© 2009 VMware Inc. All rights reserved Transitioning to ESXi Spencer Cuffe, Sr. Escalation...

© 2009 VMware Inc. All rights reserved

Transitioning to ESXi

Spencer Cuffe, Sr. Escalation Engineer

Agenda

2 Confidential

Overview of ESXi

Hardware Monitoring and Systems Management

Upgrading/Migrating to ESXi

Infrastructure Services

Command Line Interfaces

Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

Next Steps

Why ESXi?

Full-featured hypervisor Superior consolidation and scalability

Same performance as VMware ESX architecture

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

No Service console means smaller attack footprint

Streamlined deployment and configuration Fewer configuration items making it easier to maintain

consistency

Automation of routine tasks through scripting environmentssuch as vCLI or PowerCLI

Simplified hypervisor Patching and Updating Smaller code base = fewer patches

Eliminates patch drifting due to single image update

The “dual-image” approach lets you revert to prior image if desired

VMware components and third party components can be updated independently

Next generation of VMware’s Hypervisor Architecture

New and Improved ESX Management

Commands forconfiguration and

diagnostics

Commands forconfiguration and

diagnostics

Management Agents

Hardware Agents

Service Console (COS)

VMware ESXi

CIM API

Agentless vAPI-based

“Classic” VMware ESX

Agentless CIM-based

vCLI, PowerCLI, vMA

vSphere APIInfrastructure

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

Local Support ConsoleRemote Support Console

Agenda

5 Confidential

Overview of ESXi






Next Steps

WS

-MA

N

Hardware Monitoring with CIM

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

monitoring of hardware resources• Output readable by 3rd party

management tools via standard APIs• VMware and Partner CIM

providers for specific hardware devices

Management Server

ManagementClient

Hardware

VMkernel

HardwarePlatformCPU Network StorageMemory

CIM Broker

VMware Providers

Partner Providers

http://vmweb.vmware.com/product_mktg/diagrams/images/icons/CPU_icon.zip

Monitor and Manage Health of Server Hardware with vCenter

New CIM Interface• Detailed hardware health

monitoring• Physical and virtual visibility

on server health• vCenter alarms alert when

hardware failures occur Host hardware fan status Host hardware power status Host hardware system board

status Host hardware temperature

status

New vCenter

Alarms for Hardware

Third Party Hardware Monitoring

• OEMs HW Monitoring through their Management Consoles

Dell Open Manager Server Administrator 6.1HP SIM 5.3.2+

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

Monitoring of Installed Software Component

In vCenter Server In ESXi 4.1 directly

9

ESXi OEM Versions

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

BPM for Virtual Servers BPA for Virtual Servers Capacity Mgmt Essentials Atrium Orchestrator Bladelogic Operations

Manager ProactiveNet v7.7 * Client Automation Atrium Discovery &

Dependency Mapping

v7.4 *

CA Virtual

Performance

Manager (VPM) Spectrum Automation

Management Spectrum eHealth Cohesion ARCserve

Smarts ESM v1.1 ADM v6.2 ControlCenter Avamar Networker

ITM for Virtual

Servers v6.1.2 * TPM ITUAM ITLCM Tivoli Storage

Manager

Operations Orchestration VI SPI Client Automation DDM Operations Agent UCMDB SiteScope Performance Agent DataProtector HP Operations

Majority of Systems Management and Back Up Vendors Support ESXi

Agenda

12 Confidential

Overview of ESXi






Next Steps

Information on Migration to ESXi

13 Confidential

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

Provides an overview of differences between ESX Classic and ESXi

Provides examples of tasks and how to complete them on ESXi Vs. ESX Classic

Installation methods for ESXi 4.1

Details

• Numerous choices for installation Installer booted from

CD-ROM (default)

Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

ESXi Installation image on

CD-ROM (default), HTTP/S, FTP, NFS

Script can be stored and accessed

Within the ESXi Installer ramdisk(Default Script)

On the installation CD-ROM

HTTP / HTTPS, FTP, NFS , USB

Config script (“ks.cfg”) can include

Preinstall

Postinstall

First boot

ESXi 4.1 Installer

15 Confidential

ESXi 4.1 Installer

16 Confidential

ESXi 4.1 Installer

17 Confidential

ESXi 4.1 Installer

18 Confidential

ESXi 4.1 Installer

19 Confidential

ESXi 4.1 Installer

20 Confidential

Agenda

21 Confidential

Overview of ESXi






Next Steps

Infrastructure Services for Production Environments

Function ESX ESXi

Time synchronization

NTP agent in COS Built-in NTP service

Centralized log collection

Syslog agent in COS Built-in Syslog service

SNMP monitoring SNMP agent in COS Built-in SNMP service

Persistent Logging Filesystem of the COS Log to files on datastore

Local access authentication

AD agent in COS, Built-in Active Directory service

Built-in Active Directory service

Large-Scale Deployment

Boot from SAN, PXE Install, Kickstart

Boot from SAN, PXE Install, Scripted Installation

New in vSphere 4.1

New Feature: Boot from SAN

Details

• Fully supported in ESXi 4.1 Only experimentally supported in ESXi 4.0

• Boot from SAN supported for FC, iSCSI, and FCoE

• ESX and ESXi have different requirement:

iBFT (Boot Firmware Table) required

• The host must have an iSCSI boot capable NIC that supports the iSCSI iBFT format.

• iBFT is a method of communicating parameters about the iSCSI boot device to an OS

Agenda

24 Confidential

Overview of ESXi






Next Steps

vCLI and PowerCLI: primary scripting interfaces

vCLI and PowerCLI built on same API as vSphere Client

• Same authentication (e.g. Active Directory), roles and privileges, event logging

• API is secure, optimized for remote environments, firewall-friendly, standards-based

vSphere Web Service API

vSphere SDK

Otherlanguages

vCLI Other utility

scripts

vSphere Client

vSpherePowerCLI

New Feature: Additional vCLI commands

Storage Configuration

• esxcli swiscsi session: Manage iSCSI sessions

• esxcli swiscsi nic: Manage iSCSI NICs

• esxcli swiscsi vmknic: List VMkernel NICs available for binding to particular iSCSI adapter

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

• esxcli vaai device: Display information about devices claimed by the VMware VAAI (vStorage APIs for Array Integration) Filter Plugin.

• esxcli corestorage device: List devices or plugins. Used in conjunction with hardware acceleration.

Host Operations

• vicfg-hostops: Perform operations on ESX/ESXi hosts: enter/exit maintenance mode shutdown/reboot host

Agenda

27 Confidential

Overview of ESXi






Next Steps


ESXi Troubleshooting Options

• vCLI commands

• DCUI-based troubleshooting

• Browser-based troubleshooting

• Tech Support Mode

Confidential28

Diagnostic Commands for ESXi: vCLI

Familiar set of ‘esxcfg-*’ commands available in vCLI

• Names mapped to ‘vicfg-*’

• Also includes vmkfstools vmware-cmd resxtop esxcli: suite of diagnostic tools

New Feature: Additional vCLI troubleshooting commands

Network

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

Storage

• NFS statistics available in resxtop

VM

• esxcli vms vm kill: Forcibly stop VMs that do not respond to normal stop operations, by using kill commands. # esxcli vms vm kill --type <kill_type> --world-id <ID>

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

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

DCUI-based Troubleshooting

Menu item to restart all management agents, including

Hostd

vpxa

Menu item to reset all configuration settings

Fix a misconfigured vNetwork Distributed Switch

Reset all configurations

Browser-based access of config files

https://<hostname>/host

Browser-based access of log files

https://<hostname>/host/messages

Browser-based access of datastore files

https://<hostname>/folder

Disk Descriptor

New Feature: Full Support of Tech Support Mode

Two ways to access

• Local: on console of host (press “Alt-F1”)

• Remote: via SSH


• Toggle on DCUI Disable/Enable Both Local and Remote

• Optional timeout automatically disables TSM (local and remote) Running sessions are

not terminated. New sessions are

rejected

• All commands issued in Tech Support Mode are sent to syslog


37

Can also enable in vCenter Server and Host Profiles


Recommended uses

• Support, troubleshooting, and break-fix

• Scripted deployment preinstall, postinstall, and first boot scripts

Discouraged uses

• Any other scripts

• Running commands/scripts periodically (cron jobs)

• Leaving open for routine access or permanent SSH connection

Admin will benotified when active

New Feature: Additional commands in Tech Support Mode

Additional commands for troubleshooting

• vscsiStat

• nc (netcat)

• tcpdump-uw

TSM: Advanced troubleshooting

DCUI: misconfigs / restart mgmt agents

Summary of ESXi Diagnostics and Troubleshooting

ESXiAPI Access

Browser vCLI

vSphere APIs

• During normal operations: • If things go wrong:

Direct Access

New Feature: Total Lockdown

Ability to totally control local access via vCenter Server

• Lockdown Mode (prevents all access except root on DCUI)

• DCUI – can additionally disable

• If both configured, then no local activity possible (except pull the plugs)

41

Access Mode Normal Lockdown

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

Any user, based on local roles/privileges

None (except vCenter vpxuser)

CIM Any user, based on local role/privilege

None (except via vCenter ticket)

DCUI Root and users with Admin privileges

Root only

Tech Support Mode (Local) Root and users with Admin privileges

None

Tech Support Mode (Remote) Root and users with Admin privileges

None

Agenda

42 Confidential

Overview of ESXi






Next Steps

Summary of new ESXi features in vSphere 4.1

Capability ESX i 4.0 ESX i 4.1 ESX 4.1

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

Advanced troubleshooting

Tech Support Mode (restricted) Tech Support Mode COS

Scripted installation Not supported Supported Supported

Boot from SAN Not supported Supported Supported

SNMP Supported (limited) Supported (limited) Supported

Active Directory Not supported Integrated Integrated

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

Jumbo frames Supported Supported Supported

Serial port host management

Not supported Not supported Supported

Web Access Not supported Not supported Not Supported

Total Lockdown Not available Supported Not available

Planning the transition

Start Testing ESXi

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

Familiarize Yourself with Remote Command Lines

• vCLI and PowerCLI can also be used to manage ESX hosts

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

Ensure Your Backup and Systems Management Products Integrate with ESXi.

• If you are using an agent-based partner solution to integrate with vSphere, please check with

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

Plan an ESXi Migration as Part of Your vSphere Upgrade

• During the upgrade process, prior versions of VMware ESX can be replaced with the latest

version of VMware ESXi.

• Testing of ESXi architecture can be incorporated into overall vSphere testing

We Are Converging on the ESXi Architecture

• VMware will converge on the ESXi architecture in mid 2011.

• End-of-Sale ≠ End of Support: ESX 4.0 (with Service Console) will be supported at least through May 2014 according to the VMware vSphere Support Life Cycle (HW enablement is limited to first 2 years):

987654321

General Extended

General Extended

General Availability

1st Minor Rel.

Years After Release

Please Look up the Details on vmware.com

Questions?

46 Confidential

© 2009 VMware Inc. All rights reserved Transitioning to ESXi Spencer Cuffe, Sr. Escalation...

Documents

Transcript of © 2009 VMware Inc. All rights reserved Transitioning to ESXi Spencer Cuffe, Sr. Escalation...