vSphere Service Console Firewall Commands

In the VCP4 exam blueprint, Objective 1.3 states that you “Understand Service Console firewall operation”.

The command syntax is esxcfg-firewall -<options>

The service console has a small number of services predefined in the firewall.  Use the -e and -d options to enable/disable these services.
To open/close a custom port that is not predefined, use the -o or -c options.

Start by opening an SSH session to the ESX server and entering su- to establish root.

esxcfg-firewall -s
Lists the predefined services known to the VMware host.
Remember “s” for services.

Here’s an example of the command output on an ESX3.51 U2 host showing the predefined services.

esxcfg-firewall -q
Queries the current firewall configuration.
Shows Enabled services and Opened ports.
Remember “q” for query.

esxcfg-firewall -e  <service name>
Enables a predefined service.
Remember “e” for enable service.

esxcfg-firewall -d <service name>
Disables a predefined service.
Remember “d” for disable service.

esxcfg-firewall -o <port, tcp|udp, in|out, name>
Opens a port that is not already defined as a service.
Remember “o” for open port.

esxcfg-firewall -c <port, tcp|udp, in|out, name>
Closes a port that is not already defined as a service.
Remember “c” for close port.

esxcfg-firewall -r
Resets all firewall options to default settings.
Remember “r” for reset.

VMware VCP4 Passed

VCP4 Exam Update

I’ve received a couple of emails from folks wanting to know how I did on the VCP exam.  Regretfully, I have to report that I failed my first attempt, missing a passing score by 32 points.

In hindsight I’m not really surprised I didn’t do well as I really didn’t know what to expect and knew I was “pushing the envelope” in terms of preparation time.

Here are some things to consider if you are thinking about taking the exam and a couple of things  I’m doing to prepare for my second attempt.

1.  You can’t pass the exam by simply taking the class.  The class is good, but it does not cover the exam topics in enough depth to get you through the exam.
2.  Everything you need to know is outlined in the exam blueprint.
3.  All of the info you need to study is in the VMware documentation.
4.  I’m reviewing all of the free training material offered on VMware’s Partner website.
5.  Consider investing a couple of hours and completing the VMware Technical Sale Professional (VTSP) training.  There’s good material there that helped me fill in some of the gaps in my product knowledge.
6.  Consider some supplementary study material.  I’m reading Scott Lowe’s new book “Mastering VMware vShpere 4″.  It’s not a study guide, but is full of good information on vSpheres features and configuration.
7.  Know your configuration maximums but don’t spend all of your time studying them.

The exam is not difficult, the questions are fair and easy to understand.  I was lacking knowledge in two critical areas and it really showed in my score.

Even after deploying VMware solutions for the last couple years the certification process has taught me a great deal about the product.  I guess that’s the whole idea isn’t it?

In terms of ROI, I’ve already gone back to a few of the clients I work with and suggested some changes/enhancements to their configurations.  Having good instructors for the class and  combing through the documentation studying for the exam has opened my eyes to vSphere’s capabilities.

So far I’d have to say that going through the VCP certification process has had a very positive impact on my ability to consult, engineer, deploy and support vSphere.