vSphere Archives - Page 3 of 3

October 23, 2016August 13, 2018

What’s New in VMware vSphere 6.5

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With the release of vSphere 6.5 back in October, VMware have finally been able to offer a true HTML 5-based experience via their new vSphere Client (something that has been on the cards for quite a number of years), and I must say, I’m rather (very) pleased. Add to this the fact that the older C# Client has been pushed even closer to the Decommission Bin due to the release of the new ESXi Embedded Host Client (more on this in a future post), things are looking very good indeed.

esxi_embedded_host_client — The brand new **ESXi Embedded Host Client** offers a much welcomed move away from the legacy C# Client thanks to the new HTML5 and JavaScript UI.

The new vSphere Client will run alongside the older vSphere Web Client and is an inbuilt feature of both Windows and Appliance versions of vCenter Server 6.5. Don’t jump out of your seats just yet, however, as the reason for running the two interfaces in parallel is due to the new vSphere Client not offering full functionality. VMware state that their teams are looking to flesh-out the new Client with priority, so we hopefully won’t have to wait long. For all full-functional requirements, you’ll still be able to access the vSphere Web Client via standard means (http://<vcenter_fqdn>/vsphere-client), with the new vSphere Client accessible via http://<vcenter_fqdn>/ui.

vcsa-6_5_installation_22 — Like the new ESXi Embedded Host Client, the new **vSphere Client** offers a fantastic HTML 5/JavaScript experience, but is lacking in some functionality at time of writing.

Other features of vSphere 6.5 and the vCenter Server Applicance include a fully integrated vSphere Update Manager, file-based backup and recovery, native VCSA high availability, and performance improvements of up to 3x; HTML5-based web clients outlined above; security enhancements including VM disk-level encryption, vMotion encryption, as well as the addition of a secure boot model (enabling VMware to now offer ‘Secure Data, Secure Infrastructure, and Secure Access’).

For further details regarding vSphere 6.5, and a full list of the improvements and new functionality, simply visit https://blogs.vmware.com/vsphere/2016/10/whats-new-in-vsphere-6-5-vcenter-server.html.

January 14, 2015August 13, 2018

Testing Network Connectivity Between VMkernel Ports

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Configuring VLANs within vSphere is a simple enough task, however, testing outgoing ICMP traffic between hosts is a must when you find yourself unable to communicate with another VMkernel port on another host. Using the vmkping CLI command, we are able to test outgoing traffic via specific VMkernel ports, perfect for those attempting to troubleshoot connectivity issues on different subnets and/or vSwitches.

Testing Basic Network Connectivity

Connect to an ESXi host via SSH.
Via command shell, run the below command (where x.x.x.x is the hostname or IP address of the server that you wish to ping):
```
# vmkping x.x.x.x
```

In my example below, I test connectivity between the Management Networks on two ESXi hosts in my lab. Specifically, I connect to Host A (192.168.20.101) via SSH, and ping Host B (192.168.20.102):

Testing Network Connectivity via a Specific VMkernel Port

ESXi 5.1 and up allows us to test outgoing ICMP traffic on specific vmkernel ports by adding the -I switch, followed by vmkX (where X is the VMkernal number):

# vmkping -I vmkX x.x.x.x

In my example below, I test ICMP traffic between two VMkernel ports which have been configured for iSCSI traffic (vmk1 on both hosts). Specifically, I SSH on to Host A and test ICMP traffic between the specific VMkernel ports (Host A = 192.168.25.101, Host B = 192.168.25.103):