Performing Planned Storage Device Removal

Migrate virtual machines from the device you plan to detach

Unmount the datastore deployed on the device.

Detach the storage device.

For an iSCSI device with a single LUN per target, delete the static target entry from each iSCSI HBA that has a path to the storage device.

Perform any necessary reconfiguration of the storage device by using the array console.

Mount the datastore and restart the virtual machines.

Verify the Connection Status of a Storage Device on ESXi Host

Run the esxcli storage core device list -d=device_ID command.

vvol#Virtual Volumes datastore

Traditional Storage Models

Local and Networked Storage

Storage Area Networks (SAN)

Fiber Channel (FC)

iSCSI

Virtual Disks

vSphere VMFS

NFS

Raw Device Mapping (RMP)

How to determine if there is a network or fibre channel issue that could cause storage issue

If the VM is moved to a different LUN, does performance improve?

If the number of VM's per LUN is reduced, does performance improve?

Are there SCSI errors in guest VM event log or messages?

Are all ESX/ESXi host experiencing the issue or just one host?

Is there a baseline of expected performance?

Does latency spike at a certain time or is it relatively constant?

Does the latency appear related to a VM or a particular LUN or iSCSI connection?

If the latency related to an iSCSI or Fibre Channel LUN, are other LUN's on the same storage device behaving OK?

If more than one storage device is connected via iSCSI or Fibre Channel, are both SAN devices experiencing the same issue?

Perform a Ping test to the VM or connect via RDP session. For more information, see

One of the most common causes for a virtual machine to become unresponsive is that the hard drive has run out of space

A virtual machine may be appearing unresponsive due to exceedingly high load on system resources use esxtop utility

Perform a Ping test to the VM or connect via RDP session

Determine whether this issue is affecting multiple virtual machines or just one

For example, snapshot and vMotion operations both stun a virtual machine

Collect performance data while the problem is happening.

engage the guest OS vendor to investigate further.

Engage VMware Support, providing the information collected in steps 1, 3a and 3b.

esxcli vm process list

We'll need to get the World ID number.

soft = shut down normally (softly)

hard = immediate shutdown

force = hard kill the VM if either of the above does not work

ransomware, *****************************************************************************************************************************

The reasons why it failed to quiesce the virtual machine

If an error occurred while quiescing the virtual machine “Failed to quiesce the virtual machine” while creating a quiesced snapshot or cloning

your VM, there are plenty of reasons that can cause you unable to quiesce guest file system during snapshot creation. For example:

The VMware Tools installed on the VM is not the latest version.

The Microsoft VSS is not installed in non-interactive mode.

The VMware Snapshot Provider service is not synchronizing with the Microsoft VSS providers.

Creating a quiesced snapshot on a virtual machine that does not have free space.

Installing a third-party backup agent inside the virtual machine without rebooting it.

The I/O in the virtual machine is high and the quiescing operation is unable to flush all the data to disk.

The VM has a GPT disk without an MSR (Microsoft Reserved) partition. ***************************************************************************************************************

reasons that may lead to disk consolidation failure

Connection issues between the ESXi host and vCenter server.

Poor storage performance, large or timeout snapshots may not be successfully deleted.

Lack of VMFS disk space for consolidating the snapshot and the original virtual disk. If the free space on the datastore is less than 1 GB,

this error may occur.

Snapshot files are locked, for example, you cannot successfully delete the snapshot while a third-party software is backing up the VM.

Backup vProxy VM, as the VM disk is part of the proxy VM and is not released after the backup completes. To fix this, check the last backup

attribute of the VM in "Custom Attributes", note down the vProxy server and go to the vProxy VM, select Edit Settings and identify the virtual

disk allocated in the vProxy VM from the affected VM, then remove it from VM settings (not delete from storage), then you may perform disk

consolidation normally. *********************************************************************

List all vCenter services.

C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\vmon>vmon-cli.exe -list cm content-library eam imagebuilder mbcs netdumper perfcharts rbd rhttpproxy sca sps vapi-endpoint vmcam vmonapi vmsyslogcollector vpxd vpxd-svcs vsan-health vsm vsphere-client

vsphere-ui ***************************************************************************************************************

An error occurred while quiescing the virtual machine.

Here is the solution that should work in most of the situation.

Take console/ RDP to windows virtual machine. Open services.msc.

Ensure that Virtual Disk service is started and startup type is Automatic.

Ensure that VMware snapshot provider service is stopped and Disabled.

Ensure that VMware Tools service is running.

Ensure that Volume Shadow Copy service started and start up type is Automatic.

Ensure that the VMware tools version is up to date. ****************************************************************************************************************

https://blog.ukotic.net/2015/06/14/enable-ssh-on-vcenter-server-appliance-6-vcsa/

Stopping and Starting Services on vCenter Service Appliance 6 (VCSA)

https://blog.ukotic.net/2015/07/14/stopping-and-starting-services-on-vcenter-service-appliance-6-vcsa/

create vm to template

select vm-- new vm from template--cluster--host--datastore--OS--ipaddress details

clone fails

1. First of all, update VMware tools in VMs. There must be 10.1.0.10 or greater. You must install with VM powered ON and then restart VM to apply changes.

2. Disable Windows service "VMware Snapshot provider service". IMPORTANT: Not only stop it, you must disable it. ******************************************************************

3. Enable VSS Windows service

How to Remove (Demote) a Domain Controller

https://www.alitajran.com/remove-domain-controller/

Export Windows OS build numbers

An error occurred while quiescing the virtual machine.

Unable to start vCenter Update manager service

ESXi host unresponsive

vCenter migration fails during phase 2.

vCenter upgrade OR un-installation of version 6.5 may fail on windows server

Unable to login to vCenter using Active directory user credential.

VPXD service crashes with “404 Not Found”

Unable to open vCenter 6.5 flash based web client

Remote access for ESXi local user account ‘root’ has been locked for XXXX seconds after XXXX failed login attempts.

(scenario based linkhttps://pradeeppapnai.wordpress.com/category/troubleshooting/)

VM Customization Specifications fails to apply on Windows Server 2022 template

VMDK to VHD/VHDX

convert #basic to dynamic

mbr support upto 2tb

gpt # More than 2 tb

if RDM exists -- vmotion fails --- poweroff the vm and try vmotion will be sucessful

How to Clone VM from Snapshot on VMware ESXi (https://www.ubackup.com/enterprise-backup/vmware-esxi-clone-vm-from-snapshot.html) vmware seach

engine for scenarios ***************************************************************

https://www.alitajran.com/windows-server/page/3/

Check TLS settings on Windows Server with PowerShell script

Export disabled users from Active Directory

Export inactive users from Active Directory report

How to Secure Active Directory passwords from breaches

Copy AD members between domains

Get all Domain Controllers with PowerShell

Add Domain Controller to existing domain

Turn off Windows Defender in Windows 11 permanently

Extend Volume greyed out – Fix ---very imp (https://www.alitajran.com/extend-volume-greyed-out/)

https://www.alitajran.com/convert-thick-provisioned-disk-to-thin-on-vmware-esxi/

Convert thick provisioned disk to thin on VMware ESXi

Disable Symantec Endpoint Protection (SEP)

How to Clean up stale DNS records with PowerShell (https://www.alitajran.com/clean-up-dns-records-powershell/)

How to check FSMO roles in Active Directory

https://www.alitajran.com/check-fsmo-roles/ ********************************************************************************************************************************************

How to Remove (Demote) a Domain Controller

https://www.alitajran.com/remove-domain-controller/

Export Windows OS build numbers

An error occurred while quiescing the virtual machine.

Unable to start vCenter Update manager service

ESXi host unresponsive

vCenter migration fails during phase 2.

vCenter upgrade OR un-installation of version 6.5 may fail on windows server

Unable to login to vCenter using Active directory user credential.

VPXD service crashes with “404 Not Found”

Unable to open vCenter 6.5 flash based web client

Remote access for ESXi local user account ‘root’ has been locked for XXXX seconds after XXXX failed login attempts.

(scenario based linkhttps://pradeeppapnai.wordpress.com/category/troubleshooting/)

VM Customization Specifications fails to apply on Windows Server 2022 template

MDK to VHD/VHDX

convert #basic to dynamic

mbr support upto 2tb

gpt # More than 2 tb

if RDM exists -- vmotion fails --- poweroff the vm and try vmotion will be sucessful

How to Clone VM from Snapshot on VMware ESXi (https://www.ubackup.com/enterprise-backup/vmware-esxi-clone-vm-from-snapshot.html) vmware seach

engine for scenarios ****************************************************************** **********************************************************************************************************

Configure NTP Time Source On vCenter Server 7 (VCSA)

VMware vCenter Converter is unable to see the disks when converting Windows operating systems (1016992)

vSphere Update Manager 5.x to 5.5 Upgrade

Enable SSH on vCenter Server Appliance 6 (VCSA)

Modifying vCenter Server Appliance 6 (VCSA) NTP settings

convert thin provision to check provision

Convert GPT to MBR without data loss (Download the tool from the official DiskGenius website or here)

https://www.alitajran.com/convert-gpt-to-mbr-without-data-loss/

https://www.nakivo.com/blog/vm-templates-a-to-z/ **********************************************************************************************************

Upgrading ESXi Host Prerequisites

Before the upgrade, have an admin crosscheck if the host is in maintenance mode, and all the VMs should be migrated to another host in the

cluster. Below are a few possible reasons why VM migration could fail.

Different VMotion Port Groups: All the hosts in the cluster are to be aligned in the same VMotion port group. If they are in different port

groups, the VMs will not migrate, then the host may fail to move to maintenance mode.

Affinity/Anti Affinity Rules: While upgrading ESXi host in a cluster where SQL VMs are hosted, it is required to check any affinity rules are

applied. If yes, then migrate VM within the host group where VM is allowed to migrate.

High CPU Reservations: VMs will not migrate if any VM has a CPU reservation and another host cannot accommodate the VM. In this case, try to

vacate a few VMs from another host and move the VM to that host with enough CPU space to accommodate.

Snapshots: VMs will also fail to migrate if they have active snapshots.

DRS (Distributed Resource Management): VMs trigger the VMotion when the host is in maintenance mode; hence set the DRS settings to automated

mode. If the DRS settings are in manual mode, manually migrate the VMs to a different host. *************************************************************************************** vprerequiste.

hw compatibility

storage compatibility check

upgrade sequence

1.vcenter

2.esxi host

3.vmtools

4.vmfs upgrade ****************************************************************************************

https://www.ais.com/how-to-upgrade-a-vmware-esxi-host/

https://masteringvmwarevsphere-6-0-end-of-support-how-to-plan-vsphere-upgrade/

https://thesleepyadmins.com/2021/12/

https://blog.ukotic.net/2021/04/20/session-timeout-now-in-the-vsphere-client-ui-vsphere-7-update-2/ (scenario based)

https://ashfaqshinwary.wordpress.com/2011/12/

https://www.alitajran.com/convert-thick-provisioned-disk-to-thin-on-vmware-esxi/ ****************************************************************************************

esxi upgrade

The workflow of upgrading ESXi 6.7 to ESXi 7.0, ESXi 7.0 Update 1, ESXi 7.0 Update 2, and othe

how many ways you can upgrade esxi host

GUI installer

scripted upgrade

esxcli command line

update manager

vsphere auto deploy

https://masteringvmware

Lifecycle Manager

Offline method:

Online method ****************************************************************************************

ovf file

download size

size on disk

name

datastore

target

folder

disk storage

network mapping

ip allocation

Lifecycle Manager *************************************************************************************************** The guest OS must be installed on a virtual disk connected to the SCSI 0:0 node

requirements of deploying ovf templates

1.data center

2.esxi host 3.datastorage 4.disk formart -- thin or thick provision 5.network maping ovf and ova template https://masteringvmware.com/how-to-export-vm-as-ovf-template-in-vcenter-server-7/ ovf template right click on vm --> template click on export ovf template your vm as ovf VMware Tools Sysprep tool Knowledge on V-Center 7.0 and ESXi 7.0

Troubleshooting on ESXi and VMs Require knowledge on VMware Snapshots, Clone. Server migration etc.

-Require knowledge on windows server patching & windows failover clustering.

Should have hands on experience in installation, update, upgrade and troubleshooting of ESXi 6.x, 7.x

Should have hands on experience in installation, update, upgrade and troubleshooting of VCenter 6.x, 7.x

Experience in VMware Guests, Templates, P2V, Capacity Planner, VMotion, DRS, etc

In-depth knowledge of Switching and VLAN, NIC Teaming

Troubleshooting Hardware and Operating system related issues

Patch administration and deployment.

Working experience on VMware Consolidated Backup, Update Manager, Enterprise Converter.

Implement and manage VMware High Availability (HA) and Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) feature

Experience with virtual network configuration and management.

Monitor and troubleshoot performance issues in the virtual environment, identifying and resolving bottlenecks or inefficiencies

Handson on VMware Cluster Creation.

Configure and manage virtual networks, including VLANs and virtual switches (standard and DV switches).

Update VMTools on all the Virtual Machines (VMs)

Manage vCPUs, memory, vDisks or Datastores etc.

Create raw device mappings (RDM Luns). Troubleshoot the issues related to them.

Keep a track of Licenses used, expiry dates etc.

Deploy Patches and Updates at ESX server level.

Check logs regularly (error logs, Utilization logs, configuration logs)

Troubleshooting Hardware and Operating system related issues

Manage, coordinate, and implement software upgrades, patches (SCCM), hot fixes on servers, workstations,

Configuration of Page file, Windows Volume shadow copy, WMI service, *********************************************************************************************************************** storage issues

Storage systems are essential components of any IT infrastructure, but they can also be prone to various issues that affect performance,

availability, and data integrity. Whether you are dealing with hard disk drives, solid state drives, network attached storage, or cloud

storage, you need to have some effective troubleshooting techniques to diagnose and resolve problems quickly and efficiently. In this article,

we will cover some of the most common storage system issues and how to troubleshoot them using different tools and methods.

1 Identify the symptoms

When troubleshooting any storage system issue, the first step is to identify the symptoms and the scope of the problem.

Slow or unresponsive read/write operations,

data corruption or loss, disk errors or failures, high latency or network congestion,

inaccessible or missing files or folders,

unexpected storage capacity changes are all indicators of a storage system issue.

To identify the symptoms, you can use various monitoring tools such as disk management utilities, performance counters, event logs, or network

analyzers to collect information about the status, performance, and activity of your storage devices, volumes, and network connections.

Additionally, user reports, error messages, and backup logs should be checked to see if there are any signs of storage system issues.

Isolate the cause

To isolate the cause of a storage system issue, you can use various testing tools, such as disk checkers, diagnostic tools, or recovery tools.

These tools can scan, verify, and repair your storage devices, volumes, and files. Additionally, you can consult troubleshooting guides,

documentation, or online resources to learn more about the possible causes and solutions for your specific issue. Comparing the symptoms and

the expected behavior of your storage system can also help you narrow down the cause. Possible causes of storage system issues include

hardware defects or malfunctions, software bugs or configuration errors, human errors or malicious actions, environmental factors or external

interference, and network issues or bottlenecks.

disk checkers, diagnostic tools, or recovery tools

Possible causes of storage system issues include hardware defects or malfunctions, software bugs or configuration errors, human errors or

malicious actions, environmental factors or external interference, and network issues or bottlenecks.

performance counters

network analyzers

How to find LUN in vmware?

In vSphere, select the host configuration tab, storage.

Select the Devices View.

Sort by LUN # and locate the LUN you want to verify.

Right click the LUN in the Devices list and select "Copy identifier to clipboard"

Copy the converted string and paste to a work note

How many disk types are in VMware?

3 VMware disk types you should know: Raw, thick and thin ...

three different disk types

three different disk types -- raw, thick and thin -- and they each allocate storage differently

Can we reduce the VMDK size?

There are several ways to reduce the size of a VMDK: Use a tool such as VMware's vCenter Converter to shrink the disk. Use VMware's vmkfstools

ommand-line utility to shrink the disk. Use third-party tools such as VMware's vOptimizer or PlateSpin Migrate to shrink the disk

Detach a Device and Remove a LUN

Prerequisites

Make sure you are familiar with virtual machine migration. See the vCenter Server and Host Management documentation.

Make sure you are familiar with datastore mounting and unmounting. See Mount a Datastore with ESXCLI.

Procedure

Migrate virtual machines from the device you plan to detach.

Unmount the datastore deployed on the device.

If the unmount fails, ESXCLI returns an error. If you ignore that error, you will get an error when you attempt to detach a device with a VMFS

partition still in use.

If the unmount failed, check whether the device is in use.

esxcli storage core device world list -d

The esxcli storage san commands help administrators troubleshoot issues with I/O devices and fabric, and include Fibre Channel, FCoE, iSCSI,

SAS protocol statistics.

all storage issues

https://developer.vmware.com/docs/14725/GUID-A6322D0E-9BBA-4DA0-AA27-97E4025F7C51.html

during upgrade VIBs remove commands

https://www.stevenbright.com/2020/04/esxi-upgrade-software-or-system-configuration-of-host-is-incompatible/

psod

restart the host

log a call with vmware

RVtools key words

NTP Server value is null!

Possibly a Zombie vmdk file

VM has a CDROM device connected

The number of vSphere HA heartbeat datastores for host mxels11hv002.corpad.dsm-group.com in cluster MXELS11-CLUSTER in MXELS691 is 0, which is

less than required: 2

SSH for the host pelim31hv001.corpad.dsm-group.com has been enabled

tab : vmultipathing lo na id vuntadi

datastore

storage vendor

esxi host physical server models

PERC H330 Mini

Compellent Vol

PERC H750 Adp

DELLBOSS VD

tab : Vnic --> esxi mac addrfess

HBA adaptor model

USB Storage Controller

Lewisburg SATA AHCI Controller

iSCSI Software Adapter

Dell 12Gbps SAS HBA external

PERC H330 Mini

Dell BOSS-S1 Adapter WWN

Why is ESXi host rebooted?

Sometimes an ESXi host reboots unexpectedly, often during a power outage if the uninterrupted power supply doesn't last, but sometimes as a

result of a core dump or faulty hardware

How do I check ESXi host logs? vClick inside the console window and press F2 to customize the system. Type the password for the root user and press Enter. Use the arrow keys to

select View System Logs. Press a corresponding number key to view a log.

How do I reset my ESXi host?

ESXi Reset System Configuration

Login to the DCUI and select the Reset System Configuration Option.

You will be prompted to confirm the option with F11.

The process will complete and you'll then have to reboot the host

What type of hypervisor is ESXi?

Type 1 hypervisor

How do I find my ESXi host version?

Using the vSphere Client log in to the vCenter Server or ESX/ESXi host. In the Hosts and Clusters view, click the ESX/ESXi host in the inventory.

Is it safe to reboot ESXi host?

You can power off or restart any ESXi host using the vSphere Client

How do I rollback ESXi after reboot?

In the console screen of the ESXi host, press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to see the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) screen. Press F12 to view the

shutdown options for the ESXi host. Press F11 to reboot. Press Y to roll back the build.

latest version of esxi

8.0 Update 2 (Build 22380479) / September 21, 2023

How to update ESXi with ISO?

Updating ESXi with Custom ISOs...

Download the latest custom iso.

Import the iso and create a new baseline from it.

Attach it to the host.

Check the following baselines: Host Security Patches. Critical Host Patches. The new baseline.

Remediate. host datacenter cluster config status maintence mode cpu model,speed cores per cpu memory nics hba vram vm memoryswap vm memory balloned vmotion storage vmotion esx version boot time dns servers dhcp servers domain ntp server ntpd service running time zone physical server vendor,model,serial number,service tag,bios vendor, port mgmt port vmotion vswitch dswitch vlan mac address Forged Transmits Traffic Shaping

cluster

HA enabled

failover

admission control

host monitoring

Isolation Response

Restart Priority

Cluster Settings

VM Monitoring

DRS enabled

DRS default VM behavior

DRS vmotion rate

DPM enabled

Resource pool

CPU reservation

Template

vmtools version

snapshot

Quiesced

Consolidation Needed

FT State

Firmware

disk

Disk Mode--> persistent or non persistent

thin

vmdk path

Raw LUN ID

remove unused storage drivers from esxi

To get the list of storage and network adapter use the esxcli commands

esxcli storage core adapter list

esxcli network nic list

To get check the VIBS version we can use

esxcli software vib list | grep Mel

esxcli software vib list | grep scsi-lpfc820

Obtain a list of network interface cards and names.

esxcli network nic list

Check the ESXi host version by running this command:

vmware -vl

Run this command to list the Host Bus Adapters (HBAs

esxcfg-scsidevs -a

or

esxcli storage core adapter list

What can go wrong: Upgrading vCenter 5.5 to vCenter 6.0

https://ashfaqshinwary.wordpress.com/2018/04/

Device ‘Bootstrap’ is not available error

You will have to recreate the vmx file for the machine to run. Take the following steps:

Note the specifications of the misconfigured VM (Processor, RAM, etc)

Right click on VM; Click “Remove from Inventory”.

Create new customized VM with the same specifications as the base machine.

Attach the hardisks attached with the previous machine (VMDK’s)

Once the VM is created and configured; power it on.

If everything went according to the steps; the VM will turn on without any problems.

VMware Stand Alone Converter Issues

My woes with the P2V conversions is growing ever since I posted last time! Error

The source computer has GPT disk(s). Conversion of live computers with GPT disks is not supported. Conversion of virtual machines with GPT

disk is supported only if disk-based cloning is performed.

Archive for May, 2013

https://ashfaqshinwary.wordpress.com/2018/04/

To resolve this you will need to disable the partitions. Following these steps:

Run CMD Prompt as administrator.

Run the command > DISKPART

Type > list disk

This will give you a list of the partition configured with GPT (indicated by *).

disable the disk with *GPT one from DISKPART

Now goto Server Management > Disk Management and make the specific partition OFFLINE (Do note its capicity).

Once the partition is OFFLINE; go to Device Manager > Disk Drives

Verify the partition which you just turned OFFLINE by right clicking on the Disk Device > Properties > Volumes > Populate. You can verify it

from the Capacity parameter. Click OK.

Now right click on this Disk Device and click DISABLE.

After doing this again run the P2V conversion process; it will work like a charm! Hopefully 🙂 !!!

Archive for December, 2011

Windows Domain Controller and their Roles

https://ashfaqshinwary.wordpress.com/2011/12/10/windows-domain-controller-and-their-roles/Put ESXi host into Maintenance Mode Go to out-of-

band access for your host and open KVM Attache ESXi ISO Reboot the ESXi host and boot from ISO Run upgrade (Please be aware that Upgrade is

selected NOT Install)

Continue reading at https://angrysysops.com/2022/10/20/esxi-upgrade-from-6-7-to-7-0-failed-on-libupgradepsadeviceconfig-so/ | Angry Admin

Windows Update Error Code 80070002

I followed step 1 to step 3.

Stop Windows Update Service.

Delete all files/folders in C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\DataStore and C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download.

Start Windows Update Service.

It did not resolve the issue.

I tried to install the System Update Readiness tool but it failed to install.

So I did a sfc /scannow and following is the result of the scan.

VMware vCenter Converter is unable to see the disks when converting Windows operating systems

VMware Update Manager (VUM) Fails To Load Within vSphere Web Client

Checking the vCenter services within Administration > System Configuration they all appeared Up and Running

restart the vcenter services.

First connect up to the CLI of the VCSA box.

Then run the below two commands.

Command> service-control --stop --all

Command> service-control --start --all

vSphere Update Manager 5.x to 5.5 Upgrade --> download and upgrade.

Knowledge on V-Center 7.0 and ESXi 7.0

Troubleshooting on ESXi and VMs

Require knowledge on VMware Snapshots, Clone. Server migration etc.

-Require knowledge on windows server patching & windows failover clustering.

Should have hands on experience in installation, update, upgrade and troubleshooting of ESXi 6.x, 7.x

Should have hands on experience in installation, update, upgrade and troubleshooting of VCenter 6.x, 7.x

Experience in VMware Guests, Templates, P2V, Capacity Planner, VMotion, DRS, etc

In-depth knowledge of Switching and VLAN, NIC Teaming

Troubleshooting Hardware and Operating system related issues

Patch administration and deployment.

Working experience on VMware Consolidated Backup, Update Manager, Enterprise Converter.

Implement and manage VMware High Availability (HA) and Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) feature

Experience with virtual network configuration and management.

Monitor and troubleshoot performance issues in the virtual environment, identifying and resolving bottlenecks or inefficiencies

Handson on VMware Cluster Creation.

Configure and manage virtual networks, including VLANs and virtual switches (standard and DV switches).

Update VMTools on all the Virtual Machines (VMs)

Manage vCPUs, memory, vDisks or Datastores etc.

Create raw device mappings (RDM Luns). Troubleshoot the issues related to them.

Keep a track of Licenses used, expiry dates etc.

Deploy Patches and Updates at ESX server level.

Check logs regularly (error logs, Utilization logs, configuration logs)

Troubleshooting Hardware and Operating system related issues

Manage, coordinate, and implement software upgrades, patches (SCCM), hot fixes on servers, workstations,

Configuration of Page file, Windows Volume shadow copy, WMI service, bandas mart

ovf and ova template

https://masteringvmware.com/how-to-export-vm-as-ovf-template-in-vcenter-server-7/

ovf template

right click on vm --> template

click on export ovf template your vm as ovf V

Mware Tools

Sysprep tool

The guest OS must be installed on a virtual disk connected to the SCSI 0:0 node

requirements of deploying ovf templates

1.data center

2.esxi host

3.datastorage

.disk formart -- thin or thick provision

5.network maping