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Issue ESXi 6.5 is shutdown my Ubuntu Linux (64 bits) virtual machine

  • 1.  Issue ESXi 6.5 is shutdown my Ubuntu Linux (64 bits) virtual machine

    Posted May 12, 2025 06:33 AM

    Hello, good morning,

    I've been having problems for a few days now. An Ubuntu Linux (64-bit) virtual machine installed on a Lenovo server with ESXi 6.5 suddenly shuts down.

    I can't find the reason.

    Can someone please give me some guidance, advice, or how to contact official support?

    Thank you. Best regards.



  • 2.  RE: Issue ESXi 6.5 is shutdown my Ubuntu Linux (64 bits) virtual machine

    Posted May 12, 2025 09:20 AM

    Hi Oscar,

    If the VM is shutting down unexpectedly, there are a few things I'd start checking right away:

    1. VM log (vmware.log): Open the VM folder in the datastore browser and download the vmware.log. Look for lines with panic, signal, or unexpected power off events they often hint at the root cause.

    2. ESXi host logs: Check /var/log/vmkernel.log and /var/log/hostd.log around the time of the shutdown. They can tell you if the shutdown was triggered by the hypervisor, hardware layer, or something inside the guest.

    3. Guest OS crash: Sometimes Ubuntu will shut itself down due to kernel panic, overheating (if passthrough sensors are involved), or disk I/O issues. If you can enable serial console logging in Ubuntu, you might catch something just before shutdown.

    4. Power settings or watchdogs: Some Lenovo servers have watchdog timers enabled at BIOS level or via ESXi settings if the VM becomes unresponsive, they can force shutdowns. Also check for scheduled tasks, HA restarts or DRS activity.

    If none of that gives you a clue, you can also temporarily enable Message.logLevel = "trivia" in the VMX to get deeper logs.


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