5.1.0, 799733 - Update

[MarkjK]

I am currently having a strange issue with a 5.1.0 Host running build 799733.

Every now and then we have our vSwitch1 that is setup via NIC Teaming with vmnic1&2 stop sending and recieving data all together. VM's stay up and working, but have no network connectivity.

Our setup is;

Management

vSwitch0

vmnic0

Trunk Networks

vSwitch1

vmnic2

vmnic1

When this happens, the way I have been resolving the issue is to SSH to the host. (( We can do this, as  the Management NIC is not affected )) I then need to manually bounce the nics using the following commands;

esxcli network nic down -n vmnic1
esxcli network nic down -n vmnic2
esxcli network nic up -n vmnic1
esxcli network nic up -n vmnic2

My question is-
Has anyone else seen this type of behavior before? Host is running on a Dell PE R720? I am aware that the build is rather old and outdated. I am havign trouble trying to find out if this is/was a bug that was addressed in any of the updates.

Follow up question.
If I was to patch & bring this host up to date - what file would I need to obtain?
When I go to look at the available patches for 5.1.0 I see the most recent is ESXi510-201404001 Will this guy bring me up to date with the update02 as well? Or do I need to apply the update-from-esxi5.1-5.1_update02 first?

Thanks for your assistance in advance.

Mark K~

[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the Community,

it's hard to say what's the reason for this without investigating. Anyway, when you say "Trunk Networks" are you actually talking about trunking/channeling or is it more something like Cisco trunking (802.1Q)?

Regarding updates, the patch packages are cumulative, so you will only need to apply the latest one to be up to date.

André

[MarkjK]

Cisco Trunking, we have multiple Networks / VLANs  via the Teamed NIC.

Thanks for the info on the updates - we will go ahead and upate to ESXi510-201404001 where this will hopefully address a bug that we are affected with.

Mark K~

[a_p_]

In case you are going to patch the host via command line, take a look at e.g. VMware KB: Installing patches on an ESXi 5.x host from the command line to find out about the difference between "esxcli software vib update ..." and "esxcli software vib install ..." especially if you used the DELL OEM installation image to setup the ESXi host. Prior to running the command to actually apply the patches to the host, run it with --dry-run appended to the command line, to get an overview of what the patch command will replace.

André

[MarkjK]

This is veru helpful. We are not using Dell OEM Package.

I was simply planning on running;

esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/update/ESXi510-201404001.zip

but according to this article it is recommended that I use the update command instead via;

esxcli software vib update -d /vmfs/volumes/datastore1/update/ESXi510-201404001.zip --dry-run

And the . --dry-run to get an output report is a great tip as well.

Thanks again.

Mark K~

[MarkjK]

One last question;

Worst case scnenario - how would one go about reverting back to the current installed updates if they wanted to roll back?

a dry run shows the following for this host;

Installation Result

   Message: Dryrun only, host not changed. The following installers will be applied: [BootBankInstaller, LockerInstaller]

   Reboot Required: true

   VIBs Installed: VMware_bootbank_esx-base_5.1.0-2.28.1743533, VMware_bootbank_esx-tboot_5.1.0-2.23.1483097, VMware_bootbank_esx-xlibs_5.1.0-1.22.1472666, VMware_bootbank_esx-xserver_5.1.0-1.22.1472666, VMware_bootbank_ima-qla4xxx_2.01.31-1vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ipmi-ipmi-si-drv_39.1-4vmw.510.1.12.1065491, VMware_bootbank_misc-cnic-register_1.1-1vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_misc-drivers_5.1.0-2.23.1483097, VMware_bootbank_net-bnx2_2.0.15g.v50.11-7vmw.510.1.12.1065491, VMware_bootbank_net-bnx2x_1.61.15.v50.3-1vmw.510.0.11.1063671, VMware_bootbank_net-cnic_1.10.2j.v50.7-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-e1000_8.0.3.1-2vmw.510.1.16.1157734, VMware_bootbank_net-e1000e_1.1.2-3vmw.510.2.23.1483097, VMware_bootbank_net-igb_2.1.11.1-3vmw.510.1.12.1065491, VMware_bootbank_net-ixgbe_3.7.13.6iov-10vmw.510.1.20.1312873, VMware_bootbank_net-tg3_3.123b.v50.1-1vmw.510.2.23.1483097, VMware_bootbank_sata-ahci_3.0-15vmw.510.2.23.1483097, VMware_bootbank_sata-ata-piix_2.12-7vmw.510.2.23.1483097, VMware_bootbank_scsi-bnx2i_1.9.1d.v50.1-5vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-hpsa_5.0.0-21vmw.510.1.16.1157734, VMware_bootbank_scsi-lpfc820_8.2.3.1-127vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-megaraid-sas_5.34-4vmw.510.1.12.1065491, VMware_bootbank_scsi-mpt2sas_10.00.00.00-5vmw.510.2.23.1483097, VMware_bootbank_scsi-qla2xxx_902.k1.1-9vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-qla4xxx_5.01.03.2-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-rste_2.0.2.0088-1vmw.510.2.23.1483097, VMware_locker_tools-light_5.1.0-2.28.1743533

   VIBs Removed: Broadcom_bootbank_misc-cnic-register_1.72.1.v50.2-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, Broadcom_bootbank_net-bnx2_2.2.3e.v50.1-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, Broadcom_bootbank_net-bnx2x_1.74.17.v50.1-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, Broadcom_bootbank_net-cnic_1.74.04.v50.1-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, Broadcom_bootbank_net-tg3_3.124c.v50.1-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, Broadcom_bootbank_scsi-bnx2i_2.74.07.v50.1-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, Emulex_bootbank_scsi-lpfc820_8.2.4.141.55-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, Intel_bootbank_net-igb_3.4.7.3-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, LSI_bootbank_scsi-mpt2sas_14.00.00.00.1vmw-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, QLogic_bootbank_ima-qla4xxx_500.2.01.31-1vmw.0.0.060523, QLogic_bootbank_scsi-qla4xxx_624.01.43-1OEM.500.0.0.472560, VMware_bootbank_esx-base_5.1.0-0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_esx-tboot_5.1.0-0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_esx-xlibs_5.1.0-0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_esx-xserver_5.1.0-0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ipmi-ipmi-si-drv_39.1-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_misc-drivers_5.1.0-0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-e1000_8.0.3.1-2vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-e1000e_1.1.2-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-ixgbe_3.7.13.6iov-10vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_sata-ahci_3.0-13vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_sata-ata-piix_2.12-6vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-hpsa_5.0.0-21vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-megaraid-sas_5.34-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-rste_2.0.2.0088-1vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_locker_tools-light_5.1.0-0.0.799733, qlogic_bootbank_scsi-qla2xxx_911.k1.1-26OEM.500.0.0.472560

   VIBs Skipped: VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-amd_0.3.10-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-atiixp_0.4.6-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-cmd64x_0.2.5-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-hpt3x2n_0.3.4-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-pdc2027x_1.0-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-serverworks_0.4.3-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-sil680_0.4.8-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ata-pata-via_0.3.3-2vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_block-cciss_3.6.14-10vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ehci-ehci-hcd_1.0-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_esx-dvfilter-generic-fastpath_5.1.0-0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ipmi-ipmi-devintf_39.1-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ipmi-ipmi-msghandler_39.1-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-be2net_4.1.255.11-1vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-enic_1.4.2.15a-1vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-forcedeth_0.61-2vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-nx-nic_4.0.558-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-r8168_8.013.00-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-r8169_6.011.00-2vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-s2io_2.1.4.13427-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-sky2_1.20-2vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_net-vmxnet3_1.1.3.0-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_ohci-usb-ohci_1.0-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_sata-sata-nv_3.5-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_sata-sata-promise_2.12-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_sata-sata-sil24_1.1-1vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_sata-sata-sil_2.3-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_sata-sata-svw_2.3-3vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-aacraid_1.1.5.1-9vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-adp94xx_1.0.8.12-6vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-aic79xx_3.1-5vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-fnic_1.5.0.3-1vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-ips_7.12.05-4vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-megaraid-mbox_2.20.5.1-6vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-megaraid2_2.00.4-9vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-mptsas_4.23.01.00-6vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_scsi-mptspi_4.23.01.00-6vmw.510.0.0.799733, VMware_bootbank_uhci-usb-uhci_1.0-3vmw.510.0.0.799733

Mark K~

[a_p_]

It looks like you have some custom vibs installed.

To answer you question, if you want/need to revert to the previous state (after applying a patch), press Shift-R when ESXi starts to load and select the "old" profile.

André

[MarkjK]

Just what I was looking for.
Not sure what to say about the custom vibs;

As everything on this server should be right from the ESXi 5.5.0 1331820 original install/build.

Should I be concerned about the custom vibs?

Mark K~

[a_p_]

>>> As everything on this server should be right from the ESXi 5.5.0 1331820 original install/build.

I assume you meant 5.1?

>>> Should I be concerned about the custom vibs?

Yes, at least if you have hardware installed, which requires these drivers. What you may want to do is to check if the HW components are supported (see VMware Compatibility Guide) "inbox" or whether additional drivers are required.

André