Enabling verbose logging for the VMware High Availability agent on ESX/ESXi hosts

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides the steps to increase the logging level of the HA agent on ESX/ESXi hosts, and explains how to redirect the logs to a different disk.

Note: This article applies to vCenter Server 2.5.x through 4.1.x. For information about HA logging levels in vCenter Server 5.x, see Changing the logging level for the VMware High Availability management agent (FDM) in vCenter Server 5.x (2004540).

Symptoms:

• The High Availability (HA) agent on one or more ESX/ESXi hosts reports an error
• The default logging level for the HA agent does not provide sufficient information to troubleshoot the issue

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x
VMware VirtualCenter 2.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.1.x

Resolution

Enabling verbose logging

To enable verbose logging for the VMware High Availability agent on ESX/ESXi hosts:

1. In vCenter Server, select the cluster in which one or more hosts are reporting HA errors.
2. Right-click the cluster and click Edit Settings.
3. Under Cluster Features, click VMware HA.
4. Click Advanced Options.
5. Add these Option/Value pairs:
   
   

   Option	Value
   das.trace	ON
   das.tracelevel	4
   das.traceoutput	File

   
   
6. Click OK.
7. Disable and re-enable HA in the cluster for the changes to take effect.
   
   
   • To disable HA:
     
     
     1. Select Cluster Features
     2. Deselect the Turn On VMware HA check box and click OK.
        
        
   • To enable HA:
     
     
     1. Select Cluster Features.
     2. Select the Turn On VMware HA check box and click OK.
        

The logs with verbose logging are available in the /var/log/vmware/aam directory.

Redirecting logs

On ESXi systems there may be a danger of filling up the MAINSYS ramdisk to 100% if verbose logging is enabled. To prevent MAINSYS reaching 100% full:, redirect VMware High Availability logs to a shared VMFS or NFS datastore.

To redirect the HA logs:

1. Identify a VMFS or NFS Datastore that is visible to all hosts participating in a HA (High Availablity) ESX cluster.
2. From the vSphere Client, select, select the cluster that where you wish to redirect the logs from the default ESX location (/var/log/vmware/aam).
3. Right-click the cluster and click Edit Settings.
4. Under Cluster Features, select VMware HA.
5. Click Advanced Options.
6. Add this Option/Value pair:
   
   Note: das.logDirectory is only available in vCenter Server 4.1 and 4.1 Update releases and is not available in vCenter Server 2.x, 4.0.x or 5.x.
   
   

   Option	Value
   das.logdirectory	VMFS Datastore Label or friendly name

   
   
7. Disable and re-enable HA in the cluster for the changes to take effect

The logs with verbose logging are available in the directory you specifiy.

Notes:

• If the Shared VMFS or NFS datastore is shared amoung many vSphere HA clusters:
  
  1. Create multiple subdirectories for each cluster.
  2. Update the path on das.logdirectory for each indivdiual cluster.
     
     
• If using an NFS datastore, ensure that the NFS datastore is presented in the same way to each ESX server participating in the HA cluster you are manipulating.