ESX Server from the

Command Line
The command-line environment
Working with disks
Working with virtual machines

ESX Server System Management II

Module 4
Tips for command-line use
• Install an ssh (Secure Shell) client on your desktop
• Windows: PuTTY (freeware), SecureCRT (commercial)

• Know the features of the bash shell

• Use arrow keys to navigate command history
• Use TAB to complete file names and commands
• Useful keystrokes:
• ctrl-A: beginning of line ctrl-E: end of line
• ctrl-W: erase previous word ctrl-U: blank this line
• ctrl-Z: suspend this job
• bg command puts suspended job in background
• Caution! ctrl-S freezes the screen; use ctrl-Q to unfreeze

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Useful Service Console add-on packages
•nano: a simple text editor
• An alternative to vi
• Always invoke as nano –w filename to turn off word-wrap

•lynx: a text-only Web browser

• Especially useful for downloading files from Web sites to
Service Console
•ncftp: an enhanced text-only FTP client
• Contains ncftpget, useful for unattended FTP downloads

•lsof: list open files

• Shows what processes are using what files and ports

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Working with Service Console packages
•rpm –qa: list installed packages
•rpm –qi packagename : get more information
about a package
•rpm –ql packagename : list files composing a
package
Or use –p packagefilename in place of packagename
•rpm –Uvh filename(s) : install a package
• You may need to satisfy a package’s dependencies; list multiple
package filenames on command line

•rpm –e packagename : uninstalls a package

• Warning: do not uninstall VMware packages!

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Partitioning disks with fdisk
• fdisk requires a device file pointing at desired disk
fdisk /dev/sdb
• Enter p to print the present partition table
• Enter n to create a new partition
• Specify partition number if primary
• Specify starting cylinder
• Specify size: +1024M gives a 1 GB partition
• Enter t to change the partition type: FB for VMFS
• Enter w to save partition table to disk

• Warning: Changing partition table of a disk with

mounted Linux file systems may require reboot

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vmkfstools Syntax
vmkfstools -? [ otherarg otherarg … ] VMkernel-path

• The option flag governs the action of the

command
• Either a single letter with one hyphen or a word with two

• The last argument is always a path using the

VMkernel’s device space
• Either a VMFS name (physical or friendly)
vmhba0:1:0:5 /vmfs/vmhba0:1:0:5
myvmfs /vmfs/myvmfs
• Or a VMFS name followed by a virtual disk file name
vmhba0:1:0:5:a.dsk /vmfs/vmhba0:1:0:5/a.dsk
myvmfs:a.dsk /vmfs/myvmfs/a.dsk

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Creating a new VMFS volume

•Make new VMFS volumes using MUI or

command line

1. Use vmkfstools –N to map from VMkernel

disk to a Linux device file /dev/vsdn
# vmkfstools –N vmhba0:8:0:0
/dev/vsd0 Whole
disk
2. fdisk /dev/vsd0
Make a partition number 1 with type FB

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Creating a new VMFS volume (cont’d)

3. Use vmkfstools –C to build a new VMFS

vmkfstools –C vmfs2 vmhba0:8:0:1
4. Use vmkfstools –S to set the volume label
vmkfstools –S VOL3 vmhba0:8:0:1

•Use vmkfstools –l to list contents

vmkfstools –l VOL3
or
ls –l /vmfs/VOL3

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Basic VMFS virtual-disk operations

• To create a new virtual disk:

vmkfstools –c 4096m VOL3:webserver.dsk
• To set access rights:
chown ted:finance /vmfs/VOL3/webserver.dsk
chmod u=rw,go= /vmfs/VOL3/webserver.dsk
• To rename a virtual disk
mv /vmfs/VOL3/ws.dsk /vmfs/VOL3/webserver.dsk
• To remove a virtual disk
rm /vmfs/VOL3/ws.dsk

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Copying a virtual disk

• It’s safe to use the Service Console’s cp

command on > 2 GB virtual disks
• Not all Service Console utilities have been
customized
• Other environments may contain unsafe tools
too
• Safest to handle virtual disks in their exported
(“COW”) format
• To export:
vmkfstools –e /vmimages/ws.vmdk vmfs3:ws.dsk

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Copying a virtual disk from one ESX
Server to another
• Use scp to copy securely
scp /vmfs/VOL3/ws.dsk 
user@esx2:/vmfs/myvmfs/ws.dsk
• Always check for integrity
# sum /vmfs/myvmfs/ws.dsk
39678 489473 /vmfs/myvmfs/ws.dsk
16-bit size in
checksum 1 KB blocks
# md5sum /vmfs/myvmfs/router-2.1.dsk
77dfc2ba10c75b6ad0a1812805887e28 router-2.1.dsk

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Extending a virtual disk

• Make a backup first!

• Extend the virtual disk
vmkfstools –X 4096M VOL3:windata.dsk
• Now the file system inside the virtual disk does
not fill the medium
• Use Partition Magic or the equivalent inside the
VM to extend the file system

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Inspecting virtual disks from Service
Console
• To identify a virtual disk:
# head mydisk.dsk | file –
ESX Server x86 boot sector

Workstation 4 ASCII English text

Workstation
3.x
{nothing}
GSX Server
• To 2.x
import:
vmkfstools –i /vmimages/otherdisk.dsk VOL3:other.dsk
• GSX Server 2.x virtual disks can also be imported

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Opening virtual disks from Service
Console
• To display the partition table inside a virtual disk:
# vmware-mount.pl –p /vmfs/VOL3/w2k.dsk
Nr Start Size Type Id System
-- ----- ------- ---- --- ---------------
1 63 4176837 BIOS 7 HPFS/NTFS
# vmware-mount.pl –p /vmfs/VOL3/linux.dsk
Nr Start Size Type Id System
-- ----- ------- ---- --- ---------------
1 32 81888 BIOS 83 Linux
2 81920 262144 BIOS 82 Linux swap
3 344064 972800 BIOS 83 Linux
• Virtual disk must be in ESX format, reside in a VMFS, not powered on

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Opening virtual disks from Service
Console (cont’d)
• You may mount file systems from within a virtual
disk onto the Service Console
• Virtual disk must not be powered on
• NTFS file systems are read-only!
• vfat and ext3 file systems may be mounted read-write
# mkdir /myntfs
# vmware-mount.pl /vmfs/ted/w2k.dsk 1 
-t ntfs -o ro /myntfs
In another window:
# ls /myntfs
AUTOEXEC.BAT CONFIG.SYS IO.SYS
boot.ini Documents and Settings MSDOS.SYS
• Press ctrl-C to kill vmware-mount.pl when done

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VM Configuration File Syntax
• Comments begin with a # character
• Blank lines are allowed

• Each other line is of the form

attribute = value
or
class.attribute = value
• Class can be:
• A family of related items
• A device controller
• A device on a device controller

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A sample configuration file
config.version = "6"
virtualHW.version = "3"
memSize = "192"
numvcpus = "2"
displayName = "Controller for domain TEXAS.ORG"
guestOS = "win2000Serv"

ide1:0.present = "TRUE"
ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"
ide1:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom"
ide1:0.fileName = "/dev/cdrom"

floppy0.present = "TRUE"
floppy0.startConnected = "FALSE"
floppy0.fileName = "/dev/fd0"

scsi0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0.virtualDev = "vmxbuslogic"
scsi0.sharedBus = "none"
scsi0:0.present = "TRUE"
scsi0:0.fileName = “VOL3:winnt.dsk"
scsi0:0.mode = "persistent"

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A sample configuration file (cont’d)

ethernet0.present = "TRUE"
ethernet0.virtualDev = "vlance"
ethernet0.connectionType = "monitor_dev"
ethernet0.devName = "vmnic0"

suspend.directory = "/vmfs/VOL3"
remotedisplay.depth = "8"
checkpoint.cptconfigname = "rn2-52ff1bdc"

uuid.location = 
"56 4d 7c 66 1f 23 b5 c3-2f 50 a9 29 7f 53 72 b5"

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Configuring for Terminal Services

• Windows Terminal Services and Citrix

Metaframe systems run with many processes
• Windows 2000 systems benefit from a
performance tweak
• Add to configuration file
workload = "TerminalServices"
• If Citrix Metaframe XP, install Citrix hotfix
XE102W014 in guest OS

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Time sync for graphicsless VMs

• Normally need GUI VMware Tools agent to

enable time synchronization between guest OS
and Service Console
• But Linux servers often run without graphics
• To enable time sync without GUI:
tools.syncTime = "TRUE"

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Adjusting Remote Console keyboard
repeat
• By default, virtual keyboard device in VM starts
autorepeat if a physical key is not released
within less than a second
• Network latency or congestion may trigger
autorepeat
• Add to config file:
keyboard.typematicMinDelay = 2000000
• Value in microseconds (2 million sec = 2 sec)
• Choose a value that results in satisfactory performance

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Specifying autostart and autostop
behavior
• Config files may contain
autostart = "poweron"
autostart.delay = "2" Seconds to pause
autostop = "poweroff" or…
autostop = "suspend"
autostop.delay = "2" Seconds to pause
• Caution! Memory page sharing is not active
when suspended VMs are resumed

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Starting and stopping VMs from the
command line
• To stop a VM:
vmware-cmd /home/ted/vmware/a/a.vmx stop mode
• To start a VM:
vmware-cmd /home/ted/vmware/a/a.vmx start mode

Run normal scripts in guest OS

soft
before shutdown or after resume;
Try to run scripts in guest OS; use
trysof
hard mechanism if VMware Tools
t
is not accessible
Abrupt power-off; resume without
hard
running normal scripts
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Questions?

ESX Server System Management II

Module 4