6.5.1

Table Of Contents
Troubleshooting VAIO Filters
vSphere APIs for I/O Filtering (VAIO) provide a framework that allows third parties to create software
components called I/O filters. The filters can be installed on ESXi hosts and can offer additional data
services to virtual machines by processing I/O requests that move between the guest operating system of
a virtual machine and virtual disks.
For information about I/O filters, see the see the vSphere Storagepublication.
Handling I/O Filter Installation Failures
Typically, all ESXi hosts in a cluster have the same set of I/O filters installed. Occasionally, failures might
happen during installation.
If an I/O filter installation fails on a host, the system generates events that report the failure. In addition,
an alarm on the host shows the reason for the failure. Examples of failures include the following:
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The VIB URL is not accessible from the host.
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The VIB has an invalid format.
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The VIB requires the host to be in maintenance mode for an upgrade or uninstallation.
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The VIB requires the host to reboot after the installation or uninstallation.
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Attempts to put the host in maintenance mode fail because the virtual machine cannot be evacuated
from the host.
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The VIB requires manual installation or uninstallation.
vCenter Server can resolve some failures. You might have to intervene for other failures. For example,
you might need to edit the VIB URL, manually evacuate or power off virtual machines, or manually install
or uninstall VIBs.
Install I/O Filters on a Single ESXi Host
For troubleshooting purposes, you can download an ESXi component of the I/O filter, packaged as a VIB
file, and install it on the ESXi host. Use the esxcli command to install the VIB file.
When you specify a target server by using --server=server_name, the server prompts you for a user
name and password. Other connection options, such as a configuration file or session file, are supported.
For a list of connection options, see Getting Started with vSphere Command-Line Interfaces, or run
esxcli --help at the vCLI command prompt.
Prerequisites
Install vCLI or deploy the vSphere Management Assistant (vMA) virtual machine. See Getting Started with
vSphere Command-Line Interfaces. For troubleshooting, run esxcli commands in the ESXi Shell.
vSphere Troubleshooting
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