Collecting VIX diagnostic information

Products

• VMware vCenter Server

Issue/Introduction

This article provides information about collecting VIX API diagnostic data so you can create a VIX API Support Request (SR).

Note: If you have critical production-related issues, call the VMware support hotline. All non-production support requests are handled through email. Allow up to 48 hours for a response. Submit one support request per issue.

Environment

VMware vCenter Server 5.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.7.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.0.x
VMware vCenter Server 6.5.x
VMware vCenter Server 4.0.x

Resolution

Creating a VIX API SR

The following is a summary of the steps to file a VIX API SR.

1. Collect the required diagnostic files and information. This information is required to properly diagnose your VIX API issue:
   • VIX API information
   • VIX Logs
   • VMX Logs
   • ESX Data
     
2. Create and submit a Support Request. For more information, see Filing a Support Request in Customer Connect (2006985).
3. FTP the diagnostic files to VMware. For more information, see Uploading diagnostic information to VMware (1008525).

Collecting VIX API information

All of the information needed to evaluate your support request is listed in the VIX support form.

1. Download and unzip VMware VIX Support Form. See 1019561_VMware_VIX_Support_Form.zip, attached to this article.
2. Complete the form, providing as much detail about your computing environment as possible. Include any log files and other information you feel might be helpful.
3. Upload the completed form with your support request.

Collecting VIX logs

If you are running a separate program that uses the VIX library, it generates a VIX log.

• On Linux, VIX Logs are located at /tmp/vmware-<username>/vix-<pid>.log.
• On Windows, VIX Logs are located at %TEMP%\vmware-<username>\vix-<pid>.log

Collecting VMX logs

This VMX log file (vmware.log) is found in the same directory as the VMX file for the virtual machine that you are running.

Set the following property in configuration file in /etc/vmware/ on the ESX host:

vix.debugLevel = "9"

Collecting ESX Data

To collect ESX-related data:

1. Enable VIX debug level logging and hostd trivia level logging:
   1. On each host, open the file hostd configuration file (/etc/vmware/hostd/config.xml) for editing.
   2. To enable VIX debug logging, add the following to your hostd configuration file, inside the <config> element:
      
      <vix>
      <longOpts>
      <vix.debugLevel>9</vix.debugLevel>
      </longOpts>
      <boolOpts>
      <vix.LogRefcountOnFinalRelease>TRUE</vix.LogRefcountOnFinalRelease>
      </boolOpts>
      </vix>
      
   3. To enable hostd trivia-level logging set the <level> tag to trivia mode. For example:
      
      <log>
      <level>trivia</level>
      </log>
      
   4. Restart the management services for the changes to take effect. For more information, see Restarting the Management agents on an ESX or ESXi Server (1003490).
      
      Note: If the .xml file is misformed, hostd fails to start.
      
2. Run vm-support to collect logs (including the hostd logs).
   
   Note: The hostd logs rotate when they become large, and the debug logging that you have enabled is very verbose. For this reason, it is important to collect the logs promptly after the incident. Otherwise, the logs may rotate, and you may lose the logging. As of VIX 1.11, logs rotate at 1MB and you can disable log rotation by setting vix.log.rotateSize = 0 in the hostd configuration file. However this could result in huge log files.
   
3. Disable debug logging when you are done.
   
   Note: The debug logging that you have enabled is very verbose. VMware recommends that you disable it when you are done collecting support information. Reverse the changes made in step one, and restart the management services. Restarting the Management agents on an ESX or ESXi Server (1003490).

Additional Information

How to file a Support Request in Customer Connect