Posts Tagged ‘VMware vSphere’

Part 52: HOW TO: Fix Synchronous Exception at 0x00000000XXXXXXX on VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) on a Raspberry Pi 4

Saturday, October 19th, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour I will show you HOW TO: Fix Synchronous Exception at 0x00000000XXXXXXX on VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) on a Raspberry Pi 4.

It has been well documented that the Raspberry Pi 4 UEFI Firmware Image can cause this fault which renders the UEFI boot image corrupt. See here https://github.com/pftf/RPi4/issues/97

The UEFI firmware imaged used in the lab in this video is v1.37, it is debated as too whether this has been fixed in later releases v1.37, some suggest rolling back to v1.33 !

For the sake of continuity I’ve included previous EE Videos and Articles I’ve created here

Part 51. HOW TO: Update the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 ARM Edition (ESXi 7.0 ARM edition) from v1.12 to v1.15 on a Raspberry Pi 4

Part 20: HOW TO: Install and Configure VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) on a Raspberry Pi 4

Part 23: HOW TO: BOOT VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) from an iSCSI LUN for the Raspberry Pi 4

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Part 51. HOW TO: Update the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 ARM Edition (ESXi 7.0 ARM edition) from v1.12 to v1.15 on a Raspberry Pi 4

Saturday, October 19th, 2024

On the 15 December 2023, VMware by Broadcom released 1.15, Build Number: 22949429 of the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 ARM Edition

see here – ESXi-Arm Fling 1.15 Refresh

I’ve written previous articles on installing VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 ARM Edition here for your reference

Part 20: HOW TO: Install and Configure VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) on a Raspberry Pi 4

Part 23: HOW TO: BOOT VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 (ESXi 7.0 ARM) from an iSCSI LUN for the Raspberry Pi 4

In this video I’m going to show you HOW TO: Update the VMware vSphere Hypervisor 7.0 ARM Edition (ESXi 7.0 ARM edition) from v1.12 Build 7.0.0-1.12.21447677to v1.15 Build 22949429 on a Raspberry Pi 4, the method used is based on this article and video

Part 25: HOW TO: Update VMware ESXi 7.0U2 to ESXi 7.0U2a in 5 easy steps.

Part 17: HOW TO: Update VMware ESXi 7.0U2 to ESXi 7.0U2a in 5 easy steps.

A list of all the articles and videos can be found here on GitHub – CodheadClub/AwesomeResources

The Sychronous Excepetion at 0x0000000037101434 in the UEFI BOOT Firmware v1.34 is still an issue today, which has not been fixed. These are messages received on Twitter from the Engineers which have worked on ESXi ARM. v1.35 is the latest UEFI firmware available from here

Andrei Warkentin (@WhatAintInside)

“yeah this is a long-standing SD card corruption bug ????… never quite identified, maybe some command needs ti be done on the way out to flush internal card buffers before the loss of power?”

Cyprien Laplace (@cypou)
I think you only need to replace the “RPI_EFI.fd” file from the boot partition. I forgot this bug existed, as all my Pis download the UEFI files using tftp.
(thus no corruption possible, but no change can be saved either)

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Part 48. HOW TO: Add a VMware vSphere vSAN license to a VMware vSphere vSAN Cluster

Saturday, October 19th, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO Video Series I will show you HOW TO: Add a VMware vSphere vSAN license to a VMware vSphere vSAN Cluster.

The storage devices we are using in this video are the Intel® Optane™ SSD DC P4800X Series 375GB, 2.5in PCIe x4, 3D XPoint™, but this procedure can be use to add any compatible storage devices in ESXi to a vSAN datastore.

This video follows on from the follow video in this series

Part 36: HOW TO: Select an inexpensive HCL Certified 10GBe network interfaces for vSphere ESXi 7.0 and vSphere ESXi 8.0 for VMware vSphere vSAN

Part 37: HOW TO: Change the LBA sector size of storage media to make it compatible with VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0 and ESXi 8.0.

Part 39: HOW TO: Create a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) for use with VMware vSphere vSAN for the VMware vSphere vSAN Cluster.

If you are creating a design for VMware vSphere vSAN for a Production environment, please ensure you read the  VMware Cloud Foundation Design Guide 01 JUN 2023 – this should be regarded as The Bible!

References

HOW TO: FIX the Warning System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage, Move system logs to NFS shared storage.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH INTEL OPTANE? – Mr vSAN – Simon Todd

Matt Mancini blog

VMware vSAN 8.0 U1 Express Storage Architecture Deep Dive

VMware vSAN 7.0 U3 Deep Dive Paperback – 5 May 2022

VMware vSphere vSAN Licensing Guide

VMUG Advantage

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Part 43. HOW TO: Correctly configure physical uplinks for teaming and failover on a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch vDS

Saturday, October 12th, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO Video Series I will show you HOW TO: Correctly configure physical uplinks for teaming and failover on a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch vDS.

I created a video here, which shows you how to create a vDS for VMware vSphere.

HOW TO: Create a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) for use with VMware vSphere vSAN for the VMware vSphere vSAN Cluster.

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Part 42: HOW TO: Export and Backup the VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) configuration of a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS)

Saturday, October 12th, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO Video Series I will show you HOW TO: Export and Backup the VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS) configuration of a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (vDS).

It is important once you have created a vDS to ensure you keep regular backups, if the need arises you need to restore vCenter Server.

I created a video here, which shows you how to create a vDS for VMware vSphere.

HOW TO: Create a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) for use with VMware vSphere vSAN for the VMware vSphere vSAN Cluster.

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Part 41: HOW TO: Increase the capacity of an existing VMware vSphere vSAN datastore by adding new storage devices

Saturday, October 12th, 2024

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO Video Series I continue setting up VMware vSphere vSAN.

I will show you HOW TO: Increase the capacity of an existing VMware vSphere vSAN datastore by adding new storage devices.

The storage devices we are using in this  VMware vSphere vSAN datastore are Intel Optane devices.

If you are creating a design for VMware vSphere vSAN for a Production environment, please ensure you read the  VMware Cloud Foundation Design Guide 01 JUN 2023 – this should be regarded as The Bible!

References

HOW TO: FIX the Warning System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage, Move system logs to NFS shared storage.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH INTEL OPTANE? – Mr vSAN – Simon Todd

Matt Mancini blog

VMware vSAN 8.0 U1 Express Storage Architecture Deep Dive

VMware vSAN 7.0 U3 Deep Dive Paperback – 5 May 2022

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The Hidden Truth: How to Use Non-Approved SFP+ Modules on Lenovo Gear!

Monday, September 23rd, 2024

In your #homelab, if you’re experimenting with VMware vSphere vSAN, having one or two 10GbE switches is essential for optimal performance. A cost-effective option is the RackSwitch G8124E, often available on eBay. Originally produced by Blade, this switch was later acquired by IBM and eventually became part of Lenovo’s networking portfolio.

BLADE Rackswitch G8124

If you own a Blade, IBM, or Lenovo RackSwitch G8124 10GbE network switch and encounter the frustrating “UNAPPROVED – SR SFP+ is DISABLED” message when using non-Blade, IBM, or Lenovo SFP+ modules, you’re likely searching for a way to bypass this issue. You’re in the right place!

I have no idea why Lenovo is so precious about this information and keeps it a secret. Officially, Lenovo didn’t want people tinkering with the maintenance prompt for fear of causing damage and unnecessary service calls. In reality, there’s a lot of money to be made in optics/modules, so for most vendors, including Lenovo, that’s likely the main reason they’ve kept this information private.

Personally, I do not understand why Lenovo is so secretive. The switches are currently available as scrap value on eBay, and Lenovo does not receive any money from the sale of these switches. These devices are out of warranty and will not be used in production, and Lenovo hasn’t sold these switches for over 14 years. Other compatible SFP+ modules are available that work with this SFP+ override, but based on my experience, the effort was a waste of time since modern SFP+ modules are not compatible with older switches from 2010!

Additionally, I uploaded photos of Blade SFP+ modules available on eBay for as little as £1 each to the Lenovo Forums, which resolved my issue without needing the SFP+ override mentioned above. However, as a result of trying to help others in the community by suggesting these purchase options, I was permanently banned from the Lenovo Forums! It’s frustrating when the goal is to assist fellow users, yet vendor lock keeps people from finding practical solutions. I’m not sure if they thought I was selling SFP+ modules! I didn’t post any direct links to eBay!


While this method can unlock non-vendor SFP+ modules, it’s crucial to note that your experience may vary depending on the optics used. We do not recommend using dual-rate optics with these older switches, as they may not offer optimal compatibility or performance. Always ensure the optics meet the required specifications and thoroughly test them in a controlled environment before deploying in live networks to avoid potential hardware or network disruptions.

Procedure to Unlock Non-Vendor SFP+ Modules:

For early 8.X code (8.3.X and lower) or older firmware versions (7.X, 6.X, 5.X), the following steps must be done through the serial console port (mini-USB, RS232 signaling). You need to have a Serial RS232 cable with a Mini-USB connector on the end; please note this is NOT USB!

  1. Reload the switch (this will interrupt traffic).
  2. Watch the serial console (9600, N, 8, 1). During the memory test (indicated by dots on the display), repeatedly press “Shift + M” until you see the “=>” prompt.
  3. At the “=>” prompt, input these commands exactly as shown (case-sensitive):
 
setenvsfp Override
saveenv
printenv
boot OR reset OR reload

Command Breakdown:

  • setenv sfp Override: Sets the environment variable “sfp” to “Override”.
  • saveenv: Saves the override setting to NVRAM.
  • printenv: Verifies the variable has been set; confirm you see “sfp=Override”.
  • boot, reset, or reload: Restarts the switch with the new environment variable.

Important Notes:

  • This is primarily for lab use or urgent situations where a valid transceiver is unavailable. In production environments, always use IBM or Lenovo-branded optics to avoid issues.
  • After software upgrades, the variable may reset, so keep these instructions handy to reapply the override as needed.

Thank You Lenovo !

🙂

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End Of General Availability of the free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 7.x and 8.x) (2107518) – ISO Hashes here to help you find the ISOS !

Friday, February 9th, 2024

As Published on the VMware by Broadcom website!

End Of General Availability of the free vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi 7.x and 8.x) (2107518)

(spelt correctly!)

Sadly ESXi FREE is now longer available! You will need to join VMUG Advantage+ or become a vExpert

Here are the hashes for the ESXi 8.0.2.22380479 8.0U2 ISO before it is removed:

Name: VMware-VMvisor-Installer-8.0U2-22380479.x86_64.iso
Release Date: 2023-09-21
Build Number: 22380479
VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image
Boot your server with this image in order to install or upgrade to ESXi (ESXi requires 64-bit capable servers). This ESXi image includes VMware Tools.
MD5SUM: 2403e11fb6d46dd57ba0a6ee0fa1c833
SHA1SUM: a2773c2519715e28d23f39753f4d6064f29fef48
SHA256SUM: ff062f843be45760b591096fbf7be0b1003f6469db24f2d2e40a4c8ed3d86c21

 

VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image

VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image

 

Here are the hashes for the ESXi 7.0U3n-21930508 ISO before it is removed:

 

Name: VMware-VMvisor-Installer-7.0U3n-21930508.x86_64.iso
Release Date: 2023-07-06
Build Number: 21930508
VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image
Boot your server with this image in order to install or upgrade to ESXi (ESXi requires 64-bit capable servers). This ESXi image includes VMware Tools.
MD5SUM: 0cacd44568b7f6112c6d003ef210dcfe
SHA1SUM: 07b2f7677b274fca656bac564445c0882b540835
SHA256SUM: b5e65fc738900296dd70d1938d76ebb72dab19b9b722dedad445669fc77f1272
VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image

VMware vSphere Hypervisor (ESXi ISO) image

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A list of all my @ExpertsExchange articles and videos can be found at The CodHeadClub

Monday, August 21st, 2023

A list of all my Experts Exchange articles and videos can be found here – at the  – CodHeadClub – To copy and paste! 

http://tinyurl.com/AwesomeResourcesURL

This is an Awesome List of Computer Science, Technology, Programming and Educational resources for the benefit of all who care to use it.

The list was originally created by Closebracket.

I’ve now written over 140 articles and created 40 hours of tutorial VMware vSphere videos on vSphere 7.0 and 8.0. and today published Part 50 – VMware vSphere videos on vSphere 7.0.

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HOW TO: Perform storage performance tests on VMware vSphere vSAN, using the VMware Hyper-converged Infrastructure Benchmark fling (HCIBench)

Monday, August 14th, 2023

In this video presentation which is part of the Hancock’s VMware Half Hour HOW TO Video Series I will show you HOW TO:  Perform storage performance tests on VMware vSphere vSAN, using the VMware Hyper-converged Infrastructure Benchmark fling (HCIBench).

HCIBench is a storage performance testing automation tool that simplifies and accelerates customer Proof of Concept (POC) performance testing in a consistent and controlled way. VMware vSAN Community Forum provides support for HCIBench.

HCIBench

The storage devices we are using in this video are the Intel® Optane™ SSD DC P4800X Series 375GB, 2.5in PCIe x4, 3D XPoint™, but this procedure can be use to add any compatible storage devices in ESXi to a vSAN datastore.

This video follows on from the follow video in this series

Part 36: HOW TO: Select an inexpensive HCL Certified 10GBe network interfaces for vSphere ESXi 7.0 and vSphere ESXi 8.0 for VMware vSphere vSAN

Part 37: HOW TO: Change the LBA sector size of storage media to make it compatible with VMware vSphere Hypervisor ESXi 7.0 and ESXi 8.0.

Part 39: HOW TO: Create a VMware vSphere Distributed Switch (VDS) for use with VMware vSphere vSAN for the VMware vSphere vSAN Cluster.

If you are creating a design for VMware vSphere vSAN for a Production environment, please ensure you read the  VMware Cloud Foundation Design Guide 01 JUN 2023 – this should be regarded as The Bible!

References

HOW TO: FIX the Warning System logs on host are stored on non-persistent storage, Move system logs to NFS shared storage.

WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH INTEL OPTANE? – Mr vSAN – Simon Todd

Matt Mancini blog

VMware vSAN 8.0 U1 Express Storage Architecture Deep Dive

VMware vSAN 7.0 U3 Deep Dive Paperback – 5 May 2022

The results generated from this video are available here in these PDFs for download

FIO Benchmarks

4K/70%Read/100%Random

4K/100%Read100%Random

8K/50%Read/100%Random

256K/100%Write/100%Sequential

VDBENCH Benchmarks

4K/70%Read/100%Random
4K/100%Read100%Random
8K/50%Read/100%Random
256K/100%Write/100%Sequential

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