ESX can be configured to send shutdown notifications to the VMs when the hist is instructed to power down. So you can in effect push the virtual power button on an entire set at once.
_HOWEVER_ there are timing settings associated with this. If you have a bunch of hosts all deciding to shutdown (and thus page stuff back out to disk) at the same, it can take longer than you might expect. For critical machines, I prefer to right-click and shutdown host within VIC. That takes only seconds per machine. Then watch their status.... Once they are down, then take the ESX server down... -sc From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2009 8:32 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Cc: Augusta_Kimble/[email protected] Subject: Shutting down an entire VMWare system Greetings! As an emergency call center, we are 24 x 365.25. We have about 30 or so virtual servers in a VMWare ESX 3.5 system. Its datastore is an IBM DS 3400 SAN. The SAN needs a firmware upgrade... The upgrade requires, at one point, shutting down the ESX servers and then shutting down the SAN. (Obviously, with the ESX servers down, the VMWare environment ceases to exist for a period.) What is the least bad way to go about shutting this down? Does one need to log into each virtual server and power it off from the vm's OS (ie, log into Windows, then "Start -> Shut down")? Is it all right to, from the VM managment system, simple right-click each one and select "power down"? Would it be just as "safe" to log into the ESX consoles and shut them down from there first with the VMs running? (We have had our environment survive when the ESX servers shut themselves down due to a room cooling failure, but it was rather rough on the nerves!) Whatever, I'm obviously not looking forward to this - but thanks! -- Richard D. McClary Systems Administrator, Information Technology Group ASPCA(r) 1717 S. Philo Rd, Ste 36 Urbana, IL 61802 [email protected] P: 217-337-9761 C: 217-417-1182 F: 217-337-9761 www.aspca.org <http://www.aspca.org/> The information contained in this e-mail, and any attachments hereto, is from The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals(r) (ASPCA(r)) and is intended only for use by the addressee(s) named herein and may contain legally privileged and/or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient of this e-mail, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying or use of the contents of this e-mail, and any attachments hereto, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify me by reply email and permanently delete the original and any copy of this e-mail and any printout thereof. ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
