DVD Writer in guest OS under ESXI 4.0.0

[PatGAU]

I am trying to get dvd writing on a guest operating system running under VMware ESXI 4.0.0. I have tried it on an

Ubuntu 9.04 system and Windows XP and appear to be unable to get it working.

Here is the error I get when I attempt to write a DVD using growisofs under Ubuntu:

Executing 'builtin_dd if=/data/dvd/test.iso of=/dev/scd0 obs=32k seek=0'

:-[ SET STREAMING failed with SK=5h/INVALID COMMAND OPERATION CODE]: No such device

Here are the relevant /dev entries

c678014@bella1:/dvd$ ls -l /dev/scd0

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 3 2009-08-13 04:42 /dev/scd0 -> sr0

c678014@bella1:/dvd$ ls -l /dev/sr0

brw-rw----+ 1 root cdrom 11, 0 2009-08-13 04:42 /dev/sr0

c678014@bella1:/dvd$

I get the same error "INVALID COMMAND OPERATION CODE" under a Windows XP (using deep burner).

I have also tested DVD writing under VMware server 1.0.9 and get the same error.

I can read and play DVD's under both types of operating systems in both VMware server and ESXI.

I have read a number of post on DVD writing in the community forums, some saying they got DVD writing, some stating

they couldn't and a lot of the post with no apparent resolution.

I suspect that like USB devices, DVD writing is not supported under ESXI. The reason I think this is that in the

vsphere console under Configuration -> Storage Adapters -> vmhba0 I can see the pioneer DVD writer. However the

title of the device is "Local PIONEER CD-ROM (mpx.vmhba0:C0:T1:L0)" and the type is cdrom. I don't seem to be able

to change this to dvd writer. Given that VMware server thinks this is a CDROM then it would make sense that driver would

not respond to DVD writing requests, hence the "INVALID COMMAND OPERATION CODE" error.

My questions are:

• Is this likely to be and hardware compatibility issue?

• Has anyone got a DVD writer to work in a guest operating system under ESXI?

• If so, what does the type field show in the Configuration -> Storage Adapters section of the vsphere console?

• Is there someway to change a cdrom to dvd writer type in the vsphere console?

Any help would be most appreciated.

Thanks,

Pat

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Moved to virtual machine and guest OS.

There was another post on something similar. I think it is only available if you use a SCSI device and not a USB/IDE device within the VM.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, Virtualization Practice Analyst[/url]
Now Available: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
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[Jason404]

I have heard that ESXi 4.5 will have the ability to burn DVDs from VMs. Is this true? If it is, would it only work with certain models?

[Texiwill]

Hello,

VMware has not release any information on future products so there is nothing I have seen about this. You would need to contact your sales rep.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009, Virtualization Practice Analyst[/url]
Now Available: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]

[BoneTrader]

well you can add USB devices to a VM Hosted on an ESX/ESXi, the only thing you need to realise it is a LAN to USB Adapter so you can map the USB Ports to your VM -> works great, but I never tried it with a DVD burner, but i think it should also work

Greetings Bone

[Jason404]

I did not know that ESXi had any USB support. When was this added? After 3.5 U3?

Has anybody here got a DVD burner to work using this USB support?

[BoneTrader]

you missunderstood me, ESX/ESXi has NO USB Support in the meaning of "you can Plug the stuff on your server" -> ´cause there is no driver support

BUT! *tada"

for example....

you have a ESX/ESXi and you want to use USB in your VMs so you have the option that you can use a USB to LAN Adapter to map them into your VMs (so for the VM it is like youre plugin it directly into the server)

I hope my crapy English is good enough to explain this

Greetings from Germany

[pcwitchdr]

I got it working but there were a few things to watch for.

Firstly, ESXi 4.0 didn't recognise my PATA DVD writer (because it didn't recognise my chipset) so I replaced it with a SATA one. That was recognised fine.

Secondly, don't add it as an IDE device to the VM, add it as a SCSI device.

Lastly, the software seems to make a difference. When I used UltraISO to burn it worked the very first time but thereafter appeared to work fine the but the disks weren't written and verifying hung. I replaced the software with Nero Burning ROM and it's working great now.