"No coredump target has been configured. host core dumps cannot be saved" alert is seen on the VMware ESXi host.

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

The ESXi host will be unable to save core dumps, resulting in the alert: "No Coredump Target Has Been Configured. Host Core Dumps Cannot Be Saved".

When this condition occurs, the host's configuration does not point to a valid location to save a core dump file (a snapshot of the system memory and state at the time of a crash), meaning critical diagnostic information will be lost if the host experiences a purple screen of death (PSOD).

Environment

VMware ESXi 8.x

Cause

The primary cause for this alert is that the previously configured core dump file location has become invalid or inaccessible.

This commonly occurs if the core dump file itself or the storage it resided on (such as a datastore) was manually deleted or removed from the host's view. When the file is lost, the ESXi host no longer has a designated, valid target to save the coredump.

Resolution

This issue can be resolved by recreating and re-enabling a core dump file target on the ESXi host.

Run the following commands in the ESXi Shell (either through an SSH session or on the host's console):

1. Recreate the Core Dump File 
   
   Use the following command to automatically create a new core dump file and add it as a target. This command typically creates a file named vmkdump-timestamp-XXXXXX.dump on a local datastore.
   
   esxcli system coredump file add --auto


2. Set the Core Dump File as the Active Target
   
   After the file is created, use this command to automatically select the most suitable (smart) core dump file and enable it for use by the system:
       
   esxcli system coredump file set --smart --enable true 


3. Verification
   
   To confirm that a new core dump file has been successfully created and configured, run the following command. The output should show the newly created file with the Configured status as true and the Active status as true.
   
   esxcli system coredump file list

Once the configuration is verified as Active, the ESXi host will be able to save a core dump file if a PSOD occurs, and the alert should clear.