vSAN Diagnostics Guide#
Overview#
The vSAN Diagnostics tool provides comprehensive storage system analysis and troubleshooting capabilities for VergeOS virtual Storage Area Networks. These diagnostic commands enable system administrators to monitor storage performance, troubleshoot storage issues, and maintain optimal vSAN health across the entire cluster.
What You'll Learn
- How to access and use vSAN diagnostic tools
- Understanding of each diagnostic command and its storage focus
- Best practices for vSAN troubleshooting and maintenance
- When to use specific diagnostic commands for storage issues
Prerequisites#
- Access to VergeOS interface with vSAN management privileges
- Basic understanding of distributed storage concepts
- Knowledge of VergeOS vSAN architecture
vSAN Access
vSAN diagnostics are only available at the root/parent level. Tenants do not have access to vSAN diagnostic tools.
Accessing vSAN Diagnostics#
-
Navigate to vSAN Diagnostics: - From the Main Dashboard, click System in the left menu - Click vSAN Diagnostics in the left menu - Or alternatively: Click the vSAN Tiers count box → vSAN Diagnostics
-
Using Diagnostic Commands: - Select desired command from the Query dropdown menu - Configure available parameters on the right side - Click Send → to execute the command
Command Visibility
Enable "Show Command" to view the exact command being executed, useful for SSH execution or script automation.
Diagnostic Commands Reference#
Find Inode#
Purpose: Locates specific inodes within the vSAN file system for detailed analysis.
When to Use: - Troubleshooting file system corruption - Locating specific data blocks - Advanced storage troubleshooting
Parameters: - Inode Number: Specific inode identifier to locate
CLI Syntax:
Get Cache Info#
Purpose: Displays comprehensive caching system information and statistics.
When to Use: - Performance optimization - Cache hit/miss ratio analysis - Memory usage assessment - Storage performance troubleshooting
CLI Syntax:
Get Clients#
Purpose: Shows active vSAN clients and their connection details.
When to Use: - Connection troubleshooting - Client performance analysis - Network connectivity verification - Load distribution assessment
CLI Syntax:
Get Cluster Rates#
Purpose: Displays cluster-wide performance metrics and throughput rates.
When to Use: - Cluster performance monitoring - Throughput analysis - Performance baseline establishment - Capacity planning
CLI Syntax:
Get Cluster Usage#
Purpose: Shows comprehensive cluster storage utilization statistics.
When to Use: - Capacity planning - Storage utilization monitoring - Space allocation analysis - Growth trend assessment
CLI Syntax:
Get Current Master#
Purpose: Identifies the current vSAN master node in the cluster.
When to Use: - Cluster leadership troubleshooting - Master failover analysis - Cluster coordination issues - Performance optimization
CLI Syntax:
Get Device List#
Purpose: Lists all storage devices participating in the vSAN.
When to Use: - Device inventory management - Storage configuration verification - Device status monitoring - Capacity assessment
CLI Syntax:
Get Device Status#
Purpose: Displays detailed status information for vSAN storage devices.
When to Use: - Device health monitoring - Failure detection - Performance analysis - Maintenance planning
Parameters: - Device ID: Specific device to query
CLI Syntax:
Get Device Usage#
Purpose: Shows usage statistics for individual storage devices.
When to Use: - Device utilization monitoring - Load balancing analysis - Performance optimization - Wear leveling assessment
Parameters: - Device ID: Target device for analysis
CLI Syntax:
Get File Status#
Purpose: Retrieves detailed status information for specific files in vSAN.
When to Use: - File integrity verification - Replication status checking - Data location tracking - Corruption investigation
Parameters: - File Path: Target file for analysis
CLI Syntax:
Get Fuse Info#
Purpose: Displays FUSE (Filesystem in Userspace) mount and operation information.
When to Use: - File system mount troubleshooting - FUSE performance analysis - Mount point verification - Access issue diagnosis
CLI Syntax:
Get Integ Check Status#
Purpose: Shows the status of ongoing or completed integrity check operations.
When to Use: - Data integrity monitoring - Verification process tracking - Corruption detection - Maintenance status checking
CLI Syntax:
Get Journal Status#
Purpose: Displays vSAN journal status and operation information.
When to Use: - Write performance troubleshooting - Journal space monitoring - Transaction logging analysis - Performance optimization
CLI Syntax:
Get Node Device List#
Purpose: Lists storage devices for specific nodes in the cluster.
When to Use: - Node-specific device inventory - Per-node capacity planning - Device distribution analysis - Node maintenance preparation
Parameters: - Node ID: Target node for device listing
CLI Syntax:
Get Node Info#
Purpose: Displays comprehensive information about specific vSAN nodes.
When to Use: - Node health assessment - Configuration verification - Performance analysis - Troubleshooting node issues
Parameters: - Node ID: Target node identifier
CLI Syntax:
Get Node List#
Purpose: Lists all nodes participating in the vSAN cluster.
When to Use: - Cluster membership verification - Node inventory management - Cluster topology analysis - Health status overview
CLI Syntax:
Get Path from Inode#
Purpose: Resolves file system paths from inode numbers.
When to Use: - File system navigation - Inode-to-path mapping - Corruption analysis - Advanced troubleshooting
Parameters: - Inode Number: Source inode for path resolution
CLI Syntax:
Get Read Ahead#
Purpose: Shows read-ahead caching configuration and statistics.
When to Use: - Read performance optimization - Cache tuning - Sequential access analysis - Performance troubleshooting
CLI Syntax:
Get Repair Status#
Purpose: Displays status of ongoing repair operations and data reconstruction.
When to Use: - Data repair monitoring - Recovery process tracking - Failure recovery assessment - Maintenance status checking
CLI Syntax:
Get Running Conf#
Purpose: Shows the current running configuration of the vSAN system.
When to Use: - Configuration verification - Troubleshooting configuration issues - Backup configuration reference - Change management
CLI Syntax:
Get Sync List#
Purpose: Lists synchronization operations and their status.
When to Use: - Data synchronization monitoring - Replication status tracking - Consistency verification - Performance analysis
CLI Syntax:
Get Tier Device Maps#
Purpose: Shows device mapping across different storage tiers.
When to Use: - Tier configuration verification - Device placement analysis - Performance optimization - Capacity planning
CLI Syntax:
Get Tier Node Maps#
Purpose: Displays how storage tiers are distributed across cluster nodes.
When to Use: - Tier distribution analysis - Load balancing verification - Performance optimization - Capacity planning
CLI Syntax:
Get Tier Status#
Purpose: Shows comprehensive status information for storage tiers.
When to Use: - Tier health monitoring - Performance analysis - Capacity utilization tracking - Tier optimization
CLI Syntax:
Get Top Usage Rates#
Purpose: Identifies top consumers of storage resources and performance.
When to Use: - Performance bottleneck identification - Resource utilization analysis - Capacity planning - Usage optimization
CLI Syntax:
Get Usage#
Purpose: Displays comprehensive vSAN usage statistics and metrics.
When to Use: - Overall system utilization monitoring - Capacity planning - Performance baseline establishment - Resource allocation analysis
CLI Syntax:
Get Volume Usage#
Purpose: Shows usage statistics for individual volumes within vSAN.
When to Use: - Volume-specific capacity monitoring - Performance analysis - Space allocation verification - Growth tracking
Parameters: - Volume ID: Target volume for analysis
CLI Syntax:
Integ Check#
Purpose: Initiates comprehensive data integrity checking across the vSAN.
When to Use: - Scheduled maintenance - Data corruption investigation - Preventive health checks - Post-failure verification
Performance Impact
Integrity checks can significantly impact system performance and should be scheduled during maintenance windows.
CLI Syntax:
Integ Check Device#
Purpose: Performs integrity checking on specific storage devices.
When to Use: - Device-specific integrity verification - Targeted troubleshooting - Post-repair verification - Selective maintenance
Parameters: - Device ID: Target device for integrity check
CLI Syntax:
Summarize Disk Usage#
Purpose: Provides comprehensive disk usage summary across the entire vSAN.
When to Use: - Capacity reporting - Usage trend analysis - Storage optimization planning - Executive reporting
CLI Syntax:
Best Practices#
vSAN Health Monitoring Workflow#
- System Overview: Start with Get Cluster Usage and Get Cluster Rates
- Performance Analysis: Review Get Top Usage Rates and device-specific metrics
- Health Assessment: Check Get Repair Status and Get Integ Check Status
- Capacity Planning: Use Summarize Disk Usage and tier information
- Troubleshooting: Employ device-specific and node-specific commands as needed
Preventive Maintenance#
- Regular Health Checks: Monitor cluster usage, repair status, and device health
- Performance Monitoring: Track cluster rates and top usage patterns
- Integrity Verification: Schedule periodic integrity checks during maintenance windows
- Capacity Planning: Regularly review usage trends and growth patterns
Performance Optimization#
- Cache Analysis: Monitor cache info and hit ratios for optimization opportunities
- Tier Management: Review tier device maps and node maps for balanced distribution
- Load Balancing: Use client and usage information to optimize workload distribution
- Read Optimization: Tune read-ahead settings based on access patterns
Troubleshooting Common vSAN Issues#
Performance Problems#
- Check Get Cluster Rates and Get Top Usage Rates for bottlenecks
- Review Get Cache Info for cache efficiency
- Analyze Get Device Usage for individual device performance
Capacity Issues#
- Use Get Cluster Usage and Summarize Disk Usage for space analysis
- Review Get Tier Status for tier-specific capacity
- Check Get Volume Usage for individual volume consumption
Data Integrity Concerns#
- Review Get Integ Check Status for recent integrity checks
- Check Get Repair Status for ongoing repairs
- Use Get File Status for specific file integrity verification
Cluster Health Issues#
- Verify Get Current Master for leadership status
- Check Get Node List and Get Node Info for node health
- Review Get Sync List for synchronization issues
Device Problems#
- Use Get Device List and Get Device Status for device health
- Check Get Node Device List for node-specific device issues
- Run Integ Check Device for suspected device problems
Advanced Diagnostics#
File System Analysis#
- Use Find Inode and Get Path from Inode for file system investigation
- Employ Get File Status for detailed file analysis
- Check Get Fuse Info for mount-related issues
Configuration Management#
- Review Get Running Conf for current configuration
- Verify tier and device mappings with mapping commands
- Cross-reference node and device information for consistency
Performance Tuning#
- Analyze cache and read-ahead statistics for optimization
- Monitor client connections and usage patterns
- Review journal status for write performance optimization
Next Steps#
After mastering vSAN diagnostics, consider exploring:
- Advanced vSAN performance tuning techniques
- Automated monitoring and alerting systems
- Integration with external storage management tools
- Disaster recovery and backup strategies
For complex vSAN issues or performance optimization guidance, contact VergeOS Support with detailed diagnostic output and system configuration information.