In some cases ESX Server has been known to produce what many call a PSOD, or Purple Screen of Death. Other terms you might hear for the same thing might be:

• crash debug screen
• machine crash screen
• ESX Server PSOD
• Purple screen crash report
• Decode purple screen error
• BSOD

These are all valid descriptions for what is more accurately known as a Machine Code Exceptions, which are described in detail in the Knowledge Base article:

Decoding Machine Check Exception (MCE) output after a purple screen error (1005184).

We suggest you start with this KB article should you encounter one of these crash reports on your ESX host.