How to enable VMware Tools for the Panorama Virtual Appliance version 8.1

[magtai]

Hi!

We are in the process of installing and configuring a new Panorama Virtual Appliance version 8.1 in our VMware vSphere Cluster from an OVA file supplied from Palo Alto.

In the below information from Palo Alto regarding VMware Tools on the Panorama Virtual Appliance version 8.1 it states that it supports VMware Tools on the Panorama Virtual Appliance version 8.1!

Great I think, but how do you enable it ??????????????????????????????

I have and been scratching my head for hours ... searched information about this in help guide and on the internet but I have not been able to find any information about this.

I have been a VMware vSphere Admin for many years but I have never seen such lack of clear information regarding installing and enabling VMware Tools for an Virtual Appliance like this in a VMware platform.

Can anyone please supply information about/around how to enable VMware Tools for the Panorama Virtual Appliance version 8.1.

I/we would be very greatful.

Big thanks in advance!

Support for VMware Tools on the Panorama Virtual Appliance version 8.1

https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/panorama/8-1/panorama-admin/set-up-panorama/set-up-the-panorama-vi...

VMware Tools is bundled with the software image (ovf) for the Panorama virtual appliance. The support for VMware Tools allows you to use the vSphere environment—vCloud Director and vCenter server—for the following:

• View the IP address assigned to the Panorama management interface.
• View resource utilization metrics on hard disk, memory, and CPU. You can use these metrics to enable alarms or actions on the vCenter server or vCloud Director.
• Graceful shutdown and restart of Panorama using the power off function on the vCenter server or vCloud Director.
• Enables a heartbeat mechanism between the vCenter server and Panorama for verifying that Panorama is functioning, or if the firewall/Panorama is rebooting. If the firewall goes into maintenance mode, heartbeats are disabled so that the vCenter server does not shut down the firewall. Disabling heartbeats allows the firewall to stay operational in maintenance mode when it cannot not send heartbeats to the vCenter server.

[BPry]

@magtai,

It's already included in the OVA and you shouldn't need to activate anything. 

[magtai]

Hi Bry and thanks for your response.

That's what I first thought also, but that is not how it shows up on the VM in our vCenter Server, I have also tried to reboot the VM but comes up with the same result:

This is what it says.

Guest OS: 4/5 or later (64-bit)
Compatibiltiy: ESXi 5.1 and later (VM version 9)
VMware Tools: Not running, not installed
DNS Name: 
IP Addresses: 
Host:  esxi01

VMware Tools is not installed on this virtual machine.

Are there any CLI commands to check the VMware tools status, stop, start VMware tools service, etc...

In a totally other link to an earlier version of PAN-OS 7.1 there are some debug vm-agent commands that you can run ...

I have checked the command "debug vm-agent show interval" on the Panorama VM in the Console and the result was:

"cfg.general.vm-heartbeat-interval: 5"

PAN-OS 7.1 Support for VMware tools on PA-VM platforms and Panorama VM

https://knowledgebase.paloaltonetworks.com/KCSArticleDetail?id=kA10g000000ClE3CAK

[BPry]

@magtai,

You might want to reach out to TAC to help you on this one. I've never had an issue with Tools not working on fresh 8.1 installations outside of a few times where the heartbeat value had defaulted to 0 for some reason. 

Just to verify if you spin up another installation does Tools work correctly then, or is it still broken. I doubt it's something with your ESXi environment but it very well could be I guess.