Shutdown / Start Nutanix vSphere Cluster – Best Practice

Nutanix VMware vSphere ESXi Cluster

If you are using Nutanix HCI with VMware vSphere ESXi hypervisor and want to manually stop / start / shutdown the Nutanix vSphere cluster / ESXi host / ESXi node with Best practice.

The Best practice to shutdown / stop / start the Nutanix vSphere cluster / Nutanix ESXi node / Nutanix vSphere ESXi cluster is very simple as you usually shutdown the normal VMware ESXi cluster.

Just need to take care few things before shutdown / stop / start the Nutanix ESXi node / host / cluster.

Read more: Nutanix In-Place Hypervisor Conversion | ESXi – AHV

Shutdown Nutanix ESXi Node / Host Only

If you wan to shutdown the single Nutanix VMWare vSphere ESXi node / host then follow this procedure:

Login to Nutanix Prism Web based Console and follow Steps

Nutanix Cluster Health Status

Step 1 : First – Check Nutanix cluster “Data Resiliency Status” That must be “OK”

Note: If Nutanix ” Data Resiliency Status” is not “OK” wait for 10-15 minutes. If it doesn’t turn “OK” then connect to Nutanix support.

Nutanix Data Resilliency Status
Nutanix Data Resiliency Status

Step 2: Check the Nutanix HCI cluster health

Go Home > Health > Action > Run NCC Checks > Run

Nutanix Run NCC Health checks
Nutanix Run NCC Health checks

Step 3: After putting Nutanix vSphere ESXi host / node in maintenance mode shutdown the Nutanix CVM

Login to host’s Nutanix CVM and Shutdown through following command:

cvm$ cvm_shutdown -P now

Note: Always use the cvm_shutdown -P now command to power off, reset, or shutdown the Controller VM. The cvm_shutdown -P now command notifies the cluster that the Controller VM is unavailable.

Step 4: Now put the ESXi host / node in maintenance mode to follow procedure:

From the vCenter Web Console

Before shutting down VMware ESXi hosts / nodes, ensure that the hosts are put into maintenance mode.

To enter maintenance mode from the vCenter Web Console:

  • Browse to the host in the vCenter Web Client navigator.
  • Right-click the host and click Enter Maintenance Mode.
  • Click Yes to enter maintenance mode.

Read more: Evacuate \ Remove Nutanix AHV ESXI Node from Cluster

Get Nutanix Infra Default Credentials

  • From the vCenter Web Console, navigate to the host you want to shut down.
  • Right-click the host and click Shutdown.

Read also: How to Shutdown Nutanix AHV Host and Nutanix CVM

Shutdown / Stop Nutanix vSphere Cluster

If you want to completely stop / shutdown the Nutanix and VMware vSphere cluster to best Practice then you need to follow following procedure:

Login to Nutanix Prism Web based Console and follow Steps

Nutanix Cluster Health Status

Step 1 : First – Check Nutanix cluster “Data Resiliency Status” That must be “OK”

Step 2: Check the Nutanix HCI cluster health

Go Home > Health > Action > Run NCC Checks > Run

Shutdown Virtual Machines VMs

Step 3: Shutdown the all Guest running VMs.

Step 4: Shutdown VMware vCenter VM

Read more: Nutanix AHV Supported Guest OS List

Shutdown / Stop Nutanix Cluster

Step 5: Login to any Nutanix CVM and stop the Nutanix cluster to run following command:

cvm$ echo y | cluster stop

Step 6: Login to each Nutanix CVM and Shutdown through following command:

cvm$ cvm_shutdown -P now

Note: Do not power off, reset, or shutdown the Controller VM in any way other than the cvm_shutdown -P now command to ensure that the cluster is aware that the Controller VM is unavailable.

After shutdown / stop the Nutanix vsphere cluster, need to shutdown the all ESXi nodes / hosts as shown below:

Shutdown vSphere ESXi Nodes / Hosts

Step 7: Now put each ESXi host / node in maintenance mode then shutdown each Nutanix VMWare ESXi node / host to follow procedure:

From the vSphere Web Client

Before shutting down VMware ESXi hosts / nodes, ensure that the hosts are put into maintenance mode.

To enter maintenance mode from the vSphere Web Client:

  1. Browse to the host in the vSphere Web Client navigator.
  2. Right-click the host and click Enter Maintenance Mode.
  3. Click Yes to enter maintenance mode.
  4. From the vSphere Web client, navigate to the host you want to shut down.
  5. Right-click the host and click Shutdown.

ORFrom Direct Console User Interface ( DCUI )

  1. From the Direct Console User Interface (DCUI) screen, press F12 to view the shutdown-related options for the ESXi host.

    Press F2 to shut down.

ORSSH to each VMware ESXi host / node

  1. From Local or Remote Tech Support Mode, or from an SSH session, run one of these commands:

    Run the following command to shut down the host.
 root# Poweroff

Congratulations you Nutanix vSphere node / cluster has shutdown.!

Read Also: How To Shutdown And Start Nutanix AHV Cluster

Start Nutanix vSphere Cluster

To start the Nutanix vSphere cluster just need follow simple steps are:

Step 1: Power-on the VMware ESXi hosts / nodes

Note: Wait to boot the VMware ESXi hosts / nodes and Nutanix CVM should be pingable.

Step 2: Start Nutanix HCI Cluster to login to any Nutanix CVM and run following command:

cvm$ cluster start 

Step 3: Now Login to Nutanix Prism and power-on the vCenter VM and other Guest VMs. to using Nutanix Prism Supports Top 5 Web Browsers

Wait for 5 -10 minutes to boot up the vCenter and Guest VMs.

Read also: Enable Nutanix CVM, AHV Maintenance mode

Congratulations – Your Nutanix HCI – vSphere cluster is up and running.!

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