VMware Communities: Future Intel Server board support???

Up to Discussions in VMware ESXi™ 4

This Question is Possibly Answered

1 "correct" answer available (10 pts) 1 "helpful" answer available (6 pts)

8,446 Views 29 Replies Last post: Feb 2, 2011 4:03 AM by Technopc

1 2 Previous Next

RogerAudet

8 posts since
May 14, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

Oct 17, 2009 2:44 AM

Future Intel Server board support???

Does anybody know what kind of criteria VMWare uses to determine which motherboards will and will not be supported with future updates?

Background: Trying to build a whitebox ESX4.0i server for home use. My vendor sent me a new S3420GP board (brand new model) with an Intel 3420 chipset. Nice board. It supports up to 32 GB of expensive RAM or 16 GB cheap RAM, but it doesn't work. Just hangs at "Initializing scheduler".

My options are, I can sent the motherboard back and buy a "certified" board like the S3200 or S3210 board (but these can only handle up to 8 GB RAM) or "hope" that a ESX4.02 or future build will handle this (and try out Xenserver until then

DSTAVERT

10,090 posts since
Nov 30, 2003

Currently Being Moderated

1. Oct 17, 2009 7:41 AM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

Have a search through the forums on "Initializing scheduler". Search across at least 3.5 and 4. There may be other things at work here. BIOS settings, embedded components, etc. Motherboards aren't usually big problems. The embedded components, NICs and disk controllers often are.

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator

Report Abuse

mcowger

3,635 posts since
Aug 22, 2007

Currently Being Moderated

2. Oct 17, 2009 1:23 PM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

They support based on what the vendor does the the testing for. So Intel would have to test and submit results to vmware for acceptance.

--Matt

VCP, vExpert, Unix Geek

--Matt VCDX #52 blog.cowger.us

Report Abuse

Mailserver

2 posts since
Jul 22, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

3. Oct 18, 2009 4:35 AM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

I got similiar problems when installing ESXi 4 or 3.5. Under version ESXi 4 i got message that there is a TPM not loaded. TPM means: Trusted Plattform Module.

So i am sending my board and brand new server back to my vendor. They claimed on webpage for this board vmware ready, which i can not confirm.

I did five vmware ESXi installation, successfully so far for intel and amd boards, but this one S3420 Chipset: no chance.

I had the same thinking as the owner of this thread, to take a single socket board with more than 8GB RAM addressing. Bingo...

Report Abuse

RogerAudet

8 posts since
May 14, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

4. Oct 20, 2009 3:54 AM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

Thanks everybody. I tried over half a dozen different CPU and SATA controller options in the BIOS until I got it to work when setting the SATA controller to "Intel Matrix Raid". The other options "Enhanced, Compatible, Software Raid" didn't work.

It works like charm now and is fast. So the S3420GP board is not on the list but works with the correct BIOS settings.

Report Abuse

DSTAVERT

10,090 posts since
Nov 30, 2003

Currently Being Moderated

5. Oct 20, 2009 6:34 AM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

You should post your experience and motherboard specs over at http://vm-help.com . I am sure Dave would appreciate having your MB on the whitebox list as will others who need help.

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator

Report Abuse

DSTAVERT

10,090 posts since
Nov 30, 2003

Currently Being Moderated

6. Oct 20, 2009 6:48 AM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

I did a little look at the Matrix RAID information. What do you end up with for drives for your datastore. Single drives or ???

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator

Report Abuse

RogerAudet

8 posts since
May 14, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

7. Oct 20, 2009 12:38 PM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

Hi DStavert,

Initially I just hooked up one 500GB SATA drive directly to one of the boards "82801HR 6 Port SATA AHCI" controller ports. Another port hosts a SATA DVD drive that used to install. ESX 4.0i lives on the 500 GB drive now. After I got it to work I installed an Areca ARC-1222 SAS/SATA Raid Controller I have. This is an 8 port controller on which 3 x 1 TB WD drives are hooked up in a RAID5 configuration. It was a little tricky getting the Areca drivers installed on ESX 4.0i but it worked according to their instructions. I now have Windows 2008 Server installed in a VM on the ESX server now and initial performance tests look really good. I was able to upload a large MPEG file from my Windows 7 client to the RAID 5 array that hosts Windows 2008 at about 60 MB/sec. Downloading even peaked at 100 MB/sec (according to Windows 7), but believe me, it was fast.

This is so great! Sure hopes it runs stable for long.

Report Abuse

Mailserver

2 posts since
Jul 22, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

8. Oct 20, 2009 12:50 PM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

Hello Roger,

initially after reading your post, i changed my board settings: S3420GP LX, and it worked fine with ESXi 4.0 now.

Thx for your efforts, wow.......

There is a minor problem left, that only 1 nic of 2 onboard nics is working. I heard from my vendor, that this will be fixed

in a few week by a patch update, which can be done via the client host utility.

Can you confirm, that only 1 of 2 nic's is working?

Best regards

Tom from cyenc.com

Report Abuse

RogerAudet

8 posts since
May 14, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

9. Oct 20, 2009 1:04 PM

in response to: Mailserver

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

Hi Tom,

I can confirm the second nic is not showing under the ESX4.0i configuration - network adaptor area. I never even noticed yet, since I am just using the one network port. Thanks for the information about the upcoming update.

Roger

Report Abuse

Rumple

1,705 posts since
Jan 6, 2005

Currently Being Moderated

10. Oct 20, 2009 3:58 PM

in response to: Mailserver

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

never mind....

Report Abuse

Necromancer

1 posts since
Sep 1, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

11. Oct 29, 2009 7:18 AM

in response to: DSTAVERT

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

I had an experience I would like to share with you concerning "Server hangs at Initializing scheduler".

I installed latest ESX4i at my office on an IBM server.

Tested all functions before packing it down in the original box. It all seemed ok.

Then I drove a couple of miles to the customer. Uppacked the server, racked it and then powered it up.

But the server wouldn't start up.

It hanged at "Initializing scheduler".

After performing basic troubleshooting i thought the server was defect, maby by the transport.

Even downloaded the installation CD and tryed to reinstall the server without any luck.

I packed the server down and drowe back to the office.

Back at the office I Unpacked it and then powered the server up.

Gues what.. It worked !!!

After a while i realized that the only difference was the customer environment.

At the office I used an IBM USB-keyboard but at the customer there was a keyboardswitch and another USB-keyboard (Not IBM).

Funny ?

So what's the lesson?

Stick with IBM all the way

Report Abuse

littlesaint

1 posts since
Apr 27, 2008

Currently Being Moderated

12. Oct 31, 2009 9:30 AM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

RogerAudet wrote:
Thanks everybody. I tried over half a dozen different CPU and SATA controller options in the BIOS until I got it to work when setting the SATA controller to "Intel Matrix Raid". The other options "Enhanced, Compatible, Software Raid" didn't work.

It works like charm now and is fast. So the S3420GP board is not on the list but works with the correct BIOS settings.

Can you elaborate on your BIOS settings? I set my SATA controller to Intel Matrix, but it still hangs at "Initializing scheduler..." when launching the ESXi installer. Did you use the default BIOS settings and just change the SATA controller settings? Do you have virtualization enabled in the processor configuration? Thanks.

Report Abuse

felici

3 posts since
Nov 24, 2009

Currently Being Moderated

13. Nov 24, 2009 8:59 AM

in response to: RogerAudet

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

Have the SR1630gp platform (1U server) with S3420GP mtb, X3440 CPU, 8GB, not using onboard disks, but using LSI MegaRAID 8703EM2, 2x WD RE3 drives in RAID1. This is a great little box, would like to use it to replace my rack of aging 775 Intel boxes.

A BIOS update of motherboard and LSI controller was needed before I could do installation - Installed 17129 without any errors.

Only one of two ethernet controllers is recognized.

Apparently the controllers are Intel 82574L and82578DM, ESX recognizes only the 82574L.

Have since updated ESX running build 208167, same problem remains (only one ethernet).

This is a great platform, and I know that RHEL 5 has no problems with both ethernet chipsets, have talked to Intel support, and of course they say since its not yet an officially supported platform, they can't even send off a request on support to inquire.

Any suggestions on that second ethernet ?

Report Abuse

DSTAVERT

10,090 posts since
Nov 30, 2003

Currently Being Moderated

14. Nov 24, 2009 9:02 AM

in response to: felici

Re: Future Intel Server board support???

When you have a question you should always create your own post.

-- David -- VMware Communities Moderator

Report Abuse

Go to original post 1 2 Previous Next

Go to original post

This Question is Possibly Answered

Oct 17, 2009 2:44 AM

Future Intel Server board support???

Actions

Bookmarked By (0)

Share This Page

Communities