VCP-VVF Troubleshoot And Optimize Practice Question
An ESXi 9.0 host in a vSphere cluster experiences a purple diagnostic screen (PSOD). Where should the administrator navigate in vSphere Client or use via CLI to locate the core dump file for analysis by VMware Support?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Generate a support bundle from the vSphere Client or examine the configured diagnostic partition / scratch partition using 'esxcli system coredump file get'.
ESXi stores VMkernel core dumps either locally or configured via esxcli system coredump. By default, host core dumps are directed to a shared scratch/core location or a local diagnostic partition. Administrators can also check vCenter events or retrieve logs via the vSphere Client support bundle generator.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Open Aria Operations and download the 'Host Crash Archive' report from the administration tab.
Why it's wrong here
While Aria Operations can alert on host disconnects, core dumps must be retrieved directly from ESXi storage or support bundles.
- ✗
Navigate to the VMFS datastore root folder and open the 'vmware-psod.log' text file.
Why it's wrong here
ESXi does not automatically write PSOD text logs directly to the datastore root as 'vmware-psod.log'.
- ✓
Generate a support bundle from the vSphere Client or examine the configured diagnostic partition / scratch partition using 'esxcli system coredump file get'.
Why this is correct
The core dump file can be retrieved or configured via the esxcli system coredump namespace, and a full support bundle collects recent logs and dump summaries.
- ✗
Log into the vCenter Server appliance shell and check '/var/log/vmware/vpxd/psod/' directory.
Why it's wrong here
vCenter manages control plane logs, but ESXi host crash dumps reside on the host itself.
About these practice questions
One of 517 original VCP-VVF practice questions on Courseiva, each with a full explanation and wrong-answer analysis — not exam dumps or protected exam content. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed August 2026 · checked against the official VMware exam blueprint
This VCP-VVF practice question is part of Courseiva's free VMware certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the VCP-VVF exam.