ILO Error 9005/9009/9008 with HP SIM agent on ESX4.0 U1

One of the reader of blog drop me an email with following message

I've installed the HP SIM (v8.3.1) onto my ESX v4.0 update 1 host and configured it using a config file. The config file has the appropriate information to send to my SIM server. Every now and then my host will generate 3 alerts

1: Event Name: (SNMP) Remote Insight/ Integrated LightsOut Self Test Error (9005)

URL: https://xxx:2381/

Event originator: xxx

Event Severity: Critical

Event received: 22-Apr-2010, 18:11:52

Event description: Remote Insight/ Integrated Lights-Out Self Test Error. The Remote Insight/ Integrated Lights-Out firmware has detected a Remote Insight self test error.

2: Event Name: (SNMP) Remote Insight mouse cable disconnected (9009)

URL: https://xxx:2381/

Event originator: xxx

Event Severity: Major

Event received: 22-Apr-2010, 18:11:53

Event description: Mouse Cable Disconnected. The Remote Insight mouse cable has been disconnected.

3: Event Name: (SNMP) Remote Insight keyboard cable disconnected (9008)

URL: https://xxx:2381/

Event originator: xxx

Event Severity: Major

Event received: 22-Apr-2010, 18:11:53

Event description: Keyboard Cable Disconnected. The Remote Insight keyboard cable has been disconnected.

I've tried searching HP and VMware, but as you have said, information is very sparse. The closest I've come up with is a mention about the HPSIM certificate in the iLO2 (http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?admit=109447626+1271902147498+28353475&threadId=1375014 )

I suggested him to

1. Try reinstalling SIM agent again with host reboot.

2. I would also engage HP since SIM is free product from them.

3. Check ILO (Since I am not sure which DL version you are using) if there are any option or Insight web GUI where you can disable such events

But this the actual solution available on following blog found by Dave. Thanks Dave for finding solution

To disable the alerts add : exclude cmasm2d to the file: - /opt/hp/hp-snmp-agents/cma.conf and restarted the agents: /etc/init.d/hp-snmp-agents restart

How to setup Link mode for Virtual Center 4.0

Today I have done VC upgrade and here is blog for the same. During the VC upgrade it did not ask me for setting VC in link mode which becomes very much necessary when you have multiple VC across environment.

Few things you should know

1. Link mode feature is not available to you if you are holding license for “foundation or essential edition ”. This required stander edition of VC license.

2. It uses ADAM (Active Directory Application Mode ) database to replicate it’s configuration between multiple VC.

3. ADAM stores :

* Connection information (IP addresses and ports)

* Certificates and thumbprints

* License Information

* User Roles

4. Permission can be configured on VC basis.

5. Single VC can manage 300 ESX host with 3000 VM but linked mode can manage 1000 ESX host with 10000 VM’s

More features are available here.

You have to re-run the setup for VC server installation. It will walk you through wizard

It will then detect the VC instance and prompt you for VC link mode setting

By default the link mode configuration will be selected

It will then prompt you to provide server name for which you are connecting

Make sure you have selection as below.

And that is about it.

Why Virtual machine swapfile location is grayed out?

I was trying to figure out why Virtual machine swapfile location is grayed out as shown in the pics below

What I understood is that it inherits properties from cluster. If the cluster has been set to store the swap file on VM then the pic above will be like that.

So you need to choose second option if you have to store swap as per your convenient . Such configuration is done incase where is the requirement to have swap at separate location

Upgrading Virtual Center from 2.5 to 4.0

One of the best upgrade I have done from Virtual Center 2.5 to Virtual Center 4.0 U1. I have done many upgrades where you have to through many pain of redoing the work post upgrade but with 4.0 U1 upgrade it was smoothest and cleanest one. Just pop-in the CD and next –next period.

Here is how I performed it

1. Make sure you have exported all the relevant information from VC so that if any issue comes during the upgrade , you should be able to handle it. Also make sure you have done latest backup of SQL server used by VC. This is how the VC ISO menu looks like and choose

2. It will then detect the VC already running

3. Agree to license agreement and then proceed

4. Fill the correct information

5. t may give message like this and let SQL admin knows about it

6. Type user name with which it can authenticate. Remember this can be your user name since it is just for the authentication purpose

7. Choose the option below as shown and check the box which is mention or else it will not allow to move forwards

8. Here is the option which allow to run the account as a service . Best practice is to run with system account

9. Let this be at default

10. Relax and sit tight till it is done

11. This will do numerous thing during that process

12. Finally it will show like this

Congratulation you have completed the VC upgrade successfully . With my 100+ host environment , I only came across on host which was in disconnect state . It also understand about VC2.5 licensing .

Adding additional vmfs volume on ESX host

We may often come across situation that local VMFS volume is exhausted and you have to add additional VMFS. I have written two different blog regarding the same .

One was how to use ACU from web and other was to create additional vmfs if you not able to see the logical volume

In this one we are adding additional drives in the available DL380 and then creating additional vmfs partition.

1 Reboot the ESX host and get into ACU (Array Configuration Utility ) BIOS by pressing F8 on key board. This will bring screen where you can see menu for configuring Array . We need to select first one as shown below

Once we select that ,next screen will show all the available disk . We make sure that you select RAID 5 and then press enter to create this logical drive

It will then provide summary for the total logical space and asking to press F8 to save the configuration

Press continue to see the total logical volume created

It will then show the summary along with newly created logical volume . Here you can also see the previous logical volume

Reboot the host and go to virtual center . Select the configuration from the host and then choose add storage

It will then run the wizard for creating new VMFS partition . Make sure that you select Disk/Lun

It will then show the newly created logical disk

It will show the warning but continue with space creation

Give the name as _storage

Go with default

End it will provide summary

Now you will have two VMFS volume, one old one and other one newly crated