Hi All 
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In the nineteenth part of our series, we'll examine logs and core dump collecting in vSphere 5.x. vSphere 5.x uses two supplementary components: Syslog Collector Server and Core Dump Collector Server.
In addition, each component in vSphere-based virtual environment has its own logs and logs location.
Credits:
- William Lam
- MattBr (Don’t know the actual name
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Now, Let's Start...
1. VMware Products Logs Locations:
This KB article published by VMware contains all products of VMware and corresponding logs locations and types:
2. vSphere 5.5 Logs Locations & Types:
For vCenter 5.5 logs locations and types, check the following KB article by VMware:
For ESXi 5.5 logs locations and types, check also this KB article by VMware:
3. Standalone vSphere Syslog/Dump Collector vs. Integrated vSphere Syslog/Dump Collector:
When using vCenter-Integrated Syslog/Dump Collector, there’ll be a plugin installed on vCenter to view configuration of Syslog/Dump Collector. In case of standalone installation, there won’t be any plugins.
4. Syslog Service on vSphere Firewall:
You may need to enable Syslog Collector service (syslog) on firewall to open the required ports for logging. On vSphere 5.1/5.5 it’s open by default (needs confirmation for 5.5).
5. Syslog Files and Folders:
Each folder is named with each host IP only if (logDirUnique) adv. setting is enabled. Each host’s folder contains syslog.txt file which contains collection of different logs entries, i.e. there’re entries from vpxa.log, hostd.log, etc. and each entry is named as its main log file, like: (vpxa:) or (hostd:). For entries from syslog.log, there’ll be no name before the entry.
6. Changing VMs Logging Options:
This KB article by VMware describes how to change logging options of VMs logs (vmware.log):
7. Configuring VMs to Forward logs (vmware.log) to vSphere Syslog Collector:
Written by William Lam, the following articles describe in details how to forward (vmware.log) of VMs to vSphere Syslog Collector to be logged in it:
http://www.virtuallyghetto.com/2013/07/a-hidden-vsphere-51-gem-forwarding.html
Keep in mind the following: after you successfully configured the loggers for your VMs, you have to restart services agents on the host using (services.sh restart) to make sure that the new loggers are published in your host’s Adv. Settings and vSphere Syslog Collector can log their entries in its files.
8. ESXi Core Dump:
It’s an image of the host memory saved on the local disk when the host fails. It’s required for crash incidents diagnostics.
9. Configuring, Testing & Troubleshooting ESXi Core Dump Collector:
A nice guide written by MattBr (Don’t know the actual nameJ) on VMware Communities Blog is a nice guideline for configuring and testing ESXi Core Dump on vSphere 5.0 and later:
https://communities.vmware.com/thread/335762
For troubleshooting, this KB article by VMware is a nice troubleshooting guideline:
Share the knowledge ....
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