VMware Communities: How to use vmkping ?

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13 Replies Last post: Jan 7, 2009 3:59 PM by TonyJK

How to use vmkping ?

Jan 6, 2009 8:46 PM

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

We have attempted to migrate VM between ESX Hosts. However, the process has started but there is no progress.

We have checked the switches those NICs connected to and no problem is found.

1) We would like to know whether we can use vmkping command to check whether VMotion (VMKernel Port) works properly or not ?

2) When using vmkping, do we open a PuTTy session and type vmkping "IP address of another ESX Host" ?

Thansk

Tags: 3.5, vmotion

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 9:12 PM

weinstein5 5,672 posts since
Nov 19, 2005 VMware

That is correct use Putty to open an SSH session to your ESX host -you will have to raise up to root level using the su - command and then vmkping 'ip address of the other ESX server' and if networking is correct you will see the png responses form the vmkernel ports - what error do you get when the migration dies? how far does the status bar get?

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Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 9:21 PM

in response to: weinstein5

sbeaver 7,666 posts since
Nov 1, 2004 Moderator

Just to add to this when you use vmkping you need to ping the vmkernel port ip adrress or the vmotion IP address

Steve Beaver
VMware Communities User Moderator
====
Co-Author of "VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center"
(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach
Come check out my blog: www.theVirtualBlackHole.com

**Virtualization is a journey, not a project.**

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 9:30 PM

in response to: weinstein5

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

Thank you for your advice.

We are able to relocate / migrate VMs between ESXA and ESXB hosts but not to the ESXC (For both running or shutdown VM). However, ESXA cannot vmkping ESXB (even cannot vmkping itself). On the other hand, the message for vmkping ESXC is different from what we get for the remaining 2 ESX Hosts in the VI Cluster.

~~root@ESXA root~~# vmkping ESXA
PING ESXA (192.168.15.3): 56 data bytes

ESXA ping statistics ---

3 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss

~~root@ESXA root~~# vmkping ESXB
PING ESXB (192.168.15.7): 56 data bytes

ESXB ping statistics ---

3 packets transmitted, 0 packets received, 100% packet loss

~~root@ESXA root~~# vmkping ESXC
getaddrinfo() for "ESXC" failed (Resource temporarily unavailable)
~~root@ESXA root~~#

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 9:38 PM

in response to: sbeaver

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

Dear Steve,

Thanks for your advice.

There is no problem in vmkping the VMKernel port from ESXA to ESXB and ESXC. However, there is problem in relocating VMs from ESXA and ESXB to ESXC Host. On the other hand, there is no problem in migrating VMs between ESXA and ESXB.

~~root@ESXA root~~# vmkping 192.168.13.7 (ESXB VMkernel Port)
PING 192.168.13.7 (192.168.13.7): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.13.7: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.215 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.13.7: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.210 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.13.7: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.205 ms

192.168.13.7 ping statistics ---

3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 0.205/0.210/0.215 ms

~~root@ESXA root~~# vmkping 192.168.13.236 (ESXC VMkernel Port)
PING 192.168.13.236 (192.168.13.236): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.13.236: icmp_seq=0 ttl=64 time=0.791 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.13.236: icmp_seq=1 ttl=64 time=0.176 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.13.236: icmp_seq=2 ttl=64 time=0.181 ms

192.168.13.236 ping statistics ---

3 packets transmitted, 3 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max = 0.176/0.383/0.791 ms

~~root@ESXA root~~#

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 9:40 PM

in response to: TonyJK

sbeaver 7,666 posts since
Nov 1, 2004 Moderator

Need to double check do you have an IP and a Gateway set up for the vmkernel port? What IP and what gateway are you using? Are the vmkernel ports connect to the same physical switch?

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 9:50 PM

in response to: TonyJK

sbeaver 7,666 posts since
Nov 1, 2004 Moderator

On ESX3 or the problem child can you vmkping its own vmotion IP?

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 9:53 PM

in response to: sbeaver

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

Yes, a default gateway with a dummpy IP address (192.168.13.1) is used for all ESX Hosts.

All VMKernel Ports are spread across 2 physical switches for redundancy.

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 10:07 PM

in response to: sbeaver

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

Yes, you are right, we are not able to vmkping ESXC.

I have shut down VMs on ESXC but reboot / shutdown options are dimmed. Besides, there is no "Enter Maintenance Mode" option as well !

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 10:10 PM

in response to: TonyJK

sbeaver 7,666 posts since
Nov 1, 2004 Moderator

Hmmm something is different on the 3rd server so now need to figure out what. For what ever it is worth when I set up clusters I make sure the vmotion nics are all on the same VLAN and then I use the same IP for the IP and Gateway. It used to be best practice and I have just used that ever since. Things might have changed but I stucked with what worked for me.

Next steps would be to move the connection to a different port and the other steps to make sure that there is no hardware problem. Maybe drop things to a single nic until we can find something.

To answer about the reboot, if vmotion ever did work then reboot the host. If the vmotion never worked then we have something else going on.

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 6, 2009 10:40 PM

in response to: sbeaver

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

VMotion does work before. In this way, I have restarted the ESXC but the problem still exist.

In this way, I restart the VCServer service on the vServer and it fixes the problem. Quite strange !

Besides, I have attempted to enable HA after the Vmotion is fixed, all of the ESX Hosts are only 50%. Maybe, I should raise another question in this forum.

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 7, 2009 2:58 PM

in response to: sbeaver

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

I have chatted with the network administrator. He says that we are not using a dedicated VLAN for VMotion and the IP Address of the VMKernel Gateway is dummy. He says that the switches itself will sort it out. Is it correct ?

Thanks

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 7, 2009 3:10 PM

in response to: TonyJK

sbeaver 7,666 posts since
Nov 1, 2004 Moderator

Yes in that if all the vmoition nics are local to each other a gateway
isnot needed. If all 3 esx servers are configured the same first guess
hardware. Dumb question but need to ask, is the check box for vmotion
checked on esx3 vkernel port?

Sent from my iPhone

On Jan 7, 2009, at 2:58 PM, "TonyJK" <communities-emailer@vmware.com

Reply Re: How to use vmkping ? Jan 7, 2009 3:59 PM

in response to: sbeaver

TonyJK 281 posts since
Dec 10, 2005

I have checked all ESX Hosts in the cluster. For the VMKernel Port (VMotion), the checkbox "VMotion" is selected.

Thanks

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