Fracking KVM

I started 3 ESX v3.5 ESX servers and followed two of them through the boot boot sequence via a KVM.

They both hung at

starting console mouse services...

The Virtual Center server showed them as uncontactable.

Aaarrgghh!!

Luckily that is after the ssh service is started so I was able to ssh in and

service gpm stop

cd /etc/rc3.d

and for each service after S85gpm I started the service by hand. At which point they were visible in Virtual center Server. Hurrah!

Post Mortem:

• Why only two of the three?
  
• Was it the version of ESX?
  
• What was the commonality?
  

Well, it wasn't the version of ESX. The two ESX servers which hung were running different builds of v3.5!

The common feature was that I had monitored the boot of the servers via the KVM. The server that hadn't been monitored had booted without issue. So I ensured the KVM was connected to a Windows system and from Virtual Center Server, I issued reboots to the two ESX servers which had hung and went outside for ten minutes to bite my fingernails. I needed a clean reboot anyway.

When I came back, the servers had rebooted successfully.

So the problem had been the KVM system we have.

Perhaps I should not have been surprised. Lets just say it is rumoured at work that when Noah installed a KVM on the Ark, he dismissed the system we've got as too antiquated!

So it goes!

Strange ESX Console Behaviour

I usually use a web interface to our KVM system. It can be a little bit clunky with ESX Server, especially since v3.5, but generally does the job.

A colleague built a new ESX server out in our DMZ and we were having some problems accessing it. The fireWall was being just a tad too restrictive. Strike that. It was being completely restrictive.

Anyhow, I was using the Web interface, but the ESX login seemed to be frozen. Alt-F1 & Alt-F11 worked, but nothing else.

I walked into the server room and used the console directly attached to the KVM system in there. Same problem!

I attached a keyboard and monitor directly to the server!! A complete PITA. Same Problem!
My colleague was being to get worried he'd built the server incorrectly.

I added an USB Keyboard to the system. Same Problem!

Whilst pondering what to do I randomly turned the Scroll, Num and Function Lock keys off and hit enter. Eureka!! It worked!!

After some experimenting, it turns out that the Scroll Lock was the problem. Which is a slight issue when double--click is the action that brings up the KVM server list!

Back at my desk I googled for ESX and Scroll Lock and there were two interesting posts. They both came from VMware's own community pages, with the more interesting being spot on! Although the other perhaps provides some explanation?!

Well! That's that!