Hardware monitoring

[wobbe98]

Hello,

I just installed ESXi 4.0 on a HP proliant DL360G5. Under the health status I noticed that the status for the physical harddisks are missing. Is this intentional or is this an error? And is is possible to setup the health monitor to sent emails incase of a failure? (like the HPEvent Notifier does for Windows)

Kind regards,

WB

[DSTAVERT]

The HP version may or not be available yet. There was a post earlier about an HP download as opposed to the vmware website download. The dedicated HP CIM providers are not a part of the generic 4 download. Have a look at this post http://communities.vmware.com/message/1282797#1282797

[wobbe98]

I've downloaded and installed the HP version of ESXi from the HP website and I now get hard disk status information from the health menu. I also upgraded my HP SIM installation and it now also recognizes the ESXi server correctly. So i'm making progress but I still would like a to have a tool like the HP event notifier for email alerting. Perhaps there is some sort of plug-in available?

[wobbe98]

I've been playing around with HP SIM and I noticed that I don't get and harddisk info within SIM, anyone know a solution for this problem? This also seems to be the case for windows servers. I just ripped out a disk from a raid1 set and HP SIM fails to notice!

[DSTAVERT]

If you have configured WBEM it should work. Have you restarted the ESXi host to activate the new modules?

[DSTAVERT]

Alerts are a part of ESXi 4 but I believe they require vCenter.

[cookieme]

I have installed ESXi 4 from HP with the CIM providers. However, I get very little health information with the vClient (see image1), which I guess is due to my HP server not being listed on the HCL.

However, I have installed HP Systems Insight Manager 5.3 SP1 on a physical computer and I can't get the ESXi host identified. All I can see is the IP address and that it is unmanaged (see image3). I have searched the HP forums and also here and followed an HP document explaining that I need to enter the server credentials and then do a new identification. I have done this, but it is still not working.

I have installed Veem Monitor (free version) and it does not show any more information then the vClient (see image2).

I am confused with regards to the hardware monitoring of my ESXi host. I know it is not on the HCL, but surely if when I was running Windows 2003 Server with the HP Proliant Support Pack and I was able to monitor the hardware, I must be able to do the same even if HP SIM is overkill in comparison to the PSP utilites.

If anyone has HP and ESXi experience, I would appreciate any help on this matter. I am still testing and learning the ins and outs of ESXi, so most of this is very new.

Thanks

[cookieme]

Ok, I found a thread on HP's forums http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1352580

The problem was apparently that I had not licensed the ESXi host yet. I got my free license and then did a new identification in HP SIM and now it identifies the ESXi host.

However, I'm not getting any sensor information (see image). When I click on "Properties" I get a new window with the following message:

Properties: 192.168.1.3

Property Pages are unavailable for this managed system.

Cause: Property Pages may not be defined for this

Operating System type or the system may be acting as a

WBEM storage proxy and has not had the native CIMOM

identified.

Resolution: Check the SIM release notes for supported

operating systems. For systems running as a storage

proxy, enter credentials for the native (non-proxy) WBEM

CIMOM on this managed system and re-identify the system.

I'm really not enjoying HP SIM :smileysad:

[DSTAVERT]

Health is totally dependent on a supported platform. G5s and G6s return much more information than a G4 and a G3 even less. If you have an unsupported server of any of the G versions you will have even less. The CIM modules communicate with the instrumentation modules on the motherboard and ILO.

One possibility is SNMP. In 3.5 it was traps only. In 4 you can set up query as well. I don't whether it will take you any further but it is worth a try. The problem with SNMP is you will need something like SIM.

If you have a server without ILO I am guessing you will have a tough time. I did a brief look and ILO may much of the IPMI hooks.

[cookieme]

DSTAVERT thanks for your reply. My server has ILO and I have an advanced license. I understand that my G4 is unsupported, but I am unclear on what information I should be able to get. Should I not see more information about the hardware when using HP SIM since it is communicating with those HP CIM providers on the ESXi host rather than using the vClient communicating with the VMware CIM providers?

There seems to be a lack of documentation or should I say what is available is not very clear on how to monitor an HP server and what information one should be able to monitor. If neglecting virtualisation and installing a Windows Server OS using SmartStart as I have done in the past, I am able to monitor everything using the HP System Managment Homepage on the local server. HP does not allow SmartStart, Proliant Support Pack or any of there other tools on a virtual machine. HP System Management Homepage does not provide any information on a virtual machine.

SO, on HP hardware whether supported or not one needs to use HP Systems Insight Manager to get all the hardware information, as the vClient will only provide a subset (this according the attached HP document).

Sorry if I have been unclear or stating the obvious. I'm trying to gather my thoughts and decipher what should be relatively easy to accomplish, but turns out to be anything, but that.

Thanks

[cookieme]

A follow up to my previous posts. I decided to do a clean install of ESXi 3.5 U4 (the HP image) and investigate if I my issues are due to ESXi 4. These are my findings:

1. I see different information using the VIC than I did with ESXi 4 (HP). See the images 1 and 2. Oddly I can see "Memory" health which I couldn't in ESXi 4. I would assume that ESXi 4 should see at least the same info as ESXi 3.5 U4.

2. HP SIM: When I discover and identify my server running ESXi 3.5U4 or ESXi 4, I still cannot get any information apart from the overall health and basic identification (see image3). This is incredibly frustrating and I can't find any documentation for HP SIM and VMware ESXi regardless of version. The one document that I found I have attached in my previous post and I have tried the troubleshooting steps, but I am still not getting anywhere, so I do not think that my hardware not being on HCL is an issue at all. When I click on "Health Status" or "Properties" I get the following message:

Property Pages are unavailable for this managed system.

Cause: Property Pages may not be defined for this

Operating System type or the system may be acting as a

WBEM storage proxy and has not had the native CIMOM

identified.

Resolution: Check the SIM release notes for supported

operating systems. For systems running as a storage

proxy, enter credentials for the native (non-proxy) WBEM

CIMOM on this managed system and re-identify the system.

Basically, hardware monitoring an HP server running ESXi 3.5 U4 or ESXi 4 seems to be a complete mystery and so time consuming that it defeats the whole purpose. Maybe I'm completely wrong and just don't understand the whole concept, but I have found many posts on similar issues both here and on HP's forums and other places on the net.

DSTAVERT and others who seem to monitor HP hardware just fine with HP SIM or other tools can you please let me in on the secrets of making this work?!

Thank you.

P.S. I know I have given some of this information in my posts above, but added it here to support my questions.

P.S.S. Isn't it odd that only IBM and Dell are providing customised ESXi 4 downloads on VMware's website and HP are absent? HP's download has also been updated since I first got it. It use to be ESXi_HD_USB_SD_Image_Installer_576400-001, but is now ESXi_HD_USB_SD_Image_Installer_CD_583772_001. No release notes.

[DSTAVERT]

I understand your frustration but as the technology changes earlier hardware gets dropped off. It happens with all OS's at some point. ESXi is just a little more limited. Since they, G4's and earlier aren't supported anymore (they lack the hardware virtualization support and many are only 32bit processors) , it makes little sense to maintain the code needed to support those platforms in the CIM modules. You get something in ESXi 3.5 and less in 4. Probably means you should stick with 3.5. It will be around and patched for some time yet. Have a look at http://www.veeam.com/esxi-monitoring-free.html.

HP SIM is a big app to monitor a server or two.

http://communities.vmware.com/docs/DOC-7170

You could also opt to get VMware Essentials as it supports alarms.

[cookieme]

DSTAVERT I know what you mean, but for someone who is exploring virtualisation and trying to get to grips with all the ins and outs, I find it odd that I can't monitor memory if I go from ESXi 3.5 to 4. I don't see how that much could change in the CIM modules, but then again I am no expert.

Also, that for pointing out Veeam's Free Monitor. I have tried it before, but it shows no different information then what I get with the vClient.

Yes, HP SIM is for managing multiple servers and one standalone server is overkill. However, that is all HP seems to offer whereas if I was managing a physical HP server (non virtualised) I would have the option of a lightweight little brother to HP SIM namely HP SMH. Anyway, I am still not satisfied with what I can see with HP SIM against my ESXi host (3.5 or 4) and therefore whether my hardware is HCL or not I am still seeking help on how to configure this link properly.

Not sure what you mean with your last suggestion with getting VMware Essentials?

Thanks

[DSTAVERT]

Your hardware is NOT supported in ESXi 4. Why would HP keep the code in place to monitor UNSUPPORTED hardware. I don't know what version of IPMI hardware is on your server but the current version is 2. If ESXi 3.5 supported 1.5 and ESXi 4 only supports 2 that might explain the difference????

HP SIM relies on the CIM modules in ESXi. You aren't going to collect anything that isn't there.

[cookieme]

(This has been removed from my previous post and instead added here).

I thought some more about this and I'd like to add the following. If the health information that I can see in the vClient is gathered from HP's CIM modules, then surely I should be able to see these hardware items in HP SIM. If the health info. shown in the vClient is gathered from the VMware CIM providers then I don't see why I would need the HP customised version of ESXi.

One other thing that I would like to know is how to check that the HP specific CIM modules are present on an ESXi host. Of course if I have installed an HP customised ESXi 3.5 or 4 then they should be, but is there a way of checking? I saw in another thread regarding the Dell customised version that the CIM modules are located in /ext/lib/dell (if I remember correctly), but I could not find an HP equivalent folder on either 3.5 or 4.

[venkyVM]

Please look in /var/lib/sfcb/registration/ for the installed HP providers. However CIM can deliver the info thats presented from the IPMI Stack and the VMkernel.Nothing more nothing less

Thanks,

[DSTAVERT]

Also have a look at http://www.veeam.com/esxi-monitoring-free.html A very nice tool for monitoring and free.