verifying reload of syslog server

This post is gonna be a bit messy.  I'm trying (again) to start learning about PowerCLI so there are more things that I don't know than things that I do.  No worries, post comments and help me as all I know is Bourne Shell scripting.  (^;

I'm checking my syslog settigns are all consistent and correct.  Of course we can check and change them from vCenter (or new vCenter web client--shudder!), but more than a few hosts are best done by scripts/cli.

I can check this from PowerVCLI:

get-vmhost | Get-VMHostAdvancedConfiguration -Name Syslog.global.logHost

or specific hosts:

Get-VMHostAdvancedConfiguration -Name Syslog.global.logHost -VMHost host1


Name                           Value
----                           -----
Syslog.global.logHost          udp://1.2.3.4:514

and I can even fix it with a script using these commands

Set-VMHostAdvancedConfiguration -Name Syslog.global.logHost -Value 'udp://1.1.1.1:514' -VMHost host1

$esxcli = Get-EsxCli -VMHost host1
    $esxcli.system.syslog.reload()

thanks to this cool script kindly provided by Caleb here.

So, the reloading of the syslog service.  This isn't the usual linux service there's a command for reloading:
from the ESXi host (ssh/putty/DUI session):

~ # esxcli system syslog reload

the VMware kbase article(s) say to check the syslog is running with the good ol' linux ps command:

~ # ps | grep vmsyslogd

8666 8666 vmsyslogd            /bin/python

8667 8666 vmsyslogd            /bin/python

8668 8666 vmsyslogd            /bin/python

But how do you verify whether either of these methods have worked (other than the absence of error messages?).  

Seems /var/log/hostd.log is where this is recorded:

reload issued via PowerCLI:

2014-02-19T11:39:14.045Z [32B81B90 info 'Solo.VmwareCLI'] Dispatch reload

2014-02-19T11:39:14.114Z [32B81B90 info 'Solo.VmwareCLI'] Dispatch reload done

reload issued directly from ESXi linux login session:
2014-02-19T11:52:30.677Z [2A9DEB90 verbose 'Hostsvc.SyslogConfigProvider'] Running '/sbin/localcli system syslog config logger list'
2014-02-19T11:52:30.678Z [2A9DEB90 info 'SysCommandPosix'] ForkExec(/sbin/localcli)  393025
2014-02-19T11:52:30.830Z [2A9DEB90 verbose 'Hostsvc'] Received advanced config change notification

Can you shed any light on this?

Join the discussion and add your perspective.   Thanks, KC

NetApp vol copy of snapshot for vSphere

Using Data from a NetApp snapshot via vol copy

make sure the destination volume is not being used,

if mapped to VMware delete VMFS and unmap and rescan from vCenter

offline the volume

verify the snapshot needed with snap list command

vol copy -s start snapshot_wanted source_vol_with_snap dest_vol_alredy_offlined

online the destination volume and you'll see message from NetApp CLI warning that lun has been offlined as it is copy and therefore has duplicate information as the source:

Fri Jan 13 14:51:52 GMT [SnapVaultA: lun.newLocation.offline:warning]: LUN /vol/sv_lun_svcopy/sv1/lun96 has been

taken offline to prevent map conflicts after a copy or move operation.

go to FilerView and change the path and lun number of the lun for the dest. volume.

Now you can online the volume and map it out with the correct, non-duplicate, lun number.

rescan storage on vCenter

add Storage and choose "Assign a new signature" when adding dest. lun into vCenter.

find the VMFS on your dest. lun which will have it's old name but after prefix "snap-xxxxx" and rename it appropriately.

add the VMDK on the VMFS on the lun to your VM and you're laughing!

Resetting Lost ESXi password

There's one blog post I've found about booting your ESXi host to a bootable Linux CD and hacking the root password, but VMware says the only supported solution is to do a recovery install.

The nice folks at VCE have suggested something else:

You need the full Enterprise license in order to use host profiles for this fix. We did this on ESXi 4.1 update 1 with Virtual Distributed switches and SAN.

1. Login to VC as Administrator and create a new host profile using another ESXi host.
2. Edit the Host profile and change the "Administrator password" to a fixed password.
3. Next "Attach" and "Apply" the modified profile to the host that you don’t know the password for.
4. You should now be able to login via the console or SSH however the change is only temporary.
5. From ESXi command line execute the backup script to make changes persistent - ~ # /sbin/auto-backup.sh
7. Finally put ESX into Maintenance mode, Reboot and verify new login credentials.

Thanks again to VCE!