00:0c:29:4c:6f:70 is not an allowed static Ethernet address. It conflicts with VMware reserved MACs.

You are attempting to manually assign a MAC to a vSphere VM in the 00:0c:29:xxx range.

You receive this error:

Module DevicePowerOn power on failed.
Could not set up “macAddress” for ethernet0.
Invalid MAC address specified.
00:0c:29:4c:6f:70 is not an allowed static Ethernet address. It conflicts with VMware reserved MACs.

Solution:  Edit the .vmx file for the VM and add this line:

ethernet0.checkMACAddress = "false"

vCSA Postgres Database Repair – PANIC: checksum mismatch

You are confronted with various database errors in the /var/log/vmware/vpx/vpxd.log and you also have various errors in /storage/db/vpostgres/pg_log

Similar in theme to:

error ‘Default’ opID=HB-host-8637@82541-3778684f] [VdbStatement] SQLError was thrown: “ODBC error: (00000) – ” is returned when executing SQL statement

error ‘Default’ opID=HB-host-8637@82541-3778684f] An unrecoverable problem has occurred, stopping the VMware VirtualCenter service. Error: Error[VdbODBCError] (-1) “ODBC error: (00000) – ” is returned when executing SQL statement

PANIC: checksum mismatch: disk has 0x4addc132, should be 0x7cb3b932
filename base/16385/24461, BlockNum 37, block specifier 1663/16385/24461/0/37

Cause:

The root cause is you likely lost power, but the larger problem is obviously that the VMware vCSA is built using one of the most un-user friendly databases in this galaxy (Postgres).  With that said, let’s get this hunk of garbage beautiful piece of modern infrastructure management back online.

Solutions:

Repair vPostgres Indexes:

If you have Index errors in the log file (anything mentioning issues with *idx), you will need to regenerate the particular index in the Postgres database.    To accomplish this:

  1. Get your postgres password:  cat /etc/vmware-vpx/embedded_db.cfg | grep PASSWORD
  2. You will need to add a shell to the postgres user:  type:  ‘vipw’, locate the postgres user, change the shell from /bin/false to /bin/bash, save the file (:wq!)       It will look this when you are done:  postgres:x:1000:100::/var/vmware/vpostgres/9.0:/bin/bash
  3. su postgres
  4. /opt/vmware/vpostgres/9.0/bin/psql VCDB
  5. REINDEX DATABASE;
  6. Optional and recommended:  VACUUM FULL; (this will recover disk space and will recreate all of your tables)

Repair vPostgres Data:

If you have errors in your logs that complain about invalid checksums, you will need to force Postgres to fix these.   There is no MySQL type command to automatically repair all databases (glorious!).  You will need repair each issue manually.   There will likely only be one that is preventing vCenter from fully starting.

Your error message will look like this:

PANIC: checksum mismatch: disk has 0x4addc132, should be 0x7cb3b932
filename base/16385/24461, BlockNum 37, block specifier 1663/16385/24461/0/37

filename base/16385/54431780, BlockNum 102, block specifier 1663/16385/54431780/0/102

To fix these errors (there might be more than one):

  1. service vmware-vpxd stop ; service vmware-vpostgres stop
  2. Get your postgres password:  cat /etc/vmware-vpx/embedded_db.cfg | grep PASSWORD
  3. You will need to add a shell to the postgres user:  type:  ‘vipw’, locate the postgres user, change the shell from /bin/false to /bin/bash, save the file (:wq!)
  4. su postgres
  5. /opt/vmware/vpostgres/9.0/bin/postgres -D /storage/db/vpostgres -c fix_block_checksum=”1663/16385/54431780/0/102″   [Note: this last section is just a copy and paste of the “block specifier from the log file”.]

 

Acronis True Image TIB to VMware VM

How to convert an Acronis True Image TIB backup file to a VMware VM.

  1. Create a VM with the same OS as the backup with a larger disk than the backup.  How much bigger does not matter.
  2. Boot the VM with the Acronis True Image recovery ISO.  If you do not have this, it is available for download on various websites and found via a Google search.
  3. Once the ISO is booted, choose recovery and connect to the remote location with the TIB file.  I find a local FTP connection to work fine.
  4. After the restore is done, reboot the VM and see if it is boots.  It likely won’t boot.  Don’t waste any time trying to troubleshoot.
  5. Load up VMware converter and convert the VM.   VMware converter will fix all drive label, boot, etc issues.  You will have a fully functioning VM once it is done.
  6. Host your Acronis True Image TIB at VMDK Hosting.   They will do the entire conversion listed above for you and host the exported VMware VM.

vMotion Failing: Invalid Argument IPv6

You are attempting to vMotion a VM, likely using the vSphere web client and likely trying to change host and storage.

/var/log/vmkernel.log on the source ESXi host is showing errors.    Specifically this error:

2016-09-24T14:39:57.638Z cpu5:34608)FSS: 5914: Failed to open file ‘vmware.log’; Requested flags 0x2, world: 34608 [vpxa-worker] (Existing flags 0x5, world: 76640135 [vmx]): Busy

/var/log/host.log one source ESXi host is showing that the source machine is an IPv6 IP and the destination IP is an IPv4 IP.  Like this:

 

40B70 info ‘Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/562578d3-39000d7a-8011-blah/Analyzer/Analyzer.vmx’ opID=78d0fdec-95-54 user=vpxuser] VMotionPrepare: srcMgmtIp=2607:0000:6:8:225:9999:fe00
40B70 info ‘Vmsvc.vm:/vmfs/volumes/562578d3-39000d7a-8011-blahe/Analyzer/Analyzer.vmx’ opID=78d0fdec-95-54 user=vpxuser] VMotionPrepare: dstMgmtIp=192.212.10.10

Fix your IP issues.   Vcenter has added one of your host with its IPv4 address and the other host with its IPv6 address.   Temp fix is to disable IPv6…  Long term…  fix your IPv6 issue (remove re-add host).

Windows 2012 R2 SYSTEM_THREAD_EXCEPTION_NOT_HANDLED (xen.sys)

xen.sys

You are trying to start a Windows 2012 R2 server on a VMware infrastructure.

What you do (or don’t) realize is that this VM is heavily tainted by a Citrix Xen basket of fun.

Procedure to fix this tediosity:

  1.  Snapshot the VM
  2. Boot into Safe Mode
  3. Open Device Manager (Show Hidden Devices)
  4. Go through each section and delete all Xen devices (yes, to delete driver)
  5. Reboot.   The machine should boot normally without safe mode.
  6. Control Panel -> Remove Programs
  7. Remove ALL of the Citrix programs and drivers
  8. Install VMware tools

You have just been saved hours of agony.

Are you looking to migrate your XEN VMs to VMware? Contact VMDK Hosting.

Call “HostFirewallSystem.UpdateRuleset” for object firewallSystem

This error occurs when there is a problem with an IP in one of the services located in ESXi firewall.

The IPs entered into the GUI will all look correct and you have exhausted all possibility.

The root cause is usually that you have entered individual IPs in CIDR format with a /32.   ESXi does not like this.

How to correct the problem:

1)  SSH to the ESXi host and edit /etc/vmware/esx.conf

2) Remove the /32 from all IP entries for the firewall (see below).   Be sure to leave all larger CIDR annotations in place (/24, /27, /28, /16, etc.)

3) Reboot!

 

/firewall/services/webAccess/allowedip[0000]/ipstr = “192.168.10.10/32”  <- Bad Entry – remove the /32
/firewall/services/webAccess/allowedip[0001]/ipstr = “10.10.20.0/24”  <- Good Entry

 

vCSA 5.5 Upgrade to 6.0 Migration Failed Failed to download vCenter Server Support Bundle Logs

While attempting to upgrade your vCSA 5.5 to 6.0 you are confronted with this error:

Migration Failed Failed to download vCenter Server Support Bundle Logs

Make sure that your reverse and forward DNS match (not sure why VMware continues to insist on flawless DNS – Tedious!)

The solution to his upgrade error is to:

1. Truncate your databases

Truncate your databases using this command:

/opt/vmware/vpostgres/current/bin/psql -U postgres -t -d VCDB -c “select ‘truncate table ‘ || table_name || ‘ cascade;’ from information_schema.tables where table_name like ‘vpx_hist_stat%’ and table_type = ‘BASE TABLE’ order by 1” | /opt/vmware/vpostgres/current/bin/psql -U postgres -d VCDB

2. Make sure to tick the box to export your performance data

Success:

vCSA 6.0 migration complete
vCSA 6.0 migration complete

Reset administrator@vsphere.local password vCSA 5.5

Connect to the vCenter Server Appliance via its console or via SSH.

Run the vdcadmintool service tool:

/usr/lib/vmware-vmdir/bin/vdcadmintool

The console will load:

================================
Please select:
0. exit
1. Test LDAP connectivity
2. Force start replication cycle
3. Reset account password
4. Set log level and mask
5. Set vmdir state
================================

Press #3

When prompted for the Account DN, enter:

cn=administrator,cn=users,dc=vSphere,dc=local

A new password will be displayed.

This

Add OpenSUSE Repository to VMware Appliances

Use this method to install a working Repo to a VMware Appliance (i.e. VCSA, vSphere Replication, vCloud Usage Meter, etc.)

# cat /etc/SuSE-release
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (x86_64)
VERSION = 11
PATCHLEVEL = 2

Add the repository for the appropriate version

http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/[VERSION]/repo/oss/

# zypper addrepo -f http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/11.2/repo/oss/ opensuse

Once the Repository is loaded, simply load Yast:

# yast

If you want to install a firewall on your appliance, scroll to Security -> Firewall and follow the prompts.