VMware

VMware VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6c Release Notes

VMware Infrastructure Management Installer | 21 Feb 2013 (Localized version)
VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 6c | 21 Feb 2013 | Build 988558
Virtual Infrastructure Client | 21 Feb 2013 | Build 988558

VMware Infrastructure Management Installer | 21 Feb 2013 (English only version)
VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 6c | 21 Feb 2013 | Build 943004
Virtual Infrastructure Client | 21 Feb 2013 | Build 943004

For information about the builds that are available for download, refer Selecting the Appropriate VMware Infrastructure Management Installer.

Last Document Update: 21 Feb 2013
These release notes include the following topics:

Note: In many public documents, VMware ESX Server 3.5 is now known as VMware ESX 3.5, and VMware ESX Server 3i version 3.5 as VMware ESXi 3.5. These release notes continue to use the earlier convention to match the product interfaces and documentation. A future release will update the product names.

What's New

This release resolves security issues that have been documented in the Resolved Issues section.

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Prior Releases of VMware Infrastructure 3

Features and known issues from prior releases of VMware Infrastructure 3, which include ESX Server 3.x and VirtualCenter 2.x releases, are described in the release notes for each release. To view release notes for prior releases of VMware Infrastructure 3 components, click the relevant link.

ESX Server Releases

VirtualCenter Releases

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Before You Begin

ESX Server, VirtualCenter, and Virtual Infrastructure Client Compatibility

The VMware Product Interoperability Matrix provides details on the compatibility of current and previous versions of VMware Infrastructure 3 components, including ESX Server, VirtualCenter, and the VI Client.

Hardware Compatibility

Learn about hardware compatibility:

The Hardware Compatibility Lists are now available on the Web-based Compatibility Guide at http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility. This new format is a single point of access for all VMware compatibility guides. The previous PDF versions will no longer be updated. The Web-based Compatibility Guide provides the option to search the guides, and save the search results in PDF format. Subscribe to be notified of Compatibility Guide updates via This is the RSS image that serves as a link to an RSS feed.

Learn about VMware Infrastructure compatibility:

VMware Infrastructure Compatibility Matrixes (PDF)

Installation and Upgrade

Read the Installation Guide for step-by-step guidance on installing and configuring ESX Server and VirtualCenter.

Although the installation processes are straightforward, several subsequent configuration steps are essential. In particular, read the following:

Using the VMware Infrastructure Management Installer and Physical Media

For this release, the VMware Infrastructure Management Installer requires a DVD drive when you use physical media to install VMware Infrastructure software.

Selecting the Appropriate VMware Infrastructure Management Installer

For the Virtual Center Server 2.5 Update 6c release only zip files for the two builds of VMware Infrastructure Management Installer are available for download. Select one of the following options:

  • VMware-vpx-2.5.0-943004.zip - These files include an English-only version of the VI Client, which runs in English regardless of the language of the Windows system. Use this installer to install a VI Client that will run in English on Chinese, German, or Japanese versions of the Windows operating system.
  • VMware-vpx-2.5.0-988558.zip - These files include a localized installer that installs all files needed to run in English, Chinese, German, or Japanese. The VI Client used at runtime corresponds to the locale of the current Windows operating system if the locale is Chinese, German, or Japanese. On Windows operating systems set to locales other than Chinese, German, or Japanese, the English version of the VI Client is used.

Changes to Virtual Infrastructure Client Installer

The VI Client standalone installer (available from ESX Server Web Access) allows installation of the VMware Infrastructure Update service, which is used for updating and patching ESX Server 3i hosts. The standalone VI Client Installer is now modified to allow optional installation of the VMware Infrastructure Update service. The VirtualCenter Unified Installer (available as part of the VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6 download) now includes an option to install VMware Infrastructure Update service when you choose the VI Client installation option.

Upgrading or Migrating to VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6c

This release supports upgrading from VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6 and VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6b to VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6c. Review the detailed upgrade and migration instructions and guidelines that are provided in the Upgrade Guide.

Refer to the Solution Upgrade Path section of the VMware Product Interoperability Matrix for more information on the supported upgrade paths.

Upgrading VMware Infrastructure Client

During upgrade of VirtualCenter Server to VMware Infrastructure 2.5 Update 6c, you can choose to upgrade both VMware Infrastructure Client and VirtualCenter Server to 2.5 Update 6c version. You must use only the upgraded VI Client to access VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6c. The VI Client upgrade is mandatory. You can upgrade VI Client by clicking the VIClientinstaller.exe file.

Note: While attempting to upgrade the old VI client, you might be prompted that another version of VI client is already installed on the system. In such a scenario, you must uninstall the old VI client and install the latest version.

Plug-In Updates

This release of the VMware Infrastructure 3 software suite does not include an update to VMware Update Manager.

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Resolved Issues

  • Oracle (Sun) JRE is updated to version 1.5.0_38, which addresses multiple security issues that existed in earlier releases of Oracle (Sun) JRE. Oracle has documented the CVE identifiers that are addressed in JRE 1.5.0_38 in the Oracle Java SE Critical Patch Update Advisory of October 2012.

  • VirtualCenter Server and VI Client contain a vulnerability in the handling of the management authentication protocol. To exploit this vulnerability, an attacker must convince either VirtualCenter Server or VI Client to interact with a malicious server as a client. Exploitation of the issue might lead to code execution on the client system. To reduce the likelihood of exploitation, Virtual Infrastructure components should be deployed on an isolated management network.
    The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures Project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2013-1405 to this issue.

    This issue is resolved in this release.

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Known Issues

Read through all of the Known Issues to find items that apply to you. The issues are grouped as follows.

Known issues not previously documented are marked with the * symbol.

Backup

  • Applications Running on the Virtual Machine Might Throw Errors During Quiesced Snapshot Creation
    Taking quiesced snapshots of a virtual machine requires interaction with the applications running on it. If an application is experiencing high levels of load, it might cause issues during quiesced snapshot creation. These issues might be either application errors, such as failure to write data to disk, or errors in taking the snapshot.
    You can clone a powered-on virtual machine. This, however, involves a quiesced snapshot creation, and you might get errors, if a high-load application is running on the virtual machine.
    Note: You can run custom scripts in the virtual machine as part of the quiesced snapshot creation operation. These scripts might be used to shut down the application and bring it back up after the snapshot creation. To know more about running such custom scripts, refer to the "VMware Consolidated Backup" chapter of the "Virtual Machine Backup Guide" in the VMware Infrastructure Documentation Set.

CIM and API

  • VI Client Displays Incorrect Name for Power Supply Redundancy Sensor on HP Servers
    When you use the VI Client to connect to an ESX Server installation on an HP server system, the VI Client incorrectly displays the power supply redundancy sensor on the server as a physical power supply source. For example, for an HP server with redundancy sensor that has two physical power supplies, the VI Client displays the redundancy sensor as Power Supplies for Power Supply 3.
  • Some CIM Classes Do Not Work Properly on IBM Multinode Systems

    For the following classes, the EnumerateInstance()operation returns one instance less than the EnumerateInstanceNames() operation:

    • CIM_AssociatedSensor
    • CIM_MemberOfCollection

    For the following classes, the GetInstance operation fails for some instances. However, the EnumerateInstances() operation succeeds.

    • CIM_HostedService
    • CIM_Sensor
    • CIM_SystemDevice
    • CIM_Slot
    • CIM_ElementConformsToProfile

    For the following classes, the EnumerateInstances() and EnumerateInstanceNames() operations fail to return any results:

    • CIM_OwningCollectionElement
    • CIM_RedundancySet
  • Operation RequestStateChange(RestoreDefaultThresholds) Results in Error
    In the ESX Server 3.5 release, the operation RequestStateChange(RestoreDefaultThresholds) results in the following error message for some sensors:
    CIM_ERR_FAILED: index out of bounds
    In spite of the error message, the CIMOM does restore the thresholds.
  • InvokeMethod(RequestStateChange) for either Sensor and SEL fails when you use the WS-Man protocol.
  • Firewall on ESX Server 3.5 Interferes with CIM Indication Support
    Outgoing HTTP connections are blocked by the firewall on ESX Server 3.5. This prevents indications from reaching the indication consumer.
    Workaround: In the service console, open an outgoing port for connections to the indication consumer by using the following command:
    esxcfg-firewall -o <port-number>,tcp,out,http
    To close a port for HTTP in the firewall:
    esxcfg-firewall -c <port-number>,tcp,out,http
  • On HP 380 G5 machines running ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 or higher, the IPMI board's IP address is not returned in response to CIM_IPProtocolEndpoint queries.
  • openwsman indications do not work on ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 or higher when you use the WS-Man protocol.
  • On IBM IBM x3850 M2 and x3950 M2 servers, some OMC_DiscreteSensor instances are found to have incorrect device IDs (with -1 as the last segment of the device ID).
  • The ModifyInstance() call to change sensor threshold fails when you use the WS-Man protocol.
  • Chassis intrusion indication is not available for IBM Athena servers.
  • On some Dell MLK hardware, the NumberOfBlocks property for the OMC_Memory instance has a value of 0.

Guest Operating Systems

Internationalization

All fields in the VI Client and the VI Web Access support non-ASCII character input, except for the following limitations:

Non-ASCII Character Entry Limitations

  • Specifying a non-ASCII value as an input string is not supported on the remote command line interface (RCLI).
  • The name of the computer on which VMware Infrastructure 3 or any of its components are installed must contain only ASCII characters.
  • If the name of the computer or virtual machine where VirtualCenter Server is being installed uses a non-ASCII computer name, the installation of VirtualCenter Server fails.
  • Use the default installation path names specified in the installer for all the components. Do not change the install path, because the installer does not support installation path names containing non-ASCII characters and extended-ASCII characters.
  • Datastore names, virtual network names, and image file names (CD, DVD, and floppy drive) are restricted to ASCII characters only.
  • Message of the Day must use only ASCII characters.
  • Logging in to the VirtualCenter Server is supported for user names with ASCII characters only (login account name on Windows).
  • Image customization might fail if non-ASCII characters are used.
  • Custom attribute names and values must use only ASCII characters.
  • To conform to the general Internet practice and protocols, the following cannot contain non-ASCII characters: host names, workgroup names, domain names, URLs, email addresses, SMTP server names, and SNMP community string.
  • Guest operating system customizations using ASCII encoding are supported, but customizations using UTF-8 encoded native characters of Japanese, Chinese, or German have limited support. For customizations with non-ASCII owner, organization, user name, or password, VirtualCenter and the sysprep tool must be hosted in the same locale as that of the guest OS. This includes the scenario to use UTF-8 encoded answer file.

Non-ASCII Character Display Limitations

  • When managing a VirtualCenter Server with a VI Client running on different languages of Windows, you might see some characters displayed incorrectly because of the difference in language-specific support on Windows.
  • If an error message includes log locations or user names containing non-ASCII characters, it will not appear correctly in a localized environment.
  • When you use the Import Wizard of VMware Converter, the date and time format is sometimes inconsistent with the current locale.
  • Unicode characters are displayed as '???' under the Status column and the Task Details of the Task View tab in the Japanese locale.
  • The Commands section on the Summary tab is not displayed properly.
  • Non-ASCII Character Cannot Be Used in the Datacenter Names of a Localized VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5 if VirtualCenter Is Upgraded from VirtualCenter 2.0.2
    After you upgrade from VirtualCenter 2.0.2 to a localized version of VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5, if you use non-ASCII characters in the datacenter names of VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5, and then restart the VMware VirtualCenter Server service, every character in the datacenter names is replaced with the ? character.
    Workaround: VirtualCenter 2.0.2 supports only ASCII characters in the datacenter names. Even after the upgrade, use ASCII characters in the datacenter names.

Guided Consolidation Limitations

The Guided Consolidation tab is available only in the en_US locale.

Translation Issues

The following translation issues are known to occur in this release:

  • The Upgrade wizard is not translated.
  • Some messages originating from the ESX Server host are not translated.
  • Some interface layouts are not yet completely localized.

Other Internationalization Issues

The following additional issues have been identified:

  • When upgrading from VirtualCenter 2.0.2 to VirtualCenter 2.5 on a Japanese locale with SQL Server 2005, VirtualCenter Server fails (KB1017604)
  • The VI Client Might Override the Language Preference Setting (KB 1017606)
  • Some string values displayed in English on localized versions of the VI Client
    Some string values on the Installation tab of the Plug-In Manager page on the localized VI Client are displayed in English.
  • OK and Cancel buttons truncated in localized version of Web Access
    If you use Firefox 3.5 with the German version of Web Access, the OK and Cancel buttons are truncated in the Select Output File page.
    Workaround 1: When using Firefox 3.5, use Tab key in the Select Output File page to switch to the OK and Cancel buttons.
    Workaround 2: Use Internet Explorer 6.0 instead of Firefox 3.5.
  • Radio button labels truncated when upgrading from VirtualCenter 2.0.2 to VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6 on Japanese and German locales
    When you are upgrading from VirtualCenter 2.0.2 to VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6, the labels of the radio buttons overlap in the Performance Data section of the Upgrade Information screen. The radio button labels in English and in localized versions are as follows:
    English
    1. Keep all performance data
    2. Discard all performance data
    3. Keep performance data recorded during past 12 months
    Japanese
    1. すべてのパフォーマンス データを保持
    2. すべてのパフォーマンス データを廃棄
    3. 過去 12 ヶ月間に記録されたパフォーマンス データを保持
    German
    1. Alle Leistungsdaten aufbewahren
    2. Alle Leistungsdaten verwerfen
    3. Leistungsdaten der letzten 12 Monate aufbewahren

  • Health status of all sensors visible in the localized versions of the VI Client is inconsistent with the English version (KB 1018219)
  • Overview area truncated when you click on the Maps icon on the VI Client toolbar
    On Chinese versions of the VI Client, when you click on the Maps icon of the VI Client toolbar, the overview area is truncated, due to which the map image is not correctly visible.
    Workaround: If you want to see the overview of the map image, click Inventory > Hosts and Clusters in the VI Client toolbar. Select the item that you want to view, and click the Maps icon.
  • On a localized operating system, using the English-only version of the VI Client for connecting to an ESX Server host directly might cause localized strings to be displayed in some areas of the user interface.
  • Values used in the Run a Script action for an alarm might not be displayed properly after restarting the VirtualCenter Server if the VMware Infrastructure Client host OS language and VirtualCenter Server/Database host OS languages are different.
  • In the Simplified Chinese version of VI Web Access, the Cancel button does not have the correct text and the text on the button is displayed incorrectly.
  • Wrong Text Appears on the Reinstall Wizard of the German VI Client
    The Reinstall wizard displays wrong text in the German VI Client.
    The Reinstall wizard displays the following text
    Der Installations-Assistent ermöglicht Ihnen, Virtual Infrastructure Client 2.5 zu reparieren oder zu entfernen., instead of
    Der Installations-Assistent ermöglicht Ihnen, VMware Infrastructure Client 2.5 zu entfernen.
  • Links Containing Machine-Generated Virtual Machine Names Do Not Work
    When you use WebAccess to browse the datastore by clicking a link containing machine-generated virtual machine name (typically starting with a plus sign and ending with slash, for example +5paw55qE5qih5p2,/), the Web browser displays a blank page or returns a page not found error. You can, however, access such virtual machines by using the VI Client.
  • Text truncates on the Network Access Page of the Add Network Wizard While Using Japanese VI Client
    Details of networks (IP address) displayed on the Network Access page are truncated while accessing VirtualCenter by using the Japanese VI Client.
    The Network Access window appears in the Add Network wizard when you select Add Networking from the Networking option under the Configuration tab.
    Workaround: You can view the Network information (IP address) in the Network Adapters page. Select Configuration > Networking > Properties > Network Adapters to view the Networks.
  • The Events Tab Might Display Coded Strings When Update Manager Scans for Updates
    On a localized version of VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5, if ESX Server hosts or virtual machines are scanned for updates by using VMware Update Manager 1.0 Update 4, some of the descriptions in Events tab might be displayed as coded strings instead of human readable event descriptions. For example, instead of Patch metadata for [data.name] missing. Please download updates metadata first., VirtualCenter displays coded strings such as the following:
    • event.com.vmware.vcIntegrity.MetadataNotFound.fullFormat
    • event.com.vmware.vcIntegrity.MetadataNotFound.category
  • Upgrading VMware Infrastructure Client
    When upgrading from the old VI Client to VI Client 2.5 Update 6c in the localized version, you might encounter an error.
    Workaround: You must uninstall the old VI Client and reinstall the VI Client 2.5 Update 6c from VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 6c.

Migration with VMotion

Miscellaneous

Networking

Performance Overview Charts

  • Performance Overview charts fail with STATs Report Service internal error (KB 1012812)
  • Performance Charts Are Displayed Only if the IP Address of the Tomcat Server Is Accessible Through Internet Explorer
    If the IP address of the Tomcat Server is not accessible through Internet Explorer, the Performance Overview tab in the VI Client might display an error message similar to the following:
    ERROR The requested URL could not be retrieved
    Workaround:
    • Ensure that Windows Firewall is turned off in the VirtualCenter Server system.
    • Configure the proxy server settings in the Internet Explorer of the VirtualCenter Server to include the IP address of the VirtualCenter Server in the Exceptions list:
      1. In the Internet Explorer of VirtualCenter Server system, select Tools > Internet Options.
      2. In the Connections tab, select LAN settings.
      3. In the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window, select the Bypass proxy server for local addresses check box and select Advanced.
      4. In the Proxy Settings window, add the IP address of the VirtualCenter Server in the Exceptions field.
  • Performance Overview Charts Might Not Be Displayed If the VirtualCenter Server Uses Oracle Database (KB 1008328)
  • Performance Overview Charts Might Not Be Displayed if the VirtualCenter Server Uses SQL Express Bundled Database (KB 1008329)
  • Performance Overview Charts Might Fail to Display if VirtualCenter Is Upgraded Without Stopping the VMware Infrastructure Web Access Service (KB 1008330)
  • VirtualCenter Might Not Display Performance Overview Charts if JavaScript Execution Is Not Enabled in Internet Explorer
    Ensure that the Active scripting security setting is enabled in Internet Explorer. Otherwise the Performance Overview tab might display a message similar to the following:
    Scripts are usually safe. Do you want to allow scripts to run?
    To enable active scripting:
    1. In the Internet Explorer browser, select Tools > Internet Options.
    2. In the Security tab, select Internet zone, and click Custom level.
    3. For the Active scripting setting under Scripting, select Enable.
  • Performance Overview Plug-In Might Not Be Displayed in the Installed Tab of the Plugin Manager Window
    After the Performance Overview plug-in is installed, it is displayed in the Available tab but might not be displayed in the Installed tab.
    Workaround: Restart the VI Client. If the plug-in is still not displayed in the Installed tab, verify that the VirtualCenter Server and the VI Client are members of the same domain.
    You can check the domains of these machines by right-clicking My Computer, selecting Properties, and viewing the information in the Computer Name tab.
  • Clicking Download and Install for the Performance Overview Plug-In Results in an Error
    Even if the Performance Overview plug-in is installed, the Available tab in the Plugin Manager window provides a Download and Install button for the plug-in. If you click Download and Install, VirtualCenter displays an error message similar to the following:
    Invalid URI: The URI is empty.
    For the Performance Overview plug-in, do not click Download and Install.
  • Performance Overview Tab Might Not Appear if the Performance Overview Plug-in Is Re-Installed
    If the Performance Overview plug-in is uninstalled and re-installed, the Performance Overview tab might not appear in the VirtualCenter Server unless you enable the plug-in in the Plugin Manager window. To enable the plug-in:
    1. In the VirtualCenter Server, click Plugins > Manage Plugins.
    2. In the Installed tab of the Plugin Manager window, select Enabled for com.vmware.vim.stats.report.

Server Configuration

Storage

Upgrade and Installation

Other Upgrade and Installation Issues

VirtualCenter Upgrade and Installation

Virtual Machine Management

  • Cloned SLES 10 and RHEL 4 virtual machines are unable to obtain IP address
    If you clone a SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 (SLES 10) or Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4 (RHEL 4) virtual machine, the cloned virtual machine is unable to get an IP address.
    Workaround: Custom clone the SLES 10 or RHEL 4 virtual machines. A custom cloned virtual machine is able to obtain an IP address.
  • Customized Clones of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista Virtual Machines Prompt For Network Location Selection Upon Power On (KB 1008378)
  • Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista Virtual Machine Clones Reboot Repeatedly if Invalid Product ID Is Provided in the Customization Specification
    When a virtual machine with a licensed version of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista is cloned with customization by using the Customization wizard and an invalid product ID is entered in the Windows License page of the Customization wizard, cloned virtual machines reboot repeatedly with error messages similar to the following when they start up:
    Windows could not parse or process the unattend answer file for pass [specialize]. The settings specified in the answer file cannot be applied. The error was detected while processing settings for component [Microsoft-Windows-Shell-Setup].
    The computer restarted unexpectedly or encountered an unexpected error. Windows installation cannot proceed. To install Windows, click “OK” to restart the computer, and then restart the installation.
  • Customization Specification of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista Guest Operating System Can Only Be Changed Thrice Successively
    Consider a virtual machine running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista. You can clone this virtual machine with customization, and edit the customization specification of the clone to create another virtual machine. However, only three such successive cloning operations can be performed.
    For example, if virtual machine A is cloned to virtual machine B, virtual machine B is cloned to virtual machine C, virtual machine C is cloned to virtual machine D, and the customization specification of the guest operating system is edited for every clone operation, then an operation to clone virtual machine D with customization might fail.
  • Cloning Virtual Machines with Customization Might Result in a Dialog Box for Sysprep File Information
    When you clone a virtual machine with customization, the cloning process might not be completed and a Sysprep dialog box might prompt you for additional files.
    Workaround: Note the list of missing files that Windows mini-setup cannot find. Copy the required files (for example, c_20127.nls) from the source machine to the Sysprep install files folder, c:\sysprep\i386, and then perform the cloning with customization. The files that Sysprep prompts for are usually in the following location on the source virtual machine: C:\Windows\system32
    Note that the Sysprep directory is removed after the virtual machine is started and customization is completed.
  • Cloned Virtual Machines do not Contain DNS Suffix (KB 1004299)
  • Cloned Virtual Machines See the .vmdk File of the Source Virtual Machine (KB 1004176)
  • Deploying Virtual Machine From a Template Fails With No Permission Error (KB 1004295)
  • User with 'Create' Privileges Cannot Create Virtual Machines(KB 1004417)
  • I/O Might Stall on Virtual Machines During Firmware Upgrade
    When virtual machines are running on a shared LUN that has heavy I/O workload, and if the firmware is upgraded using the storage management utility or if the storage controller is restarted, I/O might stall on any of the virtual machines.
    Messages similar to the following might appear in the vmkernel.log file:
    1:01:05:07.275 cpu2:1039)WARNING: FS3: 4785: Reservation error: Not supported
    SCSI: 4506: Cannot find a path to device vmhba1:0:125 in a good state. Trying path vmhba1:0:125.
    1:01:05:10.262 cpu3:1039)ALERT: SCSI: 4506: Cannot find a path to device vmhba1:0:125 in a good state. Trying path vmhba1:0:125.
    1:01:05:40.748 cpu1:1083)<6>mptbase: ioc0: LogInfo(0x30030108): Originator={IOP}, Code={Invalid Page}, SubCode(0x0108)
    1:01:05:40.930 cpu0:1024)Log: 472: Setting loglevel (via VSI) for module 'SCSI' to 5
  • Virtual Machines Might Not Power On After a Failover When the Host Is Isolated
    Virtual machines might not start after a failover when a host is isolated and the isolation response is set to Guest Shutdown, which is the default configuration for a cluster. This might occur on clusters with less than five nodes, and on virtual machines that take more time to complete the guest shutdown.
    Workaround: Set the Isolation Response to either Leave powered on or Power off for clusters which have fewer than five nodes.
    To set the Isolation Response for a virtual machine, select the cluster, click the Edit Settings link, and select Virtual Machine Options under VMware HA. From the Isolation Response pop-up menu, select either Leave powered on or Power off options for the specific virtual machine.
  • VMware Tools Custom Script Not Executed for Suspend or Shut Down Events (KB 1004390)
  • Commands Specified in the Run Once Page Might Fail to Run
    If a command that ends with a quotation mark is specified in the Run Once page of the Virtual Infrastructure Client Guest Customization wizard, the command might fail to run when a user logs on to the customized guest operation system.
    Workaround: Avoid putting quotation marks at the end of the command specified in the Run Once page.
  • Cloning Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003 Virtual Machines Might Fail if License Key Is Not Provided While Customizing the Guest Operating Systems
    When cloning a Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 virtual machine, if the Customize using the Customization Wizard option is selected in the Select Guest Customization option page and if the Include Server License Information checkbox is deselected in the Windows License page of the VMware Infrastructure Client Windows Guest Customization Wizard, the clone operation might fail with a message similar to the following: Customization Failed.

VirtualCenter, VI Client, and Web Access Issues

  • Microsoft Windows Event Viewer not displaying VirtualCenter Server information
    Microsoft Windows Event Viewer does not display VirtualCenter Server information because it is unable to locate the vmeventmsg.dll file.
    Workaround: Copy the vmeventmsg.dll file from C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\dbupgrade to C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server.
  • Errors encountered when running VI Client on Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista operating systems
    If you use vSphere 4.0 VI Client from Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista operating systems to connect to a VirtualCenter 2.5 installation or ESX 3.5 host, you might encounter issues running the VI Client installer. This issue occurs because User Account Control (UAC) is enabled on Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista operating systems for non-administrator users.
    Workaround:
    1. Log in as an administrator and install the VI Client installer.
    2. When the VI Client install wizard prompts you to intall or save, choose to save the file.
    3. If you are logging in as a non-administrator user but with administrator privileges, disable UAC before connecting vSphere 4.0 VI Client to VirtualCenter 2.5 server or ESX 3.5 host and run the Installer. After the installation is complete enable UAC on the Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista operating system.
      • To disable UAC on your Windows 2008 or Windows Vista operating system:
        1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > User Accounts.
        2. Click Turn User Account Control on or off.
        3. Deselect User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer and click OK.
        4. Reboot the machine when prompted.
      • To enable UAC on your Windows 2008 or Windows Vista operating system:
        1. Select Start > Settings > Control Panel > User Accounts.
        2. Click Turn User Account Control on or off.
        3. Select User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer and click OK.
        4. Reboot the machine when prompted.
  • VirtualCenter Server takes unusually long time to complete VirtualCenter operations and tasks
    The VirtualCenter Server takes an unusually long time to complete VirtualCenter Server operations and tasks resulting in later tasks getting queued up. The behavior is similar to VirtualCenter Server not responding. The status of some tasks is shown as In Progress for several hours. This issue occurs when VirtualCenter has a large inventory of hosts and virtual machines, and the VC Server is under stress.
    Workaround:
    1. In the vpxd.cfg file, add the following text before the closing </vpxd> tag:
      <heartbeat>
          <maxHandlers>10</maxHandlers>
      </heartbeat>
    2. Restart the vpxd service.
  • Using Firefox 3.x to access VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6 WebAccess results in navigation pane display error
    When you use Firefox 3.x to access Web Access from VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 6, after logging in, the inventory drop-down menu in the navigation pane is not correctly populated with folder or datacenter titles.
    Workaround: Use the Up button provided in the navigation pane to traverse the inventory drop-down menu.
  • When creating a virtual machine with 11 or more disks, disks are ordered incorrectly in the virtual machine properties
    If you create a virtual machine with 11 or more virtual disks through the VI client and then deploy it, the disks are ordered incorrectly in the Virtual Machine Properties window.
  • Configuration Changes to the ESX Firewall Made on the Service Console Using esxcfg-firewall Do Not Get Updated in VirtualCenter
    Service status messages for firewall services do not get updated in the VI Client for enable or disable actions performed on the ESX Server service console by using the esxcfg-firewall command.
  • Links in Getting Started Tab Do Not Work for Resource Pool Level User with Administrator Privilege
    When Administrator privileges are granted to users at the Resource Pool level, the users will find that the links on the Getting Started tab for virtual machines in that resource pool do not cause the expected actions to occur.
    Workaround: All functions work correctly from the pop-up menu (on right-click) for each virtual machine.
  • Users with Read-Only or Administrator Privilege on a Single Virtual Machine Cannot Create a Virtual Machine
    Users with Read-Only or Administrator privilege on a single virtual machine cannot create virtual machines by clicking the Create new virtual machine link in the Getting Started tab. Although the Create new virtual machine link is enabled, when the user clicks the link, the user is unable to proceed, and a message similar to the following is displayed:
    Unable to cast object of type 'Vmomi.Folder' to type 'Vmomi.ComputerResource'.
  • Virtual Machines Deployed from a Template Might Not Be Customized Correctly
    When a Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 virtual machine template contains antivirus and VPN client softwares, and a virtual machine is deployed from the template with the settings of the customized guest operating system, the deployed virtual machine might sometimes not contain the customized settings.
    Workaround: Uninstall all antivirus and VPN client softwares from the template, and then deploy the virtual machine.
  • User with Administrator Privilege at Resource Pool Level Might Not Be Able to Create Virtual Machines
    In a VI Client connected to a VirtualCenter Server or a ESX Server host, a user name that is assigned administrator privileges at resource pool level cannot create virtual machines. The Next button in the New Virtual Machine wizard is disabled.
  • Default System Administrator Group Can Be Deleted from VirtualCenter Server
    A system administrator can delete the default Administrator group from the VirtualCenter Server, by using the Permissions tab at the Host & Clusters node. Deleting the default Administrator group disconnects the VI Client from the VirtualCenter Server with a connection error message similar to the following:
    The current session to the "local host" server is no longer valid. Do you want to login again?
    You might not be able to log in to the VirtualCenter Server again.
  • VirtualCenter Server Might Stop Responding When an ESX Server Host Is Added to a Cluster that Is Enabled with VMware DRS and DPM
    When an ESX Server host is added to a VMware DRS cluster that is enabled with DPM, the VirtualCenter Server might stop responding.
    Workaround: Disable DPM from the cluster, and then add the ESX Server host to the cluster.
  • Reset Sensors In VI Client Returns General System Error (KB 1004256)
  • Links in the Getting Started Tabs for Some Inventory Objects Might Not Be Displayed (KB 1003216)
  • Size of the Oracle Database Table Increases Unnecessarily (KB 1004095)
  • The VI Client Requires .NET Framework 2.0 to be Installed on 64-bit Editions of Windows Prior to Its Installation (KB 1004093)
  • VI Client Does Not Prompt for Downloading Client Update (KB 1004396)
  • Automatic Tools Upgrade Removes IP Address and DNS Entries from the Virtual Machine Summary Tab (KB 1004487)
  • Update Manager and Converter Enterprise Plug-Ins are not Available in the VI Client (KB 1004292)
  • Windows Registry Displays Two Different VI Client Version Entries (KB 1004352)
  • Auto Download of VI Client 2.5 Fails If VI Client 2.0.x is Installed on Windows Server 2003 SP1 (KB 1003620)
  • Consolidation fails with error: "VirtualCenter must gather more information to enumerate the domains and workgroups in the enterprise. This may take several minutes. Try again later." (KB 1006099)

VMware High Availability (HA)

  • Some failed virtual machines are not powered on on the default failover host
    During HA failover, some failed virtual machines are not powered back on on the default failover host. This happens because the das.defaultfailoverhost setting does not take effect.
    Workaround:
    1. Specify the das.defaultfailoverhost in the VI Client and reconfigure cluster.
      1. In the VI Client, click Hosts & Clusters.
      2. Right-click a cluster and select Edit Settings.
      3. In the <Cluster_name> Settings page, select VMware HA and click Advanced Options.
      4. Enter das.defaultfailoverhost in the Option field and the IP address or host name of the default failover host in the Value field.
      5. Click OK to reconfigure the cluster.
    2. Reconfigure all hosts that failed earlier and rejoined the cluster.
      1. In the VI Client, click on Hosts & Clusters.
      2. Select a cluster, and click on the Hosts tab.
      3. Select all the hosts to be reconfigured, right-click and select Reconfigure for VMware HA.
  • Virtual Machines Using a NFS Datastore Might Fail After an HA Failover Event
    When you have memory overcommitment with virtual machines on a NFS datastore, it results in the creation of a vswp file, which is a non-zero size swap file. In this scenario if HA failover events occur and the HA has the setting Leave VM powered on, then you might have a virtual machine failure on the host where the virtual machine was originally running before the HA event.
    If you do not have memory overcommitment with virtual machines on a NFS datastore, if HA failover events occur with the setting Leave VM powered on, further migration of the virtual machine running on the original host might fail.
    Workaround: Apply Patch ESX350-200905401-BG to ESX Server 3.5 hosts, and Patch ESXe350-200905401-I-BG to ESX Server 3i version 3.5 hosts.
  • When a Virtual Machine Running on a NAS Datastore Is Configured to Be Shut Down or Left Powered On in Response to Host Isolation, the Virtual Machine Might Attempt to Run Simultaneously on Two Hosts in a Network Isolation Event
    In the event of a multiple network failure that causes host isolation and the loss of network access to the datastore, if a virtual machine is configured with the setting Shut down VM or Leave VM powered on in case of host isolation, the virtual machine might fail to respond indefinitely. Because HA tries to power off the virtual machine and restart it on another host, two instances of the virtual machine might appear in the VI Client. There is no data corruption, because HA and VMFS correctly control access to the virtual machine's data, but the original virtual machine becomes non responsive. After access to the datastore is restored on the isolated host, the original virtual machine can be manually powered off.
    Workaround: In NFS or iSCSI environments, select Power off VM as the default virtual machine response in a cluster if a host is isolated.

  • In an HA Cluster That Contains Around 80 Virtual Machines Per ESX Server Host  Virtual Machines Might Not Fail Over to Other Hosts
    Starting with the VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5 release, in an HA cluster, an ESX Server host can support up to 80 virtual machines. With around 80 virtual machines running on every ESX Server host in an HA cluster, if hosts within the failover capacity limit fail, it might be observed that not all virtual machines are powered on other  hosts in the cluster. VirtualCenter Server might display messages similar to the following:
    HA agent on <ESX_Server_Name> in cluster <Cluster_Name> in <DataCenter_Name> has an error
     The log files might display messages similar to the following:
    Could not power on VM : Number of running VCPUs limit exceeded
     This issue occurs when the limit of virtual CPUs per ESX Server is not increased to 192. Since the ESX Server 3.5 Update 1 release, the limit for the number of virtual CPUs per ESX Server is raised from 128 to 192. By default, this limit is still set to 128 for an ESX Server host. To resolve the issue, increase the virtual CPU limit to 192 for each ESX Server in the HA cluster.
    For information on increasing the virtual CPU limit for an ESX Server host, see Limit of Virtual CPUs Raised from 128 to 192 on ESX 3.5 Update 1 and Later Updates. (KB 1006393)
  • Edited Advanced Options In an HA-Enabled Cluster Do Not Take Effect (KB 1008479)
  • VMware HA Health Monitoring Does Not Show Rebooting in the Console After a Host Failover
    After a host failure, the virtual machine console displays an empty window when health monitoring is enabled for an HA cluster. The console does not display the virtual machines rebooting.
    Workaround: You must open a new console window to see the virtual machines restarting after the failover.
  • VI Client Might Show the Host as Not Responding During HA-DRS Cluster Operations
    During HA-DRS cluster operations such as adding or removing a host from a DRS cluster or applying DRS recommendations, the VI Client might show the host as Not responding, even when the host IP can be reached.
    Workaround: Disconnect the host from the HA-DRS cluster and reconnect it. This refreshes the system, and the VI Client reflects the configuration changes that you have made. If the VI Client again shows the host as Not Responding, disconnect the host from the HA-DRS cluster, remove the host, and add the host back to the same cluster.
  • Reconfiguration of HA Agent on an ESX Server Host Might Fail After VirtualCenter Server Is Upgraded
    When a VirtualCenter Server that contains an HA-enabled cluster is upgraded, and ESX Server hosts are reconnected to the VirtualCenter, reconfiguring the HA agent of one of the ESX Server hosts might fail with an HA agent error message similar to the following:
    HA agent on <Host_Name> in cluster <Cluster_Name> in <Datacenter_Name> has an error:
    cmd addnode failed for primary node: /opt/vmware/aam/bin/ft_startup failed
    Workaround: After upgrading the VirtualCenter Server, disable and re-enable HA on the cluster.
  • HA network compliance check
    During the configuration of HA in VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2, the Task & Events tabs might display the following error message and recommendation:
    HA agent on <esxhostname> in cluster <clustername> in <datacenter> has an error Incompatible HA Network:
    Consider using the Advanced Cluster Settings das.allowNetwork to control network usage.
    Starting with VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2, HA has an enhanced network compliance check to increase cluster reliability. This enhanced network compliance check helps to ensure correct cluster-wide heartbeat network paths. See KB 1006606 for details.
  • VM Monitoring feature in VMware HA is not supported for ESX or ESXi releases prior to ESX 3.5 Update 3
    With VMware HA enabled for a cluster managed by VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 6, the VM Monitoring feature does not function correctly on ESX or ESXi hosts older than ESX 3.5 Update 3 and might cause false virtual machine failovers.
    Workaround: Disable the VM Monitoring feature for those VMs or upgrade the ESX/ESXi host to ESX 3.5 Update 3 or later.
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