ESX Server from the Command Line

The command-line environment Working with disks Working with virtual machines

ESX Server System Management II Module 4

Tips for command-line use

Install an ssh (Secure Shell) client on your desktop
Windows: PuTTY (freeware), SecureCRT (commercial)

Know the features of the bash shell

Use arrow keys to navigate command history Use TAB to complete file names and commands Useful keystrokes:
ctrl-A: beginning of line ctrl-Z: suspend this job ctrl-E: end of line ctrl-W: erase previous word ctrl-U: blank this line

bg command puts suspended job in background Caution! ctrl-S freezes the screen; use ctrl-Q to unfreeze
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For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-11-17 Copyright 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Useful Service Console add-on packages

nano: a simple text editor
An alternative to vi Always invoke as nano w filename to turn off word-wrap

lynx: a text-only Web browser

Especially useful for downloading files from Web sites to Service Console

ncftp: an enhanced text-only FTP client

Contains ncftpget, useful for unattended FTP downloads

lsof: list open files

Shows what processes are using what files and ports

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Working with Service Console packages

rpm qa: list installed packages rpm qi packagename : get more information about a package rpm ql packagename : list files composing a package
Or use p packagefilename in place of packagename

rpm Uvh filename(s) : install a package

You may need to satisfy a packages dependencies; list multiple package filenames on command line

rpm e packagename : uninstalls a package

Warning: do not uninstall VMware packages!
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Partitioning disks with fdisk

fdisk requires a device file pointing at desired disk
fdisk /dev/sdb
Enter p to print the present partition table Enter n to create a new partition
Specify partition number if primary Specify starting cylinder Specify size: +1024M gives a 1 GB partition

Enter t to change the partition type: FB for VMFS Enter w to save partition table to disk

Warning: Changing partition table of a disk with mounted Linux file systems may require reboot
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vmkfstools Syntax
vmkfstools -? [ otherarg otherarg ] VMkernel-path

The option flag governs the action of the command

Either a single letter with one hyphen or a word with two

The last argument is always a path using the VMkernels device space
Either a VMFS name (physical or friendly)
vmhba0:1:0:5 myvmfs vmhba0:1:0:5:a.dsk myvmfs:a.dsk /vmfs/vmhba0:1:0:5 /vmfs/myvmfs /vmfs/vmhba0:1:0:5/a.dsk /vmfs/myvmfs/a.dsk

Or a VMFS name followed by a virtual disk file name

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Creating a new VMFS volume

Make new VMFS volumes using MUI or command line

1. Use vmkfstools N to map from VMkernel disk to a Linux device file /dev/vsdn
# vmkfstools N vmhba0:8:0:0 /dev/vsd0
Whole disk

2. fdisk /dev/vsd0
Make a partition number 1 with type FB

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Creating a new VMFS volume (contd)

3. Use vmkfstools C to build a new VMFS
vmkfstools C vmfs2 vmhba0:8:0:1

4. Use vmkfstools S to set the volume label

vmkfstools S VOL3 vmhba0:8:0:1

Use vmkfstools l to list contents vmkfstools l VOL3 or ls l /vmfs/VOL3

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Basic VMFS virtual-disk operations

To create a new virtual disk:
vmkfstools c 4096m VOL3:webserver.dsk

To set access rights:

chown ted:finance /vmfs/VOL3/webserver.dsk chmod u=rw,go= /vmfs/VOL3/webserver.dsk

To rename a virtual disk

mv /vmfs/VOL3/ws.dsk /vmfs/VOL3/webserver.dsk

To remove a virtual disk

rm /vmfs/VOL3/ws.dsk

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Copying a virtual disk

Its safe to use the Service Consoles cp command on > 2 GB virtual disks Not all Service Console utilities have been customized Other environments may contain unsafe tools too Safest to handle virtual disks in their exported (COW) format
To export: vmkfstools e /vmimages/ws.vmdk vmfs3:ws.dsk
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Copying a virtual disk from one ESX Server to another

Use scp to copy securely
scp /vmfs/VOL3/ws.dsk user@esx2:/vmfs/myvmfs/ws.dsk

Always check for integrity # sum /vmfs/myvmfs/ws.dsk 39678 489473 /vmfs/myvmfs/ws.dsk

16-bit checksum size in 1 KB blocks

# md5sum /vmfs/myvmfs/router-2.1.dsk
77dfc2ba10c75b6ad0a1812805887e28
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router-2.1.dsk

For ESX Server 2.0.1 2003-11-17 Copyright 2003 VMware, Inc. All rights reserved.

Extending a virtual disk

Make a backup first! Extend the virtual disk
vmkfstools X 4096M VOL3:windata.dsk

Now the file system inside the virtual disk does not fill the medium Use Partition Magic or the equivalent inside the VM to extend the file system

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Inspecting virtual disks from Service Console

To identify a virtual disk:
# head mydisk.dsk | file ESX Server Workstation 4 Workstation 3.x GSX Server 2.x
x86 boot sector ASCII English text

{nothing}

To import:
vmkfstools i /vmimages/otherdisk.dsk VOL3:other.dsk

GSX Server 2.x virtual disks can also be imported

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Opening virtual disks from Service Console

To display the partition table inside a virtual disk:
# vmware-mount.pl Nr Start Size -- ----- ------1 63 4176837 # vmware-mount.pl Nr Start Size -- ----- ------1 32 81888 2 81920 262144 3 344064 972800 p /vmfs/VOL3/w2k.dsk Type Id System ---- --- --------------BIOS 7 HPFS/NTFS p /vmfs/VOL3/linux.dsk Type Id System ---- --- --------------BIOS 83 Linux BIOS 82 Linux swap BIOS 83 Linux

Virtual disk must be in ESX format, reside in a VMFS, not powered on

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Opening virtual disks from Service Console (contd)

You may mount file systems from within a virtual disk onto the Service Console
Virtual disk must not be powered on NTFS file systems are read-only!
vfat and ext3 file systems may be mounted read-write

# mkdir /myntfs # vmware-mount.pl /vmfs/ted/w2k.dsk 1 -t ntfs -o ro /myntfs In another window: # ls /myntfs AUTOEXEC.BAT CONFIG.SYS IO.SYS boot.ini Documents and Settings MSDOS.SYS

Press ctrl-C to kill vmware-mount.pl when done

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VM Configuration File Syntax

Comments begin with a # character
Blank lines are allowed

Each other line is of the form attribute = value or class.attribute = value Class can be:
A family of related items A device controller A device on a device controller

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A sample configuration file

config.version = "6" virtualHW.version = "3" memSize = "192" numvcpus = "2" displayName = "Controller for domain TEXAS.ORG" guestOS = "win2000Serv" ide1:0.present = "TRUE" ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE" ide1:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom" ide1:0.fileName = "/dev/cdrom" floppy0.present = "TRUE" floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE" floppy0.fileName = "/dev/fd0" scsi0.present = "TRUE" scsi0.virtualDev = "vmxbuslogic" scsi0.sharedBus = "none" scsi0:0.present = "TRUE" scsi0:0.fileName = VOL3:winnt.dsk" scsi0:0.mode = "persistent"

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A sample configuration file (contd)

ethernet0.present = "TRUE" ethernet0.virtualDev = "vlance" ethernet0.connectionType = "monitor_dev" ethernet0.devName = "vmnic0" suspend.directory = "/vmfs/VOL3" remotedisplay.depth = "8" checkpoint.cptconfigname = "rn2-52ff1bdc" uuid.location = "56 4d 7c 66 1f 23 b5 c3-2f 50 a9 29 7f 53 72 b5"

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Configuring for Terminal Services

Windows Terminal Services and Citrix Metaframe systems run with many processes Windows 2000 systems benefit from a performance tweak Add to configuration file workload = "TerminalServices" If Citrix Metaframe XP, install Citrix hotfix XE102W014 in guest OS

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Time sync for graphicsless VMs

Normally need GUI VMware Tools agent to enable time synchronization between guest OS and Service Console But Linux servers often run without graphics To enable time sync without GUI: tools.syncTime = "TRUE"

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Adjusting Remote Console keyboard repeat

By default, virtual keyboard device in VM starts autorepeat if a physical key is not released within less than a second Network latency or congestion may trigger autorepeat Add to config file:
keyboard.typematicMinDelay = 2000000
Value in microseconds (2 million Qsec = 2 sec) Choose a value that results in satisfactory performance

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Specifying autostart and autostop behavior

Config files may contain autostart = "poweron" autostart.delay = "2" Seconds to pause autostop = "poweroff" or autostop = "suspend" autostop.delay = "2" Seconds to pause Caution! Memory page sharing is not active when suspended VMs are resumed

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Starting and stopping VMs from the command line

To stop a VM:
vmware-cmd /home/ted/vmware/a/a.vmx stop mode

To start a VM:
vmware-cmd /home/ted/vmware/a/a.vmx start mode

Run normal scripts in guest OS before shutdown or after resume; Try to run scripts in guest OS; use hard trysoft mechanism if VMware Tools is not accessible soft hard Abrupt power-off; resume without running normal scripts
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Questions?

ESX Server System Management II Module 4