How to Collect Diagnostic Data From VMware ESX/ESXi and VirtualCenter Server

There are a couple of methods for collecting diagnostic data from VMware ESX/ESXi Servers / VirtualCenter Server.

A) One method is to login as root to the ESX/ESXi Server Service Console command line as user 'root'. In the /root directory run the command vm-support. This will generate a tarball named something similar to:

esx-2008-month-day--hour.min.<PID>.tgz.

There are other flags and switches you may use with the vm-support command to generate:

1) Performance snapshots
2) Gather Virtual Machine specific debugging
3) Suspend Virtual Machine to generate VM core files and include VM memory state with vm-support output.

For complete information on the command line options you can run with vm-support see the manpage for vm-support on your ESX/ESXi Server.

B) Second method is from within the VI Client connecting directly to the host go to File - Export - Export Diagnostic Data.

C) Third method using the VI Client to connect directly to the VirtualCenter Server managing multiple ESX Server hosts - go to the Administration pull down menu - Export Diagnostic Data - Select ESX hosts and make sure box is checked to "Include information from VirtualCenter Server and VI Client".

Choose where on the Windows Server hosting your VirtualCenter Server to store the diagnostic data. This method not only collects VirtualCenter Server specific information but also generates and collects the vm-support output for the ESX Server hosts you select.

You want to use the VirtualCenter method to generate and collect diagnostic data if:

1) Problem is VMotion, Migration related
2) Problem is related to creating or deploying templates or clones
3) Problem affects more than one ESX host
4) Problem is VirtualCenter Server related, for example VC Server performance reporting
5) Problem is related to VirtualCenter Server Plugins / Addons such as HA, DRS, VCB, Update Manager, Capacity Planner, VMware Converter etc...
6) Problems using the Snapshot Manager