ESXi losing config 1

[withanh]

I must be missing something. I configure my network adapters, I configure my VMs. I was simulating a host outage and downed blade1, then brought them up on blade2, rebooted blade1 and none of the network adapters are configured and none of the VMs show.

Is there something I missed to have the ESXi host keep the config through a power failure?

 

[nhidalgo]

We need a little more info, do you have virtual center server installed and configured? Are the server's setup with HA in a drs cluster? These are add on features that are not part of ESXi

Nick

 

[withanh]

Nothing extra. Just ESXi installed on an IBM BladeCenter S with two blades. This is a brand new factory install of ESXi

 

[nhidalgo]

am an not that familar with the blade setup, but each is it's own vm host i would guess. You will need virtual center server for this functionality.

With your setup you would need to connect to each host with the vi client and manually build each vm on both hosts. Then only boot the vm on one of the hosts.

This is also assumming some type of shared storage.

 

[withanh]

I should not need virtual center server for this issue. You are correct in your assumption that each blade is a separate host. The issue at hand is I configure the host with the appropriate available network adapters, configure the host with a vm, everything runs perfectly.

Then I force simulate a power failure on the one blade (aka host) by rebooting and when it comes back up, no configuration has been saved, not even the root password for ESXi.


Strange for sure!

BTW, I know that what I'm doing with the VM's would require the virtual center server or vmotion or some such to automate it, and I'm OK for now with it being manual. If a host drops off, I can manually bring the guest back up on a different host because it's all in shared storage.

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

One potential source of confusion, if you have ESXi in evaluation mode, all features work, but if you switch from evaluation mode to a---note:

"free license" the system will be read-only (as in a built in image driectly from the hardware supplier)

You must obtain an ESXi license (which is free) from VMware to make it a valid installation of ESXi. This way they can keep track of what is out there. Register on VMware.com and they will let you download it.

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[TechyMcSe2k]

https://www.vmware.com/tryvmware/?p=esxi

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[TechyMcSe2k]

Also, if this is the Embedded version of ESXi then you should read this document:

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_35/esx_3i_e/r35u2/vi3_35_25_u2_3i_setup.pdf

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[TechyMcSe2k]

Also, when you made the VM's did you specify a MODE for the hard disk? Did you choose Independant/persistent or NON-Persistent? Just curious if it is discarding changes when rebooted can be caused by setting it at Non-Persistent.

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[withanh]

I believe it is fully licensed and not trialware...

Screenshot attached for hard drive setup.

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

Helpful article here :

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/viewContent.do?externalId=1003137&sliceId=1

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[TechyMcSe2k]

This means a UPS is required!

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[withanh]

It's on UPS, I've been a sysadmin for way too long to fall into that trap

I have also already seen that article. When I simulate my power failure, I am not just pulling the plug on the vm host, I go to the ESXi console and hit F12 then F11 to restart.

I found another post on another forum saying there should be a state.tgz in the /bootbank/ directory. That's not there either.

h

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

See what color your USB flash drive is (internal to the server) . There was an issue with certain USB flash drive sent out in preconfigured servers for ESXi that didnt write fast enough to save the information. although, most of what I found pertained to HP servers.

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[TechyMcSe2k]

F12 does shutdown or restart the host; but F11 is for Confirm sensitive commands, such as
resetting configuration defaults.

Why are you pressing F11?

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[withanh]

The USB flash is not a traditional looking one, it is just a PCB connected to the motherboard. Gotta love proprietary stuff The screenshot is from IBM documentation, but mine looks the same. I've got more stuff installed on the board (i.e. 2 more ethernet cards) so you can't see my USB but I know it looks just like this, I saw it before I installed the ethernet cards.

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

I know you re using IBM; but maybe...just maybe...

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c01605187

/But I still want to know why you use F11.

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[withanh]

On the ESXi console it says "<F12> Shut Down/Restart" when you hit F12 it asks for the root password then says "<F2> Shut Down <F11> Restart <Esc> Cancel" So I hit F11 to restart.

I'll look at that HP tech note.

Thanks!

h

 

[withanh]

Interesting on the HP USB deal, I'll poke around at IBM and see if they have a similar issue...

h

 

[TechyMcSe2k]

Also, do all of your VM's have the VM Tools installed? And within the VI client to connect to your ESXi server, have you configured the Virtual Machine Startup and Shutdown properties under Configuration for the ESXi Host? It has options to make the VM's start and stop with the host. Then change the shutdown action to Guest Shutdown globally for all VM's.

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