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How can I get VMs to automatically restart after ESXi 4 restarts?

How can I get the VMs to automatically restart after ESXi 4 restarts?

I've been reading, and reading, and trying things such as VMware tools etc. It never works on Windows nor FreeBSD, tools or not. What am I missing?

Thanks!

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AndreTheGiant
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You can do in ESX configuration.

Select ESX / Configuration / VM StartupShutodown

Enable (by default is disable) and select the boot order.

I suggest also to enable guest shutdown on the same menu.

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro

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AndreTheGiant
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You can do in ESX configuration.

Select ESX / Configuration / VM StartupShutodown

Enable (by default is disable) and select the boot order.

I suggest also to enable guest shutdown on the same menu.

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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When I do that, it shows enabled on the top, and every machine under it shows disabled. When I go into the individual VMs it shows default system, which is enabled.

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AndreTheGiant
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You must select each VM a move up using the button in the right.

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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They move up and down just fine. Their settings still show disabled while it says enabled on the top.

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AndreTheGiant
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Move up to manual or any order section.

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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>Move up to manual or any order section<

I'm assuming you meant to type: Move them up to Automatic or Any Order section. I didn't realize that I could not only re-order them, but also move them to different sections. I have the confidence now that they will start automatically. By default they are under Manual, which is why they always showed Disabled. Now they say Enabled. I do have a few questions that the documentation does not adequately address.

5 Click to have the operating system boot immediately after VMware Tools starts.

VMware Tools are installed into the operating system. A VM couldn't possibly boot immediately AFTER the VMware Tools are started. The operating system must first boot BEFORE VMware tools are started.

9. Use Move Up and Move Down to specify the order in which the virtual machines start when the system starts.

Not included the documentation, but included on the help page, is the statement that they will be shut down in the opposite order.

Based on what you've said, the vSphere client screens, the documentation, and "reading between the lines", this is my current understanding of how this area works.

Assume 2 VMs, each with a 120 second startup and shutdown delay. After I select reboot of ESXi from the vSphere client menu.

Automatic

1. ESXi IMMEDIATELY, not after 120 seconds, sends a signal to the first VM to shut down. If the shutdown completes in less than 120 seconds, it sends a signal to the second VM to shut down. If it also shuts down in less than the 120 seconds, ESXi reboots. In any case no VM will get more than 120 seconds to shutdown before ESXi powers it down, and in no case would the time to start the reboot of ESXi exceed 240 seconds.

2. After ESXi starts it IMMEDIATELY, not after 120 seconds, sends the signal to start the first VM. If the operating system loads sufficiently before the 120 seconds to where the tools begin communicating with ESXi, it immediately starts the second VM.

Any Order

1. ESXi IMMEDIATELY, not after 120 seconds, sends a signal to all VMs to shut down. ESXi will reboot after the last VM shuts down but not more than 120 seconds after the shutdown signal was sent to the VMs.

2. After ESXi starts it IMMEDIATELY, not after 120 seconds, sends the signal to start to all of the VMs. Thus neither the 120 second Startup Delay nor the checkbox for "Continue immediately if the VMware Tools starts" have any effect on VMs located in Any Order.

Is this logic correct?

PS: I do not have a test box to test with. Before I test this on a production machine, I need to understand this well because I don't have the luxury of rebooting production ESXi servers several times in order to determine exactly how these settings work together.

Thanks!

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AndreTheGiant
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5 Click "Continue immediately if the VMware Tools starts" to have the operating system boot immediately after VMware Tools starts.

Usually ESX start the VM from manual order list (on order) and then from any order list.

But each VM is power-off one by one with the wait period.

With this option when the VM is up (sorry... whem VMware tools are up) ESX will start the next VM.

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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I don't quite understand your response.

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AndreTheGiant
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You say:

A VM couldn't possibly boot immediately AFTER the VMware Tools are started. The operating system must first boot BEFORE VMware tools are started.

I say that VM power-on (and power-off) is sequential.

IF you enable the option to boot immediately AFTER the VMware Tools are started, when a VM is on (when VMware Tools are OK) the NEXT VM is powered-on (without waiting all the specified time).

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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I understand.

Is my logic shown under Automatic and Any Order correct?

Thanks!

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AndreTheGiant
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Is my logic shown under Automatic and Any Order correct?

Yes

Andre

Andrew | http://about.me/amauro | http://vinfrastructure.it/ | @Andrea_Mauro
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Perfect!

Thanks tons!

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