Category Archives: VMware

Install ESXi 8 on Intel 12th CPU – “Fatal CPU mismatch on feature”

This problem is caused by the new architecture of Intel CPUs which are equipped with different types of cores – Performance-cores and Efficient-cores.

The parameter needs to be set prior to installation and the first boot of ESXi.

  1. When ESXi installation starts, press SHIFT+O to edit boot options.
  2. Append cpuUniformityHardCheckPanic=FALSE
  3. Press ENTER
  4. Install ESXi
  5. When the installation is finished, reboot the system and press SHIFT+O to edit the boot options again.
  6. Append cpuUniformityHardCheckPanic=FALSE and press ENTER
  7. To make the kernel option permanent, run the following command on your ESXi host:
    # esxcli system settings kernel set -s cpuUniformityHardCheckPanic -v FALSE
    
  8. We also have to enable kernel option ignoreMsrFaults to prevent PSOD during VM startups.
    # esxcli system settings kernel set -s ignoreMsrFaults -v TRUE

This setting allows ESXi to work with different P-Cores and E-Cores

fix “[Error28] No space left on device” when upgrade ESXi to 6.7 U2

To upgrade ESXi to 6.7U2, usually use below command is enough:

esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-6.7.0-20190402001-standard -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml

But this time I got error “[Error28] No space left on device”.

Someone said to enable the swap on SSD can fix the issue, but I tried, it doesn’t work.

The fix is to manually update a vib first

[root@host:~] cd /tmp
[root@host:/tmp] wget http://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/esx/vmw/vib20/tools-light/VMware_locker_tools-light_10.3.5.10430147-12986307.vib
[root@host:/tmp] esxcli software vib install -f -v /tmp/VMware_locker_tools-light_10.3.5.10430147-12986307.vib
Installation Result
   Message: Operation finished successfully.
   Reboot Required: false
   VIBs Installed: VMware_locker_tools-light_10.3.5.10430147-12986307
   VIBs Removed: VMware_locker_tools-light_10.3.2.9925305-10176879
   VIBs Skipped:

Then run the update again, you should be able to update your ESXi host now.

upgrade VCSA6.7 to VCSA6.7u1

It seems there is a bug in vCenter 6.7 which caused the update check of VCSA is not working.
So to upgrade VCSA from 6.7 to 6.7u1, you need to

1. In the vCenter Server Appliance Management Interface, go to Update > Settings and configure the custom URL to https://vapp-updates.vmware.com/vai-catalog/valm/vmw/8d167796-34d5-4899-be0a-6daade4005a3/6.7.0.10000.latest/.
2.Re-try the upgrade.

Then you should be able to see all the patches.

Upgrade ESXi from 6.5 to 6.7 via command line

Run this command to see the VMware online depot and list all profiles

[root@m900:~] esxcli software sources profile list -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml | grep -i ESXi-6.7
ESXi-6.7.0-8169922-no-tools       VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupported
ESXi-6.7.0-8169922-standard       VMware, Inc.  PartnerSupporte

Run the upgrade with this command:

esxcli software profile update -p ESXi-6.7.0-8169922-standard  -d https://hostupdate.vmware.com/software/VUM/PRODUCTION/main/vmw-depot-index.xml

Then reboot server

Ethernet address: ‘*’. It conflicts with VMware reserved MACs.

After manually modified the MAC address of a VM, got below error when try to power on the VM:

Ethernet address: ‘*’. It conflicts with VMware reserved MACs.

The solution is to modify the VMX file manually, and add below line:

ethernetN.checkMACAddress = “false”
ethernetN.addressType = “static”