Mass Bios Update?

[13erla]

i have about 100 VMs that are all win 2k3 or 2k. that are currently not setup to boot off CD first.

is there a way to modify a file per VM to update the bios without having to reboot?

[DFATAnt]

The NVRAM file located with the VMs files holds the BIOS information.

I have a default NVRAM file that use for all my guest VMs that contains the boot order. When I build a guest VM, I use a script file to create the VM and call the NVRAM file "default.nvram" of which I copy into the folder containing the guest VMs files.

If I need to update the NVRAM file, I would be able to copy the updated file to all my guest VMs.

When you use VirtualCenter to create a guest VM, the NVRAM file is generally called hostname.nvram (with hostname being the name of the guest VM).

You could edit the .vmx file to reference a generically named nvram file and then copy the generic nvram file in to the folder containing the guest VMs files. Alternatively you could create a generic nvram file and copy it over each of the guest VMs nvram file (and this is something you could script).

I hope this helps.

Ant

[grasshopper]

or, you can simply delete all the existing nvram files. A new one is created upon powering up the VM. This assumes that you don't have settings you want such as disabling com/serial/parallel.

Even after this, you still only get one shot at catching the ISO upon powerup. After the first powerup, the CD option is moved back down.

I don't think you can avoid the reboot/powercycle. Whatever you determine test it in dev first.

BTW, what is your objective?

[DFATAnt]

My default.nvram file that I use as a template for all my guest VMs is setup as follows:

1. Network PXE boot

2. CDROM Boot

3. Floppy Disk boot

4. Hard Disk boot

This stays the same everytime I boot up (we use Microsoft ADS to deploy and manage our Windows servers and requires Network boot for the ADS agent) and it works very well.

Ant

[13erla]

ok so can i make changes to the nvram file when the server is running? or does a reboot still need to take place. i plan to test this in Dev. but wondered if anyone has already done this.

i'd like to get all my vms to a

cd

floppy

hd

networkboot

boot order.. without having to reboot and trying to catch the bios.

[DFATAnt]

I've done a test in my DEV lab and was able to overwrite the nvram file while the guest VM was running.

Obviously the nvram file will not take effect until a reboot has been done.

Ant

[stvkpln]

I've done a test in my DEV lab and was able to

overwrite the nvram file while the guest VM was

running.

Obviously the nvram file will not take effect until a

reboot has been done.

In my experience, the VM needs to be powered down to (properly) overwrite the nvram file and update with settings you need. Last time we tried to do this without powering down (i.e. copying while the VM was online, then powering down and back on to test), it didn't work, and we ended up powering the vm down, waiting a minute or so to make sure all was cleanly down, then copying over the file and powering back up....

[DFATAnt]

I should have mentioned that the nvram file I used to copy was the default one that I use when I create my guest VMs, so they were both setup with the same configurations.

I should have done some more thorough testing.

Ant

[djovic]

Hi All,

in addition to the thoughts beeing brought up here, I have a Question:

Does anybody have an idea of how to use an adapted nvram file for each newly created VM?

The goal would be that any new VM that we create in VC always does the boot from Network first.

Is there a way to run a script each time a VM has been created (not from template)

(VI3, VC2.0.2)