Category: ESXi

The “ESXi” blog category focuses on VMware ESXi, a bare-metal hypervisor provided by VMware. This specific category offers an in-depth look at ESXi, with an emphasis on ESXCLI commands, ESXCLI Mindmap, and VMware Tools version mapping with Release Notes. The content includes detailed guides and tutorials for using ESXCLI commands, essential for efficient management and troubleshooting in ESXi environments. It also features illustrative ESXCLI Mindmaps, helping users better understand and navigate the complex structure of ESXCLI. The section on mapping VMware Tools versions with Release Notes provides useful information about different versions of VMware Tools and their specific features and enhancements.

vSphere 6 Update Manager -> vSphere 7 Lifecycle Manager : upgrade ESXi 6.7 to ESXi 7

vSphere Update Manager – vSphere 6

In vSphere 6 we can use various methods and tools to deploy ESXi hosts and maintain their software lifecycle.

To deploy and boot an ESXi host, you can use an ESXi installer image or VMware vSphere® Auto Deploy™. The availability of choice options results in two different underlying ESXi platforms:

  • Using vSphere Auto Deploy – stateless mode
  • Using an installer ESXi image – statefull mode

vSphere Lifecycle Manager Images: A Single Platform, Single Tool, Single Workflow

By introducing the concept of images, vSphere Lifecycle Manager provides a unified platform for ESXi lifecycle management.
You can use vSphere Lifecycle Manager for stateful hosts only, but starting with vSphere 7.0, you can convert the Auto Deploy-based stateless hosts into stateful hosts, which you can add to clusters that you manage with vSphere Lifecycle Manager images.

How to Upgrade ESXi 6.7 to 7 with vSphere Lifecycle Manager?

After upgrade VCSA 7.0, We prepare upgrade for ESXi 6.7. It is simular logic like in vSphere Update Manager:

IMPORT ISO – We can upload ISO for example VMware-VMvisor-Installer-7.0.0-15843807.x86_64.iso
Step 1 of 2 – Uploading file to server
Step 2 of 2 – Adding to repository
After ISO upload We could check ISO image context
Next step is Create Baseline
Create Baseline – for ISO image
Select uploaded ISO image
Check summary
On Targer Cluster We attach our Baseline
Select ESXi 7 Baseline
– Check Compliance
– We can see Non-compliant for 3x ESXi host
REMEDIATE will start upgrade dialoge
It is necessary accept EULA
REMEDIATE will start ESXi 7 upgrade
In Recent Task We caould chek progress.
We can check ESXi 7.0 upgrade result.

Cisco UCS M5 Boot Time Enhancements

How to speedup BOOT time in Cisco UCS M5?

Adaptive Memory Training drop-down list

When this token is enabled, the BIOS saves the memory training results (optimized timing/voltage values) along with CPU/memory configuration information and reuses them on subsequent reboots to save boot time. The saved memory training results are used only if the reboot happens within 24 hours of the last save operation. This can be one of the following:

  • Disabled—Adaptive Memory Training is disabled.
  • Enabled—Adaptive Memory Training is enabled.
  • Platform Default—The BIOS uses the value for this attribute contained in the BIOS defaults for the server type and vendor.

BIOS Techlog Level

Enabling this token allows the BIOS Tech log output to be controlled at more a granular level. This reduces the number of BIOS Tech log messages that are redundant, or of little use. This can be one of the following:

This option denotes the type of messages in BIOS tech log file. The log file can be one of the following types:

  • Minimum – Critical messages will be displayed in the log file.
  • Normal – Warning and loading messages will be displayed in the log file.
  • Maximum – Normal and information related messages will be displayed in the log file.

Note: This option is mainly for internal debugging purposes.

Note: To disable the Fast Boot option, the end user must set the following tokens as mentioned below:

OptionROM Launch Optimization

The Option ROM launch is controlled at the PCI Slot level, and is enabled by default. In configurations that consist of a large number of network controllers and storage HBAs having Option ROMs, all the Option ROMs may get launched if the PCI Slot Option ROM Control is enabled for all. However, only a subset of controllers may be used in the boot process. When this token is enabled, Option ROMs are launched only for those controllers that are present in boot policy. This can be one of the following:

  • Disabled—OptionROM Launch Optimization is disabled.
  • Enabled—OptionROM Launch Optimization is enabled.
  • Platform Default—The BIOS uses the value for this attribute contained in the BIOS defaults for the server type and vendor.

Results

First BOOT after New settings is longer about 1-2 minutes.

Then We can save about 2 minutes on each BOOT from Second BOOT with 3TB RAM B480M5: