vCenter Upgrade Plan Workflow

 

ESXI host upgrade failing with error the VIB cannot be satisfied within the ImageProfile | Missing_Dependency_VIBs_error

When upgrading the ESXI host from 6.7 to 7.0 or 8.0 it is failing with error the VIB cannot be satisfied within the ImageProfile

VIB Dell_bootbank_dell-configuration-vib

VIB qlc_bootbank_qedi

VIB DellEMC_bootbank_dellemc-osname-idrac

VIB QLogic_bootbank_net-qlge

dell-shared-perc8

You may perform below command to remove failed VIB.

Command -: esxcli software vib remove -n XXXXXXX(VIB name)

esxcli software vib remove -n dell-configuration-vib

esxcli software vib remove --vibname=vmware-perccli-007.0529.0000.0000_007.0529.0000.0000-01

ESXI host connect with Vcenter server step by step 6.0

Steps to add ESXI host  in Vcenter 6.0.

I have one Vcenter server with pre-installed application

IP Address:-  192.168.10.20
HostName :-  1-vsp.adds.com

Two ESXI host pre-installed ESXI on both node

IP Address:-  192.168.10.10
IP Address:-  192.168.10.11

One Domain server with server 2012 R2:-

IP Address:- 192.168.10.12
Host Name:- adds.com

One Client with Server 2012 R2:-

IP Address:-  192.168.10.13
Host Name:- Clent1.adds.com


On client machine you need to first install Vcenter client setup file using setup file.

1. Once the setup will install one shortcut key will appear on the desktop

2. Double click and open it and enter Vcenter server host IP, User ID and password as below and click on login.

3. When you will click on login next page will be as below.

4. Click on Host and cluster.

5. Select Vcenter server Name and Right click and select new Data center

6. Now click on Add host

 

7. Enter ESXI Host IP ESXI User ID and password as below

8.Click on Next button

9. Click Yes button

10. Click next button here Virtual machine is showing because I have already created in ESXI host

11. Enter license key or select evaluation version

12. Click on Enable Lockdown Mode if you want your ESXI to lock.

13. Click twice next and finish

 

14. You can see the recent task here ESXI is getting attach with ESXI host.

 

15. ESXI status showing disconnected because process is on going

16. Now configuration has completed 100 %

17. Now ESXI host connection is showing connected after 100 % task completion

18. Above are the VM list i.e Clonned VM, Test VM and Win 7

ESXI PowerShell command to Automate ESXI configuration

 # Prompt for vCenter password

$VCCred = Get-Credential

$vCenter = Read-Host "Enter vCenterName"

#$targetVC = 192.168.1.20

#Connect vCenter 

#Connect-VIServer -Server $vCenter -Credential $VCCred

$DataCenter1= Read-Host "Enter Datacenter host"

#$datacenter = Get-Datacenter "Demo_DC"

#Prompt for ESXI

$ESXI = Read-Host "Enter ESXI hostName" 

$ESXICred= Get-Credential

#Connect ESXI host

Connect-VIServer -Server $ESXI -Credential $ESXICred

# Add NTP server details

$NTPServer=Read-Host "Write NTP server details"

#Add-VmHostNtpServer -VMHost $esxi -NtpServer servername

#Add-VMHostNtpServer -VMHost $esxi -NtpServer 192.168.1.16

Add-VMHostNtpServer -VMHost $ESXI -NtpServer $NTPServer

# Create Datastore

$DataStore= Read-Host "Volume Name"

#Storage Device path

$DevicePath= Read-Host "Enter Storage device path"

#New-Datastore -VMHost $ESXI -Name $DataStore -Path mpx.vmhba0:C0:T1:L0 -VMFS -FileSystemVersion 6

New-Datastore -VMHost $ESXI -Name $DataStore -Path $DevicePath -Vmfs -FileSystemVersion 6

# To update Domain name, prefered DNS and SearchDomain

$vmHostNetworkInfo = Get-VmHostNetwork -Host $ESXI

Set-VmHostNetwork -Network $vmHostNetworkInfo -VMKernelGateway 192.168.1.1 -DomainName ads.com -SearchDomain ads.com -DnsAddress 192.168.1.16 -DnsFromDhcp $false

#Add host to vCenter

Add-VMHost -Server $targetVC -Name $ESXI -Location $DataCenter1 -Credential $ESXICred -Force

#Enable Storage IO Control

Set-Datastore -Datastore $DataStore -StorageIOControlEnabled $true

Script for unattended esxi installation using ftp server | KickStart script

You can use scripts for unattended ESXi installation or upgrade, scripted installations or upgrades provide an efficient way to deploy multiple hosts.

The installation or upgrade script contains the installation settings for ESXi. You can apply the script to all hosts that you want to have a similar configuration.

For a scripted installation or upgrade, you must use the supported commands to create a script. You can edit the script to change settings that are unique for each host.

The installation or upgrade script can reside in one of the following locations:

FTP server

HTTP/HTTPS server

NFS server

USB flash drive

CD-ROM drive

In my lab I am keeping the installation script in FTP and HTTP server.

You can download the script from below link and save the script win KS.CFG

http://www.mytechinfoit.com/2022/04/script-to-automate-esxi-deployment.html 

Steps to configure FTP server.

Login to server

Go to server manager

Add Roles and features -> Follow the screen

Check web server IIS

FTP server

Select FTP service

Click next and follow the screen and install

Once installation complete

Open IIS manager

Right click on site and click Add  FTP site

Give the FTP site name

In content directory give the physical location of script file

I have kept script file in c:\esxi folder

Click next 

Select IP address to bind the address, in my Lab setup I am using single IP, if there is multiple assigned on the server then it will show in list

Select No SSL

In Authentication type

Select Anonymous

And anonymous users

In permission 

Select Read

Then click finish

Now select newly created FTP site SK-CFG

Click FTP authentication and enable Anonymous authentication if it is not already enabled

Once you enable it then anyone can access this FTP content without login.

Also click on FTP authorization rule to recheck whether anonymous users are allowed or not

Now go to the client machine and check whether FTP is working or not.

Open browser and enter FTP path-> ftp://192.168.1.16/ 

Now FTP page is opening without entering any user ID or password

Steps to install unattended ESXI 

If you are using physical server for deployment, then mount ESXI ISO and boot the server using CD/DVD

And follow below steps, in my case I am deploying ESXi in VMware workstation.

Steps will be the same for both Physical and Virtual only, the booting process will be different.

For a physical server you need to launch iLO console and mount ISO and boot from there.

In the VMware workstation we need to edit the VM setting and assign the ISO path and boot the server.

Once you will boot the server using ISO at first boot press SHIFT=O to edit boot options 

Now enter FTP address one temp IP to communicate with the FTP server like below.

Press enter.

Now installation has started

Post installation server will auto reboot and do the entire configuration that has been updated in the script.

Finally installation completed with the same configuration that had updated in script file.

Thank you!!!!

How to fix if ESXi host is showing Not responding in vCenter | Reset management agent using DCUI | vpxa service restart in ESXi host

 How to fix if ESXi host is showing Not responding in vCenter

Below steps you need to check

Scenario 1 -> if the host is reachable and there is no lockdown mode enabled at host level.

1. Ping the host

C:\Users\administrator>ping 192.168.1.51

Pinging 192.168.1.51 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.1.51: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Reply from 192.168.1.51: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

2. Login to host using web client -> If everything is fine start SSH service.

Login to ESXi host using putty console

Check VPXA service using below command

etc/init.d/vpxa status

Start the service using below command

etc/init.d/vpxa start

Now go to vCenter and check the status, it will take 2-3 minutes to sync.

3. Scenario -> In case lockdown mode is enabled on ESXI host level 

As the lockdown mode is enabled on ESXi host level so you can’t connect using Webclient directly.

Login to iLO console -> Take remote console

Press F2 to login to host using DCUI with root credential

Go to troubleshooting options

Restart management agent

Press F (11) to restart management agent

Now management agent is restarting

Now go to vCenter and wait for 3-4 minutes to sync

VMware Command to check vpxa, hostd service status | start stop the vpxa & hostd service | 503 Service Unavailable (Failed to connect to endpoint

 Command to check vpxa, hostd service status | start stop the vpxa & hostd service

Login to ESXi host using putty session

Go to /etc/init.d/ and enter the service name and action type i.e status, start or stop

-> To terminate the service

[root@DEMOESX01:~] /etc/init.d/vpxa stop   

watchdog-vpxa: Terminating watchdog process with PID 526649

vpxa stopped.

-> To check the status

[root@DEMOESX01:~] /etc/init.d/vpxa status  

vpxa is not running

-> To start the service

 [root@DEMOESX01:~] /etc/init.d/vpxa start  

vpxa started.

If you are getting below error while accessing ESXI host

503 Service Unavailable (Failed to connect to endpoint: [N7Vmacore4Http16LocalServiceSpecE:0x00000000b6b48c80] _serverNamespace = / action = Allow _port = 8309)

Login to putty session

Check host d service status using below command

etc/init.d/hostd status

Start the host d service using below command

etc/init.d/hostd start

Now check ESXi host web console