daily checklist for vcenter
1. System Health Check
- Log in to the vSphere Client.
- Navigate to the 'Administration' section.
- Select 'Services' under 'Deployment'.
- Check the status of 'VMware vCenter Server'.
- Ensure it is running; restart if necessary.
- Go to the 'Hosts and Clusters' view.
- Select each ESXi host in the cluster.
- Review the 'Summary' tab for each host.
- Ensure there are no alerts or warnings.
- Address any issues found.
- Navigate to the 'Cluster' view in vSphere.
- Check 'Cluster Status' for any issues.
- Review resource usage metrics.
- Ensure DRS and HA are functioning correctly.
- Resolve any identified problems.
- Access the 'Networking' section in vSphere.
- Select the distributed switch to check.
- Review the 'Health' tab for warnings/errors.
- Ensure all uplinks are operational.
- Fix any connectivity issues found.
2. Resource Utilization
- Access vCenter interface.
- Navigate to the 'Hosts and Clusters' view.
- Select each host to view CPU metrics.
- Check CPU usage percentage and load.
- Identify any hosts exceeding thresholds.
- Go to the 'Virtual Machines' tab.
- Select individual VMs to view memory stats.
- Check memory usage and allocated vs. consumed.
- Review host memory metrics in the 'Hosts' view.
- Identify VMs with high memory usage.
- Navigate to the 'Datastores' section.
- Check total capacity versus used space.
- Review performance metrics for each datastore.
- Identify datastores nearing capacity thresholds.
- Plan for capacity expansion if necessary.
- Access the 'Networking' section in vCenter.
- Review network performance metrics for each VM.
- Check for any network bottlenecks or issues.
- Analyze distributed switch settings and performance.
- Document any anomalies or performance concerns.
3. VM Status Verification
- Log into vCenter.
- Navigate to the Virtual Machines view.
- Verify the power status of each VM.
- Attempt to access each VM via the console.
- Document any VMs that are powered off or inaccessible.
- Filter VMs by status.
- Identify any VMs listed as faulted.
- Review error messages associated with faulted VMs.
- Investigate logs for potential causes.
- Plan remediation for any identified faults.
- Access the snapshot manager for each VM.
- List all existing snapshots along with their sizes.
- Identify and note any large or outdated snapshots.
- Evaluate the need for retention or deletion of snapshots.
- Ensure snapshot sizes do not impact performance.
- Check the backup job logs in the backup solution.
- Look for any errors or warnings in the logs.
- Verify the completion status of each backup job.
- Cross-reference with the backup schedule.
- Document any failed or incomplete backup jobs.
4. Log Review
- Access vCenter Server via the web client.
- Navigate to the 'Monitor' tab.
- Select 'Logs' under the 'vCenter Server' section.
- Scan through logs for entries marked as 'ERROR' or 'WARNING'.
- Document any critical findings for follow-up.
- Log in to the ESXi host using SSH or vSphere client.
- Access the 'Logs' directory, typically located at /var/log.
- Review logs such as 'vmkernel.log' and 'hostd.log'.
- Identify and note any errors or unusual entries.
- Cross-reference with vCenter logs if needed.
- Open the vSphere web client and navigate to 'Alarms'.
- Select 'Triggers' to view active alarms.
- Check the status of each alarm for any alerts.
- Investigate the cause of triggered alarms.
- Resolve issues and document responses.
- Access the hardware logs via the vSphere client.
- Review logs related to disk, CPU, and memory.
- Identify entries indicating hardware errors or failures.
- Check for patterns or recurring issues.
- Report findings to the hardware support team.
5. Updates and Patches
- Log in to vSphere Client.
- Navigate to 'Home' > 'Hosts and Clusters'.
- Select vCenter and each ESXi host.
- Check the version and build number.
- Compare with the latest version on VMware's website.
- Access 'Update Manager' from vSphere Client.
- Select the vCenter Server instance.
- Click on 'Updates' tab.
- Review the list of available updates.
- Use the 'Check for Updates' option if necessary.
- Visit VMware's official website.
- Locate the release notes for vCenter and ESXi.
- Review the documented changes and fixes.
- Note any critical updates or security patches.
- Assess impact on your environment.
- Determine a maintenance window for updates.
- Inform stakeholders about the planned downtime.
- Create a backup of vCenter and ESXi hosts.
- Prepare update scripts or procedures.
- Document the update plan and rollback strategy.
6. Security Audit
- Log in to vCenter Server.
- Navigate to the 'Users and Groups' section.
- Review roles assigned to each user.
- Remove any unnecessary permissions.
- Ensure least privilege principle is followed.
- Access the 'Recent Tasks' pane.
- Review logs for configuration changes.
- Identify any changes made by unauthorized users.
- Document any suspicious changes.
- Revert unauthorized changes if necessary.
- Open the vCenter Server settings.
- Check the firewall status and rules.
- Verify that only necessary ports are open.
- Review security settings for compliance.
- Update settings if vulnerabilities are found.
- Check antivirus software status on the server.
- Confirm that virus definitions are current.
- Run a full system scan for malware.
- Review scan logs for threats.
- Schedule regular updates and scans.
7. Backup Verification
- Check backup job status in the backup software.
- Review logs for any errors or failures.
- Ensure the backup schedule aligns with company policy.
- Verify the last successful backup date and time.
- Select a non-critical VM for testing.
- Initiate the restore process from the backup interface.
- Monitor the restoration progress and note any issues.
- Verify the VM functions correctly post-restoration.
- Use checksum verification tools on backup files.
- Compare checksums with original data if possible.
- Check for any corruption or missing files.
- Review logs for any integrity check errors.
- Check available storage space on backup media.
- Ensure backup retention policies are being followed.
- Monitor for any alerts regarding low storage.
- Consider expanding storage if nearing capacity limits.
8. Documentation and Reporting
- Log changes to virtual machines, hosts, and clusters.
- Include dates, times, and responsible personnel.
- Ensure all modifications are reflected in version control.
- Notify relevant team members of updates.
- Record date and time of the incident.
- Include a description of the issue and impact.
- Note any immediate actions taken.
- Track follow-up actions and resolutions.
- Summarize key activities, changes, and incidents.
- Highlight critical issues and resolutions.
- Include metrics on system performance.
- Distribute report to all relevant stakeholders.
- Identify any outdated or ineffective procedures.
- Collaborate with team members for input.
- Revise documentation for clarity and accuracy.
- Ensure updates are communicated to the team.
9. Planning and Maintenance
- Review the maintenance calendar.
- Check for vendor notifications.
- Assess the impact on services.
- Communicate with stakeholders.
- Document tasks in the project management tool.
- Analyze historical usage data.
- Identify peaks and troughs in resource usage.
- Adjust resources based on forecasted demand.
- Consider potential growth factors.
- Ensure budget aligns with resource needs.
- Create a checklist for hardware components.
- Set a frequency for check-ups (e.g., monthly).
- Assign responsibilities for performing checks.
- Log findings and address any issues promptly.
- Update documentation based on check-up results.
- Forecast future resource requirements.
- Evaluate current capacity against projected needs.
- Identify potential bottlenecks in infrastructure.
- Plan for horizontal and vertical scaling options.
- Review and update strategies regularly.
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