Solved: SNMP Monitoring of Vmware Servers

VMWF · ‎03-31-2009

Hi,

I am using HP USB edition of ESXi running inside of BL460c and I have ESX Foundation licenses. BL460c is attached to SB40c and in total 8 harddisks inside. I would like to monitor the status of physical disks with SNMP. VMWare ESX version is 3.5. I have created 5 Virtual Servers running in this environment with OS Windows 2003 however I cannot install HP Insight Agents as it gives error saying that platform is not supported. Did anyone find a solution or workaround for this? We are planning to put the servers on production but without monitoring the RAID array and phyiscal disks, we do not want to go forward.

I would appreciate if any of you has a solution for this,

Thank you

AWo · ‎03-31-2009

Would this be an option if I would install Virtual Center?

Not regarding hardware device monitoring.

I just cannot believe that there is no workaround for this. How do you guys monitor your phyiscal disks of your virtual servers in your environment?

If you have ESX or VMware Server you can use the agents.

If you have a SAN the SAN management would do this

I guess that the lack of monitoring hardware devices is one of the things which differentiates this version from the full ESX server. There must be some differences between a free and a non-free version.

AWo

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AWo · ‎03-31-2009

From my understanding you can't monitor the ESXi with HP agents as ESXi has no console where the agents can run.

However, you are able to enable SNMP: http://pubs.vmware.com/vi3i_e35u2/admin/BSA_Configuration.8.13.html

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AWo

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VMWF · ‎03-31-2009

Thank you for your reply,

Are you saying that even if I enable SNMP, there is no way for me to monitor the phyiscal disks?

At the moment, I use "Vmware Infrastructure Client" to connect to my ESXi Server. When I go to "Configuration", "Health Status", I do not see anything related to the disks however under "Configuration" - "Hardware", I see "Storage" and "Storage Adapters" which provided some info for the disks.

The link you provided mentions I need to execute some commands from CLI, how can I do this?

Thank you,

AWo · ‎03-31-2009

Are you saying that even if I enable SNMP, there is no way for me to monitor the phyiscal disks?

As far as I know the SNMP functionality is build into the disk driver. If the disk driver you use has the functinality to send traps and if you have a MIB to translate it it should be possible. You just cannot use the HP agents.

The link you provided mentions I need to execute some commands from CLI, how can I do this?

By entering the command in the CLI. Or to be precisley, in the RCLI, like it is described in this manual: "For more information on installing and using the Remote CLI, see the Remote Command-Line Interface Installation and Reference". You'll find it here: http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3/r35u2/vi3_35_25_u2_rcli.pdf

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AWo

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Dave_Mishchenko · ‎03-31-2009

ESXi just supports traps and not gets. See this link for some setup instructions - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/esx_3i_rcli/vicfg-snmp.php.

VMWF · ‎03-31-2009

Would this be an option if I would install Virtual Center?

I just cannot believe that there is no workaround for this. How do you guys monitor your phyiscal disks of your virtual servers in your environment?

Thank you

AWo · ‎03-31-2009

Would this be an option if I would install Virtual Center?

Not regarding hardware device monitoring.

I just cannot believe that there is no workaround for this. How do you guys monitor your phyiscal disks of your virtual servers in your environment?

If you have ESX or VMware Server you can use the agents.

If you have a SAN the SAN management would do this

I guess that the lack of monitoring hardware devices is one of the things which differentiates this version from the full ESX server. There must be some differences between a free and a non-free version.

AWo

VCP / vEXPERT 2009

vExpert 2009/10/11 [:o]===[o:] [: ]o=o[ :] = Save forests! rent firewood! =

VMWF · ‎03-31-2009

I have purchased "VMware Infrastructure 3 Foundation" and activated this license. Is this still considered as FREE? By activating this purchased license, do you think it brings the functionality of monitoring the disks?

Thank you

AWo · ‎03-31-2009

No need to get angry here....

No, VMware Infrastructure Foundation is not free of course. It cost's real money...and it contains beside non-free products the free version of ESX. But it contains also ESX.

That means if you choose to use the ESXi you have no console and thereby no way to install monitoring agents.

But you can use the full ESX version, as this is included. Why don't you switch?

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AWo

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Edited by AWo

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VMWF · ‎03-31-2009

At the moment, I am using a USB disk running ESXi which I have purchased from HP. So my blade server BL460C is booted from this USB which has ESXi 3.5 installed on the USB. Now are you telling my I need to use ESX instead of ESXi? Can ESX be running on a USB as well like ESXi or do I need to install it on a phyiscal disk? The purpose I was using ESXi because it was saving me additional harddisks as it does not need to be installed on a disk and ESX relies on a Windows Server as it is installed on the top, right?

AWo · ‎03-31-2009

To sum it up:

-If you use ESXi you can run it from an USB stick, but you have no way to install agents (because ESXi don't has a console).

-If you use ESX you need to install it on some disks, but you have a console and you can use monitoring agents.

-In both cases you don't need Windows (or Linux). ESX is an operating system itself (also called hypervisor or bare metal virtualization), it doesn't need an underlying OS like VMware Server or Workstation.

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AWo

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VMWF · ‎03-31-2009

I have all my Virtual Machines already set up and it will be difficult to destroy all, install ESX on a phyiscal disk and re-create the Virtual Servers. I would like to know if this is a HP issue or Vmware issue. Is there any expected update which will come to resolve this issue? Or instead of SNMP, is there any way to monitor the disks?

Thank you

AWo · ‎03-31-2009

I have all my Virtual Machines already set up and it will be difficult to destroy all, install ESX on a phyiscal disk and re-create the Virtual Servers.

Depending on your setup it might end up in some work (mainly file copies) but you won't need to destroy the guests. You can keep them and migrate them to the full ESX version.

I would like to know if this is a HP issue or Vmware issue. Is there any expected update which will come to resolve this issue? Or instead of SNMP, is there any way to monitor the disks?

It is no issue and it has nothing to do with HP. It is an VMware thing but that works as designed. You can be happy with that or not, but that's the way it is today.

The agents need some "computer" and OS to run on. On an ESX server this is the console. The console is a virtual machine, but it is a special one. And you have access to it. The console is the "window" into your ESX server and its OS is a modified Linux. Before HP provided SIM agents for VMware ESX I used the Linux ones. So the console provides a (virtual) computer, an OS (mod. Linux) and access to the drivers ESX uses. Everything the agents need to run.

ESXi has some kind of console, too. But it is not accessible. That is the deal when you do not want to pay for virtualization software or if you want to run it from an USB stick or simple, if you decided to use ESXi for whatever reason. Imagine someone who just connects the ESXi to a SAN. Then there are no local disks to monitor.

A normal virtual guest can't be used for that purpose as this runs in an unified, hardware independent environment. It should have no access and it should have no clue about the underlying hardware and its drivers. That would bind the guest to the host and harm the environment for all other guests.

Of course, there are other free VMWare Versions like VMware Server, where you can install the agents as there is an OS where the hardware drivers are located (the host OS where VMware Server run on). But then you must take other things into account as you use a very different virtualization architecture and practically thought you miss thinks like VCenter managability, VMotion, etc.

It's all about evaluating of "what do I need", get informed about "what do I get" and at last but not least "what are the costs" by using the one or the other solution.

The more functionality you get the more costs you have. Quite normal....

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AWo

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Edited by AWo

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AWo · ‎03-31-2009

By the way, what about the HP RIB board? Does your server has one? Does that rely completely on running agents or can it monitor some things on its own?

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AWo

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VMWF · ‎04-01-2009

You mean ILO 2? Yes, I do have. Actually my Blade Servers(BL460c) are inside a HP Blade Enclosure? Can I monitor phyiscal disks via ILO 2 connection? If it will work, I am all set.

AWo · ‎04-01-2009

ILO 2 is at least able to monitor the system status and the ILM. If disk errors are written to the ILM whil ethe system is running you might get traps from the ILO board.

Go ahead and test it, configure the ILO board. There is a test trap available. Enable unregistered SNMP traps in HP SIM to be sure to see all incoming traps. If you receive one from the ILO board and if SIM can resolve it to a clear message you can switch unregistered SNMP traps off again.

Remeber to add the HP SIM server as a valid trap target within the ILO network configuration.

Try the trap forwarding as this will forward host OS traps.

The ILO itself should be discovered by the HP SIM server as soon as it is online and after the discovery ran.

If you receive traps go and unplug a disk if you have a RAID protected volume and if it is not a production server. See what happens and if the volume is reported as degraded.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful" replies. Thanks!!

AWo

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VMWF · ‎04-03-2009

AWo, thank you for your replies.

I had a look at ILO2, it does not give information about RAID or Physical Disks. I think as long as I want to use ESXi, I will not be able to monitor my phyiscal disks. As this a "Must Have" functionality, I need to plan something else.

what do you think about the steps below;

- I remove my USB disk which holds ESXi

- I go and download "VMware ESXi 3.5 U3 Installable with HP Management Components", 254 MB ISO file, burn it to a CD and boot my BL460c with this.

- I install this product on BL460c. As you mentioned ESX is running its own OS, I do not need to be involved with any Windows or anything.

- My BL460c is attached to SB40 disk storage where all my virtual servers are being hosted and after the installation of ESX, I can open these virtual machines.

After that I can be able to install HP Insight Manager Agents on my vitual servers, right?

Thank you,

AWo · ‎04-03-2009

- I remove my USB disk which holds ESXi
- I go and download "VMware ESXi 3.5 U3 Installable with HP Management Components", 254 MB ISO file, burn it to a CD and boot my BL460c with this.
- I install this product on BL460c. As you mentioned ESX is running its own OS, I do not need to be involved with any Windows or anything.

Correct. You should install ESX on local, empty harddrives. Disconnect the drives where the VMFS partition with the guests are on so you don't delete that by accident.

- My BL460c is attached to SB40 disk storage where all my virtual servers are being hosted and after the installation of ESX, I can open these virtual machines.

You have to add them to the inventory first, so that ESX is aware of them. After you have added the VMFS datastore to your ESX host you can browse this store from the VI Client. By right-clicking on the .vmx file of any guest, you can register it. After that it is available.

After that I can be able to install HP Insight Manager Agents on my vitual servers, right?

WAIT!!!! Are you talking about monitoring the disks of virtual machines all the time?

1. That's not needed.

2. Virtual guest run in an unified virtual hardware environment, your HP agents won't work there.

3. You can monitor all SNMP objects which are offered by the OS and applications, for example.

4. You can install the HP SIM agents inside the VMware Console and monitor the real hardware that way.

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AWo

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VMWF · ‎04-03-2009

Attached is an image of my server so it is clear what I am saying.

I have HP BL460c which is at the bottom of the image with 2 disks. These 2 disks are configured as RAID1. At the moment I have my VirtualServer#1 running on this and ESXi is runnning on USB inside of this server which does not occupy any physical disk. At the top of the image, you see my HP SB40 with 6 Disks which are configured as RAID5, here I have 4 VirtualServers running. In total 5 Virtual Servers. I would like to monitor these 8 phyiscal disks you see in the image.

As I cannot do it today with ESXi. I will remove my VirtualServer#1 from BL460c and I will install ESX there which will reduce my total amount of virtual servers from 5 to 4 which is OK.

On SB40 (top of the image with 6 disks), I have already 4 Virtual Servers configured so I can re-use them, I do not need to rebuild them. What would be your suggestion to monitor these 8 physical disks?

I am hearing from you that I cannot install HP Insight Manager Agents on my 4 Virtual Servers, how can I install HP SIM agents inside the VMWare console?(this part is not so clear for me)

AWo · ‎04-03-2009

Attached is an image of my server so it is clear what I am saying.
I have HP BL460c which is at the bottom of the image with 2 disks. These 2 disks are configured as RAID1. At the moment I have my VirtualServer#1 running on this and ESXi is runnning on USB inside of this server which does not occupy any physical disk. At the top of the image, you see my HP SB40 with 6 Disks which are configured as RAID5, here I have 4 VirtualServers running. In total 5 Virtual Servers. I would like to monitor these 8 phyiscal disks you see in the image.

O.K.

As I cannot do it today with ESXi. I will remove my VirtualServer#1 from BL460c and I will install ESX there which will reduce my total amount of virtual servers from 5 to 4 which is OK.

You may want to try to move your guest which will be lost otherwise to the VMFS partition on your RAID5 system. So you can keep this one.

On SB40 (top of the image with 6 disks), I have already 4 Virtual Servers configured so I can re-use them, I do not need to rebuild them. What would be your suggestion to monitor these 8 physical disks?

Install the HP SIM for VMware ESX agents in the ESX Console. All physical disks attached to a particular HP server can be monitored from within the console.

I am hearing from you that I cannot install HP Insight Manager Agents on my 4 Virtual Servers, how can I install HP SIM agents inside the VMWare console?(this part is not so clear for me)

The guests don't see your physical disks, they see virtual ones through a non HP driver (LSI or BusLogic). Most of the time the virtual disks (the disks the guest see and access) are files stored on the VMFS partition. So some things which a HP agent monitors don't exist in a virtual drive (which is a file).

Of course, you are able to access physical disks natively (called RDM, real device mapping) instead of using these .vmdk files. But still through the unified driver architecture which is still the non HP disk driver.

The guest is not aware which real hardware it is running on, it is isolated in a unified VMware hardware and that can't be monitored with HP agents. So the HP SIM agents won't be able to monitor them.

The Console is able to see the physical disks and you have access to the HP drivers there. That is the place for hardware monitoring. Consider the Console as a special guest system with an modified Linux OS.

If you found this information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful" replies. Thanks!!

AWo

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