Installation (ESX)

Password Complexity Override

In order to be able to change a user (or root) password to one that breaches password complexity checking

1. Disable PAM module
   • esxcfg-auth --usepamqc -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
2. Disable complexity checker
   • esxcfg-auth --usecrack -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1
3. Change password
4. Re-enable PAM module
   • esxcfg-auth --usepamqc=-1 -1 -1 -1 8 8

HBA and SAN Operations

HBAnywhere Installation

1. Download the Driver and Application kit for VMware from Emulex's website.
   • At time of writing the current version of package was elxvmwarecorekit-esx35-4.0a45-1.i386.rpm
2. Copy the package to the server
   • EG pscp -pw [password] elxvmwarecorekit-esx35-4.0a45-1.i386.rpm platadmn@dtcp-esxsvce01a:/home/platadmn
3. Install the package
   • EG rpm -ivh elxvmwarecorekit-2.1a42-1.i386.rpm

HBA Firmware Upgrade

Requires HBAnywhere to be installed 1st, see HBAnywhere Installation for further info.

1. Download the correct firmware version from Emulex's website
   • EG for LPe11002's
2. Extract, and copy file to server
3. Find adapter's WWPN's
   • EG /usr/sbin/hbanyware/hbacmd ListHBAs
4. Download new firware version to each HBA
   • EG /usr/sbin/hbanyware/hbacmd download 10:00:00:00:c9:82:97:9e zf280a4.all

EMCgrab Collection

1. Download correct verion from EMC's website
   • At time of writing the current version file was emcgrab_ESX_v1.1.tar
2. Copy to server
   • EG pscp emcgrab_ESX_v1.1.tar platadmn@dtcp-esxsvce02a:/home/platadmn
3. Uncompress the file
   • EG tar -xvf emcgrab_ESX_v1.1.tar
4. Run grab (can take a few minutes, best done out of hours)
   • EG ./emcgrab.sh
5. Results can be found in \emcgrab\outputs folder

Vmkernel Log Analysis

Storage Monitor Log Entries

How to decode the following type of entries...

Sep  3 15:15:14 tfukesxent1 vmkernel: 85:01:23:01.532 cpu4:2264)StorageMonitor: 196: vmhba1:2:0:0 status = 2/0 0x6 0x2a 0x1
Sep  3 15:15:32 tfukesxent1 vmkernel: 85:01:23:19.391 cpu4:2253)StorageMonitor: 196: vmhba1:3:9:0 status = 2/0 0x6 0x2a 0x1

The status message consists of the follow four decimal and hex blocks...

Device Status / Host Status

Sense Key

Additional Sense Code

Additional Sense Code Qualifier

Where the ESX Device and SAN host status' mean...

Decimal	Device Status	Host Status
0	No Errors	Host_OK
1		Host No_Connect
2	Check Condition	Host_Busy_Busy
3		Host_Timeout
4		Host_Bad_Target
5		Host_Abort
6		Host_Parity
7		Host_Error
8	Device Busy	Host_Reset
9		Host_Bad_INTR
10		Host_PassThrough
11		Host_Soft_Error
24	Reservation Conflict

Where the Sense Key mean...

Hex	Sense Key
0x0	No Sense Information
0x1	Last command completed but used error correction
0x2	Unit Not Ready
0x3	Medium Error
0x4	Hardware Error
0x5	ILLEGAL_REQUEST (Passive SP)
0x6	LUN Reset
0x7	Data_Protect - Access to data is blocked
0x8	Blank_Check - Reached an unexpected region
0xa	Copy_Aborted
0xb	Aborted_Command - Target aborted command
0xc	Comparison for SEARCH DATA unsuccessful
0xd	Volume_Overflow - Medium is full
0xe	Source and Data on Medium do not agree

The Additional Sense Code and Additional Sense Code Qualifier mean

Hex	Sense Code
0x4	Unit Not Ready
0x3	Unit Not Ready - Manual Intervention Required
0x2	Unit Not Ready - Initializing Command Required
0x29	Device Power on or SCSI Reset