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vivath
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

cannot access to ESXi host

Dear everyone,

I configure vDSW. I use vCneter server appliance that using vDSW also. I have one shared storage.

when my shared storage and vCenter Server is down, I cannot access directly to ESXi host management interface. except I restore network configuration to default via DCUI.

Could anyone tell what is the problem? And how to prevent this?

Thanks in advanced.

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mordi
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Enthusiast

do you have your management network connected to the vDS? did you use vSS before and it all worked?

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vivath
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Enthusiast

Before I used vSSW, and it was working well. I can connect to esxi host when vCenter down. but after that I have move everything to vDSW such as VMkernel and VM Port Group (including management interface).

I am noted that when vCenter is down, I cannot access to ESXi host directly.

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mordi
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

When configuring new vDS switch i always follow this sequence:

1. Create a new  Switch with the port group (i use the defaults)

2. Add hosts to the Switch i also make sure to check the configure identical network setting box

3. Manage the physical adapters

4. Only after all is working i move the VMkerenl adapters for management by follwing this:

         

               * You first have to have dvport available if you dont have one create one first!

               * Make sure you have available uplink on you new vDS.

                *Move the associate management vmnic to the management dvport on your vDS.

                *re-assign the VMkernel adapter to the new dvport group and apply to all hosts.


I hope this helps.



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vivath
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Correct, I followed your recommend step. that why i don't understand it is not working when my vCenter and my shared storage were down. I cannot access to anything even access to ESXi management port.

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mordi
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Enthusiast

can you send some screenshots of your topology?

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vivath
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Enthusiast

Please find in attached file.

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mordi
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Enthusiast

can you please explain the topology , i see a lot of vlans and VMkernels

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vivath
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Please check the information below:

Management         : vlan 3

VM Net                  : vlan 3

Storage1               : vlan 4

Storage2               : vlan 4

VM-Storage           : vlan 4

vMotion                  : vlan 5

FT                          : vlan 6

VM-Production       : vlan 7

VM-DMZ                : vlan 8

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mordi
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Enthusiast

it looks like non of your interfaces in VLAN3 is up

pic1.png

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mordi
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also i posted a document of how to migrate from vSS to vDS

Migrating from vSS to vDS

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Sreejesh_D
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

Hi Vivath,

Communication to the ESXi should be fine if the vCenter is down. when we configure vDS all the settings will be pushed to the hosts, so vCenter outage wont affect the Host communicaiton.

Looks like cause of the issue is related to the NW settings.

when my shared storage and vCenter Server is down, I cannot access directly to ESXi host management interface. except I restore network configuration to default via DCUI.

Please answer the following questions. Hope that will give us more clarity.

when vCenter is up, can you connect to the host directly?

from which server/machine you connect to esxi host?

Can you ping to the ESXi host IP (management NIC) from this machine when vCenter is down?

Is there a firewall between the client machine and ESXi Host?

If so, check the all port required for cleint - Host communication are opened?

are the ESXi hosts are nested VMs?

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vivath
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Enthusiast

Hi Yezdi,

Please check the answer below:

when vCenter is up, can you connect to the host directly?

     - This step, I am not test yet. Because when I cannot access to anything, I have to restore Management Network in DCUI quickly.

from which server/machine you connect to esxi host?

     - I access to ESXi via my laptop.

Can you ping to the ESXi host IP (management NIC) from this machine when vCenter is down?

     - I cannot ping to anything. the Message is Destination unreachable.

Is there a firewall between the client machine and ESXi Host?

     - this is no firewall between.

If so, check the all port required for cleint - Host communication are opened?

are the ESXi hosts are nested VMs?

After I have done vDSW, and I moved all VM port group and VMkernel to from vSSW to vDSW, everything is working fine. except one day the situation happen.

after that, I have to restore Management NIC quickly, to make everything accessible. But after this i just wanna know the symptom of this cause in order to prevent this happen next time.

Thank you for your advise.

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vivath
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Mordi,

I am not sure about that. but i am sure that I already moved Management VMkernel port from vSSW to vDSW.

I can shared with you what i have done on vDSW in attached file. Please help to check.

Thank you.

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mordi
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thanks for the doc ,i understand what you did, i wouldnt move all the same time

i am not sure why you still dont understand why you dont have a link(from my previous post) which cause me to think its not a configuration issue

is this real HW or we dealing with nested envioremnt ?

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vivath
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Enthusiast

Hi mordi,

Regarding to HW and Nested environment,

- About HW, I am not sure about that, but there is no error message alert on my server. and after I restore Management network via DCUI, it is working fine. (mean that the management vmkernel restored to vSSW).

- About nested environment, I already test direct connected link between my laptop and my server. i still not accessible.

Now it is working again after restored. But i don't know the cause of this symptom. I just wanna understand about it. it is helpful for me to prevent it next time. Smiley Happy

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Sreejesh_D
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

when vCenter is up, can you connect to the host directly?

     - This step, I am not test yet. Because when I cannot access to anything, I have to restore Management Network in DCUI quickly.

can you try this and let us know the result?

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vivath
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Hi Yezdi,

First of all, I would like to say Happy New Year.

it is a production environment. it's quite difficult to test this scenario. but i can say that before vCenter down, everything is working fine.

Thank you.

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