List of ESX Log files need to check for issues

VMWare ESX Server Logs
1) Vmkernel 

•  Location: /var/log/
• Filename: vmkernel 
• This log records information related to the vmkernel and virtual machines

2) Vmkernel Warnings

• Location: /var/log/
• Filename: vmkwarning
• This log records information regarding virtual machine warnings

3) Vmkernel Summary

• Location: /var/log/
• Filename: vmksummary
• This log records information used to determine uptime and availability statistics for ESX Server. This log is not easily readable by humans, import into a spreadsheet or database for use.
• For a summary of the statistics in an easily viewed file, see vmksummary.txt

4) ESX Server Boot Log

• Location: /var/log
• Filename: boot.log
• Log file of all actions that occurred during the ESX server boot.

5) ESX Server Host Aagent Log

• Location: /var/log/vmware/
• Filename: hostd.log
• Contains information on the agent that manages and configures the ESX Server host and its virtual machines (Search the file date/time stamps to find the log file it is currently outputting to).

6) Service Console

• Location: /var/log/
• Filename: messages
• Contain all general log messages used to troubleshoot virtual machines on ESX Server.

7) Web Access

• Location: /var/log/vmware/webAccess
• Filename: various files in this location
• Various logs on Web access to the ESX Server.

8) Authentication Log

• Location: /var/log/
• Filename: secure
• Contains the records of connections that require authentication, such as VMware daemons and actions initiated by the xinetd daemon.

9) VirtualCenter HA Agent Log

• Location: /var/log/vmware/aam/
• Filename: aam_config_util_*.log
• These files contain information about the installation, configuration, and connections to other HA agents in the cluster.

10) VirtualCenter Agent

• Location: /var/log/vmware/vpx
• Filename: vpxa.log
• Contains information on the agent that communicates with the VirtualCenter Server.

11) Virtual Machine Logs

• Location: The same directory as the virtual machine’s configuration files are placed in.
• FileName: vmware.log
• Contains information when a virtual machine crashes or ends abnormally.

VirtualCenter Installation Logs
The following install logs are located in the %TEMP% directory of the user that installed VirtualCenter

• vmlic.log - Contains various test results for provided license file during the installation.
• redist.log -Contains MDAC/MCAD QFE rollup installation information
• vmmsde.log - Contains MSDE installation information
• vmls.log - The License server installation log.
• vmosql.log - The VirtualCenter database creation log file
• vminst.log - VirtualCenter installation log file
• VCDatabaseUpgrade.log - Results on upgrading the VC Database.
• vmmsi.log - The VI client installation log. Vpxd-0.log is a small log from the starting the client the first time.

Virtual Center Logs
1) Location: - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\VMware\VMware VirtualCenter\Logs
2) Name: vpxd-#.log (# is one digit, 0-9)
       vpxd-index contains the # of the currently active log file
3) Logs rotate each time vpxd is started, and also when it reaches 5 MB in size 

VI Client Logs

• Location: User %TEMP%\vpx
• Name: viclient-#.log (# is one digit, 0-9)
• Logs rotate each time VI Client is started, and is should be used for client-specific diagnostics

Miscellaneous Logs
1) Core Dump
        Location: %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\VMware
2) License Server Debug Log

• Location: %SystemRoot%\Temp
• Filename: lmgrd.log -  This file is overwritten each time the service starts
• This file contains various information about the license file and server.

3) Web Access (Tomcat) Logs

• Location: - C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\VirtualCenter Server\tomcat\logs
• Filename: various files
• All the Tomcat logs are here