ESX

• Update the MEM Kit using Update manager - Show/Hide
• Update the MEM Kit using SSH with ESX 4/4.1 - Show/Hide
• Put the server in maintenance mode.
  Copy the MEM kit .zip file to a datastore that can be accesses by the ESX hosts.
  Run this command:
  esxupdate --bundle=/vmfs/volume/X/`filename.zip update
  or
  Browse to the folder where you have the file and type in:
  esxupdate --bundle=filename.zip update
  The MEM kit will now be installed.
• Update the MEM Kit using SSH with ESX 5 - Show/Hide
• Put the server in maintenance mode.
  Copy the MEM kit .zip file to a datastore that can be accesses by the ESX hosts.
  Browse to the folder where you have the file and type in:
  esxcli software vib install -d filename.zip
  or
  esxcli software vib install -d /vmfs/volume/X/filename.zip (type in the whole the path)
  The MEM kit will now be installed.
• Uninstall the MEM kit (ESX 4 & 5) - Show/Hide
• Change the MPIO policy on the data stores to RR if they are set to EQL_Routed.
  Put the server in maintenance mode.
  Access the server using SSH.
  Run the command: esxcli software vib remove --vibname dell-eql-host-connection-mgr --vibname dell-eql-hostprofile --vibname dell-eql-routed-psp
  The MEM kit will now be uninstalled on this host, and a reboot is required to finalize the process.
• Enable Jumbo Frames on ESX 4 - Show/Hide
• esxcfg-nics -l ="list nics"
  esxcfg-vswitch -l ="list switches"
  esxcfg-vswitch -m 9000 vSwitch#(number of switch used for iSCSI)= Enable on vSwitch
  esxcfg-vmknic -m 9000 portgroup_name = Enable on Nics
• Enable Jumbo Frames on ESX 5 - Show/Hide
• Enable Flow control on ESX 5 - Show/Hide
• To list Nics: "esxcfg-nics -l" or go into vSphere client/vCenter -> Configuration -> Network adapters and find out what the name of the nic for iSCSI is.
  To disable flow control for all ports of a quad-port Intel e1000 network interface:
  # esxcli system module parameters set --module e1000 --parameter-string "FlowControl=0"
  0 – No flow control.
  1 – Flow control on received (RX) traffic only.
  2 – low control on transmitted (TX) traffic only.
  3 – Flow control on both received and transmitted traffic.
  
  You can also use the same commands as for ESX 4:
  To list Nics: "esxcfg-nics -l" or go into vSphere client/vCenter -> Configuration -> Network adapters and find out what the name of the nic for iSCSI is.
  ethtool -A vmnic1 autoneg off rx on tx on
  
  To see if the settings are correct use the command: ethtool --show-pause vmnic1
  This is an example for vmnic1, so for other vmnics change number "1" to 2, or 3 or the correct number.
• Enable Flow control on ESX 4 - Show/Hide
• To list Nics: "esxcfg-nics -l" or go into vSphere client/vCenter -> Configuration -> Network adapters and find out what the name of the nic for iSCSI is.
  ethtool -A vmnic1 autoneg off rx on tx on
  
  To see if the settings are correct use the command: ethtool --show-pause vmnic1
  This is an example for vmnic1, so for other vmnics change number "1" to 2, or 3 or the correct
• Change MPIO policy on one or more datastores - Show/Hide
• In vSphere, highlight the ESX host
  Click on Storage
  Go to Datastore if you are not in this view already
  Click on properties for the Datastore you want to change
  Change the policy on top of the new window
• Change ratio for vmkernel ports to vmnics on ESX 4 - Show/Hide
• Configuration -> Networking
  Click Properties on the iSCSI vSwitch
  Select one of the VMKernel Ports and click Edit.
  Select the NIC Teaming tab.
  Check the Override vSwitch Failover Order check box.
  Select a nic in the list and click Move Down until it is listed under Unused Adapters.
  Repeat this step for all VMKernels.
• Disabling TCP Delayed ACK - Show/Hide
• ESX allows you to disable the delayed ACK on your ESX host through a configuration option and may improve the read performance of storage attached to ESX software through the iSCSI initiator. PLEASE NOTE: this change will require a reboot of the ESX server to take effect.
  
  A central precept of the TCP network protocol is that data sent through TCP be acknowledged by the recipient. According to RFC 813, when data arrives at the recipient, the protocol requires that it send back an acknowledgment of this data. The protocol specifies that the bytes of data are sequentially numbered, so that the recipient can acknowledge data by naming the highest numbered byte of data it has received, which also acknowledges the previous bytes.
  
  When network congestion occurs, the typical recovery sequence for TCP/IP networks is to use a delayed ACK and slow start algorithm. Congestion control operates by observing the rate at which new packets should be injected into the network and the rate at which the acknowledgments are returned by the other end.
  
  The way you disable delayed ACK varies slightly between ESX 3.5, 4.x, and 5.x The main difference between ESX 3.5 , 4.x, and 5.x is in how the delayed Ack setting works and how it is set. In ESX 3.5, the delayed Ack setting is global to the ESX system.
  
  In ESX 4.xand 5.x, the recommended method for configuring the delayed Ack setting is on a per discovery target. However, you can configure the delayed Ack setting on a per individual target. Furthermore, though not recommended, you can configure the delayed Ack setting globally for ALL iSCSI targets.
  
  Perform the applicable task that follows, depending on the ESX version.
  
  Configuring Delayed Ack in ESX 3.5
  
  To implement this workaround in ESX 3.5, use the VI Client to alter the Net.TcpipDelayedAck advanced parameter setting. By default, this option is set to 1, which enables delayed ACK. To disable delayed ACK, perform the following steps.
  
  Disabling Delayed Ack in ESX 3.5
  1. Log in to the VI Client and select the host.
  2. Click the Configuration tab and choose Advanced Settings.
  3. Choose Net and scroll through the advanced parameter list until you locate the Net.TcpipDelayedAck parameter.
  4. Set the value for the parameter to 0.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Reboot the ESX host.
  
  Re-enabling Delayed ACK in ESX 3.5
  1. Log in to the VI Client and select the host.
  2. Click the Configuration tab and choose Advanced Settings.
  3. Choose Net and scroll through the advanced parameter list until you locate the Net.TcpipDelayedAck parameter.
  4. Set the value for the parameter to 1.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Reboot the ESX host.
  
  Checking the Current Setting of Delayed ACK In ESX 3.5
  1. Log in to the VI Client and select the host.
  2. Click the Configuration tab and choose Advanced Settings.
  3. Choose Net and scroll through the advanced parameter list until you locate the Net.TcpipDelayedAck parameter.
  4. Check the setting. A setting of 1 means that the delayed ACK is enabled and a setting of 0 means that it is disabled.
  5. Click OK.
  
  If you perform this check after you change the delayed ACK setting but before you reboot the host, the result shows the new setting rather than the setting currently in effect.
  
  Configuring Delayed Ack in ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.x
  
  To implement this workaround in ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.x use the vSphere Client to disable delayed ACK.
  
  Disabling Delayed Ack in ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.x
  1. Log in to the vSphere Client and select the host.
  2. Navigate to the Configuration tab.
  3. Select Storage Adapters.
  4. Select the iSCSI vmhba to be modified.
  5. Click Properties.
  6. Modify the delayed Ack setting using the option that best matches your site's needs.
  
  Choose one of the below options, I, II or III, then move on to step 7 after making the changes:
  
  Option I:
  Modify the delayed Ack setting on a discovery address (recommended).
  A. On a discovery address, select the Dynamic Discovery tab.
  B. Select the Server Address tab.
  C. Click Settings.
  D. Click Advanced.
  
  Option II:
  Modify the delayed Ack setting on a specific target.
  A. Select the Static Discovery tab.
  B. Select the target.
  C. Click Settings.
  D. Click Advanced.
  
  Option III:
  Modify the delayed Ack setting globally.
  A. Select the General tab.
  B. Click Advanced.
  
  (Note: if setting globally you can also use vmkiscsi-tool
  # vmkiscsi-tool vmhba41 -W -a delayed_ack=0)
  
  
  7. In the Advanced Settings dialog box, scroll down to the delayed Ack setting.
  8. Uncheck Inherit From parent. (Does not apply for Global modification of delayed Ack)
  9. Uncheck DelayedAck.
  10. Reboot the ESX host.
  
  Re-enabling Delayed ACK in ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.x
  1. Log in to the vSphere Client and select the host.
  2. Navigate to the Advanced Settings page as described in the preceding task "Disabling Delayed Ack in ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.x"
  3. Check Inherit From parent.
  4. Check DelayedAck.
  5. Reboot the ESX host.
  
  Checking the Current Setting of Delayed ACK in ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.x
  1. Log in to the vSphere Client and select the host.
  2. Navigate to the Advanced Settings page as described in the preceding task "Disabling Delayed Ack in ESX 4.0, 4.1, and 5.x."
  3. Observe the setting for DelayedAck.
  
  If the DelayedAck setting is checked, this option is enabled.
  If you perform this check after you change the delayed ACK setting but before you reboot the host, the result shows the new setting rather than the setting currently in effect.
  
  Source Material:
  
  https://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1002598
  
  https://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_esx40_vc40_rel_notes.html
  
  https://www.vmware.com/support/vsphere4/doc/vsp_esx40_u2_rel_notes.html
  
  https://virtualgeek.typepad.com/virtual_geek/2009/09/a-multivendor-post-on-using-iscsi-with-vmware-vsphere.html

   

• Enable SSH from vSphere for ESX/ESXi - Show/Hide