Fastest way to Upload Logs for a Support Requests with vSAN

Uploading vCenter and host logs is probably one of the least exciting activities in the life of a systems administrator. Historically this involves generating large log file bundles and then managing storage capacity as well as bandwidth to reliably upload them to a remote portal. In this blog, we will compare two traditional methods for doing this with two improved automated offerings that simplify the support experience.

Command Line

At the command line of a vCenter you can kick off a support bundle generation. Note this requires you SCP the logs off of the VCSA afterward and then proceed to upload them to the support portal.

vc-support -l

vCenter Server UI

This option enables you to specify what type of bundle, enabling a filterintg down of the size by excluding uncessary services.

Automated Approaches

Both of these above options are functional they require a bit of manual work, require moving large files around, and require you generally stage the log bundle to another jump host prior to uploading. Rather than have to work with staging logs, and act as a shuttle point between the vCenter Server Appliance and the support portal, several newer and easier to use options exist to simplify the support experience.

VMware vSAN Native SR upload

A native vSAN upload option can be found under the cluster actions menu --> VSAN --> Upload Support Bundle.

This option creates a background task that will collect the logs and attach them to an existing SR number once you have opened a ticket.

Under the cluster menu you will be able to find out once the task has been completed successfully.

Skyline Log Assist

Skyline log assist offers a native method to simplify log uploads even further and make the support experience more collaborative.