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Use VMware HCX Run Commands

In this article, learn how to use VMware HCX Run Commands. Use run commands to perform operations that would normally require elevated privileges through a collection of PowerShell cmdlets. This document outlines the available VMware HCX Run Commands and how to use them.

Restart VMware HCX Manager

This Command checks for active VMware HCX migrations and replications. If none are found, it restarts the VMware HCX Cloud Manager (VMware HCX VM's guest OS).

  1. Navigate to the Run Command panel under Operations in an Azure VMware Solution private cloud on the Azure portal. Select package "Microsoft.AVS.HCX" to view available HCX run commands.

  2. Select the Microsoft.AVS.HCX package dropdown menu and select the Restart-HcxManager command.

  3. Set parameters and select Run. Optional run command parameters.

    If the parameters are used incorrectly, they can halt active migrations, and replications and cause other issues. Brief description of each parameter with an example of when it should be used.

    Hard Reboot Parameter - Restarts the virtual machine instead of the default of a GuestOS Reboot. This command is like pulling the power plug on a machine. We don't want to risk disk corruption so a hard reboot should only be used if a normal reboot fails, and all other options are exhausted.

    Force Parameter - If there are ANY active HCX migrations/replications, this parameter avoids the check for active HCX migrations/replications. If the Virtual machine is in a powered off state, this parameter powers the machine on.

    Scenario 1: A customer has a migration that is stuck in an active state for weeks and they need a restart of HCX for a separate issue. Without this parameter, the script fails due to the detection of the active migration. Scenario 2: The VMware HCX Cloud Manager is powered off and the customer would like to power it back on.

    Diagram that shows run command parameters for Restart-HcxManager command.

  4. Wait for command to finish. It can take few minutes for the VMware HCX appliance to come online.

Scale VMware HCX manager

Use the Scale VMware HCX Cloud Manager Run Command to increase the resource allocation of your VMware HCX Cloud Manager virtual machine, ensuring scalability for larger deployments and increased concurrent migrations.

Supported in HCX 4.10+

Scenario: Mobility Optimize Networking (MON) requires VMware HCX Scalability. For more details on MON scaling 

Note

VMware HCX Cloud Manager will be rebooted during this operation, and this may affect any ongoing migration processes.

  1. Navigate to the Run Command panel under Operations in an Azure VMware Solution private cloud on the Azure portal.

  2. Select the Microsoft.AVS.HCX package dropdown menu and select the Set-HcxScaledCpuAndMemorySetting command.

    Diagram that shows run command parameters for Set-HcxScaledCpuAndMemorySetting command.

  3. Set parameters and select Run. Optional run command parameters.

    If the parameters are used incorrectly, they can halt active migrations and replications and cause other issues. Brief description of each parameter with an example of when it should be used:

    ScaleFormFactor Parameter - Specifies the target form factor for the HCX Manager VM — "Medium" or "Large". Defaults to "Medium" if not specified. See Form Factor Specification for details on each size.

    DiskStorageFormat Parameter - Specifies the storage format for the new disk added during scaling — "Thin", "Thick", or "EagerZeroedThick". Defaults to "Thin". See [Disk Storage Formats] for guidance on choosing a format.

    AgreeToRestartHCX Parameter (required) - Acknowledgment that the HCX Manager VM will be restarted during the scaling operation. Must be set to True for the command to execute. If set to False, the cmdlet execution will fail.

    Force Parameter - Bypasses safety checks such as active migration and replication detection and existing snapshot validation. Use this parameter when a migration is stuck in an active state and you still need to proceed with scaling.

    SkipSnapshot Parameter - Skips the creation of a pre-scaling snapshot. Requires the -Force parameter to be set. Not recommended, as the automatic snapshot provides a safety net for failure recovery.

  4. Select Run to execute. This process takes between 10-15 minutes.

Note

VMware HCX Cloud Manager will be unavailable during the scaling.

Form Factor Specifications

Form Factor vCPU Memory Disk Use Case
Small (current default) 4 12 GB 60 GB Small deployments, <500 VMs
Medium 8 24 GB 120 GB Medium deployments, 500-2000 VMs
Large 32 48 GB 300 GB Large deployments, >2000 VMs

Note

"Small" is the default form factor already deployed. It is not a selectable option in the Set-HcxScaledCpuAndMemorySetting command. The command only scales up to Medium or Large.

Disk Storage Formats

Format Description Performance Space Efficiency Use Case
Thin Lazy-zeroed thin provisioning Good High Default, most environments
Thick Eager-zeroed thick provisioning Better Low Performance-critical
EagerZeroedThick Zeroed at creation Best Lowest Maximum performance

Note

Use the default "Thin" unless specific performance requirements dictate otherwise. Thin disks grow on-demand, while Thick and EagerZeroedThick allocate full space immediately.

Automatic Failure Recovery

If scaling fails at any point during execution, the system automatically recovers:

  1. Snapshot revert - Automatically reverts to the pre-scaling snapshot.

  2. Power on - Powers on HCX Manager from the snapshot state (last known good configuration).

  3. Error reporting - Returns detailed error information.

  4. No manual intervention required - The systems automatically recovers to a working state.

Recovery time: Typically 5-10 minutes to revert and power on.

Take a snapshot of VMware HCX Cloud Manager

  1. Navigate to the Run Command panel on in an Azure VMware Solution private cloud on the Azure portal.

  2. Select the Microsoft.AVS.HCX package dropdown menu and select the New-HCXManagerSnapshot command.

  3. Specify Optional Command parameters as needed. Available command parameters available are as below: Description - A description for the snapshot. Force - Force parameter bypasses the alert of active HCX migrations or replications, allowing the snapshot to be created even if these processes are in progress. If any warnings are triggered, the snapshot creation proceeds regardless of the detected conditions. Memory - Memory snapshots preserve the live state of a virtual machine, allowing for precise recovery if an upgrade or change does not go as expected. They do not require quiescing, ensuring an exact capture of the VM's running state. If memory is not included, the snapshot saves only disk data, which remains crash-consistent unless explicitly quiesced. Quiesce - Quiescing a virtual machine ensures that its file system is in a consistent state when a snapshot is taken. This is useful for automated or periodic backups, especially when the VM's activity is unknown. Quiesced snapshots require VMware Tools and are unavailable if the VM is powered off or has large-capacity disks.

  4. Select Run to execute.

Note

Snapshots created via run commands are retained for 72 hours and will be automatically deleted without prior notice.

List all snapshots on VMware HCX Cloud Manager

  1. Navigate to the Run Command panel on in an Azure VMware Solution private cloud on the Azure portal.

  2. Select the Microsoft.AVS.HCX package dropdown menu and select the Get-HCXManagerSnapshot command.

  3. Select Run to execute.

  4. The snapshot details will be displayed under the Output tab.

Update the description of the existing snapshot for VMware HCX Cloud Manager

  1. Navigate to the Run Command panel on in an Azure VMware Solution private cloud on the Azure portal.

  2. Select the Microsoft.AVS.HCX package dropdown menu and select the Update-HCXManagerSnapshotDescription command.

  3. Specify mandatory Command parameters as described below: SnapshotName - Name of the snapshot. You can use Get-HCXManagerSnaphot run command to list existing snapshots. NewDescription - A description for the snapshot.

  4. Select Run to execute.

Delete VMware HCX Cloud Manager snapshot

  1. Navigate to the Run Command panel on in an Azure VMware Solution private cloud on the Azure portal.

  2. Select the Microsoft.AVS.HCX package dropdown menu and select the Remove-HCXManagerSnapshot command.

  3. Specify mandatory Command parameters as described below: SnapshotName - Name of the snapshot.

  4. Specify Optional Command parameters as needed. Available command parameters available are as below: RunAsync - Indicates that the command returns immediately without waiting for the task to complete. In this mode, the output of the cmdlet is a Task object. Force - If any warnings are triggered, the snapshot deletion proceeds regardless of the detected conditions. EnableDebug - Indicates that the cmdlet is run only to display the changes that would be made and actually no objects are modified.

Next step

To learn more about Run Commands, see Run Commands.

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