http://vmguy.com/wordpress/index.php posts his weekly Notable KB articles from the week.
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Apparently the VMware support team got back to work full steam ahead this week. 81 articles were new or updated this week. There are some really good troubleshooting ones this week. Here’s this week’s selection:
- Converting a virtual disk into a Raw Device Mapping
- GHO image files cannot be converted
- Performing V2P (virtual to physical) migrations
- Determining if a virtual machine is orphaned
- Moving VirtualCenter to a different datastore
- Networking Error, IP Address Already Assigned to Another Adapter
- Verifying if software is causing your virtual machine to fail
- Sample configuration of virtual switch VLAN tagging (VST Mode) and ESX Server
- Identifying shared storage issues with ESX 3.x
- Investigating the health of a VirtualCenter database server
- Troubleshooting a virtual machine that has become unresponsive because of an ESX host
- ESX Server host or virtual machines have intermittent or no network connectivity
- iSCSI and Jumbo Frames configuration on ESX 3.5
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Thanks to the VMguy, and VMware for Content.
A few of the articles that caught my eye.
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Converting a virtual disk into a Raw Device Mapping
KB Article
3443266
Updated
Jan. 12, 2009
Products
VMware ESX
Details
What is the command to convert a virtual disk into a Raw Device Mapping in ESX environment?
Solution
A virtual disk can be imported into a raw LUN for use with an RDM using following commands:
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For virtual compatibility mode use: vmkfstools –i <srcfile> -d rdm:/vmfs/devices/disks/vmhbac:t:l:p /vmfs/volumes/datastore/vmdir/vmname.vmdk
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For physical compatibility mode use: vmkfstools –i <srcfile> -d rdmp:/vmfs/devices/disks/vmhbac:t:l:p /vmfs/volumes/datastore/vmdir/vmname.vmdk
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GHO image files cannot be converted
KB Article
1003228
Updated
Jan. 09, 2009
Products
VMware Converter
Details
- Cannot select Symantec Ghost/Norton Ghost image files as source for a virtual to virtual conversion
- .GHO files cannot be selected as a source
Solution
Image files created as .GHO format are not supported by Converter. You must use an image format with the file extension .sv2i.
The following Symantec formats are supported by Converter 3.x:
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Norton Ghost version 9.0, 10.0, and 12.0 (.sv2i files only)
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Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery (formerly LiveState Recovery) 6.5 and 7.0
- LiveState Recovery 3.0 and 6.0
A detailed list of supported formats for VMware Converter 3.x is included in the Converter 3.0.3 User’s Manual.
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SCSI and Jumbo Frames configuration on ESX 3.5
KB Article
1007654
Updated
Jan. 05, 2009
Products
VMware ESX
Product Versions
VMware ESX 3.5.x
Symptoms
- Large queues are seen while monitoring Jumbo Frames
Purpose
This article provides information related to setting up an iSCSI environment with Jumbo Frames.
Resolution
Important Jumbo Frame Information
The following is important information to know when using Jumbo Frames:
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Any packet larger than 1500 MTU is a Jumbo Frame. ESX 3.5 supports frames up to 9kB (9000 Bytes). They are limited to data networking only (virtual machines and the VMotion network) on ESX 3i/3.5.
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Jumbo Frames are not supported for NAS and iSCSI traffic at this time.
- Jumbo Frames must be enabled for each vSwitch or VMkernel interface through the command‐line interface on your ESX Server 3 host.
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To allow ESX Server 3 to send larger frames out onto the physical network, the network must support Jumbo Frames end to end for Jumbo Frames to be effective.
- Before enabling jumbo frames, ensure the NIC or LOM supports jumbo frames.
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VMware supports jumbo frames with the following vendors:
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Intel (82546, 82571),
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Broadcom (5708, 5706, 5709),
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Netxen (NXB-10GXxR,
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NXB-10GCX4),
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Neterion (Xframe, Xframe II, Xframe E).
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Creating a Jumbo Frames-enabled vSwitch
- Log in directly to your ESX Server 3 hostʹs console.
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Run the esxcfg-vswitch -m <MTU> <vSwitch> command to set the MTU size for the vSwitch.
This command sets the MTU for all uplinks on that vSwitch. Set the MTU size to the largest MTU size among all the virtual network adapters connected to the vSwitch. -
Run the esxcfg-vswitch -l command to display a list of vSwitches on the host, and check that the configuration of the vSwitch is correct.
Creating a Jumbo Frames-enabled VMkernel interface
To create a Jumbo Frames-enabled VMkernel interface:
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Log in directly to your ESX Server 3 host’s console.
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Run the esxcfg-vmknic -a -i <ip address> -n <netmask> -m <MTU> <portgroup name> command to create a VMkernel connection with Jumbo Frame
support. -
Run the esxcfg-vmknic -l command to display a list of VMkernel interfaces, and check that the configuration of the Jumbo Frame‐enabled interface is correct.
Note: ESX Server 3 supports a maximum MTU size of 9000.
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