vCenter Server 6.0 Log Locations
vSphere 6.0 has made some significant changes to the logging locations for its contained vCenter and PSC services. Everything has been condensed into a common area of the directory structure and labeled with the service name. In short, it makes a LOT more sense now than it did before.
This is an overview of what the structure looks like now and where to find what you need.
Windows Log Locations
C:\ProgramData\VMware\vCenterServer\logs
vCenter Appliance Log Locations
/var/log/vmware
Note: For the purpose of brevity, all log locations will be referenced from the base logs directory mentioned above
vCenter Service
vmware-vpx\vpxd.log
Use this to troubleshoot issues with issues relating directly operation of the vCenter. Everything from DB connectivity problems to vCenter crashes are in here. This log will have a LOT of information in it and is a good place to start on many issues.
Inventory Service
invsvc\inv-svc.log
Formally the ds.log in 5.x. The format and location has changed.
invsvc\wrapper.log
Used to troubleshoot why the inventory service will not start.
Single Sign on
sso\vmware-sts-idmd.log
This is a good log to use as a “one-stop-shop” for SSO authentication issues. Authentication requests/failures as well as problems with an identity source will post here.
vmafd\vdcpromo.log
Contains installation errors during configuration of vmdir. Especially useful for errors when adding another PSC to the same SSO domain.
vmdird\vmdird-syslog.log
Has information concerning the SSO LDAP instance named vmdir. Problems with ldap operations and replication within SSO can be found here.
vPostgres Service
vpostgres\postgresql-##.log
Operational information about the local vPostgres instance. This is just a renamed version on pg_log in normal Postgresql.
vSphere Web Client
vsphere-client\logs\vsphere_client_virgo.log
An excellent source of information when troubleshooting errors within the Web Client. If you receive errors from simply clicking on objects, you begin chasing them down here!
vsphere-client\wrapper.log
Entries in here can help determine why your vSphere Web Client service won’t start, or if it suddenly crashes. This log will not have as much on issues received while inside the Web Client
VMware System and Hardware Health Manager
vws\wrapper.log
This service is used to poll ESXi hosts for IPMI information for the Hardware Status tab. Entries in here can determine why the service won’t start, is malfunctioning, or if it suddenly crashes.
Performance Charts
perfcharts\stats.log
Has information on the Performance Charts section of the vCenter. If the charts fail to load, look here first.
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