VMware VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5 Release Notes
VMware Infrastructure Management Installer | 10 July 2009 (Localized version)
VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 5 | 10 July 2009 | Build 174841
Virtual Infrastructure Client | 10 July 2009 | Build 174841
VMware Infrastructure Management Installer | 10 July 2009 (English only version)
VirtualCenter 2.5 Server Update 5 | 10 July 2009 | Build 174791
Virtual Infrastructure Client | 10 July 2009 | Build 174791
For information about the builds that are available for download, refer Selecting the Appropriate VMware Infrastructure Management Installer.
Last Document Update: 29 July 2010 |
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
Support for High Consolidation in VMware HA Clusters - VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5 includes significant performance and scalability improvements to VMware HA. Use VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5 for environments with more than 35 virtual machines per host in an HA cluster.
For information on the ESX Server host settings required for this scalability improvement, see ESX Server host settings required for environments with up to 80 virtual machines per host in an HA Cluster (KB 1012002).
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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
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.
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 
• 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:
Installing 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
Two builds of VMware Infrastructure Management Installer are available for download. Select one of the following options:
- VMware-VIMSetup-2.5.0-U5-English.iso or VMware-VIMSetup-2.5.0-U5-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-U5-localized.iso or
VMware-VIMSetup-2.5.0-U5-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. The VirtualCenter Unified Installer (available as part of the VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5 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 5
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, VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2, VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3, or VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 4, to VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5. Review the detailed upgrade and migration instructions and guidelines that are provided in the Upgrade Guide.
Plug-Ins Updates
This release of the VMware Infrastructure 3 software suite does not include updates to VMware Converter Enterprise, or VMware Update Manager. VMware Converter Enterprise Update 4 and VMware Update Manager Update 4 are compatible with VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 5.
Resolved Issues
This release resolves the following issue:
A Firewall Between ESX Server Hosts and VirtualCenter Server Might Drop an Idle HTTP Connection Between the Hosts and the VirtualCenter Server and Cause Errors
This release resolves an issue where if the HTTP connection between a remote ESX Server host and the VirtualCenter Server is idle for more than 30 minutes, the firewall with default session timeout policy drops the idle HTTP connection. The dropped connection causes the host to be disconnected from the VirtualCenter Server and reconnected later. When the connection is dropped, initiating any operations on the remote ESX Server host causes the VirtualCenter Server to display an error message similar to the following:
An error occurred while communicating with the remote host.
A new advanced setting entry vpxd.httpClientIdleTimeout can be used to configure the timeout value for an idle HTTP connection. The default value for this entry is 15 minutes (900 seconds), ensuring that the VirtualCenter Server closes the idle HTTP connection after the connection has been idle for 15 minutes. If a firewall session timeout value is set to less than 15 minutes, the value for vpxd.httpClientIdleTimeout should be changed to be smaller than the firewall's timeout value.
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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 not be deleted as expected. The vbCleanup.bat command does not delete this Consolidate Helper-XXX snapshot. You must manually delete it using the VI Client. This issue is resolved 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 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
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
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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.
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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, 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:
- 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.
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Performance Chart Data Exported from a Non-English VI Client System Might Be Inaccurate
If performance chart data is exported to an Excel spreadsheet file by using a non-English VI Client, the exported data might be 100 times the actual value for a performance attribute.
Workaround: Export performance chart data by using an English VI Client system.
- 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 the software are 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 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.
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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.
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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.
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The Custom Sysprep File Page in the VMware Infrastructure Client Windows Guest Customization Wizard Is Truncated
On localized versions of VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 4 and later, the Custom Sysprep File page in the VMware Infrastructure Client Windows Guest Customization wizard is truncated and not localized. In addition, users might experience the following issues with the page:
- For the sysprep.inf Text option, which is selected by default, the Enter the text to create a Sysprep answer file field label overlaps the field space.
- The Import a Sysprep answer file option is not visible on the page.
Workaround: On the Custom Sysprep File page, the sysprep.inf Text option is selected by default. To use the nonvisible option Import a Sysprep answer file, reselect the sysprep.inf Text option and press the up arrow key. You can use the up and down arrow keys to switch between the Import a Sysprep answer file and sysprep.inf Text options.
- If you select the Import a Sysprep answer file option, you can import sysprep files of type .inf only.
Workaround: To select sysprep files of type .xml:
- In the VI Client, select Edit > Customization Specifications.
- From the Customization Specification Manager, click the Import icon and select the required .xml file.
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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
Migration with VMotion
Miscellaneous
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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 is displayed as 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 at Alert level 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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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 that are run 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 might vary.
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Creation of 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, the operation might fail. Generally, this problem occurs either when the first datastore extent is less than 1GB in size, or due to a lack of pointer blocks.
Workaround: If possible, recreate the datastore using the larger partition first and adding the smaller extents later.
- Capacity of a LUN Added to a Datastore Might Not Be Visible When VI Client Is Connected to an ESX Server Host
The Storage panel in the Configuration tab of the VI Client allows you to modify the properties of a datastore. When the VI Client is connected to an ESX Server host, if you add LUNs to a datastore by clicking Add Extent in the Properties window of the datastore, the capacity for the added LUN might not be displayed in the Properties window.
Workaround: Close the Properties window, click the Storage link in the Configuration tab, and re-open the Properties window.
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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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
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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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The VirtualCenter Server System's Database Upgrade Wizard Might Overestimate the Disk Space Requirement During an Upgrade from VirtualCenter 2.0.x to VirtualCenter 2.5
During the upgrade of VirtualCenter 2.0.x to VirtualCenter 2.5, the Database Upgrade wizard might show an incorrect value in the database disk space estimation. The estimation shown is typically higher than the actual space required.
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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.
Workaround: 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, VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 2, VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 3, or VirtualCenter 2.5 Update 4 to Update 5, 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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Customized Clones of Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista Virtual Machines Prompt For Network Location Selection Upon Power On (KB 1008378)
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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.
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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.
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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 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.
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VMware Tools Custom Script Not Executed for Suspend or Shut Down Events (KB 1004390)
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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 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 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
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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 by using the esxcfg-firewall command.
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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 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.
- 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 (available when the Administration button in the main toolbar is selected), the message pops up repeatedly every few minutes on all connected clients.
Workaround: This issue does not occur if you set or edit MOTD by using Administration > Edit Message of the Day from the menu.
- 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.
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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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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.
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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.
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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)
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Edited Advanced Options In an HA-Enabled Cluster Do Not Take Effect (KB 1008479)
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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 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.
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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 <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.
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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. See KB 1006606 for details.
- Updated: 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 5, 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.
Performance Overview Charts
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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:
- In the Internet Explorer of VirtualCenter Server system, select Tools > Internet Options.
- In the Connections tab, select LAN settings.
- In the Local Area Network (LAN) Settings window, select the Bypass proxy server for local addresses check box and select Advanced.
- In the Proxy Settings window, add the IP address of the VirtualCenter Server in the Exceptions field.
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Performance Overview Charts Might Not Be Displayed If the VirtualCenter Server Uses Oracle Database (KB 1008328)
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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:
- In the Internet Explorer browser, select Tools > Internet Options.
- In the Security tab, select Internet zone, and click Custom level.
- 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:
- In the VirtualCenter Server, click Plugins > Manage Plugins.
- In the Installed tab of the Plugin Manager window, select Enabled for com.vmware.vim.stats.report.
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