Vsphere Esxi Vcenter 802 Management Guide

vCenter Server and Host
Management
Update 2
VMware vSphere 8.0
VMware ESXi 8.0
vCenter Server 8.0
vCenter Server and Host Management
You can find the most up-to-date technical documentation on the VMware website at:
https://docs.vmware.com/
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Contents
About VMware vCenter Server and Host Management 9
1 Updated Information 10
2 Main vSphere Concepts and Features 11

Basics of Virtualization 11
Physical Topology of a vSphere Data Center 12
Software Components of vSphere 13
vSphere Cluster Services 15
Monitoring vSphere Cluster Services 16
Maintaining Health of vSphere Cluster Services 17
Client Interfaces for vSphere 19
Managed Inventory Objects in vSphere 19
Optional vCenter Server Components 21
vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode 23
vCenter Server Plug-Ins 23
3 Using the vSphere Client 25

Use and Configure Your vSphere Client 26
Log in to Your vCenter Server 26
Install the VMware Enhanced Authentication Plug-in 26
Manage the Login Message to the vSphere Client Login Page 27
Configure the vSphere Client Timeout Value 28
Refresh Data in Your vSphere Client 29
Use the vSphere Client Inventory 29
Use the Global Inventory Lists Navigator 29
Inventory Keyboard Shortcuts in the vSphere Client 30
Sort Your vSphere Client Inventory 31
Search Your vSphere Client Inventory 32
Export vSphere Inventory Lists 33
Manage vCenter Server Client Plug-Ins 34
Start, Stop, and Restart Services 37
Attach a File to a VMware Service Request 37
Provide Feedback for vSphere 38
Provide Feedback with the vSphere Client 38
Use the vSphere Ideas Portal to Submit Suggestions for New Features and Feature Requests
38
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4 Configuring Customer Experience Improvement Program 40

VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program 40
Join or Leave Customer Experience Improvement Program in vSphere Client 40
5 Organizing Your vSphere Inventory 41

Create a vSphere Data Center 42
Create a Folder 43
Add a Host to a Folder or a Data Center 43
How Do You Create and Configure Clusters in the vSphere Client 45
Create a Cluster 45
Еxtend and Configure a Cluster by Using the Quickstart Workflow 47
Add а Host to a Cluster by Using the Quickstart Workflow 48
Configure a Cluster by Using the Quickstart Workflow 50
Extend a Cluster with Host Networking Configuration 53
Extend and Configure a Cluster Manually 55
6 vSphere Tags and Custom Attributes 57

What Are vSphere Tags and How to Use Them 57
Create and Edit a Tag Category 58
Delete a Tag Category 59
Create and Edit a Tag 59
Delete a Tag 60
Assign or Remove a Tag 61
Add Permissions for Tags and Tag Categories 61
vSphere Tagging Best Practices 62
Custom Attributes 62
Add and Edit Custom Attributes 63
7 Working with vSphere Tasks 66

View Tasks 66
Cancel a Task 67
Filter Tasks 68
Export Tasks 69
Export Tasks with Advanced Export 70
Scheduling vSphere Tasks 71
Create a Scheduled Task 73
Change or Reschedule a Scheduled Task 75
Remove a Scheduled Task 75
8 vSphere Host Configuration 76

Configure the Boot Device on an ESXi Host 76
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Configure Agent VM Settings 77

Set Advanced Host Attributes 78
Synchronizing Clocks on the vSphere Network 78
Editing the Time Configuration Settings of Your ESXi Host 79
Configure the Date and Time on Your ESXi Host Manually 79
Use NTP Servers for Time and Date Synchronization of Your ESXi Host 80
Use PTP for Time and Date Synchronization of Your ESXi Host 81
Manage the NTP and PTP Service Status on Your ESXi Host 82
Delete a Time Synchronization Service on Your ESXi Host 83
9 Managing Hosts in vCenter Server 84

Disconnecting and Reconnecting an ESXi Host 84
Disconnect a Managed Host 85
Reconnect a Managed Host 85
Reconnect Hosts After Changes to the vCenter Server SSL Certificate 85
Relocate a Host 85
Remove a Host from vCenter Server 86
Reboot or Shut Down an ESXi Host 87
Verify SSL Certificates for Legacy Hosts 88
Enabling SGX Remote Attestation on Multi-Socket ESXi Hosts 88
View the SGX Registration Status of a Host 90
Register a Multi-Socket ESXi Host with the Intel SGX Registration Server 91
10 vSphere License and Subscription Management 92

vSphere Licensing and Subscription Terminology and Definitions 93
The License Service in vSphere 8.0 94
Licensing and Subscription in vSphere 95
Licensing for ESXi Hosts 95
Licensing for the vSphere Distributed Services Engine Feature 97
Licensing for vCenter Server 98
vSphere+ and vSAN+ Subscriptions 99
Subscription Information for Your vCenter Server 100
Managing vSphere Licenses 100
Create a New License 100
Configuring License Settings for Assets in the vSphere Client 101
Rename a License 105
Remove a License 105
Viewing and Exporting vSphere Licensing Information 106
View Licensing Information About Your vSphere Environment 106
View Available Licenses and Features About a vSphere Product 107
View the vSphere Features Тhat an Asset Can Use 108
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View the License Key of a License 108

View the Licensed Features for an Asset 108
Export Licensing Information 109
Synchronizing Licenses with Your Customer Connect Account 110
Generate a License Report in Customer Connect 110
Using License Report Files in vSphere 111
Synchronize Licenses 111
Review the Results of the License Report File Analysis 113
Generated Recommendation Reports for vSphere License Synchronization 114
vCenter Server Domain Repoint License Considerations 117
11 vSphere Virtual Machines Migration 119

Cold Migration in Your vSphere Environment 121
Migrate a Powered Off or Suspended Virtual Machine 122
Hot Migration 126
Host Configuration for vSphere vMotion 127
Virtual Machine Conditions and Limitations for vSphere vMotion 130
Migrate a Virtual Machine to a New Compute Resource 137
Migration with Storage vMotion 139
vSphere vMotion in Environments Without Shared Storage 145
Migrating Virtual Machines Between vCenter Server Systems 146
Requirements for vMotion Between vCenter Server Instances 147
Network Compatibility Checks During vMotion Between vCenter Server Instances 148
MAC Address Management During Migration Between vCenter Server Systems 149
Export or Clone a Virtual Machine with Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion 149
Import or Clone a Virtual Machine with Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion 155
Migrating Virtual Machines Between Servers with DPU Devices 161
Encrypted vSphere vMotion 161
Activate Encrypted vMotion on a Virtual Machine 164
How to Isolate Traffic for Migrating Your Virtual Machines 165
Place vMotion Traffic on the vMotion TCP/IP Stack of a Host 165
Place Traffic for Cold Migration on the Provisioning TCP/IP Stack 167
vCenter Server Limits on Simultaneous Migrations 169
vMotion Migration Compatibility Checks 170
CPU Compatibility and vSphere Enhanced vMotion Compatibility 171
CPU Compatibility Scenarios 172
CPU Families and Feature Sets 173
CPU Compatibility Masks 174
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility 174
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility Requirements for Hosts 175
How Do You Activate vSphere EVC on an Existing Cluster 175
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Change the EVC Mode for a Cluster 176

How to Determine the EVC Mode of Your Virtual Machine 178
vMotion Migration and ESXi Hosts with AMD Processors Without 3DNow! 181
How to View Feature Capabilities Details for Your EVC Cluster 182
12 What Is vSphere Developer Center 183

What Is vSphere API Explorer 183
How Do You Retrieve APIs Using vSphere API Explorer 183
What Is vSphere Code Capture 184
How Do You Record Actions by Using vSphere Code Capture 184
13 Automating Management Tasks by Using vRealize Orchestrator 186

What Are VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflows 186
What Administration Tasks Can You Perform on vSphere Objects by Using VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator 187
Managing Context Actions of Workflows on Your vSphere Inventory Objects 188
Assign an Automation Orchestrator Group in the vSphere Client 188
Associate Your Workflows with vSphere Inventory Object Types 189
Edit the Context Actions of Your Workflows on vSphere Objects 190
Export the Context Actions of Your Workflows on vSphere Objects 190
Import Context Actions of Your Workflows on vSphere Objects 191
Working with VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflows in the vSphere Client 192
Run Your Workflows on vSphere Inventory Objects 192
Schedule Your Workflows on vSphere Inventory Objects 193
Scheduling Workflows from the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator view in the vSphere
Client 194
View Information About Your VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflow Runs 196
View Information About the Runs of a Specific Workflow 197
View Workflows That Are Waiting for User Input 198
Find a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflow 198
Workflows for Managing Your vSphere Inventory Objects 199
14 Working with Headless Systems 200

How to Detect a Headless System 200
Serial Mode Dynamic Switching 200
What Serial Port Modes Does ESXi Support 201
ESXi Keystrokes for Dynamic Serial Mode Switching 201
Switch Serial Modes Through the ESXi CLI 201
What Are the Keystrokes for Controlling the Serial DCUI 202
15 Troubleshooting Overview 203

Guidelines for Troubleshooting Your Implementation of vSphere 203
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How Do You Identify the Symptoms 204

How Do You Define the Problem Space 204
How Do You Test Possible Solutions 205
Troubleshooting with vCenter Server Logs 205
Troubleshooting vCenter Server and ESXi Host Certificates 206
New vCenter Server Certificate Does Not Appear to Load 207
vCenter Server Cannot Connect to Managed Hosts 207
Troubleshooting ESXi Hosts 207
Troubleshooting vSphere HA Host States 207
Authentication Token Manipulation Error 213
Unable to Download VIBs When Using vCenter Server Reverse Proxy 213
Troubleshooting Licensing of ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server 215
Troubleshooting ESXi Host Licensing 215
Unable to Power On a Virtual Machine 216
Unable to Configure or Use a Feature in Your vSphere Implementation 217
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About VMware vCenter Server and Host
Management
®
vCenter Server and Host Management describes how to use the VMware vSphere Client
components, configure and manage hosts, migrate virtual machines, and manage licenses in your
vCenter Server environment.
vCenter Server and Host Management also provides brief introductions to the various tasks you
can perform within the system, and it cross-references to the documentation that describes the
tasks in detail.
vCenter Server and Host Management covers ESXi and vCenter Server.
At VMware, we value inclusion. To foster this principle within our customer, partner, and internal
community, we create content using inclusive language.
Intended Audience
vCenter Server and Host Management is intended for system administrators who are
experienced Windows or Linux system administrators and who are familiar with virtual machine
technology and data center operations.
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Updated Information
1
The vCenter Server and Host Management guide is updated with each release of the product or
when necessary.
This table provides the update history of the vCenter Server and Host Management guide.
Revision Description
23 OCT 2023 n Updated the list of supported browser versions in Chapter 3 Using the vSphere Client.
n Minor change in What Are the Requirements for vMotion Between vCenter Server Instances.
21 SEP 2023 Initial release.
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What Are the Main vSphere
Concepts and Features 2
®
VMware vSphere uses the power of virtualization to transform data centers into simplified cloud
computing infrastructures, enabling IT organizations to deliver flexible and reliable IT services.
®
The two core components of vSphere are VMware ESXi™ and VMware vCenter Server . ESXi is
the hypervisor on which you create and run virtual machines. vCenter Server is a service that acts
as a central administrator for ESXi hosts that are connected on a network. With vCenter Server,
you can pool and manage the resources of multiple hosts. vCenter Server allows you to monitor
and manage your physical and virtual infrastructure.
Some vSphere components are available as plug-ins that extend the functionality of the vSphere
product.
Read the following topics next:
n What Are the Basics of Virtualization
n What Is the Physical Topology of a vSphere Data Center
n What Are the Software Components of vSphere
n vSphere Cluster Services
n What Are the Client Interfaces for vSphere
n What Are the Managed Inventory Objects in vSphere
n Optional vCenter Server Components
n What is vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode
n vCenter Server Plug-Ins
What Are the Basics of Virtualization

A virtual machine is a software computer that, like a physical computer, runs an operating system
and applications. ESXi is the hypervisor in a vSphere environment. The hypervisor serves as a
platform for running virtual machines and allows for the consolidation of computing resources.
Each virtual machine contains its own virtual, or software-based, hardware, including a virtual
CPU, memory, hard disk, and network interface card.
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ESXi is installed on physical or virtual hardware in a virtualized data center, and acts as a
platform for virtual machines. The hypervisor provides physical hardware resources dynamically
to virtual machines to support the operation of the virtual machines. The hypervisor allows virtual
machines to operate with a degree of independence from the underlying physical hardware. For
example, a virtual machine can be moved from one physical host to another, or its virtual disks
can be moved from one type of storage to another, without affecting the functioning of the
virtual machine.
Because virtual machines are decoupled from the underlying physical hardware, virtualization
allows you to consolidate physical computing resources such as CPUs, memory, storage, and
networking into pools of resources. These resources can be dynamically and flexibly made
available to virtual machines. With the vCenter Server management platform, you can increase
the availability and security of your virtual infrastructure.
What Is the Physical Topology of a vSphere Data Center

A typical VMware vSphere data center consists of physical building blocks such as x86
virtualization servers, storage networks and arrays, IP networks, a management server, and
desktop clients.
The vSphere data center includes the following components.
ESXi Hosts
Industry standard x86 servers that run ESXi on the bare metal. ESXi software provides
resources for and runs the virtual machines. You can group similarly configured x86 servers
with connections to the same network and storage subsystems. This grouping creates an
aggregate set of resources in the virtual environment, called a cluster.
Storage networks and arrays
VMware vSphere uses Fibre Channel SAN arrays, iSCSI SAN arrays, and NAS arrays to meet
different data center storage needs. With storage area networks, you can connect and
share storage arrays between groups of servers. This arrangement allows aggregation of
the storage resources and provides more flexibility in provisioning them to virtual machines.
For detailed information, see vSphere Storage.
IP networks
Each compute server can have multiple physical network adapters to provide high bandwidth
and reliable networking to the entire VMware vSphere data center. For detailed information,
see vSphere Networking.
vCenter Server
vCenter Server provides a single point of control to the data center. It provides essential data
center services such as access control, performance monitoring, and configuration. It unifies
the resources from the individual computing servers to be shared among virtual machines in
the entire data center. It manages the assignment of virtual machines to the ESXi hosts and
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the assignment of resources to the virtual machines within a given computing server. These
assignments are based on the policies that the system administrator sets.
Compute servers continue to function even if vCenter Server becomes unreachable (for
example, if the network is severed). The ESXi hosts can be managed separately and continue
to run the virtual machines assigned to them based on the resource assignment that was last
set. After connection to vCenter Server is restored, it can manage the data center as a whole
again.
Management clients
VMware vSphere provides several interfaces for data center management and virtual
machine access. These interfaces include vSphere Client for access through a web browser
or vSphere Command-Line Interface (vSphere CLI).
What Are the Software Components of vSphere

VMware vSphere is a suite of software components for virtualization. These include ESXi, vCenter
Server, and other software components such as vCenter Single Sign-On, and vCenter Server
plug-ins that fulfill several different functions in the vSphere environment.
vSphere includes the following software components:
ESXi
The hypervisor runs virtual machines. Each virtual machine has a set of configuration and disk
files that together perform all the functions of a physical machine.
Through ESXi, you run the virtual machines, install operating systems, run applications,
and configure the virtual machines. Configuration includes identifying the virtual machine’s
resources, such as storage devices.
The server provides bootstrapping, management, and other services that manage your
virtual machines.
vCenter Server
A service that acts as a central administrator for VMware ESXi hosts that are connected on a
network. vCenter Server directs actions on the virtual machines and the ESXi hosts.
vCenter Server is installed to run automatically on a preconfigured virtual machine. The

vCenter Server service runs continuously in the background. It performs its monitoring and
managing activities even when no vSphere Clients are connected and when no one is logged
on to the computer where it resides. It must have network access to all the hosts it manages.
vCenter Server is deployed as a preconfigured virtual machine optimized for running vCenter
Server and the vCenter Server components. You can deploy vCenter Server on ESXi hosts 6.5
or later.
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All prerequisite services for running vCenter Server and the vCenter Server components are
bundled in the vCenter Server installation. All vCenter Server services run as child processes
of the VMware Service Library Lifecycle Manager service. See the vCenter Server Installation
and Setup documentation for details about setting up this configuration.
vCenter Single Sign-On
A service that is part of the vCenter Server management infrastructure. The vCenter Single
Sign-On authentication service makes the VMware Cloud infrastructure platform more secure
by allowing the various vSphere software components to communicate with each other. The
vCenter Single Sign-On authentication service uses a secure token exchange mechanism
instead of requiring each component to authenticate a user separately with a directory
service like Active Directory.
When you install vCenter Single Sign-On, the following components are deployed.
STS (Security Token Service)
STS certificates enable a user who has logged on through vCenter Single Sign-On to
authenticate to any vCenter service that vCenter Single Sign-On supports. The STS service
issues Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) tokens. These security tokens represent
the identity of a user in each of the vCenter Single Sign-On identity sources.
Administration server
The administration server allows users with vCenter Single Sign-On administrator privileges to
configure the vCenter Single Sign-On service and manage users and groups from the vSphere
Client. Initially, only the user [email protected] has these privileges.
vCenter Lookup Service
vCenter Lookup Service contains topology information about the vSphere infrastructure,
enabling vSphere components to connect to each other securely. Unless you are using
Simple Install, you are prompted for the Lookup Service URL when you install other vSphere
components. For example, the Inventory Service and the vCenter Server installers ask for the
Lookup Service URL and then contact the Lookup Service to find vCenter Single Sign-On.
After installation, the Inventory Service and vCenter Server system are registered with the
vCenter Lookup Service so other vSphere components, like the vSphere Client, can find them.
VMware Directory Service
Directory service associated with the vsphere.local domain. This service is a multi-tenanted,
peer-replicating directory service that makes an LDAP directory available on port 389. In
multisite mode, an update of VMware Directory Service content in one VMware Directory
Service instance results in the automatic update of the VMware Directory Service instances
associated with all other vCenter Single Sign-On nodes.
vCenter Server plug-ins
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Applications that provide additional features and functionality to vCenter Server. Typically,
plug-ins consist of a server component and a client component. After the plug-in server
is installed, it is registered with vCenter Server and the plug-in client is available to the
vSphere Client for download. After a plug-in is installed on the vSphere Client, it might alter
the interface by adding views, tabs, toolbar buttons, or menu items related to the added
functionality.
Plug-ins leverage core vCenter Server capabilities, such as authentication and permission
management, but can have their own types of events, tasks, metadata, and privileges.
Some vCenter Server features are implemented as plug-ins, and can be managed using the
vSphere Client Plug-in Manager. These features include vCenter Storage Monitoring, vCenter
Hardware Status, and vCenter Service Status.
vCenter Server database
Persistent storage for maintaining the status of each virtual machine, host, and user managed
in the vCenter Server environment. The vCenter Server database can be remote or local to
the vCenter Server system.
The database is installed and configured during vCenter Server installation.
If you are accessing your ESXi host directly through the VMware Host Client, and not through
a vCenter Server system and associated vSphere Client, you do not use a vCenter Server
database.
tcServer
Many vCenter Server functions are implemented as web services that require the tcServer.
The tcServer is installed on the vCenter Server machine as part of the vCenter Server
installation.
Features that require the tcServer to be running include: lCIM/Hardware Status tab,
Performance charts, WebAccess, Storage Policy-Based services, and vCenter Service status.
vCenter Server agent
On each managed host, the software that collects, communicates, and runs the actions
received from vCenter Server. The vCenter Server agent is installed the first time any host
is added to the vCenter Server inventory.
Host agent
On each managed host, the software that collects, communicates, and runs the actions
received through the vSphere Client. It is installed as part of the ESXi installation.
vSphere Cluster Services

vSphere Cluster Services (vCLS) is activated by default and runs in all vSphere clusters. vCLS
ensures that if vCenter Server becomes unavailable, cluster services remain available to maintain
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the resources and health of the workloads that run in the clusters. vCenter Server is still required
to run DRS and HA.
vCLS is activated when you upgrade to vSphere 7.0 Update 3 or when you have a new vSphere
7.0 Update 3 or later deployment. vCLS is upgraded as part of vCenter Server upgrade.
vCLS uses agent virtual machines to maintain cluster services health. The vCLS agent virtual
machines (vCLS VMs) are created when you add hosts to clusters. Up to three vCLS VMs are
required to run in each vSphere cluster, distributed within a cluster. vCLS is also activated on
clusters which contain only one or two hosts. In these clusters the number of vCLS VMs is one
and two, respectively.
New anti-affinity rules are applied automatically. Every three minutes a check is performed,
if multiple vCLS VMs are located on a single host they will be automatically redistributed to
different hosts.
Table 2-1. Number of vCLS Agent VMs in Clusters
Number of Hosts in a Cluster Number of vCLS Agent VMs
1 1
2 2
3 or more 3
vCLS VMs run in every cluster even if cluster services like vSphere DRS or vSphere HA are not
activated on the cluster. The life cycle operations of vCLS VMs are managed by vCenter Server
services like ESX Agent Manager and Workload Control Plane. vCLS VMs do not support NICs.
A cluster activated with vCLS can contain ESXi hosts of different versions if the ESXi versions are
compatible with vCenter Server. vCLS works with vSphere Lifecycle Manager clusters.
Monitoring vSphere Cluster Services

You can monitor the resources consumed by vCLS VMs and their health status.
vCLS VMs are not displayed in the inventory tree in the Hosts and Clusters tab. vCLS VMs from
all clusters within a data center are placed inside a separate VMs and templates folder named
vCLS. This folder and the vCLS VMs are visible only in the VMs and Templates tab of the vSphere
Client. These VMs are identified by a different icon than regular workload VMs. You can view
information about the purpose of the vCLS VMs in the Summary tab of the vCLS VMs.
You can monitor the resources consumed by vCLS VMs in the Monitor tab.
Table 2-2. vCLS VM Resource Allocation
Property Size
VMDK size 245 MB (thin disk)
Memory 128 MB
CPU 1 vCPU
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Table 2-2. vCLS VM Resource Allocation (continued)
Property Size
Hard disk 2 GB
Storage on datastore 480 MB (thin disk)
Note Each vCLS VM has 100MHz and 100MB capacity reserved in the cluster. Depending on the
number of vCLS VMs running in the cluster, a max of 400 MHz and 400 MB of capacity can be
reserved for these VMs.
You can monitor the health status of vCLS in the Cluster Services portlet displayed in the
Summary tab of the cluster.
Table 2-3. Health status of vCLS
Status Color Coding Summary
Healthy Green If there is at least one vCLS VM

running, the status remains healthy,
regardless of the number of hosts in
the cluster.
Degraded Yellow If there is no vCLS VM running for

less than 3 minutes (180 seconds), the
status is degraded.
Unhealthy Red If there is no vCLS VM running for

3 minutes or more, the status is
unhealthy in a DRS enabled cluster.
Maintaining Health of vSphere Cluster Services

vCLS VMs are always powered-on because vSphere DRS depends on the availability of these
VMs. These VMs should be treated as system VMs. Only administrators can perform selective
operations on vCLS VMs. To avoid failure of cluster services, avoid performing any configuration
or operations on the vCLS VMs.
vCLS VMs are protected from accidental deletion. Cluster VMs and folders are protected from
modification by users, including administrators.
Only users which are part of the Administrators SSO group can perform the following operations:
n ReadOnly access for vCLS VMs
n Console access to vCLS VMs
n Relocate vCLS VMs to either new storage, compute resource or both using cold or hot
migration
n Use tags and custom attributes for vCLS VMs
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Operations that might disrupt the healthy functioning of vCLS VMs:
n Changing the power state of the vCLS VMs
n Resource reconfiguration of the vCLS VMs such as changing CPU, Memory, Disk size, Disk
placement
n VM encryption
n Triggering vMotion of the vCLS VMs
n Changing the BIOS
n Removing the vCLS VMs from the inventory
n Deleting the vCLS VMs from disk
n Enabling FT of vCLS VMs
n Cloning vCLS VMs
n Configuring PMem
n Moving vCLS VM to a different folder
n Renaming the vCLS VMs
n Renaming the vCLS folders
n Enabling DRS rules and overrides on vCLS VMs
n Enabling HA admission control policy on vCLS VMs
n Enabling HA overrides on vCLS VMs
n Moving vCLS VMs to a resource pool
n Recovering vCLS VMs from a snapshot
When you perform any disruptive operation on the vCLS VMs, a warning dialog box appears.
Troubleshooting:
The health of vCLS VMs, including power state, is managed by VMware ESX Agent Manager and
Workload Control Plane services. In case of power on failure of vCLS VMs, or if the first instance
of DRS for a cluster is skipped due to lack of quorum of vCLS VMs, a banner appears in the
cluster summary page along with a link to a Knowledge Base article to help troubleshoot the
error state.
Because vCLS VMs are treated as system VMs, you do not need to backup or snapshot these
VMs. The health state of these VMs is managed by vCenter Server services.
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What Are the Client Interfaces for vSphere

You can access vSphere components through the vSphere Client, the VMware Host Client, and
the vSphere Command-Line Interfaces.
vSphere Client
The vSphere Client, introduced in vSphere 6.5, is an HTML5-based client and is included
with vCenter Server. As of vSphere 7.0, the vSphere Web Client has been deprecated.
The vSphere Client is the primary interface for connecting to and managing vCenter Server
instances.
VMware Host Client
The VMware Host Client is a Web-based application that you can use to manage individual
ESXi hosts that are not connected to a vCenter Server system.
For more information about the VMware Host Client, see vSphere Single Host Management -
VMware Host Client.
vSphere Command-Line Interfaces
vSphere supports multiple command-line interfaces for configuring virtual machines, ESXi
hosts, and vCenter Server.
What Are the Managed Inventory Objects in vSphere

In vSphere, the inventory is a collection of virtual and physical objects, such as data centers,
networks, and datastores, on which you can place permissions, monitor tasks and events, and set
alarms. You can rename inventory objects, and you can group most inventory objects by using
folders to more easily manage them.
All inventory objects, with the exception of hosts, can be renamed to represent their purposes.
For example, they can be named after company departments or locations or functions.
Note Managed object names cannot exceed 214 bytes (UTF-8 encoded).
vCenter Server monitors and manages the following inventory objects:
Data Centers
Unlike folders, which are used to organize specific object types, a data center is an
aggregation of all the different types of objects used to work in virtual infrastructure.
Within each data center, there are four separate hierarchies.
n Virtual machines (and templates)
n Hosts (and clusters)
n Networks
n Datastores
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The data center defines the namespace for networks and datastores. The names for these
objects must be unique within a data center. You cannot have two datastores with the same
name within a single data center, but you can have two datastores with the same name
in two different data centers. Virtual machines, templates, and clusters need not be unique
within the data center, but must be unique within their folder.
Objects with the same name in two different data centers are not necessarily the same
object. Because of this, moving objects between data centers can create unpredictable
results. For example, a network named networkA in data_centerA might not be the same
network as a network named networkA in data_centerB. Moving a virtual machine connected
to networkA from data_centerA to data_centerB results in the virtual machine changing the
network it is connected to.
Clusters
A collection of ESXi hosts and associated virtual machines intended to work together as a
unit. When you add a host to a cluster, the host’s resources become part of the cluster’s
resources. vCenter Server manages the resources of all hosts in a cluster as one unit.
If you enable VMware EVC on a cluster, you can ensure that migrations with vMotion do
not fail because of CPU compatibility errors. If you enable vSphere DRS on a cluster, the
resources of the hosts in the cluster are merged to allow resource balancing for the hosts in
the cluster. If you enable vSphere HA on a cluster, the resources of the cluster are managed
as a pool of capacity to allow rapid recovery from host hardware failures.
Datastores
A virtual representation of physical storage resources in the data center. A datastore is the
storage location for virtual machine files. In an on-premises SDDC, these physical storage
resources can come from the local SCSI disk of the ESXi host, the Fibre Channel SAN disk
arrays, the iSCSI SAN disk arrays, or Network Attached Storage (NAS) arrays. For both
on-premises and cloud SDDCs, vSAN datastores hide the idiosyncrasies of the underlying
physical storage and present a uniform model for the storage resources required by virtual
machines.
Folders
Folders allow you to group objects of the same type so you can easily manage them. For
example, you can use folders to set permissions across objects, to set alarms across objects,
and to organize objects in a meaningful way.
A folder can contain other folders, or a group of objects of the same type: data centers,
clusters, datastores, networks, virtual machines, templates, or hosts. For example, one folder
can contain hosts and a folder containing hosts, but it cannot contain hosts and a folder
containing virtual machines.
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Data center folders form a hierarchy directly under the root vCenter Server and allow users
to group their data centers. Within each data center is one hierarchy of folders with virtual
machines and templates, one with hosts and clusters, one with datastores, and one with
networks.
Hosts
The physical computer on which ESXi is installed. All virtual machines run on hosts or clusters.
Networks
A set of virtual network interface cards (virtual NICs), distributed switches or vSphere
Distributed Switches, and port groups or distributed port groups that connect virtual
machines to each other or to the physical network outside of the virtual data center. All
virtual machines that connect to the same port group belong to the same network in the
virtual environment, even if they are on different physical servers. You can monitor networks
and set permissions and alarms on port groups and distributed port groups.
Resource pools
Resource pools are used to compartmentalize the CPU and memory resources of a host
or cluster. Virtual machines run in, and draw their resources from, resource pools. You can
create multiple resource pools as direct children of a standalone host or cluster and then
delegate control over each resource pool to other individuals or organizations.
If DRS is enabled, vCenter Server provides various options for monitoring the status of
the resources and adjusting or suggesting adjustments to the virtual machines using the
resources. You can monitor resources and set alarms on them.
Templates
A template is a primary copy of a virtual machine that can be used to create and provision
new virtual machines. Templates can have a guest operating system and application software
installed. They can be customized during deployment to ensure that the new virtual machine
has a unique name and network settings.
Virtual machines
A virtualized computer environment in which a guest operating system and associated

application software can run. Multiple virtual machines can operate on the same managed
host machine concurrently.
vApps
vSphere vApp is a format for packaging and managing applications. A vApp can contain
multiple virtual machines.
Optional vCenter Server Components

Optional vCenter Server components are packaged and installed with the base product, but
might require a separate license.
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Optional vCenter Server features include:

® ®
VMware vSphere vMotion
Enables you to move running virtual machines from one ESXi host to another ESXi host
without service interruption. It requires licensing on both the source and target host. vCenter
Server centrally coordinates all vSphere vMotion activities.
® ®
vSphere Storage vMotion
Allows you to move the disks and configuration file of a running virtual machine from one
datastore to another without service interruption. It requires licensing on the virtual machine's
host.
®
VMware vSphere High Availability
Enables a cluster with High Availability. If a host fails, all virtual machines that were running on
the host are promptly restarted on different hosts in the same cluster.
When you enable the cluster for vSphere HA, you specify the number of hosts you want
to be able to recover. If you specify the number of host failures allowed as 1, vSphere HA
maintains enough capacity across the cluster to tolerate the failure of one host. All running
virtual machines on that host can be restarted on remaining hosts. By default, you cannot
turn on a virtual machine if doing so violates required failover capacity.
®
VMware vSphere Distributed Resource Scheduler ™
Helps improve resource allocation and power consumption across all hosts and resource
pools. vSphere DRS collects resource use information for all hosts and virtual machines in the
cluster and gives recommendations (or migrates virtual machines) in one of two situations:
n Initial placement – When you power on a virtual machine in the cluster for the first time,
DRS either places the virtual machine or makes a recommendation.
n Load balancing – DRS attempts to improve resource use across the cluster by
performing automatic migrations of virtual machines (vSphere vMotion) or by providing
a recommendation for virtual machine migrations.
®
vSphere DRS includes VMware vSphere Distributed Power Management ™ (DPM)
capabilities. When DPM is enabled, the system compares cluster-level and host-level capacity
to the demands of virtual machines that are running in the cluster. Based on the results
of the comparison, DPM recommends (or implements) actions that can reduce the power
consumption of the cluster.
®
VMware vSphere Storage DRS™
Allows you to manage multiple datastores as a single resource, called a datastore cluster. A
datastore cluster is an aggregation of multiple datastores into a single logical, load-balanced
pool. You can treat the datastore cluster as a single flexible storage resource for resource
management purposes. You can assign a virtual disk to a datastore cluster, and vSphere
Storage DRS finds an appropriate datastore for it. The load balancer takes care of initial
VMware, Inc. 22
placement and future migrations based on workload measurements. Storage space balancing
and I/O balancing minimize the risk of running out of space and the risk of I/O bottlenecks
slowing the performance of virtual machines.
®
VMware vSphere Fault Tolerance
vSphere Fault Tolerance provides continuous availability for virtual machines by creating
and maintaining a Secondary VM that is identical to the Primary VM. This Secondary VM is
continuously available to replace the Primary VM in a failover situation.
What is vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode

vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode links multiple vCenter Server systems. With Enhanced Linked
Mode, you can view and search across all linked vCenter Server systems. This mode replicates
roles, permissions, licenses, and other key data across systems.
Enhanced Linked Mode provides the following features for vCenter Server:
n You can log in to all linked vCenter Server systems simultaneously with a single user name
and password.
n You can view and search the inventories of all linked vCenter Server systems within the
vSphere Client.
n Roles, permission, licenses, tags, and policies are replicated across linked vCenter Server
systems.
To join vCenter Server systems in Enhanced Linked Mode, connect them to the same vCenter
Single Sign-On domain.
Enhanced Linked Mode requires the vCenter Server Standard licensing level, and is not
supported with vCenter Server Foundation or vCenter Server Essentials.
For more information about vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode, see the vCenter Server Installation
and Setup guide.
vCenter Server Plug-Ins

vCenter Server plug-ins extend the capabilities of vCenter Server by providing additional features
and functions.
Some plug-ins are installed as part of the base vCenter Server product.
vCenter Storage Monitoring
Allows you to review information on storage use and to map relationships visually between all
storage entities available in vCenter Server.
vCenter Hardware Status
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Uses CIM monitoring to display the hardware status of hosts that vCenter Server manages.
vCenter Service Status
Displays the status of vCenter services.
Some plug-ins are packaged separately from the base product and require separate installation.
You can update plug-ins and the base product independently of each other. VMware modules
include:
vSphere Lifecycle Manager
Enables administrators to apply updates and patches across ESXi hosts and all managed
virtual machines. Administrators can create user-defined security baselines that represent a
set of security standards. Security administrators can compare hosts and virtual machines
against these baselines to identify and remediate systems that are not in compliance.
VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
A workflow engine that enables you to create and run automated workflows in your vSphere
environment. VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator coordinates workflow tasks across
multiple VMware products and third-party management and administration solutions through
its open plug-in architecture. VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator provides a library of
workflows that are extensible. You can use any operation available in the vCenter Server API
to customize VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflows.
VMware, Inc. 24
Using the vSphere Client
3
Use the vSphere Client to connect to vCenter Server systems and manage vSphere inventory
objects.
Use of the vSphere Client requires a supported Web browser.
The home screen of the vSphere Client is a system dashboard that aggregates data from
different sources in the environment together in a single, unified view.
(Overview of the vSphere Client Home Screen )
VMware has tested and supports the following guest operating systems and browser versions
for the vSphere Client.
Table 3-1. Supported Guest Operating Systems and Browser Versions for the vSphere Client.
Operating system Browser
Windows 32-bit and 64-bit Microsoft Edge: 89 or later.

Mozilla Firefox: 80 or later.
Google Chrome: 90 or later.
Mac OS Microsoft Edge: 89 or later.

Mozilla Firefox: 80 or later.
Google Chrome: 90 or later.
Later versions of these browsers are likely to work, but have not been tested.
n How to Use and Configure Your vSphere Client
n How to Use Your vSphere Client Inventory
n How to Manage Your vCenter Server Client Plug-Ins
n How to Start, Stop, and Restart Services in Your vSphere Client
n How to Attach a File to a VMware Service Request
n How to Provide Feedback for vSphere
VMware, Inc. 25
How to Use and Configure Your vSphere Client

Learn how to log in to a vCenter Server instance, configure the vSphere Client timeout settings,
and edit the login banner.
How to Log in to Your vCenter Server by Using the vSphere Client

Learn how to use the vSphere Client to log in to vCenter Server and manage your vSphere
inventory.
Тhe vSphere Client is automatically installed as part of the vCenter Server appliance deployment.
This way, the vSphere Client always points to the same vCenter Single Sign-On instance.
Procedure
1 Open a Web browser and enter the URL for your vCenter Server instance: https://
vcenter_server_ip_address_or_fqdn
As an alternative, you can open a Web browser and enter the URL for the vSphere Client:
https://vcenter_server_ip_address_or_fqdn/ui.
2 If a warning message about a potential security risk appears, select to continue to the
website.
Browser Action
Microsoft Edge a Click Details.

b Under the additional message that appears, click Go on to the webpage.
Mozilla Firefox a Click Advanced.

b Under the additional message that appears, click Accept the Risk and
Continue.
Google Chrome a Click Advanced.

b Under the additional message that appears, click Proceed to
vcenter_server_ip_address_or_fqdn.
3 On the vSphere Welcome page, select Launch vSphere Client (HTML5).
4 If the warning message about a potential security risk appears again, repeat Step 2.
5 Enter the credentials of a user who has permissions on vCenter Server and click Login.
Results
The vSphere Client connects to all the vCenter Server systems on which the specified user has
permissions, and you can view and manage the vSphere inventory.
Install the VMware Enhanced Authentication Plug-in

The VMware Enhanced Authentication Plug-in provides Integrated Windows Authentication and
Windows-based smart card functionality.
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In the vSphere 6.5 release, the VMware Enhanced Authentication Plug-in replaced the Client
Integration Plug-in from vSphere 6.0 releases and earlier. The Enhanced Authentication Plug-
in provides Integrated Windows Authentication and Windows-based smart card functionality.
These are the only two features carried over from the previous Client Integration Plug-in.
The Enhanced Authentication Plug-in can function seamlessly if you already have the Client
Integration Plug-in installed on your system from vSphere 6.0 or earlier. There are no conflicts if
both plug-ins are installed.
Install the plug-in only once to enable all the functionality the plug-in delivers.
Note When you enable Active Directory Federation Services, Enhanced Authentication Plug-in
applies only to configurations where vCenter Server is the identity provider (Active Directory
over LDAP, Integrated Windows Authentication, and OpenLDAP configurations).
For information about supported browsers and operating systems, see the vCenter Server
Installation and Setup documentation.
Procedure
1 Open a Web browser and type the URL for the vSphere Client.
2 At the bottom of the vSphere Client login page, click Download Enhanced Authentication
Plug-in.
3 If the browser blocks the installation either by issuing certificate errors or by running a pop-
up blocker, follow the Help instructions for your browser to resolve the problem.
4 Save the plug-in to your computer, and run the executable.
5 Step through the installation wizard for both the VMware Enhanced Authentication Plug-in
and the VMware Plug-in Service which are run in succession.
6 When the installations are complete, refresh your browser.
7 On the External Protocol Request dialog box, click Launch Application to run the Enhanced
Authentication Plug-in.
The link to download the plug-in disappears from the login page.
Manage the Login Message to the vSphere Client Login Page

You can add a login message to the vSphere Client login page. You can also configure a custom
login message and provide а check box for user consent.
Procedure
1 Log in with the vSphere Client to the vCenter Server.
2 Specify the user name and password for [email protected] or another member of
the vCenter Single Sign-On Administrators group.
If you specified a different domain during installation, log in as administrator@mydomain.
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3 Navigate to the Configuration UI.
a From the Home menu, select Administration.
b Under Single Sign On, click Configuration.
4 Click the Login Message tab.
5 Click Edit and configure the login message.
Option Description
Show login message Toggle on Show login message to enable the login message. You cannot
make changes to the login message unless you toggle on this switch.
Login message Title of the message. By default, when Consent checkbox is toggled on,
the login message text is I agree to Terms and Conditions. You must
replace Terms and Conditions with your own text. If the Consent checkbox
is toggled off, then Login message appears, over which you enter your
message.
Consent checkbox Toggle on Consent checkbox to require that the user clicks a check box
before logging in. You can also display a message without a check box.
Details of login message Message that the user sees when clicking the login message, for example,
the text of the terms and conditions. You must enter some details in this text
box.
6 Click Save.
How to Configure Your vSphere Client Timeout Value

By default, the vSphere Client sessions close after 120 minutes of idle time, and require the user
to log in again to resume using the client. You can change the timeout value by editing the
webclient.properties file.
You can configure the timeout of the vSphere Client by changing the value of the
session.timeout property in the webclient.properties file.
Edit the Properties File of the vSphere Client
1 On the computer where the vSphere Client is installed, navigate to the /etc/vmware/
vsphere-ui file path where the webclient.properties file is located.
2 Edit the file to include the line session.timeout = <custom_value>, where <custom_value> is
the timeout value in minutes. Uncomment the line, if necessary.
To set the client to never timeout, specify a negative or 0 value for the timeout.
For example, to set the timeout value to 60 minutes, include the line session.timeout = 60.
3 Restart the VMware vSphere Client service.
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Change the Client Configuration in the vSphere Client
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to Home > Administration.
2 Under Deployment, select Client Configuration.
3 In the Client Configuration pane, click Edit.
The Edit client configuration dialog box appears.
4 Enter a new value in minutes in the session timeout text box.
5 Click Save.
6 Restart the VMware vSphere Client service.
How Do You Refresh Data in the vSphere Client

You must manually refresh the data in the vSphere Client to see changes made to objects by
other users during your session.
For performance reasons, the vSphere Client does not continuously refresh data on all objects in
the inventory. All changes that you make during your current session are immediately reflected in
the client user interface. Change made by other users or in other sessions are not reflected until
you manually refresh the data.
Procedure
u To update all data in the current vSphere Client view, click the refresh icon ( ).
The client view is updated.
How to Use Your vSphere Client Inventory

Learn how to navigate, search, and sort the vSphere Client inventory.
How to Use Your Global Inventory Lists Navigator

You can use the vSphere Global Inventory Lists navigator to browse and select objects in the
vSphere inventory as an alternative to the hierarchical inventory tree.
Unlike the inventory tree, which presents hierarchical arrangements of parent and child objects
arranged in the Hosts and Clusters, VMs and Templates, Storage, and Networking inventory
lists, the Global Inventory Lists navigator presents a list of all related objects in the inventory. You
can navigate from an object to its related objects, regardless of their type.
Procedure
1 From the vSphere Client home page, click Global Inventory Lists.
2 In the left pane, select one of the object or resource categories to view objects of that type.
For example, click Hosts to view the hosts in the vSphere inventory.
VMware, Inc. 29
3 In the left navigation pane, click an object from the list once to display information about the
object.
4 (Optional) Click the object again to open it.
Opening an object brings it to the top of the navigator and displays related object categories
beneath it.
For example, opening a host allows you to see the child resource pools, virtual machines,
datastores, networks, and distributed switches associated with this host.
5 To access additional information or manage the selected object, click one of the tabs in the
center pane.
Option Description
Summary You can view basic status and configuration for an object.
Monitor You can view alarms, performance data, resource allocation, events, and
other status information for an object.
Configure Depending on the selected object, you can edit settings, alarm definitions,
tags, permissions, and so on.
Permissions You can view, add, change, and delete permissions. This tab is only available
for logged in users with administration privileges.
Related Objects tabs You can view and manage the objects related to the object that you
selected. For example, if you select a host, the tabs that you see are VMs,
Resource Pools, Datastores, and Networks.
Updates Depending on the selected object, you can check the hardware
compatibility of a host against the VMware Compatibility Guide, check the
status of virtual machines, upgrade the VMware Tools version or the virtual
hardware version of the virtual machines, and perform vSphere Lifecycle
Manager operations.
Note The Updates tab is available only for certain types of inventory
objects, for example, hosts, virtual machines, and clusters.
Inventory Keyboard Shortcuts in the vSphere Client

Discover some of the inventory keyboard shortcuts that you can use to quickly navigate to
different inventories in the vSphere Client.
Table 3-2. Inventory Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard Combination on a Keyboard Combination on a Mac
Windows machine machine Action
Ctrl+Alt+Home Control+Option+Home Home
Ctrl+Alt+1 Control+Option+1 Shortcuts
Ctrl+Alt+2 Control+Option+2 Hosts and Clusters
Ctrl+Alt+3 Control+Option+3 VMs and Templates
VMware, Inc. 30
Table 3-2. Inventory Keyboard Shortcuts (continued)

Keyboard Combination on a Keyboard Combination on a Mac
Windows machine machine Action
Ctrl+Alt+4 Control+Option+4 Storage
Ctrl+Alt+5 Control+Option+5 Networking
Ctrl+Alt+6 Control+Option+6 Content Libraries
Ctrl+Alt+7 Control+Option+7 Workload Management
Ctrl+Alt+8 Control+Option+8 Global Inventory Lists
Ctrl+Alt+R Control+Option+R Refresh
Ctrl+Alt+S repeat twice Control+Option+S repeat twice Search
How to Sort Your vSphere Client Inventory

You can use sortable columns and input filters to sort and find objects in your vSphere Client
inventory that meet certain criteria.
You can sort list views by column. These list views can be selected in the Global Inventory Lists
pane or found in search results.
From a list view, you can use the Filter field to filter objects.
For example, you can sort virtual machines by name, provisioned space, used space, and so on.
You can filter them by name, state, status, and so on.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, select Global Inventory Lists.
2 To open an object list view, select an object type from the list.
If objects from the selected type are not present in the inventory, a blank page appears.
3 (Optional) Click the column you want to sort objects by. You can click again on that column to
reverse the sorting order.
4 Add or remove columns from the object list view:
a Click the Pick columns icon ( ) at the bottom left corner of the object list view.
The Show Columns pop-up appears.
b (Optional) To show a column in the object list view, select the check box for the column
from the list.
c (Optional) To hide a column from the object list view, deselect the check box for the
column from the list.
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5 (Optional) To filter the inventory objects, enter your filtering parameter in the filter field in the
right upper corner of the inventory object list table. For example, in the virtual machine list
view, to filter for all virtual machines that are in a powered on state, you must type powered
on.
A list of inventory objects that meet your filtering criteria is displayed in your selected sorting
order.
What to do next
After you apply a filter to an object list, the filter is active during the login session. To clear the
filtered list of inventory objects, delete the filter criteria from the filter field.
How to Search Your vSphere Client Inventory

With the vSphere Client, you can search the inventory for objects that match specified criteria.
You can search the inventories of all vCenter Server systems.
You can only view and search for inventory objects that you have permission to view.
Note If your permissions change while you are logged in, the search service might not
immediately recognize these changes. To ensure that your search is performed with up-to-date
permissions, log out of all your open sessions and log in again before you perform the search.
Perform a Quick Search

A quick search checks all types of objects for the specified search term within the name or other
properties of the object.
1 Enter the search term in the search box at the top of the vSphere Client window.
Multiple search terms in a quick or simple search are treated as if they are connected by ORs.
For example, searching for example machine finds all objects with names containing either
"example" or "machine".
The search results appear below the search box as you type. The number of items displayed
is limited to 10.
2 (Optional) To run a saved search, click the saved search icon and select a saved search
query.
3 (Optional) To display an item in the inventory, click the item from the drop-down list of the
search results.
4 (Optional) To see more search results or more details about the search results, click the
summary of the search results from the drop-down list of search results.
a (Optional) To display an object in the inventory, click the object in the search results page.
The search results are listed in tables arranged by object type. For example, if a search finds
hosts and virtual machines, the following tables appear: Hosts, which shows only host results
and Virtual Machines, which shows only virtual machine results.
VMware, Inc. 32
Save a Search
You can save search queries in the vSphere Client so you can rerun, rename, or delete them later.
1 In а vSphere Client window, enter a query for a simple search in the search box.
2 Click the summary of the search results from the drop-down list with search results.
3 On the search results page, click Save Search.
4 Enter a name for the search query. Names must be lowercase with no spaces.
5 Click Save.
The search query you entered is saved. You can reload the query later and repeat the search.
Manage a Saved Search

In the vSphere Client, you can rename, delete, or create a duplicate of a saved search query.
1 At the top of the vSphere Client window, click inside the search box.
2 Click the saved search icon and select a saved search query.
3 On the Search Results page, click Actions and select one of the options:
Option Description
Save as Creates a duplicate of the saved search query.
Rename Renames the saved search query.
Delete Deletes the saved search query.
4 Confirm the changes.
How to Export Your vSphere Inventory Lists

In the vSphere Client, you can export the contents of an inventory list view to a CSV file.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, click Menu and select Global Inventory Lists.
2 In the left pane, select one of the object or resource categories to view objects of that type.
For example, click Hosts to view the hosts in the vSphere inventory.
3 Select whether you want all columns or your current selection of columns to be listed in the
CSV file.
a Click Manage Columns at the bottom left corner of the object list view.
b (Optional) To show a column in the object list view, select the check box for the column
from the list.
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c (Optional) To hide a column from the object list view, deselect the check box for the
column from the list.
d (Optional) To show all columns, click SELECT ALL.
4 Click Export at the bottom left corner of the list view.
Results
The CSV file is generated and available for download.
How to Manage Your vCenter Server Client Plug-Ins

Learn how to monitor, add, or remove vCenter Server client plug-ins. You can monitor client plug-
in activities including installation progress, failures, deployments, upgrades, and uninstallations.
From the vSphere Client, you can monitor vCenter Server client plug-ins using the Recent Tasks
pane, the Task Console, or the Administration > Client Plugins view. In addition to monitoring
installation progress, you can troubleshoot installation failures and plug-in incompatibilities. You
can also add and remove client plug-ins.
For more information about how to develop client plug-ins, see the Developing Remote Plug-ins
with the vSphere Client SDK documentation on https://developer.vmware.com.
View Details about a Client Plug-In

1 In the vSphere Client home page, click Administration > Solutions > Client Plugins.
The Client Plugins main view shows a list of all deployed client plug-ins. You can view
information about the name, version, deployment status, type, certification status, vendor,
and plug-in ID of each client plug-in.
2 (Optional) In the Name column, click a client plug-in name to open the client plug-in details
view.
You can use the client plug-in details view to view more information about the client plug-in
instances, control the visibility of the client plug-ins on specific vCenter Server systems, and
remove client plug-ins from the vSphere Client.
Hide and Show a Client Plug-In on a vCenter Server Instance

If your environment includes several vCenter Server systems joined in Enhanced Linked Mode,
the vSphere Client can load views from client plug-ins added to any of the linked vCenter Server
instances. You configure what is visible in a specific vCenter Server system, by using the Hide
and Show options from the details view of a selected client plug-in.
1 From the vSphere Client Home menu, select Administration.
2 Under Solutions, click Client Plugins.
3 From the Name column, click the client plug-in name.
The detailed client plug-in view opens.
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4 Change the visibility of a client plug-in instance on a vCenter Server instance.
a Select the check box on the client plug-in instance.
n To hide a client plug-in in the vSphere Client UI for a vCenter Server instance, select
the check box on the instance version and click Hide.
n To make a client plug-in instance visible in the vSphere Client UI for a vCenter Server
instance, select the client plug-in version and click Show.
5 Confirm your choice in the pop-up dialog box that appears.
Add a Client Plug-In with the vSphere Client

Staring with vSphere 8.0, you can deploy remote client plug-ins using the vSphere Client. In an
environment with several vCenter Server instances connected with Enhanced Linked Mode, you
can select on which vCenter Server systems to deploy the client plug-in.
3 In the Client Plugins pane, click Add.
The Install new solution wizard opens.
4 On the Select an OVF template page, specify the location of the client plug-in OVF descriptor
file and click Next.
Option Action
URL Enter the URL to the OVF descriptor file located on the
Internet. The only supported URL sources are HTTPS.
Note Make sure that all elements of the client plug-

in are at the same location as the OVF descriptor file.
Missing files might lead to failure in plug-in deployment.
Local file Click Upload files and select all files associated with the
client plug-in.
5 On the Select a name and folder page, enter a unique name for the virtual machine, select a
deployment location, and click Next.
The default name for the virtual machine is the same as the human-readable name of the
plug-in defined in the OVF file. If you change the default name, choose a name that is unique
within each vCenter Server virtual machine folder.
6 On the Select a compute resource page, select a resource where to run the deployed client
plug-in VM, and click Next.
7 On the Review details page, verify the client plug-in details and click Next.
8 On the License agreement page, accept the end-user license agreements and click Next.
VMware, Inc. 35
9 On the Select storage page, define where and how the files for the deployed client plug-in
are stored.
n Select a storage policy for the virtual machine.
This option is available only if storage policies are enabled on the destination resource.
n (Optional) Select the Disable Storage DRS for this virtual machine check box to
deactivate Storage DRS for the virtual machine.
n Select a datastore to store the deployed client plug-in.
The plug-in manifest file and virtual disk files are stored on the datastore. Select a
datastore large enough to accommodate the virtual machine and all associated virtual
disk files.
10 On the Select networks page, select a source network and map it to a destination network.
Define the IP allocation settings of the client plug-in server. Click Next.
The Source Network column lists all networks as defined in the OVF descriptor file.
11 (Optional) On the Customize template page, view the read-only settings of the client plug-in
and click Next.
12 On the Associate vCenter Servers page, select the vCenter Server instances on which the
client plug-in is deployed and click Next.
13 On the Ready to complete page, review your selections and click Finish.
As a result new tasks for downloading and installing the client plug-in appear in the Recent Tasks
pane. After successful completion of the tasks, refresh your browser to see the newly added
client plug-in.
Remove a Client Plug-In from a vCenter Server Instance

You can remove a client plug-in from the vSphere Client UI for a vCenter Server instance. In an
environment with several vCenter Server instances connected with Enhanced Linked Mode, you
can select from which vCenter Server systems to remove the client plug-in.
Note When you remove a client plug-in from the vSphere Client UI, the virtual machine on which
the client plug-in instance is running is not removed from the vCenter Server instance. You must
delete the virtual machine from the datastore to complete the client plug-in removal.
3 From the Name column in the Client Plugins pane, select the client plug-in.
The detailed client plug-in view opens.
4 Select the check box on one of the client plug-in instances and click Remove.
5 In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes to remove the client plug-in instance.
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As a result, the client plug-in is undeployed from the vCenter Server instance. Make sure that you
refresh your browser to remove the client plug-in from the vSphere Client UI.
How to Start, Stop, and Restart Services in Your vSphere

Client
In the vSphere Client, you can start, stop, and restart services that are running on vCenter Server.
You can restart services upon a configuration change or for suspected functional or performance
issues.
Prerequisites
Verify that the user you use to log in to the vCenter Server instance is a member of the
SystemConfiguration.Administrators group in the vCenter Single Sign-On domain.
Procedure
1 Log in to the vCenter Server Management Interface.
n Log in to the vCenter Server Management Interface directly.
n In the vSphere Client home page, select Administration > System Configuration. Click a
node from the list.
2 On the vCenter Server Management Interface home page, click Services.
3 Select a service from the service list.
4 From the top menu, click Restart, Start, or Stop.
Unavailable options are dimmed.
Note Restarting the Content Library Service also restarts the Transfer Service and the OVF
Service. The Content Library Service, the Transfer Service, and the OVF Service run on the
same Tomcat server.
How to Attach a File to a VMware Service Request

Learn how to attach files, such as log files or screenshots, to VMware Service Requests directly
from the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
If you already have a Service Request ID with VMware, you can use the vSphere Client to upload
the system log bundles directly to your service request.
Procedure
1 From the vSphere Client sidebar, click Administration.
2 In the Administration panel, under Support, click Upload File to Service Request.
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3 Click the Upload File to Service Request button.
4 Enter the Service Request ID.
5 Click Browse and select the file to attach.
6 Click Upload.
How to Provide Feedback for vSphere

Learn how to use the vSphere Client to provide feedback and submit feature requests for
improvements to vSphere.
How to Provide Feedback with Your vSphere Client

Use the improved feedback tool in the vSphere Client to provide timely feedback to our
developers.
Procedure
1 From the vSphere Client home screen, click the feedback icon in the top right corner.
2 Select the type of feedback you want to give and enter your feedback in the Description
window.
3 (Optional) Provide an email address and screenshots or other images.
4 Click Send.
How to Use the vSphere Ideas Portal to Submit Suggestions for New
Features and Feature Requests
Learn how to provide suggestions for new vSphere features or share feature requests through
the vSphere Ideas portal. The vSphere Ideas portal is integrated with my.vmware.com and all
users with valid Customer Connect accounts can access the portal.
The vSphere Ideas portal is public. When you publish new ideas and feature requests, consider
whether you want to share personal data.
You can access the vSphere Ideas portal directly by going to https://vsphere.ideas.aha.io/ and
entering a valid Customer Connect user name and password.
Alternatively, you can access the vSphere Ideas portal by using the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have a valid Customer Connect account.
Procedure
1 On the vSphere Client home page, click the feedback icon in the top-right corner.
2 In the Send Feedback dialog box, click Idea.
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3 Click Visit ideas portal.
You are redirected to my.vmware.com and prompted to log in.
4 On the Customer Connect login page, enter a valid user name and password.
You are redirected to https://vsphere.ideas.aha.io/ .
5 On the vSphere Ideas portal home page, click Add a new idea.
6 On the Add a new idea page, enter the details about your idea and click Share idea.
Results
Your idea appears in the Recent tab. All users of the vSphere Ideas portal can view, subscribe,
vote, and comment on your idea.
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Configuring Customer Experience
Improvement Program 4
You can participate in the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) to provide
anonymous feedback or information to VMware for quality, reliability, and functionality
improvments of VMware products and services.
n VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program
n Join or Leave Customer Experience Improvement Program in vSphere Client
VMware Customer Experience Improvement Program

vCenter Server participates in VMware's Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).
Details regarding the data collected through CEIP and the purposes for which it is used by
VMware are set forth at the Trust & Assurance Center at http://www.vmware.com/trustvmware/
ceip.html.
Join or Leave Customer Experience Improvement Program

in vSphere Client
You can join your vCenter Server to the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP), or
decide to leave the CEIP at any time. To leave and rejoin your host to the CEIP, see vSphere
Single Host Management - VMware Host Client documentation.
Prerequisites
Obtain the user name and password of the administrator account.
Procedure
1 From the vSphere Client login page, log in to vCenter Server by using the credentials of the
administrator account.
2 On the vSphere Client home page, click Administration.
3 Under Deployment, click Customer Experience Improvement Program
4 Click Join to join the CEIP or Leave CEIP to leave the Program.
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Organizing Your vSphere
Inventory 5
Plan how to set up your virtual inventory and consider how the virtual machines that it will
support are going to be used and administered.
A large vSphere implementation might contain several virtual data centers with a complex
arrangement of hosts, clusters, resource pools, and networks. It might involve multiple vCenter
Server systems connected using Enhanced Linked Mode. Smaller implementations might require
a single virtual data center with a much less complex topology.
Here are the questions to answer as you create and organize an inventory of virtual objects:
n Will some virtual machines require dedicated resources?
n Will some virtual machines experience periodic spikes in workload?
n Will some virtual machines need to be administered as a group?
n Will some virtual objects require one set of system permissions, while other objects will
require a different set of permissions?
n Do you want to use multiple vSphere Standard Switches, or you want to have a single
vSphere Distributed Switch per data center?
n Do you want to use vMotion and Distributed Resource Management with certain virtual
machines but not others?
The left pane of the vSphere Client displays your vSphere inventory. You can add and arrange
objects in any way with the following considerations:
n The name of an inventory object must be unique with its parent.
n vApp names must be unique within the Virtual Machines and Templates view.
n System permissions are inherited and cascade. When you assign a system permission to an
object in the inventory, the same permission propagates down the object hierarchy.
Tasks for Organizing Your Inventory

Populating and organizing your inventory involves the following activities:
n Creating data centers.
n Adding hosts to the data centers.
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n Organizing inventory objects in folders.
n Setting up networking by using vSphere Standard Switches or vSphere Distributed Switches.

To use services such as vMotion, TCP/IP storage, VMware vSAN™, and Fault Tolerance, set
up VMkernel networking for these services. For more information, see vSphere Networking.
n Configuring storage systems and creating datastore inventory objects to provide logical
containers for storage devices in your inventory. See vSphere Storage.
n Creating clusters to consolidate the resources of multiple hosts and virtual machines. You can
enable vSphere HA and vSphere DRS for increased availability and more flexible resource
management. See vSphere Availability for information about configuring vSphere HA, and
vSphere Resource Management for information about configuring vSphere DRS.
n Creating resource pools to provide logical abstraction and flexible management of the
resources in vSphere. Resource pools can be grouped into hierarchies and used to
hierarchically partition available CPU and memory resources. See vSphere Resource
Management for details.
n How Do You Create a vSphere Data Center
n How to Create a Folder in Your vSphere Inventory
n How to Add a Host to Your vSphere Data Center or Folder
n How Do You Create and Configure Clusters in the vSphere Client
How Do You Create a vSphere Data Center

A virtual data center is a container for all the inventory objects required to complete a fully
functional environment for operating virtual machines. You can create multiple data centers to
organize groups of environments to meet different user needs.
For example, you can create a data center for each organizational unit in your enterprise or
create some data centers for high-performance environments and other data centers for less
demanding environments.
Prerequisites
Required privileges:
n Datacenter.Create datacenter
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters.
2 Right-click the vCenter Server object and select New Datacenter.
3 (Optional) Enter a name for the data center and click OK.
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What to do next
Add hosts, clusters, resource pools, vApps, networking, datastores, and virtual machines to the
data center.
How to Create a Folder in Your vSphere Inventory

In the vSphere Client,you can create folders and use them to group objects of the same type for
easier management. For example, you can apply a common set of permissions to the folder and
these permissions apply to all objects grouped in the folder.
A folder can contain other folders, or a group of objects of the same type. For example, one
folder can contain both virtual machines and another folder that contains virtual machines, but it
cannot contain both hosts and a folder that contains virtual machines.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, select either a data center or another folder as a parent object for the
folder that you want to create.
2 Right-click the parent object and click New Folder.
n If the parent object is a folder, the new folder is of the same type as the parent folder - it
can contain only objects of the same type that the parent folder contains.
n If the parent object is a data center, you can create one of four types of folders: Host and
Cluster folders, Network folders, Storage folders, and VM and Template folders.
3 Enter a name for the folder and click OK.
What to do next
Move objects into the folder by right-clicking the object and selecting Move To. Select the folder
as the destination. You can also move an object by dragging it to the destination folder.
How to Add a Host to Your vSphere Data Center or Folder

In the vSphere Client, you can add hosts under a data center object, a folder object, or a cluster
object. If a host contains virtual machines, those virtual machines are also added to the inventory.
Prerequisites
n Verify that a data center or a folder exists in the inventory.
n Obtain the user name and password of the root user account for the host.
n Verify that hosts behind a firewall are able to communicate with the vCenter Server system
and all other hosts through port 902 or another custom-configured port.
n Verify that all NFS mounts on the host are active.
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n Verify that you have the proper privileges. Different sets of privileges apply when you
add multiple hosts to a cluster and a single host to a cluster or a data center. For
more information, see Required Privileges for Common Tasks in the vSphere Security
documentation.
n If you want to add a host with more than 512 LUNs and 2,048 paths to the vCenter
Server inventory, verify that the vCenter Server instance is suitable for a large or an x-large
environment.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to a data center or folder within a data center.
2 Right-click the data center or folder and select Add Host.
3 On the Name and location page, enter the IP address or the name of the host and click Next.
4 On the Connection settings page, enter administrator credentials and click Next.
5 On the Host summary page, review the summary of the host details and click Next.
6 On the Host lifecycle page, the check box Manage host with an image check is selected by
default.
n If you want to manage the host with an image, leave the check box selected and click
Next.
For more information about using an image to manage the lifecycle of a standalone
ESXi host that is part of your vCenter Server inventory, see Managing Standalone ESXi
Hosts with vSphere Lifecycle Manager Images in the Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle
documentation.
n If you do not want to manage the host with an image, deselect the check box and click
Next.
7 If you manage the host with an image, on the Image page, set up the desired image and click
Next.
a Select an ESXi version.
b (Optional) Select a vendor add-on and the version of the add-on.
8 On the Assign license page, add a license to the host.
n Assign an already existing license and click Next.
n Assign a new license.
a Click Create New Licenses. The Add Host wizard minimizes in Work in Progress and
the New Licenses wizard appears.
b Enter or copy and paste the new license key from My VMware and click Next.
c Enter a new name for the license and click Next.
d Review the new license and click Finish.
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e On the Assign license page, click Next.
9 (Optional) Select a lockdown mode option to deactivate the remote access for the
administrator account after vCenter Server takes control of this host and click Next.
10 (Optional) On the VM location page, select a location for the virtual machines that reside on
the host and click Next.
11 Review the summary and click Finish.
Results
A new task for adding the host appears in the Recent Tasks pane. It might take a few minutes for
the task to complete.
How Do You Create and Configure Clusters in the vSphere

Client
You can create clusters in the vSphere Client and then configure them manually or by using the
Quickstart workflow.
A cluster is a group of hosts. When a host is added to a cluster, the resources of the host
become part of the resources of the cluster. The cluster manages the resources of all hosts that
it contains.
When you create clusters, you can enable vSphere High Availability (HA), vSphere Distributed
Resource Scheduler (DRS), and the VMware vSAN features.
Starting with vSphere 7.0, you can create a cluster that you manage with a single image. By
using vSphere Lifecycle Manager images, you can easily update and upgrade the software and
firmware on the hosts in the cluster. Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 2, during cluster creation,
you can select a reference host and use the image on that host as the image for the newly
created cluster. For more information about using images to manage ESXi hosts and clusters, see
the Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle documentation.
Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 1, vSphere Cluster Services (vCLS) is enabled by default and
runs in all vSphere clusters. vCLS ensures that if vCenter Server becomes unavailable, cluster
services remain available to maintain the resources and health of the workloads that run in the
clusters. For more information about vCLS, see vSphere Cluster Services.
How Do You Create a vSphere Cluster with the vSphere Client

You can create a new vSphere cluster object by using the vSphere Client.
Starting with vSphere 7.0, the clusters that you create can use vSphere Lifecycle Manager
images for host updates and upgrades.
A vSphere Lifecycle Manager image is a combination of vSphere software, driver software, and
desired firmware with regard to the underlying host hardware. The image that a cluster uses
defines the full software set that you want to run on all ESXi hosts in the cluster: the ESXi version,
additional VMware-provided software, and vendor software, such as firmware and drivers.
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The image that you define during cluster creation is not immediately applied to the hosts. If you
do not set up an image for the cluster, the cluster uses baselines and baseline groups. Starting
with vSphere 7.0 Update 2, during cluster creation, you can select a reference host and use the
image on that host as the image for the newly created cluster. For more information about using
images and baselines to manage hosts in clusters, see the Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle
documentation.
Prerequisites
n Verify that a data center, or a folder within a data center, exists in the inventory.
n Verify that hosts have the same ESXi version and patch level.
n If you want to extend a cluster with initially configured networking, verify that hosts do not
have a manual vSAN configuration or a manual networking configuration.
n To create a cluster that you manage with a single image, review the requirements and
limitations information in the Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle documentation.
n Host.Inventory.Create cluster
Procedure
2 Select a data center.
3 Right-click the data center and select New Cluster.
4 Enter a name for the cluster.
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5 Select DRS, vSphere HA, or vSAN cluster features.
Option Description
To use DRS with this cluster a Slide the switch to the right to enable the DRS service.
b (Optional) Click the info icon on the left to see the Default Settings for
the DRS service. The default values are:
n Automation Level: Fully Automated Migration
n Threshold: 3
To use vSphere HA with this cluster a Slide the switch to the right to enable the vSphere HA service.
b (Optional) Click the info icon on the left to see the Default Settings
for the vSphere HA service. You are present with the following default
values:
Host Monitoring: Enabled
Admission Control: Enabled
VM Monitoring: Disabled
To use vSAN with this cluster n Slide the switch to the right to enable the vSAN service.
For more information on vSAN, see Creating a vSAN Cluster in the vSAN
Planning and Deployment documentation.
You can override the default values later on in the workflow.
6 (Optional) To create a cluster that you manage with a single image, select the Manage all
hosts in the cluster with a single image check box.
For information about creating a cluster that you manage with a single image, see the
Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle documentation.
7 Click Next.
8 Review the cluster details and click Finish.
The cluster appears in the vCenter Server inventory. The Quickstart workflow appears under
Configure > Configuration.
Results
You have created an empty cluster in the vCenter Server inventory.
What to do next
You can use the Quickstart workflow to easily configure and expand the cluster. You can also
skip the Quickstart workflow and continue configuring the cluster and its hosts manually.
How to Extend and Configure Your vSphere Cluster by Using the

Quickstart Workflow
You can extend and configure a cluster by using the simplified Quickstart workflow in the
vSphere Client. Quickstart groups common tasks and offers configuration wizards that guide you
through the process of configuring and extending a cluster.
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After you provide the required information on each wizard, your cluster is configured based
on your input. When you add hosts using the Quickstart workflow, hosts are automatically
configured to match the cluster configuration.
Once the cluster creation operation completes, you are redirected to the Cluster quickstart page
located under Configure > Configuration. The Quickstart workflow consists of three cards for
quickly extending and configuring your clusters.
Table 5-1. Quickstart workflow cards for extending and configuring a cluster
Cluster Quickstart
Workflow Card Description
Cluster basics You can edit the cluster name and activate or diactivate cluster services. The card lists the
services you enabled.
Add hosts You can add new ESXi hosts. After the hosts are added, the card shows the total number of
hosts present in the cluster and displays health check validation for those hosts.
Configure cluster You can configure network settings for vMotion and vSAN traffic, review and customize cluster
services, and set up a vSAN datastore. After the cluster is configured, the card provides details
on configuration mismatch and reports cluster health results through the vSAN Health service.
Characteristics of a Cluster Configured Using the Quickstart Workflows

A vSphere cluster that is configured using the Quickstart workflow has the following
characteristics.
n Hosts are of version ESXi 6.7 Update 2 and later.
n Hosts end up having similar configuration, including network settings.
n Cluster configuration is based on the recommended default settings for networking and
different services.
n Licenses cannot be assigned using the Quickstart workflow. You must manually assign the
required licenses. See Chapter 10 vSphere License and Subscription Management.
Skipping Quickstart
The Skip Quickstart button prompts you to continue configuring the cluster and its hosts
manually. To confirm exiting the simplified configuration workflow, click Continue. After you
dismiss the Cluster quickstart workflow, you cannot restore it for the current cluster.
How to Add аn ESXi Host to Your vSphere Cluster by Using the

Quickstart Workflow
You can add new and existing ESXi hosts to a cluster in the vCenter Server inventory.
You can also add hosts to a DRS cluster. For more information, see the vSphere Resource
Management documentation.
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When you add the first three hosts to the cluster, vSphere Cluster Services (vCLS) agent
virtual machines are added by default to the cluster. A quorum of up to three vCLS agent
virtual machines are required to run in a cluster, one agent virtual machine per host. For more
information about vCLS, see vSphere Cluster Services.
Note After you configure the cluster by using Quickstart, if you modify any cluster networking
settings outside of Quickstart, you cannot use the Quickstart workflow to add and configure new
hosts to the cluster.
Prerequisites
n Verify that you have the proper privileges. Different sets of privileges apply when you
add multiple hosts to a cluster and a single host to a cluster or a data center. For
more information, see Required Privileges for Common Tasks in the vSphere Security
documentation.
n To add a host to a cluster that you manage with a single image, see the Managing Host and
Cluster Lifecycle documentation.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to a cluster within a data center.
2 On the Configure tab, select Configuration > Quickstart.
3 Click Add in the Add hosts card.
4 On the Add hosts wizard, add new or existing hosts to the cluster.
n Add hosts that are not part of the vCenter Server inventory.
a Click the New hosts tab.
b Populate the IP Address and credentials text boxes for those hosts.
c (Optional) To add more new hosts, click the Add Host button.
d (Optional) To reuse the credentials for all added hosts, select the Use the same
credentials for all hosts check box.
n Add hosts that are managed by your vCenter Server instance and are in the same data
center as your cluster. The hosts must not be part of another cluster on the vCenter
Server instance.
a Click the Existing hosts tab.
b From the list, select the hosts that you want to add to the cluster.
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5 Click Next.
The Host summary page lists all hosts that will be added to the cluster and related warnings.
Note If a host cannot be validated automatically by the system, you are prompted to
manually validate its certificate and accept its thumbprint in the Security Alert pop-up.
6 On the Host summary page, review the details of the added hosts and click Next.
7 (Optional) On the Import Image page, select the host whose image to use as the image for
the cluster.
The Import Image page appears when you add hosts to a cluster managed with a single
image. For information about adding a host to a cluster that you manage with a single image,
see the Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle documentation.
8 On the Ready to complete page, review the IP addresses or FQDN of the added hosts and
click Finish.
Review the number of added hosts and the health check validation, performed by the vSAN
Health service, in the Add hostscard.
9 (Optional) Click Re-validate to trigger the validation of the hosts.
Note If an error occurs, it is visible in the Recent Tasks pane only.
Results
All hosts are placed in maintenance mode and added to your cluster. You can manually exit the
maintenance mode.
What to do next
Configure your cluster default settings through the Quickstart workflow.
How to Configure Your vSphere Cluster by Using the Quickstart

Workflow
Learn how to use the Quickstart workflow to quickly configure the settings of a vSphere cluster.
To configure the host networking settings on your host and to customize the cluster settings,
start the Configure cluster wizard, part of the cluster Quickstart workflow. Learn how to use
Quickstart to configure a vSAN cluster, see Use Quickstart to Configure a vSAN Cluster in the
vSAN Planning and Deployment documentation.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to а cluster.
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2 On the Configure tab, select Configuration > Quickstart.
The Cluster Quickstart page appears.
Note To configure your cluster host networking and services manually by referring to
different parts of the vSphere software, click the Skip quickstart button. If you dismiss the
Cluster quickstart workflow, you cannot restore it, and you have to configure manually any
hosts that you add to this cluster in the future.
3 In the Configure cluster card, select Configure.
The Configure cluster wizard appears.
4 On the Distributed switches page, configure the cluster networking.
Alternatively, you can select the Configure networking settings later check box to hide
all options that are related to cluster networking and to change the recommended host
networking manually at a later time.
Caution After you select the Configure networking settings later check box, and
complete the Configure cluster workflow, you cannot perform the cluster networking
configuration in the future by using the Configure cluster wizard.
a In the Distributed switches section, specify the number of distributed switches to create
from the drop-down menu.
Note You can select up to three distributed switches.
The selected distributed switches are configured as part of this workflow and all hosts in
the cluster connect to them.
b Enter a unique name for each of the distributed switches you are about to create.
c (Optional) Click Use Existing to select an existing compatible distributed switch and an
existing compatible distributed port group.
d In the Port groups section, set up the vMotion network by selecting a distributed switch
from the drop-down menu and assigning a new default port group to it.
e In the Physical adapters section, for each physical network adapter (NIC), select the
distributed switch name from the drop-down menu.
The new distributed switch must be assigned to at least one physical adapter.
Note If you are using an existing distributed switch, the physical adapter selection must
match the current mapping of the distributed switch. Any variation results in an error.
This mapping of physical NICs to the distributed switches is applied to all hosts in this
cluster.
f Click Next.
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5 If the vSphere DRS feature is enabled on the cluster, configure the networking options in the
vMotion traffic page.
a (Optional) Select the Use VLAN check box and enter an ID for the vMotion distributed
port group.
b (Optional) Select a protocol type from the drop-down menu.
c Select an IP configuration type from the drop-down menu.
d (Optional) Populate the text boxes for each host in the cluster depending on the IP
address type you need for setting up the networking.
If the IP address type is set to DHCP, DHCP is used to obtain the IP settings for the
vMotion traffic.
e Click Next.
The Advanced options page appears.
6 On the Advanced options page, customize the cluster settings depending on the services
you enabled.
a If you enabled the vSphere HA feature during cluster creation, use the options in the
vSphere HA section to activate or deactivate host failure monitoring, virtual machine
monitoring, and admission control.
If you enable admission control, you can specify the failover capacity by number of hosts.
b If you enabled the vSphere DRS feature during cluster creation, the Distributed Resource
Scheduler section is visible.
1 Set the Automation level to Fully Automated, Partially Automated or Manual.
2 Select one of the five migration settings from the Migration threshold drop-down
menu.
c
1 Select a lockdown mode from the drop-down menu.
2 (Optional) Enter an NTP server address or FQDN.
If you enter more than one NTP server addresses, separate them by using commas.
3 (Optional) Select a host update option from the drop-down menu.
The settings are applied across all hosts in this cluster.
d In the Enhanced vMotion Compatibility section, enable Enhanced vMotion™ Compatibility

(EVC) and select the CPU model from the EVC mode drop-down menu.
e Click Next.
The Review page appears.
7 Review the settings and select Finish.
The card closes, and the progress of the operation appears in the Recent Tasks pane.
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Results
You have created a fully configured cluster in the vCenter Server inventory.
What to do next
Expand your cluster manually or by using the Quickstart workflow and the Add hosts card.
How to Extend Your vSphere Cluster with Host Networking

Configuration
By using the Quickstart Workflow, you can extend a hyper-converged cluster by adding hosts
and configuring their networking to match the cluster configuration.
Note If you modify any cluster networking settings outside of Quickstart, you cannot use the
Quickstart workflow to add and configure new hosts to the cluster.
Prerequisites
n Verify that you have an existing cluster and hosts added to it.
n In the initial cluster configuration, you configured the host networking.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters and select a
configured cluster.
2 Right-click the cluster and select Add Hosts.
The Add hosts wizard appears.
3 On the Add hosts page, add new or existing hosts to the cluster.
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center as your cluster.
4 Click Next.
6 (Optional) On the Import Image page, select the host whose image to use as the image for
the cluster.
image. For information about adding a host to a cluster that you manage with a single image,
see the Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle documentation.
7 On the Ready to complete page, review the IP addresses or FQDN of the added hosts and
click Finish.
The Extend Cluster Guide page appears.
8 In the Configure cluster card, select Configure.
The Configure cluster wizard appears.
9 If the vSphere DRS feature is enabled on the cluster, configure the networking options in the
vMotion traffic page.
a (Optional) Select the Use VLAN check box and enter an ID for the vMotion distributed
port group.
b (Optional) Select a protocol type from the drop-down menu.
c Select an IP type from the drop-down menu.
d (Optional) Populate the text boxes for each host in the cluster depending on the IP
address type you need for setting up the networking.
If the IP address type is set to DHCP, DHCP is used to obtain the IP settings for the
vMotion traffic.
10 Click Next.
The Review page appears.
11 Review the settings and select Finish.
The card closes, and the progress of the operation appears in the Recent Tasks pane.
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Results
After successful validation, your newly added hosts are configured as the existing hosts in your
cluster and the Configure button in the Configure hosts card becomes inactive. You can only
click Re-validate to verify the cluster configuration.
What to do next
Add more hosts to the cluster.
How to Extend and Configure Your vSphere Cluster Manually

You can extend a cluster by manually adding hosts to that cluster. If you previously configured
the cluster without setting up the host networking, the configuration of the existing hosts in the
cluster is applied to the newly added hosts.
Prerequisites
n Verify that you have an existing cluster and hosts added to it.
n During the initial cluster configuration, select the Configure networking settings later
check box. For more information, see How to Configure Your vSphere Cluster by Using the
Quickstart Workflow.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters and select a
configured cluster.
2 Right-click the cluster and select Add Hosts.
The Add hosts wizard appears.
3 On the Add hosts page, add new or existing hosts to the cluster.
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center as your cluster. The hosts must not be part of another cluster on the vCenter
Server instance.
4 Click Next.
6 (Optional) On the Import Image page, select the host from which an image must be imported
to the cluster.
image. For information about adding a host to a cluster managed with a single image, see the
Managing Host and Cluster Lifecycle documentation.
7 On the Review page, click Finish.
The Cluster Quickstart page appears.
8 Click Skip Quickstart to continue configuring the cluster manually.
Caution Once you dismiss the Quickstart workflow, you cannot enable it again on the
cluster.
Note You must manually configure all hosts added to the cluster after dismissing the
Quickstart workflow.
What to do next
Manually configure all cluster settings and add more hosts to the cluster.
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vSphere Tags and Custom
Attributes 6
Tags and attributes allow you to attach metadata to objects in the vSphere inventory to make it
easier to sort and search for these objects.
For vSphere tags and attributes, VMware Cloud on AWS supports the same set of tasks as an
on-premises SDDC.
n What Are vSphere Tags and How to Use Them
n What Are Custom Attributes in the vSphere Client
What Are vSphere Tags and How to Use Them

You can create, edit, and delete tag categories and vSphere tags. You can also assign vSphere
tags to objects in the vCenter Server inventory and manage the user privileges for working with
tags and categories.
A tag is a label that you can apply to objects in the vSphere inventory. When you create a tag,
you assign that tag to a category. Categories allow you to group related tags together. When
you define a category, you can specify the object types for its tags, and whether more than one
tag in the category can be applied to an object.
For example, if you wanted to tag your virtual machines by guest operating system type, you
can create a category called operating system. You can specify that it applies to virtual machines
only and that only a single tag can be applied to a virtual machine at any time. The tags in this
category might be Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
Tags and categories can span multiple vCenter Server instances:
n If multiple on-premises vCenter Server instances are configured to use Enhanced Linked
Mode, tags and tag categories are replicated across all these vCenter Server instances.
n When you use Hybrid Linked Mode, tags and tag categories are maintained across your
linked domain. That means the on-premises SDDC and the VMware Cloud on AWS SDDC
share tags and tag attributes.
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How Do You Create and Edit a vSphere Tag Category

You use categories in your vSphere environment to group tags together and define how tags can
be applied to objects. You create and edit a tag category from the vSphere Client.
You can create a tag category explicitly, as explained here, or as part of the tag creation process.
Each tag has to belong to at least one tag category.
Prerequisites
The required privilege depends on the task that you want to perform.
Task Privilege
Create a tag category vSphere Tagging.Create vSphere Tag Category on any

vCenter Server inventory object.
Edit a tag category vSphere Tagging.Edit vSphere Tag Category on any

vCenter Server inventory object.
Procedure
1 From the vSphere Client Home menu, click Tags & Custom Attributes.
2 Click the Tags tab and click Categories
3 Start the task that you want to perform.
Task Steps to perform
Create a tag category Click New.
Edit a tag category Select a category and click Edit.
4 Edit the category settings.
Setting Description
Category Name The category name must be unique to the currently selected vCenter Server
system.
Description You can provide text in the description to describe the purpose or use of the
category.
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Setting Description
Tags Per Object n If you select One Tag, you can apply only one tag from this category to
an object.
Use this option for categories whose tags are mutually exclusive. For
example, if you have a category called Priority with tags High, Medium,
and Low, then each object should have only one tag because an object
can have only one priority.
n If you select Many tags, you can apply more than one tag from the
category to an object.
Use this option for categories whose tags are not mutually exclusive.
After you have set Tags Per Object, you can change from One Tag to Many
Tags, but not from Many Tags to One Tag.
Associable Object Types Select whether tags in this category can be assigned to all objects or only to
a specific type of object, such as a virtual machine or a datastore.
Changes to the associable object type are limited.
n If you initially selected a single object type, you can later change the
category to work for all object types.
n If you initially selected All Objects, you cannot restrict the category later.
5 Click Create or Save.
How Do You Delete a vSphere Tag Category

Learn how to remove a vSphere tag category from your vSphere environment.
Deleting a category also deletes all tags associated with the category.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: vSphere Tagging.Delete vSphere Tag Category on any vCenter Server
inventory object.
Procedure
2 Click the Tags tab and click Categories
3 Select a category from the list and click Delete.
The Delete Category dialog opens.
4 To confirm the operation, click Delete.
Results
The category and all associated tags are deleted.
How Do You Create and Edit a vSphere Tag

Read how to create or edit a vSphere tag. After you create a tag, you can use it to add metadata
to inventory objects.
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You can use tags to add metadata to inventory objects. You can also record information about
your inventory objects in tags, and you can use the tags in searches. For information about
creating and editing a tag category, see How Do You Create and Edit a vSphere Tag Category.
Prerequisites
The required privilege depends on the task that you want to perform.
Task Privilege
Create a tag vSphere Tagging.Create vSphere Tag on any vCenter

Server inventory object.
Edit a tag vSphere Tagging.Edit vSphere Tag on any vCenter Server

inventory object.
Procedure
2 Select the Tags tab and click Tags.
3 Start the task that you want to perform.
Task Steps to perform
Create a tag Click New.
Edit a tag Select a tag and click Edit.
4 In the dialog box, enter or edit the name for the tag.
You can use up to 256 characters for the name of the tag.
5 Enter or edit the description of the tag.
6 If you create a tag, specify the tag category.
n Select an existing category from the Category drop-down menu.
n Click Create New Category and select the newly created category.
7 Click Create or Save.
How Do You Delete a vSphere Tag

You can delete an existing vSphere tag when you no longer need it by using the vSphere Client.
Procedure
2 Select the Tags tab and click Tags.
3 Select one or more tags from the list and click Delete.
4 To confirm the operation, click Delete.
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Results
The selected tags are deleted.
How Do You Assign or Remove a vSphere Tag

After you create vSphere tags, you can apply or remove them as metadata to objects in the
vCenter Server inventory.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: vSphere Tagging.Assign or Unassign vSphere Tag on any vCenter Server
inventory object.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to an inventory tree.
2 Select an object from the list and click Actions.
3 From the drop-down menu, select Tags and Custom Attributes.
4 Select the required action.
n To assign a tag, select Assign Tag.
n To remove a tag, select Remove tag.
5 Select a tag from the list and click Assign.
In the Assign Tag dialog box, you can also create new tags with Add tag. For information
about creating a tag, see How Do You Create and Edit a vSphere Tag.
How Do You Add Permissions for vSphere Tags and Tag Categories
You can manage the user privileges for working with tags and categories. The procedure for
assigning permissions to tags is the same as the procedure for assigning permissions to tag
categories.
When you create a tag, you can specify which users and groups can operate with that tag. For
example, you can grant administrative rights only to administrators and set read-only permissions
for all other users or groups. You must have vSphere administrator credentials to set and
manage permissions for tags.
Permissions for tags work similar to permissions for vCenter Server inventory objects. For more
information, see the vSphere Security documentation.
Procedure
2 On the Tags tab, click the Tags or Categories button.
Depending on the button that you click, you see the list of tags or the list of tag categories.
3 Select an item from the list and click Add Permission.
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4 In the Add Permission dialog box, select a domain from the drop-down menu.
5 Search for a user or a group to add.
6 Select a role to add from the drop-down menu.
7 To enable permission inheritance, select the Propagate to children check box.
8 Click OK.
vSphere Tagging Best Practices

Incorrect tagging can lead to replication errors. To avoid these errors, diligently follow best
practices when tagging objects in your vSphere environment.
When working with tags in multiple node situations, expect replication delays between the nodes
(generally 30 seconds to 2 minutes depending on your setup).
Follow these best practices to avoid replication errors:
n After creating a tag, if you immediately assign that tag to a local object, assign it from the
management node where you created the tag.
n After creating a tag, if you immediately assign that tag to a remote object, assign it from the
management node to which the object is local. Depending on your environment setup, allow
for replication time to propagate the new tag before you use the tag.
n Avoid simultaneously creating categories and tags from different management nodes before
categories and tags across nodes can finish the replication process. If duplicate categories or
tags are created from different nodes at the same time, the duplicates might not be detected
and will appear. If you see these results, manually delete duplicates from one management
node.
n Before you remove an object from the vCenter Server inventory that is not a virtual machine
or a host, first remove the tags from the object.
For more information about tagging performance best practices, see the blog post titled vSphere
7.0 U1 Tagging Performance Best Practices at https://blogs.vmware.com/performance.
What Are Custom Attributes in the vSphere Client

You can use custom attributes in the vSphere Client to assign user-specific values for each object
of the custom attribute type.
After you create the attributes, set the value for the attribute on each virtual machine or
managed host, as appropriate. This value is stored with vCenter Server and not with the virtual
machine or managed host. Use the new attribute to filter information about your virtual machines
and managed hosts. If you no longer need the custom attribute, remove it. A custom attribute is
always a string.
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For example, suppose that you have a set of products and you want to sort them by sales
representative. Create a custom attribute for the sales person's name, Name. Add the custom
attribute, Name, column to one of the list views. Add the appropriate name to each product
entry. Click the column title Name to sort alphabetically.
The custom attributes feature is available only when you are connected to a vCenter Server
system.
How Do You Add and Edit Custom Attributes in the vSphere Client
You can create custom attributes in the vSphere Client and associate these custom keys with an
object, such as a host, virtual machine, cluster, or network. You can then assign a user-specific
value using the custom attributes to specific objects in your vCenter Server environment.
After you create the attributes, set an appropriate value for the attribute on each inventory
object. The attribute value is stored with vCenter Server and not with the inventory object. Use
the new attribute to filter your inventory objects. If you no longer need the custom attribute,
remove it. A custom attribute is always a string.
For example, suppose that you have lots of virtual machines in your inventory and you want to
sort them by owner.
1 Create a VM-owner custom attribute for the virtual machine type of inventory objects.
2 Add the name of the owner to each VM entry you want and use the Global Inventory Lists
pane to add the VM-owner custom attribute column to one of the list views.
3 You can now click the VM-owner column to sort alphabetically by owner.
Tip If you cannot use the custom attribute column to sort the list of inventory objects, you
can export the content of the list view and then use the sorting options on the saved CSV file.
Note Tags and tag categories support a finer-grained mechanism for tagging your object.
Consider using tags and tag categories instead of custom attributes.
Prerequisites
n Global.Manage custom attributes
n Global.Set custom attribute
Procedure
2 Click Custom Attributes.
All currently defined custom attributes for vCenter Server are displayed.
3 Click New.
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4 Enter the values for the custom attribute.
a Enter the name of the attributes in the Attribute text box.
b Select the attribute type from the Type drop-down menu.
c Click OK.
After you have defined an attribute on an object, it is available to all objects of that type in
the inventory. However, the value you specify is applied only to the currently selected object.
5 You can later add a value to the custom attribute for each inventory object that you want.
a Navigate to an inventory object in your vCenter Server inventory.
b On the Summary tab, navigate to the Custom Attributes card.
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c Click Edit.
n If you want to add a value to an existing custom attribute, enter or edit the attribute
value in the Value column.
n If you want to create a new custom attribute, enter a name and value to the attribute
and select the attribute type from the Type drop-down menu. Click Add.
d Click Save.
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Working with vSphere Tasks
7
vSphere tasks are activities and actions that occur on an object within the vSphere inventory.
vSphere tasks represent system activities that do not complete immediately, such as migrating
a virtual machine. For example, powering off a virtual machine is a task. You can perform this
task manually every evening, or you can set up a scheduled task to power off the virtual machine
every evening.
n How Do You View vSphere Tasks
n How Do You Cancel a vSphere Task
n How Do You Filter vSphere Tasks
n How Do You Export vSphere Tasks
n How Do You Export vSphere Tasks with Advanced Export
n Scheduling vSphere Tasks
How Do You View vSphere Tasks

Learn how to view vSphere tasks that are associated with a single object or all objects in a
vSphere environment.
By default, the task list for an object also includes tasks performed on its child objects. You can
filter the task list by entering the object that you want in the Target column filter.
If you are logged in to a vCenter Server instance that is part of a vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode
group, the Server column in the task list displays the name of the vCenter Server system on
which the task is performed.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to an object in the inventory.
2 Click the Monitor tab.
3 Under Tasks and Events, select Tasks.
The task list contains tasks performed on the object and detailed information, such as target,
task status, initiator, and start/completion time of the task.
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You can limit the number of tasks visible in the Tasks pane by selecting an option from
theTasks per page drop-down menu.
4 (Optional) Click the filter ( ) icon on a column header and filter the task list by entering your
filtering criteria.
5 (Optional) Click the expand row ( ) icon to view related events for a task. You can view task
information about multiple tasks at the same time.
6 (Optional) Click Open in new tab to open only the Task Console in a separate tab on your
browser.
How Do You Cancel a vSphere Task

Canceling a vSphere task stops a running task from occurring. Canceling a scheduled task does
not cancel subsequent runs. To cancel a scheduled task that has not run, reschedule it.
Prerequisites
n Manual tasks: Tasks.Update task
n Scheduled tasks:Scheduled task.Remove task
Procedure
1 Locate the task in the Recent Tasks pane.
By default, the Recent Tasks pane is displayed at the bottom of the vSphere Client.
2 Click the cancel button ( ) next to the progress bar in the Status column for the task you
want.
If the cancel option is unavailable, the selected task cannot be canceled.
3 In the Cancel Task pop-up dialog box, click OK.
Results
The vCenter Server system or ESXi host stops the progress of the task and returns the object to
its previous state. The vSphere Client displays the task with a The task was canceled by a user.
status.
Cancelled tasks and the corresponding events are retained in the vCenter Server database. For
information about the retention of tasks and events in the vCenter Server database, and how to
configure the database settings, see the vSphere Monitoring and Performance documentation.
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How Do You Filter vSphere Tasks

To lower the number of vSphere tasks displayed for a single object or all objects in your
environment, filter the task history in the database using several criteria, such as status, initiator,
and time range.
Procedure
4 Click Filter.
The Filter Tasks dialog opens.
5 Filter the tasks you want to view.
a Select the respective check boxes in the Status options list to filter the tasks by their
status.
b From the Type drop-down menu, select the task type.
n User - Displays the tasks initiated by all users, such as vsphere.local users, Active
Directory domain users, and system users.
n System - Displays the tasks initiated only by system users. System users are user
accounts associated with an application or service.
c To view the tasks initiated by all users or by specific users, select the All users or Specific
users radio button.
If you select to view the tasks performed by specific users, create a list of users.
1 Select the domain for the users from the drop-down menu.
2 Select the users who initiated the tasks.
a Enter a name in the Search box.
The system searches from the users in the selected domain.
b Select a user and click Add.
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d From the Select time set drop-down menu, select the time when the task was started,
completed or queued.
e From the Select time range options, select the time range when the tasks were
performed.
n Relative - If you want to filter the tasks for a relative time range, specify the relative
time range from the Last and Range drop-down menus.
n Date range - If you want to filter the tasks for a specific time period, specify the date
and time from the drop-down menus.
For example, to filter the tasks that got queued for the last 2 weeks, from the Select
time set drop down menu, select Queued time and select the Relative radio button. Then,
from the Last drop-down menu, select 2 and from the Range drop-down menu, select
Weeks.
6 Click Filter.
Results
The Tasks page displays the tasks that match your criteria. If you want to clear the task filter,
click Clear all filters in the upper-right corner.
How Do You Export vSphere Tasks

You can export the detailed information for selected vSphere tasks or all tasks listed in the Tasks
page to a CSV file.
To export the information about specific tasks, you can filter the task list and then select only the
tasks that you want. You can also export the information about all tasks listed for an object or all
objects in the vSphere environment.
Procedure
4 (Optional) To export one or more tasks, click the check boxes in front of the respective tasks.
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5 Click Export at the top left corner of the Tasks pane.
Note By default, if you did not select any tasks, the detailed information about all displayed
tasks is exported.
a (Optional) If you selected one or more tasks but you want to export the information about
all displayed tasks, click All Rows.
b (Optional) If you want to export only the information for the selected tasks, click Selected
Rows.
The CSV file is generated and available for download.
How Do You Export vSphere Tasks with Advanced Export

You can use the advanced export option to export vSphere tasks that meet your specific criteria,
such as status, initiator, and time range.
With the advanced export option for tasks, you can export up to 100 tasks that meet your
specific criteria. You can use the exported information for monitoring and troubleshooting
purposes. For example, you can export the tasks performed by specific users during the time
range when some suspicious activity was detected.
Procedure
4 From the Export drop-down menu, select Advanced export.
The Advanced Export Tasks dialog opens.
5 Filter the tasks for which you want to export information.
a To export only tasks with specific status, select the respective check boxes in the Status
options list.
b To export tasks based on the initiator of the tasks, select one of the options from the
Type drop-down menu.
n User - Exports tasks initiated by all users, such as vsphere.local users, Active
Directory domain users, and system users.
n System - Exports tasks initiated only by system users. System users are user accounts
associated with an application or service.
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c From the Users radio buttons, select whether to export the tasks initiated by specific
users or by all users.
If you select the Specify users radio button, you must create a list of users.
1 From the Domain drop-down menu, select the domain for the users.
2 Create a list of users who initiated the tasks.
a Enter a name in the Search text box.
The system searches from the users in the selected domain.
b Select a user from the list and click Add.
d From the Select time set drop-down menu, select a time set that defines the time range
of the exported tasks.
You can select between start time, completion time, and queued time.
e From the Select time range options, select the time range for the exported tasks.
n Relative - If you want to export the tasks for a relative time range, specify the relative
time range from the Last and Range drop-down menus.
n Data range - If you want to export the tasks for a specific time period, specify the
date and time from the drop-down menus.
For example, to export the tasks that got queued between March 13, 2022 10:30 AM and
June 13, 2022 10:30 PM from the Select time set drop down menu, select Queued time.
Then select the Date range radio button and specify the time period using the respective
text fields.
f From the Include columns radio buttons, select whether you want to export the
information from all columns or from specific columns.
6 Click Export.
Results
A .csv file is generated and available for download.
Scheduling vSphere Tasks

You can schedule vSphere tasks to run once in the future or multiple times, at a recurring interval.
The vSphere tasks that you can schedule are listed in the following table.
Table 7-1. Scheduled Tasks
Scheduled Task Description
Add a host Adds the host to the specified data center or cluster.
Change the power state of a virtual Powers on, powers off, suspends, or resets the state of the virtual
machine machine.
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Table 7-1. Scheduled Tasks (continued)
Scheduled Task Description
Change cluster power settings Activate or deactivate DPM for hosts in a cluster.
Change resource settings of a resource Changes the following resource settings:

pool or virtual machine n CPU – Shares, Reservation, Limit.
n Memory – Shares, Reservation, Limit.
Check compliance of a profile Checks that a host's configuration matches the configuration specified in
a host profile.
Clone a virtual machine Makes a clone of the virtual machine and places it on the specified host or
cluster.
Create a virtual machine Creates a new virtual machine on the specified host.
Deploy a virtual machine Creates a new virtual machine from a template on the specified host or
cluster.
Migrate a virtual machine Migrate a virtual machine to the specified host or datastore by using
migration or migration with vMotion.
Make a snapshot of a virtual machine Captures the entire state of the virtual machine at the time the snapshot
is taken.
Scan for Updates Scans templates, virtual machines, and hosts for available updates.
This task is available only when vSphere Lifecycle Manager is installed.
Remediate Installs missing patches from the baselines selected for remediation on
the hosts discovered during the scan operation and applies the newly
configured settings.
This task is available only when vSphere Lifecycle Manager is installed.
You create scheduled tasks by using the Scheduled Task wizard. For some scheduled tasks, this
wizard opens the wizard used specifically for that task. For example, if you create a scheduled
task that migrates a virtual machine, the Scheduled Task wizard opens the Migrate Virtual
Machine wizard, which you use to set up the migration details.
Scheduling one task to run on multiple objects is not possible. For example, you cannot create
one scheduled task on a host that powers on all virtual machines on that host. You must create a
separate scheduled task for each virtual machine.
After a scheduled task runs, you can reschedule it to run again at another time.
Note At the time when a scheduled task is about to run, the user who created or last edited the
task must be authenticated and authorized to run the task. If, for example, the user permissions
to create or edit a scheduled task are removed, or the user account is deleted, the scheduled
task fails with an error message. An administrator or a user with the required privileges can
reschedule the task for subsequent runs.
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How Do You Create a Scheduled vSphere Task

You can create scheduled tasks for operations that you want to run automatically once or at a
recurring interval.
If the task to schedule is not available in the vSphere Client, use the vSphere API. See the
vSphere SDK Programming Guide.
Caution Do not schedule multiple tasks simultaneously on the same object. The results are
unpredictable.
Prerequisites
Required privilege: Schedule Task.Create tasks
Note At the time when a scheduled task is about to run, the user who created the task
must still have the Schedule Task.Create tasks privileges. If the user is no longer authenticated
or authorized to run the task, for example, their permissions to create a scheduled task are
removed, or the user account is deleted, the scheduled task fails with an error message. An
administrator or another user with the required privileges can reschedule the task for subsequent
runs.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to the object for which you want to schedule a task.
2 Select Configure > Scheduled Tasks > New Scheduled Task.
3 From the New Scheduled Task drop-down menu, select the task to schedule.
The Schedule New Task wizard opens for the task with the task name appended next to the
name of the wizard. The wizard contains a page where you configure the scheduling options
for the task.
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4 Enter the required scheduling options for the task.
a Enter a name and description of the task.
b Choose a frequency for the task.
Option Description
Once Runs the scheduled task at the time selected.
After vCenter startup Runs the task a specified number of minutes after vCenter Server
startup.
Hourly 1 Enter the repeat frequency.

2 Enter the start date and time.
3 Enter the end date and time.
For example, to start a task at the half-hour mark of every fifth
hour, enter 5 hours and 30 minutes.
Daily 1 Enter the repeat frequency.

For example, to run the task at 2:30 pm every four days, enter 4
and 14:30.
Weekly 1 Enter the repeat frequency.

2 Select the day of the week.
For example, to run the task at 6 am every Tuesday and
Thursday, enter 1 week, 6 am, and select Tuesday and Thursday.
Monthly 1 Enter the repeat frequency.

2 Select the days by using one of the following methods.
n Enter a specific day of the month and the number of
months. For example, the tenth day every five months.
n Select first, second, third, fourth, or last, and select the
day of the week and the number of months.
last runs the task on the last week in the month that the
day occurs. For example, if you select the last Monday of
the month and the month ends on a Sunday, the task runs
six days before the end of the month.
c (Optional) Enter one or more email addresses to receive an email notification when the
task is complete.
To schedule some tasks, you must enter additional details for the task. For example, to
schedule taking a virtual machine snapshot, the Schedule New Task (Take Snapshot) wizard
opens. In the Scheduling Options page, you set the scheduling options for the task, and in
the Snapshot Settings page, you enter the properties for the snapshot.
5 Click Schedule the task.
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How Do You Change or Reschedule a Scheduled vSphere Task

After a scheduled vSphere task is created, you can change the schedule, frequency, and other
attributes of the task. You can edit and reschedule tasks before or after they run.
Prerequisites
Required privilege:Schedule Task.Modify
Note At the time when a scheduled task is about to run, the user who last edited the scheduled
task must still have the Schedule Task.Modify privileges. If the user is no longer authenticated or
authorized to run the task, for example, their permissions to edit a scheduled task are removed,
or the user account is deleted, the scheduled task fails with a warning. An administrator or
another user with the required privileges can reschedule the task for subsequent runs.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to the object for which you want to edit a scheduled task.
To view all scheduled tasks for a vCenter Server instance, navigate to that vCenter Server
instance.
2 Select Configure, and select Scheduled Tasks.
3 Select a task from the list on the left and click Edit.
4 Right-click the task and select Edit.
5 Change the task attributes as necessary.
6 Click Save.
How Do You Remove a Scheduled vSphere Task

Removing a scheduled task removes all future occurrences of the task. The history associated
with all completed occurrences of the task remains in the vCenter Server database.
Prerequisites
Required privilege:Scheduled task.Remove
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to the object for which you want to remove a scheduled task.
To view all scheduled tasks for a vCenter Server instance, navigate to that vCenter Server
instance.
2 Select Configure, and select Scheduled Tasks.
3 Select a task from the list on the left and click Remove.
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vSphere Host Configuration
8
Before you set up your virtual environment and consider how the virtual machines that it will
support are going to be used and administered, you should configure ESXi hosts in vCenter
Server.
The configuration of ESXi hosts involves several tasks. Learn how to configure the boot device of
the ESXi host, the agent VM settings, advanced host attributes, and time configuration settings.
For information on configuring network and storage access, and security settings,
see the configuration information for the specific vSphere component in the vSphere
Security documentation, the vSphere Storage documentation, and the vSphere Networking
documentation.
n How to Configure the Boot Device on Your ESXi Host
n How to Configure Your Agent VM Settings in the vSphere Client
n How Do You Set Advanced Host Attributes in the vSphere Client
n Synchronizing Clocks on the vSphere Network
How to Configure the Boot Device on Your ESXi Host

On servers running ESXi, you can select the device that the server boots from.
Procedure
2 Select a host in the inventory and click the Configure tab.
3 Under Hardware, select Overview and click the Boot Options button.
4 Select a boot device from the drop-down menu.
5 (Optional) To reboot immediately from the device you selected, select Apply and Reboot on
OK.
If you do not select Apply and Reboot on OK, the new setting takes effect when the host
reboots next.
6 Click OK.
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How to Configure Your Agent VM Settings in the vSphere

Client
In your vSphere environment, you can configure the datastore and network settings for the ESX
agent virtual machines that you deploy on a host.
An ESX agent is a virtual machine, or a virtual machine and a vSphere Installation Bundle (VIB),
that extend the functions of an ESXi host to provide additional services that a vSphere solution
requires.
For example, a solution might require a particular network filter or firewall configuration to
function. A solution can use an ESX agent to connect to the vSphere Hypervisor and extend
the host with functions specific to that solution. For example, the ESX agent can filter network
traffic, act as a firewall, or gather other information about the virtual machines on the host.
When you configure the datastore and network settings for ESX agents on a host, all of the ESX
agents that you deploy on the host use that datastore and network configuration.
Important ESX agents are deployed only if you configure the network and datastore settings.
Procedure
1 Select a host in the vSphere Client inventory.
2 Click the Configure tab.
3 Under Virtual Machines, select Agent VM Settings.
The current settings for the ESX agents on the host, if any, appear.
4 Click Edit.
5 From the Datastore drop-down menu, select a datastore in which to deploy the ESX agent
virtual machines.
6 From the Network drop-down menu, select a network to connect the ESX agents.
7 Click OK.
What to do next
For information about ESX agents and ESX Agent Manager, see Developing and Deploying
vSphere Solutions, vServices, and ESX Agents.
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How Do You Set Advanced Host Attributes in the vSphere

Client
Learn how to set advanced attributes for an ESXi host.
Caution Changing advanced options is considered unsupported. Typically, the default settings
produce the optimum result. Change the advanced options only when you get specific
instructions from VMware technical support or a knowledge base article.
Procedure
1 Browse to the host in the vSphere Client.
3 Under System, click Advanced System Settings.
4 Click the Edit button.
5 Find the appropriate item and change the value.
6 Click OK.
Synchronizing Clocks on the vSphere Network

Verify that all components on the vSphere network have their clocks synchronized. If the clocks
on the physical machines in your vSphere network are not synchronized, SSL certificates and
SAML tokens, which are time-sensitive, might not be recognized as valid in communications
between network machines.
Unsynchronized clocks can result in authentication problems, which can cause the installation to
fail or prevent the vCenter Server vmware-vpxd service from starting.
Time inconsistencies in vSphere can cause the first boot of a component in your environment to
fail at different services depending on where in the environment time is not accurate and when
the time is synchronized. Problems most commonly occur when the target ESXi host for the
destination vCenter Server is not synchronized with NTP or PTP. Similarly, issues can arise if the
destination vCenter Server migrates to an ESXi host set to a different time due to fully automated
DRS.
To avoid time synchronization issues, ensure that the following is correct before installing,
migrating, or upgrading a vCenter Server instance.
n The target ESXi host where the destination vCenter Server is to be deployed is synchronized
to NTP or PTP.
n The ESXi host running the source vCenter Server is synchronized to NTP or PTP.
n When upgrading or migrating from vSphere 6.7 to vSphere 8.0, if the vCenter Server
appliance is connected to an external Platform Services Controller, ensure the ESXi host
running the external Platform Services Controller is synchronized to NTP or PTP.
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n If you are upgrading or migrating from vSphere 6.7 to vSphere 8.0, verify that the source
vCenter Server or vCenter Server appliance and external Platform Services Controller have
the correct time.
Verify that any Windows host machine on which vCenter Server runs is synchronized with
the Network Time Server (NTP) server. See the VMware knowledge base article at https://
kb.vmware.com/s/article/1318.
To synchronize ESXi clocks with an NTP or a PTP server, you can use the VMware Host Client.
For information about editing the time configuration of an ESXi host, see topic Edit the Time
Configuration of an ESXi Host in the VMware Host Client in the vSphere Single Host Management
- VMware Host Client documentation.
To learn how to change time synchronization settings for vCenter Server, see topic Configure
the System Time Zone and Time Synchronization Settings in the vCenter Server Configuration
documentation.
To learn how to edit the time configuration for a host by using the vSphere Client, see topic
Editing the Time Configuration Settings of a Host in the vCenter Server and Host Management
documentation.
Editing the Time Configuration Settings of Your ESXi Host

To ensure precise timestamping of events and synchronization of the time between an ESXi host
and the other components in the vSphere network, configure the time settings of the ESXi host
manually or synchronize the time and date of the host with an NTP or PTP server.
Exact timestamping shows the precise sequence of events that occur in the vSphere
network. Time synchronization between the components of the vSphere network can prevent
authentication problems, backup issues, and incorrect logs.
To ensure that all components in your environment have the correct time, as a best practice you
must use the same time synchronization mechanism across the board.
Configure the Date and Time on Your ESXi Host Manually

Learn how to configure the date and time of the ESXi host manually in the vSphere Client. You
can use the manual time configuration only after you stop synchronizing the time and date with
NTP or PTP.
If you notice some significant clock skew between a host in your environment and the rest of the
vSphere components, you might need to first manually set the time and date on the host before
synchronizing it to an NTP server or PTP.
Prerequisites
n Verify that the NTP and the PTP configurations are not used on the host.
Procedure
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2 Select a host.
3 On the Configure tab, select System > Time Configuration.
4 Click Manual Set-Up.
The Manual time configuration dialog box appears.
5 Enter a date and time and click OK.
Note ESXi hosts use UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) and do not support changing time
zones. In the vSphere Client, you see your local time as the current host time.
Use NTP Servers for Time and Date Synchronization of Your ESXi
Host
To avoid time synchronization problems between an ESXi host and other components in the
vSphere network, you can synchronize the time and date of the host to an NTP server.
The NTP and the PTP services cannot run simultaneously. Deactivate the PTP service and then
enable the NTP server synchronization. Additionally, when you enable the NTP service, the
manual time configuration becomes inactive.
Note You can set a startup policy to control the start and stop of the NTP service. You can also
change the NTP service status manually. For more information about services, see Manage the
NTP and PTP Service Status on Your ESXi Host .
Prerequisites
n Verify that the PTP service is not running. For information about how to change its status, see
Manage the NTP and PTP Service Status on Your ESXi Host .
Procedure
2 Select a host.
4 Click Add Service and select Network Time Protocol from the drop-down menu.
5 In the Network Time Protocol dialog box, edit the network time protocol settings.
a To monitor all events in the vSphere environment, select Enable monitoring events.
b In the NTP Servers text box, enter the IP addresses or host names of the NTP servers
that you want to use. A best practice is to use at least three NTP servers for the time
synchronization of the host.
c Click OK.
The NTP configuration is triggered immediately.
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Use PTP for Time and Date Synchronization of Your ESXi Host
To ensure that the time of an ESXi host is synchronized with the time of other components of the
vSphere network, you can synchronize the time and date of the host to PTP.
The Precision Time Protocol allows both software- and hardware-based timestamping on an ESXi
hosts and provides a highly accurate time synchronization. Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update
3, PTP provisions hardware-based timestamping for the virtual machines and the hosts within a
network.
The PTP and the NTP services cannot run simultaneously. Stop the NTP service and then enable
the PTP service. Additionally, when you enable the PTP service, the manual time configuration
becomes inactive.
Prerequisites
n Verify that the NTP service is not running. For information about how to change its status,
see Manage the NTP and PTP Service Status on Your ESXi Host .
n For a hardware-based timestamping, verify that you enabled PCI passthrough for a network
device on the host. See the vSphere Networking documentation.
Procedure
2 Select a host.
4 Click Add Service and select Precision Time Protocol from the drop-down menu.
5 In the Precision Time Protocol dialog box, edit the PTP settings.
a Select the PTP-enabled network device for time synchronization from the Network
adapter type drop-down menu.
Option Description
PCI passthrough For configuring a hardware timestamping with a PCI passthrough

network device, follow these steps:
1 From the Device name drop-down menu, select the PCI passthrough
network device. For vSphere 7.0 U3, the supported network adapters
are IntelX710 and E810.
2 Enter the IP configuration settings for the network device.
n To use DHCP to obtain the IP address configuration of the
network device, select Obtain IPv4 settings automatically.
n To set a static IP configuration, select the Use static IPv4 settings
option and enter the IPv4 configuration settings.
n To use the IEEE 802.3 network transport, select No IP
configuration (use IEEE 802.3 transport).
VMkernel Adapter For configuring software timestamping PTP, from the Device name drop-
down menu, select the VMkernel adapter configured to use PTP.
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6 (Optional) Create a fallback mechanism in case the PTP synchronization fails.
a To monitor the events in vSphere, select the Enable monitoring events check box.
b To enable a fallback mechanism in case PTP become inaccessible, click Enable fallback.
You can create a fallback mechanism only if you enabled tracking the events in vSphere.
c In the NTP Servers text box, enter the IP addresses or host names of the NTP servers
that you want to use. A best practice is to use at least three NTP servers for the time
synchronization of the host.
7 Click OK.
Finishing the configuration immediately triggers the PTP synchronization.
8 (Optional) To test whether the service used for time synchronization of the host is running
correctly, click Test Services.
The Time Synchronization Services test dialog box appears. You can see information about
how the activated time configuration works by collecting information from various systems.
Manage the NTP and PTP Service Status on Your ESXi Host
In the vSphere Client, you can configure a startup policy for the NTP or PTP service that runs on
the ESXi host. You can also manually start, stop, or restart the respective service and in this way
override the configured startup policy.
Procedure
2 Select a host.
3 On the Configure tab, select System > Services.
4 Change the status of the NTP or PTP service manually.
Option Description
Option Action
Change the NTP service status a Select NTP Daemon.

b Click Start, Stop, or Restart.
Change the PTP service status a Select PTP Daemon.

b Click Start, Stop, or Restart.
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5 (Optional) Select the NTP or PTP service and click Edit Startup Policy.
Option Description
Start and stop with port usage Starts or stops the service when a client port is activated or deactivated for
access to the security profile of the host.
Start and stop with host Starts and stops the service when the host powers on and shuts down.
Start and stop manually You must manually control the status of the service.
Delete a Time Synchronization Service on Your ESXi Host

Read how to delete a time synchronization service that is no longer needed by using the vSphere
Client.
Prerequisites
Verify that the service you want to delete is not used to synchronize the time of the host.
Procedure
2 Select a host.
4 Select the Precision Time Protocol or Network Time Protocol check box and click Delete.
5 Click OK.
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Managing Hosts in vCenter Server
9
To monitor all hosts in your vSphere environment from one place and to simplify host
configuration, connect the hosts to a vCenter Server system.
For information about configuration management of ESXi hosts, see the vSphere Networking
documentation, the vSphere Storage documentation, and the vSphere Security documentation.
n Disconnecting and Reconnecting an ESXi Host
n How to Relocate Your ESXi Host
n How to Remove an ESXi Host from Your vCenter Server Instance
n How to Reboot or Shut Down Your ESXi Host
n How Do You Verify SSL Certificates for Legacy ESXi Hosts
n Enabling SGX Remote Attestation on Multi-Socket ESXi Hosts
Disconnecting and Reconnecting an ESXi Host

You can disconnect and reconnect a host that a vCenter Server system manages. Disconnecting
a managed host does not remove it from vCenter Server, but temporarily suspends all monitoring
activities that vCenter Server performs.
The managed host and its associated virtual machines remain in the vCenter Server inventory.
By contrast, removing a managed host from vCenter Server deletes the managed host and all its
associated virtual machines from the vCenter Server inventory.
If an ESXi host becomes disconnected due to a loss of network connectivity to vCenter Server,
the ESXi host reconnects automatically to vCenter Server after network connectivity is restored.
If you manually disconnect an ESXi host, see How to Reconnect Your Managed ESXi Host for
more information.
Reconnecting an ESXi host automatically or manually does not impact the running virtual
machines, unless the host is part of a cluster and there are resource pool privileges configured.
Tip You can use the vSphere Automation API to automate the management of managed ESXi
hosts. For more information about the available options, see the vCenter Host APIs reference
documentation.
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How to Disconnect Your Managed ESXi Host

Use the vSphere Client to disconnect a managed host from vCenter Server.
Procedure
1 Navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters and select a host.
2 Right-click the host and select Connection > Disconnect from the pop-up menu.
3 In the confirmation dialog box that appears, click Ok.
If the managed host is disconnected, the word “disconnected” is appended to the object
name in parentheses, and the object is dimmed. All associated virtual machines are similarly
dimmed and labeled.
How to Reconnect Your Managed ESXi Host

Use the vSphere Client to reconnect a managed host to a vCenter Server system.
Procedure
1 Navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters and select a host.
2 Right-click the host and select Connection > Connect from the pop-up menu.
When the managed host’s connection status to vCenter Server is changed, the statuses of
the virtual machines on that managed host are updated to reflect the change.
How Do You Reconnect ESXi Hosts After Changes to the vCenter

Server SSL Certificate
vCenter Server uses an SSL certificate to encrypt and decrypt host passwords stored in the
vCenter Server database. If the certificate is replaced or changed, vCenter Server cannot decrypt
host passwords, and therefore cannot connect to managed hosts. If vCenter Server fails to
decrypt a host password, the host is disconnected from vCenter Server.
You must reconnect the host and supply the login credentials, which are encrypted and stored in
the database using the new certificate.
How to Relocate Your ESXi Host

You can move a host to another location within the vSphere inventory by dragging the host to
the new location. The new location can be a folder, a cluster, or you can place the host as a
standalone object in the data center.
When a host is moved from a cluster to another destination in the vSphere inventory, the
resources which the host provides are deducted from the total cluster resources. You can either
keep the virtual machines in the same cluster and migrate them to other hosts, or keep them
on the host and remove them from the cluster. For information about removing a host from a
cluster, see the vSphere Resource Management documentation.
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Prerequisites
Power off all virtual machines that are running on the host, or migrate the virtual machines to a
new host by using vMotion.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters and select a host.
2 If the host is part of a cluster, put it in maintenance mode.
a Right-click the host and select Maintenance Mode > Enter Maintenance Mode.
b (Optional) If the host is part of a DRS cluster, evacuate the powered off or suspended
virtual machines to other hosts within the cluster by selecting the check box Move
powered-off and suspended virtual machines to other hosts in the cluster.
c In the confirmation dialog box, click OK.
The host enters maintenance mode.
3 Select the host in the vSphere inventory panel and drag it to the new location within the
inventory.
4 Right-click the host and select Maintenance Mode > Exit Maintenance Mode.
5 (Optional) Power on the virtual machines that you powered off before you put the host in
maintenance mode.
How to Remove an ESXi Host from Your vCenter Server

Instance
Remove a managed host from vCenter Server to stop vCenter Server from monitoring and
managing that host.
If possible, remove managed hosts while they are connected. Removing a disconnected host
does not remove the vCenter Server agent from the managed host.
Prerequisites
n Make sure that NFS mounts are active. If NFS mounts are unresponsive, the operation fails.
n If the host you want to remove from the cluster is connected to a distributed switch,
remove the host from the switch. For more information, see Remove Hosts from a vSphere
Distributed Switch in the vSphere Networkingdocumentation.
Procedure
2 2. Select a host in the inventory.
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3 (Optional) If the host is part of a cluster, put it in maintenance mode.
a Right-click the host and select Maintenance Mode > Enter Maintenance Mode from the
pop-up menu.
If not all virtual machines on the host are powered off, the host does not enter
maintenance mode.
If the host is part of a DRS cluster, when the host enters maintenance mode, DRS
attempts to evacuate powered on virtual machines from the host by using vMotion.
b In the confirmation dialog box, click Ok.
If the host is part of a DRS cluster, you can evacuate powered off or suspended virtual
machines to other hosts within the cluster. Select the check box Move powered-off and
suspended virtual machines to other hosts in the cluster.
The host icon changes and the term Maintenance Mode is added to the name in
parentheses.
4 Right-click the host you want to remove in the inventory pane, and select Remove from
Inventory from the pop-up menu.
5 In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes to remove the host.
vCenter Server removes the host and the associated virtual machines from the vCenter
Server instance. vCenter Server then returns the status of all associated processor and
migration licenses to available.
How to Reboot or Shut Down Your ESXi Host

You can power off or restart any ESXi host using the vSphere Client. Powering off a managed
host disconnects it from vCenter Server, but does not remove it from the inventory.
To shut down or reboot an ESXi host, you can use the ESXCLI command set. See the Stopping
and Rebooting Hosts with ESXCLI topic in the ESXCLI Concepts and Examples documentation at
https://developer.vmware.com.
Prerequisites
n Power off all virtual machines that are running on the host, or migrate the virtual machines to
a new host by using vMotion.
n Put the host in maintenance mode.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, navigate to Home > Hosts and Clusters and select a host.
2 From the Actions menu, select Power.
3 Select the operation.
n To power off and restart the ESXi host, click Reboot.
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n To power off the ESXi host, click Shut Down.
4 Provide a reason for the operation and click OK.
This information is added to the log file.
How Do You Verify SSL Certificates for Legacy ESXi Hosts

You can configure vCenter Server to check the SSL certificates of hosts to which it connects. If
you configure this setting, vCenter Server and the vSphere Client check for valid SSL certificates
before connecting to a host for operations such as adding a host or making a remote console
connection to a virtual machine.
Starting with vCenter Server 6.0, SSL certificates are signed by VMware Certificate Authority by
default. You can instead use certificates from a third-party CA. Thumbprint mode is supported
only for legacy hosts.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to the vCenter Server instance.
2 Select the Configure tab.
3 Under Settings, select General.
4 Click Edit.
5 Select SSL settings.
6 Determine the host thumbprint for each legacy host that requires validation.
a Log in to the direct console.
b Select View Support Information on the System Customization menu.
The thumbprint is displayed in the column on the right.
7 Compare the thumbprint you obtained from the host with the thumbprint listed in the vCenter
Server SSL settings dialog box.
8 If the thumbprints match, select the check box for the host.
Hosts that are not selected will be disconnected after you click Save.
9 Click Save.
Enabling SGX Remote Attestation on Multi-Socket ESXi

Hosts
® ®
Intel Software Guard Extensions (Intel SGX) is a hardware-based security solution that allows
you to isolate specific application code and data in private memory regions, called enclaves. Use
the vSphere Client to register your SGX-capable hosts with multiple CPU sockets with the Intel
Registration Server and use remote attestation for applications running inside your vSGX-enabled
virtual machines.
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®
Starting with vSphere 7.0, you can enable the Virtual Intel Software Guard Extensions (vSGX)
on virtual machines and provide additional security to your workloads. See Securing Virtual
Machines with Intel Software Guard Extensions in the vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
documentation. Furthermore, you can use remote attestation for the vSGX-enabled virtual
machines. Intel SGX remote attestation is a security mechanism that allows you to establish an
authenticated and secure communication channel with a trusted remote entity. To use remote
attestation for virtual machines using SGX enclaves, hosts with a single CPU socket do not
require Intel registration.
Starting with vSphere 8.0, to enable the remote attestation on a virtual machine running on a
host with multiple CPU sockets, you must first register the host with the Intel Registration Server.
If an SGX-capable host with multiple CPU sockets is not registered with the Intel Registration
Server, you can only power on vSGX-enabled virtual machines that do not require remote
attestation.
When you add a host with SGX-capable CPUs, vCenter Server accesses the Unified Extensible
Firmware Interface (UEFI) variables provided by the BIOS and reads the current registration
status of the host. To enable vCenter Server to retrieve information about the SGX status of a
host, you must set the firmware boot mode of the host to UEFI mode. See How to View the SGX
Registration Status of Your ESXi Host.
You can change the current SGX registration status of the host by using the registration options
in vSphere Client or by rebooting the ESXi host after microcode updates and adding or replacing
a CPU package. After each host reboot, you can view the updated registration status of the host
by using the vSphere Client.
SGX Registration Statuses of a Host

You can view the current status of an SGX-capable hosts using the vSphere Client and perform
the necessary steps to register the hosts with the Intel Registration Server.
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SGX Registration Status Description
Not Applicable SGX-capable hosts with a single CPU socket do not require
registration with the Intel Registration Server to enable
remote attestation.
Incomplete The registration status is incomplete in one of the following

use cases:
n When you add a new host to a vCenter Server instance
and the host is not registered yet.
n After a host firmware update that performs an Intel
SGX Trusted Computing Base (TCB) recovery.
n For hosts which have multiple CPU packages, when a
CPU package is added or replaced, you must manually
perform an SGX factory reset on BIOS setup. Then the
host must be registered as if a newly added host.
n When you manually perform an SGX factory reset on
the BIOS setup, you must register the host again.
Complete The host is successfully registered with the Intel

Registration Server.
How to View the SGX Registration Status of Your ESXi Host

You can view the current SGX registration status of an ESXi host by using the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
n Make sure that the host is installed on an Intel CPU with SGX capabilities and SGX is enabled.
n Set the firmware boot mode of the host to UEFI.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to an SGX-capable host.
2 On the Summary tab, navigate to the Hardware card.
3 Expand the SGX node to view the value of the Registration Status property.
For more information about the different registration statuses, see SGX Registration Statuses
of a Host.
What to do next
To use the remote attestation feature for vSGX-enabled virtual machines, you must register
the host with the Intel Registration Server if the host registration is incomplete and the host
has multiple CPU sockets. See How to Register Your Multi-Socket ESXi Host with the Intel SGX
Registration Server.
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How to Register Your Multi-Socket ESXi Host with the Intel SGX
Registration Server
To use the SGX remote attestation feature for a multi-socket host, register the ESXi host with the
Intel Registration Server using the vSphere Client.
The Intel SGX attestation mechanism ensures the trust between the vSGX enclave and an
external entity. To use this feature on a multi-socket host with enabled SGX capabilities, you
must register the host with the Intel SGX Registration Server.
Prerequisites
n Make sure that the host is installed on an Intel CPU with SGX capabilities and SGX is enabled.
n Set the firmware boot mode of the host to UEFI.
Procedure
2 Select an SGX-capable host from the inventory and click the Configure tab.
3 Under Hardware, select SGX and click Register.
Results
Upon successful completion of the registration operation, the registration status of the host
changes to Completed.
What to do next
Enable remote attestation for a vSGX-enabled virtual machine. See Securing Virtual
Machines with Intel Software Guard Extensions in the vSphere Virtual Machine Administration
documentation.
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vSphere License and Subscription
Management 10
vSphere provides a centralized license management system that you can use to manage licenses
for ESXi hosts, vCenter Server systems, vSAN clusters, Supervisors, and solutions. To leverage
several cloud capabilities while you manage your on-premises vSphere infrastructure, you can
convert your vCenter Servers and vSAN clusters to subscription.
For more information about how to get access to cloud services for your on-premises vSphere
environments, see the VMware vSphere+ documentation.
n vSphere Licensing and Subscription Terminology and Definitions

The licensing system in vSphere uses specific terminology and definitions to refer to
different licensing-related objects.
n The License Service in vSphere 8.0

In vSphere 8.0, the License Service is part of the vSphere environment. The License Service
delivers centralized license management and reporting functionality to vSphere and to
products that integrate with vSphere.
n Licensing and Subscription in vSphere

ESXi hosts, vCenter Server, vSAN clusters, and Supervisors are licensed differently. To
apply their licensing models correctly, you must understand how the associated assets
consume the license capacity. You can also convert your on-premises vSphere infrastructure
to subscription by purchasing vSphere+ and vSAN+ subscriptions.
n Managing vSphere Licenses

To license an asset in vSphere, you must assign to it a license that holds an appropriate
product license key. You can use the license management functionality in the vSphere Client
to license multiple assets at a time from a central place. Assets are vCenter Server systems,
hosts, vSAN clusters, Supervisors, and solutions.
n Viewing and Exporting vSphere Licensing Information

You can view the licensing state of the vSphere environment from a central place by using
the license management functionality in the vSphere Client . You can view the licenses that
are available in vSphere, current license assignments and usage, available license capacity,
licensed features in use, and so on. You can export licensing information about vSphere
licenses, products, or assets in a CSV file.
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n Synchronizing Licenses with Your Customer Connect Account

With vSphere 6.5 and later, VMware offers the Synchronize Licenses feature that you can
use to import license keys and license key data from Customer Connect to your vSphere
environment.
n vCenter Server Domain Repoint License Considerations

Domain repointing copies license keys to a new domain. Copying the license keys ensures
that valid licensing of all assets is maintained after repointing.
vSphere Licensing and Subscription Terminology and

Definitions
The licensing system in vSphere uses specific terminology and definitions to refer to different
licensing-related objects.
License Key
A license key encodes details about the product it is associated with, the license expiration
date, the license capacity, and other information. The license key is assigned to an object to
activate the functionality of its associated product.
License
A container for a license key of a VMware product. To use a license key, you create a license
object in the vSphere Client and insert the license key into the license. After the license is
created, you can assign it to assets.
Product Edition
A set of specific features that are associated with a unique license key. When assigned, the
license key unlocks the features in the product edition. Examples of product editions are
vSphere Enterprise Plus, vSphere Standard, vCenter Server Essentials, and so on.
Feature
Activated or deactivated functionality by a license that is associated with a specific product

edition. Examples of features are vSphere DRS, vSphere vMotion, and vSphere High
Availability.
Solution
A product that is packed and distributed independently from vSphere. You install a solution
in vSphere to take advantage of certain functionality. Every solution has a licensing model
specific for the solution, but uses the License Service for license management and reporting.
Examples of solutions are VMware Site Recovery Manager, VMware Aria Operations, vCloud
Network and Security, and so on.
Asset
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Any object in vSphere that requires licensing. If the license has sufficient capacity, the license
administrator in vSphere can assign one license to one or multiple assets of the same type.
Suite licenses can be assigned to all assets that are part of the suite. Assets are vCenter
Server systems, ESXi hosts, and products that integrate with vSphere such as VMware Site
Recovery Manager, VMware Aria Operations, and others.
License Capacity
The number of units that you can assign to assets. The units of a license capacity can be of
different types depending on the product that the license is associated with. For example, a
license for vCenter Server determines the number of vCenter Server systems that you can
license.
License Use
The number of units that an asset uses from the capacity of a license. For example, if you
assign a per-virtual-machine license to VMware Site Recovery Manager, the license use for
VMware Site Recovery Manager is the number of protected virtual machines.
Subscription Capacity
The number of cores required per CPU for a single ESXi host that you must purchase when
you are ready to convert to a vSphere+ and vSAN+ subscription.
Free Trial
A 60-day period of time during which you can explore all the vSphere+ and
vSAN+capabilities offered for your on-premises vCenter Server instances with the exception
of the upgrade functionality from the VMC Console.
The License Service in vSphere 8.0

In vSphere 8.0, the License Service is part of the vSphere environment. The License Service
delivers centralized license management and reporting functionality to vSphere and to products
that integrate with vSphere.
The License Service provides an inventory of licenses in the vSphere environment, and manages
the license assignments for ESXi hosts, vCenter Server systems, vSAN clusters, and Supervisors.
The License Service also manages the license assignments for products that integrate with
vSphere, such as VMware Aria Operations, and VMware Site Recovery Manager.
If your vSphere environment has several vCenter Server systems that are joined in Enhanced
Linked Mode, the licensing inventory is replicated across all linked vCenter Server systems. This
way, the licensing data for each asset and all available licenses are replicated across all linked
vCenter Server systems. Each individual vCenter Server system contains a copy of that data and
licenses for all linked vCenter Server systems.
Note Licensing data is replicated across multiple linked vCenter Server systems on a 10-minute
interval.
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For example, suppose that your environment consists of eight vCenter Server systems that are
joined in Enhanced Linked Mode, and every vCenter Server system has 10 hosts connected to
it. The License Service stores information about the license assignments and uses for all eight
vCenter Server systems, and the 80 hosts that are connected to those systems. With the License
Service, you can manage the licensing for all eight vCenter Server systems and the 80 hosts that
are connected to them through the vSphere Client.
Licensing and Subscription in vSphere

ESXi hosts, vCenter Server, vSAN clusters, and Supervisors are licensed differently. To apply
their licensing models correctly, you must understand how the associated assets consume the
license capacity. You can also convert your on-premises vSphere infrastructure to subscription
by purchasing vSphere+ and vSAN+ subscriptions.
What to read next
n Licensing for ESXi Hosts

ESXi hosts are licensed with vSphere licenses. Each vSphere license has a certain capacity
that you can use to license multiple physical CPUs on ESXi hosts.
n Licensing for the vSphere Distributed Services Engine Feature

®
vSphere 8.0 introduces the VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine™ feature. You can
use this feature to offload some of the networking operations from your server CPUs to a
data processing unit (DPU). For vSphere 8.0, you do not need to buy a separate license for
hosts with DPU devices.
n Licensing for vCenter Server

vCenter Server systems are licensed with vCenter Server licenses that have per-instance
capacity.
n vSphere+ and vSAN+ Subscriptions

VMware vSphere+™ is a workload platform that allows you to shift from license based
management to a pay-as-you-expand subscription model. If you plan on deploying vSAN
clusters in a vSphere environment converted to subscription, you can either continue to use
vSAN license keys or purchase a VMware vSAN+™ subscription in addition to the vSphere+
subscription.
n Subscription Information for Your vCenter Server

When your vCenter Server is converted to vSphere+ subscription, all license information is
replaced with subscription information. For vSAN+ clusters, license information is replaced
with subscription information.
Licensing for ESXi Hosts

ESXi hosts are licensed with vSphere licenses. Each vSphere license has a certain capacity that
you can use to license multiple physical CPUs on ESXi hosts.
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There are three main licensing models for vSphere:
n Per CPU licensing that covers one CPU with up to 32 cores.
n Per virtual machine licensing.
n Subscription based licensing.
To license an ESXi host, you must assign to it a vSphere license that meets the following
prerequisites:
n The license must have sufficient capacity depending on the licensing model.
n The license must support all the features that the host uses. For example, if the host is
associated with a vSphere Distributed Switch, the license that you assign must support the
vSphere Distributed Switch feature.
If you attempt to assign a license that has insufficient capacity or does not support the features
that the host uses, the license assignment fails.
Per CPU Licensing Model for vSphere

Starting with vSphere 7.0, one CPU license covers one CPU with up to 32 cores. If а CPU has
more than 32 cores, you need additional CPU licenses.
Number of CPUs Cores per CPU Number of CPU Licenses
1 1-32 1
2 1-32 2
1 33-64 2
2 33-64 4
When you assign a vSphere license to a host, the amount of capacity consumed is determined by
the number of physical CPUs on the host and the number of physical cores in each physical CPU.
If you use the licensing model with up to 32 cores, you can assign a vSphere license for 10
32-core CPUs to any of the following combinations of hosts:
n Five 2-CPU hosts with 32 cores per CPU
n Five 1-CPU hosts with 64 cores per CPU
n Two 2-CPU hosts with 48 cores per CPU and two 1-CPU hosts with 20 cores per CPU
Dual-core and quad-core CPUs, such as Intel CPUs that combine two or four independent CPUs
on a single chip, count as one CPU.
Per Virtual Machine Licensing Model for vSphere

Some VMware products are licensed on per virtual machine basis.
For example, vSphere Desktop which is intended for VDI environments such as Horizon View.
The license use for vSphere Desktop equals the total number of powered on desktop virtual
machines running on the hosts that are assigned a vSphere Desktop license.
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Subscription Based Licensing Model for vSphere

By using the vSphere+ workload platform, you can shift from license based management of
vSphere to a pay-as-you-expand subscription model. For more information, see vSphere+ and
vSAN+ Subscriptions.
Evaluation Mode License for ESXi Hosts

After you install ESXi, it operates in evaluation mode for up to 60 consecutive days. An
evaluation mode license provides all features of the highest vSphere product edition.
After you assign a license to an ESXi host, at any time before the evaluation period expires, you
can set the host back to evaluation mode to explore the entire set of features available for the
remaining evaluation period.
For example, if you use an ESXi host in evaluation mode for 20 days, then assign a vSphere
Standard license to the host, and 5 days later set the host back to evaluation mode, you
can explore the entire set of features available for the host for the remaining 35 days of the
evaluation period.
License and Evaluation Period Expiry for ESXi Hosts

For ESXi hosts, license or evaluation period expiry leads to disconnection from vCenter Server.
All powered on virtual machines continue to work, but you cannot power on virtual machines
after they are powered off. You cannot change the current configuration of the features that are
in use. You cannot use the features that remained unused before the license expiration.
Note When there are expiring licenses, a notification appears 90 days before the license
expiration.
Licensing ESXi Hosts After an Upgrade

If you upgrade an ESXi host to a version that starts with the same number, you do not need to
replace the existing license with a new one. For example, if you upgrade a host from ESXi 8.0 to
8.1, you can use the same license for the host.
If you upgrade an ESXi host to a major version that starts with a different number, the evaluation
period restarts and you must assign a new license. For example, if you upgrade an ESXi host
from 7.x to 8.x, you must license the host with a vSphere 8 license.
Licensing for the vSphere Distributed Services Engine Feature

®
vSphere 8.0 introduces the VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine™ feature. You can use
this feature to offload some of the networking operations from your server CPUs to a data
processing unit (DPU). For vSphere 8.0, you do not need to buy a separate license for hosts with
DPU devices.
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With vSphere Distributed Services Engine, you can use the DPU devices to accelerate the
®
performance of your network and increase data throughput. See Introducing VMware vSphere
Distributed Services Engine™ and Networking Acceleration by Using DPUs in the VMware ESXi
Installation and Setup documentation.
To manage a host with a DPU device using the vSphere Distributed Services Engine feature, you
must have a vSphere Enterprise Plus license or a vSphere+ subscription.
Starting with vSphere 8.0 and NSX 4.0.1, you can use the network offloads compatibility for
forwarding networking traffic from the ESXi host to the DPU device. To use the networking
offloads capability after NSX is enabled, you must also have the NSX Enterprise Plus Term license
(Per Core basis) or an NSX Enterprise Plus with Threat Prevention Term license (Per Core basis).
For more information about how to offload the networking traffic from the ESXi host to a DPU
device, see What is Network Offloads Capability in the vSphere Networking documentation.
For more information about the NSX base and add-on licenses, see License Types in the NSX
Administration Guide documentation.
Licensing for vCenter Server

vCenter Server systems are licensed with vCenter Server licenses that have per-instance
capacity.
To license a vCenter Server system, you need a vCenter Server license that has the capacity for
at least one instance.
Evaluation Mode License for vCenter Server

When you install a vCenter Server system, it is in evaluation mode. An evaluation mode license
of a vCenter Server system expires 60 days after the product is installed no matter whether you
assign a license to vCenter Server or not. You can set vCenter Server back to evaluation mode
only within 60 days after its installation.
For example, suppose that you install a vCenter Server system and use it in evaluation mode for
20 days and assign the system an appropriate license. The evaluation mode license of vCenter
Server expires after the remaining 40 days of the evaluation period.
License and Evaluation Period Expiry of vCenter Server

When the license or evaluation period of a vCenter Server system expires, all hosts disconnect
from that vCenter Server system. The virtual machines running on the disconnected hosts remain
intact. Until the vCenter Server system is assigned a new license, you can manage the virtual
machines on the disconnected hosts by logging into each host separately. After vCenter Server
is assigned to a new license key, all disconnected hosts reconnect to the vCenter Server system.
Note When there are expiring licenses, a notification appears 90 days before the license
expiration.
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Licensing vCenter Server After an Upgrade

If you upgrade vCenter Server to a version that starts with the same number, you can keep the
same license. For example, if you upgrade a vCenter Server system from vCenter Server 8.0 to
8.1, you can keep the same license on the system.
If you upgrade vCenter Server to a major version that starts with a different number, the
evaluation period restarts and you must assign a new license. For example, if you upgrade a
vCenter Server system from 7.x to 8.x, you must license the system with a vCenter Server 8
license.
If you upgrade the edition of the license, for example, from vCenter Server Foundation to
vCenter Server Standard, replace the existing license on the system with the upgraded license.
Subscription Based Licensing for vCenter Server

By using the vSphere+ workload platform, you can shift from license based management of
vSphere to a pay-as-you-expand subscription model. For more information, see vSphere+ and
vSAN+ Subscriptions.
vSphere+ and vSAN+ Subscriptions

VMware vSphere+™ is a workload platform that allows you to shift from license based
management to a pay-as-you-expand subscription model. If you plan on deploying vSAN clusters
in a vSphere environment converted to subscription, you can either continue to use vSAN license
keys or purchase a VMware vSAN+™ subscription in addition to the vSphere+ subscription.
You can convert your vCenter Server instances to vSphere+ before the license evaluation period
expires or before the assigned licenses to the vCenter Server and ESXi hosts expire.
To learn more about how to convert your vCenter Server to subscription and start using the
vSphere+ features, see Purchase Subscriptions in the VMware vSphere+ documentation.
If the vCenter Server instances that you plan to subscribe to vSphere+ manage vSAN clusters,
you can either continue to use vSAN license keys or purchase a vSAN+ subscription. Do not use
a combination of vSAN+ subscriptions and vSAN license keys within the same VMware Cloud
account Organization. Combining vSAN+ subscriptions and vSAN license keys results in the entire
vSAN deployment being converted to vSAN+ subscription metering and billing, where the license
keys would be ignored. This could result in unexpected subscription usage.
When you deactivate vSAN on a cluster with a vSAN+ subscription, the vSphere+ subscription is
applied automatically to all ESXi hosts associated with that cluster.
Free Trial Subscription for vSphere+

VMware offers a free trial subscription period for vSphere+ and vSAN+. When you are ready to
purchase a vSphere+ subscription, contact a VMware sales representative or a VMware partner
to help you plan converting your on-premises workloads to subscription. Subscriptions can be
purchased for a period of one or three years.
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For information on how to start the vSphere+ free trial subscription, see Start vSphere+ Free Trial
in the VMware vSphere + documentation.
Subscription Information for Your vCenter Server

When your vCenter Server is converted to vSphere+ subscription, all license information is
replaced with subscription information. For vSAN+ clusters, license information is replaced with
subscription information.
When your vCenter Server is on subscription, you no longer need to add license keys for the
vCenter Server instance and the ESXi hosts.
If you have other VMware products with assigned licenses in your vCenter Server on
subscription, you can view and manage their licenses in the vSphere Client. For example, if you
want to turn a vSphere cluster to a Supervisor for running Kubernetes workloads, you can assign
a Tanzu edition license by using the vSphere Client. For more information, see Licensing for
vSphere with Tanzu in the vSphere with Tanzu Configuration and Management documentation.
Note When your vCenter Server is on subscription, the Assets tab no longer contains tabs that
group the different VMware products. Instead, all assets to which you can assign a license are
displayed in one pane.
When your vCenter Server is on subscription, you can view your billing information in the
VMware Cloud Services Console™. For more information, see View Subscription Usage and Billing
in the VMware vSphere + documentation.
Managing vSphere Licenses

To license an asset in vSphere, you must assign to it a license that holds an appropriate product
license key. You can use the license management functionality in the vSphere Client to license
multiple assets at a time from a central place. Assets are vCenter Server systems, hosts, vSAN
clusters, Supervisors, and solutions.
In vSphere, you can assign one license to multiple assets of the same type if the license has
enough capacity. You can assign a suite license to all components that belong to the suite
product edition. For example, you can assign one vSphere license to multiple ESXi hosts, but you
cannot assign two licenses to one host. If you have a vCloud Suite license, you can assign the
license to ESXi hosts, vCloud Networking and Security, vCenter Site Recovery Manager, and so
on.
( Managing Licenses in the vSphere Client )
How Do You Create a New License in the vSphere Client

When you purchase, divide, or combine license keys in Customer Connect, you must use the
new keys to license assets in your vSphere environment. You must go to the vSphere Client
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and create a license object for every license key. A license is a container for a license key of a
VMware product.
Prerequisites
n To view and manage licenses in the vSphere environment, you must have the
Global.Licenses privilege on the vCenter Server system, where the vSphere Client runs.
Procedure
1 Click Menu > Administration.
2 Expand Licensing and click Licenses.
3 On the Licenses tab, click Add New Licenses.
4 On the Enter licenses keys page, enter one license key per line, and click Next.
The license key is a 25-symbol string of letters and digits in the format XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-
XXXXX-XXXXX. You can enter a list of keys in one operation. A new license will be created for
every license key that you enter.
5 On the Edit license names page, rename the new licenses as appropriate and click Next .
6 On the Ready to complete page, review the new licenses and click Finish.
Results
A new license is created for every license key that you entered.
What to do next
After you create the new licenses, you can assign them to assets. Assign the new licenses to
hosts, vCenter Server systems, or other products that you use with vSphere. You must not keep
unassigned licenses in the inventory.
Configuring License Settings for Assets in the vSphere Client

To continue using product functionality, you must assign appropriate licenses to assets in
evaluation mode, or assets with expiring licenses. When you upgrade a license edition, combine,
or split licenses in Customer Connect, you must assign the new licenses to assets. You can assign
licenses that are already available or create licenses and assign them to the assets in a single
workflow. Assets are vCenter Server systems, ESXi hosts, vSAN clusters, Supervisors, and other
products that integrate with vSphere.
How to Assign a License to Multiple Assets in Your vSphere Environment

Learn how to assign licenses that are already available, or create licenses and assign them to
vSphere assets in a single workflow.
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To continue using product functionality, you must assign appropriate licenses to assets in
evaluation mode, or assets with expiring licenses. When you upgrade a license edition, combine,
or split licenses in Customer Connect, you must assign the new licenses to assets. Assets
are vCenter Server systems, ESXi hosts, vSAN clusters, Supervisors, and other products that
integrate with vSphere.
Prerequisites
Procedure
3 Select the Assets tab.
4 On the Assets tab, click the vCenter Server systems, Hosts, vSAN Clusters, Supervisor
Clusters, or Solutions tab.
5 Select the assets to license.
Note Use Shift+click to select multiple assets.
6 Click Assign License.
7 In the Assign License dialog box, select the task that you want to perform.
u In the vSphere Client, select an existing license or select a newly created license.
Task Steps
Select an existing license Select an existing license from the list and click OK.
Select a newly created license a Click the New License tab.

b In the Assign License dialog box, type or copy and paste a license key
and click OK.
c Enter a name for the new license and click OK.
Details about the product, product features, capacity, and expiration

period appear on the page.
d Click OK.
e In the Assign License dialog box, select the newly created license, and
click OK.
Results
The license is assigned to the assets. Capacity from the license is allocated according to the
license use of the assets. For example, if you assign the license to 3 hosts with 4 CPUs each, the
consumed license capacity is 12 CPUs.
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How to Configure License Settings for Your ESXi Host

You must assign a license to an ESXi host before its evaluation period expires or its currently
assigned license expires. If you upgrade, combine, or divide vSphere licenses in Customer
Connect, you must assign the new licenses to ESXi hosts and remove the old licenses.
Prerequisites
Procedure
1 Navigate to the host in the inventory.
3 Under Settings, select Licensing.
Task Steps

and click OK.

d Click OK.
click OK.
Results
The license is assigned to the host. Capacity from the license is allocated according to the license
use of the host.
How to Configure License Settings for Your vCenter Server

You must assign a license to a vCenter Server system before its evaluation period expires or its
currently assigned license expires. If you upgrade, combine, or divide vCenter Server licenses in
Customer Connect, you must assign the new licenses to vCenter Server systems and remove the
old licenses.
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Prerequisites
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to the vCenter Server instance.
Task Steps

and click OK.

d Click OK.
click OK.
Results
The license is assigned to the vCenter Server system, and one instance from the license capacity
is allocated for the vCenter Server system.
How to Set Your vSphere Assets to Evaluation Mode

To explore the complete set of features available for an asset, you can set it to evaluation mode.
Different products have different terms for using their evaluation mode. Before you set an asset
to evaluation mode, you should consider the specifics for using the evaluation mode of its
associated product. For details, see the licensing model documentation for the relevant product
at Licensing and Subscription in vSphere.
Prerequisites
Procedure
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4 Select the vCenter Server systems, Hosts, vSAN Clusters, Supervisor Clusters, or Solutions
tab.
5 Select the asset that you want to set to evaluation mode.
6 Click the Assign License icon.
7 Select Evaluation License and click OK to save your changes.
Results
The asset is in evaluation mode. You can explore the entire set of features that are available for
the asset.
Note You must assign an appropriate license to the asset before its evaluation period expires.
Otherwise the asset gets into unlicensed state and certain functionality will be blocked.
How Do You Rename a License in the vSphere Client

After you create a license, you can change its name by using the vSphere Client.
Prerequisites
Procedure
3 Select the Licenses tab.
4 Select the license to rename, and click Rename License.
5 Type the new license name and click OK.
How Do You Remove a License in the vSphere Client

To remain in compliance with the licensing models of products that you use with vSphere,
you must remove all unassigned licenses from the inventory. If you have divided, combined,
or upgraded licenses in Customer Connect, you must remove the old licenses.
For example, suppose that you have upgraded a vSphere license from 6.7 to 7.0 in Customer
Connect. You assign the license to ESXi 7.0 hosts. After assigning the new vSphere 7.0 licenses,
you must remove the old vSphere 6.7 license from the inventory.
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Prerequisites
Procedure
4 Use the filters to display only the unassigned licenses.
5 Click the filter icon ( ) in the State column.
A text box appears.
6 Select what licenses you want to display (unassigned or assigned).
7 Select a license to remove or press Ctrl+A to select all licenses.
8 Click Remove Licenses, review the confirmation message, and click Yes.
Viewing and Exporting vSphere Licensing Information

You can view the licensing state of the vSphere environment from a central place by using
the license management functionality in the vSphere Client . You can view the licenses that
are available in vSphere, current license assignments and usage, available license capacity,
licensed features in use, and so on. You can export licensing information about vSphere licenses,
products, or assets in a CSV file.
You can also export information about licenses and their expiration dates, capacity, and
usage. You can export data about the available products and assets in the vSphere Client by
downloading a .CSV file.
How to View Licensing Information About Your vSphere

Environment
You can view the available licenses in vSphere and their expiration dates, available capacity, and
usage. You can also view the available products and assets.
Prerequisites
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Procedure
3 Select a tab for the licensing information that you want to view.
Tab Description
Licenses Lists all licenses that are available in the vSphere environment. For every
license, you can view the associated license key, license usage, license
capacity, and expiration date.
Products Lists the products that have licenses available in the vSphere environment.
You can view the licenses that are available for every product, licensed
features, license usage, and license capacity.
Assets Displays licensing information about the assets that are available in the
vSphere environment. Assets are vCenter Server systems, hosts, vSAN
clusters, Supervisors, and other products that you use with vSphere that
are listed under Solutions.
What to do next
If you have upgraded, divided, or combined any licenses in Customer Connect, you must not use
these old license keys and should remove them from the inventory.
How to View Available Licenses and Features About Your vSphere

Product
By using the vSphere Client, you can view information about a product, such as the available
licenses, features, and license capacity.
Prerequisites
Procedure
3 Click the Products tab and select the product for which you want to view information.
4 Select the task that you want to perform.
Task Description
View the licenses that are available In the vSphere Client, click the Licenses subtab below the list of products.
for the selected product
View the licensed features for the In the vSphere Client, click the Features subtab below the list of products.
product
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How to View the vSphere Features Тhat an Asset Can Use

Learn how to view the features that an asset in your vSphere environment can use based on the
license that is assigned to the asset.
Prerequisites
Procedure
4 Select the vCenter Server systems, Hosts, vSAN Clusters, Supervisor Clusters, or the
Solutions option.
5 Select an asset and view the associated features.
6 Click the Features subtab below the list of assets.
How to View the License Key of Your License

In vSphere, a license holds a license key for a product. Learn how to view the associated license
key for every license.
Prerequisites
Procedure
4 Select a license from the list and view the license key.
5 Click the Summary subtab that is below the list of licenses. Under General, you can see the
license name, the expiration date, the state of the license, and the license key.
How to View the Licensed Features for an Asset in Your vSphere

Environment
Before you start to use a feature on an asset, you can check whether the asset is licensed to use
this feature. For example, to use vSphere HA, you must check whether all hosts in a vSphere HA
cluster are licensed for this feature.
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Prerequisites
Procedure
1 Navigate to the vCenter Server system, host, or cluster whose licensed features you want to
view.
Results
The list of features that you can configure on the asset appears on the right.
How to Export Licensing Information for Your vSphere Environment

You can export licensing information about vSphere licenses, products, or assets. The
information is saved on your local system as a .CSV file. You can later open the .CSV file with
third-party applications.
Prerequisites
Procedure
3 (Optional) Select an item to export.
n Click the Licenses tab to select one or more licenses to export.
n Click the Products tab to select a product to export.
n Click the Assets tab to select the vCenter Server instance, hosts, clusters, or solutions
whose licensing information you want to export.
If you do not select a particular license, product, or asset, all items from the respective list are
exported.
4 Export the items.
When prompted, save the CSV file on your file system.

n If you selected one or more items to export, click Export and select Selected Rows.
n If you selected one or more items but you want to export all items, click Export and select
All Rows.
n If you selected no items, click Export.
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Synchronizing Licenses with Your Customer Connect

Account
With vSphere 6.5 and later, VMware offers the Synchronize Licenses feature that you can use to
import license keys and license key data from Customer Connect to your vSphere environment.
The Synchronize Licenses feature helps you keep your vCenter Server license keys data
synchronized with the license keys data in Customer Connect. To import license keys data, you
use a .CSV file that you generate in the Customer Connect reports section. After you import
the .CSV file, you can view the Customer Connect data in the License List and the License
Summary.
With the import feature, you can complete the following tasks:
n Add or update Customer Connect license keys details, such as notes, custom labels,
contracts, orders, and so on, in your vCenter Server license inventory.
n Add license keys from Customer Connect to your vCenter Server license inventory.
n Identify any license keys in your vCenter Server license inventory that have been combined,
divided, upgraded, or downgraded in Customer Connect to help you with license compliance.
How to Generate a License Report in Customer Connect

To update your vCenter Server license inventory with the license keys details in your Customer
Connect environment, generate a Product Licenses, Details, and History .CSV file in your
Customer Connect Reports section. Upload the .CSV file to vSphere.
The .CSV file is a list of keys that are active keys in Customer Connect. The .CSV file contains
up-to-date license keys information from your Customer Connect environment, including the
account name and number, the product for which the license is purchased, the license quantity,
various license key notes, the support level, the license support and license coverage end date,
the order number, history data, and so on.
Procedure
1 Log in to https://customerconnect.vmware.com.
2 On the Customer Connect home page, click Products and Accounts in the top left corner.
3 Select Accounts and click Reports.
4 In the Select a Report section, click Available Reports and select Products and Licenses
Details from the drop down menu.
5 In the Select Accounts section, select the account, for which you want to generate the report
or select the check box .
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6 (Optional) Enter a name for your report.
7 (Optional) Add notes to include in your report.
8 (Optional) To receive an email when the report is ready, select the Send email when report is
created check box All Accounts to select all available accounts.
9 Click Create and click OK.
Your report request is submitted and when the report is ready, you can download it from the
list of saved reports.
10 To download the .CSV file that you must import to vSphere, in the Saved Reports section,
click the CSV icon next to your report.
Do not change the formatting of the original .CSV file report. For information how to preview
the .CSV file report and view the data without damaging the .CSV file, see Using License
Report Files in vSphere.
Using License Report Files in vSphere

If you want to preview the data of a Customer Connect report file before you import the file to
vSphere, make a copy of the .csv file. Do not open the original file in Microsoft Excel as this
action might change the data formats of certain cells, which might cause issues in future releases.
If you attempt to import a .csv file that you first open in another program, the Synchronize
Licenses wizard displays a warning that the file you use is not in the correct format, and that
some of the data might not be available in vSphere.
Even if you successfully import the .csv file after you reformat it, the reformatting might corrupt
the data, which might cause the last page of the wizard suggest some invalid actions.
Example: Incorrect Use of a Customer Connect Report

You export the correct report in Customer Connect and generate the correct .csv file. To view
the information more clearly, you open the .csv file in Microsoft Excel and reformat dates
and numbers, such as the contract start and end date, the order date, the order quantity. For
instance, you change the formatting of the date from 11.10.2015 to 10/11/15, which might
cause the vSphere Client to display missing data for some of the columns of the .csv file.
How to Import License Key Data from Customer Connect to vSphere

Use the Synchronize Licenses feature to import license key data from your Customer Connect
account to your vSphere environment.
Prerequisites
Generate a Products, Licenses, Details, and History report in your Customer Connect account and
upload it to vSphere. See How to Generate a License Report in Customer Connect.
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Procedure
3 Follow the prompts in the Synchronize Licenses wizard.
a On the Licenses tab, click Synchronize Licenses.
The Synchronize Licenses wizard opens.
b On the Upload import file page, click select a file and browse to the .CSV file that you
want to upload in your vSphere environment. Click Next.
After you upload the .CSV file to your vSphere environment, the system analyzes the
data in the file and compares the data to the current license keys information in your
vCenter license inventory. Based on the results of the analysis, the system concludes
what actions you must perform to update your vCenter license inventory with the current
details from your Customer Connect environment.
Note Do not open in Microsoft Excel or any other software the .CSV file that you plan
to upload to your vCenter license inventory. Upload only the original .CSV file after you
generate it in Customer Connect. If you want to preview the report data in the .CSV file,
make a copy of the file and preview the copy instead. For information how to preview
CSV files, see Using License Report Files in vSphere.
c On the License keys data analysis, review the results from the .CSV file analysis and click
Next.
For information about the types of actions that the system might recommend you to
perform based on the .CSV file analysis, see How to Review the Results of Your License
Report File Analysis.
If the .csv file contains license keys that are missing from the vCenter license inventory,
the system offers you to add those license keys.
d (Optional) On the Add license keys page, select license keys to add to the vCenter Server
license inventory.
n If your vCenter license inventory contains all license keys in the uploaded .CSV file,
click Next.
If your vCenter license inventory contains all license keys in the uploaded .CSV file,
the list on the Add License Keys page is empty.
n To view license key details, such as account name and number, order number,
important dates, and support level, click a license key in the list.
n To change the license key name, click the license's name in the list and enter a new
name for the license key.
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e (Optional) To remove license keys in your vCenter license inventory that have
been combined, split, upgraded, or downgraded in Customer Connect, download
the Combined_Split_Upgraded_and_Downgraded_License_Keys.csv report. For
information how to remove manually license keys that have been combined, split,
upgraded, or downgraded, see How to Remove Inactive License Keys from Your vCenter
Server License Inventory.
f (Optional) To upgrade license keys in your vCenter license inventory that have upgrade
keys available in Customer Connect, download the Upgraded_License_Keys.csv report.
For information how to upgrade your assets manually, change your license assignments,
and remove the upgraded license keys, see How to Upgrade License Keys in Your
vCenter Server License Inventory.
g On the Ready to complete page, review the import process summary and click Finish.
How to Review the Results of Your License Report File Analysis

To determine what actions you must perform in order to update your vCenter Server license
inventory with the current details from your Customer Connect environment, review the results
from the .CSV file analysis.
After you upload the .CSV file that you generated in Customer Connect to your vSphere
environment, the system analyzes the license keys in that .CSV file and compares them to the
licenses in your vCenter Server license inventory. The following events occur as a result of the
analysis:
n If the .CSV report contains licenses, which are missing in the vCenter Server license inventory,
the analysis automatically offers to add the missing licenses to the vCenter Server license
inventory.
n The system updates the vCenter Server licenses metadata after you finish the Synchronize
Licenses wizard, to ensure that your vCenter Server license inventory contains the most
up-to-date metadata from Customer Connect.
n If the system determines that your vCenter Server license inventory contains licenses that are
invalid or upgraded, or both, the system proposes actions that you can take to update your
vCenter Server license inventory at the last page of the Synchronize Licenses wizard.
Based on the conclusions from the analyzed data, the system proposes actions that you
must perform in order to update your vCenter Server license inventory with details from your
Customer Connect environment. You can view the conclusions from the analysis on the File
analysis page of the Synchronize Licenses wizard.
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Depending on the results from the.CSV file analysis, the system makes conclusions about the
status of the license keys details in your vCenter Server license inventory and might suggest that
you perform some of the following actions, in order to update your vSphere environment with
up-to-date license keys details from Customer Connect:
n Update license keys in your vCenter Server license inventory with details from your Customer
Connect, including contracts, orders, and so on. The system performs this operation
automatically after you complete the wizard.
n Add to your vCenter Server license inventory new license keys from Customer Connect, and
their details. You must perform this operation manually. To select license keys to add to your
vCenter Server license inventory, follow the prompts in Synchronize Licenses wizard. See
How to Import License Key Data from Customer Connect to vSphere.
Note Some of the license keys that you add might be replacement keys for inactive keys
that are currently in your vCenter Server license inventory. An inactive key is a key that
is combined, divided, upgraded, or downgraded. To complete the replacement of inactive
license keys with new license keys from Customer Connect, you must manually remove the
inactive keys. For information about removing inactive license keys, see How to Remove
Inactive License Keys from Your vCenter Server License Inventory.
Other license keys that you add on the Add license keys page of the wizard might be
upgrade keys for some old license keys in your vCenter Server license inventory. To
complete the upgrade process of old keys in your vCenter Server license inventory with new
keys from Customer Connect, you must manually remove the inactive keys. For information
about completing the license key upgrade process, see How to Upgrade License Keys in Your
vCenter Server License Inventory.
n View license keys in your vCenter Server license inventory that have been combined, split,
upgraded, or downgraded in Customer Connect. To view the keys that have been combined,
split, upgraded, or downgraded, download the generated recommendation report at the end
of the Synchronize Licenses wizard.
n Upgrade the keys in your vCenter Server license inventory that have upgrade keys available
in Customer Connect. To view what keys in your vCenter Server license inventory have
upgrade keys available in Customer Connect, download the generated recommendation
report at the end of the Synchronize Licenses wizard.
Generated Recommendation Reports for vSphere License

Synchronization
Based on the results from the Customer Connect .CSV file analysis, the system might generate
recommendation reports that you can download and use to update your vSphere license
inventory manually.
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After you import the .CSV file that you generate in the Customer Connect reports section to
your vCenter Server license inventory, the system analyzes the license keys details in that .CSV
file and compares the information with the information in your current vSphere environment and
might generate recommendation reports.
Note The recommendation reports are only available on the Ready to complete page of the
Synchronize Licenses wizard. Download the reports to perform the actions manually.
For information how to remove from your vSphere license inventory existing license keys that
have been combined, divided, upgraded, or downgraded in Customer Connect, see How to
Remove Inactive License Keys from Your vCenter Server License Inventory.
For information how to upgrade your assets manually, change your license assignments, and
remove license keys from your vCenter Server license inventory that have upgrade keys
available in Customer Connect, see How to Upgrade License Keys in Your vCenter Server License
Inventory.
How to Remove Inactive License Keys from Your vCenter Server License
Inventory
Learn how to use the generated recommendation report to manually remove from your vCenter
Server license inventory any license keys that are combined, divided, upgraded, or downgraded
in Customer Connect.
When you add license keys to your vCenter Server license inventory that the system proposes
on the Add license keys page of the Synchronize Licenses wizard, and after you complete the
wizard, you update your vCenter Server license inventory with new license keys and license keys
that are replacement for some inactive keys in your vCenter Server license inventory. An inactive
key is a key that is combined, divided, upgraded, or downgraded. To complete the replacement
of inactive keys with new keys from Customer Connect, you must manually remove the keys
that the Combined_Divided_Upgraded_and_Downgraded_License_Keys.csv report indicates
as inactive.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have the Combined_Divided_Upgraded_and_Downgraded_License_Keys.csv

report that is only available to download on the Ready to complete page of the Synchronize
Licenses wizard.
Procedure
4 Open your Combined_Divided_Upgraded_and_Downgraded_License_Keys.csv file and

locate the Inactive Key in Use in vCenter column.
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5 View the inactive key in the .CSV file, select that same key in the Licenses tab in the vSphere
Client, click the Remove Licenses icon, and click Yes.
You can only remove a license if it is not assigned.
The inactive license key is no longer in your vCenter Server license inventory and the
inventory now only contains up-to-date keys from Customer Connect.
What to do next
To use product features, assign the licenses to assets after you add your license keys to your
vCenter Server license inventory.
How to Upgrade License Keys in Your vCenter Server License Inventory

If you have existing license keys in your vCenter Server license inventory that have upgrade keys
available in Customer Connect, use the generated recommendation .CSV file report to upgrade
your assets manually, change your license assignments, and remove the outdated keys from
your vCenter Server license inventory.
When you add license keys to your vCenter Server license inventory that the system proposes
on the Add license keys page of the Synchronize Licenses wizard, and after you complete
the wizard, you update your vCenter Server license inventory with new license keys that must
upgrade some old keys in your vCenter Server license inventory. To complete the upgrade
process for the old keys in your vCenter Server license inventory with new keys from Customer
Connect, you must manually remove the keys that the Upgraded_License_Keys.csv report
indicates as inactive.
Prerequisites
Verify that you have the Upgraded_License_Keys.csv report that is only available to download
on the Ready to complete page of the Synchronize Licenses wizard.
Procedure
4 Open your Upgraded_License_Keys.csv file and locate the Inactive Key in Use in vCenter
column.
5 View the inactive key in the .CSV file, select that same key in the Licenses tab in the vSphere
Client, click the Remove Licenses icon, and click Yes.
You can only remove a license if it is not assigned.
The license key is no longer in your vCenter Server license inventory.
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What to do next
To use product features, assign the licenses to assets after you add your license keys to your
vCenter Server license inventory.
vCenter Server Domain Repoint License Considerations

Domain repointing copies license keys to a new domain. Copying the license keys ensures that
valid licensing of all assets is maintained after repointing.
vCenter Server tracks license usage on a per domain basis. If a key is used in more than one
domain, you must ensure that the aggregate use of the key does not exceed its capacity. To
simplify your license management, remove each license copied to a second domain and assign a
new license to assets.
Consider the following two cases:
n License keys that are no longer in use (that is, assigned to assets) in the original domain post
repointing.
n License keys that are in use (that is, assigned to assets) in multiple domains.
For more information about cross-domain repointing, see "Repoint vCenter Server to Another
vCenter Server in a Different Domain" in vCenter Server Installation and Setup.
License Keys Not in Use in a Domain

If after completing repointing, a license key appears in more than one domain, but is not in use
in some of those domains, you can remove the license key from any domain in which it is not in
use. For instructions on how to remove the licenses in vCenter Server, see How Do You Remove
a License in the vSphere Client.
License Keys in Use in Multiple Domains

If after completing repointing, a license key is in use (that is, assigned to assets) in more than
one domain, to remove the license key from all but one domain, first a different license key must
be assigned to each asset in domains from which the license key will be removed. Two common
approaches:
n If you have other license keys available with sufficient unused capacity, you might use these
other keys in place of a license key to be removed. See How to Assign a License to Multiple
Assets in Your vSphere Environment to assign licenses in vCenter Server.
n You might divide the license keys used in more than one domain into separate license keys,
one for each domain. To divide the license keys, see the VMware knowledge base article at
http://kb.vmware.com/kb/2006972. To determine the capacity to be included in each of the
license keys into which the original is divided, see Viewing and Exporting vSphere Licensing
Information to view the usage of the license key in vCenter Server for each of the domains.
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Each of the resulting license keys can then be added to a different domain and assigned in
vCenter Server to assets previously licensed with the original license key. See How Do You
Create a New License in the vSphere Client to create licenses and How to Assign a License to
Multiple Assets in Your vSphere Environment to assign a license to multiple assets.
After different licenses are assigned to all assets, the original license key, which is no longer
valid, can be removed from all the domains using vCenter Server. See How Do You Remove a
License in the vSphere Client.
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vSphere Virtual Machines
Migration 11
In vSphere, virtual machine migration is the process of moving a virtual machine from one
resource to another resource within a vSphere infrastructure. For example, by using migration,
you can change the compute resource that the virtual machine runs on.
You can move virtual machines from one compute resource or storage location to another by
using cold or hot migration. For example, with vSphere vMotion you can move powered on
virtual machines away from a host to perform maintenance, to balance loads, to collocate virtual
machines that communicate with each other, to move virtual machines apart to minimize fault
domain, to migrate to new server hardware, and so on.
Moving a virtual machine from one inventory folder to another folder, or cloning and copying a
virtual machine in the same vCenter Server system are not forms of migration. Cloning a virtual
machine or copying its virtual disks and configuration file in the same vCenter Server system are
procedures that create a new virtual machine.
Depending on the power state of the virtual machine that you migrate, migration can be cold or
hot.
Cold Migration
Moving a powered off or suspended virtual machine to a new host. Optionally, you can
relocate configuration and disk files for powered off or suspended virtual machines to new
storage locations. You can also use cold migration to move virtual machines from one virtual
switch to another, and from one data center to another. You can perform cold migration
manually or you can schedule a task.
Hot Migration
Moving a powered on virtual machine to a new host. Optionally, you can also move the virtual
machine disks or virtual machine folder to a different datastore. Hot migration is also called
live migration or vSphere vMotion. With vSphere vMotion, you migrate the virtual machine
without any interruption in its availability.
Depending on the virtual machine resource type, you can perform three types of migration.
Note To migrate virtual machines with disks larger than 2 TB, the source and destination ESXi
hosts must be version 6.0 and later.
Change compute resource only
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Moving a virtual machine, but not its storage, to another compute resource, such as a host,
cluster, resource pool, or vApp. You can move the virtual machine to another compute
resource by using cold or hot migration. If you change the compute resource of a powered
on virtual machine, you use vSphere vMotion.
Change storage only
Moving a virtual machine and its storage, including virtual disks, configuration files, or a
combination of these, to a new datastore on the same host. You can change the datastore of
a virtual machine by using cold or hot migration. If you move a powered on virtual machine
and its storage to a new datastore, you use Storage vMotion.
Change both compute resource and storage
Moving a virtual machine to another host and at the same time moving its disk or virtual
machine folder to another datastore. You can change the host and datastore simultaneously
by using cold or hot migration.
In vSphere 6.0 and later, you can move virtual machines between vSphere sites by using
migration between the following types of objects.
Migrate to another virtual switch
Moving the network of a virtual machine to a virtual switch of a different type. You can
migrate virtual machines without reconfiguring the physical and virtual network. By using
cold or hot migration, you can move the virtual machine from a standard to a standard or
distributed switch, and from a distributed switch to another distributed switch. When you
move a virtual machine network between distributed switches, the network configuration and
policies that are associated with the network adapters of the virtual machine are transferred
to the target switch.
Migrate to another data center
Moving a virtual machine to a different data center. You can change the data center of a
virtual machine by using cold or hot migration. For networking in the target data center, you
can select a dedicated port group on a distributed switch.
Migrate to another vCenter Server system
Moving a virtual machine to a different vCenter Server instance.
You can move a virtual machine to a vCenter Server instance that is connected to the source
vCenter Server instance through vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode.
You can also move virtual machines between vCenter Server instances that are located
across a long distance from each other.
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Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 1c, you can migrate workloads across vCenter Server
systems by using Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion. You can initiate migration of workloads
both from on-premise environments and from cloud environments. Advanced Cross vCenter
vMotion does not depend on vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode or Hybrid Linked Mode and
you can migrate virtual machines across vCenter Server systems in different vCenter Single
Sign-On domains.
Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 3, you can use the Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion
feature to clone virtual machines across vCenter Server systems.
For information about the requirements about vMotion across vCenter Server instances, see
What Are the Requirements for vMotion Between vCenter Server Instances.
n Cold Migration in Your vSphere Environment
n Migrating Virtual Machines with vSphere vMotion
n Migrating Virtual Machines Between vCenter Server Systems
n Migrating Virtual Machines Between Servers with DPU Devices
n What Is Encrypted vSphere vMotion
n How to Isolate Traffic for Migrating Your Virtual Machines
n vCenter Server Limits on Simultaneous Migrations
n vMotion Migration Compatibility Checks
n CPU Compatibility and vSphere Enhanced vMotion Compatibility
Cold Migration in Your vSphere Environment

Cold migration is the migration of powered off or suspended virtual machines between hosts
across clusters, data centers, and vCenter Server instances. By using cold migration, you can also
move associated disks from one datastore to another.
You can use cold migration to have the target host checked against fewer requirements than
when you use vMotion. For example, if you use cold migration when a virtual machine contains
a complex application setup, the compatibility checks during vMotion might prevent the virtual
machine from moving to another host.
You must power off or suspend the virtual machines before you begin the cold migration
process. Migrating a suspended virtual machine is considered a cold migration because although
the virtual machine is powered on, it is not running.
You cannot implement a cold migration across different subnets.
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CPU Compatibility Check During Cold Migration

If you attempt to migrate a powered off virtual machine that is configured with a 64-bit operating
system to a host that does not support 64-bit operating systems, vCenter Server generates a
warning. Otherwise, CPU compatibility checks do not apply when you migrate powered off virtual
machines with cold migration.
When you migrate a suspended virtual machine, the new host for the virtual machine must meet
CPU compatibility requirements. This requirement allows the virtual machine to resume execution
on the new host.
Operations During Cold Migration

A cold migration consists of the following operations:
1 If you select the option to move to a different datastore, the configuration files, including the
NVRAM file (BIOS settings), log files, and the suspend file, are moved from the source host to
the destination host’s associated storage area. You can choose to move the virtual machine's
disks as well.
2 The virtual machine is registered with the new host.
3 After the migration is completed, the old version of the virtual machine is deleted from the
source host and datastore if you selected the option to move to a different datastore.
Network Traffic for Cold Migration

By default, data for VM cold migration, cloning, and snapshots is transferred through the
management network. This traffic is called provisioning traffic. It is not encrypted but uses run-
length encoding of data.
On a host, you can dedicate a separate VMkernel network adapter to the provisioning traffic, for
example, to isolate this traffic on another VLAN. On a host, you can assign no more than one
VMkernel adapter for provisioning traffic. For information about enabling provisioning traffic on a
separate VMkernel adapter, see the vSphere Networking documentation.
If you plan to transfer high volumes of virtual machine data that the management network cannot
accommodate, redirect the cold migration traffic on a host to the TCP/IP stack that is dedicated
to cold migration and cloning of powered off virtual machines. You can also redirect if you want
to isolate cold migration traffic in a subnet different from the management network, for example,
for migration over a long distance. See How to Place Traffic for Cold Migration, Cloning, and
Snapshots on the Provisioning TCP/IP Stack.
How to Migrate a Powered Off or Suspended Virtual Machine

You can use cold migration to move a virtual machine and its associated disks from one
datastore to another in your vSphere environment. The virtual machines are not required to be
on shared storage.
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Prerequisites
n Make sure that you are familiar with the requirements for cold migration. See Cold Migration
in Your vSphere Environment.
n Required privilege: Resource.Migrate powered off virtual machine
Procedure
1 Power off or suspend the virtual machine.
2 Right-click the virtual machine and select Migrate.
a To locate a virtual machine, select a data center, folder, cluster, resource pool, host, or
vApp.
b Click the Virtual Machines tab.
3 Select the migration type and click Next.
Option Description
Change compute resource only Move the virtual machine to another host.
Change storage only Move the virtual machine’s configuration file and virtual disks.
Change both compute resource and Move the virtual machine to another host and move its configuration file and
storage virtual disks.
4 If you change the compute resource of the virtual machine, select the destination compute
resource for this virtual machine migration and click Next.
Any compatibility problem appears in the Compatibility panel. Fix the problem, or select
another host or cluster.
Possible targets include hosts and DRS clusters with any level of automation. If a cluster has
no DRS enabled, select a specific host in the cluster rather than selecting the cluster.
Important If the virtual machine that you migrate has an NVDIMM device and uses PMem
storage, the destination host or cluster must have available PMem resources. Otherwise, the
compatibility check fails and you cannot proceed further with the migration.
If the virtual machine that you migrate does not have an NVDIMM device but it uses PMem
storage, you must select a host or cluster with available PMem resources, so that all PMem
hard disks remain stored on a PMem datastore. Otherwise, all the hard disks use the storage
policy and datastore selected for the configuration files of the virtual machine.
Important Migrating a virtual machine that has an NVDIMM device or a vPMem disk to a host
that does not have the proper license fails and leaves the virtual machine in an unmanageable
state for 90 seconds. You can afterwards retry the migration and select a destination host
that is licensed to use PMem devices.
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5 If you change the storage of the virtual machine, enter the required details in the Select
Storage page.
a Select the storage type for the virtual machine configuration files and all the hard disks.
n If you select the Standard mode, all virtual disks are stored on a standard datastore.
n If you select the PMem mode, all virtual disks are stored on the host-local PMem
datastore. Configuration files cannot be stored on a PMem datastore and you must
additionally select a regular datastore for the configuration files of the virtual machine.
n If you select the Hybrid mode, all PMem virtual disks remain stored on a PMem
datastore. Non-PMem disks are affected by your choice of a VM storage policy and
datastore or datastore cluster.
Selecting the type of storage is possible only if PMem or Hybrid storage types are
available in the data center.
b Select the format for the virtual machine disks.
Option Action
Same format as source Use the same format as the source virtual machine.
Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed Create a virtual disk in a default thick format. Space required for the
virtual disk is allocated during creation. Any data remaining on the
physical device is not erased during creation. Instead, it is zeroed out
on demand on first write from the virtual machine.
Thick Provision Eager Zeroed Create a thick disk that supports clustering features such as Fault
Tolerance. Space required for the virtual disk is allocated at creation time.
In contrast to the thick provision lazy zeroed format, the data remaining
on the physical device is zeroed out during creation. It might take longer
to create disks in this format than to create other types of disks.
Thin Provision Use the thin provisioned format. At first, a thin provisioned disk uses only
as much datastore space as the disk initially needs. If the thin disk needs
more space later, it can expand to the maximum capacity allocated to it.
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c Select a virtual machine storage policy from the VM Storage Policy drop-down menu.
Storage policies specify storage requirements for applications that run on the virtual
machine. You can also select the default policy for vSAN or Virtual Volumes datastores.
Important If the virtual machine hard disks use different storage policies, the new policy
that you select only applies to non-PMem hard disks. PMem hard disks are migrated to
the host-local PMem datastore of the destination host.
d Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option Action
Store all virtual machine files in the Select a datastore from the list and click Next.
same location on a datastore.
Store all virtual machine files in the 1 Select a Storage DRS cluster.
same Storage DRS cluster. 2 (Optional) To deactivate Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select
Disable Storage DRS for this virtual machine and select a datastore
within the Storage DRS cluster.
3 Click Next.
Store virtual machine configuration 1 Click Configure per disk.

files and disks in separate
Note You can use the Configure per disk option to downgrade from
locations.
or upgrade to PMem storage.
2 For the virtual machine configuration file and for each virtual disk,
select Browse, and select a datastore or Storage DRS cluster.
Note Configuration files cannot be stored on a PMem datastore.

3 (Optional) If you selected a Storage DRS cluster and do not want to
use Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select Disable Storage
DRS for this virtual machine and select a datastore within the
Storage DRS cluster.
4 Click Next.
6 If you change the compute resource of the virtual machine, select destination networks for
the virtual machine migration.
You can migrate a virtual machine network to another distributed switch in the same or to
another data center or vCenter Server.
Option Action
Select a destination network for all a Click the arrow in the Destination Network column and select Browse.
VM network adapters connected to a b Select a destination network and click OK.
valid source network. c Click Next.
Select a new destination network for a Click Advanced.

each VM network adapter connected b Click the arrow in the Destination Network column and select Browse.
to a valid source network. c Select a destination network and click OK.
d Click Next.
7 On the Ready to complete page, review the details and click Finish.
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Results
vCenter Server moves the virtual machine to the new host or storage location.
Event messages appear in the Events tab. The data displayed on the Summary tab shows the
status and state throughout the migration. If errors occur during migration, the virtual machines
revert to their original states and locations.
Migrating Virtual Machines with vSphere vMotion

If you must take a host offline for maintenance, you can move the virtual machine to another
host. Migration with vSphere vMotion allows virtual machine processes to continue working
throughout a migration.
When you migrate a virtual machine with vSphere vMotion, the new host for the virtual machine
must meet compatibility requirements so that the migration can proceed.
vMotion Migration Types

With vSphere vMotion, you can change the compute resource on which a virtual machine is
running. You also can change both the compute resource and the storage of the virtual machine.
When you migrate virtual machines with vSphere vMotion and choose to change only the host,
the entire state of the virtual machine is moved to the new host. The associated virtual disk
remains in the same location on storage that must be shared between the two hosts.
When you choose to change both the host and the datastore, the virtual machine state is moved
to a new host and the virtual disk is moved to another datastore. vSphere vMotion to another
host and datastore is possible in vSphere environments without a shared storage.
After the virtual machine state is migrated to the alternate host, the virtual machine runs on the
new host. Migrations with vSphere vMotion are transparent to the running virtual machine.
When you choose to change both the compute resource and the storage, you can use vSphere
vMotion to migrate virtual machines across vCenter Server instances, data centers, and subnets.
Transferred State Information

The state information includes the current memory content and all the information that defines
and identifies the virtual machine. The memory content includes transaction data and the bits of
the operating system and applications that are in the memory. The defining and identification
information stored in the state includes all the data that maps to the virtual machine hardware
elements. This information includes BIOS, devices, CPU, MAC addresses for the Ethernet cards,
chipset states, registers, and so forth.
Stages in vSphere vMotion

Migration with vSphere vMotion occurs in three stages:
1 When you initiate a migration with vSphere vMotion, vCenter Server verifies that the existing
virtual machine is in a stable state within its current host.
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2 The virtual machine state information (memory, registers, and network connections) is copied
to the target host.
3 The virtual machine resumes its activities on the new host.
If errors occur during migration, the virtual machine reverts to its original state and location.
Host Configuration for vSphere vMotion

Before using vSphere vMotion, you must configure your hosts correctly.
n Each host must be licensed for vSphere vMotion.
n Each host must meet shared storage requirements for vSphere vMotion. See vSphere
vMotion Shared Storage Requirements.
n Each host must meet the networking requirements for vSphere vMotion. See What Are the
vSphere vMotion Networking Requirements.
vSphere vMotion Across Long Distances

You can perform reliable migrations between hosts and sites that are separated by high network
round-trip latency times. vSphere vMotion across long distances is enabled when the appropriate
license is installed. No user configuration is necessary.
For long-distance migration, verify the network latency between the hosts and your license.
n The round-trip time between the hosts must be up to 150 milliseconds.
n Your license must cover vSphere vMotion across long distances.
n You must place the traffic related to transfer of virtual machine files to the destination host
on the provisioning TCP/IP stack. See How to Place Traffic for Cold Migration, Cloning, and
Snapshots on the Provisioning TCP/IP Stack.
vSphere vMotion Shared Storage Requirements

Configure your hosts for vSphere vMotion with shared storage to ensure that virtual machines
are accessible to both source and target hosts.
During a migration with vMotion, the migrating virtual machine must be on storage accessible
to both the source and target hosts. Ensure that the hosts configured for vMotion use shared
storage. Shared storage can be on a Fibre Channel storage area network (SAN), or can be
implemented using iSCSI and NAS.
If you use vMotion to migrate virtual machines with raw device mapping (RDM) files, make sure to
maintain consistent LUN IDs for RDMs across all participating hosts.
See the vSphere Storage documentation for information on SANs and RDMs.
What Are the vSphere vMotion Networking Requirements

Migration with vMotion requires correctly configured network interfaces on source and target
hosts.
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Configure each host with at least one network interface for vMotion traffic. To ensure secure
data transfer, the vMotion network must be a secure network, accessible only to trusted parties.
Additional bandwidth significantly improves vMotion performance. When you migrate a virtual
machine with vMotion without using shared storage, the contents of the virtual disk is transferred
over the network as well.
vSphere 6.5 and later allow the network traffic with vMotion to be encrypted. Encrypted vMotion
depends on host configuration, or on compatibility between the source and destination hosts.
Requirements for Concurrent vMotion Migrations

You must ensure that the vMotion network has at least 250 Mbps of dedicated bandwidth per
concurrent vMotion session. Greater bandwidth lets migrations complete more quickly. Gains in
throughput resulting from WAN optimization techniques do not count towards the 250-Mbps
limit.
To determine the maximum number of concurrent vMotion operations possible, see vCenter
Server Limits on Simultaneous Migrations. These limits vary with a host's link speed to the
vMotion network.
Round-Trip Time for Long-Distance vMotion Migration

If you have the proper license applied to your environment, you can perform reliable migrations
between hosts that are separated by high network round-trip latency times. The maximum
supported network round-trip time for vMotion migrations is 150 milliseconds. This round-trip
time lets you migrate virtual machines to another geographical location at a longer distance.
Multiple-NIC vMotion
You can configure multiple NICs for vMotion by adding two or more NICs to the required
standard or distributed switch. For details, see Knowledge Base article KB 2007467.
Network Configuration
Configure the virtual networks on vMotion enabled hosts as follows:
n On each host, configure a VMkernel port group for vMotion.
To have the vMotion traffic routed across IP subnets, enable the vMotion TCP/IP stack on the
host. See How to Place vSphere vMotion Traffic on the vMotion TCP/IP Stack of Your ESXi
Host.
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n If you are using standard switches for networking, ensure that the network labels used for
the virtual machine port groups are consistent across hosts. During a migration with vMotion,
vCenter Server assigns virtual machines to port groups based on matching network labels.
Note By default, you cannot use vMotion to migrate a virtual machine that is attached to a
standard switch with no physical uplinks configured, even if the destination host also has a
no-uplink standard switch with the same label.
To override the default behavior, set the

config.migrate.test.CompatibleNetworks.VMOnVirtualIntranet advanced settings
of vCenter Server to false. The change takes effect immediately. For details about the
setting, see Knowledge Base article KB 1003832. For information about configuring advanced
settings of vCenter Server, see vCenter Server Configuration.
n If you use Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) and firewalls to protect your environment, make
sure that you configure them to allow connections to the ports used for vMotion on the
ESXi hosts. For the list of currently supported ports for vMotion, see the VMware Ports and
Protocols Tool™ at https://ports.esp.vmware.com/home/vSphere.
For information about configuring the vMotion network resources, see Networking Best Practices
for vSphere vMotion .
For more information about vMotion networking requirements, see Knowledge Base article KB
59232.
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Networking Best Practices for vSphere vMotion

Consider certain best practices for configuring the network resources for vMotion on an ESXi
host.
n Provide the required bandwidth in one of the following ways:
Physical Adapter
Configuration Best Practices
Dedicate at least one Use at least one 10 GbE adapter for workloads that have a small number of memory
adapter for vMotion. operations, or if you migrate workloads that have many memory operations.
If only two Ethernet adapters are available, for best availability, combine both adapters
into a team, and use VLANs to divide traffic into networks: one or more for virtual
machine traffic and one for vMotion.
Direct vMotion traffic to n To distribute and allocate more bandwidth to vMotion traffic across several physical
one or more physical NICs, use multiple-NIC vMotion.
NICs that have high- n On a vSphere Distributed Switch 5.1 and later, use vSphere Network I/O Control
bandwidth capacity and shares to guarantee bandwidth to outgoing vMotion traffic. Defining shares also
are shared between prevents from contention as a result from excessive vMotion or other traffic.
other types of traffic as n To avoid saturation of the physical NIC link as a result of intense incoming vMotion
well traffic, use traffic shaping in egress direction on the vMotion port group on the
destination host. By using traffic shaping you can limit the average and peak
bandwidth available to vMotion traffic, and reserve resources for other traffic types.
n In vSphere 7.0 Update 1 or earlier, vMotion saturates 1 GbE and 10 GbE physical NICs
with a single vMotion VMkernel NIC. Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 2, vMotion
saturates high speed links such as 25 GbE, 40 GbE and 100 GbE with a single vMotion
VMkernel NIC. If you do not have dedicated uplinks for vMotion, you can use Network
I/O Control to limit vMotion bandwidth use.
n Use jumbo frames for best vMotion performance.
Ensure that jumbo frames are enabled on all network devices that are on the vMotion path
including physical NICs, physical switches, and virtual switches.
n Place vMotion traffic on the vMotion TCP/IP stack for migration across IP subnets that have a
dedicated default gateway that is different from the gateway on the management network.
See How to Place vSphere vMotion Traffic on the vMotion TCP/IP Stack of Your ESXi Host.
For information about configuring networking on an ESXi host, see the vSphere Networking
documentation.
Virtual Machine Conditions and Limitations for vSphere vMotion

To migrate virtual machines with vMotion, the virtual machine must meet certain network, disk,
CPU, USB, and other device requirements.
The following virtual machine conditions and limitations apply when you use vSphere vMotion:
n The source and destination management network IP address families must match. You cannot
migrate a virtual machine from a host that is registered to vCenter Server with an IPv4
address to a host that is registered with an IPv6 address.
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n Using 1 GbE network adapters for the vSphere vMotion network might result in migration
failure, if you migrate virtual machines with large vGPU profiles. Use 10 GbE network adapters
for the vSphere vMotion network.
n If virtual CPU performance counters are enabled, you can migrate virtual machines only to
hosts that have compatible CPU performance counters.
n You can migrate virtual machines that have 3D graphics enabled. If the 3D Renderer is set to
Automatic, virtual machines use the graphics renderer that is present on the destination host.
The renderer can be the host CPU or a GPU graphics card. To migrate virtual machines with
the 3D Renderer set to Hardware, the destination host must have a GPU graphics card.
n Starting with vSphere 6.7 Update 1 and later, vSphere vMotion supports virtual machines with
vGPU.
n vSphere DRS supports initial placement of vGPU virtual machines running vSphere 6.7 Update
1 or later without load balancing support.
n You can migrate virtual machines with USB devices that are connected to a physical USB
device on the host. You must enable the devices for vSphere vMotion.
n You cannot use migration with vSphere vMotion to migrate a virtual machine that uses a
virtual device backed by a device that is not accessible on the destination host. For example,
you cannot migrate a virtual machine with a CD drive backed by the physical CD drive on the
source host. Disconnect these devices before you migrate the virtual machine.
n You cannot use migration with vSphere vMotion to migrate a virtual machine that uses a
virtual device backed by a device on the client computer. Disconnect these devices before
you migrate the virtual machine.
Using vSphere vMotion to Migrate vGPU Virtual Machines

You can use vMotion to perform a live migration of NVIDIA vGPU-powered virtual machines
without causing data loss.
To enable vMotion for vGPU virtual machines, you need to set the vgpu.hotmigrate.enabled
advanced setting to true. For more information about how to configure the vCenter Server
advanced settings, see Configure Advanced Settings in the vCenter Server Configuration
documentation.
In vSphere 6.7 Update 1 and vSphere 6.7 Update 2, when you migrate vGPU virtual machines with
vMotion and vMotion stun time exceeds 100 seconds, the migration process might fail for vGPU
profiles with 24 GB frame buffer size or larger. To avoid the vMotion timeout, upgrade to vSphere
6.7 Update 3 or later.
During the stun time, you are unable to access the VM, desktop, or application. Once the
migration is completed, access to the VM resumes and all applications continue from their
previous state. For information on frame buffer size in vGPU profiles, refer to the NVIDIA Virtual
GPU documentation.
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The expected VM stun times (the time when the VM is inaccessible to users during vMotion) and
the estimated worst-case stun times are listed in the following tables. The expected stun times
were tested over a 10Gb network with NVIDIA Tesla V100 PCIe 32 GB GPUs:
Table 11-1. Expected Stun Times for vMotion of vGPU VMs
Used vGPU Frame Buffer (GB) VM Stun Time (sec)
1 2
2 4
4 6
8 12
16 22
32 39
Table 11-2. Estimated Worst-Case Stun Times (sec)

VM Memory
vGPU Memory VM Memory 4 GB VM Memory 8 GB VM Memory 16 GB 32 GB
1 GB 5 6 8 12
2 GB 7 9 11 15
4 GB 13 14 16 21
8 GB 24 25 28 32
16 GB 47 48 50 54
32 GB 91 92 95 99
Note When you consider the expected and estimated worst-case stun times, keep in mind the
following points:
n The configured vGPU profile represents an upper bound to the used vGPU frame buffer. In
many use cases, the amount of vGPU frame buffer memory used by the VM at any given time
is below the assigned vGPU memory in the profile.
n Both expected and estimated worst-case stun times are only valid when migrating a single
virtual machine. If you are concurrently migrating multiple virtual machines, that is, for a
vSphere manual remediation process, the stun times will have adverse effects.
n The above estimates assume sufficient CPU, memory, PCIe, and network capacity to achieve
10 Gbps migration throughput.
DRS supports initial placement of vGPU VMs running vSphere 6.7 Update 1 and later without load
balancing support.
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VMware vSphere vMotion is supported only with and between compatible NVIDIA GPU device
models and NVIDIA GRID host driver versions as defined and supported by NVIDIA. For
compatibility information, refer to the NVIDIA Virtual GPU User Guide.
To check compatibility between NVIDIA vGPU host drivers, vSphere, and Horizon, refer to the
VMware Compatibility Matrix.
Related tasks
n How to Migrate Your Virtual Machine to a New Compute Resource
n How to Migrate Your Virtual Machine to a New Compute Resource and Storage
n How to Migrate Your Virtual Machine with Storage vMotion
How to Set a Stun Time Limit for Your vGPU Virtual Machines
Learn how to set a stun time limit per virtual machine when you migrate NVIDIA vGPU-powered
virtual machines with vSphere vMotion. Setting a stun time limit may prevent vCenter Server from
powering on the virtual machine or migrating it to a host and network whose estimated maximum
stun time exceeds that limit.
Virtual machine stun time is the time when the virtual machine is inaccessible to users during
vMotion. Starting with vSphere 8.0 Update 2, you can set a vMotion stun time limit for vGPU
virtual machines.
The limit that you set must be higher than the estimated maximum stun time for the current
device configuration. In case of multiple PCI devices, the stun time limit that you set must be
higher than the sum of the contributions of all PCI devices. Setting a stun time limit that is lower
than the estimated maximum stun time may prevent the virtual machine from powering on.
Note Maximum stun time estimates are only available for C-Series and Q-Series vGPU types.
The maximum stun time is calculated on the basis of the bandwidth of the host on which the VM
runs currently. The calculations may change at the time of migration if the destination host has
lower bandwidth. For example, if a virtual machine is running on a host with a 25 Gbps vMotion
NIC, but the destination host has a 10 Gbps vMotion NIC. At the time of migration the maximum
stun time calculation is based on the 10 Gbps vMotion NIC.
Prerequisites
n Verify that the vCenter Server instance is version 8.0 Update 2.
n Verify that the source and destination ESXi hosts are version 8.0 Update 2.
n Verify that Sphere Cluster Services (vCLS) VMs are in a healthy state. For information about
vCLS, see vSphere Cluster Services.
n Verify that the vMotion network is configured through the Quickstart Workflow. For
information about configuring the networking options for the vMotion traffic, see How to
Configure Your vSphere Cluster by Using the Quickstart Workflow.
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n Verify that vMotion is enabled for vGPU virtual machines. The vgpu.hotmigrate.enabled
advanced setting must be set to true. For more information about how to configure the
vCenter Server advanced settings, see Configure Advanced Settings in the vCenter Server
Configuration documentation.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to a vGPU virtual machine.
2 Right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.
The Edit Settings dialog box appears.
3 Click the VM Options tab and expand Advanced.
4 In the vMotion Stun Time Limit input field, enter the stun time limit in seconds.
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If you set a stun time limit that is lower than the estimated maximum stun time for the PCI
device configuration, a warning message appears. A warning message is also displayed on
the Virtual Hardware tab.
5 Click OK.
Virtual Machines Swap File Location and vSphere vMotion Compatibility

Virtual machine swap file location affects vMotion compatibility in different ways depending on
the version of ESXi running on the virtual machine's host.
You can configure ESXi 6.7 or later hosts to store virtual machine swap files with the virtual
machine configuration file, or on a local swap file datastore specified for that host.
The location of the virtual machine swap file affects vMotion compatibility as follows:
n For migrations between hosts running ESXi 6.7 and later, vMotion and migrations of
suspended and powered-off virtual machines are allowed.
n During a migration with vMotion, if the swap file location on the destination host differs from
the swap file location on the source host, the swap file is copied to the new location. This
activity can result in slower migrations with vMotion. If the destination host cannot access the
specified swap file location, it stores the swap file with the virtual machine configuration file.
See the vSphere Resource Management documentation for information about configuring swap
file policies.
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vSphere vMotion Notifications for Latency Sensitive Applications

Starting with vSphere 8.0, you can notify an application running inside the guest OS of a virtual
machine when a vSphere vMotion event starts and finishes. This notification mechanism allows
latency sensitive applications to prepare and even delay a vSphere vMotion operation.
In cases of latency sensitive applications, such as VoIP applications and high frequency trading
applications, vSphere vMotion and vSphere DRS are usually deactivated. vSphere 8.0 introduces
a notification mechanism which allow you to notify an application that a vSphere vMotion is
about to happen so that the application takes the necessary steps to prepare. vSphere vMotion
pauses after generating the start event and waits for the application to acknowledge the start
notification before it proceeds.
Note Enabling the notification mechanism for vSphere vMotion operations, might result in an
increase of the overall vSphere vMotion time.
How to Configure a Virtual Machine for vSphere vMotion Notifications

By default, the notification mechanism is deactivated. To enable the notification mechanism on a
virtual machine, the virtual machine must be of hardware version 20 and you must configure the
following advanced virtual machine configuration options.
n To enable sending notifications to applications running inside the virtual machine, set the
vmx.vmOpNotificationToApp.enabled virtual machine property to true
n To specify the maximum period of time in seconds that an application has to prepare for the
vMotion operation, use the vmx.vmOpNotificationToApp.timeout virtual machine property.
When a vSphere vMotion operation generates a start event, the vMotion operation pauses
and waits for an acknowledgment from the application to proceed. vSphere vMotion waits for
the notification timeout that you specify.
This property is optional and is not set by default. You can use it to configure a
more restrictive timeout for a specific virtual machine. If left unset, the host notification
configuration is used.
How to Configure a Host for vSphere vMotion Notifications

You can use the VmOpNotificationToApp.Timeout advanced host configuration setting, to specify
a notification timeout that applies to all virtual machines on a host. Use the ConfigManager APIs
to set a value to this configuration property. See the vSphere Web Services API reference
documentation.
The default notification timeout is 0. In this case, application notifications are generated but the
vSphere vMotion operations are not delayed.
If you set a notification timeout on a host and a virtual machine running on the host at the same
time, the smaller value is used.
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How to Register an Application for vSphere vMotion Notifications

To enable an application to receive notifications for vSphere vMotion events, you must have
VMware Tools installed on the virtual machine hosting the application. With vSphere 8.0, you can
register only one application per virtual machine. An application that wants to receive vSphere
vMotion notifications, can use the following guest RPC calls and check for new vMotion events
periodically, for example, every 1 or 2 seconds, using the vm-operation-notification.check-
for-event guest RPC call.
Command Description
vm-operation-notification.register Registers an application to start receiving notifications for

vSphere vMotion events.
vm-operation-notification.unregister Unregisters an application from receiving notifications for

vSphere vMotion events.
vm-operation-notification.list Retrieves information about the registered application

running on a virtual machine on the host.
vm-operation-notification.check-for-event Retrieves information about the vSphere vMotion event

registered at the time of the call.
vm-operation-notification.ack-event Acknowledges a vSphere vMotion start event.
How to Migrate Your Virtual Machine to a New Compute Resource

Learn how to use vSphere vMotion and the Migration wizard to migrate a powered-on virtual
machine from one compute resource to another. To relocate only the disks of a powered-on
virtual machine, migrate the virtual machine to a new datastore by using Storage vMotion.
Prerequisites
Verify that your hosts and virtual machines meet the requirements for migration with vMotion
with shared storage.
n Verify that your hosts and virtual machines meet the requirements for migration with
vMotion. See Host Configuration for vSphere vMotion and Virtual Machine Conditions and
Limitations for vSphere vMotion.
n Verify that the storage that contains the virtual machine disks is shared between the source
and target hosts. See vSphere vMotion Shared Storage Requirements.
n For migration across vCenter Server instances, verify whether your system meets additional
requirements. See What Are the Requirements for vMotion Between vCenter Server
Instances
n For migration of a virtual machine with NVIDIA vGPU, verify that the target ESXi host has a
free vGPU slot. Also, verify that the vgpu.hotmigrate.enabled advanced setting is set to true.
For more information about configuring vCenter Server advanced settings, see Configure
Advanced Settings in the vCenter Server Configuration documentation.
n Required privilege: Resource.Migrate powered on virtual machine
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Procedure
vApp.
2 Click Change compute resource only and click Next.
3 Select a host, cluster, resource pool, or vApp to run the virtual machine, and click Next.
Any compatibility problem appears in the Compatibility panel. Fix the problem, or select
Possible targets include hosts and fully automated DRS clusters in the same or another
vCenter Server system. If your target is a non-automated cluster, select a host within the
non-automated cluster.
Important If the virtual machine that you migrate has an NVDIMM device and virtual PMem
hard disks, the destination host or cluster must have available PMem resources. Otherwise,
the compatibility check fails and you cannot proceed further with the migration.
If the virtual machine that you migrate does not have an NVDIMM device, but it has virtual
PMem hard disks, the destination host or cluster must have available PMem resources, so that
all PMem hard disks remain stored on a PMem datastore. Otherwise, all the hard disks use the
storage policy and datastore selected for the configuration files of the virtual machine.
4 Select a destination network for all VM network adapters connected to a valid source
network and click Next.
You can click Advanced to select a new destination network for each VM network adapter
connected to a valid source network.
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5 Select the migration priority level and click Next.
Option Description
Schedule vMotion with high priority vCenter Server attempts to reserve resources on both the source and
destination hosts to be shared among all concurrent migrations with
vMotion. vCenter Server grants a larger share of host CPU resources.
If sufficient CPU resources are not immediately available, vMotion is not
initiated.
Schedule regular vMotion vCenter Server reserves resources on both the source and destination hosts
to be shared among all concurrent migration with vMotion. vCenter Server
grants a smaller share of host CPU resources. If there is a lack of CPU
resources, the duration of vMotion can be extended.
6 Review the page and click Finish.
Results
What is Migration with Storage vMotion

With Storage vMotion, you can migrate a virtual machine and its disk files from one datastore to
another while the virtual machine is running. You can also move virtual machines off of arrays for
maintenance or to upgrade.
With Storage vMotion you also have the flexibility to optimize disks for performance, or to
transform disk types, which you can use to reclaim space.
You can choose to place the virtual machine and all its disks in a single location, or you can select
separate locations for the virtual machine configuration file and each virtual disk. The virtual
machine does not change execution host during a migration with Storage vMotion.
During a migration with Storage vMotion, you can change the disk provisioning type.
Migration with Storage vMotion changes virtual machine files on the destination datastore
to match the inventory name of the virtual machine. The migration renames all virtual disk,
configuration, snapshot, and .nvram files. If the new names exceed the maximum filename
length, the migration does not succeed.
Storage vMotion has several uses in administering virtual infrastructure, including the following
examples of use.
n Storage maintenance and reconfiguration. You can use Storage vMotion to move virtual
machines off a storage device to allow maintenance or reconfiguration of the storage device
without virtual machine downtime.
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n Redistributing storage load. You can use Storage vMotion to redistribute virtual machines or
virtual disks to different storage volumes to balance capacity or improve performance.
Storage vMotion Requirements and Limitations

A virtual machine and its host must meet resource and configuration requirements for the virtual
machine disks to be migrated with Storage vMotion.
Storage vMotion is subject to the following requirements and limitations:
n Virtual machine disks must be in persistent mode or be raw device mappings (RDMs).
For virtual compatibility mode RDMs, you can migrate the mapping file or convert to
thick-provisioned or thin-provisioned disks during migration if the destination is not an NFS
datastore. If you convert the mapping file, a new virtual disk is created and the contents
of the mapped LUN are copied to this disk. For physical compatibility mode RDMs, you can
migrate the mapping file only.
n Migration of virtual machines during VMware Tools installation is not supported.
n Because VMFS3 datastores do not support large capacity virtual disks, you cannot move
virtual disks greater than 2 TB from a VMFS5 datastore to a VMFS3 datastore.
n The host on which the virtual machine is running must have a license that includes Storage
vMotion.
n ESXi 4.0 and later hosts do not require vMotion configuration to perform migration with
Storage vMotion.
n The host on which the virtual machine is running must have access to both the source and
target datastores.
n For limits on the number of simultaneous migrations with vMotion and Storage vMotion, see
vCenter Server Limits on Simultaneous Migrations.
How to Migrate Your Virtual Machine with Storage vMotion

Learn how to use Storage vMotion to migrate the configuration file of a virtual machine and its
virtual disks to a new storage . You can migrate the virtual machine while it is powered on.
You can change the virtual machine host during a migration with Storage vMotion.
Prerequisites
n Verify that your system satisfies the requirements for Storage vMotion. See Storage vMotion
Requirements and Limitations.
n For migration of a virtual machine with NVIDIA vGPU, verify that the ESXi host on which the
virtual machine runs has a free vGPU slot when the host is with version 7.0 Update 2 and
earlier. Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 3, the source hosts are not required to have a free
vGPU slot.
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n Verify that the vgpu.hotmigrate.enabled advanced setting is set to true. For more
information about configuring vCenter Server advanced settings, see Configure Advanced
Settings in the vCenter Server Configuration documentation.
Procedure
vApp.
2 Click Change storage only and click Next.
3 Select the format for the virtual machine's disks.
Option Action
Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed Create a virtual disk in a default thick format. Space required for the virtual
disk is allocated during creation. Any data remaining on the physical device
is not erased during creation. Instead, it is zeroed out on demand on first
write from the virtual machine.
Thick Provision Eager Zeroed Create a thick disk that supports clustering features such as Fault Tolerance.
Space required for the virtual disk is allocated at creation time. In contrast
to the thick provision lazy zeroed format, the data remaining on the physical
device is zeroed out during creation. It might take longer to create disks in
this format than to create other types of disks.
Thin Provision Use the thin provisioned format. At first, a thin provisioned disk uses only as
much datastore space as the disk initially needs. If the thin disk needs more
space later, it can expand to the maximum capacity allocated to it.
4 Select a virtual machine storage policy from the VM Storage Policy drop-down menu.
Storage policies specify storage requirements for applications that run on the virtual machine.
You can also select the default policy for vSAN or Virtual Volumes datastores.
that you select only applies to non-PMem hard disks. PMem hard disks are migrated to the
host-local PMem datastore of the destination host.
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5 Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option Action
Store all virtual machine files in the Select a datastore and click Next.
Store all virtual machine files in the a Select a Storage DRS cluster.
same Storage DRS cluster. b (Optional) To deactivate Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select
c Click Next.
Store virtual machine configuration a Click Advanced.

files and disks in separate locations.
Note You can use the Advanced option to downgrade from or upgrade
to PMem storage.
b For the virtual machine configuration file and for each virtual disk, select
Browse, and select a datastore or Storage DRS cluster.

c (Optional) If you selected a Storage DRS cluster and do not want to
use Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select Disable Storage DRS
for this virtual machine and select a datastore within the Storage DRS
cluster.
d Click Next.
Results
vCenter Server moves the virtual machine to the new storage location. Names of migrated virtual
machine files on the destination datastore match the inventory name of the virtual machine.
How to Migrate Your Virtual Machine to a New Compute Resource and Storage
Learn how to move a virtual machine from your vSphere inventory to another compute resource
and move its disks or virtual machine folder to another datastore. With vMotion, you can migrate
a virtual machine and its disks and files while the virtual machine is powered on.
Simultaneous migration to a new compute resource and datastore provides greater mobility for
virtual machines by eliminating the vCenter Server boundary. Virtual machine disks or contents of
the virtual machine folder are transferred over the vMotion network to reach the destination host
and datastores.
To make disk format changes and preserve them, you must select a different datastore for the
virtual machine files and disks. You cannot preserve disk format changes if you select the same
datastore on which the virtual machine currently resides.
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Prerequisites
n Verify that your hosts and virtual machines meet the requirements for live migration. See
Requirements and Limitations for vMotion Without Shared Storage.
n For migration across vCenter Server instances, verify whether your system meets additional
requirements. See What Are the Requirements for vMotion Between vCenter Server
Instances
n For migration of a virtual machine with NVIDIA vGPU, verify that the target ESXi host has a
free vGPU slot. Also, verify that the vgpu.hotmigrate.enabled advanced setting is set to true.
For more information about configuring vCenter Server advanced settings, see "Configure
Advanced Settings" in vCenter Server Configuration.
Procedure
vApp.
2 Select Change both compute resource and storage and click Next.
3 Select a destination resource for the virtual machine, and click Next.
Any compatibility problems appear in the Compatibility panel. Fix the problem, or select
Possible targets include hosts and fully automated DRS clusters. If your target is a non-
automated cluster, select a host within the non-automated cluster.
If your environment has more than one vCenter Server instances, you can move virtual
machines from one vCenter Server inventory to another.
Important If the virtual machine that you migrate has an NVDIMM device and uses PMem
storage, the destination host or cluster must have available PMem resources. Otherwise, the
compatibility check fails and you cannot proceed further with the migration.
If the virtual machine that you migrate does not have an NVDIMM device but it uses PMem
storage, you must select a host or cluster with available PMem resources, so that all PMem
hard disks remain stored on a PMem datastore. Otherwise, all the hard disks use the storage
policy and datastore selected for the configuration files of the virtual machine.
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4 Select the format for the virtual machine's disks.
Option Action
Thick Provision Lazy Zeroed Create a virtual disk in a default thick format. Space required for the virtual
disk is allocated during creation. Any data remaining on the physical device
is not erased during creation. Instead, it is zeroed out on demand on first
write from the virtual machine.
Thick Provision Eager Zeroed Create a thick disk that supports clustering features such as Fault Tolerance.
Space required for the virtual disk is allocated at creation time. In contrast
to the thick provision lazy zeroed format, the data remaining on the physical
device is zeroed out during creation. It might take longer to create disks in
this format than to create other types of disks.
Thin Provision Use the thin provisioned format. At first, a thin provisioned disk uses only as
much datastore space as the disk initially needs. If the thin disk needs more
space later, it can expand to the maximum capacity allocated to it.
5 Select a virtual machine storage policy from the VM Storage Policy drop-down menu.
Storage policies specify storage requirements for applications that run on the virtual machine.
You can also select the default policy for vSAN or Virtual Volumes datastores.
that you select only applies to non-PMem hard disks. PMem hard disks are migrated to the
host-local PMem datastore of the destination host.
6 Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option Action
Store all virtual machine files in the Select a datastore and click Next.
Store all virtual machine files in the a Select a Storage DRS cluster.
same Storage DRS cluster. b (Optional) To deactivate Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select
c Click Next.
Store virtual machine configuration a Click Advanced.

files and disks in separate locations.
Note You can use the Advanced option to downgrade from or upgrade
to PMem storage.
b For the virtual machine configuration file and for each virtual disk, select
Browse, and select a datastore or Storage DRS cluster.

c (Optional) If you selected a Storage DRS cluster and do not want to
use Storage DRS with this virtual machine, select Disable Storage DRS
for this virtual machine and select a datastore within the Storage DRS
cluster.
d Click Next.
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7 Select a destination network for all VM network adapters connected to a valid source
network and click Next.
You can click Advanced to select a new destination network for each VM network adapter
connected to a valid source network.
8 Select the migration priority level and click Next.
Option Description
Schedule vMotion with high priority vCenter Server attempts to reserve resources on both the source and
destination hosts to be shared among all concurrent migrations with
vMotion. vCenter Server grants a larger share of host CPU resources.
If sufficient CPU resources are not immediately available, vMotion is not
initiated.
Schedule regular vMotion vCenter Server reserves resources on both the source and destination hosts
to be shared among all concurrent migration with vMotion. vCenter Server
grants a smaller share of host CPU resources. If there is a lack of CPU
resources, the duration of vMotion can be extended.
Results
vSphere vMotion in Environments Without Shared Storage

You can use vSphere vMotion to migrate virtual machines to a different compute resource and
storage simultaneously. Unlike vSphere Storage vMotion, which requires a single host to have
access to both the source and destination datastore, you can migrate virtual machines across
storage accessibility boundaries.
vSphere vMotion does not require environments with shared storage. This is useful for
performing cross-cluster migrations, when the target cluster machines might not have access
to the storage of the source cluster. Processes that are working on the virtual machine continue
to run during the migration with vSphere vMotion.
You can use vSphere vMotion to migrate virtual machines across vCenter Server instances.
You can place the virtual machine and all its disks in a single location or select separate locations
for the virtual machine configuration file and each virtual disk. In addition, you can change virtual
disks from thick-provisioned to thin-provisioned or from thin-provisioned to thick-provisioned.
For virtual compatibility mode RDMs, you can migrate the mapping file or convert from RDM to
VMDK.
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vSphere vMotion without shared storage is useful for virtual infrastructure administration tasks
similar to vSphere vMotion with shared storage or vSphere Storage vMotion tasks.
n Host maintenance. You can move virtual machines from a host to allow maintenance of the
host.
n Storage maintenance and reconfiguration. You can move virtual machines from a storage
device to allow maintenance or reconfiguration of the storage device without virtual machine
downtime.
n Storage load redistribution. You can manually redistribute virtual machines or virtual disks to
different storage volumes to balance capacity or improve performance.
Requirements and Limitations for vMotion Without Shared Storage

If you want to migrate a virtual machine with vMotion in the absence of shared storage, the
virtual machine and its host must meet resource and configuration requirements for the virtual
machine files and disks.
vMotion in an environment without shared storage is subject to the following requirements and
limitations:
n The hosts must be licensed for vMotion.
n The hosts must be running ESXi 5.1 or later.
n The hosts must meet the networking requirement for vMotion. See What Are the vSphere
vMotion Networking Requirements.
n The virtual machines must be properly configured for vMotion. See Virtual Machine
Conditions and Limitations for vSphere vMotion
n Virtual machine disks must be in persistent mode or be raw device mappings (RDMs). See
Storage vMotion Requirements and Limitations.
n The destination host must have access to the destination storage.
n When you move a virtual machine with RDMs and do not convert those RDMs to VMDKs, the
destination host must have access to the RDM LUNs.
n Consider the limits for simultaneous migrations when you perform a vMotion migration
without shared storage. This type of vMotion counts against the limits for both vMotion and
Storage vMotion, so it consumes both a network resource and 16 datastore resources. See
vCenter Server Limits on Simultaneous Migrations.
Migrating Virtual Machines Between vCenter Server Systems

You can migrate powered-on and powered-off virtual machines between vCenter Server
instances. With Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion, you can also move or clone workloads across
vCenter Server systems both between on-premises environments and between cloud and on-
premises environments.
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Cold and Hot migration of virtual machines across vCenter Server systems is helpful in certain VM
provisioning cases.
n Balance workloads across clusters and vCenter Server instances.
n Elastically expand or shrink capacity across resources in different vCenter Server instances in
the same site or in another geographical area.
n Move virtual machines between environments that have different purposes, for example,
from a development to production.
n Move virtual machines to meet different Service Level Agreements (SLAs) regarding storage
space, performance, and so on.
Note During the migration of a virtual machine to another vCenter Server system, the
performance data that has been collected about the virtual machine is lost.
What to read next
n What Are the Requirements for vMotion Between vCenter Server Instances
You can use vSphere vMotion across vCenter Server instances if your system meets certain
requirements.
n Network Compatibility Checks During vMotion Between vCenter Server Instances

Migration of virtual machines between vCenter Server instances moves virtual machines
to new networks. The migration process performs checks to verify that the source and
destination networks are similar.
n MAC Address Management During Migration Between vCenter Server Systems

When you move a virtual machine between vCenter Server instances, the environment
specifically handles MAC address migration to avoid address duplication and loss of data in
the network.
n Export or Clone a Virtual Machine with Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion

Learn how to export or clone workloads to a target vCenter Server system by using
Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion. You can initiate migration of workloads both from on-
premise environments and from cloud environments.
n Import or Clone a Virtual Machine with Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion

Learn how to use Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion to import or clone workloads from
a source vCenter Server system. You can initiate migration of workloads both from on-
premise environments and from cloud environments.
What Are the Requirements for vMotion Between vCenter Server

Instances
You can use vSphere vMotion across vCenter Server instances if your system meets certain
requirements.
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The following list sums the requirements that your system must meet so that you can use
migration across vCenter Server instances:
n When you migrate virtual machines across vCenter Server instances in Enhanced Linked
Mode, without using Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion, verify that you meet the following
requirements.
n Both vCenter Server instances must be in the same vCenter Single Sign-On domain.
Enhanced Link Mode lets the source vCenter Server authenticate to the destination
vCenter Server.
For information about installing vCenter Server in Enhanced Linked Mode, see the vCenter
Server Installation and Setup documentation.
n The cross vCenter Server and long-distance vSphere vMotion features require a vSphere
Enterprise Plus license. For more information, see http://www.vmware.com/uk/products/
vsphere/compare.html.
n The source and destination vCenter Server instances and ESXi hosts must be 6.7 or later.
n Both vCenter Server instances must be time-synchronized with each other for correct
vCenter Single Sign-On token verification.
n For migration of compute resources only, both vCenter Server instances must be
connected to the shared virtual machine storage.
n When you migrate virtual machines across vCenter Server instances in different vCenter
Single Sign-On domains with Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion, verify that you meet the
following requirements.
n The vCenter Server instance from which you initiate the import or export of virtual
machines must be version 7.0 Update 1c or later.
n To vMotion powered-on virtual machines with the Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion
feature, you must have a vSphere Enterprise Plus license on both the source and
destination vCenter Server instances.
n To migrate powered-off virtual machines with the Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion
feature, you must have a vSphere Standard license.
Network Compatibility Checks During vMotion Between vCenter

Server Instances
Migration of virtual machines between vCenter Server instances moves virtual machines to new
networks. The migration process performs checks to verify that the source and destination
networks are similar.
vCenter Server performs network compatibility checks to prevent the following configuration
problems:
n vMotion between distributed switches of different versions
n vMotion from an external network to an internal network
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n vMotion to a distributed switch that is not working properly
vCenter Server does not perform checks for and notify you about the following problems:
n If the source and destination distributed switches are not in the same broadcast domain,
virtual machines lose network connectivity after migration.
n If the source and destination distributed switches do not have the same services configured,
virtual machines might lose network connectivity after migration.
MAC Address Management During Migration Between vCenter

Server Systems
When you move a virtual machine between vCenter Server instances, the environment
specifically handles MAC address migration to avoid address duplication and loss of data in the
network.
In an environment with multiple vCenter Server instances, when a virtual machine is migrated, its
MAC addresses are transferred to the target vCenter Server. The source vCenter Server adds the
MAC addresses to a denylist so that it does not assign them to newly created virtual machines.
To reclaim unused MAC addresses from the denylist, contact VMware Technical Support for
assistance.
Export or Clone a Virtual Machine with Advanced Cross vCenter

vMotion
Learn how to export or clone workloads to a target vCenter Server system by using
Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion. You can initiate migration of workloads both from on-premise
environments and from cloud environments.
Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion does not depend on vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode or Hybrid
Linked Mode and you can migrate virtual machines across vCenter Server systems in different
vCenter Single Sign-On domains. For example, when you deploy a new vCenter Server instance,
you can migrate virtual machines from the earlier version of your vCenter Server instance to the
newly provisioned one.
Prerequisites
n Obtain the credentials for the administrator accounts of the vCenter Server instances to
which you want to migrate virtual machines.
n Verify that the target vCenter Server instances to which you export or clone virtual machines
are version 6.7 or later.
n Verify that the source vCenter Server instance from which you export virtual machines is
version 7.0 Update 1c or later if you want to export virtual machines to other vCenter Server
instances.
n Verify that the source vCenter Server instance from which you clone virtual machines is
version 7.0 Update 3 or later.
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n Verify that the destination ESXi hosts are version 6.7 or later.
n If the virtual machine that you migrate has an NVDIMM device and uses PMem storage, verify
that the destination host or cluster have available PMem resources.
n If you migrate a virtual machine that has an NVDIMM device or a vPMem disk, verify that the
destination host has the proper license.
n Required privilege: Resource.Query vMotion
n When you migrate powered on virtual machines, verify that you meet the following
requirements.
n When you migrate powered off virtual machines, verify that you meet the following
requirements.
n Make sure that you are familiar with the requirements for cold migration. See Cold
Migration in Your vSphere Environment.
n Required ports:
n Port 8000 on the ESXi host for vMotion.
n Port 902 on the ESXi host for NFC.
n Port 443 between the two vCenter Server instances.
For the list of all supported ports and protocols in VMware products, see the VMware Ports
and Protocols Tool™ at https://ports.vmware.com/.
Procedure
2 From the inventory tree, select the host or cluster that contains the virtual machines you want
to migrate.
3 On the VMs tab, click the Virtual Machines button.
4 From the virtual machines list, select the virtual machines you want to migrate.
5 Right-click the selection and click Migrate.
6 If a confirmation dialog box appears, click Yes.
The migration wizard appears.
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7 Select Cross vCenter Server export as the migration type.
a (Optional) To create a clone of the virtual machine on the target vCenter Server, select
the Keep VMs on the source vCenter Server (performs a VM clone operation). check
box.
b Click Next to continue.
8 Select the target vCenter Server instance to which you want to export or clone virtual
machines.
Option Action
Saved vCenter Servers From the drop-down menu, select the IP address or FQDN of a saved
vCenter Server.
New vCenter Server a Enter the IP address or FQDN, user name, and password of a vCenter
Server instance.
Note The check box Save vCenter Server address is selected by

default. If you do not want to save the vCenter Server address, deselect
the check box.
b Click Login.
The connection to a saved vCenter Server instance is valid only for the current user session.
You must enter the credentials of the target vCenter Server instances for each login session.
9 If a Security Alert dialog box appears, click Yes.
10 Click Next to continue.
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11 Select the destination compute resource for this virtual machine migration and click Next.
Possible targets include hosts and DRS clusters with any level of automation. If DRS is not
enabled for a cluster, select a specific host in the cluster rather than selecting the cluster.
Important If the virtual machine that you migrate does not have an NVDIMM device but it
uses PMem storage, you must select a host or cluster with available PMem resources, so that
Important When you try to migrate a virtual machine that has an NVDIMM device or a
vPMem disk to a host that does not have the proper license, the operation fails and the virtual
machine is in an unmanageable state for 90 seconds. After 90 seconds, you can retry the
migration, and select a destination host that is licensed to use PMem devices.
12 If a compatibility problem appears in the Compatibility pane, fix the problem or select another
host or cluster for the migration.
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13 Select the destination storage for the virtual machine migration.
Mode Description
Standard All virtual disks are stored on a standard datastore.
PMem All virtual disks are stored on the local PMem datastore of the host.
Configuration files cannot be stored on a PMem datastore. You must
additionally select a regular datastore for the configuration files of the
virtual machine.
Hybrid All PMem virtual disks remain stored on a PMem datastore. Your choice
of a VM storage policy and your choice of a datastore or a datastore
cluster affects non-PMem disks.
You can select the type of storage only if PMem or Hybrid storage types are available in
the data center.
Option Action
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d Select the datastore location for the virtual machine files.
Option Action
same Storage DRS cluster. 2 (Optional) If you want to migrate the virtual machine to a Storage
DRS cluster and do not want to use Storage DRS with this virtual
machine, select Disable Storage DRS for this virtual machine and
select a datastore within the Storage DRS cluster.
3 Click Next.

locations.
select Browse, and select a datastore or a Storage DRS cluster.

3 (Optional) If you want to migrate the virtual machine to a Storage
4 Click Next.
destination storage for the migration.
15 Select the destination folder for the virtual machine migration and click Next.
16 Select the destination networks for the virtual machine migration.
Option Action
Select a different destination a Click Advanced.

network for each VM network b Click the arrow in the Destination Network column and select Browse.
adapter connected to a valid source c Select a destination network and click OK.
network.
d Click Next.
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Results
The virtual machines are moved or cloned to the destination folder in the new vCenter Server
instance. You can monitor the migration process in the Recent tasks pane. If errors occur during
the migration, the virtual machines revert to their original states and locations.
Import or Clone a Virtual Machine with Advanced Cross vCenter

vMotion
Learn how to use Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion to import or clone workloads from a
source vCenter Server system. You can initiate migration of workloads both from on-premise
environments and from cloud environments.
Advanced Cross vCenter vMotion does not depend on vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode or Hybrid
Linked Mode and you can migrate virtual machines across vCenter Server systems in different
vCenter Single Sign-On domains. For example, when you deploy a new vCenter Server instance,
you can migrate virtual machines from the earlier version of your vCenter Server instance to the
newly provisioned one.
Prerequisites
n Obtain the credentials for the administrator account of the vCenter Server instance from
which you want to import or clone virtual machines.
n Verify that the source vCenter Server instances from which you import or clone virtual
machines are version 6.7 or later.
n Verify that the target vCenter Server instance to which you import virtual machines is version
7.0 Update 1c or later.
n Verify that the target vCenter Server instance to which you clone virtual machines is version
7.0 Update 1c or later.
n Verify that the destination ESXi hosts are version 6.7 or later.
n If the virtual machine that you migrate has an NVDIMM device and uses PMem storage, verify
that the destination host or cluster have available PMem resources.
n If you migrate a virtual machine that has an NVDIMM device or a vPMem disk, verify that the
destination host has the proper license.
n Required privilege: Resource.Query vMotion
n When you migrate powered on virtual machines, verify that you meet the following
requirements.
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n When you migrate powered off virtual machines, verify that you meet the following
requirements.
n Make sure that you are familiar with the requirements for cold migration. See Cold
Migration in Your vSphere Environment.
n Required ports:
n Port 8000 on the ESXi host for vMotion.
n Port 902 on the ESXi host for NFC.
n Port 443 between the two vCenter Server instances.
For the list of all supported ports and protocols in VMware products, see the VMware Ports
and Protocols Tool™ at https://ports.vmware.com/.
Procedure
2 From the inventory tree, right-click the host or cluster to which you want to import virtual
machines.
3 Click Import VMs.
The Import VMs wizard appears.
4 Select the source vCenter Server instance from which you want to import virtual machines.
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Option Action
Saved vCenter Servers From the drop-down menu, select the IP address or FQDN of a saved
vCenter Server instance.
New vCenter Server a Enter the IP address or FQDN, user name, and password of a vCenter
Server instance.
Note The check box Save vCenter Server address is selected by

default. If you do not want to save the vCenter Server address, deselect
the check box.
b Click Login.
The connection to a saved vCenter Server instances is valid only for the current user session.
You must enter the credentials of the source vCenter Server instances for each login session.
5 If a Security Alert dialog box appears, click Yes.
6 Click Next.
7 Select the virtual machines to import or clone.
a If you want to migrate more than one virtual machine, the selected virtual machines must
be in the same power state.
b To keep a clone of the virtual machine on the source vCenter Server, select the Keep VMs
on the source vCenter Server (performs a VM clone operation). check box.
c Click Next to continue.

If you want to migrate more than one virtual machine, the selected virtual machines must be
in the same power state.
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8 Select the destination compute resource for this virtual machine migration and click Next.
Possible targets include hosts and DRS clusters with any level of automation. If DRS is not
enabled for a cluster, select a specific host in the cluster rather than selecting the cluster.
Important If the virtual machine that you migrate does not have an NVDIMM device but it
uses PMem storage, you must select a host or cluster with available PMem resources, so that
Important When you try to migrate a virtual machine that has an NVDIMM device or a
vPMem disk to a host that does not have the proper license, the operation fails and the virtual
machine is in an unmanageable state for 90 seconds. After 90 seconds, you can retry the
migration, and select a destination host that is licensed to use PMem devices.
host or cluster for the migration.
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10 Select the destination storage for the virtual machine migration.
Mode Description
Standard All virtual disks are stored on a standard datastore.
PMem All virtual disks are stored on the local PMem datastore of the host.
Configuration files cannot be stored on a PMem datastore. You must
additionally select a regular datastore for the configuration files of the
virtual machine.
Hybrid All PMem virtual disks remain stored on a PMem datastore. Your choice
of a VM storage policy and your choice of a datastore or a datastore
cluster affects non-PMem disks.
You can select the type of storage only if PMem or Hybrid storage types are available in
the data center.
Option Action
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d Select the datastore location where you want to store the virtual machine files.
Option Action
same Storage DRS cluster. 2 (Optional) If you want to migrate the virtual machine to a Storage
3 Click Next.

locations.
select Browse, and select a datastore or Storage DRS cluster.

3 (Optional) If you want to migrate the virtual machine to a Storage
4 Click Next.
destination storage for the migration.
12 Select the destination folder for the virtual machines and click Next.
13 Select the destination networks for the virtual machine migration.
Option Action
Select a different destination a Click Advanced.

network for each VM network b Click the arrow in the Destination Network column and select Browse.
adapter connected to a valid source c Select a destination network and click OK.
network.
d Click Next.
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Results
The virtual machines are moved or cloned to the destination folder in the current vCenter Server
instance. You can monitor the migration process in the Recent tasks pane. If errors occur during
the migration, the virtual machines revert to their original states and locations.
Migrating Virtual Machines Between Servers with DPU

Devices
®
vSphere 8.0 introduces the VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine™ feature which allow
offloading of some of your networking operations from an x86 host to a data processing unit
(DPU). You can migrate virtual machines in a vSphere 8.0 environment with hosts that have data
processing units (DPUs).
In vSphere 8.0, if you enable network offloads to a DPU device, you can use vSphere vMotion
for migrating virtual machines when both hosts have DPU devices. To enable vMotion between
hosts with DPU devices, you must perform multiple steps on the virtual machines, on the vCenter
Server system, and on VMware NSX.
1 Create a vSphere Distributed Switch on a data center and enable the network offloads
compatibility on the vSphere Distributed Switch. For more information about how to enable
the network offloads compatibility on a host with a DPU device, see What is Network
Offloads Capability in the vSphere Networking documentation.
2 Add to the switch only hosts with DPUs from the same vendor and of the same model.
3 Deploy NSX and configure an NSX transport node for the vSphere Distributed Switch. See
the NSX Installation Guide documentation.
4 Enable the UPT support on the virtual machine that you want to migrate to and from a host
with DPU devices. See Add a Network Adapter to a Virtual Machine in the vSphere Virtual
Machine Administration documentation.
You can also use a DPU device on a host as a standard NIC. In this case, no additional
configuration is required and you can use vSphere vMotion to migrate virtual machines to and
from hosts with and without DPU devices.
What Is Encrypted vSphere vMotion

Encrypted vSphere vMotion secures confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data that is
transferred with vSphere vMotion. vSphere supports encrypted vMotion of unencrypted and
encrypted virtual machines across vCenter Server instances.
vSphere vMotion always uses encryption when migrating encrypted virtual machines. For virtual
machines that are not encrypted, you can select one of the encrypted vSphere vMotion options.
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What Is Encrypted in Encrypted vSphere vMotion

For encrypted disks, the data is transmitted encrypted in all cases. For unencrypted disks, the
following applies:
n If disk data is transferred within a host, that is without changing the host, you change only the
datastore, the transfer is unencrypted.
n If disk data is transferred between hosts and encrypted vMotion is used, the transfer is
encrypted. If encrypted vMotion is not used the transfer is unencrypted.
For virtual machines that are encrypted, migration with vSphere vMotion always uses encrypted
vSphere vMotion. You cannot turn off encrypted vSphere vMotion for encrypted virtual
machines.
Encrypted vSphere vMotion States for Unencrypted Virtual Machines

For virtual machines that are not encrypted, you can set encrypted vSphere vMotion to one of
the following states. The default is Opportunistic.
Disabled
Do not use encrypted vSphere vMotion.
Opportunistic
Use encrypted vSphere vMotion if the source and the destination hosts support it. Only ESXi
hosts of version 6.5 and later support encrypted vSphere vMotion.
Required
Allow only encrypted vSphere vMotion. If the source or the destination host does not support
encrypted vSphere vMotion, migration with vSphere vMotion is not allowed.
When you encrypt a virtual machine, the virtual machine keeps a record of the current encrypted
vSphere vMotion setting. If you later deactivate encryption for the virtual machine, the encrypted
vMotion setting remains at Required until you change the setting explicitly. You can change the
settings using Edit Settings.
Note Currently, you must use the vSphere APIs to migrate or clone encrypted virtual machines
across vCenter Server instances. See vSphere Web Services SDK Programming Guide and
vSphere Web Services API Reference.
Migrating or Cloning Encrypted Virtual Machines Across vCenter

Server Instances
vSphere vMotion supports migrating and cloning encrypted virtual machines across vCenter
Server instances.
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When migrating or cloning encrypted virtual machines across vCenter Server instances, the
source and destination vCenter Server instances must be configured to share the key provider
that was used to encrypt the virtual machine. In addition, the key provider name must be the
same on both the source and destination vCenter Server instances and have the following
characteristics:
n Standard key provider: The same key server (or key servers) must be in the key provider.
n Trusted key provider: The same vSphere Trust Authority service must be configured on the
destination host.
n vSphere Native Key Provider: Must have the same KDK.
Note You cannot clone or migrate an encrypted virtual machine using vSphere Native Key
Provider to a standalone host, no matter that the source host resides in a cluster.
The destination vCenter Server ensures the destination ESXi host has encryption mode set,
ensuring the host is cryptographically "safe."
The following privileges are required when using vSphere vMotion to migrate or clone an
encrypted virtual machine across vCenter Server instances.
n Migrating: Cryptographic operations.Migrate on the virtual machine
n Cloning: Cryptographic operations.Clone on the virtual machine
Also, the destination vCenter Server must have the Cryptographic operations.EncryptNew
privilege. If the destination ESXi host is not in "safe" mode, the Cryptographic
operations.RegisterHost privilege must also be on the destination vCenter Server.
Certain tasks are not allowed when migrating virtual machines (non-encrypted or encrypted),
either on the same vCenter Server or across vCenter Server instances.
n You cannot change the VM Storage Policy.
n You cannot perform a key change.
Note You can change the VM Storage Policy while cloning virtual machines.
Minimum Requirements for Migrating or Cloning Encrypted Virtual

Machines Across vCenter Server Instances
The minimum version requirements for migrating or cloning standard key provider encrypted
virtual machines across vCenter Server instances using vSphere vMotion are:
n Both the source and destination vCenter Server instances must be on version 7.0 or later.
n Both the source and destination ESXi hosts must be on version 6.7 or later.
The minimum version requirements for migrating or cloning trusted key provider encrypted
virtual machines across vCenter Server instances using vSphere vMotion are:
n The vSphere Trust Authority service must be configured for the destination host and the
destination host must be attested.
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n Encryption cannot change on migration. For example, an unencrypted disk cannot be

encrypted while the virtual machine is migrated to the new storage.
n You can migrate a standard encrypted virtual machine onto a Trusted Host. The key provider
name must be the same on both the source and destination vCenter Server instances.
n You cannot migrate a vSphere Trust Authority encrypted virtual machine onto a non-Trusted
Host.
Trusted Key Provider vMotion and Cross-vCenter Server vMotion

Trusted key provider fully supports vMotion across ESXi hosts.
Cross-vCenter Server vMotion is supported, but with the following restrictions.
1 The required trusted service must be configured on the destination host and the destination
host must be attested.
2 Encryption cannot change on migration. For example, a disk cannot be encrypted while the
virtual machine is migrated to the new storage.
When performing cross-vCenter Server vMotion, vCenter Server checks that the trusted key
provider is available on the destination host, and if the host has access to it.
vSphere Native Key Provider vMotion and Cross-vCenter Server

vMotion
vSphere Native Key Provider supports vMotion and Encrypted vMotion across ESXi hosts.
Cross-vCenter Server vMotion is supported if vSphere Native Key Provider is configured on the
destination host.
How to Activate Encrypted vSphere vMotion on Your Virtual Machine

You can activate encrypted vSphere vMotion during virtual machine creation. You can later
change the encrypted vMotion state from the virtual machine settings. You can change the
encrypted vMotion state only for virtual machines that are not encrypted.
For more information about virtual machine encryption, see What Is Encrypted vSphere vMotion.
Prerequisites
Encrypted vMotion is supported only in vSphere 6.5 and later.
Procedure
1 Right-click the virtual machine and select Edit Settings.
2 Select VM Options.
3 Click Encryption, and select an option from the Encrypted VMotion drop-down menu.
Disabled
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Do not use encrypted vMotion.
Opportunistic
Use encrypted vMotion if source and destination hosts support it. Only ESXi hosts of version
6.5 and later support encrypted vMotion.
Required
Allow only encrypted vMotion. If the source or destination host does not support encrypted
vMotion, migration with vMotion fails.
How to Isolate Traffic for Migrating Your Virtual Machines

You can use the vSphere vMotion TCP/IP stack to isolate traffic for vMotion and the provisioning
TCP/IP stack to isolate traffic for cold migration, VM clones, and snapshots.
How to Place vSphere vMotion Traffic on the vMotion TCP/IP Stack

of Your ESXi Host
Learn how to use the vMotion TCP/IP stack to isolate traffic for vMotion and to assign a
dedicated default gateway, routing table, and DNS configuration for this traffic. To enable the
vMotion TCP/IP stack, assign a new VMkernel adapter to it.
By using a separate TCP/IP stack, you can handle vMotion traffic according to the topology of
the network and as required for your organization:
n Route the traffic for migration of powered on virtual machines by using a default gateway.
The gateway may be different from the gateway assigned to the default stack on the host.
n Assign a separate set of buffers and sockets.
n Avoid routing table conflicts that might otherwise appear when many features are using a
common TCP/IP stack.
n Isolate traffic to improve security.
Prerequisites
Verify that the host is running ESXi 6.0 or later
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to the host.
3 Select Networking, and click VMkernel adapters.
4 Click Add networking.
5 On the Select connection type page, select VMkernel Network Adapter and click Next.
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6 On the Select target device page, select the switch for the VMkernel adapter, and click Next.
Option Description
Select an existing network Use the physical adapter configuration of an existing distributed port group
to send data from the VMkernel adapter to the external network.
Select an existing standard switch Use the physical adapter configuration for the VMkernel adapter of an
existing standard switch.
New vSphere standard switch Assign a new physical adapter configuration for the VMkernel adapter on a
new standard switch.
7 On the Port properties page, select vMotion from the TCP/IP stack drop-down menu.
The vMotion traffic becomes the only service that is enabled. You cannot use this VMkernel
adapter for traffic types other than vMotion.
8 Set the label, VLAN ID, and IP mode of the VMkernel adapter, and click Next.
9 (Optional) On the IPv4 settings page, select an option for obtaining IP addresses.
Option Description
Obtain IPv4 settings automatically Use DHCP to obtain IP settings. A DHCP server must be present on the
network.
Use static IPv4 settings Enter the IPv4 IP address and subnet mask for the VMkernel adapter.
The VMkernel Default Gateway and DNS server addresses for IPv4 are
obtained from the selected TCP/IP stack.
Select the Override default gateway for this adapter check box and enter
a gateway address, if you want to specify a different gateway for the
VMkernel adapter.
Note Selected netstack should have the default gateway explicitly on each
host.
10 (Optional) On the IPv6 settings page, select an option for obtaining IPv6 addresses.
Option Description
Obtain IPv6 addresses automatically Use DHCP to obtain IPv6 addresses. A DHCPv6 server must be present on
through DHCP the network.
Obtain IPv6 addresses automatically Use router advertisement to obtain IPv6 addresses.
through Router Advertisement In ESXi 6.5 and later router advertisement is enabled by default and
supports the M and O flags in accordance with RFC 4861.
Static IPv6 addresses a Click Add IPv6 address to add a new IPv6 address.
b Enter the IPv6 address and subnet prefix length, and click OK.
c To change the VMkernel default gateway, click Override default
gateway for this adapter.
The VMkernel Default Gateway address for IPv6 is obtained from the
selected TCP/IP stack.
11 Review your settings selections on the Ready to complete page and click Finish.
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Results
After you create a VMkernel adapter on the vMotion TCP/IP stack, you can use only this stack
for vMotion on this host. The VMkernel adapters on the default TCP/IP stack are deactivated for
the vMotion service. If a live migration uses the default TCP/IP stack while you are configuring
VMkernel adapters with the vMotion TCP/IP stack, the migration completes successfully.
However, the involved VMkernel adapters on the default TCP/IP stack are deactivated for future
vMotion sessions.
What to do next
Assign a default gateway, and configure the DNS settings, congestion control, and maximum
number of connections for the vMotion TCP/IP stack.
For more information on how to change the configuration of a TCP/IP stack on a host, see the
vSphere Networking documentation.
How to Place Traffic for Cold Migration, Cloning, and Snapshots on

the Provisioning TCP/IP Stack
Learn how to use the provisioning TCP/IP stack to isolate traffic for cold migration, VM clones,
snapshots, and cold data in hot migration, and to assign a dedicated default gateway, routing
table, and DNS configuration for this traffic. To enable the Provisioning TCP/IP stack, assign a
new VMkernel adapter to it.
By using a separate TCP/IP stack, you can handle vMotion traffic according to the topology of
the network and as required for your organization:
n Route the traffic for migration of powered on virtual machines by using a default gateway.
The gateway may be different from the gateway assigned to the default stack on the host.
n Assign a separate set of buffers and sockets.
n Avoid routing table conflicts that might otherwise appear when many features are using a
common TCP/IP stack.
n Isolate traffic to improve security.
Prerequisites
Verify that the host is running ESXi 6.0 or later
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client, navigate to the host.
3 Select Networking, and click VMkernel adapters.
4 Click Add networking.
5 On the Select connection type page, select VMkernel Network Adapter and click Next.
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6 On the Select target device page, select the switch for the VMkernel adapter, and click Next.
Option Description
Select an existing network Use the physical adapter configuration of an existing distributed port group
to send data from the VMkernel adapter to the external network.
Select an existing standard switch Use the physical adapter configuration for the VMkernel adapter of an
existing standard switch.
New vSphere standard switch Assign a new physical adapter configuration for the VMkernel adapter on a
new standard switch.
7 On the Port properties page, select Provisioning from the TCP/IP stack drop-down menu.
The provisioning traffic becomes the only service that is enabled. You cannot use this
VMkernel adapter for traffic types other than provisioning.
8 Set the label, VLAN ID, and IP mode of the VMkernel adapter, and click Next.
9 (Optional) On the IPv4 settings page, select an option for obtaining IP addresses.
Option Description
Obtain IPv4 settings automatically Use DHCP to obtain IP settings. A DHCP server must be present on the
network.
Use static IPv4 settings Enter the IPv4 IP address and subnet mask for the VMkernel adapter.
The VMkernel Default Gateway and DNS server addresses for IPv4 are
obtained from the selected TCP/IP stack.
Select the Override default gateway for this adapter check box and enter
a gateway address, if you want to specify a different gateway for the
VMkernel adapter.
Note Selected netstack should have the default gateway explicitly on each
host.
10 (Optional) On the IPv6 settings page, select an option for obtaining IPv6 addresses.
Option Description
Obtain IPv6 addresses automatically Use DHCP to obtain IPv6 addresses. A DHCPv6 server must be present on
through DHCP the network.
Obtain IPv6 addresses automatically Use router advertisement to obtain IPv6 addresses.
through Router Advertisement In ESXi 6.5 and later router advertisement is enabled by default and
supports the M and O flags in accordance with RFC 4861.
Static IPv6 addresses a Click Add IPv6 address to add a new IPv6 address.
b Enter the IPv6 address and subnet prefix length, and click OK.
c To change the VMkernel default gateway, click Override default
gateway for this adapter.
The VMkernel Default Gateway address for IPv6 is obtained from the
selected TCP/IP stack.
11 Review your settings selections on the Ready to complete page and click Finish.
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Results
After you create a VMkernel adapter on the provisioning TCP/IP stack, you can use only this
stack for cold migration, cloning, and snapshots on this host. The VMkernel adapters on the
default TCP/IP stack are deactivated for the provisioning service. If a live migration uses the
default TCP/IP stack while you configure VMkernel adapters with the provisioning TCP/IP stack,
the data transfer completes successfully. However, the involved VMkernel adapters on the
default TCP/IP stack are deactivated for future cold migration, cross-host cloning, and snapshot
sessions.
vCenter Server Limits on Simultaneous Migrations

vCenter Server places limits on the number of simultaneous virtual machine migration and
provisioning operations that can occur on each host, network, and datastore.
Each operation, such as a migration with vMotion or cloning a virtual machine, is assigned a
resource cost. Each host, datastore, or network resource, has a maximum cost that it can support
at any one time. Any new migration or provisioning operation that causes a resource to exceed
its maximum cost does not proceed immediately, but is queued until other operations complete
and release resources. Each of the network, datastore, and host limits must be satisfied for the
operation to proceed.
vMotion without shared storage, migrating virtual machines to a different host and datastore
simultaneously, is a combination of vMotion and Storage vMotion. This migration inherits the
network, host, and datastore costs associated with those operations. vMotion without shared
storage is equivalent to a Storage vMotion with a network cost of 1.
Network Limits
Network limits apply only to migrations with vMotion. Network limits depend on the version of
ESXi and the network type. All migrations with vMotion have a network resource cost of 1.
Table 11-3. Network Limits for Migration with vMotion
Operation ESXi Version Network Type Maximum Cost
vMotion 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 1GigE 4

8.0
vMotion 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 10GigE 8

8.0
Datastore Limits
Datastore limits apply to migrations with vMotion and with Storage vMotion. A migration with
vMotion has a resource cost of 1 against the shared virtual machine's datastore. A migration
with Storage vMotion has a resource cost of 16 against the source datastore and 16 against the
destination datastore.
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Table 11-4. Datastore Limits and Resource Costs for vMotion and Storage vMotion
Operation ESXi Version Maximum Cost Per Datastore Datastore Resource Cost
vMotion 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 128 1
Storage vMotion 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 128 16
Host Limits
Host limits apply to migrations with vMotion, Storage vMotion, and other provisioning operations
such as cloning, deployment, and cold migration. All hosts have a maximum cost per host of 8.
For example, on an ESXi 7.0 host, you can perform 2 Storage vMotion operations, or 1 Storage
vMotion and 4 vMotion operations.
Table 11-5. Host Migration Limits and Resource Costs for vMotion, Storage vMotion, and
Provisioning Operations
Derived Limit Per
Operation ESXi Version Host Host Resource Cost
vMotion 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 8 1
Storage vMotion 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 2 4
vMotion Without Shared 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 2 4

Storage
Other provisioning 6.0, 6.5, 6.7, 7.0, 8.0 8 1

operations
vMotion Migration Compatibility Checks

During migration, use the Migrate Virtual Machine wizard to view information about the
compatibility checks carried out using various criteria between the destination host or cluster
and the migrating virtual machine.
When you select a host or a cluster, the Compatibility panel at the bottom of the Migrate Virtual
Machine wizard displays information about the compatibility of the selected host or cluster with
the virtual machine’s configuration.
Compatibility Check Results

If the virtual machine is compatible, the panel displays the message Compatibility checks
succeeded. If the virtual machine is not compatible with either the host’s or cluster’s configured
networks or datastores, the compatibility window might display both warnings and errors:
n Warning messages do not stop migration. Often the migration is justified and you can
continue with the migration despite the warnings.
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n Errors might stop migration if no error-free destination hosts are available among the
selected destination hosts. In this case, if you click Next, the wizard displays the compatibility
errors again, and you cannot proceed to the next step.
Compatibility Checks During Migration Setup

When you attempt to move only the compute resource, the Migrate Virtual Machine wizard
examines the source and destination hosts, the target resource pool, the datastore, and the
network. When you attempt to move only the storage, the wizard checks the compatibility of the
same objects except for the network.
When you move compute resources and storage together, the Migrate Virtual Machine wizard
runs fewer compatibility checks. For example, if you move the compute resource, you select
the target host or cluster under a vCenter Server instance. The wizard performs all necessary
validation only against the selected host, and does not check the datastores available on the
destination host. When you attempt to move the virtual machine to a cluster, the Migrate Virtual
Machine wizard examines the compatibility against the host recommendation from vSphere DRS.
The wizard directly validates the compatibility of the target datastore when you select it later.
Another compatibility check is whether vMotion is enabled on the source and target hosts.
Compatibility Checks for Virtual Hardware

Effects of a specific host CPU feature on compatibility depend on whether ESXi exposes or hides
them from virtual machines.
n Features that are exposed to virtual machines are not compatible when they do not match on
the source and target hosts.
n Features that are not exposed to virtual machines are considered as compatible regardless of
whether they match on the hosts.
Specific items of virtual machine hardware can also cause compatibility problems. For example, a
virtual machine using an Enhanced VMXNET virtual NIC cannot be migrated to a host running a
version of ESXi that does not support Enhanced VMXNET.
CPU Compatibility and vSphere Enhanced vMotion

Compatibility
vCenter Server performs compatibility checks before it allows migration of running or suspended
virtual machines to ensure that the virtual machine is compatible with the target host.
vMotion transfers the running state of a virtual machine between underlying ESXi systems. Live
migration requires that the processors of the target host provide the same instructions to the
virtual machine after migration that the processors of the source host provided before migration.
Clock speed, cache size, and number of cores can differ between source and target processors.
However, the processors must come from the same vendor class (AMD or Intel) to be vMotion
compatible.
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Migrations of suspended virtual machines also require that the virtual machine be able to resume
execution on the target host using equivalent instructions.
When you initiate a migration with vMotion or a migration of a suspended virtual machine, the
Migrate Virtual Machine wizard checks the destination host for compatibility. If compatibility
problems prevent migration, the wizard displays an error message.
The CPU instruction set available to the operating system and to applications running in a virtual
machine is determined at the time that a virtual machine is powered on. This CPU feature set is
based on the following items:
n Host CPU family and model
n Settings in the BIOS that might deactivate CPU features
n ESXi version running on the host
n The compatibility setting of the virtual machine
n The guest operating system of the virtual machine
To improve CPU compatibility between hosts of varying CPU feature sets, some host CPU
features can be hidden from the virtual machine by placing the host in an Enhanced
vMotion Compatibility (EVC) cluster. For more information about EVC, see Enhanced vMotion
Compatibility.
Note You can hide host CPU features from a virtual machine by applying a custom CPU
compatibility mask to the virtual machine, but this is not recommended. VMware, in partnership
with CPU and hardware vendors, is working to maintain vMotion compatibility across the widest
range of processors. For additional information, search the VMware Knowledge Base for the
vMotion and CPU Compatibility FAQ.
vSphere vMotion and CPU Compatibility Scenarios

Without the use of EVC, if the vCenter Server's CPU compatibility checks discover any mismatch
between user-level features of the hosts, migration is blocked, whether or not the virtual machine
itself has access to those features. A mismatch between kernel-level features of the hosts blocks
migration only when the virtual machine has access to a feature that the target host does not
provide.
vCenter Server's CPU compatibility checks compare the CPU features available on the source
host, the subset of features that the virtual machine can access, and the features available on the
target host.
User-level features are non-privileged instructions used by virtual machine applications. These
include SSE3, SSSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, and AES. Because they are user-level instructions that
bypass the virtualization layer, these instructions can cause application instability if mismatched
after a migration with vMotion.
Kernel-level features are privileged instructions used by the virtual machine operating system.
These include the AMD No eXecute (NX) and the Intel eXecute Disable (XD) security features.
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When you attempt to migrate a virtual machine with vMotion, one of the following scenarios
applies:
n The destination host feature set matches the CPU feature set of the virtual machine. CPU
compatibility requirements are met, and migration with vMotion proceeds.
n The CPU feature set of the virtual machine contains features not supported by the
destination host. CPU compatibility requirements are not met, and migration with vMotion
cannot proceed.
Note EVC overcomes such incompatibility by providing a "baseline" feature set for all virtual
machines running in a cluster. This baseline feature set hides the differences among the
clustered hosts' CPUs from the virtual machines.
n The destination host supports the feature set of the virtual machine, plus additional user-
level features (such as SSE4.1) not found in the feature set of the virtual machine. CPU
compatibility requirements are not met, and migration with vMotion cannot proceed.
Note This type of incompatibility is ignored for migrations among hosts in EVC clusters.
n The destination host supports the feature set of the virtual machine, plus additional kernel-
level features (such as NX or XD) not found in the feature set of the virtual machine.
CPU compatibility requirements are met, and migration with vMotion proceeds. The virtual
machine retains its CPU feature set while it remains powered on, allowing it to migrate
freely back to the original host. However, if the virtual machine is rebooted, it acquires a
new feature set from the new host. This process might cause vMotion incompatibility if you
attempt to migrate the virtual machine back to the original host.
CPU Families and Feature Sets Compatibility with vSphere vMotion

Processors are grouped into families. Processors within a given family generally have similar
feature sets.
Processor vendors define processor families. You can distinguish different processor versions
within the same family by comparing the processors’ model, stepping level, and extended
features. Sometimes, processor vendors have introduced significant architectural changes within
the same processor family, such as the SSSE3 and SSE4.1 instructions, and NX/XD CPU security
features.
By default, vCenter Server identifies mismatches on features accessible to applications as

incompatible to guarantee the stability of virtual machines after migrations with vMotion.
Server hardware’s CPU specifications usually indicate whether or not the CPUs contain the
features that affect vMotion compatibility.
For more information on identifying Intel processors and their features, see Application Note
485: Intel® Processor Identification and the CPUID Instruction, available from Intel. For more
information on identifying AMD processors and their features, see CPUID Specification, available
from AMD.
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CPU Compatibility Masks and vSphere vMotion

CPU compatibility masks allow customization of the CPU features visible to a virtual machine.
vCenter Server compares the CPU features available to a virtual machine with the CPU features
of the destination host to determine whether or not to allow migrations with vMotion.
To guarantee the stability of virtual machines after a migration with vMotion, VMware sets the
default values for CPU compatibility masks.
When a choice between CPU compatibility or guest operating system features (such as NX/XD)
exists, VMware provides check-box options to configure individual virtual machines. You can
access the configuration options through the Advanced Settings option for the CPU of the virtual
machine. For more control over the visibility of CPU features, you can edit the CPU compatibility
mask of the virtual machine at the bit level.
Caution Changing the CPU compatibility masks can result in an unsupported configuration. Do
not manually change the CPU compatibility masks unless instructed to do so by VMware Support
or a VMware Knowledge base article.
CPU compatibility masks cannot prevent virtual machines from accessing masked CPU features in
all circumstances. In some circumstances, applications can detect and use masked features even
though they are hidden from the guest operating system. In addition, on any host, applications
that use unsupported methods of detecting CPU features rather than using the CPUID instruction
can access masked features. Virtual machines running applications that use unsupported CPU
detection methods might experience stability problems after migration.
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility

You can use the Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) feature to help ensure vMotion
compatibility for the hosts in a cluster. EVC ensures that all hosts in a cluster present the same
CPU feature set to virtual machines, even if the actual CPUs on the hosts differ. Using EVC
prevents migrations with vMotion from failing because of incompatible CPUs.
Configure EVC from the cluster settings dialog box. When you configure EVC, you configure all
host processors in the cluster to present the feature set of a baseline processor. This baseline
feature set is called the EVC mode. EVC uses AMD-V Extended Migration technology (for AMD
hosts) and Intel FlexMigration technology (for Intel hosts) to mask processor features so that
hosts can present the feature set of an earlier generation of processors. The EVC mode must
be equivalent to, or a subset of, the feature set of the host with the smallest feature set in the
cluster.
EVC masks only those processor features that affect vMotion compatibility. Enabling EVC does
not prevent a virtual machine from taking advantage of faster processor speeds, increased
numbers of CPU cores, or hardware virtualization support that might be available on newer hosts.
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EVC cannot prevent virtual machines from accessing hidden CPU features in all circumstances.
Applications that do not follow CPU vendor recommended methods of feature detection might
behave unexpectedly in an EVC environment. VMware EVC cannot be supported with ill-behaved
applications that do not follow the CPU vendor recommendations. For more information about
creating well-behaved applications, search the VMware Knowledge Base for the article Detecting
and Using New Features in CPUs.
Starting with vSphere 7.0 Update 1, you can take advantage of the EVC feature for Virtual Shared
Graphics Acceleration (vSGA). vSGA allows multiple virtual machines to share GPUs installed on
ESXi hosts and leverage the 3D graphics acceleration capabilities.
Enhanced vMotion Compatibility Requirements for Hosts

To improve CPU compatibility between hosts that have varying CPU feature sets, you can hide
some host CPU features from the virtual machines by placing the host in an Enhanced vMotion
Compatibility (EVC) cluster. Hosts in an EVC cluster and hosts that you add to an existing EVC
cluster must meet EVC requirements.
n Power off all virtual machines in the cluster that are running on hosts with a feature set
greater than the EVC mode that you intend to enable. You can also migrate these virtual
machines out of the cluster.
n All hosts in the cluster must meet the following requirements:
Requirements Description
Supported ESXi version ESXi6.7 or later.
vCenter Server The host must be connected to a vCenter Server system.
CPUs A single vendor, either AMD or Intel.
Advanced CPU features Enable these CPU features in the BIOS if they are available:
enabled n Hardware virtualization support (AMD-V or Intel VT)
n AMD No eXecute(NX)
n Intel eXecute Disable (XD)
Note Hardware vendors sometimes deactivate particular CPU features in the BIOS by
default. You might have problems enabling EVC because the EVC compatibility checks
detect the absence of features that are expected to be present for a particular CPU. If you
cannot enable EVC on a system with a compatible processor, ensure that all features are
enabled in the BIOS.
Supported CPUs for the EVC To check EVC support for a specific processor or server model, see the VMware
mode that you want to Compatibility Guide at http://www.vmware.com/resources/compatibility/search.php.
enable
Configured for vMotion See Host Configuration for vSphere vMotion.
How Do You Activate vSphere EVC on an Existing Cluster

Learn how to activate vSphere Enhanced vMotion Compatibility (EVC) on an existing cluster to
ensure vMotion CPU compatibility between the hosts in the cluster. Other cluster features such
as vSphere DRS and vSphere HA are fully compatible with EVC.
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Prerequisites
Verify that the hosts in the cluster meet the requirements listed in Enhanced vMotion
Compatibility Requirements for Hosts.
Procedure
1 Select a cluster in the vSphere inventory.
2 Power off all the virtual machines on the hosts with feature sets greater than the EVC mode.
To determine the EVC mode of all virtual machines on the hosts in the cluster, see How to
Determine the EVC Mode of Your Virtual Machine. You must power off all powered on virtual
machine with no EVC mode or with an EVC mode that is greater than the EVC mode that you
plan to enable on the cluster.
3 Click the Configure tab, select VMware EVC, and click Edit.
4 Enable EVC for the CPU vendor and feature set appropriate for the hosts in the cluster, and
click OK.
How to Change the vSphere EVC Mode for Your Cluster

Learn how to configure vSphere EVC to ensure that virtual machine migrations between hosts in
the cluster do not fail because of CPU feature incompatibilities.
Several EVC approaches are available to ensure CPU compatibility:
n If all the hosts in a cluster are compatible with a newer EVC CPU or Graphics (vSGA) mode,
you can change the EVC CPU or Graphics (vSGA) mode of an existing EVC cluster.
n You can enable EVC for a cluster that does not have EVC enabled.
n You can raise the EVC mode to expose more CPU features.
n You can lower the EVC mode to hide CPU features and increase compatibility.
Prerequisites
n Verify that all hosts in the cluster have supported CPUs for the EVC mode you want to
enable. See Knowledge Base article KB 1003212 for a list of supported CPUs.
n Verify that all hosts in the cluster are connected and registered on vCenter Server. The
cluster cannot contain a disconnected host.
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n Virtual machines must be in the following power states, depending on whether you raise or
lower the EVC mode.
EVC Mode Virtual Machine Power Action
Raise the EVC mode Running virtual machines can remain powered on. New EVC mode features are not available
to a CPU baseline to the virtual machines until they are powered off and powered back on again. A full power
with more features. cycling is required. Rebooting the guest operating system or suspending and resuming the
virtual machine is not sufficient.
Tip You can configure a virtual machine to power cycle when its guest OS is rebooted,
by setting the vmx.reboot.powerCycle VM parameter to TRUE. When the virtual machine
is powered back on, this configuration parameter is removed. To edit the virtual machine
configuration settings, you can use the VMware Host Client. See Edit the Configuration
File Parameters in the VMware Host Client topic in the vSphere Single Host Management -
VMware Host Client guide. See the VMware vSphere Blog post for information about how to
set this parameter to a group of virtual machines using VMware PowerCLI.
Lower the EVC Power off virtual machines if they are powered on and running at a higher EVC mode than
mode to a CPU the one you intend to enable.
baseline with fewer
features.
Note When you take a snapshot of a virtual machine in an EVC cluster, keep in mind the
following use cases:
n If you take a snapshot of a running virtual machine before an EVC downgrade, an attempt
to revert to that snapshot after the EVC downgrade fails and the virtual machine is left in
a suspended state.
n If you take a snapshot of a virtual machine before an EVC upgrade, you can revert to that
snapshot before or after the EVC upgrade.
To verify the EVC mode for virtual machines, see How to Determine the EVC Mode of Your
Virtual Machine.
Procedure
1 Select a cluster in the inventory.
3 Under Configuration, select VMware EVC, and click Edit.
4 On the Change EVC Mode page, select whether to activate or deactivate EVC.
Option Description
Disable EVC The EVC feature is deactivated. CPU compatibility is not enforced for the
hosts in this cluster.
Enable EVC for AMD Hosts The EVC feature is enabled for AMD hosts.
Enable EVC for Intel Hosts The EVC feature is enabled for Intel hosts.
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5 From the CPU Mode drop-down menu, select the baseline CPU feature set that you want to
enable for the cluster.
If you cannot select the EVC CPU mode, the Compatibility pane displays the reason, and the
relevant hosts for each reason.
6 (Optional) From the Graphics Mode (vSGA) drop-down menu, select a baseline graphics
feature set.
If you cannot select the EVC vSGA mode, the Compatibility pane displays the reason, and
the relevant hosts for each reason.
Option Description
Baseline Graphics Applies the Baseline Graphics feature set that includes features through
Direct3D 10.1/OpenGL 3.3.
Note To configure the vSGA mode to apply the Baseline Graphics set
that includes features through Direct3D 10.1/OpenGL 3.3, the virtual machine
must be compatible with ESXi 6.5 or later.
D3D 11.0 class features Applies the baseline graphics feature set that includes features through
Direct3D 11.0/OpenGL 4.3.
Note When you create a cluster and you enable EVC graphics mode
Direct3D 11.0/OpenGL 4.3 class features, you can add only ESXi 8.0 hosts
that support Direct3D 11.0/OpenGL 4.3 to the cluster. When you try to add
an ESXi 8.0 host that does not support Direct3D 11.0/OpenGL 4.3 to the
cluster, the operation fails with an error message.
7 Click OK.
How to Determine the EVC Mode of Your Virtual Machine

The EVC mode of a virtual machine determines the CPU and graphics features that a host must
have in order for the virtual machine to migrate to that host and power on. The EVC mode of a
virtual machine is independent from the EVC mode that you configure for the cluster in which the
virtual machine runs.
The EVC mode of a virtual machine is determined when the virtual machine powers on. At
power-on, the virtual machine also determines the EVC mode of the cluster in which it runs. If
the EVC mode of a running virtual machine or the entire EVC cluster is raised, the virtual machine
does not change its EVC mode until it is powered off and powered on again. This means that the
virtual machine does not use any CPU features exposed by the new EVC mode until the virtual
machine is powered off and powered on again.
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For example, you create an EVC cluster that contains hosts with Intel processors and you set
the EVC mode to Intel "Merom" Generation (Xeon Core 2). When you power on a virtual machine
in this cluster, it runs in the Intel Merom Generation (Xeon Core 2) EVC mode. If you raise the
EVC mode of the cluster to Intel "Penryn" Generation (Xeon 45 nm Core 2), the virtual machine
retains the lower Intel "Merom" Generation (Xeon Core 2) EVC mode. To use the feature set of
the higher EVC mode, such as SSE4.1, the virtual machine must be powered off and powered on
again.
Procedure
1 Navigate to a cluster or a host in the vCenter Server inventory.
2 Click the VMs > Virtual Machines tab.
A list of all virtual machines in the selected cluster or on the selected host appears.
3 To verify the status of the CPU mode, check the EVC CPU Mode column.
a If the column is not visible, click the Manage columns icon ( ) at the bottom left corner
of the Virtual Machines table.
b To show the EVC CPU Mode column, locate and select the respective check box from the
list.
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The EVC CPU Mode column shows the CPU modes of all virtual machines in the cluster or on
the host.
Important For each virtual machine, the EVC CPU Mode column displays the EVC mode
defined at the virtual machine level.
However, if you do not configure per-VM EVC for a virtual machine, the virtual machine
inherits the EVC mode of its parent cluster or host. As a result, for all virtual machines that
do not have per-VM EVC configured, the EVC CPU Mode column displays the inherited EVC
mode of the parent host or cluster.
If the virtual machine is in an EVC cluster, the EVC mode that you see in the EVC CPU Mode
column is defined in the following manner.
n When the virtual machine is powered on, the EVC CPU Mode column displays either the
per-VM EVC mode, or the cluster-level EVC mode.
Per-VM EVC Cluster-Level EVC EVC Mode for the Virtual Machine
Activated Activated Enabled. The EVC CPU Mode

column displays the EVC mode of
the virtual machine.
Deactivated Activated Enabled. The EVC CPU Mode

column displays the EVC mode of
the EVC cluster.
n When the virtual machine is powered off, the EVC CPU Mode column displays the per-VM
EVC mode. If per-VM EVC is deactivated, the EVC CPU Mode column for the virtual
machine is empty.
When the virtual machine is not in an EVC cluster and per-VM EVC is not configured, the EVC
mode that you see in the EVC CPU Mode column is defined in the following manner.
n When the virtual machine is powered on, the EVC CPU Mode column displays the EVC
mode of the parent host.
n When the virtual machine is powered off, the EVC CPU Mode column is empty.
4 To verify the status of the graphics mode, check the EVC Graphics Mode (vSGA) column.
a If the column is not visible, click the Manage columns icon ( ) at the bottom left corner
of the Virtual Machines table.
b To show the EVC Graphics Mode (vSGA) column, locate and select the respective check
box from the list.
The EVC Graphics Mode (vSGA) column displays the baseline graphics features set. To view
the baseline graphics, you must enable 3D graphics in the virtual machine.
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For information about configuring 3D graphics in a virtual machine, see Configure 3D

Graphics and Video Cards in the vSphere Virtual Machine Administration documentation.
vMotion Migration and ESXi Hosts with AMD Processors Without

3DNow!
If hosts in a vSphere cluster have different generations of AMD processors, some with 3DNow!
instruction sets and some without, you cannot successfully migrate virtual machines between the
hosts. You must use an EVC mode or CPU compatibility mask to hide the instructions.
Newer generations of AMD processors do not include 3DNow! processor instructions. The
vCenter Server AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode masks the 3DNow! instructions
from virtual machines. You can apply this EVC mode to EVC clusters containing only AMD
Opteron Generation 3 hosts. Applying this mode allows the clusters to maintain vMotion
compatibility with AMD Opteron hosts that do not have 3DNow! instructions. Clusters containing
AMD Opteron Generation 1 or AMD Opteron Generation 2 hosts cannot be made vMotion-
compatible with hosts that do not have 3DNow! instructions.
Prerequisites
Ensure that the cluster contains only hosts with AMD Opteron Generation 3 or newer processors.
Procedure
u Enable the AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode for your EVC cluster.
The steps to enable the EVC mode differ depending on whether you are creating a cluster
or enabling the mode on an existing cluster, and on whether the existing cluster contains
powered-on virtual machines.
Option Description
Creating a cluster In the New Cluster wizard, enable EVC for AMD hosts and select the AMD
Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode.
Editing a cluster without powered- In the Cluster Settings dialog box, edit the VMware EVC settings and select
on virtual machines the AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode.
Editing a cluster with powered-on The AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode cannot be enabled while
virtual machines there are powered-on virtual machines in the cluster.
a Power-off any running virtual machines in the cluster, or migrate them
out of the cluster using vMotion.
Migrating the virtual machines out of the cluster with vMotion allows you
to delay powering off the virtual machines until a more convenient time.
b In the Cluster Settings dialog box, edit the VMware EVC settings and
select the AMD Opteron Gen. 3 (no 3DNow!) EVC mode.
c If you migrated virtual machines out of the cluster, power them off and
cold migrate them back into the cluster.
d Power on the virtual machines.
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Results
You can now add hosts with AMD processors without 3DNow! instructions to the cluster and
preserve vMotion compatibility between the new hosts and the existing hosts in the cluster.
How to View Feature Capabilities Details for Your EVC Cluster

The feature set that is exposed by an EVC cluster corresponds to the feature set of a particular
type of processor. Processor feature sets are described by a set of feature flags that you
examine using the CPUID instruction.
You can view the CPUID feature flags currently exposed by the hosts in an EVC cluster.
Procedure
1 Select a cluster in the inventory.
3 Select VMware EVC and expand Current Feature Capabilities Details.
Results
This VMware EVC panel displays the CPUID feature flags that EVC enforces for the hosts in this
cluster. For information about CPUID feature flags, see the Intel and AMD websites.
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What Is vSphere Developer
Center 12
The Developer Center is a single point of entry for developers that provides tools to manage API
structure and to capture user actions to translate them into executable code.
The vSphere Client Developer Center provides tools for automation experts, devops engineers,
and developers to find the resources to manage API structures and to capture vSphere Client
actions to translate them into PowerCLI.
n What Is vSphere API Explorer
n What Is vSphere Code Capture
What Is vSphere API Explorer

The API Explorer allows you to browse and invoke vSphere REST APIs supported by the system
and provides information and context around the API calls.
With the API Explorer, you can choose an API endpoint from your environment and retrieve a list
of vSphere REST APIs. You can review details like available parameters, expected responses, and
response status codes, and you can invoke the APIs against the live environment. The available
APIs depend on the role of the selected endpoint.
How Do You Retrieve APIs Using vSphere API Explorer

You can use the API Explorer to retrieve available vSphere REST APIs from a selected endpoint
and receive information and context around API calls.
Procedure
1 On the vSphere Client home page, click Developer Center and select the API Explorer tab.
2 From the Select Endpoint drop-down menu, select an endpoint from the environment.
3 From the Select API drop-down menu, select an API. The listed APIs are the ones publicly
provided by the API explorer in vCenter Server.
4 (Optional) You can use the filter text box to filter your results. For example, enter health to
view a list of methods related to monitoring the health of the selected API.
5 Select an API category from the list.
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6 Select a method from the list.
You can review deprecated APIs by using the toggle button next to each method from the
list. Avoid using deprecated APIs. Deprecated APIs might become unresponsive in the future
and cause unexpected failures in your automation scripts.
Detailed information about the method appears.
7 If a section about parameter details appears for the selected method, enter a method
parameter value in the Value text box.
8 (Optional) To invoke the method against the live environment, click Execute.
a If a warning dialog box appears, click Yes.
The result for the invoked method appears in the response box.
9 (Optional) To copy the result for the invoked method to your clipboard, click Copy Response.
10 (Optional) To download the result for the invoked method, click Download.
What Is vSphere Code Capture

Code Capture records user actions and translates them into executable code.
Code Capture gives you the ability to record actions taken in the vSphere Client and output them
as usable PowerCLI code. You can then copy the code or download it as a script and use it in a
PowerShell session to execute the task.
Note Only vCenter Server calls are recorded. Calls made on operations regarding roles,
privileges, tags, content libraries, and storage policies are not recorded.
How Do You Record Actions by Using vSphere Code Capture
You can use Code Capture to record actions taken in the vSphere Client to produce a PowerCLI
code output.
Note Calls made on operations regarding roles, privileges, tags, content libraries, and storage
policies are not recorded. Sensitive data such as passwords is not recorded.
Prerequisites
To use Code Capture to record a session, you must first enable Code Capture.
Procedure
1 From the home sidebar menu, click Developer Center and go to the Code Capture tab.
2 (Optional) If Code Capture is not enabled, click the toggle to enable Code Capture.
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3 To start a recording, navigate to your desired pane and click the red record button in the top
pane. To start recording immediately, click Start Recording.
While a recording is in progress, the red record button in the top pane blinks.
4 (Optional) To clear the code captured in a previous session and start a new session, click
Clear and Start Another.
5 To stop a recording, click the red record button in the top pane, or navigate to the Code
Capture tab in the Developer Center and click Stop Recording.
The recorded code appears in the code pane.
6 (Optional) Click Copy to copy the code or Download to download it as a PowerCLI script.
7 To clear the current code and start another recording, click Clear and Start Another or
navigate to your desired pane and click the red record button in the top pane.
Results
The recorded code appears in the code pane. You can copy the code, download it, or clear the
code to start another recording.
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Automating Management Tasks
Using VMware Aria Automation
Orchestrator
13
VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator is a platform that provides a library of extensible
workflows. By using the workflow library, you can automate and configure processes to manage
the vSphere infrastructure, other VMware technologies, and third-party technologies.
VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator exposes every operation in the vCenter Server API so
that you can integrate all these operations into your own automated processes.
n What Are VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflows
n What Administration Tasks Can You Perform on vSphere Objects by Using VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator
n Managing Context Actions of Workflows on Your vSphere Inventory Objects
n Working with VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflows in the vSphere Client
n Workflows for Managing Your vSphere Inventory Objects
What Are VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflows

A workflow is a series of actions and decisions that are automated to run sequentially after you
run the workflow. VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator provides a library of workflows that
perform common management tasks.
Basics of Workflows
Workflows consist of a schema, variables, and input and output parameters. The workflow
schema is the main component of a workflow as it defines all the workflow elements and the
logical task flow of the workflow. The workflow variables and parameters are used by workflows
to transfer data. VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator saves a workflow token every time a
workflow runs, recording the details of that specific run of the workflow. This token contains all
parameters related to the workflow run. For example, if you run a workflow three times, three
workflow tokens are saved.
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With the vSphere Client, you can run and schedule workflows on selected objects from the
vSphere inventory. You cannot create, delete, edit, and manage workflows in the vSphere Client.
You develop and manage workflows in the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator client. For
more information about the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator client, see Using VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator.
Input Workflow Parameters

To run, most workflows require a certain set of input parameters. The workflow processes input
parameters that the user, an application, another workflow, or an action passes to it.
For example, if a workflow resets a virtual machine, the workflow requires the name of the virtual
machine as an input parameter.
Output Workflow Parameters

The workflow output parameters represent the result from the workflow run. Some workflows
and workflow elements can change the output parameters of the workflow when they run. While
they run, workflows can receive the output parameters of other workflows as input parameters.
For example, if a workflow creates a snapshot of a virtual machine, the output parameter for the
workflow is the resulting snapshot.
Workflow Presentation
When you run a workflow in the vSphere Client, the client loads the workflow presentation. You
provide the input parameters of the workflow in the workflow presentation.
Waiting for Input

Some workflows require user input during their run and the run is suspended either until the user
provides the required information, or until the workflow run times out.
What Administration Tasks Can You Perform on vSphere

Objects by Using VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
By using VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator view in the vSphere Client, you can perform
administration tasks such as running and scheduling workflows, and viewing the list of available
workflows.
From the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator view in the vSphere Client, you can work with
workflows. Working with workflows includes the following tasks:
n Associating workflows with specific vSphere inventory objects such as virtual machines, ESXi
hosts, clusters, resource pools, and folders.
n Exporting and importing existing associations of workflows with vSphere inventory objects
for backup purposes or to import them to another vCenter Server instance.
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n Editing associations of workflows with vSphere inventory objects such as virtual machines,
ESXi hosts, clusters, resource pools, folders, and others.
n Viewing information about workflow runs and about workflows waiting for user intervention.
n Running and scheduling workflows on vSphere objects.
Managing Context Actions of Workflows on Your vSphere

Inventory Objects
By using VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator, you can associate workflows with the different
vSphere object types to see more workflows displayed in the context menu when you right-click
a vSphere inventory object. You can also run these workflows on more object types.
You can add and edit context actions, and export and import configuration files containing the
context actions of workflows on vSphere objects.
Workflows associated with inventory object types are listed in the context menu that appears
when you right-click the inventory objects and in the Actions menu.
You can assign Automation Orchestrator groups. The users in the Automation Orchestrator
groups and users from the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Administrator group in the
vSphere Client can use the defined context actions on the vSphere inventory objects.
Assign an Automation Orchestrator Group in the vSphere Client

With VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator, you can assign an Automation Orchestrator group.
The users in the group can use the defined context actions on the vSphere inventory objects.
Prerequisites
n Verify that groups are created in the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator client. For
more information about Automation Orchestrator groups and how to create them, see
vRealize Orchestrator Roles and Groups in the Using VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
documentation.
n Log in to the vSphere Client as a member of the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
Administrators group. For more information about VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
roles and groups, see the Using VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator documentation.
Procedure
1 In the object navigator, click vRealize Orchestrator.
Depending on your environment and the integration between vCenter Server and VMware
Aria Automation Orchestrator, the name of the interface control might be VMware Aria
2 Click the Assign group tab.
A list of all groups which can use context actions is displayed.
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3 Click Assign.
4 Select a group from the list and click Assign.
The group appears in the list of assigned groups.
Associate Your Workflows with vSphere Inventory Object Types

You can associate VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflows with a vSphere object type,
such as host, to run the workflows directly on the inventory objects of that type.
Workflows associated with inventory object types are listed in the context menu that appears
when you right-click an inventory object, and in the Actions menu.
Prerequisites
n Verify that you have configured the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator plug-in for the
vSphere Client. For information about configuring the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
plug-in for the vSphere Client, see the Using VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Plug-Ins
documentation.
Procedure
2 Click the Context Actions tab.
3 Click Add to add a workflow.
4 Navigate through the workflow library to find the workflow to add.
5 Under Type of Object, select the vSphere object types with which you want to associate the
workflow.
6 (Optional) Use the add or remove icons to add or remove object types.
To remove an object type, more than one object types must be selected.
7 (Optional) Select the Allow multiple selection check box.
With multi-selection enabled, you can select multiple vSphere objects of the same type when
you run the workflow.
8 Click Assign.
The workflow appears in the list of workflows.
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Edit the Context Actions of Your Workflows on vSphere Objects

After you associate a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflow with objects from the
vSphere inventory, you can edit the context actions of workflows on the objects from the
vSphere inventory.
Prerequisites
documentation.
Procedure
3 Click on the workflow you want to edit.
A dialog box appears.
4 Change the context action properties.
5 Click Save.
Export the Context Actions of Your Workflows on vSphere Objects

You can transfer the context actions of VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflows on
objects in the vSphere inventory by using a JSON file.
Prerequisites
documentation.
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Procedure
3 Click MORE > Export.
4 Select a location where you want to save the JSON file, and click Save.
Import Context Actions of Your Workflows on vSphere Objects

You can import a JSON file that contains the context actions of VMware Aria Automation
Orchestrator workflows on objects in the vSphere inventory.
Prerequisites
documentation.
Procedure
3 Click MORE > Import.
4 Browse to select the JSON file to import and click Open.
Results
VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator compares the two sets of workflow context actions and
imports the missing workflow context actions.
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Working with VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator

Workflows in the vSphere Client
In the vSphere Client, you can view information about VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
workflows, run, and schedule workflows.
You can perform some scheduling and running tasks on the VMware Aria Automation
Orchestrator workflows from the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator view in the vSphere
Client.
You can schedule a workflow to run at a specified time or start a workflow directly, by right-
clicking a vSphere inventory object and selecting VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator.
Workflow tasks include:
n Running workflows on vSphere inventory objects, such as virtual machines, ESXi hosts,
clusters, resource pools, and folders.
n Viewing information about workflow runs.
n Viewing information about workflows waiting for user interaction.
n Searching for a specific workflow from the list of available workflows.
n Scheduling workflows.
Run Your Workflows on vSphere Inventory Objects

You can automate management tasks in vSphere by running VMware Aria Automation
Orchestrator workflows directly on objects from the vSphere inventory.
Prerequisites
documentation.
n Verify that you have workflows associated with the vSphere inventory objects. See Associate
Your Workflows with vSphere Inventory Object Types.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, select Global Inventory Lists .
2 From the left navigation pane, select an inventory category.
3 Right-click the object that you want to run the workflow on, and click VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator > Run Workflow.
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4 From the drop-down menu, select the workflow that you want to run.
Note If you cannot find the expected workflows, you might have to associate them to the
specified vSphere inventory object.
5 Provide the required workflow parameters.
6 Click Run.
Schedule Your Workflows on vSphere Inventory Objects

You can automate management tasks in vSphere by scheduling VMware Aria Automation
Orchestrator workflows directly on objects from the vSphere inventory.
Prerequisites
documentation.
n Verify that you have workflows associated with the vSphere inventory objects. See Associate
Your Workflows with vSphere Inventory Object Types.
Procedure
1 In the vSphere Client home page, select Global Inventory Lists .
2 From the left navigation pane, select an inventory category.
3 Right-click the object that you want to run the workflow on, and click VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator > Schedule Workflow.
4 In the Task name text box, enter the name of the scheduled task.
5 (Optional) In the Description text box, enter a description of the scheduled task.
6 Schedule the date and time of the workflow run.
7 (Optional) Specify the end date.
8 Click Next.
9 (Optional) From the Schedule drop-down menu, select a recurrence option.
10 From the drop-down menu, select the workflow that you want to run.
Note If you cannot find the expected workflows, you might have to associate them to the
specified vSphere inventory object.
12 Click Finish.
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Scheduling Workflows from the VMware Aria Automation

Orchestrator view in the vSphere Client
From the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator view in the vSphere Client, you can create tasks
to schedule workflows, edit scheduled tasks, suspend scheduled tasks, and resume suspended
scheduled tasks.
Schedule a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflow

In the vSphere Client, you can schedule a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflow to run
at a specified time. You can also set the recurrence for a scheduled workflow.
Prerequisites
1 Verify that you have configured the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator plug-in for the
documentation.
Procedure
2 Click Workflows.
3 Select the workflow that you want to schedule and click Schedule.
4 In the Task name text box, enter the name of the scheduled task.
5 (Optional) In the Description text box, enter a description of the scheduled task.
6 Schedule the date and time of the workflow run.
7 (Optional) Specify the end date.
8 (Optional) From the Schedule drop-down menu, select a recurrence option.
9 Click Next.
11 Click Finish.
Edit the Schedule of Your VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflow

In the vSphere Client, you can modify the schedule of a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
workflow and set it to run at an earlier or later time.
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Prerequisites
documentation.
Procedure
2 Click Scheduled workflows.
A list of the scheduled workflows appears.
3 Select the workflow whose schedule you want to edit and click Edit.
4 Modify the parameters of the scheduled workflow and click Finish.
Suspend a Scheduled VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflow Run

In the vSphere Client, you can suspend a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator scheduled task
for a workflow run. You can also resume suspended scheduled tasks.
Prerequisites
1 Verify that you have configured the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator plug-in for the
documentation.
Procedure
3 Select a workflow and click Pause.
The workflow schedule is suspended.
Results
The state of the scheduled task changes to Suspended.
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Resume a Suspended Scheduled VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator

Workflow Run
In the vSphere Client, you can resume a scheduled VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
workflow run that has been suspended.
Prerequisites
documentation.
Procedure
3 Select a workflow and click Resume.
The workflow schedule is resumed from suspension.
Results
The state of the scheduled task changes to Pending.
View Information About Your VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator

Workflow Runs
In the vSphere Client, you can view information about the workflow runs for the connected
VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator server. The available information includes the workflow
name, start and end date, state of the workflow, and the user who started the workflow.
Prerequisites
documentation.
n Run a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflow.
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Procedure
2 Click Workflow Runs.
The list of workflow runs appears.
What to do next
You can review the list of workflow runs, cancel a running workflow, delete a workflow run, or
respond to a workflow that requires interaction.
View Information About the Runs of a Specific Workflow

In the vSphere Client, you can view information about the runs of a single VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator workflow such as start and end date, state of the workflow, and user
who has started the workflow.
Prerequisites
documentation.
n Run the specific VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflow at least once.
Procedure
2 Click Workflows.
A list of the available workflows appears.
3 Click the name of a workflow, and click the All Runs tab.
A list of workflow runs appears.
What to do next
You can review the list of workflow runs, cancel a running workflow, or respond to a workflow
that requires interaction.
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View Workflows That Are Waiting for User Input

In the vSphere Client, you can view the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator workflows that are
waiting for user input.
Prerequisites
documentation.
Procedure
2 Click Waiting for input.
Results
A list of workflows that are waiting for user input appears.
What to do next
You can provide values for the required parameters of workflows that are waiting for user input.
For example, the user might have to provide an approval or further details about the workflow.
Find a VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator Workflow

You can browse for workflows in the inventory of the VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
server or filter the available workflows by a search keyword to find a particular workflow. In
vSphere environments with many available workflows, filtering provides a quick way to navigate
through the list of workflows.
Prerequisites
documentation.
Procedure
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2 Click Workflows.
3 In the filter text box, enter a search term or the name of the workflow that you want to find.
You can see a list with the workflows that contain the search term in the workflow name or
description.
Workflows for Managing Your vSphere Inventory Objects

The vCenter Server plug-in workflow library contains VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
workflows that you can use to run automated processes related to the vCenter Server and host
management.
To access workflows in the vSphere Client, verify that you have configured the VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator plug-in for the vSphere Client. For information about configuring the
VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator plug-in for the vSphere Client, see the Using VMware Aria
Automation Orchestrator Plug-Ins documentation.
The default workflows for managing vSphere inventory objects are the workflows included in the
vCenter Server plug-in workflow library.
Note Only a predefined set of vCenter Server workflows are available by default in the context
menu. You can associate additional workflows with each vSphere object. See Associate Your
Workflows with vSphere Inventory Object Types.
For more information about the workflows available in the vCenter Server plug-in workflow
library, see vCenter Plug-In Workflow Library in the Using VMware Aria Automation Orchestrator
Plug-Ins documentation.
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Working with Headless Systems
14
ESXi supports the detection and configuration of headless systems.
A headless system is a system that can be operated without a monitor, keyboard, or mouse.
Network Appliance boxes do not have Video Graphics Array (VGA), the primary interface is a
single serial port. You can set up your existing headless systems to use ESXi. You can add ESXi
appliances to a data center where virtual machines are managed with vCenter Server. All existing
ESXi features can be used with a headless system that is configured with either embedded flash
or minimal local storage. ESXi allows for dynamic switching between different serial modes, which
is useful for diagnosing and debugging problems. You can switch between modes to view or
modify system parameters.
n How to Detect a Headless System
n Serial Mode Dynamic Switching
How to Detect a Headless System

ESXi automatically detects headless systems.
ESXi automatically redirects the DCUI over a serial port connection to improve headless
detection. When ESXi automatically detects a headless system, ESXi will set up the serial port
as COM1, 115200 baud, and redirects the DCUI over this serial port. The specific settings of com
port and baud rate are read from the Serial Port Console Redirection (SPCR) table, if it exists.
This behavior can be deactivated using new boot parameters if the default settings are not
acceptable. You can set the headless flag in the ACPI FADT table to mark a system as headless.
Serial Mode Dynamic Switching

ESXi supports dynamic switching between four different serial port modes.
ESXi supports serial mode dynamic switching to provide maximum platform flexibility, and to
allow debugging and supportability in the text box. ESXi examines the input characters for any
serial port mode and switches the modes based on the input key sequence. DCUI, Shell, GDB,
and Logging modes are supported. If you have two serial ports, only one of the four modes is
allowed on each port. Two serial ports cannot be in the same mode. If you attempt a dynamic
switch to a mode in use by the other serial port, the request is ignored. Dynamic switching
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eliminates the need to interrupt the boot process manually or to create a custom image to
redirect to a serial port. It also addresses supportability issues regarding headless systems that
only have one serial port, by making it possible to switch the serial port between different modes
of operation.
What Serial Port Modes Does ESXi Support

ESXi supports four serial port modes — logging mode, GDB mode, Shell mode, and DCUI mode.
There are four serial port modes in ESXi:
Logging mode – Logging mode is the default mode in a debug build. Logging mode sends the
vmkernel.log over the serial port.
GDB mode – Use GDB mode for dedicated debugging.
Shell mode – Shell mode is the shell port access, which is similar to SSH.
DCUI mode – DCUI mode is a Direct Console User Interface. This is the user interface that is
displayed when you boot ESXi using a monitor.
Note Only COM1 and COM2 ports are supported. USB serial or PCI serial cards are not
supported.
ESXi Keystrokes for Dynamic Serial Mode Switching

ESXi includes a unique keystroke sequence that allows dynamic serial mode switching.
Dynamic Switching Keystrokes

Once the correct keystroke sequence is entered, the system switches the serial port to the
desired mode.
Logging mode: Ctrl+G, Ctrl+B, 1
Shell mode: Ctrl+G, Ctrl+B, 2
DCUI mode: Ctrl+G, Ctrl+B, 3
GDB mode: Ctrl+G, Ctrl+B, ?
Note Once in GDB mode, you cannot switch modes again using a key sequence. You must use
the CLI to switch modes.
How Do You Switch Serial Modes Through the ESXi CLI

You can switch serial modes using the CLI.
Dynamic Switching Using the CLI

Use esxcfg-advcfg to set the current mode to none. Then set the new desired mode using the
CLI.
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Logging mode: esxcfg-advcfg -s com1 /Misc/LogPort
Shell mode: esxcfg-advcfg -s com1 /Misc/ShellPort
DCUI mode: esxcfg-advcfg -s com1 /Misc/ConsolePort
GDB mode: esxcfg-advcfg -s com1 /Misc/GDBPort
Example: Example
If the serial mode is set to logging mode, enter these two commands to switch it to DCUI mode.
§. > esxcfg-advcfg –s none /Misc/LogPort
§. > esxcfg-advcfg –s com1 /Misc/ConsolePort
What Are the Keystrokes for Controlling the Serial DCUI

You can use alternate keystrokes to control the DCUI over a serial port. These alternate are
useful when F2 or other function keys cannot be used.
Controlling the Serial DCUI

Alternate keystroke mappings for DCUI mode:
n Esc + 1 -> F1
n Esc + 2 -> F2
n Esc + 3 -> F3
n Esc + 4 -> F4
n Esc + 5 -> F5
n Esc + 6 -> F6
n Esc + 7 -> F7
n Esc + 8 -> F8
n Esc + 9 -> F9
n Esc + 0 -> F10
n Esc + ! -> F11
n Esc + @ -> F12
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Troubleshooting Overview
15
vSphere Troubleshooting contains common troubleshooting scenarios and provides solutions for
each of these problems. You can also find guidance here for resolving problems that have similar
origins. For unique problems, consider developing and adopting a troubleshooting methodology.
The following approach for effective troubleshooting elaborates on how to gather

troubleshooting information, such as identifying symptoms and defining the problem space.
Troubleshooting with log files is also discussed.
n Guidelines for Troubleshooting Your Implementation of vSphere
n Troubleshooting with vCenter Server Logs
n Troubleshooting vCenter Server and ESXi Host Certificates
n Troubleshooting ESXi Hosts
n Troubleshooting Licensing of ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server
Guidelines for Troubleshooting Your Implementation of

vSphere
To troubleshoot your implementation of vSphere, identify the symptoms of the problem,
determine which of the components are affected, and test possible solutions.
Identifying Symptoms
A number of potential causes might lead to the under-performance or nonperformance of

your implementation. The first step in efficient troubleshooting is to identify exactly what is
going wrong.
Defining the Problem Space
After you have isolated the symptoms of the problem, you must define the problem space.
Identify the software or hardware components that are affected and might be causing the
problem and those components that are not involved.
Testing Possible Solutions
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When you know what the symptoms of the problem are and which components are involved,
test the solutions systematically until the problem is resolved.
(Troubleshooting Basics )
How Do You Identify the Symptoms

Before you attempt to resolve a problem in your vSphere implementation, you must identify
precisely how it is failing.
The first step in the troubleshooting process is to gather information that defines the specific
symptoms of what is happening. You might ask these questions when gathering this information:
n What is the task or expected behavior that is not occurring?
n Can the affected task be divided into subtasks that you can evaluate separately?
n Is the task ending in an error? Is an error message associated with it?
n Is the task completing but in an unacceptably long time?
n Is the failure consistent or sporadic?
n What has changed recently in the software or hardware that might be related to the failure?
How Do You Define the Problem Space

After you identify the symptoms of the problem in your vSphere implementation, determine
which components in your setup are affected, which components might be causing the problem,
and which components are not involved.
To define the problem space in an implementation of vSphere, be aware of the components

present. In addition to VMware software, consider third-party software in use and which
hardware is being used with the VMware virtual hardware.
Recognizing the characteristics of the software and hardware elements and how they can impact
the problem, you can explore general problems that might be causing the symptoms.
n Misconfiguration of software settings
n Failure of physical hardware
n Incompatibility of components
Break down the process and consider each piece and the likelihood of its involvement separately.
For example, a case that is related to a virtual disk on local storage is probably unrelated to
third-party router configuration. However, a local disk controller setting might be contributing to
the problem. If a component is unrelated to the specific symptoms, you can probably eliminate it
as a candidate for solution testing.
Think about what changed in the configuration recently before the problems started. Look for
what is common in the problem. If several problems started at the same time, you can probably
trace all the problems to the same cause.
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How Do You Test Possible Solutions

After you know the symptoms of the problem in your vSphere implementation and which
software or hardware components are most likely involved, you can systematically test solutions
until you resolve the problem.
With the information that you have gained about the symptoms and affected components, you
can design tests for pinpointing and resolving the problem. These tips might make this process
more effective.
n Generate ideas for as many potential solutions as you can.
n Verify that each solution determines unequivocally whether the problem is fixed. Test each
potential solution but move on promptly if the fix does not resolve the problem.
n Develop and pursue a hierarchy of potential solutions based on likelihood. Systematically

eliminate each potential problem from the most likely to the least likely until the symptoms
disappear.
n When testing potential solutions, change only one thing at a time. If your setup works after
many things are changed at once, you might not be able to discern which of those things
made a difference.
n If the changes that you made for a solution do not help resolve the problem, return the
implementation to its previous status. If you do not return the implementation to its previous
status, new errors might be introduced.
n Find a similar implementation that is working and test it in parallel with the implementation
that is not working properly. Make changes on both systems at the same time until few
differences or only one difference remains between them.
Troubleshooting with vCenter Server Logs

You can often obtain valuable troubleshooting information by looking at the logs provided by the
various services and agents that your vSphere implementation is using.
Most logs are located in /var/log/vmware/<service_name> for vCenter Server deployments.
Common Logs
The following logs are common to all vCenter Server deployments.
Table 15-1. Common Log Directories
Log Directory Description
../firstboot Stores first boot logs
applmgmt and applmgmt-audit Stores logs related to the VMware Appliance Management Service
cloudvm Stores logs for allotment and distribution of resources between services
rhttpproxy Stores logs for the VMware HTTP Reverse Proxy service
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Table 15-1. Common Log Directories (continued)
Log Directory Description
sca Stores logs for the VMware Service Control Agent service
vapi Stores logs for the VMware vAPI Endpoint service
vmafdd Stores logs for the VMware Authentication Framework - LDAP service
vmdird Stores logs for the VMware Directory Service - LDAP service
vmon Stores logs for the VMware Service Lifecycle Manager service
Management Node Logs

The following logs are available if a management node deployment is selected.
Table 15-2. Management Node Log Directories
Log Directory Service
rbd VMware vSphere Auto Deploy
content-library VMware Content Library Service
eam VMware ESX Agent Manager
netdumper VMware vSphere ESXi Dump Collector
perfcharts VMware Performance Charts Service
vmcam VMware vSphere Authentication Proxy
vmdird VMware Directory Service - LDAP
vmware-sps VMware vSphere Profile-Driven Storage Service
vpxd VMware vCenter Server
vpostgres VMware Postgres service
vcha VMware vCenter High Availability service
Troubleshooting vCenter Server and ESXi Host Certificates

Certificates are automatically generated when you install vCenter Server. These default
certificates are not signed by a commercial certificate authority (CA) and might not provide
strong security. You can replace default vCenter Server certificates with certificates signed by
a commercial CA. When you replace vCenter Server and ESXi certificates, you might encounter
errors.
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New vCenter Server Certificate Does Not Appear to Load

After you replace default vCenter Server certificates, the new certificates might not appear to
load.
Problem
When you install new vCenter Server certificates, you might not see the new certificate.
Cause
Existing open connections to vCenter Serverare not forcibly closed and might still use the old
certificate.
Solution
To force all connections to use the new certificate, use one of the following methods.
n Restart the network stack or network interfaces on the server.
n Restart the vCenter Serverservice.
vCenter Server Cannot Connect to Managed Hosts

After you replace default vCenter Server certificates and restart the system, vCenter Server
might not be able to connect to managed hosts.
Problem
vCenter Server cannot connect to managed hosts after server certificates are replaced and the
system is restarted.
Solution
Log into the host as the root user and reconnect the host to vCenter Server.
Troubleshooting ESXi Hosts

The host troubleshooting topics provide solutions to potential problems that you might
encounter when using your vCenter Server and ESXi hosts.
Troubleshooting vSphere HA Host States

vCenter Server reports vSphere HA host states that indicate an error condition on the host.
Such errors can prevent vSphere HA from fully protecting the virtual machines on the host and
can impede vSphere HA's ability to restart virtual machines after a failure. Errors can occur
when vSphere HA is being configured or unconfigured on a host or, more rarely, during normal
operation. When this happens, you should determine how to resolve the error, so that vSphere
HA is fully operational.
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vSphere HA Agent Is in the Agent Unreachable State

The vSphere HA agent on a host is in the Agent Unreachable state for a minute or more. User
intervention might be required to resolve this situation.
Problem
vSphere HA reports that an agent is in the Agent Unreachable state when the agent for the host
cannot be contacted by the primary host or by vCenter Server. Consequently, vSphere HA is not
able to monitor the virtual machines on the host and might not restart them after a failure.
Cause
A vSphere HA agent can be in the Agent Unreachable state for several reasons. This condition
most often indicates that a networking problem is preventing vCenter Server or the primary host
from contacting the agent on the host, or that all hosts in the cluster have failed. This condition
can also indicate the unlikely situation that vSphere HA was deactivated and then reactivated
on the cluster while vCenter Server could not communicate with the vSphere HA agent on the
host, or that the ESXi host agent on the host has failed, and the watchdog process was unable
to restart it. In any of these cases, a failover event is not triggered when a host goes into the
Unreachable state.
Solution
Determine if vCenter Server is reporting the host as not responding. If so, there is a networking
problem, an ESXi host agent failure, or a total cluster failure. After the condition is resolved,
vSphere HA should work correctly. If not, reconfigure vSphere HA on the host. Similarly, if
vCenter Server reports the hosts are responding but a host's state is Agent Unreachable,
reconfigure vSphere HA on that host.
vSphere HA Agent is in the Uninitialized State

The vSphere HA agent on a host is in the Uninitialized state for a minute or more. User
intervention might be required to resolve this situation.
Problem
vSphere HA reports that an agent is in the Uninitialized state when the agent for the host is
unable to enter the run state and become the primary host or to connect to the primary host.
Consequently, vSphere HA is not able to monitor the virtual machines on the host and might not
restart them after a failure.
Cause
A vSphere HA agent can be in the Uninitialized state for one or more reasons. This condition
most often indicates that the host does not have access to any datastores. Less frequently, this
condition indicates that the host does not have access to its local datastore on which vSphere HA
caches state information, the agent on the host is inaccessible, or the vSphere HA agent is unable
to open required firewall ports. It is also possible that the ESXi host agent has stopped.
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Solution
Search the list of the host's events for recent occurrences of the event vSphere HA Agent for
the host has an error. This event indicates the reason for the host being in the uninitialized
state. If the condition exists because of a datastore problem, resolve whatever is preventing the
host from accessing the affected datastores. If the ESXi host agent has stopped, you must restart
it. After the problem has been resolved, if the agent does not return to an operational state,
reconfigure vSphere HA on the host.
Note If the condition exists because of a firewall problem, check if there is another service on
the host that is using port 8182. If so, shut down that service, and reconfigure vSphere HA.
vSphere HA Agent is in the Initialization Error State

The vSphere HA agent on a host is in the Initialization Error state for a minute or more. User
intervention is required to resolve this situation.
Problem
vSphere HA reports that an agent is in the Initialization Error state when the last attempt to
configure vSphere HA for the host failed. vSphere HA does not monitor the virtual machines on
such a host and might not restart them after a failure.
Cause
This condition most often indicates that vCenter Server was unable to connect to the host
while the vSphere HA agent was being installed or configured on the host. This condition might
also indicate that the installation and configuration completed, but the agent did not become a
primary host or a secondary host within a timeout period. Less frequently, the condition is an
indication that there is insufficient disk space on the host's local datastore to install the agent, or
that there are insufficient unreserved memory resources on the host for the agent resource pool.
Finally, for ESXi 5.x hosts, the configuration fails if a previous installation of another component
required a host reboot, but the reboot has not yet occurred.
Solution
When a Configure HA task fails, a reason for the failure is reported.
Reason for Failure Action
Host communication Resolve any communication problems with the host and retry the configuration operation.
errors
Timeout errors Possible causes include that the host crashed during the configuration task, the agent failed
to start after being installed, or the agent was unable to initialize itself after starting up. Verify
that vCenter Server is able to communicate with the host. If so, see vSphere HA Agent Is in
the Agent Unreachable State or vSphere HA Agent is in the Uninitialized State for possible
solutions.
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Reason for Failure Action
Lack of resources Free up approximately 75MB of disk space. If the failure is due to insufficient unreserved
memory, free up memory on the host by either relocating virtual machines to another host
or reducing their reservations. In either case, retry the vSphere HA configuration task after
resolving the problem.
Reboot pending If an installation for a 5.0 or later host fails because a reboot is pending, reboot the host and
retry the vSphere HA configuration task.
vSphere HA Agent is in the Uninitialization Error State

The vSphere HA agent on a host is in the Uninitialization Error state. User intervention is required
to resolve this situation.
Problem
vSphere HA reports that an agent is in the Uninitialization Error state when vCenter Server is
unable to unconfigure the agent on the host during the Unconfigure HA task. An agent left in this
state can interfere with the operation of the cluster. For example, the agent on the host might
elect itself as primary host and lock a datastore. Locking a datastore prevents the valid cluster
primary host from managing the virtual machines with configuration files on that datastore.
Cause
This condition usually indicates that vCenter Server lost the connection to the host while the
agent was being unconfigured.
Solution
Add the host back to vCenter Server (version 5.0 or later). The host can be added as a stand-
alone host or added to any cluster.
vSphere HA Agent is in the Host Failed State

The vSphere HA agent on a host is in the Host Failed state. User intervention is required to
resolve the situation.
Problem
Usually, such reports indicate that a host has actually failed, but failure reports can sometimes
be incorrect. A failed host reduces the available capacity in the cluster and, in the case of an
incorrect report, prevents vSphere HA from protecting the virtual machines running on the host.
Cause
This host state is reported when the vSphere HA primary host to which vCenter Server is
connected is unable to communicate with the host and with the heartbeat datastores that are
in use for the host. Any storage failure that makes the datastores inaccessible to hosts can cause
this condition if accompanied by a network failure.
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Solution
Check for the noted failure conditions and resolve any that are found.
vSphere HA Agent is in the Network Partitioned State

The vSphere HA agent on a host is in the Network Partitioned state. User intervention might be
required to resolve this situation.
Problem
While the virtual machines running on the host continue to be monitored by the primary hosts
that are responsible for them, vSphere HA's ability to restart the virtual machines after a failure is
affected. First, each primary host has access to a subset of the hosts, so less failover capacity is
available to each host. Second, vSphere HA might be unable to restart a FT Secondary VM after
a failure. See also vSphere Availability troubleshooting.
Cause
A host is reported as partitioned if both of the following conditions are met:
n The vSphere HA primary host to which vCenter Server is connected is unable to

communicate with the host by using the management (or VMware vSAN™)network, but
is able to communicate with that host by using the heartbeat datastores that have been
selected for it.
n The host is not isolated.
A network partition can occur for a number of reasons including incorrect VLAN tagging, the
failure of a physical NIC or switch, configuring a cluster with some hosts that use only IPv4
and others that use only IPv6, or the management networks for some hosts were moved to a
different virtual switch without first putting the host into maintenance mode.
Solution
Resolve the networking problem that prevents the hosts from communicating by using the
management networks.
vSphere HA Agent is in the Network Isolated State

The vSphere HA agent on a host is in the Network Isolated state. User intervention is required to
resolve this situation.
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Problem
When a host is in the Network Isolated state, there are two things to consider -- the isolated host
and the vSphere HA agent that holds the primary role.
n On the isolated host, the vSphere HA agent applies the configured isolation response to the
running VMs, determining if they should be shut down or powered off. It does this after
checking whether a primary agent is able to take responsibility for each VM (by locking the
VM's home datastore.) If not, the agent defers applying the isolation response for the VM and
rechecks the datastore state after a short delay.
n If the vSphere HA primary agent can access one or more of the datastores, it monitors the
VMs that were running on the host when it became isolated and attempts to restart any that
were powered off or shut down.
Cause
A host is network isolated if both of the following conditions are met:
n Isolation addresses have been configured and the host is unable to ping them.
n The vSphere HA agent on the host is unable to access any of the agents running on the other
cluster hosts.
Note If your vSphere HA cluster has vSAN enabled, a host is determined to be isolated if
it cannot communicate with the other vSphere HA agents in the cluster and cannot reach the
configured isolation addresses. Although the vSphere HA agents use the vSAN network for
inter-agent communication, the default isolation address is still the gateway of the host. Hence, in
the default configuration, both networks must fail for a host be declared isolated.
Solution
Resolve the networking problem that is preventing the host from pinging its isolation addresses
and communicating with other hosts.
Configuration of vSphere HA on Hosts Times Out

The configuration of a vSphere HA cluster might time out on some of the hosts added to it.
Problem
When you enable vSphere HA on an existing cluster with a large number of hosts and virtual
machines, the setup of vSphere HA on some of the hosts might fail.
Cause
This failure is the result of a time out occurring before the installation of vSphere HA on the
host(s) completes.
VMware, Inc. 212

Solution
Set the vCenter Server advanced option config.vpxd.das.electionWaitTimeSec to value=240.

Once this change is made, the time outs do not occur.
Authentication Token Manipulation Error

When you try to create a password that does not meet the authentication requirements of the
ESXi host, an error occurs.
Problem
When you create a password on the host, the following fault message appears: A general
system error occurred: passwd: Authentication token manipulation error.
The following message is included: Failed to set the password. It is possible that
your password does not meet the complexity criteria set by the system.
Cause
The host checks for password compliance using the default authentication plug-in,
pam_passwdqc.so. If the password is not compliant, the error appears.
Solution
When you create a password, include a mix of characters from four character classes: lowercase
letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters such as an underscore or dash.
Your user password must meet the following length requirements.
n Passwords containing characters from three character classes must be at least eight
characters long.
n Passwords containing characters from all four character classes must be at least seven
characters long.
Note An uppercase character that begins a password does not count toward the number of
character classes used. A number that ends a password does not count toward the number of
character classes used.
For more information, see the vSphere Security documentation.
Unable to Download VIBs When Using vCenter Server Reverse Proxy

You are unable to download VIBs if vCenter Server is using a custom port for the reverse proxy.
Problem
If you configure vCenter Server reverse proxy to use a custom port, the VIB downloads fail.
VMware, Inc. 213

Cause
If vCenter Server is using a custom port for the reverse proxy, the custom port is not
automatically enabled in the ESXi firewall and the VIB downloads fail.
Solution
1 Open an SSH connection to the host and log in as root.
2 (Optional) List the existing firewall rules.
esxcli network firewall ruleset list
3 (Optional) Back up the /etc/vmware/firewall/service.xml file.
cp /etc/vmware/firewall/service.xml /etc/vmware/firewall/service.xml.bak
4 Edit the access permissions of the service.xml file to allow writes by running the chmod
command.
n To allow writes, run chmod 644/etc/vmware/firewall/service.xml.
n To toggle the sticky bit flag, run chmod +t /etc/vmware/firewall/service.xml.
5 Open the service.xml file in a text editor.
6 Add a new rule to the service.xml file that enables the custom port for the vCenter Server
reverse proxy .
<service id='id_value'>
<id>vcenterrhttpproxy</id>
<rule id='0000'>
<direction>outbound</direction>
<protocol>tcp</protocol>
<port type='dst'>custom_reverse_proxy_port</port>
</rule>
<enabled>true</enabled>
<required>false</required>
</service>
Where id_value must be a unique value, for example, if the last listed service in the
service.xml file has ID 0040, you must enter id number 0041.
7 Revert the access permissions of the service.xml file to the default read-only setting.
chmod 444 /etc/vmware/firewall/service.xml
8 Refresh the firewall rules for the changes to take effect.
esxcli network firewall refresh
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9 (Optional) List the updated rule set to confirm the change.
esxcli network firewall ruleset list
10 (Optional) If you want the firewall configuration to persist after a reboot of the ESXi host,
copy the service.xml onto persistent storage and modify the local.sh file.
a Copy the modified service.xml file onto persistent storage, for example /store/, or
onto a VMFS volume, for example /vmfs/volumes/volume/.
cp /etc/vmware/firewall/service.xml location_of_xml_file
You can store a VMFS volume in a single location and copy it to multiple hosts.
b Add the service.xml file information to the local.sh file on the host.
cp location_of_xml_file /etc/vmware/firewall
esxcli network firewall refresh
Wherelocation_of_xml_file is the location to which the file was copied.
Troubleshooting Licensing of ESXi Hosts and vCenter Server

The troubleshooting licensing topics provide solutions to problems that you might encounter as a
result of an incorrect or incompatible license setup in vSphere.
Troubleshooting ESXi Host Licensing

You might encounter different problems that result from an incompatible or incorrect license
configuration of ESXi hosts.
Unable to Assign a License to an ESXi Host

Under certain conditions, you might be unable to assign a license to an ESXi host.
Problem
You try to assign a license to an ESXi host, but you cannot perform the operation and you
receive an error message.
Cause
You might be unable to assign a license to an ESXi host because of the following reasons:
n The calculated license usage for the host exceeds the license capacity. For example, you
have a vSphere license key with capacity for two CPUs. You try to assign the key to a host
that has four CPUs. You cannot assign the license, because the required license usage for the
host is greater than the license capacity.
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n The features on the host do not match the license edition. For example, you might configure
hosts with vSphere Distributed Switch and vSphere DRS while in evaluation mode. Later, you
try to assign vSphere Standard license to the hosts. This operation fails because the vSphere
Standard edition does not include vSphere Distributed Switch and vSphere DRS.
n The host is connected to a vCenter Server system that is assigned a license that restricts the
edition of the license that you want to assign.
Solution
n Assign a license with larger capacity.
n Upgrade the license edition to match the resources and features on the host, or deactivate
the features that do not match the license edition.
n Assign a vSphere license whose edition is compatible with the license edition of vCenter
Server.
ESXi Host Disconnects from vCenter Server

An ESXi host might disconnect from vCenter Server or all ESXi hosts might disconnect from
vCenter Server at the same time.
Problem
An ESXi host disconnects from vCenter Server when the host evaluation period or license
expires. All ESXi hosts disconnect from vCenter Server when the evaluation period or the license
of vCenter Server expire. You receive a licensing-related error message both when a single
host disconnects and when all hosts disconnect. You cannot add hosts to the vCenter Server
inventory. The hosts and the virtual machines on the hosts continue to run.
Cause
n The 60-day evaluation period of the host has expired or the host license has expired.
n The 60-day evaluation period of vCenter Server is expired or the vCenter Server license is
expired.
Solution
n Assign a vSphere license to the ESXi host and try to reconnect it to vCenter Server.
n Assign a vCenter Server license to the vCenter Server system.
Unable to Power On a Virtual Machine

You try to power on a virtual machine in your vSphere implementation, but the operation is
unsuccessful and you receive an error message.
Problem
You cannot power on a virtual machine on an ESXi host.
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Cause
You might be unable to power on a virtual machine because of the following reasons.
n The 60-day evaluation period of the host is expired.
n The license of the host is expired.
Solution
Table 15-3. Power on a Virtual Machine
Cause Solution
The evaluation period of the host is expired Assign a vSphere license to the ESXi host
The license of the host is expired Assign a vSphere license to the ESXi host
Unable to Configure or Use a Feature in Your vSphere

Implementation
You cannot use a feature or change its configuration and a licensing-related error message
appears.
Problem
You cannot use or configure a feature and a licensing-related error message appears.
Cause
The ESXi host or the vCenter Server system is assigned a license that does not support the
features that you want to configure.
Solution
Check the licensed features on the ESXi host and on the vCenter Server system. Upgrade the
edition of the license assigned to the host or vCenter Server if they do not include the features
that you try to configure or use.
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vCenter Server and Host

About VMware vCenter Server and Host Management 9

2 Main vSphere Concepts and Features 11

3 Using the vSphere Client 25

4 Configuring Customer Experience Improvement Program 40

5 Organizing Your vSphere Inventory 41

6 vSphere Tags and Custom Attributes 57

7 Working with vSphere Tasks 66

8 vSphere Host Configuration 76

Configure Agent VM Settings 77

9 Managing Hosts in vCenter Server 84

10 vSphere License and Subscription Management 92

View the License Key of a License 108

11 vSphere Virtual Machines Migration 119

Change the EVC Mode for a Cluster 176

12 What Is vSphere Developer Center 183

13 Automating Management Tasks by Using vRealize Orchestrator 186

14 Working with Headless Systems 200

15 Troubleshooting Overview 203

How Do You Identify the Symptoms 204

21 SEP 2023 Initial release.

Read the following topics next:

n What Are the Basics of Virtualization

n What Is the Physical Topology of a vSphere Data Center

n What Are the Software Components of vSphere

n vSphere Cluster Services

n What Are the Client Interfaces for vSphere

n What Are the Managed Inventory Objects in vSphere

n Optional vCenter Server Components

n What is vCenter Enhanced Linked Mode

n vCenter Server Plug-Ins

What Are the Basics of Virtualization

What Is the Physical Topology of a vSphere Data Center

The vSphere data center includes the following components.

Storage networks and arrays

What Are the Software Components of vSphere

vSphere includes the following software components:

vCenter Server is installed to run automatically on a preconfigured virtual machine. The

vCenter Single Sign-On

STS (Security Token Service)

vCenter Lookup Service

VMware Directory Service

vCenter Server plug-ins

vCenter Server database

The database is installed and configured during vCenter Server installation.

vCenter Server agent

vSphere Cluster Services

Table 2-1. Number of vCLS Agent VMs in Clusters

Number of Hosts in a Cluster Number of vCLS Agent VMs

Monitoring vSphere Cluster Services

Table 2-2. vCLS VM Resource Allocation

VMDK size 245 MB (thin disk)

Table 2-2. vCLS VM Resource Allocation (continued)

Storage on datastore 480 MB (thin disk)

Table 2-3. Health status of vCLS

Status Color Coding Summary

Healthy Green If there is at least one vCLS VM

Degraded Yellow If there is no vCLS VM running for

Unhealthy Red If there is no vCLS VM running for