Collecting diagnostic information for the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit
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Collecting diagnostic information for the VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit

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Article ID: 328547

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Updated On:

Products

VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

 
VMware Technical Support routinely requests diagnostic information from you when a support request is handled. This diagnostic information contains product-specific logs and configuration files from the host on which the product is run. The information is gathered using a specific script or tool for each product.

This article provides information about what you need to provide to VMware Technical Support to help diagnose a problem with VMware Virtual Disk Development Kit (VDDK) products.

The diagnostic information collected can then be uploaded to VMware Technical Support. To uniquely identify your information, use the Support Request (SR) number you received when you opened your Support Request.



Resolution

These instructions apply to VMware Infrastructure VDDK version 6.x or later.

Creating a VDDK Support Request

Here is a summary of the steps to file a VDDK Support Request:


Here is a summary of the steps to file a VDDK Support Request:

  • Ensure that the error was captured in the log files.
  • Note the approximate time (and time zone especially) of the error.
  • Provide the backup target VM name and backup proxy VM name (if any)
  • Collect the required diagnostic files and information

Three sets of data are needed to properly diagnose your VMware Infrastructure VDDK issue:

    1. VDDK related information – Complete the VDDK support form. For more information, please check the document "1006186_VMware_VDDK_Support_Form.doc" which is attached to this article.
    2. ESX related information – Collect ESX files. For more information, please check Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products.
    3. vCenter Server related information – Collect the vCenter Server files. For more information, please check Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products
  • Create and submit a Support Request
  • Submit the Support Request with its associated information
  • Upload the diagnostic files to the VMware SFTP/FTP site

 

Collecting VDDK related data

All the VDDK related information needed to evaluate your Support Request and to help diagnose your problem is listed in the VMware VDDK Support Form.

  • Download and save the VMware VDDK Support Form, "1006186_VMware_VDDK_Support_Form.doc"  attached to this article.
  • Complete the form, providing as much detail about your computing environment as possible. Include any log files and code snippets you feel might be helpful.

Note: To collect VDDK logs from backup software,  it usually needs help from a backup vendor as log functionality is provided by backup software.

  • Upload the completed form with your Support Request.

Note:

  • Collect VDDK logs with Verbose level to troubleshoot.  VDDK log level needs to be set accordingly.
    1. vixDiskLib.transport.LogLevel=6
    2. vixDiskLib.nfc.LogLevel = 4 

Note: This is only needed when nbd/nbdssl transports are utilized. 

  • In case of VDDK crash/hung, collect core dump file of VDDK along with collect windows event logs (applies for windows proxies only).


Collecting ESX related data

ESX includes a script called vm-support, which collects information that VMware Technical Support might request and packages that information into one file.

  • For information about collecting ESX related data, please check:
      1. Collecting diagnostic information for VMware ESX/ESXi
      2. Collecting diagnostic information for VMware ESX/ESXi using the "vm-support" command
  • Send the script-generated log files with your Support Request.

Note: Collect the vm-support bundles for ESXi hosts where the backup target VMs and proxy VMs are registered

 

Collecting vCenter Server related data

vCenter Server provides an option that collects log information useful to VMware Technical Support.

  • See the appropriate Knowledge Base article for your version of vCenter Server . For more information, please check Collecting diagnostic information for VMware products
  • When it’s requested by engineering, set the logging option to Trivia to ensure that all information is collected and that it includes time stamps.
  • Send the script-collected files with your Support Request.

 

Uploading files to the SFTP/FTP site

If you have an existing Support Request and you need to attach additional files to your Support Request, upload them via SFTP/FTP. 

Fore more information, please check Uploading Diagnostic information for VMware through the Secure FTP & Broadcom portal

 

Debugging tips

Here are some best practices for debugging code when using VMware Infrastructure APIs:

  • Generate complete logs with as much detail as possible including timestamps. Provide case samples of successful completions and failures with time stamps.
  • Submit code samples that are as self-contained as possible and reproduce the problems.
  • Use the VMware Infrastructure Perl Toolkit to reproduce problems found when you use VM Perl.

 

Additional Information

For details on support offerings, please check VMware by Broadcom Support Offerings

Note: The SDK Support Policy applies to VDDK.

Attachments

1006186_VMware_VDDK_Support_Form.doc get_app
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