Unregister vCenter with External PSC or Embedded PSC - Remove vCenter from ELM

Prerequisite:

1. Make sure you have root and administrator@vsphere.local credential

2. Take offline snapshot of vCenter servers in ELM.

vCenter Server Appliance:

1. Power off the vCenter Server Appliance you are decommissioning.
2. SSH to one of the other working External PSC or Embedded PSC/vCenter appliance within the same SSO domain via root
3. To enable the Bash shell, run:

shell.set --enabled true

4. Run the shell command to start the Bash shell and log in.
5. Run the cmsso-util unregister command to unregister the vCenter Server Appliance:

   cmsso-util unregister --node-pnid vCenterServer_System_Name --username administrator@your_domain_name --passwd 'vCenter_Single_Sign_On_password'

   Where vCenter_Server_Appliance_System_Name is the FQDN or IP address of the vCenter Server Appliance that you want to decommission. Please enter the vCenter_Single_Sign_On_password in quotes.
   
   Note: there is downtime involved in executing the cmsso-util unregister command. It will restart the services on the node where you are executing the command.

6. Delete the vCenter Server Appliance that you no longer need from the vSphere inventory.

Form more details: https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2106736

Updating the vCenter Server Appliance via CLI and Offline Patch ISO.

***Before starting the patching activity, in case of vCenter in ELM need to shutdown and take offline snapshot for all the vCenters in ELM . So that if rollback require there is working state to revert back, during vCenter patch activity recommended to pause VM backups.

Download patch ISO from VMware Patch download page, by logging with your customer connect credential.

https://customerconnect.vmware.com/patch (for example see screenshot below):

1. Find venter VM and note ESXi host it is running on. Put DRS Automation in manual mode if host part of DRS cluster.

2. Connect ESXi host UI on which vCenter VM is running.

3. Shutdown vCenter VM.

4. Take snapshot of VM.

5. PowerON vCenter VM

6. Mount vCenter latest patch iso 

7.  SSH to vCenter 

Check the shell

If not on Vcenter appliance shell prompt.

Run this appliancesh

If already on Vcenter shell then run below commands.

Be on below prompt of venter appliance.

Command>

Run the below commands one by one.

Command> software-packages stage --iso --acceptEulas

Command> software-packages list --staged

Command> software-packages install --staged

After successful upgrade, this will reboot venter VM, wait for all the service come up.

To check version of vCenter after patch you can run the command (from bash shell) 

Type shell and press Enter

vpxd -vl

To check service status on vcenter server run below command:

service-control --status

This completes the vCenter patch activity. You can remove snapshot as per your org policy. Keeping snapshot for longtime not recommended.

Enable SSH on NSX-T manger using CLI

 Login to NSX-T manager using admin account from the console

To start just for current session:

nsxmanager> start service ssh

To keep service started even after reboot:

nsxmanager> set service ssh start-on-boot

To check service status:

nsxmanager> get service ssh

To see the list of all services:

nsxmanager> get services

Check TCP/UDP port connectivity from ESXi host

Run below command from esxi shell:

For TCP Port:

nc -vz x.x.x.x/name Port

example: if you want to check connectivity from esxi to 10.10.10.10 and TCP port (8000).

nc -vz  10.10.10.10 8000

Connection to 10.10.10.10 8000 port [tcp/*] succeeded!

For UDP Port:

nc -vz -u x.x.x.x/name Port

example: if you want to check connectivity from esxi to Syslog server (10.10.10.10) and UDP port (514).

nc -vz -u 10.10.10.10 514

Connection to 10.10.10.10 514 port [udp/*] succeeded!

VMware Appliances Reset Forget|Expired passwords

To check current password policy:

chage -l root

To change password expiry policy to never expire you can use below command:

chage -M -1 root

vROPS

————

vROPS Admin Account:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2078313

vROPS root Account:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2001476

Unlock Admin Account 

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2131633

vRLI

————

vRLI root Account:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/53649

vRLI admin Account:

https://docs.vmware.com/en/vRealize-Log-Insight/8.2/com.vmware.log-insight.administration.doc/GUID-48C871F8-6289-406C-9C9A-59E4EA1AF2E5.html

vCenter:

—————

vCenter Root Account:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2147144

vCenter Administrator@vsphere.local Account:

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2146224

vRA

—————

How to reset administrator@vsphere.local account password in vRA 7.x. (2150055)

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/2150055#:~:text=Navigate%20to%20vRA%20Settings%20%3E%20SSO,Save%20settings

vRA root password

https://docs.vmware.com/en/vRealize-Automation/8.8/Administering/GUID-1BC4BD89-73C5-4C2A-875D-B8787418EE85.html#:~:text=At%20the%20root%20%5B%2F%5D%23,and%20press%20the%20Enter%20key

SRM 

SRM Appliance root pass

https://kb.vmware.com/s/article/304686