ESXi Logs: How to Fix the hbr-agent Issue!

Are you experiencing an influx of ESXi logs filled with “User root@127.0.0.1 logged in/out” messages due to hbr-agent? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! This can sometimes create a flood of entries on the GUI, making it challenging to read.

The reason for these logs is due to an outdated VIB from vSphere Replication, which needs to be fixed. Here are a few steps you can follow to resolve the problem and keep your logs clean:

1. Disable the automatic installation of the VIB that is causing the issue – hms-auto-install-vr2c-vib and hms-auto-install-hbragent-vib. If you’re unsure how to do this, you can SSH to the SRM Appliance and run these commands:

/opt/vmware/hms/bin/hms-configtool -cmd reconfig -property hms-auto-install-vr2c-vib=false

/opt/vmware/hms/bin/hms-configtool -cmd reconfig -property hms-auto-install-hbragent-vib=false

2. Once you’ve disabled the automatic installation of the VIB, check the parameters’ settings by running:

/opt/vmware/hms/bin/hms-configtool -cmd list | grep -i hms-auto-install-vr2c-vib hms-auto-install-vr2c-vib = false

/opt/vmware/hms/bin/hms-configtool -cmd list | grep -i hms-auto-install-hbragent hms-auto-install-hbragent = false

3. Restart the VRMS:

[root@localhost:~]service hms restart

4. If that doesn’t work, you may have to remove the VIB manually. Use this command to list VIB:

[root@localhost:~] esxcli software vib list | grep hbr

vmware-hbr-agent 7.0.3-0.0.19096015 VMware VMwareCertified 2022-09-02

5. Use this command to remove VIB:

[root@localhost:~] esxcli software vib remove -n vmware-hbr-agent
Removal Result
   Message: Operation finished successfully.
   Reboot Required: false
   VIBs Installed:
   VIBs Removed: VMware_bootbank_vmware-hbr-agent_7.0.3-0.0.19096015
   VIBs Skipped:
[root@localhost:~]

Removing the outdated VIB will free up the logs and ensure they remain clean. No need to restart the server for this.

And voila! You’ve successfully resolved the issue with these simple steps. I hope this blog post helped you clear up the ESXi logs issue caused by hbr-agent.

Just K.I.S.S and see you all next time