This topic provides instructions on collecting ESX server logs using the GUI.

If you have determined that the problem the customer is experiencing is not a DXi V1000 problem, instruct the customer to contact VMware technical support or their third-party hardware vendor. Advise them to collect their ESX server logs prior to contacting VMware or a third-party technial support. You can help them collect their ESX server logs if they do not know how to do so.

This procedure shows how to collect ESX logs when you connect the vSphere client directly to the customer’s ESX/vSphere host. Follow this procedure if the customer does NOT have vCenter installed in their environment.

If the customer has a vCenter environment with several ESX hosts, and you need to collect more than one ESX host log, refer to the Collecting  ESX Server Logs from vCenter topic.

1. Click Start, select All Programs, and go to the VMware folder.

    

2. Under the VMware folder, select VMware vSphere Client.

    

    

3. Enter the customer’s ESX host’s IP address or hostname in the IP address / Name field, as shown in the next image.

    

    

    

4. Ask the customer to log in using their root  password, as shown in the previous image. 

    

5. Select File > Export > Export System Logs, as shown below.

    

   

    

6. Browse to the location where you want to save the logs, and click OK, as shown in the image below.

    

   

The system generates the logs. You can monitor the progress by viewing the Recent Tasks area at the bottom of the screen, as shown in the image below. 

When log generation is complete, the Downloading System Logs Bundles screen displays. It includes the path and file name of the generated logs in the Download Details: area, as shown in the following image.



Note that two logs will be collected. One is a .tgz file that contains the ESX host logs (shown above). The other is for the client application logs and is not useful.