Install or Upgrade vSphere ESXi Dump Collector vSphere 5.5

You can configure ESXi to dump the vmkernel memory to a network server, rather than to a disk, when the
system has encountered a critical failure. Install vSphere ESXi Dump Collector to collect such memory
dumps over the network.
If an earlier version of the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector is installed on your system, this procedure
upgrades the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector to the current version.

NOTE In the vCenter Server Appliance, the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector is installed and enabled by default. These instructions apply to Windows-based deployments.

The vSphere ESXi Dump Collector is most useful for datacenters where ESXi hosts are configured using the
Auto Deploy process, so the ESXi hosts might not have local storage. You can also install the vSphere ESXi
Dump Collector for ESXi hosts that do have local storage, as an additional location where vmkernel memory
dumps can be redirected when critical failures occur.
You can install the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector on the same machine as the associated vCenter Server, or
on a different machine that has network connection to the vCenter Server.
The vSphere ESXi Dump Collector service binds to an IPv4 address for communication with vCenter Server,
and does not support IPv6. The vCenter Server can be on a host machine in an IPv4-only, IPv4/IPv6 mixedmode,
or IPv6-only network environment, but the machine that connects to the vCenter Server through the

vSphere Web Client must have an IPv4 address for the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector service to work.

Gather the following information to complete the installation or upgrade:

n The location to install the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector to, if you are not using the default location.
n The location for the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector repository where the dump files will be stored.
n (Optional) The maximum size for the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector repository. The specified network
location must have at least that much free space.
n Whether to install the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector as a standalone instance or to integrate the
vSphere ESXi Dump Collector with a vCenter Server. The vSphere ESXi Dump Collector is not
supported for integration with vCenter Server versions earlier than version 5.0.
n If the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector is integrated with a vCenter Server, the address and credentials for
the vCenter Server: IP address or name, HTTP port, user name, and password.
n The vSphere ESXi Dump Collector server port, if you are not using the default setting.
n The host name or IP address to identify the vSphere ESXi Dump Collector on the network.

Procedure

1 In the software installer directory, double-click the autorun.exe file to start the installer.
2 Select vSphere ESXi Dump Collector and click Install.
3 Follow the wizard prompts to complete the installation or upgrade.