 227

“Setting Up Networking with vSphere Distributed Switches,” on page 230

Networking Limitations in the vSphere Client
The network tasks that you can perform when you connect directly to an ESXi host or vCenter Server
system with the vSphere Client are limited.
The following network features are unavailable or read-only in the vSphere Client:
n

vSphere vMotion across vCenter Server systems

vSphere vMotion across large geographical distances

Network DRS

DRS anti-affinity rules

Network I/O control

Open vSwitch

Proxy switch autoscale capability

Opaque networks

SR-IOV

LACP

Multicast

Multi-instance TCP/IP stack and upgrade

IPv6 support for ESX architecture, NFS 4.1 storage operations, iSCSI, guest OS customizations, virtual
datacenters

Use the vSphere Web Client as the primary interface for managing the full range of network functions
available in your vSphere 6.0 environment.

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View Networking Information in the vSphere Client
The vSphere Client shows general networking information and information specific to network adapters.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

(Optional) Choose the type of networking to view.
Option

Description

vSphere Standard Switch

Displays vSphere standard switch networking on the host.

vSphere Distributed Switch

Displays vSphere distributed switch networking on the host.

The vSphere Distributed Switch option appears only on hosts that are connected to one or more
vSphere distributed switches.
Networking information is displayed for each virtual switch on the host.

View Network Adapter Information in the vSphere Client
For each physical network adapter on the host, you can view information such as the speed, duplex, and
observed IP ranges.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab, and click Network Adapters.

The network adapters panel shows the following information.
Table 20‑1. Network Adapter Parameters

226

Option

Description

Device

Name of the network adapter.

Speed

Actual speed and duplex of the network adapter.

Configured

Configured speed and duplex of the network adapter.

Switch

vSphere standard switch or vSphere distributed switch that
the network adapter is associated with.

MAC Address

MAC Address of the network adapter.

Observed IP ranges

IP addresses that the network adapter is likely to have
access to.

Wake on LAN supported

Network adapter ability to support Wake on the LAN.

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Setting Up Networking with vSphere Standard Switches
vSphere standard switches handle network traffic at the host level in a vSphere deployment.

Add a Virtual Machine Port Group
Virtual machine port groups provide networking for virtual machines.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Select the vSphere Standard Switch view.
Standard switches appear in an overview that includes a detailed layout.

On the right side of the page, click Add Networking.

Accept the default connection type, Virtual Machine, and click Next.

Select Create a vSphere standard switch or one of the listed existing standard switches and the
associated physical adapters to use for this port group.
You can create a standard switch with or without Ethernet adapters.
If you create a standard switch without physical network adapters, all traffic on that switch is confined
to that switch. No other hosts on the physical network or virtual machines on other standard switches
can send or receive traffic over this standard switch. You might create a standard switch without
physical network adapters if you want a group of virtual machines to be able to communicate with each
other, but not with other hosts or with virtual machines outside the group.

Click Next.

In the Port Group Properties group, enter a network label that identifies the port group that you are
creating.
Use network labels to identify migration-compatible connections common to two or more hosts.

(Optional) If you are using a VLAN, for VLAN ID, enter a number between 1 and 4094.
If you enter 0 or leave the option blank, the port group detects only untagged (non-VLAN) traffic. If
you enter 4095, the port group can detect traffic on any VLAN while leaving the VLAN tags intact.

Click Next.

After you determine that the switch is configured correctly, click Finish.

Set Up VMkernel Networking on a vSphere Standard Switch
Create a VMkernel network adapter for use as a vMotion interface or an IP storage port group.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

In the vSphere Standard Switch view, click Add Networking.

Select VMkernel and click Next.

Select the vSphere standard switch to use, or select Create a vSphere standard switch to create a new
vSphere standard switch.

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Select the check boxes for the network adapters for your vSphere standard switch to use.
Select adapters for each vSphere standard switch so that virtual machines or other services that connect
through the adapter can reach the correct Ethernet segment. If no adapters appear under Create a new
vSphere standard switch, all the network adapters in the system are being used by existing vSphere
standard switches or vSphere distributed switches. You can either create a vSphere standard switch
without a network adapter, or select a network adapter that an existing vSphere standard switch uses.

Click Next.

Select or enter a network label and a VLAN ID.
Option

Description

Network Label

A name that identifies the port group that you are creating. This is the
label that you specify when you configure VMkernel services such as
vMotion and IP storage and you configure a virtual adapter to be attached
to this port group.

VLAN ID

Identifies the VLAN that the port group’s network traffic will use.

(Optional) Select Use this port group for vMotion to enable this port group to advertise itself to
another host as the network connection through which vMotion traffic should be sent.

(Optional) Select Use this port group for fault tolerance logging.

(Optional) Select Use this port group for management traffic.

If IPv6 is enabled on the host, select IP (Default), IPv6, or IP and IPv6 networking.
This option does not appear on hosts that do not have IPv6 enabled. IPv6 configuration cannot be used
with dependent hardware iSCSI adapters.

Click Next.

Select how to obtain IP settings.
Option

Description

Obtain IP settings automatically

Use DHCP to obtain IP settings.

Use the following IP settings

Specify IP settings manually.
a Enter the IP address and subnet mask for the VMkernel interface.
b Click Edit to set the VMkernel Default Gateway for VMkernel services,
such as vMotion, NAS, and iSCSI.

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On the DNS Configuration tab, the name of the host is entered by
default. The DNS server addresses that were specified during
installation are also preselected, as is the domain.
Click OK and click Next.

If you are using IPv6 for the VMkernel interface, select an option for obtaining IPv6 addresses.
Option

Description

Obtain IPv6 addresses
automatically through DHCP

Use DHCP to obtain IPv6 addresses.

Obtain IPv6 addresses
automatically through Router
Advertisement

Use router advertisement to obtain IPv6 addresses.

Static IPv6 addresses

a
b
c

Click Add to add a new IPv6 address.
Enter the IPv6 address and subnet prefix length, and click OK.
To change the VMkernel default gateway, click Edit.

Click Next.

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Review the information, click Back to change any entries, and click Finish.

View VMkernel Routing Information on a vSphere Standard Switch
You can view IP and IPv6 routing information, such as network, prefix, and gateway, for a VMkernel
network interface on a vSphere standard switch.
Procedure
1

Click Properties for the standard switch associated with the VMkernel interface to view.

On the Ports tab, select the VMkernel network adapter to view, and click View Routing Table under IP
Settings or IPv6 Settings.

A routing table that includes network, prefix, and gateway information for the selected VMkernel network
adapter appears.

Change the Number of Ports for a vSphere Standard Switch
A vSphere standard switch serves as a container for port configurations that use a common set of network
adapters, including sets that contain no network adapters at all. Each virtual switch provides a finite
number of ports through which virtual machines and network services can reach one or more networks.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

On the right side of the page, click Properties for the standard switch that you want to edit.

Click the Ports tab.

Select the standard switch item in the Configuration list, and click Edit.

Click the General tab.

Choose the number of ports that you want to use from the drop-down menu.

Click OK.

What to do next
Changes will not take effect until the system is restarted.

Change the Speed of an Uplink Adapter
You can change the connection speed and duplex of an uplink adapter.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select a standard switch and click Properties.

Click the Network Adapters tab.

To change the configured speed and duplex value of a network adapter, select the network adapter and
click Edit.

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To select the connection speed manually, select the speed and duplex from the drop-down menu.
Choose the connection speed manually if the NIC and a physical switch might fail to negotiate the
proper connection speed. Symptoms of mismatched speed and duplex include low bandwidth or no
link connectivity.
The adapter and the physical switch port it is connected to must be set to the same value, such as auto
and auto or ND and ND, where ND is some speed and duplex, but not auto and ND.

Click OK.

Add Uplink Adapters
You can associate multiple adapters to a single vSphere standard switch to provide NIC teaming. The team
can share traffic and provide failover.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select a standard switch and click Properties.

Click the Network Adapters tab.

Click Add to launch the Add Adapter wizard.

Select one or more adapters from the list and click Next.

(Optional) To reorder the NICs into a different category, select a NIC and click Move Up and Move
Down.
Option

Description

Active Adapters

Adapters that the standard switch uses.

Standby Adapters

Adapters that become active if one or more of the active adapters fails.

Click Next.

Review the information on the Adapter Summary page, click Back to change any entries, and click
Finish.
The list of network adapters reappears, showing the adapters that the standard switch now claims.

Click Close to exit the dialog box.
The Networking section in the Configuration tab shows the network adapters in their designated order
and categories.

Setting Up Networking with vSphere Distributed Switches
With vSphere distributed switches you can set up and configure networking in a vSphere environment.

Add a vSphere Distributed Switch
Create a vSphere distributed switch on a vCenter Server datacenter to handle networking traffic for all
associated hosts on the datacenter.
If your system has complex port group requirements, create a distributed port group rather than a default
port group.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the Networking inventory view and select the datacenter.

Select Inventory > Datacenter > New vSphere Distributed Switch.

Select a vSphere distributed switch version.
Option

Description

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 5.0.0

Compatible with ESXi version 5.0 and later. Features released with later
vSphere distributed switch versions are not supported.

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 5.1.0

Compatible with ESXi version 5.1 and later.

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 5.5.0

Compatible with ESXi version 5.5 and later. eatures released with later
vSphere distributed switch versions are not supported.

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 6.0.0

Compatible with ESXi version 6.0 and later.

Click Next.

In the Name text box, type a name for the new vSphere distributed switch.

Use the arrow buttons to select the Number of uplink ports, and click Next.
Uplink ports connect the distributed switch to physical NICs on associated hosts. The number of uplink
ports is the maximum number of allowed physical connections to the distributed switch per host.

Select whether to add hosts and their physical adapters to the vSphere distributed switch now or later.
If you select Add now, select the hosts and physical adapters to use by clicking the check box next to
each host or adapter. You can only add unassigned physical adapters to a vSphere distributed switch
during distributed switch creation.

(Optional) Set the maximum number of ports on a host.
a

Click View Details for the host.

Select the maximum number of ports for the host from the drop-down menu.

Click OK.

Click Next.

(Optional) Select whether to Automatically create a default port group.
This option creates a distributed port group with default settings.

Click Finish.

What to do next
If you chose to add hosts later, you must add hosts to the distributed switch before adding network
adapters.
Network adapters can be added from the host configuration page of the vSphere Client, using Manage
Hosts, or by using Host Profiles.

Add Hosts to a vSphere Distributed Switch
You can add hosts and physical adapters to a vSphere distributed switch at the distributed switch level after
it is created.
Prerequisites
n

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Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

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Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Add Host.

Select the hosts to add.

For each virtual adapter, select Destination port group and select a port group from the drop-down
menu to migrate the virtual adapter to the distributed switch or select Do not migrate.

(Optional) Set the maximum number of ports on a host.
a

Click View Details for the host.

Select the maximum number of ports for the host from the drop-down menu.

Click OK.

Click Next.

(Optional) Migrate virtual machine networking to the distributed switch.
a

Select Migrate virtual machine networking.

For each virtual machine, select Destination port group and select a port group from the dropdown menu or select Do not migrate.

Click Next.

(Optional) If you need to make any changes, click Back to the appropriate screen.

Review the settings for the distributed switch and click Finish.

Manage Hosts on a vSphere Distributed Switch
You can change the configuration for hosts and physical adapters on a vSphere distributed switch after they
are added to the distributed switch.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure

232

Right-click the distributed switch and select Manage Hosts.

Select the hosts to manage and click Next.

Select the physical adapters to add, deselect the physical adapters to remove, and click Next.

For each virtual adapter, select the Destination port group from the drop-down menu to migrate the
virtual adapter to the distributed switch or select Do not migrate.

Click Next.

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Migrate virtual machine networking to the vSphere distributed switch.
a

Select Migrate virtual machine networking.

For each virtual machine, select the Destination port group from the drop-down menu or select Do
not migrate.

Click Next.

(Optional) If you need to make any changes, click Back to the appropriate screen.

Review the settings for the distributed switch, and click Finish.

Set the Number of Ports Per Host on a vSphere Distributed Switch
Set the maximum number of ports on a host to limit the number of distributed ports that can exist on one or
more hosts associated with a vSphere distributed switch.
Procedure
1

Select the host to modify in the inventory pane.

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Properties next to the vSphere distributed switch to modify.

Select the maximum number of ports from the drop-down menu, and click OK.

What to do next
If you are changing the maximum number of ports for a host after the host is added to the distributed
switch, you must restart the host before the new maximum takes effect.

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select General to edit the vSphere distributed switch settings.

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Option

Description

Name

Type the name for the distributed switch.

Number of Uplink Ports

Select the number of uplink ports for the distributed switch.

Notes

Type any notes for the distributed switch.

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(Optional) Edit uplink port names.
a

Click Edit uplink names.

Type new names for one or more uplink ports.

Click OK.

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Advanced to edit the following vSphere distributed switch settings.

Option

Description

Maximum MTU

Maximum MTU size for the vSphere distributed switch.

Discovery Protocol Status

Admin Contact Info

Enter the Name and Other Details for the vSphere distributed switch
administrator.

Click OK.

View Network Adapter Information for a vSphere Distributed Switch
View physical network adapters and uplink assignments for a vSphere distributed switch from the
networking inventory view of the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Network Adapters tab, you can view network adapter and uplink assignments for associated
hosts.
This tab is read-only. Distributed switch network adapters must be configured at the host level.

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Click OK.

Upgrade a vSphere Distributed Switch to a Newer Version
A vSphere distributed switch version 4.0 or newer can be upgraded to a later version, enabling the
distributed switch to take advantage of features that are only available in the later version.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Summary tab, next to Version, select Upgrade.
The upgrade wizard details the features available to the upgraded distributed switch that are not
available to the earlier version.

Select the vSphere Distribued Switch version to upgrade to.
Option

Description

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 4.1.0

Compatible with ESX/ESXi version 4.1 and later. Features released with
later vSphere distributed switch versions are not supported.

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 5.0.0

Compatible with ESXi version 5.0 and later. Features released with later
vSphere distributed switch versions are not supported.

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 5.1.0

Compatible with ESXi version 5.1 and later. Features released with later
vSphere distributed switch versions are not supported.

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 5.5.0

Compatible with ESXi version 5.5 and later. Features released with later
vSphere distributed switch versions are not supported.

vSphere Distributed Switch
Version: 6.0.0

Compatible with ESXi version 6.0 and later.

Click Next.
The upgrade wizard lists the hosts associated with this vSphere distributed switch and whether or not
they are compatible with the upgraded vSphere distributed switch version. You can proceed with the
upgrade only if all hosts are compatible with the new vSphere distributed switch version.
Next to each incompatible host is the reason for the incompatibility.

Click Next.

Verify that the upgrade information listed is correct and click Finish.

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Distributed Port Groups
A distributed port group specifies port configuration options for each member port on a vSphere distributed
switch. Distributed port groups define how a connection is made to a network.

Add a Distributed Port Group
Add a distributed port group to a vSphere distributed switch to create a distributed switch network for your
virtual machines.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane and select New Port Group.

Enter a Name and the Number of Ports for your new distributed port group.

Select a VLAN Type.
Option

Description

None

Do not use VLAN.

VLAN

In the VLAN ID field, enter a number between 1 and 4094.

VLAN Trunking

Enter a VLAN trunk range.

Private VLAN

Select a private VLAN entry. If you did not create any private VLANs, this
menu is empty.

Click Next.

Click Finish.

Edit General Distributed Port Group Settings
You can edit general distributed port group settings such as the distributed port group name and port
group type.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure

236

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select General to edit the following distributed port group settings.
Option

Action

Name

Type the name for the distributed port group.

Description

Type a brief description of the distributed port group.

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Option

Action

Number of Ports

Type the number of ports on the distributed port group.

Port binding

Click OK.

Edit Advanced Distributed Port Group Settings
You can edit advanced distributed port group settings, such as override settings and reset at disconnect.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Advanced to edit the distributed port group properties.

Option

Description

Allow override of port policies

Select this option to allow distributed port group policies to be overridden
on a per-port level. Click Edit Override Settings to select which policies
can be overridden at the port level.

Edit Override Settings

Select which policies can be overridden at the port level.

Configure reset at disconnect

When a distributed port is disconnected from a virtual machine, the
configuration of the distributed port is reset to the distributed port group
setting. Any per-port overrides are discarded.

Click OK.

Monitor Distributed Port State
vSphere can monitor distributed ports and provide information on the current state of each port and the
port's runtime statistics.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, click Start Monitoring Port State.

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The table on the Ports tab for the distributed switch now displays runtime statistics for each distributed
port, including broadcast, multicast, and unicast ingress and egress traffic and packets.
The State column displays the current state for each distributed port.
Table 20‑2. Distributed Port States
State

Description

Link Up

The link for this distributed port is up.

Link Down

The link for this distributed port is down.

Blocked

This distributed port is blocked.

The state of this distributed port is currently unavailable.

Configure Distributed Port Settings
You can change general distributed port settings such as the port name and description.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Click General.

Modify the port name and description.

Click OK.

Private VLANs
Private VLANs are used to solve VLAN ID limitations and waste of IP addresses for certain network setups.
A private VLAN is identified by its primary VLAN ID. A primary VLAN ID can have multiple secondary
VLAN IDs associated with it. Primary VLANs are Promiscuous, so that ports on a private VLAN can
communicate with ports configured as the primary VLAN. Ports on a secondary VLAN can be either
Isolated, communicating only with promiscuous ports, or Community, communicating with both
promiscuous ports and other ports on the same secondary VLAN.
To use private VLANs between a host and the rest of the physical network, the physical switch connected to
the host needs to be private VLAN-capable and configured with the VLAN IDs being used by ESXi for the
private VLAN functionality. For physical switches using dynamic MAC+VLAN ID based learning, all
corresponding private VLAN IDs must be first entered into the switch's VLAN database.

Create a Private VLAN
You can create a private VLAN for use on a vSphere distributed switch and its associated distributed ports.
Prerequisites

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Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

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Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select the Private VLAN tab.

Under Primary Private VLAN ID, click [Enter a Private VLAN ID here], and enter the number of the
primary private VLAN.

Click anywhere in the dialog box, and then select the primary private VLAN that you just added.
The primary private VLAN you added appears under Secondary Private VLAN ID.

For each new secondary private VLAN, click [Enter a Private VLAN ID here] under Secondary Private
VLAN ID, and enter the number of the secondary private VLAN.

Click anywhere in the dialog box, select the secondary private VLAN that you just added, and select
either Isolated or Community for the port type.

Click OK.

Remove a Primary Private VLAN
Remove unused primary private VLANs from the networking inventory view of the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Before removing a private VLAN, be sure that no port groups are configured to use it.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select the Private VLAN tab.

Select the primary private VLAN to remove.

Click Remove under Primary Private VLAN ID, and click OK.
Removing a primary private VLAN also removes all associated secondary private VLANs.

Remove a Secondary Private VLAN
Remove unused secondary private VLANs from the networking inventory view of the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that you have sufficient permissions to edit a distributed switch.

Before removing a private VLAN, be sure that no port groups are configured to use it.

Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select the Private VLAN tab.

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Select a primary private VLAN to display its associated secondary private VLANs.

Select the secondary private VLAN to remove.

Click Remove under Secondary Private VLAN ID, and click OK.

Managing Physical Adapters
For each host associated with a vSphere distributed switch, you must assign physical network adapters, or
uplinks, to the vSphere distributed switch. You can assign one uplink on each host per uplink port on the
vSphere distributed switch.

Add an Uplink to a vSphere Distributed Switch
For each host associated with a vSphere distributed switch, you must assign at least one physical network
adapter, or uplink, to the vSphere distributed switch.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Manage Physical Adapters.

Click Click to Add NIC for the uplink port to add an uplink to.

Select the physical adapter to add.
If you select an adapter that is attached to another switch, it will be removed from that switch and
reassigned to this vSphere distributed switch.

Click OK.

Remove an Uplink from a vSphere Distributed Switch
You can remove an uplink, or physical network adapter, from a vSphere distributed switch.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

240

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Manage Physical Adapters.

Click Remove to remove the uplink from the vSphere distributed switch.

Click OK.

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Remove NICs from Active Virtual Machines
When you remove NICs from active virtual machines, you may still see the NICs you removed reported in
the vSphere Client.
Remove NICs from an active virtual machine without a guest operating system installed
You cannot remove NICs from an active virtual machine if the virtual machine has no operating system
installed.
The vSphere Client might report that the NIC has been removed, but you will continue to see it attached to
the virtual machine.
Remove NICs from an active virtual machine with a guest operating system installed
You can remove a NIC from an active virtual machine, but it might not be reported to the vSphere Client for
some time. If you open Edit Settings for the virtual machine, you might still see the NIC that you removed
listed, even when the task is complete. The Edit Settings dialog box for the virtual machine does not
immediately display the removed NIC.
You may also still see the NIC attached to the virtual machine if the guest operating system of the virtual
machine does not support hot-removal of NICs.

Managing Virtual Network Adapters
Virtual network adapters handle host network services over a vSphere distributed switch.
You can configure VMkernel virtual adapters for a host through an associated vSphere distributed switch
either by creating new virtual adapters or migrating existing virtual adapters.

Create a VMkernel Network Adapter on a vSphere Distributed Switch
Create a VMkernel network adapter for use as a vMotion interface or an IP storage port group.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Manage Virtual Adapters.

Click Add.

Select New virtual adapter, and click Next.

Select VMkernel and click Next.

Choose a distributed port or distributed port group connection for the virtual adapter.

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Option

Description

Select a port group

Choose the distributed port group for the virtual adapter to connect to
from the drop-down menu.

Select port

Type the port ID of the distributed port for the virtual network adapter to
connect to.

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Select Use this virtual adapter for vMotion to enable this port group to advertise itself to another ESXi
host as the network connection where vMotion traffic is sent.
You can enable this property for only one vMotion and IP storage port group for each host. If this
property is not enabled for any port group, migration with vMotion to this host is not possible.

Choose whether to Use this virtual adapter for Fault Tolerance logging.

Choose whether to Use this virtual adapter for management traffic, and click Next.

Under IP Settings, specify the IP address and subnet mask.
IPv6 cannot be used with a dependent hardware iSCSI adapter.

Click Edit to set the VMkernel default gateway for VMkernel services, such as vMotion, NAS, and
iSCSI.

On the DNS Configuration tab, the name of the host is entered by default. The DNS server addresses
and domain that were specified during installation are also preselected.

On the Routing tab, enter gateway information for the VMkernel. A gateway is needed for connectivity
to machines not on the same IP subnet as the VMkernel.
Static IP settings is the default. Do not use routing with software iSCSI Multipathing configurations or
dependent hardware iSCSI adapters.

Click OK, and then click Next.

Click Finish.

Migrate an Existing Virtual Adapter to a vSphere Distributed Switch
You can migrate an existing virtual adapter from a vSphere standard switch to a vSphere distributed switch.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Manage Virtual Adapters.

Click Add.

Select Migrate existing virtual network adapters and click Next.

Select one or more virtual network adapters to migrate.

For each selected adapter, choose a port group from the Select a port group drop-down menu.

Click Next.

Click Finish.

Migrate a Virtual Adapter to a vSphere Standard Switch
You can migrate an existing virtual adapter from a vSphere distributed switch to a vSphere standard switch.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Manage Virtual Adapters.

Select the virtual adapter to migrate, and click Migrate.

Select the standard switch to migrate the adapter to and click Next.

Enter a Network Label and optionally a VLAN ID for the virtual adapter, and click Next.

Click Finish to migrate the virtual adapter and complete the wizard.

Edit VMkernel Configuration on a vSphere Distributed Switch
You can edit a VMkernel virtual network adapter on a vSphere distributed switch to change the IP settings,
such as IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DNS configuration. You can also select whether the
virtual adapter is used for vMotion or fault tolerance logging.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Manage Virtual Adapters.

Select the VMkernel adapter to modify and click Edit.

Under Network Connection, select vSphere Distributed Switch and Port Group or Port to add this
virtual adapter to.

Select Use this virtual adapter for vMotion to enable this port group to advertise itself to another host
as the network connection that vMotion traffic should be sent through.
You can enable this property for only one vMotion and IP storage port group for each host. If this
property is not enabled for any port group, migration with vMotion to this host is not possible.

(Optional) Select Use this virtual adapter for fault tolerance logging.

(Optional) Select Use this virtual adapter for management traffic.

Under IP Settings, specify the IP Address and Subnet Mask, or select Obtain IP settings
automatically .

Click Edit to set the VMkernel Default Gateway for VMkernel services, such as vMotion, NAS, and
iSCSI.
On the DNS Configuration tab, the name of the host appears in the name field by default. The DNS
server addresses that were specified during installation are also preselected, as is the domain.
On the Routing tab, a gateway is needed for connectivity to machines not on the same IP subnet as the
VMkernel.
Static IP settings is the default.

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Use the up and down arrows to set the MTU for the VMkernel adapter.

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Click OK.

View VMkernel Routing Information on a vSphere Distributed Switch
You can view IP and IPv6 routing information, such as network, prefix, and gateway, for a VMkernel
network adapter on a vSphere distributed switch.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

In the vSphere Distributed Switch view, click Manage Virtual Adapters.

Select the VMkernel adapter to view, and click View Routing Table under IP Settings or IPv6 Settings.

A routing table that includes network, prefix, and gateway information for the selected VMkernel adapter
appears.

Remove a Virtual Adapter
Remove a virtual network adapter from a vSphere distributed switch in the Manage Virtual Adapters dialog
box.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select the vSphere Distributed Switch view.

Click Manage Virtual Adapters.

Select the virtual adapter to remove and click Remove.
A dialog box appears with the message, Are you sure you want to remove adapter name?

Click Yes.

Configuring Virtual Machine Networking on a vSphere Distributed Switch
Connect virtual machines to a vSphere distributed switch either by configuring an individual virtual
machine NIC or migrating groups of virtual machines from the vSphere distributed switch itself.
Connect virtual machines to vSphere distributed switches by connecting their associated virtual network
adapters to distributed port groups. You can do this either for an individual virtual machine by modifying
the virtual machine’s network adapter configuration, or for a group of virtual machines by migrating virtual
machines from an existing virtual network to a vSphere distributed switch.

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Migrate Virtual Machines to Or from a vSphere Distributed Switch
In addition to connecting virtual machines to a distributed switch at the individual virtual machine level,
you can migrate a group of virtual machines between a vSphere distributed switch network and a vSphere
standard switch network.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the datacenter and select Migrate Virtual Machine Networking.
The Migrate Virtual Machine Networking wizard appears.

Select a Source Network to migrate adapters from.
Option

Description

Include all virtual machine network
adapters that are connected to the
following network (Filter by
Network)

Migrates virtual machine network adapters from a particular network.
Select the source network from the Network drop-down menu.

Include all virtual machine network
adapters that are connected to the
following network (Filter by VDS)

Migrates virtual machine network adapters from a network on a particular
vSphere distributed switch. To migrate from a network, select Switch and
Network from the drop-down menus.

Include all virtual machine network
adapters that are not connected to
any network

Migrates virtual machine network adapters that are not connected to any
network.

Select a Destination Network to migrate adapters to.
Option

Description

Filter by Network

Migrates virtual machine network adapters to a particular network. Select
the destination network from the Network drop-down menu.

Filter by VDS

Migrates virtual machine network adapters to a network on a particular
vSphere Distritubed Switch. To migrate to a network, select Switch and
Network from the drop-down menus.

Click Next.

(Optional) Highlight a virtual machine or adapter to view their details.

Select the virtual machines and adapters to migrate to the destination network and click Next.

Verify that the source network, destination network, and number of virtual machines to migrate are
correct and click OK.

Connect an Individual Virtual Machine to a Distributed Port Group
Connect an individual virtual machine to a vSphere distributed switch by modifying the virtual machine's
NIC configuration.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure

246

On the Summary tab, click Edit Settings.

On the Hardware tab, select the virtual network adapter.

Select the distributed port group to migrate to from the Network Label drop-down menu, and click
OK.

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Managing Network Resources

vSphere provides several different methods to help you manage your network resources.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“vSphere Network I/O Control,” on page 247

“TCP Segmentation Offload and Jumbo Frames,” on page 250

“DirectPath I/O,” on page 252

“Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV),” on page 254

vSphere Network I/O Control
Use vSphere Network I/O Control to allocate network bandwidth to business-critical applications and to
resolve situations where several types of traffic compete for common resources.

Enable Network I/O Control on a vSphere Distributed Switch
Enable network resource management to use network resource pools to prioritize network traffic by type.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Verify that your datacenter has at least one vSphere distributed switch version 4.1.0 or later.

Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Resource Allocation tab, click Properties.

Select Enable Network I/O Control on this vSphere ditributed switch, and click OK.

Create a Network Resource Pool
Create user-defined network resource pools for customized network resource management.
User-defined network resource pools are available only on vSphere distributed switches version 5.0.0 or
later.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Resource Allocationtab, click New Network Resource Pool.

Type a Name for the network resource pool.

(Optional) Type a Description for the network resource pool.

Select the Physical adapter shares for the network resource pool.
Option

Description

Custom

Type a specific number of shares, from 1 to 100, for this network resource
pool.

High

Sets the shares for this resource pool to 100.

Normal

Sets the shares for this resource pool to 50.

Low

Sets the shares for this resource pool to 25.

Set the Host limit for the network resource pool in megabits per second or select Unlimited.

(Optional) Select the QoS priority tag for the network resource pool.

Click OK.

The new resource pool appears on the Resource Allocation tab under User-defined network resource pools.
What to do next
Add one or more distributed port groups to the network resource pool.

Add or Remove Distributed Port Groups from a Network Resource Pool
Add a distributed port group to a user-defined network resource pool to include in the network resource
pool all virtual machine network traffic from that distributed port group.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Create one or more network resource pools on the vSphere distributed switch.

Procedure

248

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Resource Allocation tab, click Manage Port Groups.

(Optional) Select the user-defined network resource pool to associate with a single distributed port
group from the Network resource pool drop-down menu or select None to remove that distributed port
group from a user-defined resource pool.

(Optional) Select the user-defined network resource pool to associate with multiple distributed port
groups.
a

Hold Ctrl to select multiple distributed port groups to modify, and click Assign multiple.

Select the user-defined network resource pool to associate with the distributed port groups from
the Network Resource Pool drop-down menu, or select None to remove the distributed port
groups from all user-defined resource pools.

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Chapter 21 Managing Network Resources

Click OK.

Edit Network Resource Pool Settings
You can change network resource pool settings such as allocated shares and limits for each network
resource pool to change the priority network traffic for that network resource pool is given.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Resource Allocation tab, right-click the network resource pool to edit, and select Edit Settings.

Select the Physical adapter shares for the network resource pool.
Option

Description

Custom

Enter a specific number of shares, from 1 to 100, for this network resource
pool.

High

Sets the shares for this resource pool to 100.

Normal

Sets the shares for this resource pool to 50.

Low

Sets the shares for this resource pool to 25.

Set the Host limit for the network resource pool in megabits per second or select Unlimited.

(Optional) Select the QoS priority tag from the drop-down menu.
The QoS priority tag specifies an IEEE 802.1p tag, allowing quality of service at the media access control
level

Click OK.

Delete a Network Resource Pool
You can delete user-defined network resource pools that are no longer in use.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Remove all distributed port groups from the network resource pool.

Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Resource Allocation tab, right-click the user-defined network resource pool to delete, and select
Remove.

Click Yes.

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TCP Segmentation Offload and Jumbo Frames
Using TCP Segmentation Offload (TSO) in a VMkernel network adapter and virtual machines, and jumbo
frames on a vSphere distributed switch or vSphere standard switch, improves the network performance in
virtual machines and infrastructure workloads.

Enable TSO Support for a Virtual Machine
You can enable TSO support on a virtual machine by using an enhanced vmxnet adapter for that virtual
machine.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Summary tab, and click Edit Settings.

Select the network adapter from the Hardware list.

Record the network settings and MAC address that the network adapter is using.

Click Remove to remove the network adapter from the virtual machine.

Click Add.

Select Ethernet Adapter and click Next.

In the Adapter Type group, select Enhanced vmxnet.

Select the network setting and MAC address that the old network adapter was using and click Next.

Click Finish and then click OK.

If the virtual machine is not set to upgrade VMware Tools at each power on, you must upgrade
VMware Tools manually.

TSO is enabled on a VMkernel interface. If TSO becomes disabled for a particular VMkernel interface, the
only way to enable TSO is to delete that VMkernel interface and recreate it with TSO enabled.

Enable Jumbo Frames for a VMkernel Interface on a vSphere Standard Switch
Jumbo frames reduce the CPU load caused by transferring data. Enable jumbo frames on a VMkernel
network interface by changing the maximum transmission units (MTU) of the VMkernel interface.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

250

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Click Properties for the vSphere standard switch associated with the VMkernel to modify.

On the Ports tab, select the VMkernel interface and click Edit.

Set the MTU to 9000, and click OK.

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Chapter 21 Managing Network Resources

Enable Jumbo Frames on a vSphere Distributed Switch
Enable a vSphere distributed switch for jumbo frames by changing the MTU size for that distributed switch.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Properties tab, select Advanced.

Set the Maximum MTU to the largest MTU size among all the virtual network adapters connected to
the vSphere distributed switch, and click OK.

Enable Jumbo Frame Support on a Virtual Machine
Enabling jumbo frame support on a virtual machine requires an enhanced vmxnet adapter for that virtual
machine.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Summary tab, and click Edit Settings.

Select the network adapter from the Hardware list.

Record the network settings and MAC address that the network adapter is using.

Click Remove to remove the network adapter from the virtual machine.

Click Add.

Select Ethernet Adapter and click Next.

In the Adapter Type group, select Enhanced vmxnet.

Select the network that the old network adapter was using and click Next.

Click Finish.

Select the new network adapter from the Hardware list.

Under MAC Address, select Manual, and enter the MAC address that the old network adapter was
using.

Click OK.

Check that the Enhanced vmxnet adapter is connected to a standard switch or distributed switch with
jumbo frames enabled.

Inside the guest operating system, configure the network adapter to allow jumbo frames.
See your guest operating system’s documentation for details.

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Configure all physical switches and any physical or virtual machines to which this virtual machine
connects to support jumbo frames.

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DirectPath I/O
DirectPath I/O allows virtual machine access to physical PCI functions on platforms with an I/O Memory
Management Unit.
The following features are unavailable for virtual machines configured with DirectPath:
n

Hot adding and removing of virtual devices

Suspend and resume

Record and replay

Fault tolerance

High availability

DRS (limited availability. The virtual machine can be part of a cluster, but cannot migrate across hosts)

Snapshots

The following features are only available for virtual machines configured with DirectPath I/O on Cisco
Unified Computing Systems (UCS) through Cisco Virtual Machine Fabric Extender (VM-FEX) distributed
switches.
n

vMotion

Hot adding and removing of virtual devices

Suspend and resume

High availability

DRS

Snapshots

See Cisco VM-FEX documentation for details on supported switches and switch configuration information.

Configure Passthrough Devices on a Host
You can configure passthrough networking devices on a host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select a host from the inventory panel of the vSphere Client.

On the Configuration tab, click Advanced Settings.
The Passthrough Configuration page appears, listing all available passthrough devices. A green icon
indicates that a device is enabled and active. An orange icon indicates that the state of the device has
changed and the host must be rebooted before the device can be used.

252

Click Edit.

Select the devices to be used for passthrough and click OK.

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Chapter 21 Managing Network Resources

Configure a PCI Device on a Virtual Machine
You can configure a passthrough PCI device on a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select a virtual machine from the inventory panel of the vSphere Client.

From the Inventory menu, select Virtual Machine > Edit Settings.

On the Hardware tab, click Add.

Select PCI Device and click Next.

Select the passthrough device to use, and click Next.

Click Finish.

Adding a DirectPath device to a virtual machine sets memory reservation to the memory size of the virtual
machine.

Enable DirectPath I/O with vMotion on a Virtual Machine
You can enable DirectPath I/O with vMotion for virtual machines in a datacenter on a Cisco UCS system
that has at least one supported Cisco UCS Virtual Machine Fabric Extender (VM-FEX) distributed switch.
Prerequisites
n

Enable high performance network I/O on at least one Cisco UCS port profile on a supported Cisco VMFEX distributed switch. For supported switches and switch configuration, see Cisco's documentation at
http://www.cisco.com/go/unifiedcomputing/b-series-doc.
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

Power off the virtual machine.

Procedure
1

Right-click the virtual machine to modify and click Edit Settings.

On the Resources tab, select Memory.

Select Unlimited.

On the Hardware tab, select the network adapter to configure as a passthrough device.

Select a port profile with high performance enabled from the network label drop-down menu, and click
OK.

Power on the virtual machine.
After the virtual machine is powered on, DirectPath I/O appears as Active on the Hardware tab of the
virtual machine properties dialog box.

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Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV)
vSphere 5.1 and later releases support Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV). You can use SR-IOV for
networking of virtual machines that are latency sensitive or require more CPU resources.

Overview of SR-IOV
SR-IOV is a specification that allows a single Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) physical
device under a single root port to appear as multiple separate physical devices to the hypervisor or the guest
operating system.
SR-IOV uses physical functions (PFs) and virtual functions (VFs) to manage global functions for the SR-IOV
devices. PFs are full PCIe functions that are capable of configuring and managing the SR-IOV functionality.
It is possible to configure or control PCIe devices using PFs, and the PF has full ability to move data in and
out of the device. VFs are lightweight PCIe functions that support data flowing but have a restricted set of
configuration resources.
The number of virtual functions provided to the hypervisor or the guest operating system depends on the
device. SR-IOV enabled PCIe devices require appropriate BIOS and hardware support, as well as SR-IOV
support in the guest operating system driver or hypervisor instance. See the vSphere Networking publication
for more information.

Using SR-IOV in vSphere
In vSphere, a virtual machine can use an SR-IOV virtual function for networking. The virtual machine and
the physical adapter exchange data directly without using the VMkernel as an intermediary. Bypassing the
VMkernel for networking reduces latency and improves CPU efficiency.
In vSphere 5.5 and later, though a virtual switch (standard switch or distributed switch) does not handle the
network traffic of an SR-IOV enabled virtual machine connected to the switch, you can control the assigned
virtual functions by using switch configuration policies at port group or port level.

Configure SR-IOV in a Host Profile
Before you can connect a virtual machine to a virtual function, you must configure the virtual functions of
the physical NIC on your host by using a host profile.
You can also enable SR-IOV virtual functions on the host by using the esxcli system module parameters
set vCLI command on the NIC driver parameter for virtual functions in accordance with the driver
documentation. For more information about using vCLI commands, see vSphere Command-Line Interface
Documentation.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the configuration of your environment supports SR-IOV. See SR-IOV Support.

Create a host profile using the SR-IOV capable host as a reference. For more information about host
profiles, see the vSphere Host Profiles documentation.

Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

254

In the vSphere Client, click Home and select the Host Profiles main view.

Select the host profile from the list and click Edit Profile.

Expand Kernel Module Configuration > Kernel Module and select the kernel module for the physical
function driver.

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Chapter 21 Managing Network Resources

Expand Kernel Module Parameter and select the parameter of the physical function driver for creating
virtual functions.
For example, the parameter for the physical function driver of an Intel physical NIC is max_vfs.

Click Edit.

In the Value text box, type a comma-separated list of valid virtual function numbers.
Each list entry is the number of virtual functions that you want to configure for each physical function.
A value of 0 means SR-IOV will not be enabled for that physical function.
For example, if you have a dual port, set the value to
x,y

where x or y is the number of virtual functions you want to enable for a single port.
If the target number of virtual functions on a single host is 30, you might have two dual port cards set to

0,10,10,10.

NOTE The number of virtual functions supported and available for configuration depends on your
system configuration.
7

Click OK.

Remediate the modified host profile to the target host.

After the virtual functions become enabled on the host, the physical NIC no longer shows up as a host
network adapter in the Network Adapters list within the Configuration tab for the host. It appears in the
Advanced Settings list for the host.
What to do next
Associate a virtual function with a virtual machine as a PCI device for networking through Direct Path I/O.

Assign a Virtual Function to a Virtual Machine
To ensure that a virtual machine and a physical NIC can exchange data, you must associate a virtual
machine with one or more virtual functions.
After you enable the virtual functions on the host, each of them becomes available as a PCI device.
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Prerequisites
n

Verify that the configuration of your environment supports SR-IOV. See SR-IOV Support.

Verify that the virtual functions exist on the host.

Verify that the passthrough networking device for the virtual function is active on the host.

Procedure
1

Select a virtual machine from the inventory panel of the vSphere Client.

Power off the virtual machine.

From the Inventory menu, select Virtual Machine > Edit Settings.

On the Resources tab, select Memory.

Select Unlimited.

On the Hardware tab, click Add.

Select PCI Device and click Next.

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From the drop-down menu select the virtual function.

Click Finish.

Power on the virtual machine.

Adding a virtual function as a PCI device to a virtual machine sets memory reservation to the memory size
of the virtual machine.

Configure the Passthrough Device for a Virtual Function
After you configure a virtual machine with a virtual function as a PCI device, you can configure the virtual
function with a static MAC address and a default VLAN with the help of the vSphere Client.
In the virtual machine configuration .vmx file, you can assign a static MAC address and a default VLAN to
the virtual function.
Prerequisites
Verify that the virtual function is assigned to the virtual machine as a PCI device.
Procedure
1

Select a virtual machine from the inventory panel of the vSphere Client.

Power off the virtual machine.

From the Inventory menu, select Virtual Machine > Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab and under Advanced select General.

Click Configuration.

To assign a static MAC address, add or edit the following parameters.
Parameter

Value

pciPassthruX.MACAddressType

static

pciPassthruX.MACAddress

MAC_address_of_the_virtual_function

X next to pciPassthru stands for the sequence number of the PCI device in the virtual machine. For
example, 0 in pciPassthru0 represents the settings of the PCI device added first to the virtual machine.

256

To assign a default VLAN, add or edit the pciPassthruX.defaultVlan parameter according to the
following value guidelines. X next to pciPassthru stands for the sequence number of the PCI device in
the virtual machine.
Option

Description

Allow no VLAN and do NOT allow guest VLAN tagging. In this way,
administratively disallow guest VLAN tagging.

1-4095

Allow tagged only and do NOT allow guest VLAN tagging.

No entry

Allow untagged only and allow guest VLAN tagging.

Click OK.

Power on the virtual machine.

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Networking Policies

Policies set at the standard switch or distributed port group level apply to all of the port groups on the
standard switch or to ports in the distributed port group. The exceptions are the configuration options that
are overridden at the standard port group or distributed port level.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Applying Networking Policies on a vSphere Standard or Distributed Switch,” on page 257

“Teaming and Failover Policy,” on page 259

“VLAN Policy,” on page 267

“Security Policy,” on page 269

“Traffic Shaping Policy,” on page 273

“Resource Allocation Policy,” on page 277

“Monitoring Policy,” on page 278

“Port Blocking Policies,” on page 279

“Manage Policies for Multiple Port Groups on a vSphere Distributed Switch,” on page 279

Applying Networking Policies on a vSphere Standard or Distributed
Switch
You apply networking policies differently on vSphere Standard Switches and vSphere Distributed Switches.
Not all policies that are available for a vSphere Distributed Switch are also available for a vSphere Standard
Switch.
Table 22‑1. Virtual Switch Objects Where Policies Apply
Virtual Switch

Virtual Switch Object

Description

vSphere Standard Switch

Entire switch

When you apply policies on the entire standard
switch, the policies are propagated to all standard
port groups on the switch.

Standard port group

You can apply different policies on individual port
groups by overriding the policies that are
inherited from the switch.

Distributed port group

When you apply policies on a distributed port
group, the policies are propagated to all ports in
the group.

Distributed port

You can apply different policies on individual
distributed ports by overriding the policies that
are inherited from the distributed port group.

vSphere Distributed Switch

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Table 22‑1. Virtual Switch Objects Where Policies Apply (Continued)
Virtual Switch

Virtual Switch Object

Description

Uplink port group

You can apply policies at uplink port group level,
and the are policies are propagated to all ports in
the group.

Uplink port

You can apply different policies on individual
uplink ports by overriding the policies that are
inherited from the uplink port group.

Table 22‑2. Policies Available for a vSphere Standard Switch and vSphere Distributed Switch
Standard
Switch

Distributed
Switch

Teaming and
failover

Yes

Lets you configure the physical NICs that handle the network
traffic for a standard switch, standard port group, distributed port
group, or distributed port. You arrange the physical NICs in a
failover order and apply different load balancing policies over
them.

Security

Yes

Provides protection of traffic against MAC address impersonation
and unwanted port scanning. The networking security policy is
implemented in Layer 2 of the networking protocol stack.

Traffic shaping

Yes

Lets you restrict the network bandwidth that is available to ports,
but also to allow bursts of traffic to flow through at higher speeds.
ESXi shapes outbound network traffic on standard switches and
inbound and outbound traffic on distributed switches.

VLAN

Yes

Lets you configure the VLAN tagging for a standard or
distributed switch. You can configure External Switch
Tagging(EST), Virtual Switch Tagging (VST), and Virtual Guest
Tagging (VGT).

Monitoring

Yes

Enables and disables NetFlow monitoring on a distributed port or
port group.

Traffic filtering and
marking

Yes

Lest you protect the virtual network from unwanted traffic and
security attacks or apply a QoS tag to a certain traffic type.

Resources
allocation

Yes

Lets you associate a distributed port or port group with a userdefined network resource pool. In this way, you can better control
the bandwidth that is available to the port or port group. You can
use the resource allocation policy with vSphere Network I/O
Control version 2 and 3.

Port blocking

Yes

Lets you selectively block ports from sending and receiving data.

Policy

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Description

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Chapter 22 Networking Policies

Teaming and Failover Policy
NIC teaming lets you increase the network capacity of a virtual switch by including two or more physical
NICs in a team. To determine how the traffic is rerouted in case of adapter failure, you include physical
NICs in a failover order. To determine how the virtual switch distributes the network traffic between the
physical NICs in a team, you select load balancing algorithms depending on the needs and capabilities of
your environment.

NIC Teaming Policy
You can use NIC teaming to connect a virtual switch to multiple physical NICs on a host to increase the
network bandwidth of the switch and to provide redundancy. A NIC team can distribute the traffic between
its members and provide passive failover in case of adapter failure or network outage. You set NIC teaming
policies at virtual switch or port group level for a vSphere Standard Switch and at a port group or port level
for a vSphere Distributed Switch.
NOTE All ports on the physical switch in the same team must be in the same Layer 2 broadcast domain.

Load Balancing Policy
The Load Balancing policy determines how network traffic is distributed between the network adapters in a
NIC team. vSphere virtual switches load balance only the outgoing traffic. Incoming traffic is controlled by
the load balancing policy on the physical switch.
For more information about each load balancing algorithm, see the vSphere Networking publication.

Network Failure Detection Policy
You can specify one of the following methods that a virtual switch uses for failover detection.
Link status only

Beacon probing

Relies only on the link status that the network adapter provides. Detects
failures, such as removed cables and physical switch power failures.
However, link status does not detect the following configuration errors:
n

Physical switch port that is blocked by spanning tree or is misconfigured
to the wrong VLAN .

Pulled cable that connects a physical switch to another networking
devices, for example, an upstream switch .

Sends out and listens for Ethernet broadcast frames, or beacon probes, that
physical NICs send to detect link failure in all physical NICs in a team. ESXi
hosts send beacon packets every second. Beacon probing is most useful to
detect failures in the closest physical switch to the ESXi host, where the
failure does not cause a link-down event for the host.
Use beacon probing with three or more NICs in a team because ESXi can
detect failures of a single adapter. If only two NICs are assigned and one of
them loses connectivity, the switch cannot determine which NIC needs to be
taken out of service because both do not receive beacons and as a result all
packets sent to both uplinks. Using at least three NICs in such a team allows
for n-2 failures where n is the number of NICs in the team before reaching an
ambiguous situation.

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Failback Policy
By default, a failback policy is enabled on a NIC team. If a failed physical NIC returns online, the virtual
switch sets the NIC back to active by replacing the standby NIC that took over its slot.
If the physical NIC that stands first in the failover order experiences intermittent failures, the failback policy
might lead to frequent changes in the NIC that is used. The physical switch sees frequent changes in MAC
addresses, and the physical switch port might not accept traffic immediately when an adapter becomes
online. To minimize such delays, you might consider changing the following settings on the physical switch:
n

Disable Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) on physical NICs that are connected to ESXi hosts .

For Cisco based networks, enable PortFast mode for access interfaces or PortfFast trunk mode for trunk
interfaces. This might save about 30 seconds during the initialization of the physical switch port.

Disable the trunking negotiation.

Notify Switches Policy
By using the notify switches policy, you can determine how the ESXi host communicates failover events.
When a physical NIC connects to the virtual switch or when traffic is rerouted to a different physical NIC in
the team, the virtual switch sends notifications over the network to update the lookup tables on physical
switches. Notifying the physical switch offers lowest latency when a failover or a migration with vSphere
vMotion occurs.

Edit Failover and Load Balancing Policy for a vSphere Standard Switch
Use Load Balancing and Failover policies to determine how network traffic is distributed between adapters
and how to reroute traffic in the event of an adapter failure.
The Failover and Load Balancing policies include the following parameters:
n

Load Balancing policy: The Load Balancing policy determines how outgoing traffic is distributed
among the network adapters assigned to a standard switch. Incoming traffic is controlled by the Load
Balancing policy on the physical switch.

Failover Detection: Link Status/Beacon Probing

Network Adapter Order (Active/Standby)

In some cases, you might lose standard switch connectivity when a failover or failback event occurs. This
causes the MAC addresses used by virtual machines associated with that standard switch to appear on a
different switch port than they previously did. To avoid this problem, put your physical switch in portfast
or portfast trunk mode.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

260

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select a standard switch and click Properties.

Click the Ports tab.

To edit the Failover and Load Balancing values, select the standard switch item and click Edit.

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Chapter 22 Networking Policies

Click the NIC Teaming tab.
You can override the failover order at the port group level. By default, new adapters are active for all
policies. New adapters carry traffic for the standard switch and its port group unless you specify
otherwise.

In the Load Balancing list, select an option for how to select an uplink.
Option

Description

Route based on the originating port
ID

Select an uplink based on the virtual port where the traffic entered the
standard switch.

Route based on ip hash

Select an uplink based on a hash of the source and destination IP addresses
of each packet. For non-IP packets, whatever is at those offsets is used to
compute the hash.

Route based on source MAC hash

Select an uplink based on a hash of the source Ethernet.

Use explicit failover order

Always use the highest order uplink from the list of Active adapters that
passes failover detection criteria.

In the Network failover detection list, select the option to use for failover detection.
Option

Description

Link Status only

Relies solely on the link status that the network adapter provides. This
option detects failures, such as cable pulls and physical switch power
failures, but not configuration errors, such as a physical switch port being
blocked by spanning tree or misconfigured to the wrong VLAN or cable
pulls on the other side of a physical switch.

Beacon Probing

Sends out and listens for beacon probes on all NICs in the team and uses
this information, in addition to link status, to determine link failure. This
option detects many of the failures mentioned above that are not detected
by link status alone.
NOTE Do not use beacon probing with IP-hash load balancing.

Select Yes or No to notify switches in the case of failover.
If you select Yes, whenever a virtual NIC is connected to the standard switch or whenever that virtual
NIC’s traffic is routed over a different physical NIC in the team because of a failover event, a
notification is sent over the network to update the lookup tables on the physical switches. In almost all
cases, this is desirable for the lowest latency of failover occurrences and migrations with vMotion.
Do not use this option when the virtual machines using the port group are using Microsoft Network
Load Balancing (NLB) in unicast mode. No such issue exists with NLB running in multicast mode.

Select Yes or No to disable or enable failback.
This option determines how a physical adapter is returned to active duty after recovering from a
failure. If failback is set to Yes, the adapter is returned to active duty immediately on recovery,
displacing the standby adapter that took over its slot, if any. If failback is set to No, a failed adapter is
left inactive even after recovery until another active adapter fails, requiring its replacement.

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Set Failover Order to specify how to distribute the work load for adapters.
To use some adapters but reserve others for emergencies, you can set this condition using the dropdown menu to place them into groups.
Option

Description

Active Adapters

Continue to use the adapter when the network adapter connectivity is
available and active.

Standby Adapters

Use this adapter if one of the active adapter’s connectivity is unavailable.

Unused Adapters

Do not use this adapter.

If you are using iSCSI Multipathing, your VMkernel interface must be configured to have one active
adapter and no standby adapters. See the vSphere Storage documentation.
NOTE When using IP-hash load balancing, do not configure standby uplinks.

Edit the Failover and Load Balancing Policy on a Standard Port Group
Failover and load balancing policies allow you to determine how network traffic is distributed between
adapters and how to re-route traffic in the event of an adapter failure.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select a standard switch and click Properties.

On Ports tab, select a port group and click Edit.

Click the NIC Teaming tab.
You can override the failover order at the port-group level. By default, new adapters are active for all
policies. New adapters carry traffic for the standard switch and its port group unless you specify
otherwise.

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Specify the settings in the Policy Exceptions group.
Option

Description

Load Balancing

Specify how to choose an uplink.
n Route based on the originating port ID. Choose an uplink based on
the virtual port where the traffic entered the virtual switch.
n Route based on ip hash. Choose an uplink based on a hash of the
source and destination IP addresses of each packet. For non-IP packets,
whatever is at those offsets is used to compute the hash.
n Route based on source MAC hash. Choose an uplink based on a hash
of the source Ethernet.
n Use explicit failover order. Always use the highest order uplink from
the list of Active adapters which passes failover detection criteria.
NOTE IP-based teaming requires that the physical switch be configured
with etherchannel. For all other options, etherchannel should be disabled.

Network Failover Detection

Specify the method to use for failover detection.
Link Status only. Relies solely on the link status that the network
adapter provides. This option detects failures, such as cable pulls and
physical switch power failures, but not configuration errors, such as a
physical switch port being blocked by spanning tree or that is
misconfigured to the wrong VLAN or cable pulls on the other side of a
physical switch.
n Beacon Probing. Sends out and listens for beacon probes on all NICs
in the team and uses this information, in addition to link status, to
determine link failure. This detects many of the failures previously
mentioned that are not detected by link status alone.

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Notify Switches

Select Yes or No to notify switches in the case of failover.
If you select Yes, whenever a virtual NIC is connected to the standard
switch or whenever that virtual NIC’s traffic would be routed over a
different physical NIC in the team because of a failover event, a
notification is sent out over the network to update the lookup tables on
physical switches. In almost all cases, this process is desirable for the
lowest latency of failover occurrences and migrations with vMotion.
NOTE Do not use this option when the virtual machines using the port
group are using Microsoft Network Load Balancing in unicast mode. No
such issue exists with NLB running in multicast mode.

Failback

Select Yes or No to disable or enable failback.
This option determines how a physical adapter is returned to active duty
after recovering from a failure. If failback is set to Yes (default), the adapter
is returned to active duty immediately upon recovery, displacing the
standby adapter that took over its slot, if any. If failback is set to No, a
failed adapter is left inactive even after recovery until another currently
active adapter fails, requiring its replacement.

Failover Order

Specify how to distribute the work load for uplinks. If you want to use
some uplinks but reserve others for emergencies in case the uplinks in use
fail, set this condition by moving them into different groups:
n Active Uplinks. Continue to use the uplink when the network adapter
connectivity is up and active.
Standby
Uplinks. Use this uplink if one of the active adapter’s
n
connectivity is down.
n Unused Uplinks. Do not use this uplink.

Click OK.

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Edit the Teaming and Failover Policy on a Distributed Port Group
Teaming and Failover policies allow you to determine how network traffic is distributed between adapters
and how to re-route traffic in the event of an adapter failure.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

In the Teaming and Failover group specify the following.
Option

Description

Load Balancing

Specify how to choose an uplink.
n Route based on the originating virtual port — Choose an uplink
based on the virtual port where the traffic entered the distributed
switch.
n Route based on ip hash — Choose an uplink based on a hash of the
source and destination IP addresses of each packet. For non-IP packets,
whatever is at those offsets is used to compute the hash.
n Route based on source MAC hash — Choose an uplink based on a
hash of the source Ethernet.
n Route based on physical NIC load — Choose an uplink based on the
current loads of physical NICs.
n Use explicit failover order — Always use the highest order uplink
from the list of Active adapters which passes failover detection criteria.
NOTE IP-based teaming requires that the physical switch be configured
with etherchannel. For all other options, etherchannel should be disabled.

Network Failover Detection

Specify the method to use for failover detection.
Link Status only – Relies solely on the link status that the network
adapter provides. This option detects failures, such as cable pulls and
physical switch power failures, but not configuration errors, such as a
physical switch port being blocked by spanning tree or that is
misconfigured to the wrong VLAN or cable pulls on the other side of a
physical switch.
n Beacon Probing – Sends out and listens for beacon probes on all NICs
in the team and uses this information, in addition to link status, to
determine link failure. This detects many of the failures previously
mentioned that are not detected by link status alone.
NOTE Do not use beacon probing with IP-hash load balancing.

Notify Switches

264

Select Yes or No to notify switches in the case of failover.
If you select Yes, whenever a virtual NIC is connected to the distributed
switch or whenever that virtual NIC’s traffic would be routed over a
different physical NIC in the team because of a failover event, a
notification is sent out over the network to update the lookup tables on
physical switches. In almost all cases, this process is desirable for the
lowest latency of failover occurrences and migrations with vMotion.
NOTE Do not use this option when the virtual machines using the port
group are using Microsoft Network Load Balancing in unicast mode. No
such issue exists with NLB running in multicast mode.

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Option

Description

Failback

Failover Order

Specify how to distribute the work load for uplinks. If you want to use
some uplinks but reserve others for emergencies in case the uplinks in use
fail, set this condition by moving them into different groups:
n Active Uplinks — Continue to use the uplink when the network
adapter connectivity is up and active.
n Standby Uplinks — Use this uplink if one of the active adapter’s
connectivity is down.
n Unused Uplinks — Do not use this uplink.
NOTE When using IP-hash load balancing, do not configure standby
uplinks.

Click OK.

Edit Distributed Port Teaming and Failover Policies
Teaming and Failover policies allow you to determine how network traffic is distributed between adapters
and how to re-route traffic in the event of an adapter failure.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Click Policies to view and modify port networking policies.

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In the Teaming and Failover group, specify the following.
Option

Description

Load Balancing

Specify how to choose an uplink.
n Route based on the originating virtual port — Choose an uplink
based on the virtual port where the traffic entered the vSphere
distributed switch.
n Route based on ip hash — Choose an uplink based on a hash of the
source and destination IP addresses of each packet. For non-IP packets,
whatever is at those offsets is used to compute the hash.
n Route based on source MAC hash — Choose an uplink based on a
hash of the source Ethernet.
n Route based on physical NIC load — Choose an uplink based on the
current loads of physical NICs.
n Use explicit failover order — Always use the highest order uplink
from the list of Active adapters which passes failover detection criteria.
NOTE IP-based teaming requires that the physical switch be configured
with etherchannel. For all other options, etherchannel should be disabled.

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266

Notify Switches

Select Yes or No to notify switches in the case of failover.
If you select Yes, whenever a virtual NIC is connected to the vSphere
distributed switch or whenever that virtual NIC’s traffic would be routed
over a different physical NIC in the team because of a failover event, a
notification is sent out over the network to update the lookup tables on
physical switches. In almost all cases, this process is desirable for the
lowest latency of failover occurrences and migrations with vMotion.
NOTE Do not use this option when the virtual machines using the port
group are using Microsoft Network Load Balancing in unicast mode. No
such issue exists with NLB running in multicast mode.

Failback

Failover Order

Specify how to distribute the work load for uplinks. If you want to use
some uplinks but reserve others for emergencies in case the uplinks in use
fail, set this condition by moving them into different groups:
n Active Uplinks — Continue to use the uplink when the network
adapter connectivity is up and active.
Standby
Uplinks — Use this uplink if one of the active adapter’s
n
connectivity is down.
NOTE When using IP-hash load balancing, do not configure standby
uplinks.
Unused
Uplinks — Do not use this uplink.
n

Click OK.

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VLAN Policy
VLAN policies determine how VLANs function across your network environment.
A virtual local area network (VLAN) is a group of hosts with a common set of requirements, which
communicate as if they were attached to the same broadcast domain, regardless of their physical location. A
VLAN has the same attributes as a physical local area network (LAN), but it allows for end stations to be
grouped together even if not on the same network switch.
The scope of VLAN policies can be distributed port groups and ports, and uplink port groups and ports.

Edit the VLAN Policy on a Distributed Port Group
The VLAN policy allows virtual networks to join physical VLANs.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

Select the type of VLAN filtering and marking from the VLAN Type drop-down menu.

Option

Description

None

Do not use VLAN.
Use this option in case of External Switch Tagging (EST).

VLAN

Tag traffic with the ID from the VLAN ID field.
Type a number between 1 and 4094 for Virtual Switch Tagging (VST).

VLAN Trunking

Pass VLAN traffic with ID within the VLAN trunk range to guest
operating system. You can set multiple ranges and individual VLANs by
using a comma-separated list.
Use this option for VGT.

Private VLAN

Associate the traffic with a private VLAN created on the distributed
switch.

Click OK.

Edit Distributed Port or Uplink Port VLAN Policies
The VLAN policy allows virtual networks to join physical VLANs.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Click Policies.

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Select the VLAN Type to use.
Option

Action

None

Do not use VLAN.

VLAN

In the VLAN ID field, enter a number between 1 and 4094.

VLAN Trunking

Enter one or more VLAN trunk range.

Private VLAN

Select an available private VLAN to use.

Click OK.

Edit the VLAN Policy on an Uplink Port Group
Set the VLAN policy on an uplink port group with the vSphere Client to configure VLAN traffic processing
generally for all member uplinks.
Use the VLAN policy at the uplink port level to propagate a trunk range of VLAN IDs to the physical
network adapters for traffic filtering. The physical network adapters drop the packets from the other
VLANs if the adapters support filtering by VLAN. Setting a trunk range improves networking performance
because physical network adapters filter traffic instead of the uplink ports in the group.
If you have a physical network adapter which does not support VLAN filtering, the VLANs might still not
be blocked. In this case, configure VLAN filtering on a distributed port group or on a distributed port.
See the technical documentation from the adapter vendors for information about VLAN filtering support.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the uplink port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Under Policies, click VLAN and type a VLAN trunk range to propagate to the physical network
adapters.
For trunking of several ranges and individual VLANs, separate the entries with commas.

Click OK.

Edit the VLAN Policy on an Uplink Port
Set the VLAN policy on an uplink port with the vSphere Client to handle VLAN traffic through the port in a
different way than for the parent uplink port group.
Use the VLAN policy at the uplink port to propagate a trunk range of VLAN IDs to the physical network
adapter for traffic filtering. The physical network adapter drops packets from the other VLANs if the
adapter supports filtering by VLAN. Setting a trunk range improves networking performance because the
physical network adapter filters traffic instead of the uplink port.
If you have a physical network adapter which does not support VLAN filtering, the VLANs might still not
be blocked. In this case, configure VLAN filtering on a distributed port group or on a distributed port.
See the technical documentation from the adapter vendor for information about VLAN filtering support.
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Prerequisites
To override the VLAN policy at the port level, enable the port-level overrides. See “Edit Advanced
Distributed Port Group Settings,” on page 44.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Under Policies, select VLAN and click Override.

Type a VLAN trunk range to propagate to the physical network adapter.
For trunking of several ranges and individual VLANs, separate the entries with commas.

Click OK.

Security Policy
Networking security policy provides protection of traffic against MAC address impersonation and
unwanted port scanning
The security policy of a standard or distributed switch is implemented in Layer 2 (Data Link Layer) of the
network protocol stack. The three elements of the security policy are promiscuous mode, MAC address
changes, and forged transmits. See the vSphere Security documentation for information about potential
networking threats.

Edit Security Policy for a vSphere Standard Switch
You can edit Layer 2 security policies, such as MAC address changes and forged transmits, for a vSphere
standard switch.
Layer 2 is the data link layer. The three elements of the Layer 2 Security policy are promiscuous mode, MAC
address changes, and forged transmits. In non-promiscuous mode, a guest adapter listens to traffic only on
its own MAC address. In promiscuous mode, it can listen to all the packets. By default, guest adapters are
set to non-promiscuous mode.
You can override the switch-level settings for individual standard port groups by editing the settings for the
port group.
For more information about security, see the vSphere Security documentation.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Click Properties for the standard switch whose Layer 2 Security policy you want to edit.

In the Properties dialog box for the standard switch, click the Ports tab.

Select the standard switch item and click Edit.

Click the Security tab.

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In the Policy Exceptions pane, select whether to reject or accept the Layer 2 Security policy exceptions.
Option

Description

Promiscuous Mode

n
n

MAC Address Changes

Forged Transmits

n
n

Reject — Placing a guest adapter in promiscuous mode has no effect
on which frames are received by the adapter.
Accept — Placing a guest adapter in promiscuous mode causes it to
detect all frames passed on the vSphere standard switch that are
allowed under the VLAN policy for the port group that the adapter is
connected to.
Reject — If you set the MAC Address Changes to Reject and the guest
operating system changes the MAC address of the adapter to anything
other than what is in the .vmx configuration file, all inbound frames
are dropped.
If the Guest OS changes the MAC address back to match the MAC
address in the .vmx configuration file, inbound frames are passed
again.
Accept — Changing the MAC address from the Guest OS has the
intended effect: frames to the new MAC address are received.
Reject — Any outbound frame with a source MAC address that is
different from the one currently set on the adapter are dropped.
Accept — No filtering is performed and all outbound frames are
passed.

Click OK.

Edit the Layer 2 Security Policy Exception for a Standard Port Group
Control how inbound and outbound frames are handled by editing Layer 2 Security policies.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Choose the vSphere Standard Switch view and click Properties for the port group to edit.

In the Properties dialog box, click the Ports tab.

Select the port group item and click Edit.

In the Properties dialog box for the port group, click the Security tab.
By default, Promiscuous Mode is set to Reject. MAC Address Changes and Forged Transmits are set
to Accept.
The policy exception overrides any policy set at the standard switch level.

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In the Policy Exceptions pane, select whether to reject or accept the security policy exceptions.
Table 22‑3. Policy Exceptions

Mode

Reject

Promiscuous Mode

Placing a guest adapter in
promiscuous mode has no effect on
which frames are received by the
adapter.

Placing a guest adapter in
promiscuous mode causes it to detect
all frames passed on the standard
switch that are allowed under the
VLAN policy for the port group that
the adapter is connected to.

MAC Address Changes

If the guest OS changes the MAC
address of the adapter to anything
other than what is in the .vmx
configuration file, all inbound
frames are dropped.
If the guest OS changes the MAC
address back to match the MAC
address in the .vmx configuration
file, inbound frames are sent again.

If the MAC address from the guest
OS changes, frames to the new MAC
address are received.

Forged Transmits

Outbound frames with a source
MAC address that is different from
the one set on the adapter are
dropped.

No filtering is performed, and all
outbound frames are passed.

Click OK.

Edit the Security Policy for a Distributed Port Group
You can set a security policy on a distributed port group to override the policy set for the distributed switch.
The three elements of the Security policy are promiscuous mode, MAC address changes, and forged
transmits.
In nonpromiscuous mode, a guest adapter listens to traffic only on its own MAC address. In promiscuous
mode, it can listen to all the packets. By default, guest adapters are set to non-promiscuous mode.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.
By default, Promiscuous Mode is set to Reject. MAC Address Changes and Forced Transmits are set
to Accept.

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In the Security group, select whether to reject or accept the Security policy exceptions.
Option

Description

Promiscuous Mode

n
n

MAC Address Changes

Forged Transmits

n
n

Click OK.

Edit Distributed Port Security Policies
The three elements of the Security policy are promiscuous mode, MAC address changes, and forged
transmits.
In nonpromiscuous mode, a guest adapter listens to traffic only on its own MAC address. In promiscuous
mode, it can listen to all the packets. By default, guest adapters are set to non-promiscuous mode.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Click Policies.
By default, Promiscuous Mode is set to Reject, MAC Address Changes, and Forged Transmits are set
to Accept.

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In the Security group, select whether to reject or accept the Security policy exceptions.
Option

Description

Promiscuous Mode

n
n

MAC Address Changes

Forged Transmits

n
n

Reject — Placing a guest adapter in promiscuous mode has no effect
on which frames are received by the adapter.
Accept — Placing a guest adapter in promiscuous mode causes it to
detect all frames passed on the vSphere distributed switch that are
allowed under the VLAN policy for the port group that the adapter is
connected to.
Reject — If you set the MAC Address Changes to Reject and the guest
operating system changes the MAC address of the adapter to anything
other than what is in the .vmx configuration file, all inbound frames
are dropped.
If the Guest OS changes the MAC address back to match the MAC
address in the .vmx configuration file, inbound frames are passed
again.
Accept — Changing the MAC address from the Guest OS has the
intended effect: frames to the new MAC address are received.
Reject — Any outbound frame with a source MAC address that is
different from the one currently set on the adapter are dropped.
Accept — No filtering is performed and all outbound frames are
passed.

Click OK.

Traffic Shaping Policy
A traffic shaping policy is defined by average bandwidth, peak bandwidth, and burst size. You can establish
a traffic shaping policy for each port group and each distributed port or distributed port group.
ESXi shapes outbound network traffic on standard switches and inbound and outbound traffic on
distributed switches. Traffic shaping restricts the network bandwidth available on a port, but can also be
configured to allow bursts of traffic to flow through at higher speeds.
Average Bandwidth

Establishes the number of bits per second to allow across a port, averaged
over time. This number is the allowed average load.

Peak Bandwidth

Maximum number of bits per second to allow across a port when it is
sending or receiving a burst of traffic. This number limits the bandwidth that
a port uses when it is using its burst bonus.

Burst Size

Maximum number of bytes to allow in a burst. If this parameter is set, a port
might gain a burst bonus if it does not use all its allocated bandwidth. When
the port needs more bandwidth than specified by the average bandwidth, it
might be allowed to temporarily transmit data at a higher speed if a burst
bonus is available. This parameter limits the number of bytes that have
accumulated in the burst bonus and transfers traffic at a higher speed.

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Edit the Traffic Shaping Policy for a vSphere Standard Switch
ESXi allows you to shape outbound traffic on standard switches. The traffic shaper restricts the network
bandwidth available to any port, but may also be configured to temporarily allow “bursts” of traffic to flow
through a port at higher speeds.
A traffic shaping policy is defined by three characteristics: average bandwidth, peak bandwidth, and burst
size.
Average Bandwidth

Establishes the number of bits per second to allow across a port, averaged
over time—the allowed average load.

Burst Size

The maximum number of bytes to allow in a burst. If this parameter is set, a
port may gain a burst bonus when it doesn’t use all its allocated bandwidth.
Whenever the port needs more bandwidth than specified by Average
Bandwidth, it may be allowed to temporarily transmit data at a higher speed
if a burst bonus is available. This parameter tops the number of bytes that
may be accumulated in the burst bonus and thus transferred at a higher
speed.

Peak Bandwidth

The maximum number of bits per second to allow across a port when it is
sending a burst of traffic. This tops the bandwidth used by a port whenever
it is using its burst bonus. This parameter can never be smaller than the
average bandwidth.

Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select a standard switch and click Properties.

Click the Ports tab.

Select the standard switch and click Edit.

Click the Traffic Shaping tab.

Select Enabled from the Status drop-down menu to enable traffic shaping policy exceptions.
The Status policy here is applied to each virtual adapter attached to the port group, not to the standard
switch as a whole. If you enable the policy exception in the Status field, you set limits on the amount of
networking bandwidth allocation for each virtual adapter associated with this particular port group. If
you disable the policy, services have a clear connection to the physical network by default.

For each traffic shaping policy, enter a bandwidth value.

Edit the Traffic Shaping Policy for a Standard Port Group
Use traffic shaping policies to control the bandwidth and burst size on a port group.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

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On the host Configuration tab, click Networking.

Choose the vSphere Standard Switch view and click Properties for the port group to edit.

In the Properties dialog box, click the Ports tab.

Select the port group item and click Edit.

In the Properties dialog box for the port group, click the Traffic Shaping tab.
When traffic shaping is disabled, the options are dimmed.
Option

Description

Status

If you enable the policy exception in the Status field, you are setting limits
on the amount of networking bandwidth allocated for each virtual adapter
associated with this particular port group. If you disable the policy,
services have a free and clear connection to the physical network.

Average Bandwidth

A value measured over a particular period of time.

Peak Bandwidth

Limits the maximum bandwidth during a burst. It can never be smaller
than the average bandwidth.

Burst Size

Specifies how large a burst can be in kilobytes (KB).

Edit the Traffic Shaping Policy for a Distributed Port Group
ESXi allows you to shape both inbound and outbound traffic on vSphere distributed switches. The traffic
shaper restricts the network bandwidth available to any port, but may also be configured to temporarily
allow “bursts” of traffic to flow through a port at higher speeds.
A traffic shaping policy is defined by three characteristics: average bandwidth, peak bandwidth, and burst
size.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

In the Traffic Shaping group, you can configure both Ingress Traffic Shaping and EgressTraffic
Shaping.
When traffic shaping is disabled, the tunable features are dimmed.
Status — If you enable the policy exception for either Ingress Traffic Shaping or Egress Traffic
Shaping in the Status field, you are setting limits on the amount of networking bandwidth allocated for
each virtual adapter associated with this particular port group. If you disable the policy, services have a
free, clear connection to the physical network by default.

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Specify network traffic parameters.
Option

Description

Average Bandwidth

Establishes the number of bits per second to allow across a port, averaged
over time—the allowed average load.

Peak Bandwidth

The maximum number of bits per second to allow across a port when it is
sending/receiving a burst of traffic. This tops the bandwidth used by a port
whenever it is using its burst bonus.

Burst Size

The maximum number of bytes to allow in a burst. If this parameter is set,
a port may gain a burst bonus when it doesn’t use all its allocated
bandwidth. Whenever the port needs more bandwidth than specified by
Average Bandwidth, it may be allowed to temporarily transmit data at a
higher speed if a burst bonus is available. This parameter tops the number
of bytes that may be accumulated in the burst bonus and thus transferred
at a higher speed.

Click OK.

Edit Distributed Port or Uplink Port Traffic Shaping Policies
ESXi allows you to shape both inbound and outbound traffic on vSphere distributed switches. The traffic
shaper restricts the network bandwidth available to any port, but may also be configured to temporarily
allow “bursts” of traffic to flow through a port at higher speeds.
A traffic shaping policy is defined by three characteristics: average bandwidth, peak bandwidth, and burst
size.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Click Policies.

In the Traffic Shaping group, you can configure both Inbound Traffic Shaping and Outbound Traffic
Shaping.
When traffic shaping is disabled, the tunable features are dimmed.
Status — If you enable the policy exception for either Inbound Traffic Shaping or Outbound Traffic
Shaping in the Status field, you are setting limits on the amount of networking bandwidth allocated for
each virtual adapter associated with this particular port group. If you disable the policy, services have a
free, clear connection to the physical network by default.

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Specify network traffic parameters.
n

Average Bandwidth establishes the number of bits per second to allow across a port, averaged
over time—the allowed average load.

Peak Bandwidth is the maximum number of bits per second to allow across a port when it is
sending/receiving a burst of traffic. This tops the bandwidth used by a port whenever it is using its
burst bonus.

Burst Size the maximum number of bytes to allow in a burst. If this parameter is set, a port may
gain a burst bonus when it doesn’t use all its allocated bandwidth. Whenever the port needs more
bandwidth than specified by Average Bandwidth, it may be allowed to temporarily transmit data
at a higher speed if a burst bonus is available. This parameter tops the number of bytes that may be
accumulated in the burst bonus and thus transferred at a higher speed.

Click OK.

Resource Allocation Policy
The Resource Allocation policy allows you to associate a distributed port or port group with a user-created
network resource pool. This policy provides you with greater control over the bandwidth given to the port
or port group.
For information about creating and configuring network resource pools, see “vSphere Network I/O
Control,” on page 247.

Edit the Resource Allocation Policy on a Distributed Port Group
Associate a distributed port group with a network resource pool to give you greater control over the
bandwidth given to the distributed port group.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Enable Network I/O Control on the host and create one or more user-defined network resource pools.

Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

In the Resource Allocation group, select the Network Resource Pool to associate the distributed port
group with from the drop-down menu.

Click OK.

Edit the Resource Allocation Policy on a Distributed Port
Associate a distributed port with a network resource pool to give you greater control over the bandwidth
given to the port.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Enable Network I/O Control on the host and create one or more user-defined network resource pools.

Procedure
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Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

In the Resource Allocation group, select the Network Resource Pool to associate the port with from the
drop-down menu.

Click OK.

Monitoring Policy
The monitoring policy enables or disables NetFlow monitoring on a distributed port or port group.
NetFlow settings are configured at the vSphere distributed switch level. See “Configure NetFlow Settings,”
on page 293.

Edit the Monitoring Policy on a Distributed Port Group
With the Monitoring policy, you can enable or disable NetFlow monitoring on a distributed port group.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

In the Monitoring group, select the NetFlow status.

Option

Description

Disabled

NetFlow is disabled on the distributed port group.

Enabled

NetFlow is enabled on the distributed port group. You can configure
NetFlow settings at the vSphere distributed switch level. See “Configure
NetFlow Settings,” on page 293.

Click OK.

Edit the Monitoring Policy on a Distributed Port
With the Monitoring policy, you can enable or disable NetFlow monitoring on a distributed port.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

278

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

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In the Monitoring group, select NetFlow status.
Option

Description

Disabled

NetFlow is disabled on the port.

Enabled

NetFlow is enabled on the port. You can configure NetFlow settings at the
distributed switch level. See “Configure NetFlow Settings,” on page 293.

Click OK.

Port Blocking Policies
Port blocking policies allow you to selectively block ports from sending or receiving data.

Edit the Port Blocking Policy for a Distributed Port Group
The Miscellaneous policies dialog allows you to configure various distributed port group policies.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed port group in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Select Policies.

In the Miscellaneous group, choose whether to Block all ports in this distributed port group.

Click OK.

Edit Distributed Port or Uplink Port Blocking Policies
The Miscellaneous policies dialog allows you to configure distributed port or uplink port blocking policies.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane.

On the Ports tab, right-click the port to modify and select Edit Settings.

Click Policies.

In the Miscellaneous group, select whether to Block this port.

Click OK.

Manage Policies for Multiple Port Groups on a vSphere Distributed
Switch
You can modify networking policies for multiple port groups on a distributed switch.
Prerequisites
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Create a vSphere distributed switch with one or more port groups.

Procedure
1

Right-click the distributed switch and select Manage Port Groups.

Select the policy categories to modify.
Option

Description

Security

Set MAC address changes, forged transmits, and promiscuous mode for
the selected port groups.

Traffic Shaping

Set the average bandwidth, peak bandwidth, and burst size for inbound
and outband traffic on the selected port groups.

VLAN

Configure how the selected port groups connect to physical VLANs.

Teaming and Failover

Set load balancing, failover detection, switch notification, and failover
order for the selected port groups.

Resource Allocation

Set network resource pool association for the selected port groups. This
option is available for vSphere distributed switch versions 5.0.0 and later
only.

Monitoring

Enable or disable NetFlow on the selected port groups. This option is
available for vSphere distributed switch versions 5.0.0 and later only.

Miscellaneous

Enable or disable port blocking on the selected port groups.

Click Next.

Select one or more port groups to modify and click Next.
The policy configuration page appears. Only the policy categories you previously selected are
displayed.

(Optional) In the Security group, select whether to reject or accept the Security policy exceptions.
Option

Description

Promiscuous Mode

n
n

MAC Address Changes

Forged Transmits

n
n

Reject — Placing a guest adapter in promiscuous mode has no effect
on which frames are received by the adapter.
Accept — Placing a guest adapter in promiscuous mode causes it to
detect all frames passed on the vSphere distributed switch that are
allowed under the VLAN policy for the port group that the adapter is
connected to.
Reject — If you set the MAC Address Changes to Reject and the guest
operating system changes the MAC address of the adapter to anything
other than what is in the .vmx configuration file, all inbound frames
are dropped.
If the Guest OS changes the MAC address back to match the MAC
address in the .vmx configuration file, inbound frames are passed
again.
Accept — Changing the MAC address from the Guest OS has the
intended effect: frames to the new MAC address are received.
Reject — Any outbound frame with a source MAC address that is
different from the one currently set on the adapter are dropped.
Accept — No filtering is performed and all outbound frames are
passed.

(Optional) In the Traffic Shaping group, you can configure both Ingress Traffic Shaping and Egress
Traffic Shaping.
When traffic shaping is disabled, the tunable features are dimmed.

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Status — If you enable the policy exception for either Ingress Traffic Shaping or Egress Traffic
Shaping in the Status field, you are setting limits on the amount of networking bandwidth allocated for
each distributed port associated with the selected port groups. If you disable the policy, the amount of
network bandwidth is not limited before it reaches the physical network .
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(Optional) Specify network traffic parameters.
Option

Description

Average Bandwidth

Establishes the number of bits per second to allow across a port, averaged
over time—the allowed average load.

Peak Bandwidth

The maximum number of bits per second to allow across a port when it is
sending/receiving a burst of traffic. This tops the bandwidth used by a port
whenever it is using its burst bonus.

Burst Size

The maximum number of bytes to allow in a burst. If this parameter is set,
a port may gain a burst bonus when it doesn’t use all its allocated
bandwidth. Whenever the port needs more bandwidth than specified by
Average Bandwidth, it may be allowed to temporarily transmit data at a
higher speed if a burst bonus is available. This parameter tops the number
of bytes that may be accumulated in the burst bonus and thus transferred
at a higher speed.

(Optional) Select the VLAN Type to use.
Option

Description

None

Do not use VLAN.

VLAN

In the VLAN ID field, enter a number between 1 and 4094.

VLAN Trunking

Enter a VLAN trunk range.

Private VLAN

Select an available private VLAN to use.

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(Optional) In the Teaming and Failover group specify the following.
Option

Description

Load Balancing

Network Failover Detection

282

Notify Switches

Failback

Failover Order

Specify how to distribute the work load for uplinks. If you want to use
some uplinks but reserve others for emergencies in case the uplinks in use
fail, set this condition by moving them into different groups:
n Active Uplinks — Continue to use the uplink when the network
adapter connectivity is up and active.
n Standby Uplinks — Use this uplink if one of the active adapter’s
connectivity is down.
n Unused Uplinks — Do not use this uplink.
NOTE When using IP-hash load balancing, do not configure standby
uplinks.

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(Optional) In the Resource Allocation group, choose the Network Resource Pool to associate the
distributed port group with from the drop-down menu.

(Optional) In the Monitoring group, choose the NetFlow status.
Option

Description

Disabled

NetFlow is disabled on the distributed port group.

Enabled

NetFlow is enabled on the distributed port group. NetFlow settings can be
configured at the vSphere distributed switch level.

(Optional) In the Miscellaneous group, choose whether to Block all ports in this distributed port
group.

Click Next.
All displayed policies are applied to all selected port groups, inculding those policies that have not been
changed.

(Optional) If you need to make any changes, click Back to the appropriate screen.

Review the port group settings and click Finish.

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Advanced Networking

Advanced networking configuration options allow you greater control over your vSphere networking
environment.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Support,” on page 285

“VLAN Configuration,” on page 286

“Working With Port Mirroring,” on page 286

“Configure NetFlow Settings,” on page 293

“Switch Discovery Protocol,” on page 293

“Change the DNS and Routing Configuration,” on page 295

“MAC Address Management,” on page 296

Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Support
Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) support in ESXi provides the ability to use Virtual Infrastructure features
such as NFS in an IPv6 environment. Use the Networking Properties dialog box to enable or disable IPv6
support on the host.
IPv6 is designated by the Internet Engineering Task Force as the successor to IPv4. The most obvious
difference is address length. IPv6 uses 128-bit addresses rather than the 32-bit addresses used by IPv4. This
increase resolves the problem of address exhaustion and eliminates the need for network address
translation. Other differences include link-local addresses that appear as the interface is initialized,
addresses that are set by router advertisements, and the ability to have multiple IPv6 addresses on an
interface.
In VMware ESXi 5.1, IPv6 is enabled by default.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Network Configuration
Procedure
1

From the vSphere Client Home page, click Hosts and Clusters.

Select the host and click the Configuration tab.

Click the Networking link under Hardware.

In the vSphere Standard Switch view, click the Properties link.

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Select Enable IPv6 support on this host and click OK.

Reboot the host.

VLAN Configuration
Virtual LANs (VLANs) enable a single physical LAN segment to be further isolated so that groups of ports
are isolated from one another as if they were on physically different segments.
Configuring ESXi with VLANs is recommended for the following reasons.
n

It integrates the host into a pre-existing environment.

It isolates and secures network traffic.

It reduces network traffic congestion.

You can configure VLANs in ESXi using three methods: External Switch Tagging (EST), Virtual Switch
Tagging (VST), and Virtual Guest Tagging (VGT).
With EST, all VLAN tagging of packets is performed on the physical switch. Host network adapters are
connected to access ports on the physical switch. Port groups that are connected to the virtual switch must
have their VLAN ID set to 0.
With VST, all VLAN tagging of packets is performed by the virtual switch before leaving the host. Host
network adapters must be connected to trunk ports on the physical switch. Port groups that are connected
to the virtual switch must have a VLAN ID between 1 and 4094.
With VGT, all VLAN tagging is done by the virtual machine. VLAN tags are preserved between the virtual
machine networking stack and external switch when frames pass to and from virtual switches. Host
network adapters must be connected to trunk ports on the physical switch. For a standard switch the VLAN
ID of port groups with VGT must be set to 4095. For a distributed switch the VLAN trunking policy must
include the range of the VLANs to which virtual machines are connected.
NOTE When using VGT, you must have an 802.1Q VLAN trunking driver installed on the virtual machine.

Working With Port Mirroring
Port mirroring allows you to mirror a distributed port's traffic to other distributed ports or specific physical
switch ports.
Port mirroring is used on a switch to send a copy of packets seen on one switch port (or an entire VLAN) to
a monitoring connection on another switch port. Port mirroring is used to analyze and debug data or
diagnose errors on a network.

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Port Mirroring Version Compatibility
Certain port mirroring functionality in vSphere 5.1 and later depends on which version of vCenter Server,
vSphere distributed switch, and host you use, and how you use these aspects of vSphere together.
Table 23‑1. Port mirroring compatibility
vCenter Server version

vSphere distributed
switch version

Host version

vSphere 5.1 port mirroring
functionality

vSphere 5.1 and later

vSphere 5.1 port mirroring is
available for use. Features
for vSphere 5.0 and earlier
port mirroring are not
available.

vSphere 5.1 and later

vSphere 5.0 and earlier

vSphere 5.0 and earlier hosts
can be added to vSphere 5.1
vCenter Server, but cannot
be added to distributed
switches version 5.1 and
later.

vSphere 5.1 and later

vSphere 5.0

vSpherevCenter Server
version 5.1 and later can
configure port mirroring on
a vSphere 5.0 distributed
switch.

vSphere 5.1 and later

vSphere 5.0

vSphere 5.1 and later

Hosts running vSphere 5.1
can be added to vSphere 5.0
distributed switches and
support vSphere 5.0 port
mirroring.

vSphere 5.1 and later

Pre-vSphere 5.0

vSphere 5.5 and earlier

Port mirroring is not
supported.

vSphere 5.0 and earlier

vSphere 5.1

A vSphere 5.1 host cannot be
added to vCenter Server 5.0
and earlier.

If you use a host profile with port mirroring settings, the host profile must be adapted to the new version of
port mirroring in vSphere 5.1 and later.

Port Mirroring Interoperability
There are some interoperability issues to consider when using vSphere 5.1 port mirroring with other
features of vSphere.

vMotion
vMotion functions differently depending on which vSphere 5.1 port mirroring session type you select.
During vMotion, a mirroring path could be temporarily invalid, but is restored when vMotion completes.

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Table 23‑2. vMotion Interoperability with port mirroring
Port mirroring session
type

Source and destination

Interoperable with
vMotion

Functionality

Distributed Port Mirroring

Non-uplink distributed
port source and destination

Yes

Port mirroring between
distributed ports can only be
local. If the source and
destination are on different
hosts due to vMotion,
mirroring between them will
not work. However, if the
source and destination move
to the same host, port
mirroring works.

Remote Mirroring Source

Non-uplink distributed
port source

Yes

When a source distributed
port is moved from host A to
host B, the original
mirroring path from the
source port to A's uplink is
removed on A, and a new
mirroring path from the
source port to B's uplink is
created on B. Which uplink
is used is determined by the
uplink name specified in
session.

Uplink port destinations

Uplinks can not be moved
by vMotion.

Remote Mirroring
Destination

VLAN source

Non-uplink distributed
port destination

Yes

When a destination
distributed port is moved
from host A to host B, all
original mirroring paths
from source VLANs to the
destination port are moved
from A to B.

Encapsulated Remote
Mirroring (L3) Source

Non-uplink distributed
port source

Yes

When a source distributed
port is moved from host A to
host B, all original mirroring
paths from the source port to
destination IPs are moved
from A to B.

IP destination

IP source

Non-uplink distributed
port destination

Distributed Port Mirroring
(legacy)

When a destination
distributed port is moved
from host A to host B, all
original mirroring paths
from source IPs to the
destination port are invalid
because the port mirroring
session source still sees the
destination on A.

TSO and LRO
TCP Segmentation Offload (TSO) and large receive offload (LRO) might cause the number of mirroring
packets to not equal to the number of mirrored packets.

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When TSO is enabled on a vNIC, the vNIC might send a large packet to a distributed switch. When LRO is
enabled on a vNIC, small packets sent to it might be merged into a large packet.
Source

Destination

Description

TSO

LRO

Packets from the source vNIC might be large packets, and whether they are split is
determined by whether their sizes are larger than the destination vNIC LRO limitation.

TSO

Any destination

Packets from the source vNIC might be large packets, and they are split to standard
packets at the destination vNIC.

Any source

LRO

Packets from the source vNIC are standard packets, and they might be merged into
larger packets at the destination vNIC.

Create a Port Mirroring Session with the vSphere Client
Create a port mirroring session to mirror vSphere distributed switch traffic to specific physical switch ports.
Prerequisites
Create a vSphere distributed switch version 5.0.0 or later.
Procedure
1

Specify Port Mirroring Name and Session Details on page 289
Specify the name, description, and session details for the new port mirroring session.

Choose Port Mirroring Sources on page 290
Select sources and traffic direction for the new port mirroring session.

Choose Port Mirroring Destinations on page 290
Select ports or uplinks as destinations for the port mirroring session.

Verify New Port Mirroring Settings on page 290
Verify and enable the new port mirroring session.

Specify Port Mirroring Name and Session Details
Specify the name, description, and session details for the new port mirroring session.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Port Mirroring tab, click Add.

Enter a Name and Description for the port mirroring session.

(Optional) Select Allow normal IO on destination ports to allow normal IO traffic on destination ports.
If you do not select this option, mirrored traffic will be allowed out on destination ports, but no traffic
will be allowed in.

(Optional) Select Encapsulation VLAN to create a VLAN ID that encapsulates all frames at the
destination ports.
If the original frames have a VLAN and Preserve original VLAN is not selected, the encapsulation
VLAN replaces the original VLAN.

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(Optional) Select Preserve original VLAN to keep the original VLAN in an inner tag so mirrored
frames are double encapsulated.
This option is available only if you select Encapsulation VLAN.

(Optional) Select Mirrored packet length to put a limit on the size of mirrored frames.
If this option is selected, all mirrored frames are truncated to the specified length.

Click Next.

Choose Port Mirroring Sources
Select sources and traffic direction for the new port mirroring session.
Procedure
1

Choose whether to use this source for Ingress or Egress traffic, or choose Ingress/Egress to use this
source for both types of traffic.

Type the source port IDs and click >> to add the sources to the port mirroring session.
Separate multiple port IDs with a comma.

Click Next.

Choose Port Mirroring Destinations
Select ports or uplinks as destinations for the port mirroring session.
Port Mirroring is checked against the VLAN forwarding policy. If the VLAN of the original frames is not
equal to or trunked by the destination port, the frames are not mirrored.
Procedure
1

Choose the Destination type.
Option

Description

Port

Type in one or more Port IDs to use as a destination for the port mirroring
session. Separate multiple IDs with a comma.

Uplink

Select one or more uplinks to use as a destination for the port mirroring
session.

Click >> to add the selected destinations to the port mirroring session.

(Optional) Repeat the above steps to add multiple destinations.

Click Next.

Verify New Port Mirroring Settings
Verify and enable the new port mirroring session.
Procedure

290

Verify that the listed name and settings for the new port mirroring session are correct.

(Optional) Click Back to make any changes.

(Optional) Click Enable this port mirroring session to start the port mirroring session immediately.

Click Finish.

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View Port Mirroring Session Details
View port mirroring session details, including status, sources, and destinations.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Port Mirroring tab, select the port mirroring session to view.
Details for the selected port mirroring session appear under Port Mirroring Session Details.

(Optional) Click Edit to edit the details for the selected port mirroring session.

(Optional) Click Delete to delete the selected port mirroring session.

(Optional) Click Add to add a new port mirroring session.

Edit Port Mirroring Name and Session Details
Edit the details of a port mirroring session, including name, description, and status.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Port Mirroring tab, select the port mirroring session to modify and click Edit.

Click the Properties tab.

(Optional) Type a new Name for the port mirroring session.

(Optional) Type a new Description for the port mirroring session.

Select whether the port mirroring session should be Enabled or Disabled.

(Optional) Select Allow normal IO on destination ports to allow normal IO traffic on destination ports.
If you do not select this option, mirrored traffic is allowed out on destination ports, but no traffic is
allowed in.

(Optional) Select Preserve original VLAN to keep the original VLAN in an inner tag so mirrored
frames are double encapsulated.
This option is available only if you select Encapsulation VLAN.

(Optional) Select Mirrored packet length to put a limit on the size of mirrored frames.
If this option is selected, all mirrored frames are truncated to the specified length.

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Click OK.

Edit Port Mirroring Sources
Edit sources and traffic direction for the port mirroring session.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Port Mirroring tab, select the port mirroring session to modify and click Edit.

Click the Sources tab.

(Optional) Select whether to use this source for Ingress or Egress traffic, or select Ingress/Egress to use
this source for both types of traffic.

(Optional) Type one or more port IDs or ranges of port IDs to add as source for the port mirroring
session, and click >>.
Separate multiple IDs with commas.

(Optional) Select a source in the right-hand list and click << to remove the source from the port
mirroring session.

Click OK.

Edit Port Mirroring Destinations
Edit the destination ports and uplinks for a port mirroring session to change where traffic for the session is
mirrored.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Port Mirroring tab, select the port mirroring session to modify and click Edit.

Click the Destinations tab.

(Optional) Select the Destination type of the destination to add.

Option

Description

Port

Type one or more Port IDs to use as a destination for the port mirroring
session. Separate multiple IDs with a comma.

Uplink

Select one or more uplinks to use as a destination for the port mirroring
session.

(Optional) Type one or more port IDs or ranges of port IDs to add as a destination for the port
mirroring session and click >>.
Separate multiple IDs with commas.

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(Optional) Select a destination from the right-hand column and click << to remove the destination from
the port mirroring session.

Click OK.

Configure NetFlow Settings
NetFlow is a network analysis tool that you can use to monitor network monitoring and virtual machine
traffic.
NetFlow is available on vSphere distributed switch version 5.0.0 and later.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

Navigate to the NetFlow tab.

Type the IP address and Port of the NetFlow collector.

Type the VDS IP address.
With an IP address to the vSphere distributed switch, the NetFlow collector can interact with the
vSphere distributed switch as a single switch, rather than interacting with a separate, unrelated switch
for each associated host.

(Optional) Use the up and down menu arrows to set the Active flow export timeout and Idle flow
export timeout.

(Optional) Use the up and down menu arrows to set the Sampling rate.
The sampling rate determines what portion of data NetFlow collects, with the sampling rate number
determining how often NetFlow collects the packets. A collector with a sampling rate of 2 collects data
from every other packet. A collector with a sampling rate of 5 collects data from every fifth packet.

(Optional) Select Process internal flows only to collect data only on network activity between virtual
machines on the same host.

Click OK.

Switch Discovery Protocol
Switch discovery protocols help vSphere administrators to determine which port of the physical switch is
connected to a vSphere standard switch or vSphere distributed switch.
vSphere 5.0 and later supports Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) and Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP).
CDP is available for vSphere standard switches and vSphere distributed switches connected to Cisco
physical switches. LLDP is available for vSphere distributed switches version 5.0.0 and later.
When CDP or LLDP is enabled for a particular vSphere distributed switch or vSphere standard switch, you
can view properties of the peer physical switch such as device ID, software version, and timeout from the
vSphere Web Client.

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Enable Cisco Discovery Protocol on a vSphere Distributed Switch
Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) allows vSphere administrators to determine which Cisco switch port
connects to a given vSphere standard switch or vSphere distributed switch. When CDP is enabled for a
particular vSphere distributed switch, you can view properties of the Cisco switch (such as device ID,
software version, and timeout) from the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Properties tab, select Advanced.

Select Enabled from the Status drop-down menu.

Select Cisco Discovery Protocol from the Type drop-down menu.

Select the CDP mode from the Operation drop-down menu.

Option

Description

Listen

ESXi detects and displays information about the associated Cisco switch
port, but information about the vSphere distributed switch is not available
to the Cisco switch administrator.

Advertise

ESXi makes information about the vSphere distributed switch available to
the Cisco switch administrator, but does not detect and display
information about the Cisco switch.

Both

ESXi detects and displays information about the associated Cisco switch
and makes information about the vSphere distributed switch available to
the Cisco switch administrator.

Click OK.

Enable Link Layer Discovery Protocol on a vSphere Distributed Switch
With Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP), vSphere administrators can determine which physical switch
port connects to a given vSphere distributed switch. When LLDP is enabled for a particular distributed
switch, you can view properties of the physical switch (such as chassis ID, system name and description,
and device capabilities) from the vSphere Client.
LLDP is available only on vSphere distributed switch version 5.0.0 and later.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

294

Right-click the vSphere distributed switch in the inventory pane, and select Edit Settings.

On the Properties tab, select Advanced.

Select Enabled from the Status drop-down menu.

Select Link Layer Discovery Protocol from the Type drop-down menu.

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Select the LLDP mode from the Operation drop-down menu.
Option

Description

Listen

ESXi detects and displays information about the associated physical switch
port, but information about the vSphere distributed switch is not available
to the switch administrator.

Advertise

ESXi makes information about the vSphere distributed switch available to
the switch administrator, but does not detect and display information
about the physical switch.

Both

ESXi detects and displays information about the associated physical switch
and makes information about the vSphere distributed switch available to
the switch administrator.

Click OK.

View Switch Information on the vSphere Client
When CDP or LLDP is set to Listen or Both, you can view physical switch information from the vSphere
Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Click the information icon to the right of the vSphere standard switch or vSphere distributed switch to
display information for that switch.

Switch information for the selected switch appears.

Change the DNS and Routing Configuration
You can change the DNS server and default gateway information provided during installation from the host
configuration page in the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab, and click DNS and Routing.

On the right side of the window, click Properties.

In the DNS Configuration tab, enter a name and domain.

Choose whether to obtain the DNS server address automatically or use a DNS server address.

Specify the domains in which to look for hosts.

On the Routing tab, change the default gateway information as needed.

Click OK.

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MAC Address Management
MAC addresses are used in the Layer 2 (Data Link Layer) of the network protocol stack to transmit frames
to a recipient. In vSphere, vCenter Server generates MAC addresses for virtual machine adapters and
VMkernel adapters, or you can assign addresses manually.
Each network adapter manufacturer is assigned a unique three-byte prefix called an Organizationally
Unique Identifier (OUI), which it can use to generate unique MAC addresses.
VMware supports several address allocation mechanisms, each of them with a separate OUI:
n

Generated MAC addresses
n

Assigned by vCenter Server

Assigned by the ESXi host

Manually set MAC addresses

Generated for legacy virtual machines, but no longer used with ESXi

If you reconfigure the network adapter of a powered off virtual machine, for example by changing the
automatic MAC address allocation type, or setting a static MAC address, vCenter Server resolves any MAC
address conflict before the adapter reconfiguration takes effect.

Add or Adjust Range- or Prefixed-Based Allocations in the vSphere Client
If you use a range- or prefixed-based allocation, you can use the vSphere Client to adjust the parameters of
your allocation.
To change allocation schemes from VMware OUI to a range- or prefixed-based allocation, you must add a
key and default value to Advanced Settings. If you already added the key and default values, use Advanced
Settings to adjust the parameters for each key.
To change from a range- or prefixed-based allocation to the VMware OUI allocation, you cannot use the
vSphere Client. You must edit the vpxd.cfg file manually. VMware recommends changing allocation types
through the vSphere Client because editing files can introduce errors. For information about editing the
vpxd.cfg file, see the vSphere Networking publication.
CAUTION Prefix-based MAC address allocation is only supported invCenter Server 5.1 and 5.1 hosts. If you
add pre-5.1 hosts to vCenter Server 5.1 , and use anything other than VMware OUI prefix-based MAC
address allocation, virtual machines assigned non-VMware OUI prefixed MAC addresses fail to power on
their pre-5.1 hosts.
The prefix-based MAC address allocation schemes are not supported on pre-5.1 hosts because pre-5.1 hosts
explicitly validate if an assigned MAC address uses the VMware OUI 00:50:56 prefix. If the MAC address is
not prefixed with 00:50:56, the virtual machine pre-5.1 host fails to power on.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

296

In the vSphere Client, select Administration > Server Settings.

Select Advanced Settings.

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Add or adjust one of the following allocation types.
NOTE Use only one allocation type.
u

Prefix-based allocation
Key

Default Value

config.vpxd.macAllocScheme.prefixScheme.prefix

005026

config.vpxd.macAllocScheme.prefixScheme.prefixLength

Change the default values to your choice of prefix and prefix length.
u

Range-based allocation
Key

Default Value

config.vpxd.macAllocScheme.rangeScheme.range[0].begin

005067000000

config.vpxd.macAllocScheme.rangeScheme.range[0].end

005067ffffff

Change the default values to the allocation range of your choice. Replace [0] with the range ID of
your choice.
4

Click OK.

Assign a static MAC Address in the vSphere Client
You can assign static MAC addresses to a powered-down virtual machine's virtual NICs.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Summary tab and click Edit Settings.

Select the network adapter from the Hardware list.

In the MAC Address group, select Manual.

Enter the static MAC address, and click OK.

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Managing Storage in the vSphere
Client

When you connect to a host or vCenter Server using the vSphere Client, you can perform a variety of
storage management tasks, including configuring adapters, creating datastores, and viewing storage device
information.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Storage Limitations in the vSphere Client,” on page 300

“Display Storage Devices for a Host in the vSphere Client,” on page 300

“Display Storage Devices for an Adapter in the vSphere Client,” on page 301

“View Storage Adapters Information in the vSphere Client,” on page 301

“Review Datastore Information in the vSphere Client,” on page 301

“Assign WWNs to Virtual Machines,” on page 301

“Modify WWN Assignments,” on page 302

“Set Up Networking for Software FCoE,” on page 303

“Add Software FCoE Adapters,” on page 304

“Disable Automatic Host Registration,” on page 304

“Setting Up Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters,” on page 305

“Configuring Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters,” on page 306

“Configuring Software iSCSI Adapters,” on page 308

“Setting Up iSCSI Network,” on page 310

“Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI,” on page 315

“Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 316

“Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 317

“Configure Advanced Parameters for iSCSI in the vSphere Client,” on page 320

“Managing Storage Devices,” on page 321

“Working with Datastores,” on page 322

“Raw Device Mapping,” on page 332

“Understanding Multipathing and Failover,” on page 333

“Storage Hardware Acceleration,” on page 335

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“Storage Thin Provisioning,” on page 336

“Using Storage Vendor Providers,” on page 338

Storage Limitations in the vSphere Client
The storage tasks that you can perform when you connect directly to an ESXi host or vCenter Server system
with the vSphere Client are limited.
The following storage features are unavailable or read-only in the vSphere Client:
n

AHCI SATA devices

NFS client 4.1 with Kerberos

Storage DRS with vSphere Replication

Storage DRS interoperability with vCenter Site Recovery Manager

Storage Policy I/O filters

Virtual SAN disk group management

Virtual SAN profile compatibility errors and warnings

Virtual SAN storage policy based management

Virtual SAN default profiles

Virtual SAN disk serviceability

Virtual SAN fault domain isolation

Virtual Volumes

vSphere Flash Read Cache

vSphere Flash Read Cache DRS interoperability

Use the vSphere Web Client as the primary interface for managing the full range of storage functions
available in your vSphere 6.0 environment.

Display Storage Devices for a Host in the vSphere Client
Use the vSphere Client to display all storage devices or LUNs available to a host. If you use any third-party
multipathing plug-ins, the storage devices available through the plug-ins also appear on the list.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

300

Select a host and click the Configuration tab.

In Hardware, select Storage.

Click Devices.

To view additional details about a specific device, select the device from the list.

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Display Storage Devices for an Adapter in the vSphere Client
Use the vSphere Client to display a list of storage devices accessible to a specific storage adapter on the host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select a host and click the Configuration tab.

In Hardware, select Storage Adapters.

Select the adapter from the Storage Adapters list.

Click Devices.

View Storage Adapters Information in the vSphere Client
Use the vSphere Client to display storage adapters that your host uses and to review their information.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select a host and click the Configuration tab.

In Hardware, select Storage Adapters.

To view details for a specific adapter, select the adapter from the Storage Adapters list.

To list all storage devices the adapter can access, click Devices.

To list all paths the adapter uses, click Paths.

Review Datastore Information in the vSphere Client
Use the vSphere Client to display all datastores available to the hosts and analyze their properties.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select a host and click the Configuration tab.

In Hardware, select Storage.

Click the Datastores view.

To display details for a particular datastore, select the datastore from the list.

Assign WWNs to Virtual Machines
You can assign a WWN to a new virtual machine with an RDM disk when you create this virtual machine.
You can create from 1 to 16 WWN pairs, which can be mapped to the first 1 to 16 physical HBAs on the host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.

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Procedure
1

Open the New Virtual Machine wizard.

Select Custom, and click Next.

Follow all steps required to create a custom virtual machine.

On the Select a Disk page, select Raw Device Mapping, and click Next.

From a list of SAN disks or LUNs, select a raw LUN you want your virtual machine to access directly.

Select a datastore for the RDM mapping file.
You can place the RDM file on the same datastore where your virtual machine files reside, or select a
different datastore.
NOTE If you want to use vMotion for a virtual machine with enabled NPIV, make sure that the RDM
file is located on the same datastore where the virtual machine configuration file resides.

Follow the steps required to create a virtual machine with the RDM.

On the Ready to Complete page, select the Edit the virtual machine settings before completion check
box and click Continue.
The Virtual Machine Properties dialog box opens.

Assign WWNs to the virtual machine.
a

Click the Options tab, and select Fibre Channel NPIV.

Select Generate new WWNs.

Specify the number of WWNNs and WWPNs.
A minimum of 2 WWPNs are needed to support failover with NPIV. Typically only 1 WWNN is
created for each virtual machine.

Click Finish.

The host creates WWN assignments for the virtual machine.
What to do next
Register newly created WWNs in the fabric so that the virtual machine is able to log in to the switch, and
assign storage LUNs to the WWNs.

Modify WWN Assignments
You can modify WWN assignments for a virtual machine with an RDM.
Typically, you do not need to change existing WWN assignments on your virtual machine. In certain
circumstances, for example, when manually assigned WWNs are causing conflicts on the SAN, you might
need to change or remove WWNs.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
Make sure to power off the virtual machine if you want to edit the existing WWNs.
Before you begin, ensure that your SAN administrator has provisioned the storage LUN ACL to allow the
virtual machine’s ESXi host to access it.

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Procedure
1

Open the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box by clicking the Edit Settings link for the selected
virtual machine.

Click the Options tab and select Fibre Channel NPIV.
The Virtual Machine Properties dialog box opens.

Edit the WWN assignments by selecting one of the following options:
Option

Description

Temporarily disable NPIV for this
virtual machine

Disable the WWN assignments for the virtual machine.

Leave unchanged

The existing WWN assignments are retained. The read-only WWN
Assignments section of this dialog box displays the node and port values
of any existing WWN assignments.

Generate new WWNs

New WWNs are generated and assigned to the virtual machine,
overwriting any existing WWNs (those of the HBA itself are unaffected).

Remove WWN assignment

The WWNs assigned to the virtual machine are removed and it uses the
HBA WWNs to access the storage LUN. This option is not available if you
are creating a new virtual machine.

Click OK to save your changes.

Set Up Networking for Software FCoE
Before you activate the software FCoE adapters, you need to connect the VMkernel to physical FCoE NICs
installed on your host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

In the vSphere standard switch view, click Add Networking.

Select VMkernel and click Next.

Select Create a vSphere standard switch to create a new vSphere standard switch.

Select the network adapter (vmnic#) that supports FCoE and click Next.
If your host has multiple network adapters or multiple ports on the adapter, you can add all of them to
a single vSphere standard switch. An alternative is to connect each FCoE NIC to a separate standard
switch.
NOTE ESXi supports the maximum of four network adapter ports used for software FCoE.

Enter a network label.
Network label is a friendly name that identifies the VMkernel adapter that you are creating, for
example, FCoE.

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Specify a VLAN ID and click Next.
Because FCoE traffic requires an isolated network, make sure that the VLAN ID you enter is different
from the one used for regular networking on your host. For more information, see the vSphere
Networking documentation.

Specify the IP settings and click Next.

Review the information and click Finish.

You have created the virtual VMkernel adapter for the physical FCoE network adapter installed on your
host.
NOTE To avoid FCoE traffic disruptions, do not remove the FCoE network adapter (vmnic#) from the
vSphere standard switch after you set up FCoE networking.

Add Software FCoE Adapters
You must activate software FCoE adapters so that your host can use them to access Fibre Channel storage.
The number of software FCoE adapters you can activate corresponds to the number of physical FCoE NIC
ports on your host. ESXi supports the maximum of four software FCoE adapters on one host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Set up networking for the software FCoE adapter.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.

Click Add, select Software FCoE Adapter, and click OK.

On the Add Software FCoE Adapter dialog box, select an appropriate vmnic from the drop-down list of
physical network adapters.
Only those adapters that are not yet used for FCoE traffic are listed.

Click OK.
The software FCoE adapter appears on the list of storage adapters.

After you activate the software FCoE adapter, you can view its properties. If you do not use the adapter, you
can remove it from the list of adapters.

Disable Automatic Host Registration
When you use EMC CLARiiON or Invista arrays for storage, it is required that the hosts register with the
arrays. ESXi performs automatic host registration by sending the host's name and IP address to the array. If
you prefer to perform manual registration using storage management software, disable the ESXi autoregistration feature.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

304

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory panel.

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Click the Configuration tab and click Advanced Settings under Software.

Click Disk in the left panel and scroll down to Disk.EnableNaviReg on the right.

Change the default value to 0.

This disables the automatic host registration enabled by default.

Setting Up Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
An independent hardware iSCSI adapter is a specialized third-party adapter capable of accessing iSCSI
storage over TCP/IP. This iSCSI adapter handles all iSCSI and network processing and management for
your ESXi system.
When you connect the vSphere Client directly to a host, the setup and configuration process for the
independent hardware iSCSI adapters involves these steps:
1

Check whether the adapter needs to be licensed.
See your vendor documentation.

Install the adapter.
For installation information and information on firmware updates, see vendor documentation.

Verity that the adapter is installed correctly.
See “View Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters in the vSphere Client,” on page 305.

Configure discovery information.
See “Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 316.

(Optional) Configure CHAP parameters.
See “Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 317.

(Optional) Enable Jumbo Frames.
See “Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI,” on page 315.

View Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters in the vSphere Client
View an independent hardware iSCSI adapter to verify that it is correctly installed and ready for
configuration.
After you install an independent hardware iSCSI adapter, it appears on the list of storage adapters available
for configuration. You can view its properties.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.
If it is installed, the hardware iSCSI adapter appears on the list of storage adapters.

Select the adapter to view.
The default details for the adapter appear, including the model, iSCSI name, iSCSI alias, IP address, and
target and paths information.

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Click Properties.
The iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box appears. The General tab displays additional characteristics of
the adapter.

You can now configure your independent hardware adapter or change its default characteristics.

Change Name and IP Address for Independent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
When you configure your independent hardware iSCSI adapters, make sure that their names and IP
addresses are formatted properly.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host .Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

Access the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box.

Click Configure.

To change the default iSCSI name for your adapter, enter the new name.
Make sure the name you enter is worldwide unique and properly formatted or some storage devices
might not recognize the iSCSI adapter.

(Optional) Enter the iSCSI alias.
The alias is a name that you use to identify the independent hardware iSCSI adapter.

Change the default IP settings.
You must change the default IP settings so that they are configured properly for the IP SAN. Work with
your network administrator to determine the IP setting for the HBA.

Click OK to save your changes.

If you change the iSCSI name, it will be used for new iSCSI sessions. For existing sessions, new settings will
not be used until logout and re-login.

Configuring Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
A dependent hardware iSCSI adapter is a third-party adapter that depends on VMware networking, and
iSCSI configuration and management interfaces provided by VMware.
An example of a dependent iSCSI adapter is a Broadcom 5709 NIC. When installed on a host, it presents its
two components, a standard network adapter and an iSCSI engine, to the same port. The iSCSI engine
appears on the list of storage adapters as an iSCSI adapter (vmhba). Although the iSCSI adapter is enabled
by default, to make it functional, you must first connect it, through a virtual VMkernel adapter (vmk), to a
physical network adapter (vmnic) associated with it. You can then configure the iSCSI adapter.
After you configure the dependent hardware iSCSI adapter, the discovery and authentication data are
passed through the network connection, while the iSCSI traffic goes through the iSCSI engine, bypassing the
network.
The entire setup and configuration process for the dependent hardware iSCSI adapters involves these steps:
1

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View the dependent hardware adapters.

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See “View Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters,” on page 307.
If your dependent hardware adapters do not appear on the list of storage adapters, check whether they
need to be licensed. See your vendor documentation.
2

Determine the association between the dependent hardware adapters and physical NICs.
See “Determine Association Between iSCSI and Network Adapters,” on page 308.
Make sure to note the names of the corresponding physical NICs. For example, the vmhba33 adapter
corresponds to vmnic1 and vmhba34 corresponds to vmnic2.

Configure networking for iSCSI.
See “Setting Up iSCSI Network,” on page 310.
Configuring the network involves creating a VMkernel interface for each physical network adapter and
associating the interface with an appropriate iSCSI adapter.

(Optional) Enable Jumbo Frames.
See “Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI,” on page 315.

Configure discovery information.
See “Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 316.

(Optional) Configure CHAP parameters.
See “Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 317.

View Dependent Hardware iSCSI Adapters
View a dependent hardware iSCSI adapter to verify that it is correctly loaded.
If the dependent hardware adapter does not appear on the list of storage adapters, check whether it needs to
be licensed. See your vendor documentation.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.
If it is installed, the dependent hardware iSCSI adapter appears on the list of storage adapters under
such category as, for example, Broadcom iSCSI Adapter.

Select the adapter to view and click Properties.
The iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box opens. It displays the default details for the adapter, including
the iSCSI name, iSCSI alias, and the status.

(Optional) To change the default iSCSI name, click Configure.

What to do next
Although the dependent iSCSI adapter is enabled by default, to make it functional, you must set up
networking for the iSCSI traffic and bind the adapter to the appropriate VMkernel iSCSI port. You then
configure discovery addresses and CHAP parameters.

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Determine Association Between iSCSI and Network Adapters
You create network connections to bind dependent iSCSI and network adapters. To create the connections
correctly, you must determine the name of the physical NIC with which the dependent hardware iSCSI
adapter is associated.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

In the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box, click the Network Configuration tab.

Click Add.
The network adapter, for example vmnic2, that corresponds to the dependent iSCSI adapter is listed.

What to do next
You must bind the associated dependent hardware iSCSI and network adapters by creating the network
connections.

Configuring Software iSCSI Adapters
With the software-based iSCSI implementation, you can use standard NICs to connect your host to a remote
iSCSI target on the IP network. The software iSCSI adapter that is built into ESXi facilitates this connection
by communicating with the physical NICs through the network stack.
Before you can use the software iSCSI adapter, you must set up networking, activate the adapter, and
configure parameters such as discovery addresses and CHAP.
NOTE Designate a separate network adapter for iSCSI. Do not use iSCSI on 100Mbps or slower adapters.
The software iSCSI adapter configuration workflow includes these steps:
1

Activate the software iSCSI adapter.
See “Activate the Software iSCSI Adapter in the vSphere Client,” on page 308.

Configure networking for iSCSI.
See “Setting Up iSCSI Network,” on page 310.
Configuring the network involves creating a VMkernel interface for each physical network adapter that
you use for iSCSI and associating all interfaces with the software iSCSI adapter.

(Optional) Enable Jumbo Frames.
See “Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI,” on page 315.

Configure discovery information.
See “Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 316.

(Optional) Configure CHAP parameters.
See “Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters,” on page 317.

Activate the Software iSCSI Adapter in the vSphere Client
You must activate your software iSCSI adapter so that your host can use it to access iSCSI storage.
You can activate only one software iSCSI adapter.

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Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
NOTE If you boot from iSCSI using the software iSCSI adapter, the adapter is enabled and the network
configuration is created at the first boot. If you disable the adapter, it is reenabled each time you boot the
host.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.

Click Add and select Software iSCSI Adapter.
The software iSCSI adapter appears on the list of storage adapters.

Select the iSCSI adapter from the list and click Properties.

Click Configure.

Make sure that the adapter is enabled and click OK.
After enabling the adapter, the host assigns the default iSCSI name to it. If you change the default
name, follow iSCSI naming conventions.

Disable Software iSCSI Adapter in the vSphere Client
Use the vSphere Client to disable the software iSCSI adapter if you do not need it.
NOTE If you disable the adapter that is used for software iSCSI boot, the adapter is reenabled each time you
boot the host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.

Select the software iSCSI adapter from the list of storage adapters and click Properties.

Click Configure.

To disable the adapter, deselect Enabled and click OK.

Reboot the host.
After reboot, the adapter no longer appears on the list of storage adapters.

The status indicates that the adapter is disabled.

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Setting Up iSCSI Network
Software and dependent hardware iSCSI adapters depend on VMkernel networking. If you use the software
or dependent hardware iSCSI adapters, you must configure connections for the traffic between the iSCSI
component and the physical network adapters.
Configuring the network connection involves creating a virtual VMkernel adapter for each physical network
adapter. You then associate the VMkernel adapter with an appropriate iSCSI adapter. This process is called
port binding.
For specific considerations on when and how to use network connections with software iSCSI, see the
VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2038869.

Multiple Network Adapters in iSCSI Configuration
If your host has more than one physical network adapter for software and dependent hardware iSCSI, use
the adapters for multipathing.
You can connect the software iSCSI adapter with any physical NICs available on your host. The dependent
iSCSI adapters must be connected only to their own physical NICs.
NOTE Physical NICs must be on the same subnet as the iSCSI storage system they connect to.
Figure 24‑1. Networking with iSCSI
Two physical NICs connected to
the software iSCSI adapter

Two physical NICs with iSCSI
offload capabilities

software iSCSI adapter

dependent hardware iSCSI adapters

vmhba#
vmk1

vmhba33

vmhba34

vmk1

vmk2

virtual
adapters

vmk2
vSwitch

vSwitch

Host1
Host1

Host2
vmnic1

vmnic2

vmnic1

physical NICs

vmnic2

virtual

Host2 physical

physical NICs
with iSCSI
offload
capabilities
IP network

iSCSI storage

The iSCSI adapter and physical NIC connect through a virtual VMkernel adapter, also called virtual
network adapter or VMkernel port. You create a VMkernel adapter (vmk) on a vSphere switch (vSwitch)
using 1:1 mapping between each virtual and physical network adapter.

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One way to achieve the 1:1 mapping when you have multiple NICs, is to designate a separate vSphere
switch for each virtual-to-physical adapter pair.
NOTE If you use separate vSphere switches, you must connect them to different IP subnets. Otherwise,
VMkernel adapters might experience connectivity problems and the host will fail to discover iSCSI LUNs.
The following examples show configurations that use vSphere standard switches, but you can use
distributed switches as well. For more information about vSphere distributed switches, see the vSphere
Networking documentation.
Figure 24‑2. 1:1 adapter mapping on separate vSphere standard switches
vSwitch1
Physical adapters

VMkernel adapters

vmnic1

iSCSI1
vmk1

vSwitch2
Physical adapters

VMkernel adapters

vmnic2

iSCSI2
vmk2

An alternative is to add all NICs and VMkernel adapters to a single vSphere standard switch. In this case,
you must override the default network setup and make sure that each VMkernel adapter maps to only one
corresponding active physical adapter.
NOTE You must use the single vSwitch configuration if VMkernel adapters are on the same subnet.
Figure 24‑3. 1:1 adapter mapping on a single vSphere standard switch
vSwitch1
VMkernel adapters

Physical adapters

iSCSI2

vmnic2

vmk2

vmnic1

iSCSI1
vmk1

The following table summarises the iSCSI networking configuration discussed in this topic.
Table 24‑1. Networking configuration for iSCSI
iSCSI Adapters

VMkernel Adapters (Ports)

Physical Adapters (NICs)

vmk1

vmnic1

vmk2

vmnic2

Software iSCSI
vmhba32

Dependent Hardware iSCSI

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Table 24‑1. Networking configuration for iSCSI (Continued)
iSCSI Adapters

VMkernel Adapters (Ports)

Physical Adapters (NICs)

vmhba33

vmk1

vmnic1

vmhba34

vmk2

vmnic2

Create Network Connections for iSCSI in the vSphere Client
Configure connections for the traffic between the software or dependent hardware iSCSI adapters and the
physical network adapters.
The following tasks discuss the iSCSI network configuration with a vSphere standard switch.
If you use a vSphere distributed switch with multiple uplink ports, for port binding, create a separate
distributed port group per each physical NIC. Then set the team policy so that each distributed port group
has only one active uplink port. For detailed information on vSphere distributed switches, see the vSphere
Networking documentation.

Create a Single VMkernel Adapter for iSCSI
You must connect the VMkernel, which runs services for iSCSI storage, to a physical network adapter.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

In the vSphere Standard Switch view, click Add Networking.

Select VMkernel and click Next.

Select Create a vSphere standard switch to create a new standard switch.

Select a NIC to use for iSCSI traffic.
IMPORTANT If you are creating a VMkernel interface for the dependent hardware iSCSI adapter, select
the NIC that corresponds to the iSCSI component. See “Determine Association Between iSCSI and
Network Adapters,” on page 308.

Click Next.

Enter a network label.
A network label is a friendly name that identifies the VMkernel adapter that you are creating, for
example, iSCSI.

Click Next.

Specify the IP settings and click Next.

Review the information and click Finish.

You created the virtual VMkernel adapter for a physical network adapter on your host.
What to do next
If your host has one physical network adapter for iSCSI traffic, you must bind the virtual adapter that you
created to the iSCSI adapter.

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If you have multiple network adapters, create additional VMkernel adapters and then perform iSCSI
binding. The number of virtual adapters must correspond to the number of physical adapters on the host.

Create Additional VMkernel Adapters for iSCSI
Use this task if you have two or more physical network adapters for iSCSI and you want to connect all of
your NICs to a single vSphere standard switch. In this task, you add NICs and VMkernel adapters to an
existing vSphere standard switch.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
You must create a vSphere standard switch that maps an iSCSI VMkernel adapter to a single physical NIC
designated for iSCSI traffic.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select the vSphere standard switch that you use for iSCSI and click Properties.

Connect additional network adapters to the standard switch.
a

In the standard switch Properties dialog box, click the Network Adapters tab and click Add.

Select one or more NICs from the list and click Next.
With dependent hardware iSCSI adapters, select only those NICs that have a corresponding iSCSI
component.

Review the information on the Adapter Summary page and click Finish.
The list of network adapters reappears, showing the network adapters that the vSphere standard
switch now claims.

Create iSCSI VMkernel adapters for all NICs that you added.
The number of VMkernel interfaces must correspond to the number of NICs on the vSphere standard
switch.
a

In the standard switch Properties dialog box, click the Ports tab and click Add.

Select VMkernel and click Next.

Under Port Group Properties, enter a network label, for example iSCSI, and click Next.

Specify the IP settings and click Next.
When you enter the subnet mask, make sure that the NIC is set to the subnet of the storage system
it connects to.

Review the information and click Finish.

CAUTION If the NIC you use with your iSCSI adapter, either software or dependent hardware, is not in
the same subnet as your iSCSI target, your host cannot establish sessions from this network adapter to
the target.
What to do next
Change the network policy for all VMkernel adapters, so that it is compatible with the network binding
requirements. You can then bind the iSCSI VMkernel adapters to the software iSCSI or dependent hardware
iSCSI adapters.

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Change Port Group Policy for iSCSI VMkernel Adapters
If you use a single vSphere standard switch to connect VMkernel to multiple network adapters, change the
port group policy, so that it is compatible with the iSCSI network requirements.
By default, for each virtual adapter on the vSphere standard switch, all network adapters appear as active.
You must override this setup, so that each VMkernel interface maps to only one corresponding active NIC.
For example, vmk1 maps to vmnic1, vmk2 maps to vmnic2, and so on.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Create a vSphere standard switch that connects VMkernel with physical network adapters designated for
iSCSI traffic. The number of VMkernel adapters must correspond to the number of physical adapters on the
vSphere standard switch.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Select the vSphere standard switch that you use for iSCSI and click Properties.

On the Ports tab, select an iSCSI VMkernel adapter and click Edit.

Click the NIC Teaming tab and select Override switch failover order.

Designate only one physical adapter as active and move all remaining adapters to the Unused Adapters
category.

Repeat Step 4 through Step 6 for each iSCSI VMkernel interface on the vSphere standard switch.

What to do next
After you perform this task, bind the virtual VMkernel adapters to the software iSCSI or dependent
hardware iSCSI adapters.

Bind iSCSI Adapters with VMkernel Adapters in the vSphere Client
Bind an iSCSI adapter with a VMkernel adapter.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Create a virtual VMkernel adapter for each physical network adapter on your host. If you use multiple
VMkernel adapters, set up the correct network policy.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab, and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.
The list of available storage adapters appears.

314

Select the software or dependent iSCSI adapter to configure and click Properties.

In the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box, click the Network Configuration tab.

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Click Add and select a VMkernel adapter to bind with the iSCSI adapter.
You can bind the software iSCSI adapter to one or more VMkernel adapters. For a dependent hardware
iSCSI adapter, only one VMkernel interface associated with the correct physical NIC is available.

Click OK.
The network connection appears on the list of VMkernel port bindings for the iSCSI adapter.

Verify that the network policy for the connection is compliant with the binding requirements.

Using Jumbo Frames with iSCSI
ESXi supports the use of Jumbo Frames with iSCSI.
Jumbo Frames are Ethernet frames with the size that exceeds 1500 Bytes. The maximum transmission unit
(MTU) parameter is typically used to measure the size of Jumbo Frames. ESXi allows Jumbo Frames with
the MTU up to 9000 Bytes.
When you use Jumbo Frames for iSCSI traffic, the following considerations apply:
n

The network must support Jumbo Frames end-to-end for Jumbo Frames to be effective.

Check with your vendors to ensure your physical NICs and iSCSI HBAs support Jumbo Frames.

To set up and verify physical network switches for Jumbo Frames, consult your vendor documentation.

The following table explains the level of support that ESXi provides to Jumbo Frames.
Table 24‑2. Support of Jumbo Frames
Type of iSCSI Adapters

Jumbo Frames Support

Software iSCSI

Supported

Dependent Hardware iSCSI

Supported. Check with vendor.

Independent Hardware iSCSI

Supported. Check with vendor.

Enable Jumbo Frames for iSCSI
Use the vSphere Client to enable Jumbo Frames for each vSphere standard switch and VMkernel adapter
designated for iSCSI traffic.
Enable Jumbo Frames on the Standard switch and VMkernel adapter by changing the maximum
transmission units (MTU) parameter.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Networking.

Click Properties for the standard switch you use for iSCSI traffic.

On the Ports tab, select the standard switch and click Edit.

Set the MTU parameter for the standard switch, and click OK.
This step sets the MTU for all physical NICs on that standard switch. The MTU value should be set to
the largest MTU size among all NICs connected to the standard switch.

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On the Ports tab, select the VMkernel adapter and click Edit.

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Set the MTU to match the value configured on the standard switch, and click OK.

Configuring Discovery Addresses for iSCSI Adapters
You need to set up target discovery addresses, so that the iSCSI adapter can determine which storage
resource on the network is available for access.
The ESXi system supports these discovery methods:
Dynamic Discovery

Also known as SendTargets discovery. Each time the initiator contacts a
specified iSCSI server, the initiator sends the SendTargets request to the
server. The server responds by supplying a list of available targets to the
initiator. The names and IP addresses of these targets appear on the Static
Discovery tab. If you remove a static target added by dynamic discovery, the
target might be returned to the list the next time a rescan happens, the iSCSI
adapter is reset, or the host is rebooted.
NOTE With software and dependent hardware iSCSI, ESXi filters target
addresses based on the IP family of the iSCSI server address specified. If the
address is IPv4, IPv6 addresses that might come in the SendTargets response
from the iSCSI server are filtered out. When DNS names are used to specify
an iSCSI server, or when the SendTargets response from the iSCSI server has
DNS names, ESXi relies on the IP family of the first resolved entry from DNS
lookup.

Static Discovery

In addition to the dynamic discovery method, you can use static discovery
and manually enter information for the targets. The iSCSI adapter uses a list
of targets that you provide to contact and communicate with the iSCSI
servers.

Set Up Dynamic Discovery in the vSphere Client
With Dynamic Discovery, each time the initiator contacts a specified iSCSI storage system, it sends the
SendTargets request to the system. The iSCSI system responds by supplying a list of available targets to the
initiator.
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
When you set up Dynamic Discovery, you can only add a new iSCSI system. You cannot change the IP
address, DNS name, or port number of an existing iSCSI system. To make changes, delete the existing
system and add a new one.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab, and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.
The list of available storage adapters appears.

316

Select the iSCSI initiator to configure, and click Properties.

Click the Dynamic Discovery tab.

To add an address for the SendTargets discovery, click Add.

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Type the IP address or DNS name of the storage system and click OK.
After your host establishes the SendTargets session with this system, any newly discovered targets
appear in the Static Discovery list.

To delete a specific SendTargets server, select it and click Remove.
After you remove a SendTargets server, it might still appear in the Inheritance field as the parent of
static targets. This entry indicates where the static targets were discovered and does not affect the
functionality.

What to do next
After configuring Dynamic Discovery for your iSCSI adapter, rescan the adapter.

Set Up Static Discovery in the vSphere Client
With iSCSI initiators, in addition to the dynamic discovery method, you can use static discovery and
manually enter information for the targets.
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
When you set up Static Discovery, you can only add new iSCSI targets. You cannot change the IP address,
DNS name, iSCSI target name, or port number of an existing target. To make changes, remove the existing
target and add a new one.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab, and click Storage Adapters in the Hardware panel.
The list of available storage adapters appears.

Select the iSCSI initiator to configure and click Properties.

Click the Static Discovery tab.
The tab displays all dynamically discovered targets and any static targets already entered.

To add a target, click Add and enter the target’s information.

To delete a specific target, select the target and click Remove.

What to do next
After configuring Static Discovery for your iSCSI adapter, rescan the adapter.

Configuring CHAP Parameters for iSCSI Adapters
Because the IP networks that the iSCSI technology uses to connect to remote targets do not protect the data
they transport, you must ensure security of the connection. One of the protocols that iSCSI implements is the
Challenge Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP), which verifies the legitimacy of initiators that
access targets on the network.
CHAP uses a three-way handshake algorithm to verify the identity of your host and, if applicable, of the
iSCSI target when the host and target establish a connection. The verification is based on a predefined
private value, or CHAP secret, that the initiator and target share.
ESXi supports CHAP authentication at the adapter level. In this case, all targets receive the same CHAP
name and secret from the iSCSI initiator. For software and dependent hardware iSCSI adapters, ESXi also
supports per-target CHAP authentication, which allows you to configure different credentials for each
target to achieve greater level of security.

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Set Up CHAP for iSCSI Adapter in the vSphere Client
You can set up all targets to receive the same CHAP name and secret from the iSCSI initiator at the initiator
level. By default, all discovery addresses or static targets inherit CHAP parameters that you set up at the
initiator level.
The CHAP name should not exceed 511 alphanumeric characters and the CHAP secret should not exceed
255 alphanumeric characters. Some adapters, for example the QLogic adapter, might have lower limits, 255
for the CHAP name and 100 for the CHAP secret.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
n

Before setting up CHAP parameters for software or dependent hardware iSCSI, determine whether to
configure one-way or mutual CHAP. Independent hardware iSCSI adapters do not support mutual
CHAP.
n

In one-way CHAP, the target authenticates the initiator.

In mutual CHAP, both the target and the initiator authenticate each other. Use different secrets for
CHAP and mutual CHAP.

When you configure CHAP parameters, verify that they match the parameters on the storage side.
n

Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration

Procedure
1

Access the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box.

On the General tab, click CHAP.

To configure one-way CHAP, under CHAP specify the following:
a

Select the CHAP security level.
n

Do not use CHAP unless required by target (software and dependent hardware iSCSI only)

Use CHAP unless prohibited by target

Use CHAP (software and dependent hardware iSCSI only). To configure mutual CHAP, you
must select this option.

Specify the CHAP name.
Make sure that the name you specify matches the name configured on the storage side.

c
4

To set the CHAP name to the iSCSI initiator name, select Use initiator name.

To set the CHAP name to anything other than the iSCSI initiator name, deselect Use initiator
name and type a name in the Name text box.

Enter a one-way CHAP secret to be used as part of authentication. Use the same secret that you
enter on the storage side.

To configure mutual CHAP, first configure one-way CHAP by following the directions in Step 3.
Make sure to select Use CHAP as an option for one-way CHAP. Then, specify the following under
Mutual CHAP:

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Select Use CHAP.

Specify the mutual CHAP name.

Enter the mutual CHAP secret. Make sure to use different secrets for the one-way CHAP and
mutual CHAP.

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Click OK.

Rescan the initiator.

If you change the CHAP or mutual CHAP parameters, they are used for new iSCSI sessions. For existing
sessions, new settings are not used until you log out and log in again.

Set Up CHAP for Target in the vSphere Client
For software and dependent hardware iSCSI adapters, you can configure different CHAP credentials for
each discovery address or static target.
When configuring CHAP parameters, make sure that they match the parameters on the storage side. The
CHAP name should not exceed 511 and the CHAP secret 255 alphanumeric characters.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Before setting up CHAP parameters for software and dependent hardware iSCSI, determine whether to
configure one-way or mutual CHAP.
n

In one-way CHAP, the target authenticates the initiator.

In mutual CHAP, both the target and initiator authenticate each other. Make sure to use different
secrets for CHAP and mutual CHAP.

Procedure
1

Access the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box.

Select either Dynamic Discovery tab or Static Discovery tab.

From the list of available targets, select a target you want to configure and click Settings > CHAP.

Configure one-way CHAP in the CHAP area.
a

Deselect Inherit from parent.

Select one of the following options:

Do not use CHAP unless required by target

Use CHAP unless prohibited by target

Use CHAP. To be able to configure mutual CHAP, you must select this option.

Specify the CHAP name.
Make sure that the name you specify matches the name configured on the storage side.

d
5

To set the CHAP name to the iSCSI initiator name, select Use initiator name.

To set the CHAP name to anything other than the iSCSI initiator name, deselect Use initiator
name and enter a name in the Name field.

Enter a one-way CHAP secret to be used as part of authentication. Make sure to use the same secret
that you enter on the storage side.

To configure mutual CHAP, first configure one-way CHAP by following directions in Step 4.
Make sure to select Use CHAP as an option for one-way CHAP. Then, specify the following in the
Mutual CHAP area:

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Deselect Inherit from parent.

Select Use CHAP.

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Specify the mutual CHAP name.

Enter the mutual CHAP secret. Make sure to use different secrets for the one-way CHAP and
mutual CHAP.

Click OK.

Rescan the initiator.

If you change the CHAP or mutual CHAP parameters, they are used for new iSCSI sessions. For existing
sessions, new settings are not used until you log out and login again.

Disable CHAP
You can disable CHAP if your storage system does not require it.
If you disable CHAP on a system that requires CHAP authentication, existing iSCSI sessions remain active
until you reboot your host, end the session through the command line, or the storage system forces a logout.
After the session ends, you can no longer connect to targets that require CHAP.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure
1

Open the CHAP Credentials dialog box.

For software and dependent hardware iSCSI adapters, to disable just the mutual CHAP and leave the
one-way CHAP, select Do not use CHAP in the Mutual CHAP area.

To disable one-way CHAP, select Do not use CHAP in the CHAP area.
The mutual CHAP, if set up, automatically turns to Do not use CHAP when you disable the one-way
CHAP.

Click OK.

Configure Advanced Parameters for iSCSI in the vSphere Client
The advanced iSCSI settings control such parameters as header and data digest, ARP redirection, delayed
ACK, and so on. Generally, you do not need to change these settings because your host works with the
assigned predefined values.
CAUTION Do not make any changes to the advanced iSCSI settings unless you are working with the
VMware support team or otherwise have thorough information about the values to provide for the settings.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

320

Access the iSCSI Initiator Properties dialog box.

To configure advanced parameters at the initiator level, on the General tab, click Advanced. Proceed to
Step 4.

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Configure advanced parameters at the target level.
At the target level, advanced parameters can be configured only for software and dependent hardware
iSCSI adapters.

Select either the Dynamic Discovery tab or Static Discovery tab.

From the list of available targets, select a target to configure and click Settings > Advanced.

Enter any required values for the advanced parameters you want to modify and click OK to save your
changes.

Managing Storage Devices
Manage local and networked storage device that your ESXi host has access to.

Rename Storage Devices in the vSphere Client
You can change the display name of a storage device. The display name is assigned by the ESXi host based
on the storage type and manufacturer.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the host in the vSphere Client inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

Click Storage and then click Devices.

Right-click the device to rename and select Rename.

Change the device name to a friendly name.

Perform Storage Rescan in the vSphere Client
When you make changes in your SAN configuration, you might need to rescan your storage. You can rescan
all storage available to your host. If the changes you make are isolated to storage accessed through a specific
adapter, perform rescan for only this adapter.
Use this procedure if you want to limit the rescan to storage available to a particular host or accessed
through a particular adapter on the host. If you want to rescan storage available to all hosts managed by
your vCenter Server system, you can do so by right-clicking a datacenter, cluster, or folder that contains the
hosts and selecting Rescan for Datastores.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

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In the vSphere Client, select a host and click the Configuration tab.

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Select a rescan option.
Option

Description

Storage

In the Hardware panel, click Storage, and click Rescan All above the
Datastores or Devices panel.

Storage Adapters

In the Hardware panel, click Storage Adapters, and click Rescan All above
the Storage Adapters panel.
NOTE You can also right-click an individual adapter and select Rescan to
rescan just that adapter.

Specify extent of rescan.
Option

Description

Scan for New Storage Devices

Rescan all adapters to discover new storage devices. If new devices are
discovered, they appear in the device list.

Scan for New VMFS Volumes

Rescan all storage devices to discover new datastores that have been
added since the last scan. Any new datastores appear in the datastore list.

Change the Number of Scanned Storage Devices
While an ESXi host is limited to accessing 256 SCSI storage devices, the range of LUN IDs can be from 0 to
1023. ESXi ignores LUN IDs 1024 or greater. This limit is controlled by Disk.MaxLUN, which has a default
value of 1024.
The value of Disk.MaxLUN also determines how many LUNs the SCSI scan code attempts to discover using
individual INQUIRY commands if the SCSI target does not support direct discovery using REPORT_LUNS.
You can modify the Disk.MaxLUN parameter depending on your needs. For example, if your environment has
a smaller number of storage devices with LUN IDs from 0 through 100, you can set the value to 101 to
improve device discovery speed on targets that do not support REPORT_LUNS. Lowering the value can
shorten the rescan time and boot time. However, the time to rescan storage devices might depend on other
factors, including the type of storage system and the load on the storage system.
In other cases, you might need to increase the value if your environment uses LUN IDs that are greater than
1023.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory panel, select the host, click the Configuration tab, and click Advanced
Settings under Software.

Select Disk.

Scroll down to Disk.MaxLUN.

Change the existing value to the value of your choice, and click OK.
The value you enter specifies the LUN ID after the last one you want to discover.
For example, to discover LUN IDs from 0 through 100, set Disk.MaxLUN to 101.

Working with Datastores
Datastores are logical containers, analogous to file systems, that hide specifics of each storage device and
provide a uniform model for storing virtual machine files. Datastores can also be used for storing ISO
images, virtual machine templates, and floppy images.
You use the vSphere Client to access different types of storage devices that your ESXi host discovers and to
deploy datastores on them.

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Depending on the type of storage you use, datastores can be backed by the following file system formats:
n

Virtual Machine File System (VMFS)

Network File System (NFS)

After creating datastores, you can organize them in different ways. For example, you can group them into
folders according to business practices. This allows you to assign the same permissions and alarms on the
datastores in the group at one time.
You can also add datastores to datastore clusters. A datastore cluster is a collection of datastores with shared
resources and a shared management interface. When you create a datastore cluster, you can use Storage
DRS to manage storage resources. For information about datastore clusters, see the vSphere Resource
Management documentation.

Create a VMFS Datastore in the vSphere Client
VMFS datastores serve as repositories for virtual machines. You can set up VMFS datastores on any SCSIbased storage devices that the host discovers, including Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and local storage devices.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Before creating datastores, you must install and configure any adapters that your storage requires. Rescan
the adapters to discover newly added storage devices.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.

Click Datastores and click Add Storage.

Select the Disk/LUN storage type and click Next.

Select a device to use for your datastore and click Next.
IMPORTANT Select the device that does not have a datastore name displayed in the VMFS Label column.
If a name is present, the device contains a copy of an existing VMFS datastore.

Select the File System Version and click Next.
IMPORTANT If you select VMFS3 you must select the maximum file size under Formatting.

If the disk is not blank, review the current disk layout in the top panel of the Current Disk Layout page
and select a configuration option from the bottom panel.
Option

Description

Use all available partitions

Dedicates the entire disk to a single VMFS datastore. If you select this
option, all file systems and data currently stored on this device are
destroyed.

Use free space

Deploys a VMFS datastore in the remaining free space of the disk.

If the disk you are formatting is blank, the Current Disk Layout page presents the entire disk space for
storage configuration.
8

Click Next.

On the Properties page, type a datastore name and click Next.

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If the space specified for storage is excessive for your purposes, you can adjust the capacity values.
By default, the entire free space on the storage device is available.

Click Next.

In the Ready to Complete page, review the datastore configuration information and click Finish.

A datastore on the SCSI-based storage device is created. If you use the vCenter Server system to manage
your hosts, the newly created datastore is added to all hosts.

Create NFS Datastore in the vSphere Client
You can use the Add Storage wizard to mount an NFS volume and use it as if it were a VMFS datastore.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Because NFS requires network connectivity to access data stored on remote servers, before configuring NFS,
you must first configure VMkernel networking.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.

Click Datastores and click Add Storage.

Select Network File System as the storage type and click Next.

Enter the server name, the mount point folder name, and the datastore name.
For the server name, you can enter an IP address, a DNS name, or an NFS UUID.
NOTE When you mount the same NFS volume on different hosts, make sure that the server and folder
names are identical across the hosts. If the names do not match exactly, the hosts see the same NFS
volume as two different datastores. This might result in a failure of such features as vMotion. An
example of such discrepancy could be if you enter filer as the server name on one host and
filer.domain.com on the other.

(Optional) Select Mount NFS read only if the volume is exported as read only by the NFS server.

Click Next.

In the Network File System Summary page, review the configuration options and click Finish.

Managing Duplicate VMFS Datastores
When a storage device contains a VMFS datastore copy, you can mount the datastore with the existing
signature or assign a new signature.
Each VMFS datastore created in a storage disk has a unique signature, also called UUID, that is stored in the
file system superblock. When the storage disk is replicated or its snapshot is taken on the storage side, the
resulting disk copy is identical, byte-for-byte, with the original disk. As a result, if the original storage disk
contains a VMFS datastore with UUID X, the disk copy appears to contain an identical VMFS datastore, or a
VMFS datastore copy, with exactly the same UUID X.
In addition to LUN snapshotting and replication, the following storage device operations might cause ESXi
to mark the existing datastore on the device as a copy of the original datastore:

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LUN ID changes

SCSI device type changes, for example, from SCSI-2 to SCSI-3

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SPC-2 compliancy enablement

ESXi can detect the VMFS datastore copy and display it in the vSphere Client or the vSphere Web Client.
You have an option of mounting the datastore copy with its original UUID or changing the UUID to
resignature the datastore.
Whether you chose resignaturing or mounting without resignaturing depends on how the LUNs are
masked in the storage environment. If your hosts are able to see both copies of the LUN, then resignaturing
is the recommended method. Otherwise, mounting is an option.

Keep Existing Datastore Signature in the vSphere Client
If you do not need to resignature a VMFS datastore copy, you can mount it without changing its signature.
You can keep the signature if, for example, you maintain synchronized copies of virtual machines at a
secondary site as part of a disaster recovery plan. In the event of a disaster at the primary site, you mount
the datastore copy and power on the virtual machines at the secondary site.
IMPORTANT You can mount a VMFS datastore copy only if it does not collide with the original VMFS
datastore that has the same UUID. To mount the copy, the original VMFS datastore has to be offline.
When you mount the VMFS datastore, ESXi allows both reads and writes to the datastore residing on the
LUN copy. The LUN copy must be writable. The datastore mounts are persistent and valid across system
reboots.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Before you mount a VMFS datastore, perform a storage rescan on your host so that it updates its view of
LUNs presented to it.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.

Click Add Storage.

Select the Disk/LUN storage type and click Next.

From the list of LUNs, select the LUN that has a datastore name displayed in the VMFS Label column
and click Next.
The name present in the VMFS Label column indicates that the LUN is a copy that contains a copy of an
existing VMFS datastore.

Under Mount Options, select Keep Existing Signature.

In the Ready to Complete page, review the datastore configuration information and click Finish.

What to do next
If you later want to resignature the mounted datastore, you must unmount it first.

Resignature a VMFS Datastore Copy in the vSphere Client
Use datastore resignaturing if you want to retain the data stored on the VMFS datastore copy.
When resignaturing a VMFS copy, ESXi assigns a new UUID and a new label to the copy, and mounts the
copy as a datastore distinct from the original.
The default format of the new label assigned to the datastore is snap-snapID-oldLabel, where snapID is an
integer and oldLabel is the label of the original datastore.

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When you perform datastore resignaturing, consider the following points:
n

Datastore resignaturing is irreversible.

The LUN copy that contains the VMFS datastore that you resignature is no longer treated as a LUN
copy.

A spanned datastore can be resignatured only if all its extents are online.

The resignaturing process is crash and fault tolerant. If the process is interrupted, you can resume it
later.

You can mount the new VMFS datastore without a risk of its UUID colliding with UUIDs of any other
datastore, such as an ancestor or child in a hierarchy of LUN snapshots.

Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
To resignature a mounted datastore copy, first unmount it.
Before you resignature a VMFS datastore, perform a storage rescan on your host so that the host updates its
view of LUNs presented to it and discovers any LUN copies.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.

Click Add Storage.

Select the Disk/LUN storage type and click Next.

Under Mount Options, select Assign a New Signature and click Next.

In the Ready to Complete page, review the datastore configuration information and click Finish.

What to do next
After resignaturing, you might have to do the following:
n

If the resignatured datastore contains virtual machines, update references to the original VMFS
datastore in the virtual machine files, including .vmx, .vmdk, .vmsd, and .vmsn.

To power on virtual machines, register them with vCenter Server.

Upgrading VMFS Datastores
If your datastores were formatted with VMFS2 or VMFS3, you must upgrade the datastores to VMFS5.
When you perform datastore upgrades, consider the following items:
n

To upgrade a VMFS2 datastore, you use a two-step process that involves upgrading VMFS2 to VMFS3
first. To access the VMFS2 datastore and perform the VMFS2 to VMFS3 conversion, use an ESX/ESXi 4.x
or earlier host.
After you upgrade your VMFS2 datastore to VMFS3, the datastore becomes available on the ESXi 6.0
host, where you complete the process of upgrading to VMFS5.

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You can perform a VMFS3 to VMFS5 upgrade while the datastore is in use with virtual machines
powered on.

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While performing an upgrade, your host preserves all files on the datastore.

The datastore upgrade is a one-way process. After upgrading your datastore, you cannot revert it back
to its previous VMFS format.

An upgraded VMFS5 datastore differs from a newly formatted VMFS5.
Table 24‑3. Comparing Upgraded and Newly Formatted VMFS5 Datastores
Characteristics

Upgraded VMFS5

Formatted VMFS5

File block size

1, 2, 4, and 8MB

1MB

Subblock size

64KB

8KB

Partition format

MBR. Conversion to GPT happens only
after you expand the datastore to a size
larger than 2TB.

GPT

Datastore limits

Retains limits of VMFS3 datastore.

VMFS locking mechanism

ATS+SCSI

ATS-only (on hardware that
supports ATS)
ATS+SCSI (on hardware that
does not support ATS)

For more information about VMFS locking mechanisms and how to upgrade to ATS-only, see the vSphere
Storage publication.

Upgrade VMFS2 Datastores to VMFS3
If your datastore was formatted with VMFS2, you must first upgrade it to VMFS3. Because ESXi 5.x hosts
cannot access VMFS2 datastores, use a legacy host, ESX/ESXi 4.x or earlier, to access the VMFS2 datastore
and perform the VMFS2 to VMFS3 upgrade.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Commit or discard any changes to virtual disks in the VMFS2 datastore that you plan to upgrade.

Back up the VMFS2 datastore.

Be sure that no powered on virtual machines are using the VMFS2 datastore.

Be sure that no other ESXi host is accessing the VMFS2 datastore.

To upgrade the VMFS2 file system, its file block size must not exceed 8MB.

Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage.

Select the datastore that uses the VMFS2 format.

Click Upgrade to VMFS3.

Perform a rescan on all hosts that see the datastore.

What to do next
After you upgrade your VMFS2 datastore to VMFS3, the datastore becomes available on the ESXi 5.x host.
You can now use the ESXi 5.x host to complete the process of upgrading to VMFS5.

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Upgrade VMFS3 Datastores to VMFS5 in the vSphere Client
VMFS5 is a new version of the VMware cluster file system that provides performance and scalability
improvements.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

If you use a VMFS2 datastore, you must first upgrade it to VMFS3. Follow the instructions in “Upgrade
VMFS2 Datastores to VMFS3,” on page 327.

All hosts accessing the datastore must support VMFS5.

Verify that the volume to be upgraded has at least 2MB of free blocks available and 1 free file
descriptor.

Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage.

Select the VMFS3 datastore.

Click Upgrade to VMFS5.
A warning message about host version support appears.

Click OK to start the upgrade.
The task Upgrade VMFS appears in the Recent Tasks list.

Perform a rescan on all hosts that are associated with the datastore.

Increase VMFS Datastore Capacity in the vSphere Client
When you need to create virtual machines on a datastore, or when the virtual machines running on a
datastore require more space, you can dynamically increase the capacity of a VMFS datastore.
Use one of the following methods to increase a VMFS datastore:
n

Add a new extent. An extent is a partition on a storage device. You can add up to 32 extents of the same
storage type to an existing VMFS datastore. The spanned VMFS datastore can use any or all of its
extents at any time. It does not need to fill up a particular extent before using the next one.

Grow an extent in an existing VMFS datastore, so that it fills the available adjacent capacity. Only
extents with free space immediately after them are expandable.

NOTE If a shared datastore has powered on virtual machines and becomes 100% full, you can increase the
datastore's capacity only from the host with which the powered on virtual machines are registered.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Storage Partition Configuration
Procedure

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Click the Configuration tab and click Storage.

From the Datastores view, select the datastore to increase and click Properties.

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Click Increase.

Select a device from the list of storage devices and click Next.
Option

Description

To add a new extent

Select the device for which the Expandable column reads NO.

To expand an existing extent

Select the device for which the Expandable column reads YES

Review the Current Disk Layout to see the available configurations and click Next.

Select a configuration option from the bottom panel.
Depending on the current layout of the disk and on your previous selections, the options you see might
vary.

Option

Description

Use free space to add new extent

Adds the free space on this disk as a new extent.

Use free space to expand existing
extent

Expands an existing extent to a required capacity.

Use free space

Deploys an extent in the remaining free space of the disk. This option is
available only when you are adding an extent.

Use all available partitions

Dedicates the entire disk to a single extent. This option is available only
when you are adding an extent and when the disk you are formatting is
not blank. The disk is reformatted, and the datastores and any data that it
contains are erased.

Set the capacity for the extent.
The minimum extent size is 1.3GB. By default, the entire free space on the storage device is available.

Click Next.

Review the proposed layout and the new configuration of your datastore, and click Finish.

What to do next
After you grow an extent in a shared VMFS datastore, refresh the datastore on each host that can access this
datastore, so that the vSphere Client can display the correct datastore capacity for all hosts.

Rename VMFS or NFS Datastores in the vSphere Client
You can change the name of an existing datastore.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Display the datastores.

Right-click the datastore to rename and select Rename.

Type a new datastore name.

If you use the vCenter Server system to manage your hosts, the new name appears on all hosts that have
access to the datastore.

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Group VMFS or NFS Datastores in the vSphere Client
If you use the vCenter Server system to manage your hosts, group datastores into folders. This allows you to
organize your datastores according to business practices and to assign the same permissions and alarms on
the datastores in the group at one time.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

If necessary, create the datastores.

In the Inventory panel, choose Datastores.

Select the datacenter containing the datastores to group.

In the shortcut menu, click the New Folder icon.

Give the folder a descriptive name.

Click and drag each datastore onto the folder.

Delete VMFS Datastores in the vSphere Client
You can delete any type of VMFS datastore, including copies that you have mounted without resignaturing.
When you delete a datastore, it is destroyed and disappears from all hosts that have access to the datastore.
NOTE The datastore delete operation permanently deletes all files associated with virtual machines on the
datastore. Although you can delete the datastore without unmounting, it is preferable that you unmount the
datastore first.
Prerequisites
n

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Remove all virtual machines from the datastore.

Make sure that no other host is accessing the datastore.

Procedure
1

Display the datastores.

Right-click the datastore to delete and click Delete.

Confirm that you want to delete the datastore.

Create a Diagnostic Partition in the vSphere Client
You can create a diagnostic partition for your host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

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Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.

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Click Datastores and click Add Storage.

Select Diagnostic and click Next.
If you do not see Diagnostic as an option, the host already has a diagnostic partition.

Specify the type of diagnostic partition.
Option

Description

Private Local

Creates the diagnostic partition on a local disk. This partition stores fault
information only for your host.

Private SAN Storage

Creates the diagnostic partition on a non-shared SAN LUN. This partition
stores fault information only for your host.

Shared SAN Storage

Creates the diagnostic partition on a shared SAN LUN. This partition is
accessed by multiple hosts and can store fault information for more than
one host.

Click Next.

Select the device to use for the diagnostic partition and click Next.

Review the partition configuration information and click Finish.

Turn off Storage Filters
When you perform VMFS datastore management operations, vCenter Server uses default storage protection
filters. The filters help you to avoid storage corruption by retrieving only the storage devices that can be
used for a particular operation. Unsuitable devices are not displayed for selection. You can turn off the
filters to view all devices.
Before making any changes to the device filters, consult with the VMware support team. You can turn off
the filters only if you have other methods to prevent device corruption.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select Administration > vCenter Server Settings.

In the settings list, select Advanced Settings.

In the Key text box, type a key.
Key

Filter Name

config.vpxd.filter.vmfsFilter

VMFS Filter

config.vpxd.filter.rdmFilter

RDM Filter

config.vpxd.filter.SameHostAndTra
nsportsFilter

Same Host and Transports Filter

config.vpxd.filter.hostRescanFilter

Host Rescan Filter
NOTE If you turn off the Host Rescan Filter, your hosts continue to
perform a rescan each time you present a new LUN to a host or a cluster.

In the Value text box, type False for the specified key.

Click Add.

Click OK.
You are not required to restart the vCenter Server system.

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Raw Device Mapping
Raw device mapping (RDM) provides a mechanism for a virtual machine to have direct access to a LUN on
the physical storage subsystem (Fibre Channel or iSCSI only).
The following topics contain information about RDMs and provide instructions on how to create and
manage RDMs.

Create Virtual Machines with RDMs
When you give your virtual machine direct access to a raw SAN LUN, you create a mapping file (RDM) that
resides on a VMFS datastore and points to the LUN. Although the mapping file has the same.vmdk extension
as a regular virtual disk file, the RDM file contains only mapping information. The actual virtual disk data is
stored directly on the LUN.
You can create the RDM as an initial disk for a new virtual machine or add it to an existing virtual machine.
When creating the RDM, you specify the LUN to be mapped and the datastore on which to put the RDM.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Follow all steps required to create a custom virtual machine.

In the Select a Disk page, select Raw Device Mapping, and click Next.

From the list of SAN disks or LUNs, select a raw LUN for your virtual machine to access directly.

Select a datastore for the RDM mapping file.
You can place the RDM file on the same datastore where your virtual machine configuration file
resides, or select a different datastore.
NOTE To use vMotion for virtual machines with enabled NPIV, make sure that the RDM files of the
virtual machines are located on the same datastore. You cannot perform Storage vMotion when NPIV is
enabled.

332

Select a compatibility mode.
Option

Description

Physical

Allows the guest operating system to access the hardware directly.
Physical compatibility is useful if you are using SAN-aware applications
on the virtual machine. However, powered on virtual machines that use
RDMs configured for physical compatibility cannot be migrated if the
migration involves copying the disk. Such virtual machines cannot be
cloned or cloned to a template either.

Virtual

Allows the RDM to behave as if it were a virtual disk, so you can use such
features as snapshotting, cloning, and so on.

Select a virtual device node.

If you select Independent mode, choose one of the following.
Option

Description

Persistent

Changes are immediately and permanently written to the disk.

Nonpersistent

Changes to the disk are discarded when you power off or revert to the
snapshot.

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Click Next.

In the Ready to Complete New Virtual Machine page, review your selections.

Click Finish to complete your virtual machine.

Manage Paths for a Mapped Raw LUN
You can manage paths for mapped raw LUNs.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine from the Inventory panel.

On the Summary tab, click Edit Settings.

On the Hardware tab, select Hard Disk, then click Manage Paths.

Use the Manage Paths dialog box to enable or disable your paths, set multipathing policy, and specify
the preferred path.
For information on managing paths, see “Understanding Multipathing and Failover,” on page 333.

Understanding Multipathing and Failover
To maintain a constant connection between a host and its storage, ESXi supports multipathing. Multipathing
is a technique that lets you use more than one physical path that transfers data between the host and an
external storage device.
In case of a failure of any element in the SAN network, such as an adapter, switch, or cable, ESXi can switch
to another physical path, which does not use the failed component. This process of path switching to avoid
failed components is known as path failover.
In addition to path failover, multipathing provides load balancing. Load balancing is the process of
distributing I/O loads across multiple physical paths. Load balancing reduces or removes potential
bottlenecks.
NOTE Virtual machine I/O might be delayed for up to sixty seconds while path failover takes place. These
delays allow the SAN to stabilize its configuration after topology changes. In general, the I/O delays might
be longer on active-passive arrays and shorter on active-active arrays.

Path Scanning and Claiming
When you start your ESXi host or rescan your storage adapter, the host discovers all physical paths to
storage devices available to the host. Based on a set of claim rules, the host determines which multipathing
plug-in (MPP) should claim the paths to a particular device and become responsible for managing the
multipathing support for the device.
By default, the host performs a periodic path evaluation every 5 minutes causing any unclaimed paths to be
claimed by the appropriate MPP.
The claim rules are numbered. For each physical path, the host runs through the claim rules starting with
the lowest number first. The attributes of the physical path are compared to the path specification in the
claim rule. If there is a match, the host assigns the MPP specified in the claim rule to manage the physical
path. This continues until all physical paths are claimed by corresponding MPPs, either third-party
multipathing plug-ins or the native multipathing plug-in (NMP).

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For the paths managed by the NMP module, a second set of claim rules is applied. These rules determine
which Storage Array Type Plug-In (SATP) should be used to manage the paths for a specific array type, and
which Path Selection Plug-In (PSP) is to be used for each storage device.
Use the vSphere Client to view which SATP and PSP the host is using for a specific storage device and the
status of all available paths for this storage device. If needed, you can change the default VMware PSP using
the client. To change the default SATP, you need to modify claim rules using the vSphere CLI.
You can find some information about modifying claim rules in the vSphere Storage documentation.
For more information about the commands available to manage PSA, see Getting Started with vSphere
Command-Line Interfaces.
For a complete list of storage arrays and corresponding SATPs and PSPs, see the SAN Array Model
Reference section of the vSphere Compatibility Guide.

View Datastore Paths in the vSphere Client
Use the vSphere Client to review the paths that connect to storage devices the datastores are deployed on.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.

Click Datastores under View.

From the list of configured datastores, select the datastore whose paths you want to view, and click
Properties.

Under Extents, select the storage device whose paths you want to view and click Manage Paths.

In the Paths panel, select the path to view.
The panel underneath displays the path's name. The name includes parameters describing the path:
adapter ID, target ID, and device ID.

(Optional) To extract the path's parameters, right-click the path and select Copy path to clipboard.

View Storage Device Paths in the vSphere Client
Use the vSphere Client to view which SATP and PSP the host uses for a specific storage device and the
status of all available paths for this storage device.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab and click Storage in the Hardware panel.

Click Devices under View.

Select the storage device whose paths you want to view and click Manage Paths.

In the Paths panel, select the path to view.
The panel underneath displays the path's name. The name includes parameters describing the path:
adapter ID, target ID, and device ID.

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(Optional) To extract the path's parameters, right-click the path and select Copy path to clipboard.

Change the Path Selection Policy in the vSphere Client
Generally, you do not have to change the default multipathing settings your host uses for a specific storage
device. However, if you want to make any changes, you can use the Manage Paths dialog box to modify a
path selection policy and specify the preferred path for the Fixed policy.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Open the Manage Paths dialog box either from the Datastores or Devices view.

Select a path selection policy.
By default, VMware supports the following path selection policies. If you have a third-party PSP
installed on your host, its policy also appears on the list.
n

Fixed (VMware)

Most Recently Used (VMware)

Round Robin (VMware)

For the fixed policy, specify the preferred path by right-clicking the path you want to assign as the
preferred path, and selecting Preferred.

Click OK to save your settings and exit the dialog box.

Disable Paths in the vSphere Client
You can temporarily disable paths for maintenance or other reasons. You can do so using the vSphere
Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Open the Manage Paths dialog box either from the Datastores or Devices view.

In the Paths panel, right-click the path to disable, and select Disable.

Click OK to save your settings and exit the dialog box.

You can also disable a path from the adapter’s Paths view by right-clicking the path in the list and selecting
Disable.

Storage Hardware Acceleration
The hardware acceleration functionality enables the ESXi host to integrate with compliant storage arrays
and offload specific virtual machine and storage management operations to storage hardware. With the
storage hardware assistance, your host performs these operations faster and consumes less CPU, memory,
and storage fabric bandwidth.
The hardware acceleration is supported by block storage devices, Fibre Channel and iSCSI, and NAS
devices.
For additional details, see the VMware knowledge base article at http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1021976.

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Disable Hardware Acceleration for Block Storage Devices
On your host, the hardware acceleration for block storage devices is enabled by default. You can use the
vSphere Client advanced settings to disable the hardware acceleration operations.
As with any advanced settings, before you disable the hardware acceleration, consult with the VMware
support team.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory panel, select the host.

Click the Configuration tab, and click Advanced Settings under Software.

Change the value for any of the options to 0 (disabled):
n

VMFS3.HardwareAcceleratedLocking

DataMover.HardwareAcceleratedMove

DataMover.HardwareAcceleratedInit

Storage Thin Provisioning
With ESXi, you can use two models of thin provisioning, array-level and virtual disk-level.
Thin provisioning is a method that optimizes storage utilization by allocating storage space in a flexible ondemand manner. Thin provisioning contrasts with the traditional model, called thick provisioning. With
thick provisioning, large amount of storage space is provided in advance in anticipation of future storage
needs. However, the space might remain unused causing underutilization of storage capacity.
The VMware thin provisioning features help you eliminate storage underutilization problems at the
datastore and storage array level.

Create Thin Provisioned Virtual Disks
When you need to save storage space, you can create a virtual disk in thin provisioned format. The thin
provisioned virtual disk starts small and grows as more disk space is required.
This procedure assumes that you are creating a typical or custom virtual machine using the New Virtual
Machine wizard.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
You can create thin disks only on the datastores that support disk-level thin provisioning.
Procedure
u

In the Create a Disk dialog box, select Thin Provision.

A virtual disk in thin format is created.
What to do next
If you created a virtual disk in the thin format, you can later inflate it to its full size.

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View Virtual Machine Storage Resources
You can view how datastore storage space is allocated for your virtual machines.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine in the inventory.

Click the Summary tab.

Review the space allocation information in the Resources section.
n

Provisioned Storage – Shows datastore space allocated to the virtual machine. The entire space
might not be used by the virtual machine if it has disks in thin provisioned format. Other virtual
machines can occupy any unused space.

Not-shared Storage – Shows datastore space occupied by the virtual machine and not shared with
any other virtual machines.

Used Storage – Shows datastore space actually occupied by virtual machine files, including
configuration and log files, snapshots, virtual disks, and so on. When the virtual machine is
running, the used storage space also includes swap files.

Determine the Disk Format of a Virtual Machine
You can determine whether your virtual disk is in thick or thin format.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Select the virtual machine in the inventory.

Click Edit Settings to display the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.

Click the Hardware tab and select the appropriate hard disk in the Hardware list.
The Disk Provisioning section on the right shows the type of your virtual disk.

Click OK.

What to do next
If your virtual disk is in the thin format, you can inflate it to its full size.

Inflate Thin Virtual Disks
If you created a virtual disk in the thin provision format, you can inflate it to its full size.
This procedure converts a thin disk to a virtual disk in thick provision format.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

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Select the virtual machine in the inventory.

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Click the Summary tab and, under Resources, double-click the datastore for the virtual machine to open
the Datastore Browser dialog box.

Click the virtual machine folder to find the virtual disk file you want to convert. The file has the .vmdk
extension.

Right-click the virtual disk file and select Inflate.

The inflated virtual disk occupies the entire datastore space originally provisioned to it.

Using Storage Vendor Providers
When using vendor provider components, the vCenter Server can integrate with external storage, both
block storage and NFS, so that you can gain a better insight into resources and obtain comprehensive and
meaningful storage data.
The vendor provider is a software plug-in developed by a third party through the Storage APIs - Storage
Awareness. The vendor provider component is typically installed on the storage array side and acts as a
server in the vSphere environment. The vCenter Server uses vendor providers to retrieve information about
storage topology, capabilities, and status.
For information about whether your storage supports the vendor provider plug-ins, contact your storage
vendor.
If your storage supports vendor providers, use the Storage Providers menu option in the vSphere Client or
the vSphere Web Client to register and manage each vendor provider component.

Register Vendor Providers in the vSphere Client
To establish a connection between the vCenter Server and a vendor provider, you must register the vendor
provider.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Verify that the vendor provider component is installed on the storage side and obtain its credentials from
your storage administrator.
Procedure
1

Select View > Administration > Storage Providers.

Click Add.

In the Add Vendor Provider dialog box, type connection information for the vendor provider,
including the name, URL, and credentials.

(Optional) To direct the vCenter Server to the vendor provider certificate, select the Use Vendor
Provider Certificate option and specify the certificate's location.
If you do not select this option, the vSphere Client displays a thumbprint of the certificate. You can
check the thumbprint and approve it.

Click OK to complete the registration.

The vCenter Server has registered the vendor provider and established a secure SSL connection with it.

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View Vendor Provider Information
After you register a vendor provider component with the vCenter Server, the vendor provider appears on
the vendor providers list in the vSphere Client.
View general vendor provider information and details for each vendor component.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select View > Administration > Storage Providers.

In the Vendor Providers list, view the vendor provider components registered with the vCenter Server.
The list shows general vendor information including the name, URL, and the time of the last view
refresh.

To display additional details, select a specific vendor provider from the list.
The details include storage array vendors and array models that the vendor provider supports.
NOTE A single vendor provider can support storage arrays from multiple different vendors.

Unregister Vendor Providers
Unregister vendor providers that you do not need.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select View > Administration > Storage Providers.

From the list of vendor providers, select the one you want to unregister and click Remove.

The vCenter Server terminates the connection and removes the vendor provider from its configuration.

Update Vendor Providers
The vCenter Server periodically updates storage data in its database. The updates are partial and reflect
only those storage changes that storage providers communicate to the vCenter Server. When needed, you
can perform a full database synchronisation for the selected storage provider.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select View > Administration > Storage Providers.

From the list, select the vendor provider that you want to synchronise with and click Sync.

The vSphere Client updates the storage data for the provider.

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Resource Management for Single
Hosts

When you connect the vSphere Client directly to a host, you have access to a limited number of resource
management settings, including hyperthreading settings, power management configuration, and swapfile
properties.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Configuring Resource Allocation Settings,” on page 341

“Administering CPU Resources,” on page 342

“Administering Memory Resources,” on page 345

“Managing Storage I/O Resources,” on page 349

“Managing Resource Pools,” on page 352

“Using DRS Clusters to Manage Resources,” on page 356

“Creating a Datastore Cluster,” on page 368

“Using Datastore Clusters to Manage Storage Resources,” on page 371

“Using NUMA Systems with ESXi,” on page 379

“Advanced Attributes,” on page 381

Configuring Resource Allocation Settings
When available resource capacity does not meet the demands of the resource consumers (and virtualization
overhead), administrators might need to customize the amount of resources that are allocated to virtual
machines or to the resource pools in which they reside.
Use the resource allocation settings (shares, reservation, and limit) to determine the amount of CPU,
memory, and storage resources provided for a virtual machine. In particular, administrators have several
options for allocating resources.
n

Reserve the physical resources of the host or cluster.

Set an upper bound on the resources that can be allocated to a virtual machine.

Guarantee that a particular virtual machine is always allocated a higher percentage of the physical
resources than other virtual machines.

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Changing Resource Allocation Settings—Example
The following example illustrates how you can change resource allocation settings to improve virtual
machine performance.
Assume that on an ESXi host, you have created two new virtual machines—one each for your QA (VM-QA)
and Marketing (VM-Marketing) departments.
Figure 25‑1. Single Host with Two Virtual Machines
host

VM-QA

VM-Marketing

In the following example, assume that VM-QA is memory intensive and accordingly you want to change the
resource allocation settings for the two virtual machines to:
n

Specify that, when system memory is overcommitted, VM-QA can use twice as much memory and CPU
as the Marketing virtual machine. Set the memory shares and CPU shares for VM-QA to High and for
VM-Marketing set them to Normal.

Ensure that the Marketing virtual machine has a certain amount of guaranteed CPU resources. You can
do so using a reservation setting.

Procedure
1

Start the vSphere Client and connect to a vCenter Server system.

Right-click VM-QA, the virtual machine for which you want to change shares, and select Edit Settings.

Select the Resources tab, and in the CPU panel, select High from the Shares drop-down menu.

In the Memory panel, select High from the Shares drop-down menu.

Click OK.

Right-click the marketing virtual machine (VM-Marketing) and select Edit Settings.

In the CPU panel, change the Reservation value to the desired number.

Click OK.

If you select the cluster’s Resource Allocation tab and click CPU, you should see that shares for VM-QA are
twice that of the other virtual machine. Also, because the virtual machines have not been powered on, the
Reservation Used fields have not changed.

Administering CPU Resources
You can configure virtual machines with one or more virtual processors, each with its own set of registers
and control structures.
When a virtual machine is scheduled, its virtual processors are scheduled to run on physical processors. The
VMkernel Resource Manager schedules the virtual CPUs on physical CPUs, thereby managing the virtual
machine’s access to physical CPU resources. ESXi supports virtual machines with up to 128 virtual CPUs.

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View Processor Information
You can access information about current CPU configuration through the vSphere Client or using the
vSphere SDK.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host and click the Configuration tab.

Select Processors.
You can view the information about the number and type of physical processors and the number of
logical processors.
NOTE In hyperthreaded systems, each hardware thread is a logical processor. For example, a dual-core
processor with hyperthreading enabled has two cores and four logical processors.

(Optional) You can also disable or enable hyperthreading by clicking Properties.

Enable Hyperthreading
To enable hyperthreading, you must first enable it in your system's BIOS settings and then turn it on in the
vSphere Client. Hyperthreading is enabled by default.
Consult your system documentation to determine whether your CPU supports hyperthreading.
Prerequisites
n

Ensure that your system supports hyperthreading technology.

Enable hyperthreading in the system BIOS. Some manufacturers label this option Logical Processor,
while others call it Enable Hyperthreading.

Open a vSphere Client connection to a vCenter Server.

Procedure
u

Tturn on hyperthreading for the ESXi host.
a

In the vSphere Client, select the host and click the Configuration tab.

Select Processors and click Properties.

In the dialog box, you can view hyperthreading status and turn hyperthreading off or on (default).

Hyperthreading is enabled.

Set Hyperthreading Sharing Options for a Virtual Machine
You can specify how the virtual CPUs of a virtual machine can share physical cores on a hyperthreaded
system.
Two virtual CPUs share a core if they are running on logical CPUs of the core at the same time. You can set
this for individual virtual machines.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory panel, right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Click the Resources tab, and click Advanced CPU.

Select a hyperthreading mode for this virtual machine from the Mode drop-down menu.

Assign a Virtual Machine to a Specific Processor
Using CPU affinity, you can assign a virtual machine to a specific processor. This allows you to restrict the
assignment of virtual machines to a specific available processor in multiprocessor systems.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory panel, select a virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Select the Resources tab and select Advanced CPU.

Click the Run on processor(s) button.

Select the processors where you want the virtual machine to run and click OK.

Select a CPU Power Management Policy
You set the CPU power management policy for a host using the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
ESX/ESXi supports the Enhanced Intel SpeedStep and Enhanced AMD PowerNow! CPU power
management technologies. For the VMkernel to take advantage of the power management capabilities
provided by these technologies, you must enable power management, sometimes called Demand-Based
Switching (DBS), in the BIOS.
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory panel, select a host and click the Configuration tab.

Under Hardware, select Power Management and select Properties.

Select a power management policy for the host and click OK.
The policy selection is saved in the host configuration and can be used again at boot time. You can
change it at any time, and it does not require a server reboot.

Configure Custom Policy Parameters for Host Power Management
When you use the Custom policy for host power management, ESXi bases its power management policy on
the values of several advanced configuration parameters.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Select Custom for the power management policy, as described in “Select a CPU Power Management
Policy,” on page 344.
Procedure
1

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In the vSphere Client inventory, select the host and click the Configuration tab.

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Under Software, select Advanced Settings.

Click Power in the left pane.

In the right pane, you can edit the power management parameters that affect the Custom policy.
Power management parameters that affect the Custom policy have descriptions that begin with In
Custom policy. All other power parameters affect all power management policies.
NOTE The default values of power management parameters match the Balanced policy.
Parameter

Description

Power.UsePStates

Use ACPI P-states to save power when the processor is busy.

Power.MaxCpuLoad

Use P-states to save power on a CPU only when the CPU is busy for less
than the given percentage of real time.

Power.MinFreqPct

Do not use any P-states slower than the given percentage of full CPU
speed.

Power.UseStallCtr

Use a deeper P-state when the processor is frequently stalled waiting for
events such as cache misses.

Power.TimerHz

Controls how many times per second ESXi reevaluates which P-state each
CPU should be in.

Power.UseCStates

Use deep ACPI C-states (C2 or below) when the processor is idle.

Power.CStateMaxLatency

Do not use C-states whose latency is greater than this value.

Power.CStateResidencyCoef

When a CPU becomes idle, choose the deepest C-state whose latency
multiplied by this value is less than the host's prediction of how long the
CPU will remain idle. Larger values make ESXi more conservative about
using deep C-states, while smaller values are more aggressive.

Power.CStatePredictionCoef

A parameter in the ESXi algorithm for predicting how long a CPU that
becomes idle will remain idle. Changing this value is not recommended.

Power.PerfBias

Performance Energy Bias Hint (Intel-only). Sets an MSR on Intel processors
to an Intel-recommended value. Intel recommends 0 for high performance,
6 for balanced, and 15 for low power. Other values are undefined.

Administering Memory Resources
Using the vSphere Client you can view information about and make changes to memory allocation settings.
To administer your memory resources effectively, you must also be familiar with memory overhead, idle
memory tax, and how ESXi hosts reclaim memory.
When administering memory resources, you can specify memory allocation. If you do not customize
memory allocation, the ESXi host uses defaults that work well in most situations.
You can specify memory allocation in several ways.
n

Use the attributes and special features available through the vSphere Client. The vSphere Client user
interface allows you to connect to the ESXi host or vCenter Server system.

Use advanced settings.

Use the vSphere SDK for scripted memory allocation.

Enable Host-Local Swap for a DRS Cluster
Host-local swap allows you to specify a datastore stored locally on the host as the swap file location. You
can enable host-local swap for a DRS cluster.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the cluster in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the cluster Settings dialog box, click Swapfile Location.

Select the Store the swapfile in the datastore specified by the host option and click OK.

In the vSphere Client inventory, select one of the hosts in the cluster and click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, select Virtual Machine Swapfile Location.

Select the local datastore to use and click OK.

Repeat Step 4 through Step 6 for each host in the cluster.

Host-local swap is now enabled for the DRS cluster.

Enable Host-Local Swap for a Standalone Host
Host-local swap allows you to specify a datastore stored locally on the host as the swap file location. You
can enable host-local swap for a standalone host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration.

Under Software, select Virtual Machine Swapfile Location. and click Edit.

Select Store the swapfile in the swapfile datastore.

Select a local datastore from the list and click OK.

Host-local swap is now enabled for the standalone host.

Configure Virtual Machine Swapfile Properties for the Host
Configure a swapfile location for the host to determine the default location for virtual machine swapfiles.
By default, swapfiles for a virtual machine are located on a VMFS3 datastore in the folder that contains the
other virtual machine files. However, you can configure your host to place virtual machine swapfiles on an
alternative datastore.
You can use this option to place virtual machine swapfiles on lower-cost or higher-performance storage.
You can also override this host-level setting for individual virtual machines.
Setting an alternative swapfile location might cause migrations with vMotion to complete more slowly. For
best vMotion performance, store virtual machine swapfiles in the same directory as the virtual machine.
If vCenter Server manages your host, you cannot change the swapfile location if you connect directly to the
host by using the vSphere Client. You must connect the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server system.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Host machine.Configuration.Storage partition configuration
Procedure
1

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Click the Configuration tab.

Click the Virtual Machine Swapfile Location link.
The Configuration tab displays the selected swapfile location. If configuration of the swapfile location
is not supported on the selected host, the tab indicates that the feature is not supported.
If the host is part of a cluster, and the cluster settings specify that swapfiles are to be stored in the same
directory as the virtual machine, you cannot edit the swapfile location from the host configuration tab.
To change the swapfile location for such a host, use the Cluster Settings dialog box.

Click Edit.

Select either Store the swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine or Store the swapfile in a
swapfile datastore selected below.
If you select Store the swapfile in a swapfile datastore selected below, select a datastore from the list.

Click OK.

The virtual machine swapfile is stored in the location you selected.

Configure a Virtual Machine Swapfile Location for a Cluster
By default, swapfiles for a virtual machine are located on a VMFS datastore in the folder that contains the
other virtual machine files. However, you can instead configure the hosts in your cluster to place virtual
machine swapfiles on an alternative datastore of your choice.
You might choose to configure an alternative swapfile location to place virtual machine swapfiles on either
lower-cost or higher-performance storage, depending on your needs.
NOTE Setting an alternative swapfile location might cause migrations with vMotion to complete more
slowly. For best vMotion performance, store virtual machine swapfiles in the same directory as the virtual
machine.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Before you configure a virtual machine swapfile location for a cluster, you must configure the virtual
machine swapfile locations for the hosts in the cluster as described in “Configure Virtual Machine Swapfile
Properties for the Host,” on page 346.
Procedure
1

Display the cluster in the inventory.

Right-click the cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the settings list, select Swapfile Location.

Under Swapfile Policy for Virtual Machines, select where to store the virtual machine swapfile.

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Option

Description

Store the swapfile in the same
directory as the virtual machine

Stores the swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine
configuration file.

Store the swapfile in the datastore
specified by the host

Stores the swapfile in the location specified in the host configuration.
If the swapfile cannot be stored on the datastore that the host specifies, the
swapfile is stored in the same folder as the virtual machine.

Click OK.

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Delete Swap Files
If a host fails, and that host had running virtual machines that were using swap files, those swap files
continue to exist and consume many gigabytes of disk space. You can delete the swap files to eliminate this
problem.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system or an ESXi host.
Procedure
1

Restart the virtual machine that was on the host that failed.

Stop the virtual machine.

The swap file for the virtual machine is deleted.

Configure the Host Cache
You can change the percentage of space allocated for host cache or disable the host's ability to swap to host
cache.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
You must have an SSD-backed datastore in your inventory.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, click Host Cache Configuration.

Select the datastore in the list and click Properties.

Select a size for the host cache allocation on the drive.

To disable the ability for the host to swap to host cache on a per-datastore basis, deselect the Allocate
space for host cache check box.

Click OK.

Enable or Disable the Memory Compression Cache
Memory compression is enabled by default. You can use the Advanced Settings dialog box in the vSphere
Client to enable or disable memory compression for a host.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

348

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, select Advanced Settings.

In the left pane, select Mem and locate Mem.MemZipEnable.

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Enter 1 to enable or enter 0 to disable the memory compression cache.

Click OK.

Set the Maximum Size of the Memory Compression Cache
You can set the maximum size of the memory compression cache for the host's virtual machines.
You set the size of the compression cache as a percentage of the memory size of the virtual machine. For
example, if you enter 20 and a virtual machine's memory size is 1000 MB, ESXi can use up to 200MB of host
memory to store the compressed pages of the virtual machine.
If you do not set the size of the compression cache, ESXi uses the default value of 10 percent.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, select Advanced Settings.

In the left pane, select Mem and locate Mem.MemZipMaxPct.
The value of this attribute determines the maximum size of the compression cache for the virtual
machine.

Enter the maximum size for the compression cache.
The value is a percentage of the size of the virtual machine and must be between 5 and 100 percent.

Click OK.

Managing Storage I/O Resources
vSphere Storage I/O Control allows cluster-wide storage I/O prioritization, which allows better workload
consolidation and helps reduce extra costs associated with over provisioning.
Storage I/O Control extends the constructs of shares and limits to handle storage I/O resources. You can
control the amount of storage I/O that is allocated to virtual machines during periods of I/O congestion,
which ensures that more important virtual machines get preference over less important virtual machines for
I/O resource allocation.
When you enable Storage I/O Control on a datastore, ESXi begins to monitor the device latency that hosts
observe when communicating with that datastore. When device latency exceeds a threshold, the datastore is
considered to be congested and each virtual machine that accesses that datastore is allocated I/O resources
in proportion to their shares. You set shares per virtual machine. You can adjust the number for each based
on need.
Configuring Storage I/O Control is a two-step process:
1

Enable Storage I/O Control for the datastore.

Set the number of storage I/O shares and upper limit of I/O operations per second (IOPS) allowed for
each virtual machine.

By default, all virtual machine shares are set to Normal (1000) with unlimited IOPS.
NOTE Storage I/O Control is enabled by default on Storage DRS-enabled datastore clusters.

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Storage I/O Control Resource Shares and Limits
You allocate the number of storage I/O shares and upper limit of I/O operations per second (IOPS) allowed
for each virtual machine. When storage I/O congestion is detected for a datastore, the I/O workloads of the
virtual machines accessing that datastore are adjusted according to the proportion of virtual machine shares
each virtual machine has.
Storage I/O shares are similar to those used for memory and CPU resource allocation, which are described
in the vSphere Resource Management publication. These shares represent the relative importance of a virtual
machine with regard to the distribution of storage I/O resources. Under resource contention, virtual
machines with higher share values have greater access to the storage array, which typically results in higher
throughput and lower latency.
When you allocate storage I/O resources, you can limit the IOPS that are allowed for a virtual machine. By
default, these are unlimited. If a virtual machine has more than one virtual disk, you must set the limit on all
of its virtual disks. Otherwise, the limit will not be enforced for the virtual machine. In this case, the limit on
the virtual machine is the aggregation of the limits for all virtual disks.
The benefits and drawbacks of setting resource limits are described in the vSphere Resource Management
publication. If the limit you want to set for a virtual machine is in terms of MB per second instead of IOPS,
you can convert MB per second into IOPS based on the typical I/O size for that virtual machine. For
example, to restrict a backup application with 64KB IOs to 10MB per second, set a limit of 160 IOPS.

View Storage I/O Control Shares and Limits
You can view the shares and limits for all virtual machines running on a datastore. Viewing this information
allows you to compare the settings of all virtual machines that are accessing the datastore, regardless of the
cluster in which they are running.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the datastore in the vSphere Client inventory.

Click the Virtual Machines tab.
The tab displays each virtual machine running on the datastore and the associated shares value, IOPS
limit, and percentage of datastore shares.

Monitor Storage I/O Control Shares
Use the datastore Performance tab to monitor how Storage I/O Control handles the I/O workloads of the
virtual machines accessing a datastore based on their shares.
Datastore performance charts allow you to monitor the following information:
n

Average latency and aggregated IOPS on the datastore

Latency among hosts

Queue depth among hosts

Read/write IOPS among hosts

Read/write latency among virtual machine disks

Read/write IOPS among virtual machine disks

Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

Select the datastore in the vSphere Client inventory and click the Performance tab.

From the View drop-down menu, select Performance.
For more information, see the vSphere Monitoring and Performance documentation.

Set Storage I/O Control Resource Shares and Limits
Allocate storage I/O resources to virtual machines based on importance by assigning a relative amount of
shares to the virtual machine.
Unless virtual machine workloads are very similar, shares do not necessarily dictate allocation in terms of
I/O operations or megabytes per second. Higher shares allow a virtual machine to keep more concurrent I/O
operations pending at the storage device or datastore compared to a virtual machine with lower shares. Two
virtual machines might experience different throughput based on their workloads.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select a virtual machine in the vSphere Client inventory.

Click the Summary tab and click Edit Settings.

Click the Resources tab and select Disk.

Select a virtual hard disk from the list.

Click the Shares column to select the relative amount of shares to allocate to the virtual machine (Low,
Normal, or High).
You can select Custom to enter a user-defined shares value.

Click the Limit - IOPS column and enter the upper limit of storage resources to allocate to the virtual
machine.
IOPS are the number of I/O operations per second. By default, IOPS are unlimited. You select Low
(500), Normal (1000), or High (2000), or you can select Custom to enter a user-defined number of shares.

Click OK.

Shares and limits are reflected on the Resource Allocation tab for the host and cluster.

Enable Storage I/O Control
When you enable Storage I/O Control, ESXi monitors datastore latency and adjusts the I/O load sent to it, if
datastore average latency exceeds the threshold.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, select a datastore and click the Configuration tab.

Click Properties.

Under Storage I/O Control, select the Enabled check box.

Click Close.

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On the Datastores tab, the Storage I/O Control column shows that Storage I/O Control is enabled for the
datastore.

Set Storage I/O Control Threshold Value
The congestion threshold value for a datastore is the upper limit of latency that is allowed for a datastore
before Storage I/O Control begins to assign importance to the virtual machine workloads according to their
shares.
You do not need to adjust the threshold setting in most environments.
CAUTION Storage I/O Control will not function correctly unless all datatores that share the same spindles on
the array have the same congestion threshold.
If you change the congestion threshold setting, set the value based on the following considerations.
n

A higher value typically results in higher aggregate throughput and weaker isolation. Throttling will
not occur unless the overall average latency is higher than the threshold.

If throughput is more critical than latency, do not set the value too low. For example, for Fibre Channel
disks, a value below 20 ms could lower peak disk throughput. A very high value (above 50 ms) might
allow very high latency without any significant gain in overall throughput.

A lower value will result in lower device latency and stronger virtual machine I/O performance
isolation. Stronger isolation means that the shares controls are enforced more often. Lower device
latency translates into lower I/O latency for the virtual machines with the highest shares, at the cost of
higher I/O latency experienced by the virtual machines with fewer shares.

If latency is more important, a very low value (lower than 20 ms) will result in lower device latency and
better isolation among I/Os at the potential cost of a decrease in aggregate datastore throughput.

Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Verify that Storage I/O Control is enabled.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, select a datastore and click the Configuration tab.

Click Properties.

Under Storage I/O Control, select the Enabled check box.

(Optional) Click Advanced to edit the congestion threshold value for the datastore.
The value must be between 10 ms and 100 ms.

(Optional) Click Reset to restore the congestion threshold setting to the default value (30 ms).

Click OK and click Close.

Managing Resource Pools
A resource pool is a logical abstraction for flexible management of resources. Resource pools can be grouped
into hierarchies and used to hierarchically partition available CPU and memory resources.
Each standalone host and each DRS cluster has an (invisible) root resource pool that groups the resources of
that host or cluster. The root resource pool does not appear because the resources of the host (or cluster) and
the root resource pool are always the same.

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Users can create child resource pools of the root resource pool or of any user-created child resource pool.
Each child resource pool owns some of the parent’s resources and can, in turn, have a hierarchy of child
resource pools to represent successively smaller units of computational capability.
A resource pool can contain child resource pools, virtual machines, or both. You can create a hierarchy of
shared resources. The resource pools at a higher level are called parent resource pools. Resource pools and
virtual machines that are at the same level are called siblings. The cluster itself represents the root resource
pool. If you do not create child resource pools, only the root resource pools exist.
In the following example, RP-QA is the parent resource pool for RP-QA-UI. RP-Marketing and RP-QA are
siblings. The three virtual machines immediately below RP-Marketing are also siblings.
Figure 25‑2. Parents, Children, and Siblings in Resource Pool Hierarchy
root resource pool

siblings

siblings
parent resource pool
child resource pool

For each resource pool, you specify reservation, limit, shares, and whether the reservation should be
expandable. The resource pool resources are then available to child resource pools and virtual machines.

Create a Resource Pool
You can create a child resource pool of any ESXi host, resource pool, or DRS cluster.
NOTE If a host has been added to a cluster, you cannot create child resource pools of that host. If the cluster
is enabled for DRS, you can create child resource pools of the cluster.
When you create a child resource pool, you are prompted for resource pool attribute information. The
system uses admission control to make sure you cannot allocate resources that are not available.
Prerequisites
The vSphere Client is connected to the vCenter Server system. If you connect the vSphere Client directly to a
host, you cannot create a resource pool.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, select a parent object for the resource pool (a host, another resource
pool, or a DRS cluster).

Select File > New > Resource Pool.

Type a name to identify the resource pool.

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Specify how to allocate CPU and memory resources.
The CPU resources for your resource pool are the guaranteed physical resources the host reserves for a
resource pool. Normally, you accept the default and let the host handle resource allocation.

Option

Description

Specify shares for this resource pool with respect to the parent’s total
resources. Sibling resource pools share resources according to their relative
share values bounded by the reservation and limit.
n Select Low, Normal, or High to specify share values respectively in a
1:2:4 ratio.
n Select Custom to give each virtual machine a specific number of
shares, which expresses a proportional weight.

Reservation

Specify a guaranteed CPU or memory allocation for this resource pool.
Defaults to 0.
A nonzero reservation is subtracted from the unreserved resources of the
parent (host or resource pool). The resources are considered reserved,
regardless of whether virtual machines are associated with the resource
pool.

Expandable Reservation

When the check box is selected (default), expandable reservations are
considered during admission control.
If you power on a virtual machine in this resource pool, and the combined
reservations of the virtual machines are larger than the reservation of the
resource pool, the resource pool can use resources from its parent or
ancestors.

Limit

Specify the upper limit for this resource pool’s CPU or memory allocation.
You can usually accept the default (Unlimited).
To specify a limit, deselect the Unlimited check box.

Click OK.

After you create a resource pool, you can add virtual machines to it. A virtual machine’s shares are relative
to other virtual machines (or resource pools) with the same parent resource pool.

Example: Creating Resource Pools
Assume that you have a host that provides 6GHz of CPU and 3GB of memory that must be shared between
your marketing and QA departments. You also want to share the resources unevenly, giving one
department (QA) a higher priority. This can be accomplished by creating a resource pool for each
department and using the Shares attribute to prioritize the allocation of resources.
The example shows how to create a resource pool with the ESXi host as the parent resource.
1

In the Create Resource Pool dialog box, type a name for the QA department’s resource pool (for
example, RP-QA).

Specify Shares of High for the CPU and memory resources of RP-QA.

Create a second resource pool, RP-Marketing.
Leave Shares at Normal for CPU and memory.

Click OK.

If there is resource contention, RP-QA receives 4GHz and 2GB of memory, and RP-Marketing 2GHz and
1GB. Otherwise, they can receive more than this allotment. Those resources are then available to the virtual
machines in the respective resource pools.

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Edit a Resource Pool
After you create the resource pool, you can edit its CPU and memory resource settings.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the resource pool in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

In the Edit Settings dialog box, you can change all attributes of the selected resource pool as described
in “Create a Resource Pool,” on page 353.

Click OK to save your changes.

Add a Virtual Machine to a Resource Pool
When you create a virtual machine, the New Virtual Machine wizard allows you to specify a resource pool
location as part of the creation process. You can also add an existing virtual machine to a resource pool.
When you move a virtual machine to a new resource pool:
n

The virtual machine’s reservation and limit do not change.

If the virtual machine’s shares are high, medium, or low, %Shares adjusts to reflect the total number of
shares in use in the new resource pool.

If the virtual machine has custom shares assigned, the share value is maintained.
NOTE Because share allocations are relative to a resource pool, you might have to manually change a
virtual machine’s shares when you move it into a resource pool so that the virtual machine’s shares are
consistent with the relative values in the new resource pool. A warning appears if a virtual machine
would receive a very large (or very small) percentage of total shares.

The information displayed in the Resource Allocation tab about the resource pool’s reserved and
unreserved CPU and memory resources changes to reflect the reservations associated with the virtual
machine (if any).
NOTE If a virtual machine has been powered off or suspended, it can be moved but overall available
resources (such as reserved and unreserved CPU and memory) for the resource pool are not affected.

Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the virtual machine in the inventory.
The virtual machine can be associated with a standalone host, a cluster, or a different resource pool.

Drag the virtual machine (or machines) to the resource pool.

If a virtual machine is powered on, and the destination resource pool does not have enough CPU or memory
to guarantee the virtual machine’s reservation, the move fails because admission control does not allow it.
An error dialog box displays available and requested resources, so you can consider whether an adjustment
might resolve the issue.

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Remove a Virtual Machine from a Resource Pool
You can remove a virtual machine from a resource pool either by moving the virtual machine to another
resource pool or deleting it.
When you remove a virtual machine from a resource pool, the total number of shares associated with the
resource pool decreases, so that each remaining share represents more resources. For example, assume you
have a pool that is entitled to 6GHz, containing three virtual machines with shares set to Normal. Assuming
the virtual machines are CPU-bound, each gets an equal allocation of 2GHz. If one of the virtual machines is
moved to a different resource pool, the two remaining virtual machines each receive an equal allocation of
3GHz.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the cluster in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

Choose one of the following methods to remove the virtual machine from a resource pool.
n

Drag the virtual machine to another resource pool.
You do not need to power off the virtual machine before you move it.

Right-click the virtual machine and select Remove from Inventory or Delete from Disk.
You must power off the virtual machine before you can completely remove it.

Remove a Resource Pool
You can remove a resource pool from the inventory.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the resource pool and select Remove.
A confirmation dialog box appears.

Click Yes to remove the resource pool.

Using DRS Clusters to Manage Resources
After you create a DRS cluster, you can customize it and use it to manage resources.
To customize your DRS cluster and the resources it contains you can configure affinity rules and you can
add and remove hosts and virtual machines. When a cluster’s settings and resources have been defined, you
should ensure that it is and remains a valid cluster. You can also use a valid DRS cluster to manage power
resources and interoperate with vSphere HA.

Creating a DRS Cluster
A cluster is a collection of ESXi hosts and associated virtual machines with shared resources and a shared
management interface. Before you can obtain the benefits of cluster-level resource management you must
create a cluster and enable DRS.
Depending on whether or not Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) is enabled, DRS behaves differently
when you use vSphere Fault Tolerance (vSphere FT) virtual machines in your cluster.

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Table 25‑1. DRS Behavior with vSphere FT Virtual Machines and EVC
EVC

DRS (Load Balancing)

DRS (Initial Placement)

Enabled

Enabled (Primary and Secondary VMs)

Disabled

Disabled (Primary and Secondary VMs)

Disabled (Primary VMs)
Fully Automated (Secondary VMs)

Create a DRS Cluster
Create a DRS cluster using the New Cluster wizard in the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
You can create a cluster without a special license, but you must have a license to enable a cluster for vSphere
DRS (or vSphere HA).
Procedure
1

Right-click a datacenter or folder in the vSphere Client and select New Cluster.

Name the cluster in the Name text box.
This name appears in the vSphere Client inventory panel.

Enable the DRS feature by clicking the vSphere DRS box.
You can also enable the vSphere HA feature by clicking vSphere HA.

Click Next.

Select a default automation level for DRS.
Automation Level
Manual

Action
n
n

Partially Automated

n
n

Fully Automated

n
n

Initial placement: Recommended host(s) is displayed.
Migration: Recommendation is displayed.
Initial placement: Automatic.
Migration: Recommendation is displayed.
Initial placement: Automatic.
Migration: Recommendation is executed automatically.

Set the migration threshold for DRS.

Click Next.

Specify the default power management setting for the cluster.
If you enable power management, select a vSphere DPM threshold setting.

Click Next.

If appropriate, enable Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) and select the mode it should operate in.

Click Next.

Select a location for the swapfiles of your virtual machines.
You can either store a swapfile in the same directory as the virtual machine itself, or a datastore
specified by the host (host-local swap)

Click Next.

Review the summary page that lists the options you selected.

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Click Finish to complete cluster creation, or click Back to go back and make modifications to the cluster
setup.

A new cluster does not include any hosts or virtual machines.
To add hosts and virtual machines to the cluster see “Adding Hosts to a Cluster,” on page 359 and
“Removing Virtual Machines from a Cluster,” on page 361.

Set a Custom Automation Level for a Virtual Machine
After you create a DRS cluster, you can customize the automation level for individual virtual machines to
override the cluster’s default automation level.
For example, you can select Manual for specific virtual machines in a cluster with full automation, or
Partially Automated for specific virtual machines in a manual cluster.
If a virtual machine is set to Disabled, vCenter Server does not migrate that virtual machine or provide
migration recommendations for it. This is known as pinning the virtual machine to its registered host.
NOTE If you have not enabled Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) for the cluster, fault tolerant virtual
machines are set to DRS disabled. They appear on this screen, but you cannot assign an automation mode to
them.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the cluster in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane under vSphere DRS, select Virtual Machine Options.

Select the Enable individual virtual machine automation levels check box.

(Optional) To temporarily disable any individual virtual machine overrides, deselect the Enable
individual virtual machine automation levels check box.
Virtual machine settings are restored when the check box is selected again.

(Optional) To temporarily suspend all vMotion activity in a cluster, put the cluster in manual mode and
deselect the Enable individual virtual machine automation levels check box.

Select one or more virtual machines.

Click the Automation Level column and select an automation level from the drop-down menu.

Option

Description

Manual

Placement and migration recommendations are displayed, but do not run
until you manually apply the recommendation.

Fully Automated

Placement and migration recommendations run automatically.

Partially Automated

Initial placement is performed automatically. Migration recommendations
are displayed, but do not run.

Disabled

vCenter Server does not migrate the virtual machine or provide migration
recommendations for it.

Click OK.

NOTE Other VMware products or features, such as vSphere vApp and vSphere Fault Tolerance, might
override the automation levels of virtual machines in a DRS cluster. Refer to the product-specific
documentation for details.

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Disable DRS
You can turn off DRS for a cluster.
When DRS is disabled, the cluster’s resource pool hierarchy and affinity rules are not reestablished when
DRS is turned back on. So if you disable DRS, the resource pools are removed from the cluster. To avoid
losing the resource pools, instead of disabling DRS, you should suspend it by changing the DRS automation
level to manual (and disabling any virtual machine overrides). This prevents automatic DRS actions, but
preserves the resource pool hierarchy.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the cluster in the vSphere Client inventory.

Right click and select Edit Settings.

In the left panel, select General, and deselect the Turn On vSphere DRS check box.

Click OK to turn off DRS.

Adding Hosts to a Cluster
The procedure for adding hosts to a cluster is different for hosts managed by the same vCenter Server
(managed hosts) than for hosts not managed by that server.
After a host has been added, the virtual machines deployed to the host become part of the cluster and DRS
can recommend migration of some virtual machines to other hosts in the cluster.

Add a Managed Host to a Cluster
When you add a standalone host already being managed by vCenter Server to a DRS cluster, the host’s
resources become associated with the cluster.
You can decide whether you want to associate existing virtual machines and resource pools with the
cluster’s root resource pool or graft the resource pool hierarchy.
NOTE If a host has no child resource pools or virtual machines, the host’s resources are added to the cluster
but no resource pool hierarchy with a top-level resource pool is created.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the host from either the inventory or list view.

Drag the host to the target cluster object.

Select what to do with the host’s virtual machines and resource pools.
n

Put this host’s virtual machines in the cluster’s root resource pool
vCenter Server removes all existing resource pools of the host and the virtual machines in the
host’s hierarchy are all attached to the root. Because share allocations are relative to a resource
pool, you might have to manually change a virtual machine’s shares after selecting this option,
which destroys the resource pool hierarchy.

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vCenter Server creates a top-level resource pool that becomes a direct child of the cluster and adds
all children of the host to that new resource pool. You can supply a name for that new top-level
resource pool. The default is Grafted from .
The host is added to the cluster.

Add an Unmanaged Host to a Cluster
You can add an unmanaged host to a cluster. Such a host is not currently managed by the same vCenter
Server system as the cluster and it is not visible in the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the cluster to which to add the host and select Add Host from the right-click menu.

Enter the host name, user name, and password, and click Next.

View the summary information and click Next.

Select what to do with the host’s virtual machines and resource pools.
n

Create a resource pool for this host’s virtual machines and resource pools
vCenter Server creates a top-level resource pool that becomes a direct child of the cluster and adds
all children of the host to that new resource pool. You can supply a name for that new top-level
resource pool. The default is Grafted from .

The host is added to the cluster.

Adding Virtual Machines to a Cluster
You can add a virtual machine to a cluster in three ways.
n

When you add a host to a cluster, all virtual machines on that host are added to the cluster.

When a virtual machine is created, the New Virtual Machine wizard prompts you for the location to
place the virtual machine. You can select a standalone host or a cluster and you can select any resource
pool inside the host or cluster.

You can migrate a virtual machine from a standalone host to a cluster or from a cluster to another
cluster using the Migrate Virtual Machine wizard. To start this wizard either drag the virtual machine
object on top of the cluster object or right-click the virtual machine name and select Migrate.
NOTE You can drag a virtual machine directly to a resource pool within a cluster. In this case, the
Migrate Virtual Machine wizard is started but the resource pool selection page does not appear.
Migrating directly to a host within a cluster is not allowed because the resource pool controls the
resources.

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Removing Virtual Machines from a Cluster
You can remove virtual machines from a cluster.
You can remove a virtual machine from a cluster in two ways.
n

When you remove a host from a cluster, all of the powered-off virtual machines that you do not migrate
to other hosts are removed as well. You can remove a host only if it is in maintenance mode or
disconnected. If you remove a host from a DRS cluster, the cluster can become yellow because it is
overcommitted.

You can migrate a virtual machine from a cluster to a standalone host or from a cluster to another
cluster using the Migrate Virtual Machine wizard. To start this wizard right-click the virtual machine
name and select Migrate.

Removing a Host from a Cluster
When you remove a host from a DRS cluster, you affect resource pool hierarchies, virtual machines, and you
might create invalid clusters. Consider the affected objects before you remove the host.
n

Resource Pool Hierarchies – When you remove a host from a cluster, the host retains only the root
resource pool, even if you used a DRS cluster and decided to graft the host resource pool when you
added the host to the cluster. In that case, the hierarchy remains with the cluster. You can create a hostspecific resource pool hierarchy.
NOTE Ensure that you remove the host from the cluster by first placing it in maintenance mode. If you
instead disconnect the host before removing it from the cluster, the host retains the resource pool that
reflects the cluster hierarchy.

Virtual Machines – A host must be in maintenance mode before you can remove it from the cluster and
for a host to enter maintenance mode all powered-on virtual machines must be migrated off that host.
When you request that a host enter maintenance mode, you are also asked whether you want to migrate
all the powered-off virtual machines on that host to other hosts in the cluster.

Invalid Clusters – When you remove a host from a cluster, the resources available for the cluster
decrease. If the cluster has enough resources to satisfy the reservations of all virtual machines and
resource pools in the cluster, the cluster adjusts resource allocation to reflect the reduced amount of
resources. If the cluster does not have enough resources to satisfy the reservations of all resource pools,
but there are enough resources to satisfy the reservations for all virtual machines, an alarm is issued
and the cluster is marked yellow. DRS continues to run.

Place a Host in Maintenance Mode
You place a host in maintenance mode when you need to service it, for example, to install more memory. A
host enters or leaves maintenance mode only as the result of a user request.
Virtual machines that are running on a host entering maintenance mode need to be migrated to another host
(either manually or automatically by DRS) or shut down. The host is in a state of Entering Maintenance
Mode until all running virtual machines are powered down or migrated to different hosts. You cannot
power on virtual machines or migrate virtual machines to a host entering maintenance mode.
When no more running virtual machines are on the host, the host’s icon changes to include under
maintenance and the host’s Summary panel indicates the new state. While in maintenance mode, the host
does not allow you to deploy or power on a virtual machine.
NOTE DRS does not recommend (or perform, in fully automated mode) any virtual machine migrations off
of a host entering maintenance or standby mode if the vSphere HA failover level would be violated after the
host enters the requested mode.

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Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a host and select Enter Maintenance Mode.
n

If the host is part of a partially automated or manual DRS cluster, a list of migration
recommendations for virtual machines running on the host appears.

If the host is part of an automated DRS cluster, virtual machines are migrated to different hosts
when the host enters maintenance mode.

If applicable, click Apply Recommendations.

The host is in maintenance mode until you select Exit Maintenance Mode.

Remove a Host from a Cluster
You can remove hosts from a cluster.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the host in the inventory and select Enter Maintenance Mode.

When the host is in maintenance mode, drag it to a different inventory location, either the top-level
datacenter or to a different cluster.
After you remove a host from a cluster, you can perform the following tasks.
n

Remove the host from vCenter Server: Right-click the host and select Remove.

Run the host as a standalone host under vCenter Server: Right-click the host and select Exit
Maintenance Mode.

Drag the host into another cluster.

When you move the host, its resources are removed from the cluster. If you grafted the host’s resource pool
hierarchy onto the cluster, that hierarchy remains with the cluster.

Using Standby Mode
When a host machine is placed in standby mode, it is powered off.
Normally, hosts are placed in standby mode by the vSphere DPM feature to optimize power usage. You can
also place a host in standby mode manually. However, DRS might undo (or recommend undoing) your
change the next time it runs. To force a host to remain off, place it in maintenance mode and power it off.

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Managing Power Resources
The vSphere Distributed Power Management (DPM) feature allows a DRS cluster to reduce its power
consumption by powering hosts on and off based on cluster resource utilization.
vSphere DPM monitors the cumulative demand of all virtual machines in the cluster for memory and CPU
resources and compares this to the total available resource capacity of all hosts in the cluster. If sufficient
excess capacity is found, vSphere DPM places one or more hosts in standby mode and powers them off after
migrating their virtual machines to other hosts. Conversely, when capacity is deemed to be inadequate, DRS
brings hosts out of standby mode (powers them on) and uses vMotion to migrate virtual machines to them.
When making these calculations, vSphere DPM considers not only current demand, but it also honors any
user-specified virtual machine resource reservations.
NOTE ESXi hosts cannot automatically be brought out of standby mode unless they are running in a cluster
managed by vCenter Server.
vSphere DPM can use one of three power management protocols to bring a host out of standby mode:
Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI), Hewlett-Packard Integrated Lights-Out (iLO), or WakeOn-LAN (WOL). Each protocol requires its own hardware support and configuration. If a host does not
support any of these protocols it cannot be put into standby mode by vSphere DPM. If a host supports
multiple protocols, they are used in the following order: IPMI, iLO, WOL.
NOTE Do not disconnect a host in standby mode or move it out of the DRS cluster without first powering it
on, otherwise vCenter Server is not able to power the host back on.

Configure IPMI or iLO Settings for vSphere DPM
IPMI is a hardware-level specification and Hewlett-Packard iLO is an embedded server management
technology. Each of them describes and provides an interface for remotely monitoring and controlling
computers.
You must perform the following procedure on each host.
Prerequisites
Both IPMI and iLO require a hardware Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) to provide a gateway for
accessing hardware control functions, and allow the interface to be accessed from a remote system using
serial or LAN connections. The BMC is powered-on even when the host itself is powered-off. If properly
enabled, the BMC can respond to remote power-on commands.
If you plan to use IPMI or iLO as a wake protocol, you must configure the BMC. BMC configuration steps
vary according to model. See your vendor’s documentation for more information. With IPMI, you must also
ensure that the BMC LAN channel is configured to be always available and to allow operator-privileged
commands. On some IPMI systems, when you enable "IPMI over LAN" you must configure this in the BIOS
and specify a particular IPMI account.
vSphere DPM using only IPMI supports MD5- and plaintext-based authentication, but MD2-based
authentication is not supported. vCenter Server uses MD5 if a host's BMC reports that it is supported and
enabled for the Operator role. Otherwise, plaintext-based authentication is used if the BMC reports it is
supported and enabled. If neither MD5 nor plaintext authentication is enabled, IPMI cannot be used with
the host and vCenter Server attempts to use Wake-on-LAN.
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the host in the vSphere Client inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

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Click Power Management.

Click Properties.

Enter the following information.

User name and password for a BMC account. (The user name must have the ability to remotely
power the host on.)

IP address of the NIC associated with the BMC, as distinct from the IP address of the host. The IP
address should be static or a DHCP address with infinite lease.

MAC address of the NIC associated with the BMC.

Click OK.

Test Wake-on-LAN for vSphere DPM
The use of Wake-on-LAN (WOL) for the vSphere DPM feature is fully supported, if you configure and
successfully test it according to the VMware guidelines. You must perform these steps before enabling
vSphere DPM for a cluster for the first time or on any host that is being added to a cluster that is using
vSphere DPM.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Before testing WOL, ensure that your cluster meets the prerequisites.
n

Your cluster must contain at least two ESX 3.5 (or ESX 3i version 3.5) or later hosts.

Each host's vMotion networking link must be working correctly. The vMotion network should also be a
single IP subnet, not multiple subnets separated by routers.

The vMotion NIC on each host must support WOL. To check for WOL support, first determine the
name of the physical network adapter corresponding to the VMkernel port by selecting the host in the
inventory panel of the vSphere Client, selecting the Configuration tab, and clicking Networking. After
you have this information, click on Network Adapters and find the entry corresponding to the network
adapter. The Wake On LAN Supported column for the relevant adapter should show Yes.

To display the WOL-compatibility status for each NIC on a host, select the host in the inventory panel
of the vSphere Client, select the Configuration tab, and click Network Adapters. The NIC must show
Yes in the Wake On LAN Supported column.

The switch port that each WOL-supporting vMotion NIC is plugged into should be set to auto negotiate
the link speed, and not set to a fixed speed (for example, 1000 Mb/s). Many NICs support WOL only if
they can switch to 100 Mb/s or less when the host is powered off.

After you verify these prerequisites, test each ESXi host that is going to use WOL to support vSphere DPM.
When you test these hosts, ensure that the vSphere DPM feature is disabled for the cluster.
CAUTION Ensure that any host being added to a vSphere DPM cluster that uses WOL as a wake protocol is
tested and disabled from using power management if it fails the testing. If this is not done, vSphere DPM
might power off hosts that it subsequently cannot power back up.
Procedure
1

Click the Enter Standby Mode command on the host's Summary tab in the vSphere Client.
This action powers down the host.

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Try to bring the host out of standby mode by clicking the Power Oncommand on the host's Summary
tab.

Observe whether or not the host successfully powers back on.

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For any host that fails to exit standby mode successfully, select the host in the cluster Settings dialog
box’s Host Options page and change its Power Management setting to Disabled.
After you do this, vSphere DPM does not consider that host a candidate for being powered off.

Using DRS Affinity Rules
You can control the placement of virtual machines on hosts within a cluster by using affinity rules.
You can create two types of rules.
n

Used to specify affinity or anti-affinity between a group of virtual machines and a group of hosts. An
affinity rule specifies that the members of a selected virtual machine DRS group can or must run on the
members of a specific host DRS group. An anti-affinity rule specifies that the members of a selected
virtual machine DRS group cannot run on the members of a specific host DRS group.
See “VM-Host Affinity Rules,” on page 367 for information about creating and using this type of rule.

Used to specify affinity or anti-affinity between individual virtual machines. A rule specifying affinity
causes DRS to try to keep the specified virtual machines together on the same host, for example, for
performance reasons. With an anti-affinity rule, DRS tries to keep the specified virtual machines apart,
for example, so that when a problem occurs with one host, you do not lose both virtual machines.
See “VM-VM Affinity Rules,” on page 366 for information about creating and using this type of rule.

When you add or edit an affinity rule, and the cluster's current state is in violation of the rule, the system
continues to operate and tries to correct the violation. For manual and partially automated DRS clusters,
migration recommendations based on rule fulfillment and load balancing are presented for approval. You
are not required to fulfill the rules, but the corresponding recommendations remain until the rules are
fulfilled.
To check whether any enabled affinity rules are being violated and cannot be corrected by DRS, select the
cluster's DRS tab and click Faults. Any rule currently being violated has a corresponding fault on this page.
Read the fault to determine why DRS is not able to satisfy the particular rule. Rules violations also produce
a log event.
NOTE VM-VM and VM-Host affinity rules are different from an individual host’s CPU affinity rules.

Create a Host DRS Group
A VM-Host affinity rule establishes an affinity (or anti-affinity) relationship between a virtual machine DRS
group with a host DRS group. You must create both of these groups before you can create a rule that links
them.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the cluster in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the cluster Settings dialog box under vSphere DRS, select DRS Groups Manager.

In the Host DRS Groups section, click Add.

In the DRS Group dialog box, type a name for the group.

In the left pane, select a host and click >> to add it to the group. Continue this process until all desired
hosts have been added.
You can also remove hosts from the group by selecting them in the right pane and clicking <<.

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Click OK.

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What to do next
Using this host DRS group, you can create a VM-Host affinity rule that establishes an affinity (or antiaffinity) relationship with an appropriate virtual machine DRS group.
“Create a Virtual Machine DRS Group,” on page 366
“Create a VM-Host Affinity Rule,” on page 367

Create a Virtual Machine DRS Group
Affinity rules establish an affinity (or anti-affinity) relationship between DRS groups. You must create DRS
groups before you can create a rule that links them.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the cluster in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the cluster Settings dialog box under vSphere DRS, select DRS Groups Manager.

In the Virtual Machines DRS Groups section, click Add.

In the DRS Group dialog box, type a name for the group.

Click OK.

What to do next
“Create a Host DRS Group,” on page 365
“Create a VM-Host Affinity Rule,” on page 367
“Create a VM-VM Affinity Rule,” on page 366

VM-VM Affinity Rules
A VM-VM affinity rule specifies whether selected individual virtual machines should run on the same host
or be kept on separate hosts. This type of rule is used to create affinity or anti-affinity between individual
virtual machines that you select.
When an affinity rule is created, DRS tries to keep the specified virtual machines together on the same host.
You might want to do this, for example, for performance reasons.
With an anti-affinity rule, DRS tries to keep the specified virtual machines apart. You could use such a rule if
you want to guarantee that certain virtual machines are always on different physical hosts. In that case, if a
problem occurs with one host, not all virtual machines would be placed at risk.
Create a VM-VM Affinity Rule
You can create VM-VM affinity rules in the Cluster Settings dialog box to specify whether selected
individual virtual machines should run on the same host or be kept on separate hosts.
NOTE If you use the vSphere HA Specify Failover Hosts admission control policy and designate multiple
failover hosts, VM-VM affinity rules are not supported.

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Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the cluster in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the Cluster Settings dialog box under vSphere DRS, select Rules.

Click Add.

In the Rule dialog box, type a name for the rule.

From the Type menu, select either Keep Virtual Machines Together or Separate Virtual Machines.

Click Add.

Select at least two virtual machines to which the rule will apply and click OK.

Click OK.

VM-Host Affinity Rules
A VM-Host affinity rule specifies whether or not the members of a selected virtual machine DRS group can
run on the members of a specific host DRS group.
Unlike a VM-VM affinity rule, which specifies affinity (or anti-affinity) between individual virtual machines,
a VM-Host affinity rule specifies an affinity relationship between a group of virtual machines and a group of
hosts. There are 'required' rules (designated by "must") and 'preferential' rules (designated by "should".)
A VM-Host affinity rule includes the following components.
n

One virtual machine DRS group.

One host DRS group.

A designation of whether the rule is a requirement ("must") or a preference ("should") and whether it is
affinity ("run on") or anti-affinity ("not run on").

Because VM-Host affinity rules are cluster-based, the virtual machines and hosts that are included in a rule
must all reside in the same cluster. If a virtual machine is removed from the cluster, it loses its DRS group
affiliation, even if it is later returned to the cluster.
Create a VM-Host Affinity Rule
You can create VM-Host affinity rules in the Cluster Settings dialog box to specify whether or not the
members of a selected virtual machine DRS group can run on the members of a specific host DRS group.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Create the virtual machine and host DRS groups to which the VM-Host affinity rule applies.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the cluster in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the Cluster Settings dialog box under vSphere DRS, select Rules.

Click Add.

In the Rule dialog box, type a name for the rule.

From the Type menu, select Virtual Machines to Hosts.

Select the virtual machine DRS group and the host DRS group to which the rule applies.

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Select a specification for the rule.
n

Must run on hosts in group. Virtual machines in VM Group 1 must run on hosts in Host Group A.

Should run on hosts in group. Virtual machines in VM Group 1 should, but are not required, to
run on hosts in Host Group A.

Must not run on hosts in group. Virtual machines in VM Group 1 must never run on host in Host
Group A.

Should not run on hosts in group. Virtual machines in VM Group 1 should not, but might, run on
hosts in Host Group A.

Click OK.

Creating a Datastore Cluster
A datastore cluster is a collection of datastores with shared resources and a shared management interface.
Datastore clusters are to datastores what clusters are to hosts. When you create a datastore cluster, you can
use vSphere Storage DRS to manage storage resources.
NOTE Datastore clusters are referred to as storage pods in the vSphere API.
When you add a datastore to a datastore cluster, the datastore's resources become part of the datastore
cluster's resources. As with clusters of hosts, you use datastore clusters to aggregate storage resources,
which enables you to support resource allocation policies at the datastore cluster level. The following
resource management capabilities are also available per datastore cluster.
Space utilization load
balancing

You can set a threshold for space use. When space use on a datastore exceeds
the threshold, Storage DRS generates recommendations or performs Storage
vMotion migrations to balance space use across the datastore cluster.

I/O latency load
balancing

You can set an I/O latency threshold for bottleneck avoidance. When I/O
latency on a datastore exceeds the threshold, Storage DRS generates
recommendations or performs Storage vMotion migrations to help alleviate
high I/O load.

Anti-affinity rules

You can create anti-affinity rules for virtual machine disks. For example, the
virtual disks of a certain virtual machine must be kept on different
datastores. By default, all virtual disks for a virtual machine are placed on
the same datastore.

Create a Datastore Cluster
You can manage datastore cluster resources using Storage DRS.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

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In the Datastores and Datastore Clusters view of the vSphere Client inventory, right-click the
Datacenter object and select New Datastore Cluster.

Follow the prompts to complete the Create Datastore Cluster wizard.

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Enable and Disable Storage DRS
Storage DRS allows you to manage the aggregated resources of a datastore cluster. When Storage DRS is
enabled, it provides recommendations for virtual machine disk placement and migration to balance space
and I/O resources across the datastores in the datastore cluster.
When you enable Storage DRS, you enable the following functions.
Space load balancing among datastores within a datastore cluster.

n
n

I/O load balancing among datastores within a datastore cluster.

Initial placement for virtual disks based on space and I/O workload.

The Enable Storage DRS check box in the Datastore Cluster Settings dialog box enables or disables all of
these components at once. If necessary, you can disable I/O-related functions of Storage DRS independently
of space balancing functions.
When you disable Storage DRS on a datastore cluster, Storage DRS settings are preserved. When you enable
Storage DRS, the settings for the datastore cluster are restored to the point where Storage DRS was disabled.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

Click General.

Select Turn on Storage DRS and click OK.

(Optional) To disable only I/O-related functions of Storage DRS, leaving space-related controls enabled,
perform the following steps.

Select SDRS Runtime Rules.

Deselect the Enable I/O metric for Storage DRS check box.

Click OK.

Set the Automation Level for Datastore Clusters
The automation level for a datastore cluster specifies whether or not placement and migration
recommendations from Storage DRS are applied automatically.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

Select SDRS Automation.

Select an automation level.
Manual is the default automation level.

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Option

Description

No Automation (Manual Mode)

Placement and migration recommendations are displayed, but do not run
until you manually apply the recommendation.

Fully Automated

Placement and migration recommendations run automatically.

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Click OK.

Set Storage DRS Runtime Rules
Set Storage DRS triggers and configure advanced options for the datastore cluster.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

(Optional) Select or deselect the Enable I/O metric for SDRS recommendations check box to enable or
disable I/O metric inclusion.
When you disable this option, vCenter Server does not consider I/O metrics when making Storage DRS
recommendations. When you disable this option, you disable the following elements of Storage DRS:

I/O load balancing among datastores within a datastore cluster.

Initial placement for virtual disks based on I/O workload. Initial placement is based on space only.

(Optional) Set Storage DRS thresholds.
You set the aggressiveness level of Storage DRS by specifying thresholds for used space and I/O
latency.
n

Use the Utilized Space slider to indicate the maximum percentage of consumed space allowed
before Storage DRS is triggered. Storage DRS makes recommendations and performs migrations
when space use on the datastores is higher than the threshold.

Use the I/O Latency slider to indicate the maximum I/O latency allowed before Storage DRS is
triggered. Storage DRS makes recommendations and performs migrations when latency is higher
than the threshold.
NOTE The Storage DRS I/O Latency threshold for the datastore cluster should be lower than or
equal to the Storage I/O Control congestion threshold.

(Optional) Configure advanced options.
n

No recommendations until utilization difference between source and destination is: Use the slider
to specify the space utilization difference threshold. Utilization is usage * 100/capacity.
This threshold ensures that there is some minimum difference between the space utilization of the
source and the destination. For example, if the space used on datastore A is 82% and datastore B is
79%, the difference is 3. If the threshold is 5, Storage DRS will not make migration
recommendations from datastore A to datastore B.

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Evaluate I/O load every: Specify how often Storage DRS should assess space and I/O load
balancing.

I/O imbalance threshold: Use the slider to indicate the aggressiveness of I/O load balancing.
Lowering this value makes I/O load balancing less aggressive. Storage DRS computes an I/O
fairness metric between 0 and 1, which 1 being the fairest distribution. I/O load balancing runs only
if the computed metric is less than 1 - (I/O imbalance threshold / 100).

Click Next.

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Adding and Removing Datastores from a Datastore Cluster
You add and remove datastores to and from an existing datastore cluster by dragging them in the vSphere
Client inventory.
You can add to a datastore cluster any datastore that is mounted on a host in the vSphere Client inventory,
with the following exceptions:
n

All hosts attached to the datastore must be ESXi 5.0 and later.

The datastore cannot be in more than one datacenter in the same instance of the vSphere Client.

When you remove a datastore from a datastore cluster, the datastore remains in the vSphere Client
inventory and is not unmounted from the host.

Using Datastore Clusters to Manage Storage Resources
After you create a datastore cluster, you can customize it and use it to manage storage I/O and space
utilization resources.

Using Storage DRS Maintenance Mode
You place a datastore in maintenance mode when you need to take it out of use to service it. A datastore
enters or leaves maintenance mode only as the result of a user request.
Maintenance mode is available to datastores within a Storage DRS-enabled datastore cluster. Standalone
datastores cannot be placed in maintenance mode.
Virtual disks that are located on a datastore that is entering maintenance mode must be migrated to another
datastore, either manually or using Storage DRS. When you attempt to put a datastore in maintenance
mode, the Placement Recommendations tab displays a list of migration recommendations, datastores
within the same datastore cluster where virtual disks can be migrated. On the Faults tab, vCenter Server
displays a list of the disks that cannot be migrated and the reasons why. If Storage DRS affinity or antiaffinity rules prevent disks from being migrated, you can choose to enable the Ignore Affinity Rules for
Maintenance option.
The datastore is in a state of Entering Maintenance Mode until all virtual disks have been migrated.

Place a Datastore in Maintenance Mode
If you need to take a datastore out of service, you can place the datastore in Storage DRS maintenance mode.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Storage DRS is enabled on the datastore cluster that contains the datastore that is entering maintenance
mode.
No CD-ROM image files are stored on the datastore.
There are at least two datastores in the datastore cluster.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore in a datastore cluster and select Enter SDRS
Maintenance Mode.
A list of recommendations appears for datastore maintenance mode migration.

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(Optional) On the Placement Recommendations tab, deselect any recommendations you do not want to
apply.
NOTE The datastore cannot enter maintenance mode without evacuating all disks. If you deselect
recommendations, you must manually move the affected virtual machines.

If necessary, click Apply Recommendations.
vCenter Server uses Storage vMotion to migrate the virtual disks from the source datastore to the
destination datastore and the datastore enters maintenance mode.

The datastore icon might not be immediately updated to reflect the datastore's current state. To update the
icon immediately, click Refresh.

Ignore Storage DRS Affinity Rules for Maintenance Mode
Storage DRS affinity or anti-affinity rules might prevent a datastore from entering maintenance mode. You
can ignore these rules when you put a datastore in maintenance mode.
When you enable the Ignore Affinity Rules for Maintenance option for a datastore cluster, vCenter Server
ignores Storage DRS affinity and anti-affinity rules that prevent a datastore from entering maintenance
mode.
Storage DRS rules are ignored only for evacuation recommendations. vCenter Server does not violate the
rules when making space and load balancing recommendations or initial placement recommendations.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the right pane of the Edit Datastore Cluster dialog box, select SDRS Automation.

Click Advanced Options.

Select IgnoreAffinityRulesForMaintenance.

In the Value column, type 1 to enable the option.
Type 0 to disable the option.

Click OK.

The Ignore Affinity Rules for Maintenance Mode option is applied to the datastore cluster.

Applying Storage DRS Recommendations
Storage DRS collects resource usage information for all datastores in a datastore cluster. Storage DRS uses
the information to generate recommendations for virtual machine disk placement on datastores in a
datastore cluster.
Storage DRS recommendations appear on the Storage DRS tab in the vSphere Client datastore view.
Recommendations also appear when you attempt to put a datastore into Storage DRS maintenance mode.
When you apply Storage DRS recommendations, vCenter Server uses Storage vMotion to migrate virtual
machine disks to other datastores in the datastore cluster to balance the resources.
You can apply a subset of the recommendations by selecting the Override Suggested DRS
Recommendations check box and selecting each recommendation to apply.

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Table 25‑2. Storage DRS Recommendations
Label

Description

Priority

Priority level (1-5) of the recommendation. (Hidden by
default.)

Recommendation

Action being recommended by Storage DRS.

Reason

Why the action is needed.

Space Utilization % Before (source) and (destination)

Percentage of space used on the source and destination
datastores before migration.

Space Utilization % After (source) and (destination)

Percentage of space used on the source and destination
datastores after migration.

I/O Latency Before (source)

Value of I/O latency on the source datastore before
migration.

I/O Latency Before (destination)

Value of I/O latency on the destination datastore before
migration.

Refresh Storage DRS Recommendations
Storage DRS migration recommendations appear on the Storage DRS tab in the vSphere Client. You can
refresh these recommendations by running Storage DRS.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
At least one datastore cluster must exist in the vSphere Client inventory.
Enable Storage DRS for the datastore cluster. The Storage DRS tab appears only if Storage DRS is enabled.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client datastore view, select the datastore cluster and click the Storage DRS tab.

Select the Recommendations view and click the Run Storage DRS link in the upper right corner.

The recommendations are updated. The Last Updated timestamp displays the time when Storage DRS
recommendations were refreshed.

Change Storage DRS Automation Level for a Virtual Machine
You can override the datastore cluster-wide automation level for individual virtual machines. You can also
override default virtual disk affinity rules.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

Select Virtual Machine Settings.

Select a virtual machine.

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In the Automation Level column, select an automation level for the virtual machine.
Option

Description

Default (Manual)

Placement and migration recommendations are displayed, but do not run
until you manually apply the recommendation.

Fully Automated

Placement and migration recommendations run automatically.

Disabled

vCenter Server does not migrate the virtual machine or provide migration
recommendations for it.

In the Keep VMDKs together column, deselect the check box to override default VMDK affinity.
See “Override VMDK Affinity Rules,” on page 377.

Click OK.

Set Up Off-Hours Scheduling for Storage DRS
You can create a scheduled task to change Storage DRS settings for a datastore cluster so that migrations for
fully automated datastore clusters are more likely to occur during off-peak hours.
You can create a scheduled task to change the automation level and aggressiveness level for a datastore
cluster. For example, you might configure Storage DRS to run less aggressively during peak hours, when
performance is a priority, to minimize the occurrence of storage migrations. During non-peak hours, Storage
DRS can run in a more aggressive mode and be invoked more frequently.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Enable Storage DRS.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the Edit Datastore Cluster dialog box, click SDRS Scheduling.

Click Add.

Type the time and select the days for the task to run.

Click Next.

Specify the start settings for the task.
a

Type a description for the start settings.
For example, Change SDRS Configuration.

Select an automation level.

To disable I/O metrics for Storage DRS recommendations, select the check box.
When you disable I/O metrics for Storage DRS recommendations, I/O metrics are not considered as
part of Storage DRS recommendations or automated migrations for the datastore cluster.

Set the Utilized Space threshold.
Use the Utilized Space slider to indicate the maximum percentage of consumed space allowed
before Storage DRS is triggered. Storage DRS makes recommendations and performs migrations
when space use on the datastores is higher than the threshold.

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Set the I/O latency threshold.
Use the I/O Latency slider to indicate the maximum I/O latency allowed before Storage DRS is
triggered. Storage DRS makes recommendations and performs migrations when latency is higher
than the threshold.
NOTE The Storage DRS I/O Latency threshold for the datastore cluster should be lower than or
equal to the Storage I/O Control congestion threshold.

Set the I/O imbalance threshold.
Use the I/O Imbalance Threshold slider to indicate the aggressiveness of I/O load balancing.
Storage DRS makes recommendations and performs migrations if the I/O load imbalance level
exceeds the threshold.

Click Next.

Specify the end settings for the task.

To restore the Storage DRS settings to the pre-task configuration, select the Restore settings check
box.

To specify settings other than the pre-task configuration, deselect the Restore settings check box.

Review the Ready to Complete page and click Finish.

The scheduled task runs at the specified time.

Storage DRS Anti-Affinity Rules
You can create Storage DRS anti-affinity rules to control which virtual disks should not be placed on the
same datastore within a datastore cluster. By default, a virtual machine's virtual disks are kept together on
the same datastore.
When you create an anti-affinity rule, it applies to the relevant virtual disks in the datastore cluster. Antiaffinity rules are enforced during initial placement and Storage DRS-recommendation migrations, but are
not enforced when a migration is initiated by a user.
NOTE Anti-affinity rules do not apply to CD-ROM ISO image files that are stored on a datastore in a
datastore cluster, nor do they apply to swapfiles that are stored in user-defined locations.
Inter-VM Anti-Affinity
Rules

Specify which virtual machines should never be kept on the same datastore.
See “Create Inter-VM Anti-Affinity Rules,” on page 376.

Intra-VM Anti-Affinity
Rules

Specify which virtual disks associated with a particular virtual machine must
be kept on different datastores. See “Create Intra-VM Anti-Affinity Rules,”
on page 377.

If you move a virtual disk out of the datastore cluster, the affinity or anti-affinity rule no longer applies to
that disk.
When you move virtual disk files into a datastore cluster that has existing affinity and anti-affinity rules, the
following behavior applies:
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Datastore Cluster B has an intra-VM affinity rule. When you move a virtual disk out of Datastore
Cluster A and into Datastore Cluster B, any rule that applied to the virtual disk for a given virtual
machine in Datastore Cluster A no longer applies. The virtual disk is now subject to the intra-VM
affinity rule in Datastore Cluster B.

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Datastore Cluster B has an inter-VM anti-affinity rule. When you move a virtual disk out of Datastore
Cluster A and into Datastore Cluster B, any rule that applied to the virtual disk for a given virtual
machine in Datastore Cluster A no longer applies. The virtual disk is now subject to the inter-VM antiaffinity rule in Datastore Cluster B.

Datastore Cluster B has an intra-VM anti-affinity rule. When you move a virtual disk out of Datastore
Cluster A and into Datastore Cluster B, the intra-VM anti-affinity rule does not apply to the virtual disk
for a given virtual machine because the rule is limited to only specified virtual disks in Datastore
Cluster B.

NOTE Storage DRS rules might prevent a datastore from entering maintenance mode. You can choose to
ignore Storage DRS rules for maintenance mode by enabling the Ignore Affinity Rules for Maintenance
option.

Create Inter-VM Anti-Affinity Rules
You can create an anti-affinity rule to indicate that all virtual disks of certain virtual machines must be kept
on different datastores. The rule applies to individual datastore clusters.
Virtual machines that participate in an inter-VM anti-affinity rule in a datastore cluster must be associated
with an intra-VM affinity rule in the datastore cluster. The virtual machines must also comply with the
intra-VM affinity rule.
If a virtual machine is subject to an inter-VM anti-affinity rule, the following behavior applies:
n

Storage DRS places the virtual machine's virtual disks according to the rule.

Storage DRS migrates the virtual disks using vMotion according to the rule, even if the migration is for
a mandatory reason such as putting a datastore in maintenance mode.

If the virtual machine's virtual disk violates the rule, Storage DRS makes migration recommendations to
correct the error or reports the violation as a fault if it cannot make a recommendation that will correct
the error.

No inter-VM anti-affinity rules are defined by default.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

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In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the Edit Datastore Cluster dialog box, select Rules.

Click Add.

Type a name for the rule.

From the Type menu, select VM anti-affinity.

Click Add.

Click Select Virtual Machine.

Select at least two virtual machines and click OK.

Click OK to save the rule.

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Create Intra-VM Anti-Affinity Rules
You can create a VMDK anti-affinity rule for a virtual machine that indicates which of its virtual disks must
be kept on different datastores.
VMDK anti-affinity rules apply to the virtual machine for which the rule is defined, not to all virtual
machines. The rule is expressed as a list of virtual disks that are to be separated from one another.
If you attempt to set an intra-VM anti-affinity rule and an intra-VM affinity rule for a virtual machine,
vCenter Server rejects the most recently defined rule.
If a virtual machine is subject to a VMDK anti-affinity rule, the following behavior applies:
n

Storage DRS places the virtual machine's virtual disks according to the rule.

Storage DRS migrates the virtual disks using vMotion according to the rule, even if the migration is for
a mandatory reason such as putting a datastore in maintenance mode.

No intra-VM anti-affinity rules are defined by default.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the Edit Datastore Cluster dialog box, select Rules.

Click Add.

Type a name for the rule.

From the Type menu, select VMDK anti-affinity.

Click Add.

Click Select Virtual Machine.

Select a virtual machine and click OK.

Select at least two virtual disks to which the rule applies and click OK.

Click OK to save the rule.

Override VMDK Affinity Rules
VMDK affinity rules indicate that all virtual disks in a datastore cluster that are associated with a particular
virtual machine are located on the same datastore in the datastore cluster. The rules apply to individual
datastore clusters.
VMDK affinity rules are enabled by default for all virtual machines that are in a datastore cluster. You can
override the default setting for the datastore cluster or for individual virtual machines.
Virtual machines that are subject to VMDK affinity rules have the following behavior:
n

Storage DRS places the virtual machine's virtual disks according to the rule.

Storage DRS migrates the virtual disks using vMotion according to the rule, even if the migration is for
a mandatory reason such as putting a datastore in maintenance mode.

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When you add a datastore to a datastore cluster that is enabled for Storage DRS, the VMDK affinity rule is
disabled for any virtual machine that has virtual disks on that datastore if it also has virtual disks on other
datastores.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client inventory, right-click a datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

Click Virtual Machine Settings.

Deselect the Keep VMDKs together check box for the virtual machine.

Click OK.

Clear Storage DRS Statistics
To diagnose problems with Storage DRS, you can clear Storage DRS statistics before you manually run
Storage DRS.
IMPORTANT When you enable the option to clear Storage DRS statistics, statistics are cleared every time
Storage DRS runs until you disable the option. Always disable the option after you diagnose the Storage
DRS problem.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Enable Storage DRS for the datastore cluster.
Procedure
1

Enable the ClearIoStatsOnSdrsRun option.
a

In the vSphere Client, right-click the datastore cluster and select Edit Settings.

Select SDRS Automation Level and click Advanced Options.

In the Option text box, type ClearIoStatsOnSdrsRun.

In the corresponding Value text box, type 1.

Click OK, then click OK again to dismiss the settings dialog box.

In the vSphere Client inventory, select a datastore cluster.

Click the Storage DRS tab and select Run DRS in the upper right corner of the page.
The current Storage DRS statistics for all datastores and virtual disks in all datastore clusters in the
vSphere Client inventory are cleared, but no new statistics are collected.

Change the ClearIoStatsOnSdrsRun flag value to 0 to disable it.

Run Storage DRS again.
Storage DRS runs normally. Allow several hours for the new setting to take effect.

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Using NUMA Systems with ESXi
ESXi supports memory access optimization for Intel and AMD Opteron processors in server architectures
that support NUMA (non-uniform memory access).
After you understand how ESXi NUMA scheduling is performed and how the VMware NUMA algorithms
work, you can specify NUMA controls to optimize the performance of your virtual machines.

Change the Number of Virtual CPUs
You can configure a virtual machine that runs on an ESXi host to have up to 64 virtual CPUs.
IMPORTANT When you configure your virtual machine for multicore virtual CPU settings, you must ensure
that your configuration complies with the requirements of the guest operating system EULA.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the virtual machine in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

Click the Hardware tab and select CPUs.

Select a value from the Number of virtual sockets drop-down menu.

Select a value from the Number of cores per socket drop-down menu.
The resulting total number of cores is a number equal to or less than the number of logical CPUs on the
host.

Click OK.

Associate Virtual Machines with Specific Processors
You might be able to improve the performance of the applications on a virtual machine by pinning its
virtual CPUs to fixed processors. This allows you to prevent the virtual CPUs from migrating across NUMA
nodes.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the virtual machine in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

Select the Resources tab, and select Advanced CPU.

In the Scheduling Affinity panel, set the CPU affinity to the preferred processors.
NOTE You must manually select the boxes for all processors in the NUMA node. CPU affinity is
specified on a per-processor, not on a per-node, basis.

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Associate Memory Allocations with Specific NUMA Nodes Using Memory
Affinity
You can specify that all future memory allocations on a virtual machine use pages associated with specific
NUMA nodes (also known as manual memory affinity).
NOTE Specify nodes to be used for future memory allocations only if you have also specified CPU affinity.
If you make manual changes only to the memory affinity settings, automatic NUMA rebalancing does not
work properly.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the virtual machine in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

Select the Resources tab, and select Memory.

In the NUMA Memory Affinity panel, set memory affinity.

Example: Binding a Virtual Machine to a Single NUMA Node
The following example illustrates manually binding the last four physical CPUs to a single NUMA node for
a two-way virtual machine on an eight-way server.
The CPUs (for example, 4, 5, 6, and 7) are the physical CPU numbers.
1

In the vSphere Client inventory panel, select the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Select Options and click Advanced.

Click the Configuration Parameters button.

In the vSphere Client, turn on CPU affinity for processors 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Then, you want this virtual machine to run only on node 1.
1

In the vSphere Client inventory panel, select the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.

Select Options and click Advanced.

Click the Configuration Parameters button.

In the vSphere Client, set memory affinity for the NUMA node to 1.

Completing these two tasks ensures that the virtual machine runs only on NUMA node 1 and, when
possible, allocates memory from the same node.

Associate Virtual Machines with Specified NUMA Nodes
When you associate a NUMA node with a virtual machine to specify NUMA node affinity, you constrain
the set of NUMA nodes on which NUMA can schedule a virtual machine's virtual CPU and memory.
NOTE When you constrain NUMA node affinities, you might interfere with the ability of the ESXi NUMA
scheduler to rebalance virtual machines across NUMA nodes for fairness. Specify NUMA node affinity only
after you consider the rebalancing issues.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, right-click the virtual machine in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

Click the Options tab.

Select Advanced > General.

Click Configuration Parameters.

Click Add Row to add a new option.

In the Name column, enter numa.nodeAffinity.

In the Value column, enter the NUMA nodes where the virtual machine can be scheduled.
Use a comma-separated list for multiple nodes. For example, enter 0,1 to constrain the virtual machine
resource scheduling to NUMA nodes 0 and 1.

Click OK.

Click OK to close the Virtual Machine Properties dialog box.

Advanced Attributes
You can set advanced attributes for hosts or individual virtual machines to help you customize resource
management.
In most cases, adjusting the basic resource allocation settings (reservation, limit, shares) or accepting default
settings results in appropriate resource allocation. However, you can use advanced attributes to customize
resource management for a host or a specific virtual machine.

Set Advanced Host Attributes
You can set advanced attributes for a host.
CAUTION Changing advanced options is considered unsupported unless VMware technical support or a KB
article instruct you to do so. In all other cases, changing these options is considered unsupported. In most
cases, the default settings produce the optimum result.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the host in the inventory.

Click the Configuration tab.

Under Software, click Advanced Settings.

In the Advanced Settings dialog box, select the appropriate item (for example, CPU or Mem).

Locate the attribute in the right panel and edit the value.

Click OK.

Set Advanced Virtual Machine Attributes
You can set advanced attributes for a virtual machine.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure

382

In the vSphere Client, right-click the virtual machine in the inventory and select Edit Settings.

Click Options and click Advanced > General.

Click Configuration Parameters.

In the dialog box that appears, click Add Row to enter a new parameter and its value.

Click OK.

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Creating and Using vSphere HA
Clusters

vSphere HA clusters enable a collection of ESXi hosts to work together so that, as a group, they provide
higher levels of availability for virtual machines than each ESXi host can provide individually. When you
plan the creation and usage of a new vSphere HA cluster, the options you select affect the way that cluster
responds to failures of hosts or virtual machines.
Before you create a vSphere HA cluster, you should know how vSphere HA identifies host failures and
isolation and how it responds to these situations. You also should know how admission control works so
that you can choose the policy that fits your failover needs. After you establish a cluster, you can customize
its behavior with advanced options and optimize its performance by following recommended best practices.
NOTE You might get an error message when you try to use vSphere HA. For information about error
messages related to vSphere HA, see the VMware knowledge base article at
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1033634.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“vSphere HA Checklist,” on page 383

“Creating and Configuring a vSphere HA Cluster,” on page 384

“Customize an Individual Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client,” on page 389

vSphere HA Checklist
The vSphere HA checklist contains requirements that you must be aware of before creating and using a
vSphere HA cluster.
Review this list before you set up a vSphere HA cluster. For more information, follow the appropriate cross
reference.
n

All hosts must be licensed for vSphere HA.

A cluster must contain at least two hosts.

All hosts must be configured with static IP addresses. If you are using DHCP, you must ensure that the
address for each host persists across reboots.

All hosts must have at least one management network in common. The best practice is to have at least
two management networks in common. You should use the VMkernel network with the Management
traffic checkbox enabled. The networks must be accessible to each other and vCenter Server and the
hosts must be accessible to each other on the management networks. See the vSphere Availability
publication for best practices.

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To ensure that any virtual machine can run on any host in the cluster, all hosts must have access to the
same virtual machine networks and datastores. Similarly, virtual machines must be located on shared,
not local, storage otherwise they cannot be failed over in the case of a host failure.
NOTE vSphere HA uses datastore heartbeating to distinguish between partitioned, isolated, and failed
hosts. So if some datastores are more reliable in your environment, configure vSphere HA to give
preference to them.

For VM Monitoring to work, VMware tools must be installed. See the vSphere Availability publication for
more information on VM and application monitoring.

vSphere HA supports both IPv4 and IPv6. See the vSphere Availability publication for more information
on vSphere HA interoperability.

For VM Component Protection to work, hosts must have the All Paths Down (APD) Timeout feature
enabled.

To use VM Component Protection, clusters must contain ESXi 6.0 hosts or later.

Only vSphere HA clusters that contain ESXi 6.0 or later hosts can be used to enable VMCP. Clusters that
contain hosts from an earlier release cannot enable VMCP, and such hosts cannot be added to a VMCPenabled cluster.

If your cluster uses Virtual Volume (vVol) datastores, when vSphere HA is enabled a configuration
vVol is created on each vVol datastore by vCenter Server. In these containers, vSphere HA stores the
files it uses to protect virtual machines. vSphere HA does not function correctly if you delete these
containers. Only one container is created per vVol datastore.

Creating and Configuring a vSphere HA Cluster
vSphere HA operates in the context of a cluster of ESXi (or legacy ESX) hosts. You must create a cluster,
populate it with hosts, and configure vSphere HA settings before failover protection can be established.
When you create a vSphere HA cluster, you must configure a number of settings that determine how the
feature works. Before you do this, identify your cluster's nodes. These nodes are the ESXi hosts that will
provide the resources to support virtual machines and that vSphere HA will use for failover protection. You
should then determine how those nodes are to be connected to one another and to the shared storage where
your virtual machine data resides. After that networking architecture is in place, you can add the hosts to
the cluster and finish configuring vSphere HA.
You can enable and configure vSphere HA before you add host nodes to the cluster. However, until the
hosts are added, your cluster is not fully operational and some of the cluster settings are unavailable. For
example, the Specify a Failover Host admission control policy is unavailable until there is a host that can be
designated as the failover host.
NOTE The Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown (automatic startup) feature is disabled for all virtual
machines residing on hosts that are in (or moved into) a vSphere HA cluster. Automatic startup is not
supported when used with vSphere HA.

Create a vSphere HA Cluster in the vSphere Client
To enable your cluster for vSphere HA, first create an empty cluster. After you have planned the resources
and networking architecture of your cluster, you can use the vSphere Client to add hosts to the cluster and
specify the cluster's vSphere HA settings.
Open a vSphere Client connection to a to vCenter Server using an account with cluster administrator
permissions.

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Prerequisites
Verify that all virtual machines and their configuration files reside on shared storage. Verify that the hosts
are configured to access that shared storage so that you can power on the virtual machines using different
hosts in the cluster,
Verify that hosts are configured to have access to the virtual machine network.
NOTE Use redundant management network connections for vSphere HA. For information about network
redundancy best practices, see the vSphere Availability publication. You should also configure hosts with at
least two datastores to provide redundancy for vSphere HA datastore heartbeating.
Procedure
1

Select the Hosts & Clusters view.

Right-click the Datacenter in the Inventory tree and click New Cluster.

Complete the New Cluster wizard.
Do not enable vSphere HA (or DRS) at this time.

Click Finish to close the wizard and create the cluster.
You have created an empty cluster.

Based on your plan for the resources and networking architecture of the cluster, use the vSphere Client
to add hosts to the cluster.

Right-click the cluster and click Edit Settings.
The cluster's Settings dialog box is where you can modify the vSphere HA (and other) settings for the
cluster.

On the Cluster Features page, select Turn On vSphere HA.

Configure the vSphere HA settings as appropriate for your cluster.

Host Monitoring Status

Admission Control

Virtual Machine Options

VM Monitoring

Datastore Heartbeating

Click OK to close the cluster's Settings dialog box.

You have a configured vSphere HA cluster, populated with hosts, available. For information about
configuring the cluster settings, see “Configuring vSphere HA Cluster Settings in the vSphere Client,” on
page 386.
NOTE A vSphere HA-enabled cluster is a prerequisite for Fault Tolerance.

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Configuring vSphere HA Cluster Settings in the vSphere Client
When you create a vSphere HA cluster or configure an existing cluster, you must configure settings that
determine how the feature works.
In the vSphere Client, you can configure the following vSphere HA settings:
Host Monitoring

Enable host monitoring to allow hosts in the cluster to exchange network
heartbeats and to allow vSphere HA to take action when it detects failures.
NOTE Host Monitoring is required for the vSphere Fault Tolerance recovery
process to work properly.

Admission Control

Enable or disable admission control for the vSphere HA cluster and choose a
policy for how it is enforced.

Virtual Machine Options

Set the VM restart priority and host isolation response.

VM Monitoring

Enable VM Monitoring or VM and Application Monitoring.

Datastore Heartbeating

Specify preferences for the datastores that vSphere HA uses for datastore
heartbeating.

Configure Host Monitoring and Admission Control
After you create a cluster, Host Monitoring enables the vSphere HA master host to respond to host or
virtual machine failures and management network isolation. Admission control allows you to specify
whether virtual machines can be started if they violate availability constraints. The cluster reserves
resources to allow failover for all running virtual machines on the specified number of hosts.
The Host Monitoring and Admission Control page appears only if you enabled vSphere HA.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, display the cluster in the inventory.

Right-click the cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the Cluster Settings dialog box, select vSphere HA.

(Optional) Select Enable Host Monitoring.

Select an Admission Control option.
n

Enable: Disallow VM power on operations that violate availability constraints.
Enabling admission control enforces availability constraints and preserves failover capacity. Any
operation on a virtual machine that decreases the unreserved resources in the cluster and violates
availability constraints is not permitted.

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Disable: Allow VM power on operations that violate availability constraints.

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Disabling admission control allows a virtual machine to be powered on even if it causes insufficient
failover capacity. When this happens, no warnings are presented, and the cluster does not turn red.
If a cluster has insufficient failover capacity, vSphere HA can still perform failovers and it uses the
VM Restart Priority setting to determine which virtual machines to power on first.
NOTE Select this option to power on more virtual machines than the vSphere HA failover level can
support. If you select this option, failover is no longer guaranteed.
6

Select an admission control policy to apply to the cluster.
Option

Description

Host failures the cluster tolerates

Select the maximum number of host failures that you can recover from or
to guarantee failover for.

Percentage of cluster resources
reserved as failover spare capacity

Specify a percentage of the cluster’s CPU and Memory resources to reserve
as spare capacity to support failovers.

Specify failover hosts

Click to select hosts to use for failover actions. Failovers can still occur to
other hosts in the cluster if a default failover host does not have enough
resources.

(Optional) Select Advanced Options to configure automation mode options.
Change these settings only when instructed to do so by VMware technical support or when you are
following specific instructions in VMware documentation.

Click OK.

Specify Failover Hosts
When you select the Specify Failover Hosts admission control policy, you must also designate which hosts
are to be used for this function.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Open the Specify Failover Hosts dialog box from the vSphere HA screen of the Cluster Settings dialog
box of the vSphere Client.

In the Available Hosts pane, select an available host to designate as a failover host.

Click the >> button to move the host name to the Failover Hosts pane.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each host you want to designate as a failover host.

To remove a host from the failover hosts list, select the name of that host in the Failover Hosts pane.

Click the << button to move the host name to the Available Hosts pane.

You can use the hosts designated as failover hosts to support the vSphere HA admission control process.

Set Virtual Machine Options
If you have enabled vSphere HA for a cluster, you can set the restart priority and host isolation response for
virtual machines in the cluster.
The Virtual Machine Options page appears only if you enabled vSphere HA.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

Select the VM restart priority for virtual machines in the cluster.
The restart priority determines the order in which virtual machines are restarted when the host fails.
Higher priority virtual machines are started first. This priority applies only on a per-host basis. If
multiple hosts fail, all virtual machines are migrated from the first host in order of priority, then all
virtual machines from the second host in order of priority, and so on.

Select the Host isolation response.
The host isolation response determines what happens when a host in a vSphere HA cluster loses its
console network connection but continues running.

Click Next.

Your virtual machine restart priority and host isolation response settings now take effect.

Configure VM and Application Monitoring
The Virtual Machine Monitoring feature uses the heartbeat information that VMware Tools captures as a
proxy for guest operating system availability. This allows vSphere HA automatically to reset or restart
individual virtual machines that have lost their ability to heartbeat.
The VM Monitoring page appears only if you enabled vSphere HA.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

(Optional) Select VM Monitoring Only to restart individual virtual machines if their heartbeats are not
received within a set time. You can select VM and Application Monitoring if you also want to enable
application monitoring.

Set the virtual machine monitoring sensitivity by moving the slider between Low and High. Select
Custom to provide custom settings.

Click Next.

Configure Datastore Heartbeating
vSphere HA uses datastore heartbeating to distinguish between hosts that have failed and hosts that reside
on a network partition. Datastore heartbeating allows vSphere HA to monitor hosts when a management
network partition occurs and to continue to respond to failures that occur.
Use the Configure Datastore Heartbeating dialog box to specify the datastores that you want to be used for
this purpose.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure

388

In the vSphere Client, display the cluster in the inventory.

Right-click the cluster and select Edit Settings.

In the left pane of the Cluster Settings dialog box, select Datastore Heartbeating.

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To instruct vSphere HA about how to select the datastores and how to treat your preferences, choose
from the following options:
Table 26‑1.
Datastore Heartbeating Options
Select only from my preferred datastores
Select any of the cluster datastores
Select any of the cluster datastores taking into account my preferences

In the Datastores Available for Heartbeating pane, select the datastores that you want to use for
heartbeating.
The datastores listed are those shared by more than one host in the vSphere HA cluster. When a
datastore is selected, the lower pane displays all the hosts in the vSphere HA cluster that can access it.

Click OK.

Customize an Individual Virtual Machine in the vSphere Client
Each virtual machine in a vSphere HA cluster is assigned the cluster default settings for VM Restart Priority,
Host Isolation Response, and VM Monitoring. You can specify specific behavior for each virtual machine by
changing these defaults. If the virtual machine leaves the cluster, these settings are lost.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the cluster and select Edit Settings from the right-click menu.

Select Virtual Machine Options under vSphere HA.

In the Virtual Machine Settings pane, select a virtual machine and customize its VM Restart Priority or
Host Isolation Response setting.

Select VM Monitoring under vSphere HA.

In the Virtual Machine Settings pane, select a virtual machine and customize its VM Monitoring
setting.

Click OK.

The virtual machine’s behavior now differs from the cluster defaults for each setting you changed.

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Providing Fault Tolerance for Virtual
Machines

You can utilize vSphere Fault Tolerance for your virtual machines to ensure business continuity with higher
levels of availability and data protection than is offered by vSphere HA.
Fault Tolerance is built on the ESXi host platform, and it provides continuous availability by having
identical virtual machines run on separate hosts.
To obtain the optimal results from Fault Tolerance you should be familiar with how it works, how to enable
it for your cluster and virtual machines, and the best practices for its usage.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“Fault Tolerance Use Cases,” on page 391

“Fault Tolerance Checklist,” on page 392

“Preparing Your Cluster and Hosts for Fault Tolerance,” on page 393

“Using Fault Tolerance,” on page 396

“Viewing Information About Fault Tolerant Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client,” on page 398

“Best Practices for Fault Tolerance,” on page 400

Fault Tolerance Use Cases
Several typical situations can benefit from the use of vSphere Fault Tolerance.
Fault Tolerance provides a higher level of business continuity than vSphere HA. When a Secondary VM is
called upon to replace its Primary VM counterpart, the Secondary VM immediately takes over the Primary
VM’s role with the entire state of the virtual machine preserved. Applications are already running, and data
stored in memory does not need to be re-entered or reloaded. This differs from a failover provided by
vSphere HA, which restarts the virtual machines affected by a failure.
This higher level of continuity and the added protection of state information and data informs the scenarios
when you might want to deploy Fault Tolerance.
n

Applications that need to be available at all times, especially those that have long-lasting client
connections that users want to maintain during hardware failure.

Custom applications that have no other way of doing clustering.

Cases where high availability might be provided through custom clustering solutions, which are too
complicated to configure and maintain.

Another key use case for protecting a virtual machine with Fault Tolerance can be described as On-Demand
Fault Tolerance. In this case, a virtual machine is adequately protected with vSphere HA during normal
operation. During certain critical periods, you might want to enhance the protection of the virtual machine.
For example, you might be executing a quarter-end report which, if interrupted, might delay the availability

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of mission critical information. With vSphere Fault Tolerance, you can protect this virtual machine prior to
running this report and then turn off or suspend Fault Tolerance after the report has been produced. You
can use On-Demand Fault Tolerance to protect the virtual machine during a critical time period and return
the resources to normal during non-critical operation.

Fault Tolerance Checklist
The following checklist contains cluster, host, and virtual machine requirements that you need to be aware
of before using vSphere Fault Tolerance.
Review this list before setting up Fault Tolerance.
NOTE The failover of fault tolerant virtual machines is independent of vCenter Server, but you must use
vCenter Server to set up your Fault Tolerance clusters.

Cluster Requirements for Fault Tolerance
You must meet the following cluster requirements before you use Fault Tolerance.
n

Fault Tolerance logging and VMotion networking configured. See “Configure Networking for Host
Machines in the vSphere Client,” on page 393.

vSphere HA cluster created and enabled. See “Creating and Configuring a vSphere HA Cluster,” on
page 384. vSphere HA must be enabled before you can power on fault tolerant virtual machines or add
a host to a cluster that already supports fault tolerant virtual machines.

Host Requirements for Fault Tolerance
You must meet the following host requirements before you use Fault Tolerance.
n

Hosts must use supported processors.

Hosts must be licensed for Fault Tolerance.

Hosts must be certified for Fault Tolerance. See
http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php and select Search by Fault Tolerant
Compatible Sets to determine if your hosts are certified.

The configuration for each host must have Hardware Virtualization (HV) enabled in the BIOS.

NOTE VMware recommends that the hosts you use to support FT VMs have their BIOS power management
settings turned to "Maximum performance" or "OS-managed performance".
To confirm the compatibility of the hosts in the cluster to support Fault Tolerance, you can also run profile
compliance checks as described in “Create Cluster and Check Compliance in the vSphere Client,” on
page 395.

Virtual Machine Requirements for Fault Tolerance
You must meet the following virtual machine requirements before you use Fault Tolerance.

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No unsupported devices attached to the virtual machine. See the vSphere Availability publication for
more information on Fault Tolerance Interoperability.

Incompatible features must not be running with the fault tolerant virtual machines. See the vSphere
Availability publication for more information on Fault Tolerance Interoperability.

Virtual machine files must be stored on shared storage. Acceptable shared storage solutions include
Fibre Channel, (hardware and software) iSCSI, NFS, and NAS.

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Other Configuration Recommendations
You should also observe the following guidelines when configuring Fault Tolerance.
n

If you are using NFS to access shared storage, use dedicated NAS hardware with at least a 1Gbit NIC to
obtain the network performance required for Fault Tolerance to work properly.

The memory reservation of a fault tolerant virtual machine is set to the VM's memory size when Fault
Tolerance is turned on. Ensure that a resource pool containing fault tolerant VMs has memory resources
above the memory size of the virtual machines. Without this excess in the resource pool, there might
not be any memory available to use as overhead memory.

Use a maximum of 16 virtual disks per fault tolerant virtual machine.

To ensure redundancy and maximum Fault Tolerance protection, you should have a minimum of three
hosts in the cluster. In a failover situation, this provides a host that can accommodate the new
Secondary VM that is created.

Preparing Your Cluster and Hosts for Fault Tolerance
To enable vSphere Fault Tolerance for your cluster, you must meet the feature's prerequisites and you must
perform certain configuration steps on your hosts. After those steps are accomplished and your cluster has
been created, you can also check that your configuration complies with the requirements for enabling Fault
Tolerance.
The tasks you should complete before attempting to enable Fault Tolerance for your cluster include the
following:
n

Ensure that your cluster, hosts, and virtual machines meet the requirements outlined in the Fault
Tolerance checklist.

Configure networking for each host.

Create the vSphere HA cluster, add hosts, and check compliance.

After your cluster and hosts are prepared for Fault Tolerance, you are ready to turn on Fault Tolerance for
your virtual machines. See “Turn On Fault Tolerance for Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client,” on
page 396.

Configure Networking for Host Machines in the vSphere Client
On each host that you want to add to a vSphere HA cluster, you must configure two different networking
switches so that the host can also support vSphere Fault Tolerance.
To enable Fault Tolerance for a host, you must complete this procedure twice, once for each port group
option to ensure that sufficient bandwidth is available for Fault Tolerance logging. Select one option, finish
this procedure, and repeat the procedure a second time, selecting the other port group option.
Prerequisites
Multiple gigabit Network Interface Cards (NICs) are required. For each host supporting Fault Tolerance,
you need a minimum of two physical gigabit NICs. For example, you need one dedicated to Fault Tolerance
logging and one dedicated to vMotion. Use three or more NICs to ensure availability.
NOTE The vMotion and FT logging NICs must be on different subnets and IPv6 is not supported on the FT
logging NIC.
Procedure
1

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Click the Configuration tab.

Select Networking under Hardware, and click the Add Networking link.
The Add Network wizard appears.

Select VMkernel under Connection Types and click Next.

Select Create a virtual switch and click Next.

Provide a label for the switch.

Select either Use this port group for vMotion or Use this port group for Fault Tolerance logging and
click Next.

Provide an IP address and subnet mask and click Next.

Click Finish.

After you create both a vMotion and Fault Tolerance logging virtual switch, you can create other virtual
switches, as needed. You should then add the host to the cluster and complete any steps needed to turn on
Fault Tolerance.
What to do next
To confirm that you successfully enabled both vMotion and Fault Tolerance on the host, view its Summary
tab in the vSphere Client. In the General pane, the fields vMotion Enabled and Host Configured for FT
should show yes.
NOTE If you configure networking to support FT but subsequently disable the Fault Tolerance logging port,
pairs of fault tolerant virtual machines that are already powered on remain powered on. However, if a
failover situation occurs, when the Primary VM is replaced by its Secondary VM a new Secondary VM is not
started, causing the new Primary VM to run in a Not Protected state.

Fault Tolerance Host Networking Configuration Example
This example describes the host network configuration for Fault Tolerance in a typical deployment with
four 1GB NICs. This is one possible deployment that ensures adequate service to each of the traffic types
identified in the example and could be considered a best practice configuration.
Fault Tolerance provides full uptime during the course of a physical host failure due to power outage,
system panic, or similar reasons. Network or storage path failures or any other physical server components
that do not impact the host running state may not initiate a Fault Tolerance failover to the Secondary VM.
Therefore, customers are strongly encouraged to use appropriate redundancy (for example, NIC teaming) to
reduce that chance of losing virtual machine connectivity to infrastructure components like networks or
storage arrays.
NIC Teaming policies are configured on the vSwitch (vSS) Port Groups (or Distributed Virtual Port Groups
for vDS) and govern how the vSwitch will handle and distribute traffic over the physical NICs (vmnics)
from virtual machines and vmkernel ports. A unique Port Group is typically used for each traffic type with
each traffic type typically assigned to a different VLAN.
Figure 27-1 depicts the network configuration for a single ESXi host with four 1GB NICs supporting Fault
Tolerance. Other hosts in the FT cluster would be configured similarly.
This example uses four port groups configured as follows:

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VLAN A: Virtual Machine Network Port Group-active on vmnic2 (to physical switch #1); standby on
vmnic0 (to physical switch #2.)

VLAN B: Management Network Port Group-active on vmnic0 (to physical switch #2); standby on
vmnic2 (to physical switch #1.)

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VLAN C: vMotion Port Group-active on vmnic1 (to physical switch #2); standby on vmnic3 (to physical
switch #1.)

VLAN D: FT Logging Port Group-active on vmnic3 (to physical switch #1); standby on vmnic1 (to
physical switch #2.)

vMotion and FT Logging can share the same VLAN (configure the same VLAN number in both port
groups), but require their own unique IP addresses residing in different IP subnets. However, separate
VLANs might be preferred if Quality of Service (QoS) restrictions are in effect on the physical network with
VLAN based QoS. QoS is of particular use where competing traffic comes into play, for example, where
multiple physical switch hops are used or when a failover occurs and multiple traffic types compete for
network resources.
Figure 27‑1. Fault Tolerance Networking Configuration Example
FT
virtual
machine

virtual
machine

vMotion

management
network
vmkernel

VLAN
A

vmnic2

VLAN
B

vmnic0

vmnic3

VLAN
D

vmnic1

VLAN Trunks on uplinks
—Physical switch ports
configured as VLAN
trunks and carry VLANs
A, B, C, and D

port group teaming policy
active
standby

VLAN
C

vSwitch (vSS or vDS) in
Virtual Switch Trunking
(VST) Mode—VLAN tagged
frames passed on
uplinks to/from vmnics
physical
switch 1

physical
switch 2

Create Cluster and Check Compliance in the vSphere Client
vSphere Fault Tolerance is used in the context of a vSphere HA cluster. After you have configured
networking on each host, create the vSphere HA cluster and add the hosts to it. You can check to see if the
cluster is configured correctly and complies with the requirements for the successful enablement of Fault
Tolerance.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vCenter Server inventory, select the cluster and click the Profile Compliance tab.

Click Check Compliance Now to run the compliance tests.
To view the tests that are run, click Description.

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The results of the compliance test appear at the bottom of the screen. A host is labeled as either Compliant
or Noncompliant.

Using Fault Tolerance
After you have taken all of the required steps for enabling vSphere Fault Tolerance for your cluster, you can
use the feature by turning it on for individual virtual machines.
Before Fault Tolerance can be turned on, validation checks are performed on a virtual machine.
After these checks are passed and you turn on vSphere Fault Tolerance for a virtual machine, new options
are added to the Fault Tolerance section of its context menu. These include turning off or disabling Fault
Tolerance, migrating the Secondary VM, testing failover, and testing restart of the Secondary VM.

Turn On Fault Tolerance for Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client
You can turn on vSphere Fault Tolerance through the vSphere Client.
When Fault Tolerance is turned on, vCenter Server unsets the virtual machine's memory limit and sets the
memory reservation to the memory size of the virtual machine. While Fault Tolerance remains turned on,
you cannot change the memory reservation, size, limit, or shares. When Fault Tolerance is turned off, any
parameters that were changed are not reverted to their original values.
Prerequisites
Open a vSphere Client connection to a to vCenter Server using an account with cluster administrator
permissions.
Procedure
1

Select the Hosts & Clusters view.

Right-click a single virtual machine and select Fault Tolerance > Turn On Fault Tolerance.
If you select more than one virtual machine, the Fault Tolerance menu is disabled. You must turn Fault
Tolerance on for one virtual machine at a time.

The specified virtual machine is designated as a Primary VM and a Secondary VM is established on another
host. The Primary VM is now fault tolerant.

Setting Options for Fault Tolerant Virtual Machines in the vSphere Client
After you turn on vSphere Fault Tolerance for a virtual machine, new options are added to the Fault
Tolerance section of its context menu.
In the vSphere Client, there are options for turning off or disabling Fault Tolerance, migrating the secondary
virtual machine, testing failover, and testing restart of the secondary virtual machine.

Turn Off Fault Tolerance in the vSphere Client
Turning off vSphere Fault Tolerance deletes the secondary virtual machine, its configuration, and all history.
Use this option if you do not plan to reenable the feature. Otherwise, use the Disable Fault Tolerance
option.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
If the Secondary VM resides on a host that is in maintenance mode, disconnected, or not responding, you
cannot use the Turn Off Fault Tolerance option. In this case, you should disable and enable Fault Tolerance
instead.

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Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the Hosts & Clusters view.

Right-click the fault tolerant virtual machine and select Fault Tolerance > Turn Off Fault Tolerance.

Fault Tolerance is turned off for the selected virtual machine. Any history and the secondary virtual
machine for the selected virtual machine are deleted.

Disable Fault Tolerance in the vSphere Client
Disabling vSphere Fault Tolerance for a virtual machine suspends its Fault Tolerance protection, but
preserves the Secondary VM, its configuration, and all history. Use this option if you might need to reenable Fault Tolerance protection in the future.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the Hosts & Clusters view.

Right-click the fault tolerant virtual machine and select Fault Tolerance > Disable Fault Tolerance.

Fault Tolerance is disabled for the selected virtual machine. Any history and the Secondary VM for the
selected virtual machine are preserved and will be used if the feature is re-enabled.
What to do next
After you have disabled Fault Tolerance, the menu option becomes Enable Fault Tolerance. Select this to reenable the feature.

Migrate Secondary VM in the vSphere Client
After vSphere Fault Tolerance has been turned on for a Primary VM, you can change the host its associated
Secondary VM resides on by migrating it.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the Hosts & Clusters view.

Right-click the fault tolerant virtual machine and select Fault Tolerance > Migrate Secondary.
The Migrate Virtual Machine wizard opens with a Migration Type of Change Host selected.

Click Next.

Select the destination host that you want to migrate the Secondary VM to and click Next.

Select a migration priority and click Next.

Review your selections on the Summary page and click Finish.

The Secondary VM associated with the selected fault tolerant virtual machine is migrated to the specified
host. Note that the Primary VM can always be migrated using the Migrate command in its context menu.

Test Fault Tolerance Failover in the vSphere Client
You can induce a failover situation for a selected Primary VM to test your Fault Tolerance protection.
This option is unavailable (grayed out) if the virtual machine is powered off.

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Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the Hosts & Clusters view.

Right-click the fault tolerant virtual machine and select Fault Tolerance > Test Failover.

This task induces failure of the Primary VM to ensure that the Secondary VM replaces it. A new Secondary
VM is also started placing the Primary VM back in a Protected state.

Test Restart Secondary VM in the vSphere Client
You can induce the failure of a Secondary VM to test the Fault Tolerance protection provided for a selected
Primary VM.
This option is unavailable (grayed out) if the virtual machine is powered off.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

In the vSphere Client, select the Hosts & Clusters view.

Right-click the fault tolerant virtual machine and select Fault Tolerance > Test Restart Secondary.

This task results in the termination of the Secondary VM that provided Fault Tolerance protection for the
selected Primary VM. A new Secondary VM is then started, placing the Primary VM back in a Protected
state.

Viewing Information About Fault Tolerant Virtual Machines in the
vSphere Client
You can view fault tolerant virtual machines in the vCenter Server inventory using the vSphere Client.
NOTE You cannot disable Fault Tolerance from the Secondary VM.
A vSphere Fault Tolerance section (pane) appears in the Summary tab for the Primary VM and includes
information about the virtual machine.
Fault Tolerance Status

Indicates the Fault Tolerance status of the virtual machine.
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Protected. The Primary and Secondary VMs are powered on and
running as expected.

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Not Protected. The Secondary VM is not running. Possible reasons are
listed in the table.
Table 27‑1. Reasons for Primary VM Not Protected Status
Reason for Not Protected Status

Description

Starting

Fault Tolerance is in the process of
starting the Secondary VM. This
message is only visible for a short
period of time.

Need Secondary VM

The Primary VM is running without a
Secondary VM, so the Primary VM is
currently not protected. This occurs
when no compatible host in the cluster
is available for the Secondary VM.
Correct this by bringing a compatible
host online. If a compatible host is
online in the cluster, you might need
to investigate further. Under certain
circumstances, disabling Fault
Tolerance and then re-enabling it
corrects this problem.

Disabled

Fault Tolerance is currently disabled
(no Secondary VM is running). This
happens when Fault Tolerance is
disabled by the user or when vCenter
Server disables Fault Tolerance after
being unable to power on the
Secondary VM.

VM not Running

Fault Tolerance is enabled but the
virtual machine is powered off. Power
on the virtual machine to reach
Protected state.

Secondary location

Displays the ESXi host on which the Secondary VM is hosted.

Total Secondary CPU

The CPU usage of the Secondary VM, displayed in MHz.

Total Secondary
Memory

The memory usage of the Secondary VM, displayed in MB.

vLockstep Interval

The time interval (displayed in seconds) needed for the Secondary VM to
match the current execution state of the Primary VM. Typically, this interval
is less than one-half of one second. No state is lost during a failover,
regardless of the vLockstep Interval value.

Log Bandwidth

The amount of network capacity being used for sending vSphere Fault
Tolerance log information from the host running the Primary VM to the host
running the Secondary VM.

For each host configured to support Fault Tolerance, you can view information about its fault tolerant
virtual machines by accessing the host's Summary tab in the vSphere Client. The Fault Tolerance section of
this screen displays the total number of Primary and Secondary VMs residing on the host and the number of
those virtual machines that are powered on. If the host is ESX/ESXi 4.1 or greater, this section also displays
the Fault Tolerance version the host is running. Otherwise, it lists the host build number. For two hosts to be
compatible they must have matching FT version numbers or matching host build numbers.

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Best Practices for Fault Tolerance
To ensure optimal Fault Tolerance results, you should follow certain best practices.
The following recommendations for host and networking configuration can help improve the stability and
performance of your cluster.

Host Configuration
Hosts running the Primary and Secondary VMs should operate at approximately the same processor
frequencies, otherwise the Secondary VM might be restarted more frequently. Platform power management
features that do not adjust based on workload (for example, power capping and enforced low frequency
modes to save power) can cause processor frequencies to vary greatly. If Secondary VMs are being restarted
on a regular basis, disable all power management modes on the hosts running fault tolerant virtual
machines or ensure that all hosts are running in the same power management modes.

Host Networking Configuration
The following guidelines allow you to configure your host's networking to support Fault Tolerance with
different combinations of traffic types (for example, NFS) and numbers of physical NICs.
n

Distribute each NIC team over two physical switches ensuring L2 domain continuity for each VLAN
between the two physical switches.

Use deterministic teaming policies to ensure particular traffic types have an affinity to a particular NIC
(active/standby) or set of NICs (for example, originating virtual port-id).

Where active/standby policies are used, pair traffic types to minimize impact in a failover situation
where both traffic types will share a vmnic.

Where active/standby policies are used, configure all the active adapters for a particular traffic type (for
example, FT Logging) to the same physical switch. This minimizes the number of network hops and
lessens the possibility of oversubscribing the switch to switch links.

NOTE FT logging traffic between Primary and Secondary VMs is unencrypted and contains guest network
and storage I/O data, as well as the memory contents of the guest operating system. This traffic can include
sensitive data such as passwords in plaintext. To avoid such data being divulged, ensure that this network is
secured, especially to avoid 'man-in-the-middle' attacks. For example, you could use a private network for
FT logging traffic.

Homogeneous Clusters
vSphere Fault Tolerance can function in clusters with nonuniform hosts, but it works best in clusters with
compatible nodes. When constructing your cluster, all hosts should have the following configuration:
n

Common access to datastores used by the virtual machines.

The same virtual machine network configuration.

The same BIOS settings (power management and hyperthreading) for all hosts.

Run Check Compliance to identify incompatibilities and to correct them.

Performance
To increase the bandwidth available for the logging traffic between Primary and Secondary VMs use a
10Gbit NIC, and enable the use of jumbo frames.

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Store ISOs on Shared Storage for Continuous Access
Store ISOs that are accessed by virtual machines with Fault Tolerance enabled on shared storage that is
accessible to both instances of the fault tolerant virtual machine. If you use this configuration, the CD-ROM
in the virtual machine continues operating normally, even when a failover occurs.
For virtual machines with Fault Tolerance enabled, you might use ISO images that are accessible only to the
Primary VM. In such a case, the Primary VM can access the ISO, but if a failover occurs, the CD-ROM
reports errors as if there is no media. This situation might be acceptable if the CD-ROM is being used for a
temporary, noncritical operation such as a patch.

Avoid Network Partitions
A network partition occurs when a vSphere HA cluster has a management network failure that isolates
some of the hosts from vCenter Server and from one another. See the vSphere Availability publication. When
a partition occurs, Fault Tolerance protection might be degraded.
In a partitioned vSphere HA cluster using Fault Tolerance, the Primary VM (or its Secondary VM) could end
up in a partition managed by a master host that is not responsible for the virtual machine. When a failover is
needed, a Secondary VM is restarted only if the Primary VM was in a partition managed by the master host
responsible for it.
To ensure that your management network is less likely to have a failure that leads to a network partition,
follow the recommendations in the vSphere Availability publication.

Viewing Fault Tolerance Errors in the vSphere Client
When errors related to your implementation of Fault Tolerance are generated by vCenter Server, the Fault
Details screen appears.
This screen lists faults related to Fault Tolerance and for each fault it provides the type of fault (red is an
error, yellow is a warning), the name of the virtual machine or host involved, and a brief description.
You can also invoke this screen for a specific failed Fault Tolerance task. To do this, select the task in either
the Recent Tasks pane or the Tasks & Events tab for the entity that experienced the fault and click the View
details link that appears in the Details column.

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Monitoring a Single Host with the
vSphere Client

When you connect to a single host using the vSphere Client, you can monitor the host health status, and
view events, system logs, and performance charts.
This chapter includes the following topics:
n

“View Charts,” on page 403

“Working with Advanced and Custom Charts,” on page 403

“Monitoring Host Health Status,” on page 406

“Monitoring Events, Alarms, and Automated Actions,” on page 408

“Viewing Solutions,” on page 422

“Configure SNMP Settings for vCenter Server,” on page 423

“System Log Files,” on page 424

View Charts
You can connect directly to ESX/ESXi hosts and view information about resource usage in line chart form.
Prerequisites
Connect to an ESX/ESXi host by using the vSphere Client.
Procedure
1

Select the host in the inventory.

Click the Performance tab.

Select a resource type from the Switch to drop-down menu.

(Optional) Click Chart Options to modify performance charts.

Working with Advanced and Custom Charts
Use advanced charts, or create your own custom charts, to see more performance data. Advanced charts can
be useful when you are aware of a problem but need more statistical data to pinpoint the source of the
trouble.
Advanced charts include the following features:
n

More information. Hover over a data point in a chart and details about that specific data point are
displayed.

Customizable charts. Change chart settings. Save custom settings to create your own charts.

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Export to spreadsheet.

Save to image file or spreadsheet.

Set Advanced Performance Charts as the Default
You can configure the vSphere Client to display the advanced performance charts by default when you
open the Performance tab. The default is to display the overview performance charts.
Prerequisites
Ensure that you have connected to a vCenter Server system by using the vSphere Client.
Procedure
1

Select Edit > Client Settings.

In the Tabs section of the Client Settings dialog box, select Default to Advanced Performance Charts.

Click OK.

Change Performance Chart Settings
You can customize a performance chart by specifying the objects to monitor, the counters to include, the
time range, and chart type. You can customize preconfigured chart views and create new chart views.
Prerequisites
Connect to a host through the vSphere Client.
Procedure
1

Select an inventory object and click the Performance tab.

Click Chart Options.

Select a metric group for the chart.

Select a time range for the metric group.
If you choose Custom, do one of the following.
n

Select Last and set the number of hours, days, weeks, or months for the amount of time to monitor
the object.

Select From and select the beginning and end dates.

You can also customize the time range options by customizing the statistics collection interval setting.
5

Select the chart type.
When selecting the stacked graph option, consider the following.

You can select only one item from the list of measurements.

Per-virtual-machine stacked graphs are available only for hosts.

Click a counter description name to display information about the counter’s function and whether
the selected metric can be stacked for per-virtual-machine graphs.

In Objects, select the inventory objects to display in the chart.
You can also specify the objects using the All or None buttons.

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In Counters, select the data counters to display in the chart.
You can also specify counters using the All or None buttons.
Click a counter name to display information about the counter in the Counter Description panel.

Click Apply.
Changes to chart settings take effect immediately after they are applied.

Click OK.

Create a Custom Advanced Chart
You can create your own charts by saving customized chart settings. New charts are added to the Switch to
menu and will appear there only when charts for the selected object are being displayed.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Customize chart settings as described in “Change Performance Chart Settings,” on page 404.

Click Save Chart Settings.

Enter a name for your settings.

Click OK.

The chart settings are saved and an entry for your chart is added to the Switch to menu.

Delete a Custom Advanced Chart View
You can delete custom chart views from the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select any object in the datacenter to enable the Performance tab.

Click the Performance tab and click Advanced.

Click Chart Options.

Click Manage Chart Settings.

Select a chart and click Delete.
The chart is deleted, and it is removed from the Switch to menu.

Click OK.

Save Chart Data to a File
You can save data from the Advanced performance charts to a file in various graphics formats or in
Microsoft Excel format.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.

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Procedure
1

In the Performance tab, click Advanced.

Click Save.

In the Save Performance Chart dialog box, navigate to the location to save the file.

Enter a name for the file.

Select a file type.

Click Save.

The file is saved to the location and format you specified.

Export Performance Data to a Spreadsheet
You can export performance data from the Advanced charts to a Microsoft Office Excel file.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select the object in the inventory.

Select File > Report > Performance.
If performance data is not available for the selected inventory object, the Export Performance option is
not available.

Enter a filename and location.

Select the date and time range for the chart.

In Chart Options, select the chart type.

Select the metric groups to display in the chart.
You can also specify the objects by selecting All or None.

(Optional) To customize the options, click Advanced, select the objects and counters to include in the
chart, and click OK.

Specify the size of the chart in the exported file.

Click OK to export the data.

Monitoring Host Health Status
You can use the vSphere Web Client to monitor the state of host hardware components, such as CPU
processors, memory, fans, and other components.
The host health monitoring tool allows you to monitor the health of a variety of host hardware components
including:

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CPU processors

Memory

Fans

Temperature

Voltage

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Power

Network

Battery

Storage

Cable/Interconnect

Software components

Watchdog

PCI devices

Other

The host health monitoring tool presents data gathered using Systems Management Architecture for Server
Hardware (SMASH) profiles. The information displayed depends on the sensors available on your server
hardware. SMASH is an industry standard specification providing protocols for managing a variety of
systems in the data center. For more information, see http://www.dmtf.org/standards/smash.
You can monitor host health status either by connecting the vSphere Client directly to a host, or by
connecting the vSphere Web Client to a vCenter Server system. You can also set alarms to trigger when the
host health status changes.
NOTE The interpretation of hardware monitoring information is specific for each hardware vendor. Your
hardware vendor can help you understand the results of the host hardware components monitoring.

Monitor Health Status When Directly Connected to a Host
When you connect the vSphere Client directly to a host, you can view the health status from the host’s
Configuration tab.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Host.Configuration.Advanced Configuration
Procedure
1

Click the Configuration tab, and click Health Status.

If a component is functioning normally, the status indicator is green. The status indicator changes to yellow
or red if a system component violates a performance threshold or is not functioning properly. Generally, a
yellow indicator signifies degraded performance. A red indicator signifies that a component stopped
operating or exceeded the highest threshold. If the status is blank, then the health monitoring service cannot
determine the status of the component.
The Reading column displays the current values for the sensors. For instance, the column displays rotations
per minute (RPM) for fans and degrees Celsius for temperature.

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Reset Hardware Sensors When Directly Connected to a Host
Some host hardware sensors display data that is cumulative over time. You can reset these sensors to clear
the data in them and begin collecting new data.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to the ESXi host.
If you need to preserve sensor data for troubleshooting or other purposes, take a screenshot, export the data,
or download a support bundle before resetting sensors.
Procedure
1

On the host Configuration tab, click Health Status.

Click Sensor Refresh.

Reset Health Status Sensors When Connected to vCenter Server
Some host hardware sensors display data that is cumulative over time. You can reset these sensors to clear
the data in them and begin collecting new data.
If you need to preserve sensor data for troubleshooting or other purposes, take a screenshot, export the data,
or download a support bundle before resetting sensors.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Ensure that the vCenter Hardware Status plug-in is enabled.
Procedure
1

Select a host in the object navigator or the iventory tree.

Click Reset sensors.

Monitoring Events, Alarms, and Automated Actions
vSphere includes a user-configurable events and alarms subsystem. This subsystem tracks events happening
throughout vSphere and stores the data in log files and the vCenter Server database. This subsystem also
enables you to specify the conditions under which alarms are triggered. Alarms can change state from mild
warnings to more serious alerts as system conditions change, and can trigger automated alarm actions. This
functionality is useful when you want to be informed, or take immediate action, when certain events or
conditions occur for a specific inventory object, or group of objects.

Events
Events are records of user actions or system actions that occur on objects in vCenter Server or on a host.
Actions that might be recordered as events include, but are not limited to, the following examples:

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A virtual machine is powered on

A user logs in to a virtual machine

A host connection is lost

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Event data includes details about the event such as who generated it, when it occured, and what type of
event it is. There are three types of events:
n

Information

Warning

Error

In the vSphere Client, event data is displayed in Tasks and Events tab for the selected inventory object. See
“View Events,” on page 410.

Alarms
Alarms are notifications that are activated in response to an event, a set of conditions, or the state of an
inventory object. An alarm definition consists of the following elements:
n

Name and description - Provides an identifying label and description.

Alarm type - Defines the type of object that will be monitored.

Triggers - Defines the event, condition, or state that will trigger the alarm and defines the notification
severity.

Tolerance thresholds (Reporting) - Provides additional restrictions on condition and state triggers
thresholds that must be exceeded before the alarm is triggered.

Actions - Defines operations that occur in response to triggered alarms. VMware provides sets of
predefined actions that are specific to inventory object types.

Alarms have the following severity levels:
n

Normal – green

Warning – yellow

Alert – red

Alarm definitions are associated with the object selected in the inventory. An alarm monitors the type of
inventory objects specified in its definition.
For example, you might want to monitor the CPU usage of all virtual machines in a specific host cluster.
You can select the cluster in the inventory, and add a virtual machine alarm to it. When enabled, that alarm
will monitor all virtual machines running in the cluster and will trigger when any one of them meets the
criteria defined in the alarm. If you want to monitor a specific virtual machine in the cluster, but not others,
you would select that virtual machine in the inventory and add an alarm to it. One easy way to apply the
same alarms to a group of objects is to place those objects in a folder and define the alarm on the folder.
NOTE You can enable, disable, and modify alarms only from the object in which the alarm is defined. For
example, if you defined an alarm in a cluster to monitor virtual machines, you can only enable, disable, or
modify that alarm through the cluster; you can not make changes to the alarm at the individual virtual
machine level.

Alarm Actions
Alarm actions are operations that occur in response to the trigger. For example, you can have an email
notification sent to one or more administrators when an alarm is triggered.
NOTE Default alarms are not preconfigured with actions. You must manually set what action occurs when
the triggering event, condition, or state occurs.

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View Events
You can either view all vSphere events or view events associated with a single object. The events list for a
selected inventory object includes events associated with child objects.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Read-only
Procedure
u

To see a list of events associated with a selected inventory object and its child objects, select the Tasks &
Events tab and click Events.
a

Select an event to see event details.

Use the filter controls above the list to filter the list.

Click a column heading to sort the list.

View System Logs
System log entries include such information as who generated the event, when the event was created, and
the type of event.
Prerequisites
Connect to an ESX/ESXi host by using the vSphere Client.
Required privilege:Global. Diagnostics privilege.
Procedure
1

To view system log entries, select Home > Administration > System Logs.

From the drop-down menu, select the log.

(Optional) Click Show All or Show next # lines to see additional log entries.

(Optional) Filter the log entries.
a

Select View > Filtering.

Type the filter criteria in the filter box.

Export Events Data
You can export all or part of the events data stored in the vCenter Server database.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required Privilege: Read-only
Procedure

410

Select File > Export > Export Events.

(Linked-mode only) In the vCenter Server list, select the server where the events occurred.

Specify Events, Time, and Limits attributes for the events you want to export.

Specify a file name and location.

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Click OK.

vCenter Server creates the file in the specified location. The file contains the Type, Time, and Description of
the events.

View Triggered Alarms and Alarm Definitions
Triggered alarms are visible in several locations throughout the vSphere Client and vSphere Web Client.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
n

To view all triggered alarms, click Alarms in the status bar.

To view alarms triggered on an selected inventory object, select the Alarms tab > Triggered Alarms.

To view a list of alarms associated with a selected inventory object, select the Alarms tab > Definitions.
The Defined In column indicates the object on which the alarm was set.

Set An Alarm
You can monitor inventory objects by setting alarms on them. Setting an alarm involves selecting the type of
inventory object to monitor, defining when and for how long the alarm will trigger, and defining actions
that will be performed as a result of the alarm being triggered. You define alarms in the Alarm Settings
dialog box.
Prerequisites
Ensure that you have connected to a vCenter Server system by using the vSphere Client.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
n

View and Edit Alarm Settings on page 412
You create and modify alarms in the Alarm Settings dialog box. You can view alarm settings from any
object, but you can modify settings only through the object on which the alarm is defined.

Specify Alarm Name, Description, and Type on page 412
General settings include alarm Name, Description, and Type. You can also enable and disable the
alarm in the General settings tab. Specifying the alarm type includes selecting the type of inventory
object and the type of activity (events, or conditions and states) that you want to monitor. The options
in the Triggers tab change depending on the type of activity you choose to monitor.

Specify How the Alarm is Triggered (Condition or State-based) on page 413
You can specify the events, states, or conditions that triggers the alarm in the Triggers tab of the Alarm
Settings dialog box. The options you choose under the General tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box
determine the options available under the Triggers tab. An alarm definition must contain at least one
trigger before it can be saved.

Specify How the Alarm is Triggered (Event-based) on page 414
You can specify the events, states, or conditions that trigger the alarm in the Triggers tab of the Alarm
Settings dialog box. The options you choose under the General tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box
determine the options available under the Triggers tab. An alarm definition must contain at least one
trigger before it can be saved.

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Specify Alarm Tolerance and Frequency on page 414
You can use reporting to apply a tolerance range for the alarm triggers. This can help you distinguish
temporary problems from more serious, chronic ones. The Reporting settings allow you to specify the
amount a condition or state must exceed the trigger value before the alarm triggers.

Specify Which Actions to Perform When Triggered on page 415
You can specify actions that the system performs when the alarm is triggered or changes status. You
can enable and disable alarms and alarm actions independently of each other.

Enable and Disable Alarm Actions on page 421
You can disable alarm actions on any inventory object. Disabling alarm actions is not the same as
disabling an alarm, nor is it the same as acknowledging an alarm. When alarm actions are disabled,
the alarm can still be triggered but its associated actions will not be performed. You might want to
disable alarm actions when, for example, you plan on putting a host into maintenance mode. When
you disable alarm actions on a selected inventory object, all actions for all alarms are disabled on that
object. You cannot disable a subset of alarm actions. Alarm actions will continue on the child objects.

View and Edit Alarm Settings
You create and modify alarms in the Alarm Settings dialog box. You can view alarm settings from any
object, but you can modify settings only through the object on which the alarm is defined.
Prerequisites
Ensure that you have connected to a vCenter Server system by using the vSphere Client.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure
u

To view or change alarm settings, open the Alarm Settings dialog box:
Option

Description

Create New Alarm

Select an inventory object and select File > New > Alarm.

Add Alarm to Object

Right-click an inventory object and select Alarm > Add Alarm.

View Alarm Definitions

Select the Alarms tab, click the Definitions subtab of the inventory item
with the alarm you want, and double-click an alarm in the list.

Specify Alarm Name, Description, and Type
General settings include alarm Name, Description, and Type. You can also enable and disable the alarm in
the General settings tab. Specifying the alarm type includes selecting the type of inventory object and the
type of activity (events, or conditions and states) that you want to monitor. The options in the Triggers tab
change depending on the type of activity you choose to monitor.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure

412

Right-click an inventory object and select Alarms > Add Alarm.

Enter a name and description.

Select the type of inventory object this alarm will monitor.

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Select the type of activity this alarm will monitor.
The options in the Triggers tab change depending on the type of activity you select.

Click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box or select a different tab to make further changes
to the alarm.

What to do next
NOTE You cannot save an alarm without triggers defined for it.

Specify How the Alarm is Triggered (Condition or State-based)
You can specify the events, states, or conditions that triggers the alarm in the Triggers tab of the Alarm
Settings dialog box. The options you choose under the General tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box
determine the options available under the Triggers tab. An alarm definition must contain at least one trigger
before it can be saved.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Open the Triggers tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box. See “Specify Alarm Name, Description, and Type,”
on page 412.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure
1

Select the trigger you want to change or click Add to add a new trigger.

Click in the Trigger Type column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

Click in the Condition column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

Click in the Warning column and select an option from the drop-down menu to set the threshold for
triggering a warning.

(Optional) Click in the Condition Length column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

Click in the Alert column and select an option from the drop-down menu to set the threshold for
triggering an alert.

(Optional) Click in the Condition Length column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

What to do next
Click OK to save the alarm definition and exit the dialog box, or optionally add more triggers, or configure
any of the following settings:for this alarm:
n

Repeat alarm thresholds

Repeat alarm frequency

Alarm actions

Alarm action frequency

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Specify How the Alarm is Triggered (Event-based)
You can specify the events, states, or conditions that trigger the alarm in the Triggers tab of the Alarm
Settings dialog box. The options you choose under the General tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box
determine the options available under the Triggers tab. An alarm definition must contain at least one trigger
before it can be saved.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Open the Triggers tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure
1

Select the trigger you want to change or click Add to add a new trigger.

Click in the Event column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

Click in the Status column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

(Optional) Click Advanced in the Conditions column to configure additional conditions that must be
met before the alarm triggers.
a

Click Add to add an argument.

Click in the Argument column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

Click in the Operator column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

Click in the Value column and enter a value into the text field.

Add more arguments, or click OK to exit the dialog box and return to the Alarm Settings dialog
box.

What to do next
Click OK to save the alarm definition and exit the dialog box, or optionally add more triggers or configure
alarm actions.

Specify Alarm Tolerance and Frequency
You can use reporting to apply a tolerance range for the alarm triggers. This can help you distinguish
temporary problems from more serious, chronic ones. The Reporting settings allow you to specify the
amount a condition or state must exceed the trigger value before the alarm triggers.
Reporting settings include Range and Frequency. Range is the threshold the monitored condition or state
must exceed the specified trigger limit for the alarm to trigger. Frequency is the length of time between each
re-triggering for as long as the condition or state exists. The Reporting tab is disabled for alarms with eventbased triggers.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Open the Reporting tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure
1

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(Optional) Specify how far over, or under, trigger limits the conditions must exceed before the alarm is
triggered again.

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(Optional) Select a Frequency.
The frequency sets the time period during which a triggered alarm is not reported again. When the time
period has elapsed, the alarm will report again if the condition or state is still true.

What to do next
Optionally specify alarm actions, or click OK to save your changes and exit the dialog box.

Specify Which Actions to Perform When Triggered
You can specify actions that the system performs when the alarm is triggered or changes status. You can
enable and disable alarms and alarm actions independently of each other.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Open the Actions tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box.
Ensure the vCenter Server is properly configured to use SNMP email or trap notifications as an alarm
action.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
n

Send Email as an Alarm Action on page 416
You can use the SMTP agent included with vCenter Server to send email notifications when alarms are
triggered.

Send SNMP Traps as an Alarm Action on page 417
The SNMP agent included with vCenter Server can be used to send traps when alarms are triggered
on a vCenter Server. The default hardware health alarms send SNMP traps by default.

Run a Script or a Command as an Alarm Action on page 418
You can configure an alarm to run a script or a command when the alarm is triggered.

Procedure
1

Select the action that you want to change or click Add to add one.

Click in the Action column and select an option from the drop-down menu.

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Click in the Configuration column and enter configuration information for those actions that require
additional information:
Option

Action

Send a notification email

Enter email addresses, separated by a comma, and press Enter.

Migrate a VM

Complete the Migrate Virtual Machine wizard .

Run a command

Take one of the following actions and press Enter:
n

If the command is a .exe file, enter the full path name of the command
and include any parameters. For example, to run the cmd.exe
command in the C:\tools directory, with the alarmName and
targetName parameters, type:
c:\tools\cmd.exe alarmName targetName

If the command is a .bat file, enter the full path name of the command
as an argument to the c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe command.
Include any parameters. For example, to run the cmd.bat command in
the C:\tools directory, with the alarmName and targetName
parameters, type:
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c c:\tools\cmd.bat
alarmName targetName
For .bat files, the command and its parameters must be formatted
into one string.

(Optional) For each alarm status change column, specify whether the alarm should be triggered when
the alarm status changes.
Some actions do not support re-triggering on alarm status change.

For repeat actions, enter the time interval for the repetition in Repeat After.

What to do next
Click OK to save the alarm definition and exit the dialog box, or navigate to a different tab to make further
changes.
Send Email as an Alarm Action
You can use the SMTP agent included with vCenter Server to send email notifications when alarms are
triggered.
Prerequisites
Ensure that the vCenter Server SMTP agent is properly configured to send email notifications.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure
1

In the Actions tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box, click Add to add an action.

In the Actions column, selectSend a notification email from the drop-down menu.

In the Configuration column, enter recipient addresses. Use commas to separate multiple addresses.

(Optional) Configure alarm transitions and frequency. See “Specify Which Actions to Perform When
Triggered,” on page 415.

What to do next
Click OK to save the alarm definition and exit the dialog box, or navigate to a different tab to make further
changes.

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vCenter Server Email Agent Notifications
The following tables describe the information that is included in Alarm-based and Event-based email
notifications. The first table described the information included in all email notifications; the second table
describes additional information that is included in Event-based notifications.
Table 28‑1. Basic SNMP Email Notification Details
Email Entry

Description

Target

Object for which the alarm was triggered.

Old Status

Previous alarm status. Applies only to state triggers.

New Status

Current alarm status. Applies only to state triggers.

Metric Value

Threshold value that triggered the alarm. Applies only to metric condition triggers.

Alarm Definition

Alarm definition in vCenter Server, including the alarm name and status.

Description

Localized string containing a summary of the alarm. For example:
Alarm New_Alarm on host1.vmware.com changed from Gray to Red.

Table 28‑2. Additional Notification Details for Alarms Triggered by Events
Detail

Description

Event Details

VMODL event type name.

Summary

Alarm summary, including the event type, alarm name, and target object.

Date

Time and date the alarm was triggered.

UserName

Person who initiated the action that caused the event to be created. Events caused by an
internal system activity do not have a UserName value.

Host

Host on which the alarm was triggered.

Resource Pool

Resource pool on which the alarm was triggered.

Datacenter

Data center on which the alarm was triggered.

Arguments

Arguments passed with the alarm and their values.

Send SNMP Traps as an Alarm Action
The SNMP agent included with vCenter Server can be used to send traps when alarms are triggered on a
vCenter Server. The default hardware health alarms send SNMP traps by default.
Prerequisites
Ensure that vCenter Server SNMP agents and ESXi SNMP agents are properly configured.
Ensure that SNMP trap receiver agents are properly configured.
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure
1

In the Actions tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box, click Add.

In the Actions column, select Send a notification trap from the drop-down menu.

(Optional) Configure alarm transitions and frequency.

What to do next
Click OK to save the alarm definition and exit the dialog box, or navigate to a different tab to make further
changes.

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SNMP Trap Notifications
The following table describes the information that is included in vCenter Server and ESXi trap notifications.
Table 28‑3. SNMP Trap Notification Details
Trap Entry

Description

Type

The state vCenter Server is monitoring for the alarm. Options include Host Processor (or CPU)
usage, Host Memory usage, Host State, Virtual Machine Processor (or CPU) usage, Virtual
Machine Memory usage, Virtual Machine State, Virtual Machine Heartbeat.

Name

The name of the host or virtual machine that triggers the alarm.

Old Status

The alarm status before the alarm was triggered.

New Status

The alarm status when the alarm is triggered.

Object Value

The object value when the alarm is triggered.

Run a Script or a Command as an Alarm Action
You can configure an alarm to run a script or a command when the alarm is triggered.
Use the alarm environment variables to define complex scripts and attach them to multiple alarms or
inventory objects. For example, you can write a script that enters the following trouble ticket information
into an external system when an alarm is triggered:
n

Alarm name

Object on which the alarm was triggered

Event that triggered the alarm

Alarm trigger values

When you write the script, include the following environment variables in the script:
n

VMWARE_ALARM_NAME

VMWARE_ALARM_TARGET_NAME

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENTDESCRIPTION

VMWARE_ALARM_ALARMVALUE

You can attach the script to any alarm on any object without changing the script.
Prerequisites
Required Privilege: Alarms.Create alarm or Alarms.Modify alarm
Procedure

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In the Actions tab of the Alarm Settings dialog box, click Add to add an action.

In the Actions column, select Run a command from the drop-down menu.

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In the Configuration column, type script or command information:
For this type of command...

Enter this...

EXE executable files

Full pathname of the command. For example, to run the cmd.exe
command in the C:\tools directory, type:
c:\tools\cmd.exe.

BAT batch file

Full pathname of the command as an argument to the
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe command. For example, to run the
cmd.bat command in the C:\tools directory, type:
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c c:\tools\cmd.bat.
NOTE The command and its parameters must be formatted into one string.

If your script does not make use of the alarm environment variables, include any necessary parameters
in the configuration field. For example:
c:\tools\cmd.exe AlarmName targetName
c:\windows\system32\cmd.exe /c c:\tools\cmd.bat alarmName targetName

(Optional) Configure alarm transitions and frequency. See “Specify Which Actions to Perform When
Triggered,” on page 415.

What to do next
Click OK to save the alarm definition and exit the dialog box, or navigate to a different tab to make further
changes.
Alarm Environment Variables for Scripts
To simplify script configuration for alarm actions, VMware provides environment variables for VMware
alarms. Use the variables to define more complex scripts and attach them to multiple alarms or inventory
objects so that the alarm action occurs when the alarm triggers.
Table 28‑4. Alarm Environment Variables
Variable Name

Variable Description

Supported Alarm Type

VMWARE_ALARM_NAME

The name of the triggered alarm.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_ID

The MOID of the triggered alarm.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_TARGET_NAME

The name of the entity on which
the alarm triggered.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_TARGET_ID

The MOID of the entity on which
the alarm triggered.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_OLDSTATUS

The old status of the alarm.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_NEWSTATUS

The new status of the alarm.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_TRIGGERINGSUMMARY

A multiline summary of the
alarm.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_DECLARINGSUMMARY

A single-line declaration of the
alarm expression.

Condition, State, Event

VMWARE_ALARM_ALARMVALUE

The value that triggered the
alarm.

Condition, State

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENTDESCRIPTION

A description of the alarm status
change event.

Condition, State

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENTDESCRIPTION

A description of the event that
triggered the alarm.

Event

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Table 28‑4. Alarm Environment Variables (Continued)
Variable Name

Variable Description

Supported Alarm Type

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_USERNAME

The user name associated with
the event.

Event

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_DATACENTER

The name of the data center in
which the event occurred.

Event

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_COMPUTERESOURCE

The name of the cluster or
resource pool in which the event
occurred.

Event

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_HOST

The name of the host on which
the event occurred.

Event

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_VM

The name of the virtual machine
on which the event occurred.

Event

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_NETWORK

The name of the network on
which the event occurred.

Event

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_DATASTORE

The name of the datastore on
which the event occurred.

Event

VMWARE_ALARM_EVENT_DVS

The name of the vSphere
Distributed Switch on which the
event occurred.

Event

Alarm Command-Line Parameters
VMware provides command-line parameters that function as a substitute for the default alarm environment
variables. You can use these parameters when running a script as an alarm action for a condition, state, or
event alarm.
The command-line parameters enable you to pass alarm information without having to change an alarm
script. For example, you can use these parameters when you have an external program for which you do not
have the source. You can pass in the necessary data by using the substitution parameters, which take
precedence over the environment variables. You pass the parameters through the Configuration dialog box
in the alarm definition wizard or on a command line.
Table 28‑5. Command-Line Parameters for Alarm Action Scripts

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Variable

Description

{eventDescription}

The text of the alarmStatusChange event. The {eventDescription} variable
is supported only for Condition and State alarms.

{targetName}

The name of the entity on which the alarm is triggered.

{alarmName}

The name of the alarm that is triggered.

{triggeringSummary}

A summary of the alarm trigger values.

{declaringSummary}

A summary of the alarm declaration values.

{oldStatus}

The alarm status before the alarm is triggered.

{newStatus}

The alarm status after the alarm is triggered.

{target}

The inventory object on which the alarm is set.

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Enable and Disable Alarm Actions
You can disable alarm actions on any inventory object. Disabling alarm actions is not the same as disabling
an alarm, nor is it the same as acknowledging an alarm. When alarm actions are disabled, the alarm can still
be triggered but its associated actions will not be performed. You might want to disable alarm actions when,
for example, you plan on putting a host into maintenance mode. When you disable alarm actions on a
selected inventory object, all actions for all alarms are disabled on that object. You cannot disable a subset of
alarm actions. Alarm actions will continue on the child objects.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Alarm.Disable Alarm Action
Procedure
n

To disable alarm actions, right-click on the inventory object and select Alarm > Disable Alarm Actions.

To enable alarm actions, right click on the inventory object and select Alarm > Enable Alarm Actions.

Acknowledge Triggered Alarms
After an alarm is acknowledged, its alarm actions are discontinued. Alarms are neither cleared, nor reset
when acknowledged.
Acknowledging an alarm lets other users know that you are taking ownership of the issue. For example, a
host has an alarm set on it that monitors CPU usage and that sends an email to an administrator when the
alarm is triggered. The host CPU usage spikes, triggering the alarm which sends an email to the host's
administrator. The administrator acknowledges the triggered alarm to let other administrators know he is
working on the problem, and to prevent the alarm from sending more email messages. The alarm, however,
is still visible in the system.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Alarm.Alarm Acknowledge
Procedure
1

Navigate to the inventory panel.

If the status panel is not available, select View > Status Bar to view the status pane.

In the status bar, click Alarms to display the Triggered Alarms panel.

Right-click the alarm and select Acknowledge Alarm.
To acknowledge multiple alarms at one time, Shift+click each alarm to select it, right-click the selection,
and select Acknowledge Alarm.

Reset Triggered Event Alarms
An alarm triggered by an event might not reset to a normal state if vCenter Server does not retrieve the
event that identifies the normal condition. In such cases, reset the alarm manually to return it to a normal
state.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Required privilege: Alarm.Set Alarm Status

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Procedure
1

Locate the triggered alarm in the Triggered Alarms panel or on the Alarms tab for the object.

Right-click the alarm and select Reset Alarm to Green.

Identify Disabled Alarm Actions
If you are experiencing problems with alarm actions for a specific inventory object, ensure that alarm actions
are enabled for that object.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select a parent object, depending on the scope of objects you want to examine.
n

vCenter Server

Datacenter

Cluster

Host

Virtual Switch

Datastore Cluster

Select the tab that corresponds to the child objects you want to examine.
For example, if the selected inventory object is a datacenter, you might select the Hosts tab.

Locate the Alarm Actions column.
You might need to scroll horizontally to bring the column into view.
The value in the Alarm Actions column indicates whether alarm actions are enabled or disabled on the
listed objects.

Solution name

Solution health

vService providers

Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Click the Solutions Manager icon from vSphere Client home.

Navigate through the tabs in the Solutions Manager.
n

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Summary tab. Lists the number of installed solutions and a brief health overview for each of the
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Solutions tab. Lists each managed solution.

Health tab. Provides the health status of the vCenter services. It also shows alerts or warnings for
each of the services.

In the Solutions Manager inventory, click one of the solutions.
n

Virtual Machines tab. Lists all the virtual machines belonging to the solution

vServices Providers tab.

Management tab or any other tabs the solution specified.

Configure SNMP Settings for vCenter Server
To use SNMP with vCenter Server, you must configure SNMP settings.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
To complete the following task, the vSphere Client must be connected to a vCenter Server. In addition, you
need the DNS name and IP address of the SNMP receiver, the port number of the receiver, and the
community identifier.
Procedure
1

Select Administration > vCenter Server Settings.

If the vCenter Server is part of a linked mode group, in Current vCenter Server, select the appropriate
server.

Click SNMP in the navigation list.

Enter the following information for the Primary Receiver of the SNMP traps.
Option

Description

Receiver URL

The DNS name or IP address of the SNMP receiver.

Receiver port

The port number of the receiver to which the SNMP agent sends traps.
If the port value is empty, vCenter Server uses the default port, 162.

Community

The community identifier.

(Optional) Enable additional receivers in the Enable Receiver 2, Enable Receiver 3, and Enable
Receiver 4 options.

Click OK.

The vCenter Server system is now ready to send traps to the management system you have specified.
What to do next
Configure your SNMP management software to receive and interpret data from the vCenter Server SNMP
agent. See the vSphere Monitoring and Performance publication for more information.

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System Log Files
In addition to lists of events and alarms, vSphere components generate assorted logs.
These logs contain additional information about activities in your vSphere environment.

View System Log Entries
You can view system logs generated by vSphere components.
Procedure
1

From the Home page of a vSphere Client connected to either a vCenter Server system or an ESX/ESXi
host, click System Logs.

From the drop-down menu, select the log and entry you want to view.

Select View > Filtering to refer to the filtering options.

Enter text in the data field.

Click Clear to empty the data field.

View System Logs on an ESXi Host
You can use the direct console interface to view the system logs on an ESXi host. These logs provide
information about system operational events.
Procedure
1

From the direct console, select View System Logs.

Press a corresponding number key to view a log.
vCenter Server agent (vpxa) logs appear if the host is managed by vCenter Server.

Press Enter or the spacebar to scroll through the messages.

(Optional) Perform a regular expression search.
a

Press the slash key (/).

Type the text to find.

Press Enter
The found text is highlighted on the screen.

Press q to return to the direct console.

External System Logs
VMware technical support might request several files to help resolve any issues you have with the product.
This section describes the types and locations of log files found on various ESXi component systems.
NOTE On Windows systems, several log files are stored in the Local Settings directory, which is located at

C:\Documents and Settings\\Local Settings\. This folder is hidden by default.

ESXi System Logs
You might need the ESXi system log files to resolve technical issues.
The ESXi system logs can be found in the /var/run/log directory.

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vSphere Client System Logs
You might need the vSphere Client system log files to resolve technical issues.
Table 28-6 lists log files associated with the vSphere Client machine.
Table 28‑6. vSphere Client System Logs
Component

Location

vSphere Client
Installation log

Temp directory on the vSphere Client machine.

vSphere Client
Service log

Pre-Windows 2008 example: C:\Documents and Settings\Local
Settings\Temp\vminst.log or vim-vic-msi.log
Windows 2008 and Windows 7 example:
C:\Users\user_name\AppData\Local\Temp\vminst.log or vim-vic-msi.log
\vpx directory in the Application Data directory on the vSphere Client machine.
Pre-Windows 2008 example: C:\Documents and Settings\user_name\Local
Settings\Application Data\VMware\vpx\viclient-x.log
Windows 2008 and Window 7 example: C:\Users\user_name\Local
Settings\AppData\Local\VMware\vpx\viclient-x.log
x(=0, 1, ... 9)

Export System Logs
When the vSphere Client is connected to vCenter Server, you can select hosts from which to download
system logs.
To save diagnostic data for ESX/ESXi hosts and vCenter Server, the vSphere Client must be connected to the
vCenter Server system. If you are connected directly to an ESX/ESXi host, you can save diagnostic data only
for that specific ESX/ESXi host.
Required privileges:
n

To view diagnostic data: Read-Only User

To manage diagnostic data: Global.Licenses

Procedure
1

Select File > Export > Export System Logs.

If you are connected to vCenter Server, select the object for which you want to export data.
Selecting an object selects all of its child objects.

If you are connected to vCenter Server, select Include information from vCenter Server and vSphere
Client to download vCenter Server and vSphere Client logs as well as host logs.

Click Browse, and specify the location to which to save the log files.
The host or vCenter Server generates .zip bundles containing the log files. The Recent Tasks panel
shows a task called “Generate diagnostic bundles” in progress.
The Downloading Log Bundles dialog box appears when the Generating Diagnostic Bundle task is
finished. The download status of each bundle appears in the dialog box.
Some network errors can cause download failures. When you select an individual download in the
upper part of the dialog box, any the error message for that operation appears in the lower portion of
the dialog box, below the name and location of the log bundle file.

If the download fails, click Retry to attempt to download the generated bundles again.

Diagnostic bundles containing log files for the specified objects are downloaded to the location specified.

VMware, Inc.

425

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

In the vSphere Client inventory, select the host.

Click the Configuration tab.

In the Software panel, click Advanced Settings.

Select Syslog in the tree control.

To set up logging globally, click global and make changes to the fields on the right.

Option

Description

Syslog.global.defaultRotate

Sets the maximum number of archives to keep. You can set this number
globally and for individual subloggers.

Syslog.global.defaultSize

Sets the default size of the log, in KB, before the system rotates logs. You
can set this number globally and for individual subloggers.

Syslog.global.LogDir

Syslog.global.logDirUnique

Syslog.global.LogHost

(Optional) To overwrite the default log size and log rotation for any of the logs.
a

Click loggers.

Click the name of the log you that want to customize and enter the number of rotations and log
size you want.

Click OK.

Changes to the syslog options take effect immediately.

426

VMware, Inc.

Chapter 28 Monitoring a Single Host with the vSphere Client

Collecting Log Files
VMware technical support might request several files to help resolve technical issues. The following sections
describe script processes for generating and collecting some of these files.

Set Verbose Logging
You can specify how verbose log files will be.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1

Select Administration > vCenter Server Settings.

Select Logging Options.

Select Verbose from the pop-up menu.

Click OK.

Collect vSphere Log Files
You can collect vSphere log files into a single location.
Prerequisites
Launch the vSphere Client and log in to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
u

View the log file using one of the following methods.
Task

Action

View the viclient-*.log file

Change to the directory, %temp%.

Download the log bundle from
vSphere Client connected to a
vCenter Server system

Select Administration > Export System Logs to download the log bundle.

Generate vCenter Server log
bundles from a vCenter Server
system

Select Start > Programs > VMware > Generate vCenter Server log bundle.
You can use this to generate vCenter Server log bundles even when you
are unable to connect to the vCenter Server using the vSphere Client.

The log bundle is generated as a .zip file. By default, the vpxd logs within
the bundle are compressed as .gz files. You must use gunzip to
uncompress these files.

Collect ESXi Log Files
You can collect and package all relevant ESXi system and configuration information, a well as ESXi log files.
This information can be used to analyze the problems.
Procedure
u

Run the following script on the ESXi Shell: /usr/bin/vm-support
The resulting file has the following format: esx-date-unique-xnumber.tgz

VMware, Inc.

427

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Turn Off Compression for vpxd Log Files
By default, vCenter Server vpxd log files are rolled up and compressed into .gz files. You can turn off this
setting to leave the vpxd logs uncompressed.
Procedure

428

Select Administration > vCenter Server Settings.

Select Advanced Settings.

In the Key text box, type log.compressOnRoll.

In the Value text box, type false.

Click Add, and click OK.

VMware, Inc.

Index

Numerics
3DNow!, EVC modes 131

A
acceleration, disabling 183
active adapters 230
Active Directory
configuring settings 28
server 28
Active Directory Timeout 78
active sessions, send messages 22
active uplinks 262, 265
adapters
Ethernet, See network adapters
See also storage controllers
adding
distributed port groups 43, 236
license keys 48, 49
NFS storage 324
paravirtual SCSI controller 166
SCSI controllers 165
SCSI devices 170
USB controllers 174
USB devices to client computers 178
vSphere distributed switch 230
adding a VMkernel network adapter 227
adding hosts 37
adjust MAC address allocation parameters 296
admin contact info 41, 234
Administrator role 73
admission control
configuring 386
policy 386
advanced attributes
hosts 381
Storage I/O Control 352
virtual machines 381
advanced charts, set as default 404
advanced search 18
advanced settings
vCenter Server 32
Disk.EnableNaviReg 304
Disk.MaxLUN 322
affinity rules
creating 366, 367

VMware, Inc.

intra-VM 377
Storage DRS 375
agent manager 208
AHCI SATA controller, See storage controllers
alarm actions
described 408
disabling 421
email notifications 417
notification traps 415
running a script 415
setting up 415
alarm environment variables 420
alarms
acknowledging triggered alarms 421
commands 418
condition or state-based 413
create 411
definitions 411
described 408
disabling actions 421
frequency 414
general settings 412
network 417, 418
notification emails 415
reporting settings 414
resetting triggered event alarms 421
scripts 418, 419
send email as alarm action 416
set on inventory object 411
SMTP settings 416
SNMP traps 417, 418
trigger tolerance limits 414
triggered 411
triggers 413
viewing 411
alarms environment variables 419
alarms,disabled actions 422
alarms,environment variables 418
alarms,triggers 414
alarms,view settings 412
allowed IP addresses, firewall 60
AMD Opteron-based systems 379
AMD override mask 148
annotations 18

429

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

answer file, update 222
applying networking policies 257
assigning license keys 46, 48
attributes, custom 19
authentication
ESXi 69
ESXi users 69
users 69
authentication proxy 76, 77
Auto Deploy 222
automatic host registration, disabling 304
automation level
datastore clusters 369
Storage DRS 373
virtual machines 358
average bandwidth 273–276, 279

B
bandwidth
average 273, 274
peak 273, 274
Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) 363
beacon probing, standard switches 260
best practices, Fault Tolerance 400
binding on host, distributed port groups 44, 237
BIOS, settings 182
blocked ports
distributed ports 279
distributed port groups 279
boot options
changing BIOS settings 182
changing delay 182
burst size 273–276, 279

C
cable/interconnect, health monitoring 406
CAM server 77
CDP 293, 295
CHAP
disabling 320
for discovery targets 319
for iSCSI initiators 318
for static targets 319
CHAP authentication 317
charts
adding custom to Switch to menu 405
advanced 403
customizing 403, 404
exporting data 406
saving data to a file 405
settings 404
viewing 403
Cisco Discovery Protocol 41, 234, 294, 295
Cisco switches 293

430

claim rules 333
client startup options, setting 60
clones 97
cloning
templates 100, 102
vApps 198
virtual machines 97, 101
cluster settings
affinity rules 366, 367
CPUID details 132
virtual machine swapfile location 347
clustering, datastores 368, 371
clusters
creating 38
EVC 128, 129
managing profiles from 220
removing hosts 80
selecting 87
cold migration 123
Collection Intervals 27
commands, alarms 418
community string 29
compliance check, Fault Tolerance 395
compliance checks, host profiles 217
computer names, generating with a script 110
config reset at disconnect, distributed port
groups 44, 237
configuration file parameters, editing 141
configuring
dynamic discovery 316
hosts 23
static discovery 317
consoles, virtual machines 15
controllers
paravirtual SCSI 166
SCSI 92
SCSI types 165
See also storage controllers
converting, virtual machines to templates 100
copy and paste, disabled for guest operating
systems 64
CPU
health monitoring 406
managing allocation 342
virtual 379
CPU affinity, NUMA nodes 379
CPU compatibility, for vMotion 128
CPU features, virtual machines 130
CPUID, viewing details 132
CPUs
adding 90
advanced settings 147
configuration 144
defined 143
disabling security 148

VMware, Inc.

Index

enabling CPU/MMU Virtualization 149
hot adding 144
hot plug 144
hyperthreaded core sharing 147
identification mask 148
limits 146
parameters 143
reservation 146
scheduling affinity 147
shares 146
create alarms 411
creating
clusters 38
datastores 39
host profiles 212, 213
resource pools 38
vApps 196
virtual machines 85
creating a vSphere HA cluster 384
creating datacenter-wide networks 40
creating datacenters 36
creating host-wide networks 40
current multipathing state 334
custom attributes, adding 19
custom automation mode, DRS 358
custom sysprep answer file 118
customization
changing specifications 119
copying specifications 120
creating Linux specifications 115
creating Windows specification 118
creating Windows specifications 116
exporting specifications 120
guest operating system requirements 109
importing specifications 121
Linux 109
Windows 109
customization specifications 115

D
database
configuring number of connections 31
limiting size 31
retention policy 31
datacenters
creating 36
creating datacenter-wide networks 40
topology maps 83
datastore clusters
about 368
adding datastores 371
automation level 369

VMware, Inc.

creating 368–370
maintenance mode 371
removing datastores 371
datastores
adding extents 328
configuring on NFS volumes 324
creating 39
grouping 330
increasing capacity 328
ISO file 169
maintenance mode 371
managing duplicate 324
mounting 325
NFS 322
paths 334
renaming 329
review properties 301
selecting 88
VMFS 92, 322
debugging and statistics 183
default gateway, editing 243
delete resource pool, vSphere distributed
switch 249
deleting, templates 106
dependent iSCSI, networking 310
dependent hardware iSCSI
and associated NICs 308
configuration workflow 306
deploying, OVF templates 133
device disconnection, preventing 65
DHCP settings 204
diagnostic partition, configuring 330
diagnostic bundles, generating 425
diagnostic data
creating report 425
export 424
exporting 425
direct access 69
direct console, redirecting to a serial port 23
directory server, viewing 77
directory service
Active Directory 76
configuring a host 76
DirectPath I/O, vMotion 253
DirectPath I/O Gen. 2 253
disabling
Fault Tolerance 397
logging for guest operating systems 65
variable information size 64
disabling paths 335
discovery
address 316
dynamic 316
static 317

431

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

Disk.EnableNaviReg 304
Disk.MaxLUN 322
disks
format 337
independent 190
inflate 337
limits 162
modes 161
shares 162
thick 101
thin 101
think vs. thick 102
distributed ports
blocked ports 279
blocking 279
failback 265
failover order 265
load balancing 265
monitoring 237
NetFlow 278
network failover detection 265
Network I/O Control 277
network resource pools 277
notify switches 265
port policies 279
properties 238
states 237
teaming and failover policies 265
traffic shaping policies 276
VLAN policies 267
distributed port groups
adding 43, 236
average bandwidth 275, 279
binding on host 44, 237
blocked ports 279
burst size 275, 279
config reset at disconnect 44, 237
description 43, 236
failover order 264, 279
failover policies 264, 279
forged transmits 271, 279
live port moving 44, 237
load balancing 264, 279
MAC address changes 271, 279
miscellaneous policies 279
name 43, 236
NetFlow 278, 279
Network I/O Control 277, 279
network resource pools 277, 279
notify switches 264, 279
number of ports 43, 236
override settings 44, 237

432

peak bandwidth 275, 279
port policies 279
port group type 43, 236
port name format 44, 237
promiscuous mode 271, 279
PVLAN 267, 279
QOS policies 267, 279
resource pool 248
security policy 271, 279
teaming policies 264, 279
traffic shaping 275, 279
virtual machines 245
VLAN policy 267, 279
VLAN trunking 267, 279
distributed switch
adding 230
adding a host to 42, 231
admin contact info 41, 234
Cisco Discovery Protocol 41, 234
hosts 233
IP address 41, 234
jumbo frames 251
maximum MTU 41, 234
maximum number of ports 41, 234
migrating virtual machines to or from 245
new resource pool 247
ports 233
resource pool settings 247
upgrading 235
virtual machines 244
virtual network adapter 242
virtual network adapters 241
DNS 295
DNS configuration
vApps 205
vSphere distributed switch 243
DNS lookup 383
downloading, diagnostic bundles 425
DPM 356, 362, 363
DRS
creating rules 366
disabling 359
fully automated 357
initial placement 356
load balancing 356
manual 357
migration 356
partially automated 357
DRS groups
host 365
virtual machine 366

VMware, Inc.

Index

DRS clusters
adding managed hosts 359
adding unmanaged hosts 360
creating 357
managing resources with 356
DVD/CD-ROM, adding 167
dynamic discovery, configuring 316
dynamic discovery addresses 316

E
early binding port groups 43, 236
editing
host profile policies 215
host profiles 214
vApp properties 200, 201
EFI
changing boot delay 182
settings 182
email, content of vCenter Server
notifications 417
Email messages 29
enabling, host profile policy compliance
checks 217
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility, See EVC
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) 357
enhanced vmxnet 250, 251
entering maintenance mode, host 361
environment variables, alarms 418, 419
error messages
Fault Tolerance 391
vSphere HA 383
errors, Fault Tolerance 401
EST 286
ESX Agent Manager 208
ESXi
adding users 70
authentication 69
rebooting 32
shutdown 32
syslog service 24, 66, 426
users 69
ESXi Shell
configuring 61
enabling 61
enabling with vSphere Client 61
setting availability timeout 61
setting idle timeout 61
timeouts 62
EVC
configuring 130
CPUID details 132
creating a cluster 128
enabling on a cluster 129
virtual ESXi host support 128

VMware, Inc.

EVC modes
virtual machines 130
without 3DNow! 131
events
configuring retention policy 31
exporting 410
viewing 410
events,described 408
export license data 49
exporting
diagnostic data 425
host profiles 213
host users 71
lists 16
OVF templates 133, 134
virtual machines 134
Extensible Firmware Interface, See EFI
extensions, troubleshooting 21
extents
adding to datastore 328
growing 328
External Switch Tagging 286

F
failback 262, 264, 265, 279
failover 257, 259, 333
failover order, distributed port groups 264, 279
failover policies
distributed ports 265
distributed port groups 264, 279
port group 262
standard switches 260
fans, monitoring 406
Fault Tolerance
best practices 400
checklist 392
compliance check 395
disabling 397
enabling 393
error messages 391
errors 401
Log Bandwidth 398
logging 243, 393, 394
migrate secondary 397
networking configuration 393, 394
options 396
prerequisites 392
secondary location 398
test failover 397
test restart secondary 398
Total Secondary CPU 398
Total Secondary Memory 398
turning off 396

433

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

turning on 396
use cases 391
version 392
vLockstep Interval 398
vSphere configuration 392
Fault Tolerance status
Disabled 398
Need Secondary VM 398
Starting 398
VM not Running 398
Fibre Channel NPIV settings 159
filtering, lists 16
firewall, configure communication 32
firewall settings 60
firewalls
access for management agents 59
access for services 59
Flash Read Cache 160
floppy drives
adding 169
configuring 170
forced transmits 272
forged transmits 269, 271, 279
fully automated DRS 357

G
Getting Started tabs
disabling 15
restoring 15
grafted, resource pool 359, 360
groups
DRS host 365
DRS virtual machine 366
searching 78
guest customization
changing specifications 119
copying specifications 120
creating Linux specifications 115
creating Windows specifications 116, 118
exporting specifications 120
importing specifications 121
Linux customization during cloning or
deployment 113
removing specifications 120
requirements 109
scripts 110
specifications 115
Windows customization during cloning or
deployment 111
guest operating system,remove NIC 241
guest operating systems
changing 142
customization requirements 109

434

disabling logging 65
enabling copy and paste 64
limiting variable information size 64
selecting 89

H
hardware, virtual machine 137
hardware acceleration
about 335
enabling 336
hardware devices, SCSI controllers 165
hardware health, reset sensors 408
hardware iSCSI initiators
configuring 305
installing 305
setting up discovery addresses 316
viewing 305
Hardware Virtualization (HV) 392
health status, monitoring 407
host
entering maintenance mode 361
reference 219
host monitoring, enabling 386
host registration, disabling 304
host cache configuration 348
host configuration, advanced settings 304
host DRS groups 365
host health, reset sensors 408
host image profile acceptance level 25
host isolation response 387
Host Limitations, vSphere Client 23
host name, configuring 76
host networking, viewing 226
host power management, custom policy 344
host profile
attaching entities 217
SR-IOV 254, 255
host profiles
accessing 212
applying profiles 218, 219
attaching entities from host 218
attaching entities from Host Profile view 217
checking compliance 220, 221
creating 212
creating from host 213
creating from host profile view 213
editing a policy 215
editing profiles 214
enabling policy compliance checks 217
exporting 213
importing profiles 214
managing profiles 217
updating from reference host 220
usage model 211

VMware, Inc.

Index

host profiles, cloning profiles 214
host profiles,import answer file 223
host security, virtual disk shrinking 63
host-local swap
DRS cluster 345
standalone host 346
hosts
adding 37
adding ESXi users 70
adding to a vSphere distributed switch 42,
231
adding to DRS clusters 359, 360
advanced attributes 381
clustering 87
configuring 23
connecting to vCenter Server 79
connecting virtual machines to 87
custom attributes 18
disconnecting 79
disconnecting from vCenter Server 79
ESXi 32
hardware monitoring 406
health status 407
managing 79
reconnecting 80
removing from a DRS cluster 362
removing from cluster 80
removing from vCenter Server 81
viable for migration 148
virtual machine swapfile location 346
hot add enablement 144, 151
hyperthreaded core sharing 147
hyperthreading
disabling 343
enabling 343
server configuration for 343
hyperthreading modes 343

I
idle session timeout 62
iLO, configuring 363
image files, ISO 168, 169
importing host profile 214
inbound traffic shaping 276
independent disks 190
independent hardware iSCSI adapters
change IP address 306
change name 306
information panels 17
initial placement 356
installing, plug-ins 20
Intelligent Platform Management Interface
(IPMI), configuring 363

VMware, Inc.

inter-VM anti-affinity rules, creating 376
Internet Protocol version 6 285
intra-VM anti-affinity rules 377
inventory
organize 35
searching 17
selecting objects 20
topology maps 83
inventory objects, set alarm on 411
inventory panels 17
IOMMU 254
IP address
editing 243
vCenter Server 28
IP address configuration 204
IP addresses
adding allowed 60
generating with a script 110
IP pools 204
IP storage port groups, creating 227, 241
IPv4 383
IPv6 285, 383, 393
iSCSI initiators
configuring CHAP 318
configuring advanced parameters 320
hardware 305
setting up CHAP parameters 317
iSCSI networking
binding adapters 314
changing policy 314
creating a VMkernel interface 312
iSCSI SAN 392
ISO image files 168, 169
ISO images 400
isolation response, host 387

J
jumbo frames
enabling 251
enabling for dependent hardware iSCSI 315
enabling for software iSCSI 315
using with iSCSI 315
virtual machines 250, 251

L
late binding port groups 43, 236
Layer 2 security 269
Layer 2 security policy 269
License management 45, 47
license key 45
License key 47
license report, export data 49

435

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

licenses
assigning 46
viewing 47
licensing
adding license keys 48, 49
assigning 48
per-processor 48
licensing limitations, vSphere Client 45
limiting users or groups 28
Link Layer Discovery Protocol 293–295
link status, standard switches 260
Linux
customizing during cloning or deployment 113
guest operating system customization 109
requirements for customization 109
lists
exporting 16
filtering 16
live port moving, distributed port groups 44, 237
LLDP, enable 294
load balancing
datastores 368
distributed port groups 264, 279
load balancing policies, standard switches 260
lockdown mode
enabling 62
vSphere Client 62
log detail, setting the log level 30
log files
collecting 427
ESXi 427
export 424
external 424
turning off compression 428
logging
disabling for guest operating systems 65
enabling 182
Logging options, configuring 30
logging in, vSphere Client 14
logging out, vSphere Client 14
logical processors 343
logs
collecting 427
ESXi 424
vSphere Client 425
logs,system, See also troubleshooting
Long operations 30
LUNs, changing number scanned 322

M
MAC address
adjust allocation parameters 296
configuration 297
configuring 296
generation 296

436

prefix-based allocation 296
range-based allocation 296
static 297
MAC address changes 269, 271, 279
MAC addresses, assigning 153
Mail Sender settings, configuring 29
maintenance mode
datastores 371, 372
hosts 361
hosts entering 361
ignore affinity rules 372
management access, firewalls 59
management interface, securing 59
management network 383
managing, virtual machines 185
Managing 299
manual DRS 357
maps 83
mask values 148
maximum MTU 41, 234
maximum number of ports 41, 234
memory
affinity 151
allocation 150
calculating for video displays 171
health monitoring 406
hot adding 151
managing allocation 345
virtual 90
memory affinity, NUMA nodes 380
memory compression cache
disabling 348
enabling 348
set size 349
migrate secondary, Fault Tolerance 397
migrating
powered-off virtual machines 126
powered-on virtual machines 124
suspended virtual machines 126
virtual machine disks 125
virtual machines 123
virtual machines with Storage vMotion 125
with vMotion 124
migration, about 123
miscellaneous policies, distributed port
groups 279
modifying cluster settings 384
monitoring
Storage I/O Control 350
vSphere Client 403
MTU 250
multipathing plug-ins, path claiming 333
multipathing state 334

VMware, Inc.

Index

multiple monitors, selecting 171

N
name-ip-generator 110
NetFlow
collector settings 293
configure 293
disable 278, 279
distributed ports 278
distributed port Groups 278, 279
enable 278, 279
network, SNMP traps 417, 418
network adapters
distributed switch 241
viewing 226, 234
See also NICs
network association settings 205
network connections, create 312
network failover detection 262, 265
Network I/O Control 277
network partition 400
network resource management 247
network resource pools
distributed ports 277
distributed port groups 277, 279
networking
advanced 285
security policies 272
networking limitations, vSphere Client 225
networking policies
distributed switch 257
standard switch 257
networking configuration, Fault Tolerance 393,
394
networks
connecting 91
DHCP settings 204
health monitoring 406
IP address configuration 204
proxy server settings 205
resource pools 247
resource settings 247–249
new resource pool, distributed switch 247
New Virtual Machine wizard, opening 85
NFS storage, adding 324
NIC teaming, standard switches 260
NICs
adding to a vSphere distributed switch 240
assigning MAC addresses 153
configuring 153
guest operating system 241
mapping to VMkernel 313
remove from a vSphere distributed switch 241
remove from active virtual machine 241

VMware, Inc.

removing from a vSphere distributed
switch 240
Spanning Tree protocol 91
NMP, path claiming 333
No Access role 73
Normal operations 30
notification emails, alarms 415
notification traps, alarms 415
notifications, See traps
notify switches 262, 264, 265, 279
NPIV
assigning WWNs 301
changing WWNs 302
NTP 76
NUMA
CPU affinity 379, 380
memory affinity 380
virtual 379
NX flag 148

O
objects, selecting 20
On-Demand Fault Tolerance 391
optical drives
connecting to client device 168
connecting to host device 168
outbound traffic shaping 276
OVA, selecting, See also OVF
override settings, distributed port groups 44, 237
OVF
defining environment properties 203
deploying templates 133
exporting templates 133, 134
folder location for files 134

P
panels 17
parallel ports
adding 158
changing 159
paravirtual SCSI controller 166
parent resource pool 352
partially automated DRS 357
passthrough device, add to a virtual
machine 253
path claiming 333
path failover 333
path management 333
path policies, changing defaults 335
paths, disabling 335
PCI 252
PCI devices, snapshot support for 171
PCIe devices 254

437

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

peak bandwidth 273–276, 279
per-processor licensing 48
performance, advanced charts 403
performance charts
advanced charts
about 403
deleting views 405
customizing 404
exporting data 406
saving data to a file 405
permissions
administrator 72
and privileges 72
changing 72
overview 72
removing 73
root user 72
search 17
validating 72, 73
vpxuser 72
physical compatibility mode 95
physical network adapters
adding to a vSphere distributed switch 240
managing 240
removing 240
physical processors 343
planning a vSphere HA cluster 383
plug-ins
disabling 20
downloading 20
enabling 20
installing 20
managing 20
removing 21
troubleshooting 21
viewing installed 20
policies, CPU power management 344
port blocking 257
port configuration 229
port groups
failback 262
failover order 262
Layer 2 Security 270
load balancing 262
network failover detection 262
notify switches 262
traffic shaping 274
port mirroring
create 289
destinations 290–292
feature compatibility 287
LRO 287
name 289, 291

438

packet length 289
session types 287
sources 290–292
status 291
TSO 287
verify settings 290
version compatibility 287
VLAN 289, 291
vMotion 287
port name format, distributed port groups 44,
237
port policies, distributed port groups 279
ports
adding parallel 158
changing parallel 159
changing serial 157
parallel 154
serial 154
vSphere distributed switch 41, 233
power, health monitoring 406
power management policies, setting 344
power off
vApps 198
virtual machines 180
power on
vApps 197
virtual machines 180
power states, virtual machine 180
prefixed-based MAC address allocation 296
prerequisites, Fault Tolerance 392
printing, vSphere Client window 17
private VLAN
create 238
primary 239
removing 239
secondary 239
privileges and permissions 72
processors
health monitoring 406
See also CPUs
profiles, managing 220
promiscuous mode 269, 271, 272, 279
properties, distributed ports 238
proxy server settings, networks 205
PVLAN 267
PVSCSI, See also paravirtual SCSI controller

Q
QOS policies, distributed port groups 267, 279
query limit 28

R
range-based MAC address allocation 296
raw device mapping 332

VMware, Inc.

Index

raw device mappings 92, 95, 160, 161
RDM 392
RDMs, path management 333
Read Only role 73
receiver URL 29
recommendations, Storage DRS 372
reconnecting hosts 80
reference host 219
removing, plug-ins 21
renaming, templates 105
rescanning
datastores 321
storage adapters 321
storage devices 321
reset sensors, host health 408
resetting virtual machines 180
resignaturing 324
resource pools
adding virtual machines 355
creating 38, 353
deleting 356
editing attributes of 355
grafted 359, 360
networks 247
parent 352
removing 356
removing virtual machines 356
root resource pool 352
selecting 88
siblings 352
resource allocation settings, changing 342
resource management
customizing 381
hosts 341
resource maps
exporting 84
printing 84
setting maximum number of map objects 84
viewing 84
resource pool, distributed port groups 248
resource pool settings
distributed switch 247
vSphere distributed switch 249
restart settings, for virtual machines 180
resume
vApps 199
virtual machines 180
roles
Administrator 73
and permissions 73
cloning 74
copy 74
creating 74
default 73

VMware, Inc.

editing 74
No Access 73
Read Only 73
removing 73, 75
renaming 75
security 73
root login, permissions 72
root resource pool 352
routing 295
Runtime Settings, configuring 28

S
SAN LUN 95
SAN LUNs 160, 161
SATA controllers
default behavior 163
maximum number of 163
node assignment 163
See also storage controllers
scanning, changing number 322
scheduled tasks
about 53
about canceling 56
canceling 53
clone virtual machine 100
creating 54
process rules 57
removing 56
rules 57
scheduling affinity 147
scratch partition,enabling 24
scripts, alarms 418, 419
SCSI
bus sharing 165
changing controller type 165
controllers, adding 165
devices, adding 170
devices, changing 171
paravirtual controllers 166
selecting controllers 92
supported controller types 165
VMware Paravirtual 92
SCSI controllers
adding 163
and virtual device nodes 163
default virtual hard disk assignments 163
maximum number of 163
types 163
search, advanced 18
search lists, adjusting for large domains 78
searching
inventory objects 17
simple search 17

439

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

searching inventory, permissions 17
security, permissions 72
security policies, distributed ports 272
security policy
distributed port groups 271, 279
policy exceptions 269
virtual switches 269
selecting datastores 88
serial port, redirecting the direct console using
the vSphere Client 23
serial ports
adding 156
adding Firewall rule set 155
changing 157
conditions for network connections 155
conditions for physical connections 154
connection types 154
server configuration for hyperthreading 343
service startup
changing policy 60
setting options 60
service startup options, setting 60
services, syslogd 24, 66, 426
sessions
viewing 21
vSphere Client, terminating 21
set host to evaluation mode 46
settings, vCenter Server 23, 26
shares, Storage I/O Control 349
shares and limits, Storage I/O Control 350
sharing, disks 94
shutdown, settings for virtual machines 180
shutdown, settings, for virtual machines 185
siblings 352
simple search 17
Single Root I/O Virtualization 254
SMASH 406
SMTP
configuring 416
notification 29
server 29
snapshots
about 187
behavior 187
child 187
consolidating 194
Delete all option 193
Delete option 193
deleting 193
delta disks 187
exclude virtual disks from 190
GO to command 192
hierarchy 187
memory 189

440

parent 187
quiescing 190
quiescing virtual machine files 189
restoring 191, 192
revert to parent 192
reverting to 191
taking 189, 190
virtual machine activity 189
virtual machines with dynamic disks 190
SNMP
community string 29
configuring 423
receiver URL 29
settings 29
traps 29
SNMP traps 417, 418
software iSCSI, networking 310
software FCoE
and VMkernel 303
activating adapters 304
software iSCSI initiator, enabling 308
software iSCSI adapter
configuring 308
disabling 309
software iSCSI initiators, setting up discovery
addresses 316
solutions,viewing 208, 422
specify failover hosts 387
SR-IOV
enable 254, 255
host profile 254, 255
SSL certificate 80
standard switch 227
standard switches
average bandwidth 274
beacon probing 260
burst size 274
failover 260
forged transmits 269
link status 260
load balancing policies 260
MAC address changes 269
NIC teaming 260
peak bandwidth 274
port configuration 229
promiscuous mode 269
security policy 269
traffic shaping policies 274
standby adapters 230
standby mode 356, 362, 363
standby settings, for virtual machines 180
standby uplinks 262, 265
starting, vSphere Client 14

VMware, Inc.

Index

startup settings, for virtual machines 185
states, distributed ports 237
static discovery, configuring 317
static discovery addresses 316
Statistics, Collection Intervals 27
status bar 14
storage
health monitoring 406
iSCSI 392
NAS 392
NFS 392
not-shared 337
provisioned 337
Storage Limitations, vSphere Client 300
used by virtual machines 337
vSphere Client, Storage Limitations 300
storage adapters
about 306
rescanning 321
viewing 301
storage controllers
AHCI SATA 163
and snapshots 163
BusLogic Parallel 163
compatibility 163
IDE 163
limitations for VMware Paravirtual SCSI 166
limitations of 163
LSI Logic SAS 163
maximum number of 163
SCSI 163
VMware Paravirtual SCSI 163, 166
storage device, renaming 321
storage filters, disabling 331
Storage APIs, Storage Awareness 338
storage devices
displaying for a host 300
displaying for an adapter 301
managing 321
paths 334
rescanning 321
Storage DRS
about 369
affinity rules 375
anti-affinity rules 376
automation level 373
disabling 369
enabling 369
maintenance mode 371
recommendations 372, 373
scheduled task 374
statistics 378

VMware, Inc.

Storage I/O Control
enabling 351
limitations 349
monitoring 350
requirements 349
shares and limits 349–351
threshold 352
Storage vMotion 123
storing, device nodes, using nondefault device
notes 93
subnet mask, editing 243
support information 45
suspending
vApps 198
virtual machines 180
swap file, deleting 348
swap file location 152
swap to SSD 348
swapfile location 347
swapfiles 346
syslog 24, 66, 426
Sysprep Answer Files
custom 118
sysprep.inf 118
sysprep.xml 118
system logs
configuring 427
downloading 425
ESXi 424
Systems Management Architecture for Server
Hardware, See SMASH

T
tabs, Getting Started 15
tasks
about 51
canceling 53
clone virtual machine 100
configuring retention policy 31
filtering on hosts and datacenters 52
filtering with keywords 53
guidelines 57
removing scheduled tasks 56
rescheduling 56
rules 57
scheduled, about 53
scheduling 54
viewing 14, 51
viewing all tasks 51
viewing recent tasks 52
viewing scheduled tasks 52
teaming policies
distributed ports 265

441

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

distributed port groups 264, 279
port group 262
temperature, monitoring 406
templates
changing names 105
cloning 101, 102
converting to virtual machines 107
converting virtual machines to 100
creating 100, 101
deleting 106
deploy virtual machines 103
OVF 134
removing from inventory 106
renaming 105
returning to inventory 107
returning to a host 187
unregistering 106
test failover, Fault Tolerance 397
test restart secondary, Fault Tolerance 398
thick provisioned disks 101, 102
thin disks, creating 336
thin provisioned disks 101, 102
thin provisioning 336
Thin Provisioning 93
threshold, Storage I/O Control 352
time zones 56
timeout, ESXi Shell 62
Timeout, interval 30
timeout interval, setting 28
Timeout settings, configuring 30
traffic shaping
distributed port groups 275, 279
port groups 274
traffic shaping policies
distributed ports 276
uplink ports 276
traps, SNMP 417, 418
triggered alarms, acknowledging 421
triggers, event-based 414
troubleshooting
debugging and statistics 183
extensions 21
log files 424, 427
plug-ins 21
virtual machine software installation 183
TSO 250
turning off, Fault Tolerance 396

U
updated information 11
upgrading
distributed switch 235
virtual machine hardware 139

442

VMware Tools 142
vSphere distributed switch 235
uplink adapters
adding 230
adding to a vSphere distributed switch 240
duplex 229
managing 240
removing 240
speed 229
uplink assignments 234
uplink port groups, VLAN policies 268
uplink ports
traffic shaping policies 276
VLAN policies 267, 268
USB passthrough
arbitrator for 173
avoiding data loss 177
configuring from a client computer to a
VM 177
configuring from a host to a virtual
machine 173
controllers for 173, 177
devices, See also USB devices
USB controllers
adding to virtual machine 174
removing from virtual machine 175
USB devices
adding from client computer to VM in the
vSphere Client 179
adding host device to virtual machine 176
adding to client computers 178
behavior with hot add operations 177
removing from virtual machine 177
removing remote client device from VM 179
supported devices for Mac OS X guest 177
use cases, Fault Tolerance 391
user management, ESXi 69
users
adding to ESXi 70
authentication 69
direct access 69
exporting a user list 71
modifying on hosts 70
removing 72
removing from hosts 71
searching 78
security 69
viewing user list 71

V
validation
enabling 28

VMware, Inc.

Index

of users or groups 28
period 28
vApps
adding objects to 199
advanced properties 202
cloning 198
configuring DNS 205
configuring IP address 204
configuring networks 201
creating 196
creating objects inside 199
defining OVF environment properties 203
editing advanced IP allocation properties 203
editing annotations 206
editing custom properties 203
editing properties 200, 201
editing resources 200
IP pools 204
managing 195
populating 199
power off settings 198
power on settings 197
resuming 199
selecting DHCP 204
selecting network associations 205
selecting proxy server for 205
shutdown options 200
startup options 200
suspending 198
variable information size for guest operating
systems
disabling 64
limiting 64
vCenter Converter client plug-in 133
vCenter Server
active sessions, view 21
advanced settings 32
assign license 26
communication through firewall 32
configuring 26
configuring SNMP 423
custom attributes 18
database connections 31
ID 28
IP address 28
license 26
licensing 26
name 28
SNMP 417
vCenter Server email agent 417
vCenter Server limitations, vSphere Client 26

VMware, Inc.

vendor providers
registering 338
unregistering 339
updating 339
viewing 339
verbose logging, configuring 427
version, virtual machine 89
VGT 286
video cards
configuring 171
selecting number of displays 171
virtual hardware
adding host USB devices to virtual
machine 176
adding USB devices 179
CPU advanced settings 147
CPU hyperthreading 147
CPU/MMU enablement 149
CPUs 90
disks 92
hot add enablement 144
hot adding virtual CPUs 144
memory 90
NICs 91
parallel ports 158, 159
SCSI controllers 92
SCSI devices 170, 171
serial ports 156
video cards 171
Virtual LAN 286
virtual machine, memory 150
virtual processors, See CPUs
virtual adapter 242
virtual compatibility mode 95
virtual CPUs, changing number 379
virtual device node 171
virtual devices, adding USB controller 174
virtual disks
clustering features 93
configuration 161
configuring 160
creating 93
flat format 93
modes 93
requirements for guest operating system
customization 109
sharing 94
shrinking 63
sparse 160
thin provisioning 160
thin format 93

443

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

types 92
using nondefault device node 93, 94
Virtual Guest Tagging 286
virtual machine hardware
determining version 140
upgrading 139
virtual disks 161
virtual machine affinity 365–367
virtual machine anti-affinity 365–367
virtual machine console 186
virtual machine DRS groups 366
virtual machine hardware version 139
Virtual Machine Limitations, vSphere Client 138
virtual machine monitoring 388
virtual machine networking 227
virtual machine options, vSphere HA 387
virtual machine overrides 389
Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown
feature 384
virtual machine swapfile location 347
virtual machines
acceleration 183
adding 186
adding to DRS clusters 360
adding to resource pools 355
advanced attributes 381
assigning to a specific processor 344
assigning WWNs to 301
changing name 141
cloning 97
completing 96
configuration file location 141
configuring 137
configuring devices 167
converting templates to 107
converting to templates 100
CPU configuration 144
CPU resources 143
creating 85, 86
custom attributes 18
debugging 183
deploy from templates 103
disable copy and paste 64
disabling logging 65
DRS automation level 358
enabling logging 182
EVC modes 130
exporting 134
floppy drives 169, 170
guest operating system 142
hard disks 161

444

hardware 137
hardware versions 139
hardware version 140
hot add enablement 151
limiting variable information size 64
managing 185
memory 149
migrating 123, 125, 126
migrating to or from a distributed switch 245
migrating to or from a vSphere distributed
switch 245
migration 123
naming 87
network adapter 154
network configuration 153
networking 244, 245
NIC 154
opening console 186
optical drives 167
power management settings 180
power states 180
preventing device disconnection 65
remove from a host 186
remove from the datastore 187
removing 186
removing from a DRS cluster 361
removing from resource pools 356
resources 137
restart priority 387
returning to a host 187
scheduled task to clone 100
selecting configuration option for creation 86
selecting guest operating systems 89
shutdown settings 185
snapshots 187
startup settings 185
swap file 152
swapfile location 346, 347
templates, converting to 100
upgrading hardware version 139
versions 89
view console 15
Virtual SMP 90
with RDMs 332
See also templates, clones
See also virtual hardware
virtual memory
allocation 149
configuring 149
virtual network adapters, removing 244
virtual NUMA 379
Virtual Serial Port Concentrator 154, 156

VMware, Inc.

Index

Virtual SMP 90
Virtual Switch Tagging 286
VLAN
port mirroring 289, 291
private 238
VLAN ID
primary 238
secondary 238
VLAN policies
distributed ports 267
uplink ports 267, 268
uplink port groups 268
VLAN policy, distributed port groups 267, 279
VLAN trunking, distributed port groups 267, 279
VLAN Trunking 43, 236, 267
VLAN Type 267
VM Component Protection 383
VM-Host affinity rule 365–367
VM-VM affinity rule 365, 366
VMCP 383
VMDK 392
VMFS, resignaturing 324
VMFS datastores
adding extents 328
changing signatures 325
creating on Fibre Channel storage 323
creating on iSCSI storage 323
creating on SCSI disk 323
creating on storage device 323
deleting 330
increasing capacity 328
rescanning 321
upgrading 326
VMFS resignaturing 324
VMFS volume 160
VMFS2 datastores, upgrading 327
VMFS3, upgrading 328
VMkernel
gateway 229, 244
jumbo frames 250
prefix 229, 244
routing 229, 244
VMkernel interfaces 313
VMkernel network adapters
adding 227, 241
editing 243
enabling vMotion 243
fault tolerance logging 243
vMotion
3DNow! 131
CD-ROM migration limitation 168
compatibility 148, 252
compatibility checks 128

VMware, Inc.

DirectPath I/O 253
enabling on a virtual network adapter 243
migrating virtual machines with 124
port mirroring 287
vMotion interfaces, creating 227, 241
VMware Compatibility Guide, accessing 109
VMware Paravirtual SCSI controllers 166
VMware Tools
requirement for customization 109
upgrading 142
vpxd, log files 428
vService, add a dependency 172, 201
vService, edit a dependency 173, 202
vservices, configuring 172
vServices, remove dependency 173, 202
vServices,monitoring 209
vSPC 154, 156
vSphere Client, Host Limitations 23
vSphere Client, networking 225
vSphere Administration with vSphere Client 9
vSphere Authentication Proxy 76, 77
vSphere CLI 24
vSphere Client
about 13
communication through firewall 32
licensing limitations 45
logging in 14
logging out 14
logs 425
panels 17
printing data 17
sessions 21
starting 14
stop 14
vSphere Client, networking limitations 225
vSphere Client, vCenter Server limitations 26
vSphere Client, Virtual Machine Limitations 138
vSphere distributed switch
adding 230
adding a host to 42, 231
adding a VMkernel network adapter 241
admin contact info 41, 234
CDP 294
Cisco Discovery Protocol 41, 234, 294
delete resource pool 249
editing 243
hosts 233
IP address 41, 234
jumbo frames 251
LLDP 294
manage hosts 232
maximum MTU 41, 234

445

vSphere Administration with the vSphere Client

maximum number of ports 41, 234
migrating virtual machines to or from 245
mirror 286
port mirroring 286
ports 233
protection against MAC address
impersonation 269
protection against traffic scanning 269
resource pool settings 249
security policy 269
upgrading 235
virtual machines 244
virtual network adapter 242
virtual network adapters 241
vSphere Distributed Switch
Network I/O Control 247
See also distributed switch Network I/O Control
vSphere DRS, creating rules 367
vSphere HA
checklist 383
cluster settings 384
configuring cluster settings 386
error messages 383
virtual machine monitoring 388
virtual machine options 387
vSphere HA cluster
creating 384, 395
planning 383
vSphere HA admission control, policy 387
vSphere HA datastore heartbeating 388
vSphere standard switch
port configuration 229
protection against MAC address
impersonation 269
protection against traffic scanning 269
security policy 269
teaming and failover policies 262
viewing 226
VST 286

WWPNs 301

W
wake protocols 363
Wake-on-LAN (WOL), testing 364
watchdog, health monitoring 406
Windows
customizing during cloning or deployment 111
guest operating system customization 109
requirements for customization 109
World Wide Names, See WWNs
WWNNs 301
WWNs
assigning to virtual machines 301
changing 302

446

VMware, Inc.

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Vmware VSphere Administration With The Client VCenter Server 6.0 V Center Sphere Esxi 60 Cag En

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