VMware VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3 Release Notes
VMware Infrastructure Management Installer | 03 Oct 2008
VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 3 | 03 Oct 2008 | Build 119801
Virtual Infrastructure Client | 03 Oct 2008 | Build 119826
VMware Infrastructure Management Installer | 03 Oct 2008 (English Only)
VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 3 | 03 Oct 2008 | Build 119598
Virtual Infrastructure Client | 03 Oct 2008 | Build 119598
See Selecting the Appropriate VMware Infrastructure Management Installer for information.
Last Document Update: 18 Dec 2008
Check frequently for additions and updates to these release notes. |
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 previous convention to match the product interfaces and documentation. A future release will update the product names.
What's New
This release provides resolutions to multiple issues. For more information, see 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 one of the following links:
ESX Server Releases
VirtualCenter Releases
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Before You Begin
Note: If you are installing this release from any source other than physical DVD media, see the knowledge base article Filenames over 64 characters in ESX Server ISO image may get truncated during content extraction (KB 1005283) for important information on a known installation issue.
ESX Server, VirtualCenter, and Virtual Infrastructure Client Compatibility
The ESX Server, VirtualCenter, and Virtual Infrastructure Client Compatibility Matrixes provides details on the compatibility of current and previous versions of VMware Infrastructure 3 components, including ESX Server, VirtualCenter, and the VI Client.
See the ESX Server Compatibility Guides before installing this software.
You must verify that your server, I/O, storage, guest operating system, management agent, and backup software are
compatible. These guides also address minimum requirements and scaling limits associated with this release.
To view a guide, click one of the following links:
- Systems Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i (PDF)
- I/O Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i (PDF)
- Storage/SAN Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i (PDF)
- Backup Software Compatibility Guide for ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3i (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:
Installing Using the VMware Infrastructure Management Installer and Physical Media
New: 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
Two builds of VMware Infrastructure Management Installer are available for download. Select one of the following options:
- VMware-VIMSetup-2.5.0-U3-English.iso or VMware-VIMSetup-2.5.0-U3-English.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-VIMSetup-2.5.0-U3-localized.iso or
VMware-VIMSetup-2.5.0-U3-localized.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 will correspond 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 will be 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 so as to reduce unnecessary proliferation of this tool. Note that the VirtualCenter Unified Installer (available as part of the VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3 download) now installs VMware Infrastructure Update service when you choose the VI Client installation option.
Upgrading or Migrating to VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3
This release supports upgrading from VirtualCenter 1.4.1, VirtualCenter 2.0.2 (including Update 1, Update 2, Update 3, Update 4, and Update 5), VirtualCenter 2.5, VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 1, or VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2 to VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3. Review the detailed upgrade and migration instructions and guidelines that are provided in the Upgrade Guide.
Note: Previous versions of VMware Update Manager are not compatible with VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3, and must be upgraded to VMware Update Manager 1.0 Update 3 during the installation process.
Plug-Ins Updates
This release of the VMware Infrastructure 3 software suite also includes the following:
Resolved Issues
This release resolves issues in the following subject areas:
Miscellaneous
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FLEX License Server Upgrade
This release of VirtualCenter upgrades the FLEX license server to version 10.8.6 in order to resolve known issues with previous releases of the license server and to provide enhance debugging capabilities. The new FLEX license-server is packaged with the VMware Infrastructure Management Installer. Fresh installations of the license server will use the new version but the license server will not be automatically upgraded when using the VMware Infrastructure Management Installer to upgrade an existing installation. To upgrade an existing license server installation, use the standalone installer (VMware-licenseserver.exe) that can be found in the /vpx folder of the installer directory structure.
Security
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WebAccess Component JRE Updated to Version 1.5.0_16
The currently installed version of JRE depends on your patch deployment history.
For more information about security issues fixed in version 1.5.0_16 and in earlier
versions, see the JRE release notes at http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.5.0/ReleaseNotes.html.
For a list of the CVE identifiers related to the fixed security issues
in JRE 1.5.0_16, see the Secunia advisory at http://secunia.com/advisories/31010.
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VMware VirtualCenter Password Might Be Displayed in Error Window
This release resolves an issue where a user's password might be displayed in clear text on the login screen. When logging in to VirtualCenter Server 2.0 with Virtual Infrastructure Client 2.5, the user password might be displayed in a dialog box on the VI Client in clear text if the login fails. The dialog box alerting the user to the failed login might be hidden under other windows.
The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures project (cve.mitre.org) has assigned the name CVE-2008-4278 to this issue.
Server Configuration
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Custom vpxa Server IP address Setting Does Not Work
This release resolves an issue in some previous releases where changes to the vpxa <serverIP> option do not take effect. The vpxa agent does not send heartbeats to the IP specified in <serverIP>.Instead, it sends them to the IP specified in the host sync.
To enable this feature on ESX Server 3.5, modify the vpxa.cfg file by adding the following line:
<preserveServerIp> true </preserveServerIp>
When this feature is enabled, vpxa.cfg file will look similar to the following sample:
<config>
<vpxa>
**** existing stuff *****
<preserveServerIp> true </preserveServerIp>
</vpxa>
**** existing stuff *****
</config>
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Host DNS Configuration Does Not Accept Domain Entry Without Suffix
In previous releases of VirtualCenter, hosts could not be configured with a domain entry that did not contain a suffix. For example, the host named host123 can not be configured as host123, but is required to be have a domain entry such as host123.com or host123.net. This release resolves the issue and hosts can be configured with domain entries without a suffix.
Upgrade and Installation
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Connecting to an ESX Server Host Through VirtualCenter Will Not Upgrade a Localized VI Client
This releases resolves an issue where when you connect to an ESX Server host using the globalized version of VirtualCenter (not the English-only version), the localized VI client in use is not upgraded to the Update 2 version.
- Statistics Events and Tasks are Not Deleted from the Database
In previous releases, using the VMware Infrastructure Management Installer to upgrade an existing VirtualCenter installation, the installer allows you to select whether to preserve Tasks and Events or Performance data. Selecting the discard data option did not result in any information being truncated from the database, all statistics were retained. In this release, selecting the discard option will result in the selected data being removed from the database.
- VI Client Acknowledges Installed Plug-Ins Correctly
In previous releases, if the Plugin Manager Window is closed before the plug-ins are enabled or installed completely, and if the Plugin Manager window is launched again, the Installed tab might fail to acknowledge the installed plug-ins and the Available tab might display a Download and install button even though the plug-ins are installed. This release resolves the issue.
- Installation of VI Client Fails When Installation file is Downloaded from VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2 Web Interface
The VI Client installation file that is downloaded from the VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2 web interface might be incomplete, and the file size might be different each time you download the file. When you run the downloaded installation file, installation of VI Client might fail with an error message similar to the following:
Initialization setup failure
This release resolves the issue.
VirtualCenter, VI Client, and Web Access
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VirtualCenter Server Remains Responsive to the VI Client
This release modifies the VirtualCenter database SQL scripts to resolve issues that might cause the VirtualCenter Server to stop responding to the VI Client with multiple timeout, and prevents users from logging in to the VirtualCenter Server.
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Start and Stop of NTP and SSH Services from the ESX Server Service Console Do Not Get Reflected in the VI Client
This release resolves an issue where service start or stop performed on the ESX Server service console does not get reflected in the VI Client for the NTP Client and SSH Server services.
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Assert Error 1319 Encountered When Opening Console to Virtual Machine from VI Client
This release resolves an issue where an error similar to VMware VirtualCenter unrecoverable error: (mks) ASSERT C:/ob/bora-59306/bora/lib/left/pollLeft.c:1420 bugNr=1319 is encountered when opening a console window to a virtual machine.
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QueryPerf Query Operation Returns Performance Statistics of Virtual
Machine that Remain Connected
This release resolves an issue where the QueryPerf operation executed on more than one virtual machine might fail, when a virtual machine is removed while the performance statistics are being retrieved.
Starting with this release, when a virtual machine is removed while the performance statistics are being retrieved, the QueryPerf query returns performance statistics of virtual machines that remain connected.
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VirtualCenter Server Remains Responsive with More Than 2400 Virtual Machine in a Folder Structure
This release resolves an issue where, when there are more than 2400 virtual machines in a single folder structure, and SQL Server 2005 or SQL Server 2000 is used as the external database server, selecting the Task & Events tab might cause the VirtualCenter Server to stop responding with an error message similar to the following:
Database temporarily unavailable or has network problems
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Removing Virtual Machine Folders Does Not Delete Virtual Machines from the ESX Server Host Datastore
Starting with this release, in the VirtualMachines and Templates view, removing a virtual machine folder does not delete virtual machines from the host datastore. Virtual machines that were on a managed host remain on the host, but VirtualCenter Server no longer manages them.
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Permissions Can Be Configured for Individual Virtual Machines and Resource Pools in VI Client
Starting with this release, when the VI Client is connected directly to a host running ESX Server 3.5 or higher, the Permissions tab is available for individual virtual machines and resource pools.
- VirtualCenter Server Restarts Even If Resource Pool with Name "Resources" is Created
In previous releases, if a resource pool with name "Resources" is created in the VirtualCenter Server and the VMware VirtualCenter Server service is restarted, the VirtualCenter Server might fail to start with a message similar to the following:
Could not start the VMware VirtualCenter Server service on Local Computer.
Error 1067: The Process terminated unexpectedly.
This release resolves the issue.
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Sysprep doesn't work on virtual machines or templates from VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2 on ESX Server 3.0.x hosts
For virtual machines or templates with customization specifications created in VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2, Sysprep will not run when a virtual machine is deployed to an ESX Server 3.0.x host. The virtual machine is deployed, but Sysprep doesn't run and you have a clone of the virtual machine with the same NetBIOS name as the original used for creating customization settings. The clone does not join the specified domain or run any other parts of the customization script. This release resolves this issue.
- Overriding Group Permissions Does Not Cause Group Names to Return in Different Letter Cases
This release resolves an issue where, when you override group permissions defined on a managed entity, the VirtualCenter Server might display group names twice in different letter cases in the Permissions tab.
VMware High Availability (HA)
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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. VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3 allows you to bypass this check to prevent HA configuration problems. To bypass the check, add das.bypassNetCompatCheck=true to the HA advanced settings.
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In HA-DRS cluster, the Enter Maintenance Mode Task Stalls and Virtual Machines are Not Migrated
In previous releases of VirtualCenter, virtual machines might not be automatically migrated off a host entering maintenance mode if there is not enough failover capacity in an HA-DRS cluster. The enter maintenance mode task stalls at 2% indefinitely, and is not completed even if HA admission control is disabled. This release resolves the issue by allowing the evacuations if HA admission control is disabled. Note that admission control is enabled by default (see Implications of enabling or disabling VMware HA strict admission control when using DRS and VMware DPM (KB 1007006) for more information). Note that the task might also stall if the virtual machines cannot be evacuated for other reasons.
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After HA Advanced Settings are Created, They Cannot Be Deleted
In previous releases, advanced settings created on the Advanced Options page for an HA cluster cannot be deleted. Attempts to delete the advanced setting result in an object reference error. This release resolves the issue and advanced settings can be deleted normally.
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Unable to Power On Virtual Machine in a DRS cluster with Virtual Machine User permissions
This release resolves an issue in previous releases where users with the Virtual Machine User permission are unable to power on a virtual machine in a DRS cluster if DRS is set to Manual.
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Increased Memory Consumption by VMware HA Agent Causes the ESX Server Host to Stop Responding
This release resolves an issue where high memory consumption by the VMware HA agent might cause an ESX Server host in an HA-enabled cluster to stop responding.
When the ESX Server host stops responding, messages similar to the following are visible in the log files:
<Log_Date> 01:01:39 <Host-Name> kernel: size-32 367 754 64 13 13 1
<Log_Date> 01:01:39 <Host-Name> kernel: Out of Memory: Killed process <Process_ID>(<Process_Name>).
<Log_Date> 01:17:52 <Host-Name> syslogd 1.4.1: restart.
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VI Client Might Display ESX Server Hosts as Not Responding During HA-DRS Cluster Operations
This release resolves an issue where during HA-DRS cluster operations such as adding or removing a host from a DRS cluster, applying DRS recommendations, migrating virtual machines across resource pools, or performing power on or off operations on virtual machines in a resource pool, the VI Client might display the ESX Server host as Not responding, even when the host IP can be reached.
Note: This update, in conjunction with patch ESXe350-200809401-I-SG on ESX Server 3i host, and patch ESX350-200809404-SG on ESX Server host provides a full resolution to this issue.
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Suppress "No management Network Redundancy" warning
This release introduces an option to suppress the warning message "Host xxx currently has no management network redundancy" for a host configured as a node in an HA cluster.
Set the advanced option das.ignoreRedundantNetWarning to "true" to suppress the warning on hosts not configured in an HA cluster. If the warning appears for host already configured in a cluster, set the option and reconfigure HA on that host to clear the configuration issue.
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VMware HA Can Be Configured on a Cluster Regardless of the Letter Case of the ESX Server Host Names
In the VirtualCenter Update 2 release, configuring VMware HA might fail on a cluster that has ESX Server hosts with host names in upper case, displaying an error message similar to the following:
Unable to contact primary HA agent in cluster/
This release resolves the issue, and VMware HA can be configured on a cluster regardless of the letter case of the ESX Server host names.
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HA Agent Error is Intermittently Reported
In previous releases, when the esx.conf file of an ESX Server host that is a part of an HA cluster is locked, VirtualCenter might intermittently report errors similar to the following:
HA agent on <HOST_Name> in cluster <CLUSTER_NAME> has an error.
The vpxa.log file of the corresponding ESX Server host might contain entries similar to the following:
Error trying to perform list Error interacting with configuration file /etc/vmware/esx.conf: Failed attempting to lock file.
Another process has locked the file for more than 10 seconds.
The process holding the lock is /usr/bin/perl-w/usr/sbin/esxcfg-boot-o (17959).
This operation will complete if it is run again after the lock is released.
This release resolves the issue, as the esx.conf file lock no longer affects HA agent configuration.
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Known Issues
Backup
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Consolidate Helper Snapshots Might Not Be Removed Automatically
In the ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 release, Consolidate Helper snapshots are created iteratively to minimize the amount of time a virtual machine is inactive during snapshot creation. As a result, the Consolidate Helper snapshots are now called Consolidate Helper-XXX and not just Consolidate Helper. When you use VMware Consolidated Backup 1.1 with ESX Server 3.5 Update 2, if vcbMounter encounters a failure during a snapshot delete operation, this temporary snapshot might be left behind. The vbCleanup.bat command does not delete this Consolidate Helper-XXX snapshot. You must manually delete it using the VI Client. This issue does not exist in VMware Consolidated Backup 1.5.
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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 could 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 could 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
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VI Client Displays Incorrect Name for Power Supply Redundancy Sensor on HP Servers
When you connect to an ESX Server installation on an HP server system using the VI Client, 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.
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Executing a CallMethod query on a CIM_RecordLog instance might fail
In ESX Server 3.5 Update 2, executing a CallMethod query (cm) on a CIM_RecordLog instance might not succeed at all times. You can, however, clear system event log through a remote management console or interface.
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Mandatory property MaxReadable, NominalReading, NormalMax, NormalMin and PollingInterval in class CIM_NumericSensor shows incorrect values
The instances of CIM_NumericSensor have this set of properties: MaxReadable, NominalReading, NormalMax, NormalMin. When the actual sensor does not support values of these properties, they are displayed in CIM responses as 0, instead of unspecified.
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Some CIM Classes Do Not Work Properly on IBM Multinode Systems
For the following classes, the EnumerateInstance operation returns one instance less than the Enumerate InstanceNames 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
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Changes to the Sensor Threshold are Not Reflected Immediately
If you change the sensor threshold through CIM, enumeration of the sensor might not return the new property values immediately. The changes take effect about a minute later.
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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.
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InvokeMethod(RequestStateChange) for either Sensor and SEL fails when you use the WS-Man protocol.
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InvokeMethod(RequestPowerStateChange) fails when you use the WS-Man protocol.
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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.
Resolution: 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
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On HP 380 G5 machines running ESX Server 3.5 Update 2, the IPMI board's IP address is not returned in response to CIM_IPProtocolEndpoint queries.
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In the ESX Server 3.5 release, invoking the Reset() operation on numeric power supply sensors results in the following error message:
CIM_ERR_FAILED: index out of bounds
As a workaround, you can use the RequestStateChange(Reset) operation.
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On ESX Server 3.5 Update 2, instances of VMware_Account (a subclass of CIM_Account) show a SystemName property with a value of 0. The SystemName property should contain the BIOS UUID of the server.
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On some servers, incorrect PECI temperature sensor readings might be reported. Incorrect values are shown in the VI Client and in the NominalReading property of CIM_Sensor instances for CPU PECI tic for processor sensors.
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On servers with ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 installed, SLP reports that service:wbem is available on HTTP port 5888. However, the default firewall settings prevent access to port 5888. To access the port, unblock the port in the firewall configuration.
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Indications do not work on ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 when you use the WS-Man protocol.
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On IBM athena hardware, some OMC_DiscreteSensor instances are found to have incorrect device IDs (with -1 as the last segment of the device ID).
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The ModifyInstance() call to change sensor threshold fails when you use the WS-Man protocol.
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Chassis intrusion indication is not available for IBM Athena servers.
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An ESX Server 3.5 host that is upgraded to ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 does not report CIM_AssociatedSensor instances correctly. The EnumerateInstance() and Association() queries for CIM_AssociatedSensor do not return any instances. As a workaround, perform a clean installation of ESX Server 3.5 Update 2, or a clean installation of ESX Server 3.5 U1 and then upgrade to ESX Server 3.5 Update 2.
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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 WebAccess 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 by the remote command line interface (RCLI).
- The name of the computer on which VMware Infrastructure 3 or any of its components are installed must not contain non-ASCII characters.
- The name of the computer or virtual machine where VirtualCenter Server is being installed must not have a non-ASCII computer name, or the installation of VirtualCenter Server will fail.
- 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.
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Datastore names, virtual network names, and image file names (CD, DVD, and floppy drive) are restricted to ASCII characters only.
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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, username, 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 the 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 the 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.
Guided Consolidation Limitations
The Guided Consolidation tab is available only in the en_US locale.
Translation Issues
The following are known issues with translation 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:
- 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.
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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.
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The VI Client Might Override the Language Preference Setting
The VI Client Might override the language preference setting and display some messages in a language other than its primary language. It might display messages that are dynamically generated by the server (the VirtualCenter Server and ESX Server) in the primary language set on the server. This issue does not occur if all the software is running in the language that corresponds to the locale of the operating system.
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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 shows the following text
Der Installations-Assistent ermöglicht Ihnen, Virtual Infrastructure Client 2.5 zu reparieren oder zu entfernen., instead of The installation wizard will allow you to remove Virtual Infrastructure Client 2.5.
- 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 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 display the Networks.
Migration with VMotion
Miscellaneous
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Converter Enterprise Client Plug-In Must Be Installed and Enabled After Upgrading
VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 2 does not support the earlier versions of the Converter Enterprise Client plugin. You must, therefore, install and enable the Converter Enterprise Client plugin after upgrading to VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 2. To install and enable the Converter Enterprise Client plugin, click Manage Plugins on the Plugins menu. In the Plugin Manager window, select the Available tab and click Download and Install.
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Health Status for a Few IPMI Sensors Shows Unknown When Multinode IBM System x3950 M2 Server Functions Under Heavy CPU Usage
If a multinode IBM System x3950 M2 Server under heavy CPU usage hosts more than 80 virtual machines, the Health Status for a few IPMI sensors such as Processors, Memory, Storage, Power, System, Chassis, and Watchdog shows Unknown for a few minutes.
To view the Health Status page, click the Health Status link under the Configuration tab in the VI Client.
Workaround:
To update the sensor status, click Refresh link available on the Health Status page. This update takes approximately 10 minutes.
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VI Client Shows the Health Status of IBM x Series Servers With LSI 1078, as Alert When the Status of the Sensors Is Not Displayed as Alert
VI Client displays the health status of IBM System x3850 M2/x3950 M2 Servers with LSI 1078 IR SAS controller in red ("Alert") even though the sensors and subcomponents are not shown in red.
To view the Health Status page, click the Health Status link under the Configuration tab in the VI Client.
Workaround:
Install the latest firmware (version 01.25.82.00 or later) for the LSI 1078 IR SAS controller that is available from IBM Corporation.
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An ESX Server Web Interface Might Fail to Display the Latest IPMI System Event Log Record
When the IPMI System Event Log (SEL) is cleared, the IPMI SEL entries available through the ESX Server Web interface at https://<IP address of ESX Server host>/host/ipmi_sel, might not be the latest IPMI SEL record.
Workaround: The latest IPMI SEL record can be retrieved by querying CIM_LogRecord.
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esxtop Disk Stats Can Reflect Multiple Paths (KB 1003115)
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Client-side CD-ROM or Floppy Can Become Disconnected (KB 1003118)
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Authentication from IBM Director Server Console to Director Agent Fails With the "Target System Is Not Currently Available" Error (KB 1003123)
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Loading Parallel Port Driver Modules in the Service Console Generates Warnings in the ESX Server Boot Logs (KB 1003091)
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If IBM Director 5.20.1 Agent Is Installed on ESX Server 3.5, The Director Console May Not List The Device Drivers (KB 1003120)
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UserDuct_Open Fails During Crossdup with VMK_WOULD_BLOCK or Wailers List Not Empty Warnings (KB 1004385)
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VirtualCenter Server Does Not Detect Changes in Host IP Address Unless SSL Certificate Verification Has Been Enabled (KB 1003066)
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ESX Server Becomes Temporarily Unresponsive Under a Heavy I/O Load (KB 1003039)
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CPU Utilization Peaks After Installing Dell OpenManage (KB 1004508)
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Benign Error Message in the /var/log/messages File of the ESX Server Host (KB 1004499)
Networking
Server Configuration
Storage
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Installing the Tivoli Storage Manager Client on the Service Console Results in an Error (KB 1003142)
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Incorrect Device Paths for LUNs Displayed in Storage Summary (KB 1003064)
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Virtual Machines Manually Migrated from an ESX Server 2.x Host to an ESX Server 3.x Host Subsequently Might Not Power On (KB 1003069)
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Running "esxcfg-mpath -l" Might Report Incorrect Number of LUN Paths (KB 1003141)
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ESX Server is Unable to Boot From SAN on an Emulex LP1150 or LPe1150 HBA (KB 1003067)
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Running fdisk -l Fails to Display Local Storage in Some Situations (KB 1003698)
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Presence of a Removable Storage Device Might Prevent Converter From Successfully Converting a Physical Machine to an ESX Server Virtual Machine (KB 1003042)
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Certain Special Characters Cause Software iSCSI Initiator CHAP Configuration Corruption (KB 1003095)
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Storage Devices Connected to McData FC Switch Through QLogic Adapters Occasionally Do Not Reappear After Reboot (KB 1003040)
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ESX Server Does Not Recognize Second Host Bus Adapter SAS LSI3444E in IBM x3650 Type 7979 (KB 1004486)
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ESX Server VMkernel Does Not Recognize a Loaded IDE Controller and Displays an Error Message (KB 1004309)
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Only One vmhba for Each Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) Controller (KB 1004374)
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Removing Cable from One Port on an HBA and Connecting to Another Port on the HBA Causes Both Ports to Fail (KB 1004389)
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VMKlinux runs out of memory when you use an mptsas system with more than 128 LUNs (KB 1004403)
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ESX Server Host Might Lose Access to iSCSI Targets from EMC CX3 Series Array (KB 1004318)
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Windows Guests Installed with LSI Logic STORport Driver 1.26.05 Crash while Booting (KB 1006224)VMware Products may be affected during VirtualCenter Upgrade (KB 1007128)
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LSI jobs and nonconcrete storage pools do not persist between boots
The persistence scheme implemented by LSI creates a new file on the host operating system for each job and non-concrete storage pool (a storage pool that is not associated with a storage volume). These files do not persist between boots. As a result, non-concrete storage pools are not available after the host operating system is rebooted. In addition, any jobs executed before the reboot are not visible.
Support for 10GbE IP storage (iSCSI and NFS) with the Update releases of ESX Server 3.5, ESX Server 3i version 3.5 Installable, and ESX Server 3i version 3.5 Embedded is for connectivity. Performance levels can vary.
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Creating a large file on a spanned VMFS datastore might fail if the first datastore extent is smaller than 1GB
If you try to create a large virtual disk file in a spanned VMFS datastore, this operation might fail. Generally, this problem occurs when the first datastore extent is less than 1GB in size, and is due to a lack of pointer blocks.
Workaround: If possible, recreate the datastore using the larger partition first and adding the smaller extents later.
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Storage Information Displayed Might Be Incorrect When ESX Servers Access Shared LUNs by Using Different Device Path Numbers for Host Bus Adapters
The Storage page in the Configuration tab displays properties of the LUNs used by an ESX Server host. When two or more ESX Server hosts access shared LUNs by using different device path numbers for host bus adapters (HBAs), the displayed properties of the shared LUNs for any of the ESX Server hosts might be incorrect.
However, this issue does not exist when ESX Server hosts use the same device path number for HBAs to access shared LUNs.
Upgrade and Installation
Other Upgrade and Installation Issues
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Unexpected Restarts of Virtual Machines on ESX Server 3.0.1 Might Occur When Upgrading to VirtualCenter 2.5 or When Adding ESX Server 3.0.1 to VirtualCenter 2.5 (KB 1003401)
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Automatic Upgrades Cannot Be Performed for VMware Tools on Virtual Machines Running Netware (KB 1003058)
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InstallShield Sometimes Stops Responding When Upgrading From Any VMware Consolidated Backup Version Prior to 1.5 (KB 1002603)
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VMotion is Disabled after ESX Server Upgrade (KB 1003060)
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Virtual Machine on RDM Shared Storage Becomes Invalid After Migration from ESX Server 2.5x to ESX Server 3.5 or ESX Server 3i (KB 1003092)
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Legacy vmware-toolbox Script Tab Settings Revert to Default After VMware Tools Upgrade (KB 1003047)
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"Please insert the Disk:1" dialog box appears when upgrading VMware Update Manager Update 2 (KB 1006565)
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Error message during upgrade of Update Manager to U2: "The wizard was interrupted, please run the installation again" (KB 1006583)
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Power Off Button Sometimes Does Not Work in Web Access
In some cases, the power off button for a virtual machine is not available or does not respond when clicked.
Workaround: Refresh the browser window. The power off button should work properly.
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Upgrading VirtualCenter and VMware Update Manager May Fail to Upgrade the Update Manager Database
You can use the unified installer to simultaneously upgrade VirtualCenter and VMware Update Manager, but problems with custom database configurations might occur. VirtualCenter and VMware Update Manager can store information in a single database or in separate databases. If your deployment includes separate databases, and you do not use the Custom option during upgrade, the VMware Update Manager database might not be upgraded. Instead, one of two things might happen:
- If there is no Update Manager database in the VirtualCenter database instance, a new Update Manager database is created.
- If there is an existing but unused Update Manager database, it is upgraded. Unused Update Manager databases might exist when an initial installation is completed and then subsequently a separate Update Manager database is established.
In both cases, the custom Update Manager database that is being used is not updated. After the upgrade, the system uses the incorrect database that the unified installer has either updated or created.
To avoid this issue, select the Custom type for the installation and specify the Update Manager database that your deployment is using.
VirtualCenter Upgrade and Installation
- VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3 may fail to start after upgrade (KB 1007196)
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VirtualCenter Database Upgrade Fails with an Exception When a Password that Contains Apostrophes or Double Quotes Is Used (KB 1003049)
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Upgrades of VirtualCenter Server With Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Database Require SQL Native Client ODBC Driver (KB 1003391)
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Some Alarms Disappear After Upgrade to VirtualCenter 2.5 (KB 1003072)
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Upgrading VirtualCenter 1.4 Using the Unified Installer with Optional Modules Selected Fails with an Error (KB 1003078)
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Do not grant or revoke the System Administrator's role to satisfy database permission requirements when upgrading to VirtualCenter 2.5 (KB 1003346)
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Custom Installation Using Unified Installer Fails When Upgrading to VirtualCenter 2.5 (KB 1004294)
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VirtualCenter Upgrade Using ISO Image Fails if the Existing Installation was done Using ZIP (KB 1004291)
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VirtualCenter fails to connect to Update Manager if a new HTTP or HTTPS Web Services port is specified during VirtualCenter installation (KB 1004412)
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VirtualCenter Server Might Fail to Display the Upgraded Version of Update Manager Client
When Update Manager is upgraded, the Available tab in the Plugin Manager window might fail to update the version of the installed Update Manager. However, the Installed tab in the Plugin Manager window displays the correct Update Manager version.
Workaround: To enable the Available tab to display the correct version of the installed Update Manger, restart the VirtualCenter Server.
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Templates Might Show Up as Disconnected When VirtualCenter Is Upgraded
When the VirtualCenter Server that contains templates of a virtual machine is upgraded, the templates might show up as disconnected in the upgraded VirtualCenter Server. However, when you restart the VMware VirtualCenter Server service, the templates show up as connected.
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After Upgrading VirtualCenter, the Consolidation Button is Not Available in the Main Toolbar
After upgrading VirtualCenter 2.5, VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 1, or VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2 to Update 3, the Consolidation button might not be available in the main toolbar.
Workaround: Restart the VMware VirtualCenter Server service, and the Consolidation button will be available.
Virtual Machine Management
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Cloned Virtual Machines do not Contain DNS Suffix (KB 1004299)
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Cloned Virtual Machines See the .vmdk File of the Source Virtual Machine (KB 1004176)
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Deploying Virtual Machine From a Template Fails With No Permission Error (KB 1004295)
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User with 'Create' Privileges Cannot Create Virtual Machines(KB 1004417)
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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
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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 fewer 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.
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VMware Tools Custom Script Not Executed for Suspend or Shut Down Events (KB 1004390)
- VirtualCenter Server Fails to Initialize Immediately If the Latest Version of VMware Capacity Planner Service is Not Used
If the VMware Capacity Planner Service for the VirtualCenter Server 2.5 Update 2 release is not installed, the VirtualCenter Server takes a long time to initialize, and during this time, the VI Client cannot connect to the VirtualCenter Server.
In addition, the consolidation feature is not available in the VI Client.
To use the consolidation feature, uninstall any earlier version of the VMware Capacity Planner Service, install the VMware Capacity Planner Service for the Virtual Center 2.5 Update 2 release, and restart the VirtualCenter Server.
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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.
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Cloning Windows 2000 and Windows 2003 Virtual Machines Might Fail if License Key Is Not Provided While Customizing the Guest Operating Systems
When cloning a windows 2000 or Windows 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 unchecked 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
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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 using esxcfg-firewall .
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Links in Getting Started Tab are Not Working for Resource Pool Level User with Administrator Privilege
When Administrator privileges are granted to users from 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 (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 using 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 2003 virtual machine template contains antivirus and VPN client softwares, and a virtual machine is deployed from the template with the settings of the guest operating system customized, 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 VirtualCenter Server or ESX Server host, a user that is assigned administrator privilege 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 user can delete the default Administrator Group from the VirtualCenter Server, by using Permissions tab at the Host & Clusters node. Deleting the default Administrator Group will disconnect 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 login into the VirtualCenter Server again.
- Message of the Day Dialog Box Pops Up Frequently
If a Message of the Day (MOTD) entry is set or edited in the Sessions tab (Sessions tab is available when the Administration button in the main toolbar is selected), the message will pop up repeatedly every few minutes on all connected clients.
Workaround: This issue does not occur if you use Administration > Edit Message of the Day from the menu to set or edit MOTD.
- 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 DPM, the VirtualCenter Server might stop responding.
Workaround: Disable DPM from the cluster, and then add ESX Server host to the cluster.
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Reset Sensors In VI Client Returns General System Error (KB 1004256)
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Links in the Getting Started Tabs for Some Inventory Objects Might Not Be Displayed (KB 1003216)
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Size of the Oracle Database Table Increases Unnecessarily (KB 1004095)
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The VI Client Requires .NET Framework 2.0 to be Installed on 64-bit Editions of Windows Prior to Its Installation (KB 1004093)
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VI Client Does Not Prompt for Downloading Client Update (KB 1004396)
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Automatic Tools Upgrade Removes IP Address and DNS Entries from the Virtual Machine Summary Tab (KB 1004487)
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Update Manager and Converter Enterprise Plug-Ins are not Available in the VI Client (KB 1004292)
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Windows Registry Displays Two Different VI Client Version Entries (KB 1004352)
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Auto Download of VI Client 2.5 Fails If VI Client 2.0.x is Installed on Windows Server 2003 SP1 (KB 1003620)
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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)
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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.
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VI Client Might Show the Host as Not Responding During HA-DRS Cluster Operations
During HA-DRS cluster operations like 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 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.
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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 <Datacetner_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.
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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 Virtual Center 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.
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