VMWare ESX Server Logs
1) Vmkernel
a. Location: /var/log/
b. Filename: vmkernel
c. This log records information related to the vmkernel and virtual machines
2) Vmkernel Warnings
a. Location: /var/log/
b. Filename: vmkwarning
c. This log records information regarding virtual machine warnings
3) Vmkernel Summary
a. Location: /var/log/
b. Filename: vmksummary
c. This log records information used to determine uptime and availability statistics for ESX Server. This log is not easily readable by humans, import into a spreadsheet or database for use.
d. For a summary of the statistics in an easily viewed file, see vmksummary.txt
4) ESX Server Boot Log
a. Location: /var/log
b. Filename: boot.log
c. Log file of all actions that occurred during the ESX server boot.
5) ESX Server Host Aagent Log
a. Location: /var/log/vmware/
b. Filename: hostd.log
c. Contains information on the agent that manages and configures the ESX Server host and its virtual machines (Search the file date/time stamps to find the log file it is currently outputting to).
6) Service Console
a. Location: /var/log/
b. Filename: messages
c. Contain all general log messages used to troubleshoot virtual machines on ESX Server.
7) Web Access
a. Location: /var/log/vmware/webAccess
b. Filename: various files in this location
c. Various logs on Web access to the ESX Server.
8) Authentication Log
a. Location: /var/log/
b. Filename: secure
c. Contains the records of connections that require authentication, such as VMware daemons and actions initiated by the xinetd daemon.
9) VirtualCenter HA Agent Log
a. Location: /var/log/vmware/aam/
b. Filename: aam_config_util_*.log
c. These files contain information about the installation, configuration, and connections to other HA agents in the cluster.
10) VirtualCenter Agent
a. Location: /var/log/vmware/vpx
b. Filename: vpxa.log
c. Contains information on the agent that communicates with the VirtualCenter Server.
11) Virtual Machine Logs
a. Location: The same directory as the virtual machine’s configuration files are placed in.
b. FileName: vmware.log
c. Contains information when a virtual machine crashes or ends abnormally.
VirtualCenter Installation Logs
1) The following install logs are located in the %TEMP% directory of the user that installed VirtualCenter
a. vmlic.log
i. Contains various test results for provided license file during the installation.
b. redist.log
i. Contains MDAC/MCAD QFE rollup installation information
c. vmmsde.log
i. Contains MSDE installation information
d. vmls.log
i. The License server installation log.
e. vmosql.log
i. The VirtualCenter database creation log file
f. vminst.log
i. VirtualCenter installation log file
g. VCDatabaseUpgrade.log
i. Results on upgrading the VC Database.
h. vmmsi.log
i. The VI client installation log. Vpxd-0.log is a small log from the starting the client the first time.
Virtual Center Logs
1) Location:
a. C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\Logs
2) Name: vpxd-#.log (# is one digit, 0-9)
a. vpxd-index contains the # of the currently active log file
3) Logs rotate each time vpxd is started, and also when it reaches 5 MB in size
VI Client Logs
1) Location: User %TEMP%\vpx
2) Name: viclient-#.log (# is one digit, 0-9)
3) Logs rotate each time VI Client is started, and is should be used for client-specific diagnostics
Miscellaneous Logs
1) Core Dump
a. Location: %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware
2) License Server Debug Log
a. Location: %SystemRoot%\Temp
b. Filename: lmgrd.log
i. This file is overwritten each time the service starts
c. This file contains various information about the license file and server.
3) Web Access (Tomcat) Logs
a. Location:
i. C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\tomcat\logs
b. Filename: various files
c. All the Tomcat logs are here