Validate the operational state of ESXi hosts and vCenter Server instances i VMware Cloud Foundation by performing the operational verification steps after an installation or an outage affecting an individual component or system.

Verify the Authentication in vCenter Server by Using a Local System Account

Validate that the vCenter Server instances are configured correctly and that no communication issues between the systems exist by authenticating with a local system account.

Expected Outcome

You can successfully authenticate by using the [email protected] system account and you have visibility to all linked vCenter Server instances and their inventories over Enhanced Linked Mode with administrative access.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management domain vCenter Server at https://<vcenter_server_fqdn>/ui as [email protected].
  2. In the Hosts and clusters inventory, verify that you see all the vCenter Server instances in VMware Cloud Foundation.

What to do next

If you encounter issues while performing this verification, use the following troubleshooting tips:

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Ensure that the connectivity between the management and all VI workload domain vCenter Server instances is intact.

  • Ensure that NTP is configured correctly on all vCenter Server instances.

  • Ensure that all vCenter Server instances are configured with the correct DNS settings.

  • Ensure that DNS is configured with forward and reverse lookup records for all vCenter Server instances.

  • Ensure that all services on the vCenter Server instances are running.

Verify vSphere vMotion by Placing ESXi Hosts in Maintenance Mode

When you place an ESXi host in maintenance mode, all virtual machines running on that host must be migrated and the ESXi host must enter maintenance mode without further user interaction.

Expected Outcome

All virtual machines running on the ESXi host are migrated by using vSphere vMotion to the other ESXi hosts in the cluster. After vSphere vMotion completes the migration, the ESXi host enters into maintenance mode.

Procedure

  1. Log in to vCenter Server for the management or VI workload domain at https://<vcenter_server_fqdn>/ui as [email protected].
  2. In the Hosts and clusters inventory, expand the management domain vCenter Server tree and expand the management domain data center.
  3. In the target cluster, place the first ESXi host in maintenance mode.
    1. Right-click the ESXi host and select Maintenance mode > Enter maintenance mode.
    2. In the Enter maintenance mode dialog box, from the vSAN data migration drop-down menu, select Ensure accessibility, and click OK.

      vSphere vMotion migrates the virtual machines on another host, and this host enters the maintenance mode.

  4. To exit maintenance mode, right-click the same ESXi host and select Maintenance mode > Exit maintenance mode.
  5. Repeat the procedure on one or two ESXi hosts in each cluster for each vCenter Server instance.

What to do next

If you encounter issues while performing this procedure, use the following troubleshooting tips:

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Ensure that the ESXi host has a VMkernel port configured for vSphere vMotion and that a static IP address is assigned.

  • Ensure that there is network connectivity between the ESXi hosts by running the vmkping command.

Verify the Health of vCenter Server and vSAN in VMware Skyline

Confirm that no health issues for vCenter Server and vSAN are identified by VMware Skyline.

Expected Outcome
All health check parameters in VMware Skyline have the OK status with green check mark for vCenter Server and vSAN.

Prerequisites

Verify that your VMware Cloud Foundation instance is registered with the Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP).

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management domain vCenter Server at https://<vcenter_server_fqdn>/ui as [email protected].
  2. In the Hosts and clusters inventory, select the vCenter Server instance.
  3. On the Monitor tab, select Skyline health.
  4. On the Skyline health page, verify that all the configured health parameters have the OK status.
  5. For a vSAN cluster, repeat the steps to verify the health status of the cluster.
  6. Repeat the steps for the remaining vCenter Server instances and vSAN clusters in the inventory.

What to do next

If you encounter issues while performing this procedure, use the following troubleshooting tips:

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Ensure that all services on the vCenter Server instances are running.

  • Ensure that NTP is configured correctly on all vCenter Server instances.

  • Ensure that all vCenter Server instances are configured with the correct DNS settings.

  • Ensure that the vCenter Server has access to the Internet.

Verify the vCenter Server Appliance Health and the vCenter Single Sign-On Status

In the vCenter Server Management interface, verify that the overall health of the vCenter Server appliance and of vCenter Single Sign-On are good.

Expected Outcome

You can successfully verify that the CPU, memory, database and storage status are good and that vCenter Single Sign-On status is running.

Procedure

  1. Log in to the management domain vCenter Server at https://<management_domain_vcenter_server_fqdn>:5480/ui as [email protected].
  2. In the navigation pane, click Summary.
  3. On the Summary page, verify that all the health status parameters have the Good state and Single Sign-On has the Running state.
  4. Repeat the steps for the remaining vCenter Server appliances in VMware Cloud Foundation.

What to do next

If you encounter issues while performing this procedure, use the following troubleshooting tips:

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Ensure that all services on the vCenter Server instances are running.

  • Ensure that NTP is configured correctly on all vCenter Server instances.

  • Ensure that all vCenter Server instances are configured with the correct DNS settings.