Exploring Log Locations in VCF 9: Where to Find What

Below is a list of logs and the log file paths for all VCF appliances, intended to support basic troubleshooting efforts:

• VCF Installer

• SDDC Manager

• VCF Fleet Management

• VCF Operations

• vCenter

• ESXi

VCF Installer

VCF Installer Log Location and File Structure:

You can perform the troubleshooting of the VCF installation by reviewing the following log files, depending on the deployment stage:

Stage	Appliances	Log Location
VCF Installation	VCF Installer	/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log
vCenter Deployment	VCF Installer	/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/ci-installer-<id>workflow_<id>/vcsa-cli-installer.log
SDDC Manager Deployment	VCF Installer	/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/sddc-manager-ovf-tool<id>.log

• Troubleshooting ESX vSAN Preparation and DNS Configuration:

  
  

From the VCF installer appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting ESX VM Network Port Group Creation:

From the VCF installer appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting vCenter Deployment:

From the VCF installer appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting SDDC Manager Deployment:

From the VCF installer appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

SDDC Manager:

Stage	Appliances	Log Location
vSphere Cluster Configuration	SDDC Manager	/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log
NSX Deployment	SDDC Manager	/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/nsx-ovf<id>.log
VCF Fleet Management Deployment	SDDC Manager	/var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• SDDC Manager Log Location and File Structure:

The log files related to the vSphere cluster configuration, the NSX management cluster deployment, and the VCF fleet management appliance are located in the /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager folder of the SDDC Manager appliance.

• Troubleshooting vSphere Cluster Configuration:

From the SDDC Manager appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting vSphere Cluster Networking Configuration:

From the SDDC Manager appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting VM Migration to the Distributed Portgroup:

• Troubleshooting DRS and HA vSphere Cluster Configuration:

From the SDDC Manager appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting NSX Deployment:

From the SDDC Manager appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting NSX Configuration:

From the SDDC Manager appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• Troubleshooting Transport Node Profile Creation:

From the SDDC Manager appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

• VCF Operations Fleet Management Deployment:

From the SDDC Manager appliance, navigate to /var/log/vmware/vcf/domainmanager/domainmanager.log

VCF Fleet Management:

Stage	Appliances	Log Location
VCF Operations Deployment	VCF Fleet Management	/var/log/vrlcm/vmware_vrlcm.log
VCF Automation Deployment	VCF Fleet Management	/var/log/vrlcm/vmware_vrlcm.log/var/log/vrlcm/vmsp_bootstrap_<id>.log

• SDDC Manager Log Location and File Structure:

The log files related to the VCF Operations and VCF Automation deployment are located in the /var/log/vrlcm folder of the VCF Fleet Management appliance.

• Troubleshooting VCF Operations and Collector Deployment:

From the VCF Fleet Management appliance, navigate to /var/log/vrlcm/vmware_vrlcm.log

• Troubleshooting VCF Adapter Configuration and VCF Operations Inventory Synchronization:

From the VCF Fleet Management appliance, navigate to /var/log/vrlcm/vmware_vrlcm.log

• Troubleshooting VCF Automation Deployment:

From the VCF Fleet Management appliance, navigate to /var/log/vrlcm/vmsp_bootstrap_<id>.log

• Checking the Health Status of VCF Automation Deployment:

From the VCF Fleet Management appliance, navigate to /var/log/vrlcm/vmsp_bootstrap_<id>.log

VCF Operations:

• Troubleshooting License Management

You can review licensing logs on the VCF Operations appliance:

Component	Log File
API Service	/storage/log/vcops/log/api.log /storage/log/vcops/log/http_api.log
VCF license plugin	/storage/log/vcops/log/vcf-licensing-plugin.log
License usage plugin	/storage/log/vcops/log/license-usage-plugin.log
Analytics service	/storage/log/vcops/log/analytics-wrapper.log /storage/log/vcops/log/analytics-<id>.log /storage/log/vcops/log/analytics.audit-<id>.log
Management Adapter	/storage/log/vcops/log/adapters/ManagementAdapter/ManagementAdapter_XX.log

• Troubleshooting Failed License Import. From the VCF Operations Management appliance, navigate to the location below to review the license suite API logs.

/data/log/vcops/log/api.log

• Review the license usage in Management Adapter logs:

/data/log/vcops/log/adapters/ManagementAdapter/ManagementAdapter_xx.log

• Troubleshooting VCF Operations License Store. VCF Operations stores license information locally in its central database.

When reviewing issues with stored license information:

• Troubleshooting License Assignment Log Files. From the VCF Operations console, you assign a license to entities such as vCenter.

  
  

  Navigate to the location below to review the license assignment log for vCenter:

  

• Log shows that the argument passed to assign API contains a null value, and the server returns Bad Request. Verify the entitlements in the VCF Operations console.

• Log extract from vcf-licensing-plugin.log on the VCF Operation shows a successful assignment of vCenter. The entity id, and hostname can be seen in the INFO entry.

• vCenter License Assignment Errors:

Potential vCenter licensing failures

• Troubleshooting Centralized Password Management. If you encounter issues with password management, review the following log using the VCF Operations Console, navigating to: Administration > Control Panel > Support Logs.

Component	Log File
Suite API	/storage/log/vcops/log/http_api.log /storage/log/vcops/log/web.log /storage/log/vcops/log/api.log
Bridge Plugin Persistence Task Handling	/storage/vcops/log/vcops-bridge.log
Management Adaptor	/storage/vcops/log/adapters/ManagementAdapter/ManagementAdapter_xx.log

• Troubleshooting Tag Management. If you encounter issues with tag management, review the following log using the VCF Operations Console, navigating to: Administration > Control Panel > Support Logs.

Component	Log File
Tagging log files VCF Operations
Tagging Plugin	/storage/log/vcops/log/vrops-tagging.log
Management Adapter	/storage/vcops/log/adapters/ManagementAdapter/ManagementAdapter_xx.log
Suite API	/storage/vcops/log/api.log
Analytics	/storage/vcops/log/analytics-<UUID>.log /storage/vcops/log/analytics-wrapper.log
Collector	/storage/vcops/log/collector.log /storage/vcops/log/collector-wrapper.log
vCenter tagging Service Log File
vpxd services	/var/log/vmware/vpxd-svcs/vpxd-svcs.log

• VCF Operations Tag Import Task. In the log excerpt from the ManagementAdapter_<ID>.log file on the VCF Operations appliance, you can see a successful import task.

• In the log excerpt from the /storage/vcops/log/vrops-tagging.log log file on the VCF Operations appliance, you can see a successful import task.

• Troubleshooting vCenter Groups. You can access logs related to vCenter groups components on the VCF Operations appliance navigating to: Administration > Control Panel > Support Logs.

Operations Component	Log Location
vCenter Linking Plugin	/storage/vcops/log/vrops-vcenter-linking.log
vCenter Linking Component	/storage/vcops/log/adapters/ManagementAdapter/ManagementAdapter_ID.log
Suite API	/storage/vcops/log/api.log
Analytics log files	/storage/vcops/log/analytics-<id>.log
Collector log files	/storage/vcops/log/collector.log /storage/vcops/log/collector-wrapper.log

• Troubleshooting Lifecycle Management. If you encounter issues with lifecycle management, review the following log on the VCF Operations appliance:

Component	Log file
VCF Operations Bridge	/storage/log/vcops/log/vcops-bridge.log
Platform API	/storage/log/vcops/log/api.log
Log location on SDDC manager Appliance:
Operations	/var/log/vmware/vcf/operationsmanager.log

• Troubleshooting Compliance Drift. Log Location:

• Troubleshooting VCF Diagnostics. Gathering logs in the VCF Operations Console. Navigate to Administration > Control Panel > Support Logs > (Cloud Proxy | Cluster Node) > Collector > adapters > DiagnosticsAdapter

  • Gather the logs from the VCF Operations appliance command line:

    • /storage/log/vcops/log

    • /storage/log/vcops/log/adapters/DiagnosticsAdapter/*

• Troubleshooting VCF Health. Application logs for VCF health information are stored on the VCF Operations appliance. Logs can be found in the below location:

• Troubleshooting Log Assist. Gathering logs in the VCF Operations Console, navigate to Administration > Control Panel > Support Logs > {Cloud Proxy | Cluster Node} > Collector > adapters > LogAssistAdapter

• Gather the logs from the VCF Operations appliance command line from the below location:

  • /storage/log/vcops/log

  • /storage/log/vcops/log/adapters/LogAssistAdapter/*

• Troubleshooting NSX Health Monitoring. When troubleshooting issues with the NSX health Monitoring, review the logs in VCF Operations.

  • Logs in the VCF Ops Console Navigate to Administration > Control Panel > Support Logs > VCOPS_BRIDGE

  • Log location on VCF Appliance:

    • /storage/log/vcops/log/adapters/NSXTAdapter/NSXTAdapter_*.log

    • /storage/log/vcops/log/vcops-bridge.log

• Troubleshooting GPU metrics. Review the following logs on the VCF Operations Appliance. Gathering logs in the VCF Operations console, navigate to Administration > Control Panel > Support Logs > Collector and adapters > VMwareAdapter.

• Gather the logs from the VCF Operations appliance command line from the below location:

  • /storage/log/vcops/log-collector*

  • /storage/log/vcops/log/adapters/VMwareAdapter/*

• Troubleshooting Security Operations. The logs are located on the VCF Operations appliance command line at the below location:

  • /storage/log/vcops/log/vcops-bridge.log

vCenter:

• Troubleshooting License Management. You review the vCenter logs to provide details of the license entitlements.

• Troubleshooting vCenter License Content Validation. 

The vCenter log provides the relevant logs after a failed assignment due to expired entitlement. Navigate to /storage/log/vmware/cis-license.log on the vCenter appliance:

• Troubleshooting vCenter Reduced Downtime Update, review the logs on both source and destination vCenter instances:

• Troubleshooting vLCM Images, to troubleshoot Image Assignment:

• Troubleshooting Custom EVC Modes. When troubleshooting issues with custom EVC, you review the logs as part of your troubleshooting vMotion issue.

• The vLCM on the vCenter manages the patches and performs prechecks to ensure that the patch is compatible:

• For ESX host process:

• For VM-related issues:

• Troubleshooting TLS issues, you can refer to the below log files on vCenter Server:

• Example Log Snippets:

ESXi:

• Troubleshooting License Management. You review the ESX logs to provide details of the license entitlements.

• Troubleshooting ESX Licenses

• To find the current license state of a host, execute the following command on an ESX:

/bin/vim-cmd vimsvc/license --show

• Retrieve the license information from the ESX config store:

/bin/configstorecli config current get -c esx -g licensing -k entitlements

/bin/configstorecli config current get -c esx -g licensing -k state

• Retrieve the host license information with the esxcli command:

/bin/esxcli licensing entitlement list

/bin/esxcli licensing credential list

• Troubleshooting Memory Tiering, When troubleshooting issues related to memory tiering, you need to review both the vCenter and ESX host logs:

• Verifying the functionality of Execinstalledonly. To confirm if the execinstalledonly feature is functioning correctly, login to the ESX host and try to run a non-installed binary.

• ESX logs execinstalledonly-related activity in the below log files:

• The below example shows the messages generated when execinstalledonly prevents a script to run from local storage:

• vSphere Client also shows alerts and events when execinstalledonly prevents a script from running.

• Troubleshooting vSAN Latency. If latency thresholds are exceeded on a device, the following messages are logged in the following log files:

  
  

/var/run/log/vsandevicemonitord.log

• Troubleshooting SMART Impending device failure messages are logged in the following log files:

/var/run/log/vsandevicemonitord.log

• If latency thresholds are exceeded on a device, messages are logged in the following log files:

/var/run/log/vobd.log

/var/run/log/vmkernel.log

• Troubleshooting NFS Granularity Request Logs. These are examples of granularity success and failure logs from /var/log/vmkernel.log

• Troubleshooting NFS Request Timeout, examples of an UNMAP Request Timeout from the /var/log/vmkernel.log.

• Troubleshooting Virtual Machine UNMAP. To determine that a virtual machine has UNMAP functionality:

  • The VM must have a hardware version of 14 or higher.

  • Query the SCSI page to verify unmap support inside the VM using the below commands:

    • sg_vpd --page=bl /dev/sdb and

    • sudo sg_vpd --page=lbpv /dev/sdb