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VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM posted: Aug 19, 2008 8:19 AM

Click to view dpoc74's profile Novice
dpoc74
4 posts since
Aug 19, 2008

Hi

I have installed VMWARE ESX 3.5 r2 on a dell R300 server. It went on with no problem. I am trying to install a Windwos 2003 Server from an install CD. I have created the virtual machine using all of the default settings, I have powered up the machine, entered the BIOS, set the CD ROM to be the first boot device, but whether I use the client CD ROM, the host CD ROM, or point the CD ROM to use a .iso image of the CD I created, whenever I power on the machine, it first tries to do a PXE boot, and then says No OS found !! When I disable the virtual network card, it powers up and says NO OS straight away. Am I being completely stupid ;)

Thanks

Tags: dell, r300, cd, rom, boot

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

1. Aug 19, 2008 8:29 AM in response to: dpoc74
Click to view weinstein5's profile Guru
weinstein5
6,351 posts since
Nov 19, 2005
welcome to the forums - it is often overlooked - in the cd settings is the check box 'connect at power on' selected?

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

2. Aug 19, 2008 8:33 AM in response to: weinstein5
Click to view dpoc74's profile Novice
dpoc74
4 posts since
Aug 19, 2008

Thanks for the reply.

Yes the CD is checked to be connect at power on.

I know that it should work but it doesn't. I am wondering if it is something to do with the fact that it is on a DELL Poweredge R300 which isn't officially supported. The VMWARE infrastructure client see's the CD though so I can't really see what the problem is.

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

3. Aug 19, 2008 8:39 AM in response to: dpoc74
Click to view weinstein5's profile Guru
weinstein5
6,351 posts since
Nov 19, 2005
I do not think that is it because you tried to boot off an iso image that would bypass the hardware - is the iso image bootable?

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

4. Aug 19, 2008 8:48 AM in response to: dpoc74
Click to view bernd2nd's profile Enthusiast
bernd2nd
87 posts since
Jul 26, 2005
Things i would check:

1. try to mount a CDROM from ServiceConsole
login as root and execute the cmds
#mount /cdrom ; ls /cdrom ; umount /cdrom

2. try to choose the boot device from the BIOS
start the VM and press ESC - this should result in breaking the boot process. You can choose the boot device

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

5. Aug 19, 2008 9:01 AM in response to: weinstein5
Click to view dpoc74's profile Novice
dpoc74
4 posts since
Aug 19, 2008

It helps to have other people check that you are not being a complete pillock.

Someone gave me the Windows Server CD, I assumed it was bootable, etc. etc. etc.

Have just put a known working bootable CD in and it works a treat.

Thanks for the replies Gents. It sometimes really helps to go back to basics. The server won't boot. Is it a bootable Cd . Doh ;)

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

6. Aug 21, 2008 1:12 PM in response to: bernd2nd
Click to view AndrejNov's profile Novice
AndrejNov
9 posts since
Aug 21, 2008

Same problem here.

I also have Dell PowerEdge R300. When I try to connect host CD/DVD to virtual machine the ESXi server I get: No Devices Available.

I know the CD-ROM drive and the CD is functioning since I installed the ESXi with exactly that CD.

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

7. Aug 21, 2008 2:57 PM in response to: AndrejNov
Click to view Rumple's profile Master
Rumple
1,265 posts since
Jan 6, 2005
check this out...its mainly for booting, but might have something to do with it.

http://www.vmware.com/support/vi3/doc/drivercd/esx35-sata-cdrom-1.0.0.html

905 and 900 are just the AMD/Intel versions so probably same ide controller.

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

8. Aug 21, 2008 11:51 PM in response to: Rumple
Click to view AndrejNov's profile Novice
AndrejNov
9 posts since
Aug 21, 2008

Rumple,

I am quite new to ESXi and do not know how to make an update for ESXi.

We do not use ESX Server 3.5 but ESXi 3.5. Will research how to do it on our system and post back results.

Thans!!!

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

9. Aug 21, 2008 11:58 PM in response to: AndrejNov
Click to view Dave.Mishchenko's profile Guru
Dave.Mishchen…
8,974 posts since
Nov 15, 2005
You won't be able to use this patch on ESXi as with ESXi you replace the entire firmware - see this how-to on patching - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/Patch_3i_without_VC.html.

With ESXi some servers have a problem using the host's CD-ROM in a guest and the work around is to use the client CD-ROM option or a datastore ISO.

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

10. Aug 22, 2008 12:52 AM in response to: Dave.Mishchen…
Click to view dpoc74's profile Novice
dpoc74
4 posts since
Aug 19, 2008

I couldn't get ESXi working on an R300. It kept coming up with fatal error when I tried to install it (using the R2 release). I thought this was because it had limited drivers on it being such a small footprint, and as the R300 wasn't on the hardware list there was no chance of getting it working. Maybe I will try again. ESX does however work a treat on it.


Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

11. Aug 22, 2008 1:12 AM in response to: dpoc74
Click to view AndrejNov's profile Novice
AndrejNov
9 posts since
Aug 21, 2008

OK, if I understand correctly, I need at least VC foundation to update the ESXi. Probably I will try with te VC evaluation version first.

Othervise I am super satisfied with ESXi on R300. It works perfectly. Workaround for the CD issue is to install OSs from Clients CD or ISO image from my inexpensive WD Netcenter ethernet disk that supports NFS.

But will follow your instructions for solving the CD issue and post back the results.

Thanks!

Andrej

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

12. Aug 22, 2008 1:41 AM in response to: dpoc74
Click to view lfchin's profile Enthusiast
lfchin
92 posts since
Oct 7, 2007

Maybe you can try the step here, 1st open the console and power up your VM. Since your VM is without OS at this moment, it will stuck anyway. Then you can try to mount the ISO through the console which you launch from the Virtual center. Then you click you mouse on the console screen to make sure you had control on the console with your keyboard. Try to press esc and it should able to boot to the iso file you mount. if not, after you coonnected your iso through the virtual center, try to do a reset, and press ESC, there will be an option to boot from CD rom as well. Good luck


Rolando
http://itknowledgeexchange.blogspot.com/

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

13. Aug 22, 2008 1:43 AM in response to: dpoc74
Click to view lfchin's profile Enthusiast
lfchin
92 posts since
Oct 7, 2007

Maybe you can try the step here, 1st open the console and power up your VM. Since your VM is without OS at this moment, it will stuck anyway. Then you can try to mount the ISO through the console which you launch from the Virtual center. Then you click you mouse on the console screen to make sure you had control on the console with your keyboard. Try to press esc and it should able to boot to the iso file you mount. if not, after you coonnected your iso through the virtual center, try to do a reset, and press ESC, there will be an option to boot from CD rom as well. Good luck


Rolando
http://itknowledgeexchange.blogspot.com/

Re: VMWARE ESX on a DELL R300, VITUAL MACHINE WONT BOOT FROM CD ROM

14. Jun 30, 2009 6:19 PM in response to: dpoc74
Click to view MrJoshB's profile Novice
MrJoshB
3 posts since
Jun 30, 2009
Hi, I have a Dell R300 as well and experienced this behavior. What I did was in the vSphere client I went to the boot settings and put a delay of 10000 milliseconds. This allows you to see and execute the <ESC> option to get to a boot menu and select the cdrom. Hope this helps.
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