How to collect vSAN log

Collect vSAN Support Information

Collect the log via vCenter Server Appliance(vCSA)

If the terminal software to be used has a log collection feature, please set it up in advance due to the SSH connection.
If the terminal software doesn't have a log collection feature, copy & paste the output to the text and obtain as the log file.

1. To connect the Ruby vSphere Console(RVC), log in to vCSA with root user via ssh.

2. Change execution environment to Shell mode and launch the Shell.

   Command>shell.set --enabled True(This command is not required since vSphere 6.5.)
   Command>shell

3. When the prompt change from "Command>" to "#", enter rvc.

4. Enter the following username and administrator password.
   Host to connect to (user@host)：Enter administrator@vsphere.local@localhost
   Password：Enter administrator password

5. After logged in, execute vsan.support_information 1 command when the prompt changed to ">".
   After execution, collect the log when it flows.

6. After collecting the log, enter exit command three times to close the terminal.

Collect the log via vCenter Server for Windows

1. Log in to Windows of vCenter Server as the Administrator user.

2. Copy the following batch file to the desktop.
   C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\rvc\rvc.bat

3. Right-click the copied rvc.bat file to create the shortcut on the desktop.

4. Right-click the shortcut that created and select Properties.

5. When the Properties window is displayed, click the Shortcut tab.
   Add log file output destination to the Linked field as follows, and click Apply→OK to close the Properties window.
   Before change: C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\rvc.bat
   After change: C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\rvc.bat > C:\Users\Administrator\Desktop\VSAN.log

    

   The output destination is desktop in this step, but any location would be available.

• Double click the rvc.bat shortcut to execute.

   

  After double-clicking the shortcut, a blank screen like command prompt will displayed. This is the normal behavior.

   

  

• Open the text editor such as Notepad, enter and copy the administrator@localhost(vsphere.local) password which uses to log in to the vSphere Web Client

• Right-click the upper frame on the rvc.bat launched in step 6, select Edit→Paste.

• Press Enter key once at the blank screen.

• Similarly, enter vsan.support_information 1 in the text editor and copy it.

• Repeat step 8 and 9.

• Nothing display on the screen but the log is being generated. Please wait for about one minute.

• Open the VSAN.log at the specified output destination. Check if the log is output and output stopped, and obtain that file.

• Click × at the right corner to close rvc.bat window.
  Delete the shortcut file created on the desktop as necessary.

Collect vSAN Health Status Log

Collect the log via vCenter Server Appliance(vCSA)

If the terminal software to be used has a log collection feature, please set it up in advance due to the SSH connection.
d. If the terminal software doesn't have a log collection feature, copy & paste the output to the text and obtain as the log file.

1. Log in to vCSA with root user via ssh.

2. Change execution environment to Shell mode and launch the Shell.

   Command>shell.set --enabled True(This command is not required since vSphere 6.5.)
   Command>shell

3. When the prompt change from "Command>" to "#", enter python /usr/lib/vmware-vpx/vsan-health/vsan-vc-health-status.py.
   After execution, collect the log when it flows.

4. After collecting the log, enter exit command twice to close the terminal.

Collect the log via vCenter Server for Windows

1. Log in to Windows of vCenter Server as the Administrator user.

2. Open the command prompt and execute the C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\python\python.exe" "C:\Program Files\VMware\vCenter Server\vsan-health\vsan-vc-health-status.py" > C:\vsan-vc-status.txt command.

3. Obtain the vsan-vc-status.txt created under C drive.

In the vCSA environment, if you need to redirect in command based instead of the feature in Terminal Software, to output the log creating a text file, and to transfer that file via SCP, SCP would not be accepted by default vCSA shell.
In this case, you can use the SCP by changing the shell to bash shell temporary.

• Command to change the shell to bash shell: # chsh -s /bin/bash root
• Command to restore the shell to default: #chsh -s /bin/appliancesh root