Run Hardware Diagnostic tests

Most servers are shipped with a hardware diagnostics CD, although other hardware vendors may choose to install a hidden utility partition located on your hard drive.

Note: If you are not experienced with computers or have any concerns, please contact your hardware vendor.

You can diagnose hardware related problems on your server by booting from the diagnostic CD or choosing Diagnostics from the boot device list.

These diagnostic tools allow you to:

• Check the hardware configuration and verify that it is functioning correctly.
• Test individual hardware components.
• Diagnose hardware-related problems.
• Obtain a complete hardware configuration.

When testing, if a component failure is detected, make note of any error code(s) and contact the hardware vendor.

Check your memory

Note: This process requires downtime on your ESX/ESXi host for up to 48 hours. In most cases, contacting your hardware vendor for a diagnostic utility as mentioned above should be sufficient in testing your hardware. VMware does not endorse or recommend any particular third party utility.  However, there are third party options available to test your memory.

To test your memory:

1. Download memtest86+ from http://www.memtest.org/.
2. Extract the ISO image from the .gz or .zip archive.
3. Burn the image to CD.
4. Boot your ESX/ESXi host from the CD.
5. The memtest goes through each memory bank and checks for errors.
   
   Note: If memtest86+ does not run on your hardware, contact your vendor for their memory test utility. 

Ensure your server conforms to Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) rules and regulations

Notes:

• If you are not experienced with computers or have any concerns, please contact your hardware vendor.
• Problems related to NUMA usually occur following a RAM upgrade or after an ESX/ESXi Server host installation.

You might see an error such as the following:

The BIOS reports that NUMA node 1 has no memory. This problem is either caused by a bad BIOS or a very unbalanced distribution of memory modules. 

NUMA is a system where each processor has separate memory. The separate memory helps to avoid a performance hit when several processors attempt to address the same memory.

The main requirement is that a similar amount of memory is installed beside each processor. If the amount of memory installed beside each processor is not not similar, it is unbalanced and you might experience performance problems.For more information, see ESX Server Memory Management on Systems with AMD Opteron Processors (1570).

More information on NUMA is also available in the Resource Management Guide.

Run the VMware CPU Identification Utility

To ensure that your CPU(s) are being detected as expected you can use the VMware CPU Identification Utility. You can download the utility at VMware Shared Utilities. This tool helps you ensure that the ESX host is detecting and reporting your CPU(s) correctly.

When the the VMware CPU Identification Utility has been downloaded, the cpuid.iso image can be used to create a bootable CD that aids in processor and feature identification. The tool displays Family/Model/Stepping information for the CPUs detected, and hexadecimal values for the CPU registers that identify specific CPU features. The hexadecimal register values are then interpreted to indicate whether the CPUs support features like, 64bit, SSE3, and nX/xD.

The following is sample output:

Reporting CPUID for 2 logical CPUs...

All CPUs are identical

Family: 0f Model: 04 Stepping: 1

ID1ECX ID1EDX ID81ECX ID81EDX
0x0000641d 0xbfebfbff 0000000000 0x20100000Vendor : Intel
Processor Cores : 1
Brand String : " Intel(R) Xeon(TM) CPU 2.80GHz"
SSE Support : SSE1, SSE2, SSE3
Supports NX / XD : Yes
Supports CMPXCHG16B : Yes
Hyperthreading : Yes
Supports 64-bit Longmode : Yes
Supports 64-bit VMware : No

Additional Information

In addition make sure that you are meeting the minimum system requirements for your ESX/ESXi.  For more information see Minimum requirements for installing ESX/ESXi (1003661).For more information about decoding machine check exceptions, see  Decoding Machine Check Exception (MCE) output after a purple screen error (1005184)

Hardware & VCLI Commands

There might be a few reasons that you would need to do this. But if you need to locate the Serial Number of server or Service Tag of your Dell server you can do this from the service console command line.  In the past I have needed this to schedule service and also to confirm the identity of a server for the Vendor that was on site. In case you do not have a database to reference or maybe someone mistyped the digits you can always fall back to this method.

[root@host name]#  /usr/sbin/dmidecode |grep -A4 “System Information”

I have grabbed a list of the new commands added to vCLI 4.1, these command will help narrow the gap that had existed between what you could run on the ESX console (COS) and what you could do via the vCLI with an ESXi host. Notice the part at the end where it lists some of the commands that cannot be executed against a vCenter server for a host in lock down mode.

• vicfg-hostops – Allows you to examine, stop, and reboot hosts and to instruct hosts to enter and exit maintenance mode.
• vicfg-authconfig – Allows you to add an ESX/ESXi host to an Active Directory domain, remove the host, and list Active Directory domain information.
• vicfg-ipsec – Supports IPsec setup.

vSphere CLI 4.1 also includes the following new functionality:

• The following options have been added to esxcli:
  • esxcli swiscsi session – Manage iSCSI sessions.
  • esxcli swiscsi nic – Manage iSCSI network interfaces.
  • esxcli swiscsi vmknic – List VMkernel network interfaces 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 – List devices or plugins. Used in conjunction with hardware acceleration.
  • esxcli network – List active connections or list active ARP table entries.
  • esxcli vms – List and forcibly stop virtual machines that do not respond to normal stop operations.
• Some of the parity issues between vSphere CLI and the ESX service console have been resolved.
• You can now run vCLI commands using SSPI (--passthroughauth) against both vCenter Server and ESX/ESXi systems.
• Lockdown mode allows vSphere administrators to block direct access to ESXi systems. With lockdown mode enabled, all operations must go through a vCenter Server system. The following commands cannot run against vCenter Server systems and can therefore not be used in lockdown mode:
  • vicfg-snmp
  • vifs
  • vicfg-user
  • vicfg-cfgbackup
  • vihostupdate
  • vmkfstools
  • esxcli
  • vicfg-ipsec
If you want to run these commands against an ESXi system, turn off lockdown mode using the vSphere Client.

Hardware Issues for ESX / ESXI Server

If you are using ESX 4.0 (Classic) then try running following command on your esx server  :-   #dmidecode > out.txt or if you have ESXi 4.0 then try this command #smbiosDump > out.txt

In dimidecode and smbiosdump output,  you will know in which slot memory is installed and also size of the memory in each slot. 

I am not sure how to check failed memory but in demidecode and smbiosdump output, Their is property like Error Info.. Check that property in your scenario.

How to Check the pci Information in ESX/ESXI Servers
Use the VMware provided tool “vmkvsitools“. Go to the console and issue the command “vmkvsitools lspci“. This command returns a list of all PCI devices in your system, equal to just running the “lspci” command, but adds the VMware device name at the end of each line

Upgrading NIC drivers for VMware vSphere (ESX/ESXi) 4.x Hosts

Contents:

• Overview of Upgrading NIC drivers in vSphere 4
• Steps to Update NIC drivers in vSphere 4
• Conclusion

Overview of Upgrading NIC drivers in vSphere
With our ever growing technology infrastructure we get to play the update and upgrade games so everything can talk to everything else. Even virtualization does not free us from the fun exercise of upgrading drivers and firmware levels. If, for whatever reason, you find yourself asking "how do I upgrade the NIC drivers on a vSphere host?" The steps below should provide enough information to get you through the process.

Please note that these steps were performed on a Windows 2008 R2 Enterprise server and were ran against a VMware ESX 4.1.0 build 260247 vSphere host using the VMware vSphere CLI 4.1.0 build 254719 tool on December 8th, 2010. These steps should work for any version of vSphere 4.x and vCLI 4.x but read the documentation on the 'vihostupdate' command from VMware's website first to verify the process has not changed. If you are running the vSphere CLI from a *nix host please read the documentation to verify the steps outlined will work for you before attempting them.
The documentation is located here: http://www.vmware.com/support/developer/vcli/.

A reboot of the VMware vSphere ESX / ESXi host is required before the changes will take effect. The reboot will not occur automatically and should be performed at step 13.

These instructions are not meant to be exhaustive and may not be appropriate for your environment. Always check with your vendors for the appropriate steps to manage your infrastructure.

Steps to Update NIC drivers in vSphere 4

1. Install the vSphere Command Line Interface (vSphere CLI) on a machine that has SSH access to your vSphere ESX/ESXi host's service console.
   The Installer is located here: http://www.vmware.com/download/download.do?downloadGroup=VCLI41
   VMware recommends installing the vSphere CLI on your vSphere vCenter Server as it typically has access to your vSphere hosts but, it does not have to be on a vCenter Server.
   
2. Verify your version of ESX and/or ESXi.
   For an ESX host, SSH to the service console and perform the following:
   
   [root@MYHOST1 ~]# vmware -v
   VMware ESX 4.1.0 build-260247
   
   For an ESXi host, connect to the console with a KVM, lights out manager, or other management tool and view the home screen:
   
   
   
3. Verify the NIC type you are running and the driver name.
   From a vCenter client, change your view to Hosts and Clusters.
   
   
   
   Expand the cluster the host is in and select the vSphere Host you want to upgrade. Click on the configuration tab, then networking, and click properties next to a NIC (in Virtual Switch or Distributed Switch view). The name of your network adapter is located in the Network Adapters tab and the Adapter Details pane. The name of the driver is in the driver field. From this example the name of the NIC is Broadcom NetXtreme II 57711E and the driver is bnx2x.
   
   
   
4. Place your host in maintenance mode through the vSphere Client and wait for all virtual machines to be migrated off the host before continuing.
   
   
5. Verify the current running version of your drivers.
   For an ESX host, SSH to the service console and perform the below command. Replace "bnx2x" with your driver name from step 3 (above). The current version is the driver with the text "installed" in the second field. From this example the "bnx2x_400.1.54.1" driver is the current version.
   
   [root@MYHOST1 ~]# esxupdate query --vib-view | grep bnx2x
   rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-1.0.7.193498@x86_64     retired
   rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-2vmw.1.9.208167@x86_64     retired
   rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.54.1.v41.1-1vmw.0.0.260247@x86_64     installed
   rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-2vmw.2.17.261974@x86_64     retired
   
   
6. Download the appropriate driver for your host's NIC and vSphere ESX / ESXi version fromhttp://downloads.vmware.com/d/info/datacenter_downloads/vmware_vsphere_4/4#drivers_tools. You may have to expand the "Driver CDs" menu to view all downloads.
   
7. Copy the data from the CD/offline-bundle/ folder to the machine that you installed the vSphere CLI on.
   Depending on your network adapter and the types of drivers available, you may have 1 to many zip files in the offline-bundle folder. Your drivers may be a different name and version than what is shown below.
   
   
   
8. Run the vSphere CLI and change to the directory that you saved the offline-bundle zip files to using the "cd" command.
   
9. Verify the offline-bundle package you downloaded is valid for your system. Make sure to change the file specified after "--bundle" to the zip file that corresponds to the driver you discovered from step 3 (above). (Time saving tip: you should be able to tab complete the driver name.)
   
   C:\drivers\offline-bundle>vihostupdate.pl --server 172.16.1.2 --scan --bundle BCM-bnx2x-1.60.50.v41.2-offline_bundle-325733.zip
   Enter username:
   Enter password:
   The bulletins which apply to but are not yet installed on this ESX host are listed.
   
   ---------Bulletin ID-------------------------Summary-----------------
   BCM-bnx2x-1.60.50.v41.2     bnx2x: net driver for VMware ESX
   
   If you receive a message stating there are no bulletins which apply to your system then you have either grabbed the wrong driver cd or your system is already up to date.
   
10. Install the offline-bundles which apply to your system. It is possible to define the username and password on the command line or through a configuration file. Read the vSphere Command-line reference document's section titled vSphere CLI Connection Options for more information.
    
    C:\drivers\offline-bundle>vihostupdate.pl --server 172.16.1.2 --install --bundle BCM-bnx2x-1.60.50.v41.2-offline_bundle-325733.zip
    Enter username:
    Enter password:
    Please wait patch installation is in progress ...
    The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective.
    
    The driver install typically takes about a minute but could be faster or slower depending on your system configuration.
    
11. Repeat steps 9 and 10 as necessary for any remaining network drivers.
    
12. Verify the drivers installed correctly.
    For an ESX host, SSH to the service console and perform the below command. Be sure to replace "bnx2x" with your driver name from step 3 (above). You should see a driver (or drivers) with a status of "pending,installed". In this example the "bnx2x_400.1.60.50" driver was installed over the old "bnx2x_400.1.54.1" driver.
    
    [root@MYHOST1 ~]# esxupdate query --vib-view | grep bnx2x
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-1.0.7.193498@x86_64     retired
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-2vmw.1.9.208167@x86_64     retired
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-2vmw.2.17.261974@x86_64     retired
    cross_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.60.50.v41.2-1vmw.0.0.00000     pending,installed
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.54.1.v41.1-1vmw.0.0.260247@x86_64     retired
    
    If the new driver version does not appear it is possible the driver install failed from step 10 or the wrong driver was chosen for installation.
    
13. Reboot the newly upgraded host through the vSphere Client.
    
14. When the host is online, verify the new drivers are installed and running.
    For an ESX host, SSH to the service console and perform the below command. Be sure to replace "bnx2x" with your driver name from step 3 (above). You should see a driver (or drivers) with a status of "installed". In this example the "bnx2x_400.1.60.50" driver was installed successfully and is running after the reboot.
    
    [root@USSLTCHER0049 ~]# esxupdate query --vib-view | grep bnx2x
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-1.0.7.193498@x86_64     retired
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-2vmw.1.9.208167@x86_64     retired
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.45.20-2vmw.2.17.261974@x86_64     retired
    cross_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.60.50.v41.2-1vmw.0.0.00000     installed
    rpm_vmware-esx-drivers-net-bnx2x_400.1.54.1.v41.1-1vmw.0.0.260247@x86_64     retired

Conclusion
Following the above process you should be able to successfully upgrade the NIC drivers for your vSphere 4 ESX / ESXi hosts. Always be sure to read the release details of your drivers before download and installing them. If you have any problems updating your drivers you should search VMware KB articles related to your setup or contact VMware for assistance. These instructions could also be used to upgrade other drivers such as HBA's, graphics accelerators, etc.

Process-2

Update Intel NIC Drivers on ESX 4.1

I Installed an IBM x3650 M3 the other day. During the installation the additional Intel NIC was not recognized by default in the ESX Host.
This I could see in two different ways, from the output on the console
msaidelk@esx9:~$ sudo lspci | grep Ethernet
0b:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
0b:00.1 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
10:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
10:00.1 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
15:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 1516 (rev 01)
15:00.1 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 1516 (rev 01)
1f:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 1516 (rev 01)
1f:00.1 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation Unknown device 1516 (rev 01)
And the GUI also only recognized the first 4 Broadcom NICs (instead of 8)

I posted an article about IBM x3650 M3 Does not Recognize NICs a while back - but as you can see from the output above they are recognized in hardware - just ESX does not know how to deal with them.
I downloaded the driver from VMware's Site and extracted the files from the ISO image and the file I am interested in is in the offline-bundle folder

The host has to be in Maintenance mode for the patch update.
Install through vCLI
C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware vSphere CLI\bin>vihostupdate.pl --server esx9.maishsk.local --username root  -i -b \\vc\VMware\ESX\INT-intel-lad-ddk-igb-2.4.10-offline_bundle-320657.zip
After installation
msaidelk@esx9:~$ sudo lspci | grep Ethernet0b:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
0b:00.1 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
10:00.0 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
10:00.1 Ethernet controller: Broadcom Corporation Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM5709 1000Base-T (rev 20)
15:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82580 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 01)
15:00.1 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82580 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 01)
1f:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82580 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 01)
1f:00.1 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82580 Gigabit Network Connection (rev 01)Host rebooted and it comes up with all NICs recognized.

Basics Trouble shooting on VMware ESX/ESXi

1) What is management service service used for ESX/ESXi Server?
2) What is Watchdog ?
3) What is Host Agent ?

I am not able to create the VM's in  running ESX / ESXi Server, But i have some VM in ESX Server which is Running with out Any issue .

How to Solve this issue ?
[root@server]# service mgmt-vmware restart
Stopping VMware ESX Server Management services:
VMware ESX Server Host Agent Watchdog [ OK ]
VMware ESX Server Host Agent [ OK ]
Starting VMware ESX Server Management services:
VMware ESX Server Host Agent (background) [ OK ]
Availability report startup (background) [ OK ]
[root@server]# service vmware-vpxa restart
Stopping vmware-vpxa: [ OK ]
Starting vmware-vpxa: [ OK ]
[root@server]#

NETWORKING ISSUES COMMANDS FOR VSWITCH,VKERNEL,VSWIF

This command will be use ful for migraton of servers from one network place to another network place , i hope this will be very useful in working scenario...




Networking: Esxcfg-firewall Esxcfg-nics Esxcfg-vswitch Esxcfg-vswif Esxcfg-route Esxcfg-vmknic

Storage: Esxcfg-mpath Esxcfg-nas Esxcfg-swisci Esxcfg-vmhbadevs

General: Esxcfg-advcfg Esxcfg-auth Esxcfg-info Esxcfg-resgrp Esxcfg-upgrade

Boot/Diagnostic: Esxcfg-boot Esxcfg-dumppart Esxcfg-init Esxcfg-linuxnet Esxcfg-module



Esxcfg-firewall

Description: Configures the service console firewall ports

Syntax: esxcfg-firewall
Options:

-q Lists current settings

-q Lists settings for the specified service

-q incoming
outgoing Lists settings for non-required incoming/outgoing ports

-s Lists known services

-l Loads current settings

-r Resets all options to defaults

-e Allows specified service through the firewall (enables)

-d Blocks specified service (disables)

-o
udp,in
out,name> Opens a port

-c
udp,in
out> Closes a port previously opened by –o

-h Displays command help

-allowincoming Allow all incoming ports

-allowoutgoing Allow all outgoing ports

-blockincoming Block all non-required incoming ports (default value)

-blockoutgoing Block all non-required outgoing ports (default value)



Default Services:

AAMClient Added by the vpxa RPM: Traffic between ESX Server hosts for VMware High Availability (HA) and EMC Autostart Manager – inbound and outbound TCP and UDP Ports 2050 – 5000 and 8042 – 8045

activeDirectorKerberos Active Directory Kerberos - outbound TCPs Port 88 and 464

CIMHttpServer First-party optional service: CIM HTTP Server - inbound TCP Port 5988

CIMHttpsServer First-party optional service: CIM HTTPS Server - inbound TCP Port 5989

CIMSLP First-party optional service: CIM SLP - inbound and outbound TCP and UDP Ports 427

commvaultDynamic Backup agent: Commvault dynamic – inbound and outbound TCP Ports 8600 – 8619

commvaultStatic Backup agent: Commvault static – inbound and outbound TCP Ports 8400 – 8403

ftpClient FTP client - outbound TCP Port 21

ftpServer FTP server - inbound TCP Port 21

kerberos Kerberos - outbound TCPs Port 88 and 749

LicenseClient FlexLM license server client - outbound TCP Ports 27000 and 27010

nfsClient NFS client - outbound TCP and UDP Ports 111 and 2049 (0 – 65535)

nisClient NIS client - outbound TCP and UDP Ports 111 (0 – 65535)

ntpClient NTP client - outbound UDP Port 123

smbClient SMB client - outbound TCP Ports 137 – 139 and 445

snmpd SNMP services - inbound TCP Port 161 and outbound TCP Port 162

sshClient SSH client - outbound TCP Port 22

sshServer SSH server - inbound TCP Port 22

swISCSIClient First-party optional service: Software iSCSI client - outbound TCP Port 3260

telnetClient NTP client - outbound TCP Port 23

TSM Backup agent: IBM Tivoli Storage Manager – inbound and outbound TCP Ports 1500

veritasBackupExec Backup agent: Veritas BackupExec – inbound TCP Ports 10000 – 10200

veritasNetBackup Backup agent: Veritas NetBackup – inbound TCP Ports 13720, 13732, 13734, and 13783

vncServer VNC server - Allow VNC sessions 0-64: inbound TCP Ports 5900 – 5964

vpxHeartbeats vpx heartbeats - outbound UDP Port 902



Note: You can configure your own services in the file /etc/vmware/firewall/services.xml



esxcfg-firewall examples:

Enable ssh client connections from the Service Console:

# esxcfg-firewall -e sshClient

Disable the Samba client connections:

# esxcfg-firewall -d smbClient

Allow syslog outgoing traffic:

# esxcfg-firewall -o 514,udp,out,syslog

Turn off the firewall:

# esxcfg-firewall -allowIncoming

# esxcfg-firewall -allowOutgoing

Re-enable the firewall:

# esxcfg-firewall -blockIncoming

# esxcfg-firewall –blockOutgoing

Esxcfg-nics

Description: Prints a list of physical network adapters along with information on the driver, PCI device, and link state of each NIC. You can also use this command to control a physical network adapter’s speed and duplexing.

Syntax: esxcfg-nics [nic]



Options:

-s Set the speed of this NIC to one of 10/100/1000/10000. Requires a NIC parameter.

-d Set the duplex of this NIC to one of 'full' or 'half'. Requires a NIC parameter.

-a Set speed and duplex automatically. Requires a NIC parameter.

-l Print the list of NICs and their settings.

-r Restore the NICs configured speed/duplex settings. (Internal use only)

-h Displays command help



esxcfg-nics examples:

Set the speed and duplex of a NIC (vmnic2) to 100/Full:

esxcfg-nics -s 100 -d full vmnic2

Set the speed and duplex of a NIC (vmnic2) to auto-negotiate:

esxcfg-nics -a vmnic2

esxcfg-vswitch

Description: Creates and updates virtual machine (vswitch) network settings

Syntax: esxcfg-vswitch [vswitch[:ports]]

Options:

-a Add a new virtual switch.

-d Delete the virtual switch.

-l List all the virtual switches.

-L Set pnic as an uplink for the vswitch.

-U Remove pnic from the uplinks for the vswitch.

-p Specify a portgroup for operation. Use ALL for operation to work on all portgroups

-v Set VLAN ID for portgroup specified by -p. 0 would disable the VLAN.

-c Check to see if a virtual switch exists. Program outputs a 1 if it exists, 0 otherwise.

-A Add a new portgroup to the virtual switch.

-D Delete the portgroup from the virtual switch.

-C Check to see if a portgroup exists. Program outputs a 1 if it exists, 0 otherwise.

-r Restore all virtual switches from the configuration file (Internal use only)

-h Displays command help

esxcfg-vswitch examples:

Add a pnic (vmnic2) to a vswitch (vswitch1):

esxcfg-vswitch -L vmnic2 vswitch1

Remove a pnic (vmnic3) from a vswitch (vswitch0):

esxcfg-vswitch -U vmnic3 vswitch0

Create a portgroup (VM Network3) on a vswitch (vswitch1):

esxcfg-vswitch -A "VM Network 3" vSwitch1

Assign a VLAN ID (3) to a portgroup (VM Network 3) on a vswitch (vswitch1):

esxcfg-vswitch -v 3 -p "VM Network 3" vSwitch1


Esxcfg-vswif

Description: Creates and updates service console network settings. This command is used if you cannot manage the ESX Server host through the VI Client because of network configuration issues.

Syntax: esxcfg-vswif [vswif]



Options:

-a Add vswif, requires IP parameters. Automatically enables interface.

-d Delete vswif.

-l List configured vswifs.

-e Enable this vswif interface.

-s Disable this vswif interface.

-p Set the portgroup name of the vswif.

-i or DHCP The IP address for this vswif or specify DHCP to use DHCP for this address.

-n The IP netmask for this vswif.

-b The IP broadcast address for this vswif. (not required if netmask and ip are set)

-c Check to see if a virtual NIC exists. Program outputs a 1 if the given vswif exists, 0 otherwise.

-D Disable all vswif interfaces. (WARNING: This may result in a loss of network connectivity to the Service Console)

-E Enable all vswif interfaces and bring them up.

-r Restore all vswifs from the configuration file. (Internal use only)

-h Displays command help.



Note: You can set the Service Console default gateway by editing the /etc/sysconfig/network file or through the VI Client under Configuration, DNS & Routing.



esxcfg-vswif examples:

Change your Service Console (vswif0) IP and Subnet Mask:

esxcfg-vswif -i 172.20.20.5 -n 255.255.255.0 vswif0

Add a Service Console (vswif0):

esxcfg-vswif -a vswif0 -p "Service Console" -i 172.20.20.40 -n 255.255.255.0

Esxcfg-route

Description: Sets or retrieves the default VMkernel gateway route

Syntax: esxcfg-route [ [] ]

can be specified in 2 ways: as a single argument in / format or as a pair.

is either an IP address or 'default'



Options: -a Add route to the VMkernel, requires network address (or 'default') and gateway IP address.

-d Delete route from the VMkernel, requires network address (or 'default').

-l List configured routes for the Service Console.

-r Restore route setting to configured values on system start. (Internal use only)

-h Displays command help

esxcfg-route examples:

Set the VMkernel default gateway route:

esxcfg-route 172.20.20.1

Add a route to the VMkernel:

esxcfg-route -a default 255.255.255.0 172.20.20.1

Esxcfg-vmknic

Description: Creates and updates VMkernel TCP/IP settings for VMotion, NAS, and iSCSI

Syntax: esxcfg-vmknic [[portgroup]]

Options:

-a Add a VMkernel NIC to the system, requires IP parameters and portgroup name.

-d Delete VMkernel NIC on given portgroup.

-e Enable the given NIC if disabled.

-D Disable the given NIC if enabled.

-l List VMkernel NICs.

-i The IP address for this VMkernel NIC. Setting an IP address requires that the -n option be given in same command.

-n The IP netmask for this VMkernel NIC. Setting the IP netmask requires that the -i option be given in the same command.

-r Restore VMkernel TCP/IP interfaces from configuration file. (Internal use only)

-h Displays command help



esxcfg-vmknic examples:

Add a VMkernel NIC and set the IP and subnet mask:

esxcfg-vmknic -a "VM Kernel" -i 172.20.20.19 -n 255.255.255.0