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geelbee
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VI 3.5 on HP Proliant ML150 G5

To install VI 3.5 on a ML150 G5 in the BIOS you have to put the SATA Controller 1 in Edhanced modus and leave the Configure Controller 1 as IDE. Without the adhanced modus it will be possible to install VI3.5 but you will not be able to configure a VMFS3 partition because VI is not seeing any storage to put it on.

With this configuration I managed to install W2K8 64bits without any problems.

Unfortunaly the embedded network card is not (jet) supported. It is a NC105i PCI Express 10/100/1000 networkcard. Is there a way to enable this card in VI 3.5 as well?

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Erik_Bussink
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Attached to this post is the Health Status panel of ESX 3.5.0 Update 2 (Build 103908).

Erik Bussink Solution Architect @VMware CISSP, VCP#67, RHCE, DCUCD

View solution in original post

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Erik_Bussink
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Here is the network configuration of my HP ML150 G5. Since ESX 3.5.0 Update 2 (Build 103908), the HP NC105i (Embedded) is recognized.

vmnic1 is the HP NC105i

vmnic0 is the HP NC110T which I added on my original HP purchase (Had to force at 1000-FD on my older Gigabit switch).

Erik Bussink Solution Architect @VMware CISSP, VCP#67, RHCE, DCUCD
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Erik_Bussink
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Attached to this post is the Health Status panel of ESX 3.5.0 Update 2 (Build 103908).

Erik Bussink Solution Architect @VMware CISSP, VCP#67, RHCE, DCUCD
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clopmz
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Hi all,

I have an HP ML150 G5 and I installed esx 3.5 update2 on it. All works ok execpt disk access ... It is terrible slow (on vm guests) ... Somebody konws how can I increase disk performance?? I am using SATA controller that comes with this server ...

Thanks.

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geelbee
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No problems with disk performance. Working with 3.5u2 as well.

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clopmz
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Hi geelbee,

Any problems using generic SATA controller that comes with this server?? How many time do you spend in copy large files on VM guests?? I am using another server with linux and iscsi target also in a 100MB network, and I can copy large files to this iscsi server more quickly than copying on local storage ...

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geelbee
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Just did a test to copy some Gigs to a VM. Throuhgput is around 5,5MB/sec. It is not fast but neither slow. This a copy from a machine with 100Mb network to my VM W2K8.

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PyroMan
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Hello.

I've just tried installing the newly released build 110271 of ESXi3.5 upd.2

After setting the disk controller the installation runs fine, and it seems to find both the integrated NIC and an old 3com 3c90x card (10/100) i installed.

However it states that they are both disconnected. And management network tests fail.

Are there anything to do? Anyone who's got this working with the integrated nic?

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ErikBussink
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The HP ML150 G5 integrated NIC should run fine. I've got this ML150 G5 connected into a Linksys Gigabit switch.

-- Erik Bussink 1st VMware Community account https://communities.vmware.com/people/Erik%20Bussink
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PyroMan
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Weird..

I guess it could be the fact that I'm connecting it to a Poweplug device. I'll try connecting a switch between the PowerPlug en the ESX. Maybe thathelps.

(this is only for testing purposes, I would never run something like this in production).

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nknatter
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one more question regarding ML150 G5:

after grey-yellow screen with Restart

the Alt-F2 screen becomes extremely unresponsive. (takes about 15 minutes

to switch to config mode) after few keystrokes (e.g. set root password),

system hangs again.

Alt-F1 is not responding at all (just echoing characters),

last message is "Starting openwsmand"

Alt-F12 is working fine, messages like

"cpu1: ALERT: Heartbeat: PCPU0 disnt have a heartbeat since xxx seconds may be locked"

and

"cpu0: ALERT: NMI: 1625: Faulting eip:esp [0x]

appear periodically. any ideas ??

/nick

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miko67
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Hi nknatter

I encounter the same problem.

did you resolv it?

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mihau
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I have problem with installing ESXi on my ML150 G5 box.

3770_3770.jpg

Could anyone help me with this? Has enyone done succ install on this type of box?

Regards,

Michal

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christech
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I am seeing the exact same issue as mihau. The install procedure runs fine until it reaches exactly 44%, then it stalls.

I have verified that the installer writes to the disc, and even checked for a bad disc - with no luck.

Anyone got some ideas?

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nknatter
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hello miko ! yes and no Smiley Sad

i have removed ALL extra interface cards (PCIx-graphics, PCIx-firewire, PCIx-network, PCIx-IDEcontroller, and the PCI-AHA29xx SCSI controller)

so, returned to bare system, with only SATA disks (one is still IDE but with inline SATA-IDE converter).

the install runs fine, i also do get to the config screen, system is well-responding (i could even set

root password and ip address, BUT after app. 2 minutes it crashes hard (reproducable, no way out).

(pink F12-screen). since i had already spent weeks on getting this 'far' and the system

does not really make sense without the firewire, ide and scsi disks, i stopped the ESXi path and

am just about to go for plain DEBIAN plus VMWARE server on top. i booted from fedora linux usb

stick, cleaned all the disks and as we speak debian install is commencing.

sorry for no better news, maybe they improve ESXi to the point, where it is also usable

for non-commercial users who run 'home-budget' hardware ...

happy vmwaring,

/nick

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Texiwill
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Hello,

Only certain SATA controllers are supported. If this is for production use then I would stick to systems on the HCL. If HP sold you a ML150 for ESX then they should have warned you it would have limited use.

In order to get proper disk access, the system must use the proper storage and network controllers, specifically the ones on the IO HCL. If you want to still use the ML150 add a supported storage controller and at least 4 ports of supported pNIC. Ignore the onboard/builtin controllers. I was successful in getting 'unsupported' HP systems into play once I added the appropriately IO controllers (from the IO HCL).


Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the book 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', Copyright 2008 Pearson Education.

CIO Virtualization Blog: http://www.cio.com/blog/index/topic/168354

As well as the Virtualization Wiki at http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Virtualization

--
Edward L. Haletky
vExpert XIV: 2009-2023,
VMTN Community Moderator
vSphere Upgrade Saga: https://www.astroarch.com/blogs
GitHub Repo: https://github.com/Texiwill
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mihau
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Hi,

Looks like we will stick to kvm on linux cause our "HP SC44Ge SAS Host Bus Adapter PCI-E" controller will go smoothly there. Or we will wait for xVM server from Sun maybe...

Dear VMware,

I'm your big fan but sorry for now i will not have you in my home sweet home Smiley Sad

Regards,

Michal

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hoho909
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Can someone please post network card and SATA controller please.. too many option on HP site.. not sure which one works.

this is what i am thinking to buy

What to add and what to remove?

System Parts (1): HP ML150G5 E5405 NHP SATA US Svr

1 450162-001 HP ML150G5 E5405 NHP SATA US Svr

1 461840-B21 HP 4GB REG PC2-5300 2x2GB LP Kit

1 458941-B21 HP 500GB 7.2k NHP MDL SATA 1y Wty HDD

1 447328-B21 HP HH SATA DVDRW Optical Kit

1 411508-B21 HP Smart Array E200/128MB Controller

1 457692-B21 HP NHP SAS/SATA 4Port Cbl Kit

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Adjaan
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Hi

In spite of its status I will respond to this thread with my experience:

I obtained only recently (March, 2009) a ML150G5 (HP product number: 470064-727) and installed ESX 3.5i Installable on it. All runs smoothly with a proper performance!

Some items to cover before using such a small server for ESX usage:

Make sure you have the HP E200 Smart Array controller. That one will properly run ESX. The models with the on-board controller will need BIOS setup and will also perform much slower!

I use 4 250GB 7200 rpm SATA disks in RAID5 (Automaticalkly recognised at first startup of the machine). In total 10 GB memory is installed.

Even with only the on board NIC as the only NIC the machine runs over 5 VM's (Mixed W2K3, W2K8 and Linux servers)

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