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C_Ruhnke
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VMware ESX 3.5 Install/Upgrade reboot error "Mounting root failed."

Configuration: Dell PE 6650, 4 CPU, 4GB, PERC 3/DC, 3 36GB drives configured as JBOD.

Trying to install ESX 3.5 from a CD burned with the ISO image from www.vmware.com/download.

After install is finished, when the server reboots it terminates with the message "Mounitng root failed. Dropping into basic maintenance shell."

The same thing happens if I try to upgrade a successful installation of ESX 3.0.2 to ESX 3.5.

Booting to the "Service Console only" mode is successful and the installation root disk is successfully mounted.

This sounds like there is something hosed in the VMware startups.

Anyone else had this problem? Any suggestions to resolve this problem?

Thanks!

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mphodge
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Managed to fix my "mounting root failed"...

Downgraded the Perc 3/DC firmware from 199D to 199A and now ESX 3.5 boots up Smiley Happy

VMware officially do not support this RAID card, don't know why?!

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mphodge
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Just had the same problem on a Dell PE 2600.

I used the upgrade tarball with esxupdate and when the server rebooted, it was not able to mount the root Smiley Sad

My next step was to try an install from the CD... until I read this thread.

Think I'll got and watch Dr Who then...

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C_Ruhnke
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I moved my hard disks from the PERC3/DC RAID controller to the Adaptec SCSI adapter and was able to successfully install and boot ESX 3.5.

After installing I moved the "working" installation back onto the RAID controller and the original problem recurred.

I suspect there is something malfunctioning in the megaraid2 driver.

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StefanST
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Hi all,

same problem here on DELL 1800 (PERC4,SC) and DELL 6650 (PERC4,SC) latest PERC Firmware.

That must be a driver bug. With ESX 3.02U1 without problems.

I hope that it will give for it soon a solution.

Nice surprise between the holidays Smiley Sad

Stefan

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nextlevel
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I can confirm this problem on a Dell 6850 4 DualCore with PERC/4...

Any solutions?

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C_Ruhnke
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Problem has been logged with support. No replies from them, yet.

--CHRis

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Texiwill
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Hello,

I had a similar issue.... Ensure that your Hardware firmware is up-to-date. I had a downlevel disk firmware and network card, which prevented my systems from booting. The firmware was good for ESX v3 but not for 3.5.... So I would check this first.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Author of the forthcoming 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise: Planning and Securing Virtualization Servers', publishing January 2008, Copyright 2008 Pearson Education. Available on Rough Cuts at http://safari.informit.com/9780132302074

--
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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C_Ruhnke
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Both the host and the MegaRAID adapter were updated to the latest firmware

available from Dell prior to the installation of ESX V3.5.

--CHRis

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mtestino
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same problem here, we have two pe6650 running esx 3.0.2, tried to install esx3.5, mounting root failed, probably this problem will be fixed in the next "update 1" release, at least i hope so.

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nextlevel
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Weird.

I do it on an identical PE6850 and it works. Same firmware of MEGARAID too

This machine doesn't work:

v2.10.7 (Release Date: Sat Jun 5 02:32:59 EDT 2004)

PERC 4/DC

Controller Type: 438/466/467/471/493/518/520/531/532

Controller Supports 40 Logical Drives

Controller capable of 64-bit memory addressing

Controller using 64-bit memory addressing

Base = 3fe02000, Irq = 153, Initial Logical Drives = 1, Channels = 2

Version =352D:1.10, DRAM = 128Mb

Controller Queue Depth = 254, Driver Queue Depth = 126

...

This machine works:

v2.10.7 (Release Date: Sat Jun 5 02:32:59 EDT 2004)

PERC 4/DC

Controller Type: 438/466/467/471/493/518/520/531/532

Controller Supports 40 Logical Drives

Controller capable of 64-bit memory addressing

Controller using 64-bit memory addressing

Base = 0b402000, Irq = 153, Initial Logical Drives = 1, Channels = 2

Version =352A:1.10, DRAM = 128Mb

Controller Queue Depth = 254, Driver Queue Depth = 126

*The ONLY difference is the REVISION (Correction:FIRMWARE) of the controller*

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Texiwill
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Hello,

A Revision change can make a difference! If the rev is newer than the one tested or older than the one supported there could be issues. I suggest you open a call with your VMware Support Agent to at least get the HCL updated.


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. Available on Rough Cuts at http://safari.informit.com/9780132302074

--
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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nextlevel
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But it is the NEW 3.5 ESX that does not work on the NEW firmware, where 3.0.2 works!

There ist http://kb.vmware.com/kb/5966817

But it is related to 3.0.x, not 3.5 and not excactly hits the problem.

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rpartmann
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Hi,

probably is it like with some SATA Controllers.

Check the PCI id and try the procedure as mentioned in the thread below.

I think you should look into these files:

/etc/vmware/pciid/ aacraid_esx30.xml or

megaraid2.xml.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/833574#833574

kind regards,

Reinhard.






ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.
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a18041967
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I've experienced a very similar problem using the MegaRaid in a whitebox solution, I'll be watching this thread to see if there's a solution.

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wolvie724
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I have a 2500 with a Perc3/DC in the test enviorment that I tested installing 3.5 on. I had it up to firmware level 199D and got the "mounting root failed" error.

I took the firmware back one level to firmware level 199A. And the install went fine (boots up fine). I going to have to test a Perc4 to see what happens. But maybe that is a place to start looking

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phenneberry
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I'm using an IBM xSeries 336 and the same issue others have experienced holds true with this model.

I'm booting from a SAN via qlogic HBA, and have disabled the internal RAID controller. I also have upgraded to the latest firmware but to no avail.

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99matt99
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Interestingly we ran into a problem with our upgrade from 3.0.2 to ESX 3.5 in that the initrd file was too big to fit into the default ramdisk so the upgraded server would boot to service console but not full esx (kernel panic).

We edited the grub kernel parameter and set the ramdisk_size parameter to be bigger than the initrd for full ESX. The server would then boot into esx. Why the initrd file ended up being 92MB in size for only used about 18 MB of files puzzles me but at least the server came up.

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Rkelly
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Add me to the list with this problem.

IBM x3650

Upgrading from ESX 3.0.2 update 1 to 3.5

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rpartmann
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Hi,

if possible start your ESX box in troubleshooting mode and do a lspic -v and lspci -v -vv and post the vendorID:deviceID

and the type of your scsi/sas/sata card.

kind regards,

Reinhard.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.

ps: Award points if you find answers helpful. Thanks.
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Rkelly
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Adaptec IBM serve Raid 8k

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