Add a PCI Express parallel to a new ESX 4 host

[LeftTurn22]

Hello there,

I have built a new ESX 4 Update 1 host and performed a test P2V conversion of an old 2003 physical box before performing the final conversion and then shutdown the old box.

The old 2003 physical box has a parallel dongle connected to its onboard parallel port used to run an application that looks to a dongle attached to the parallel port, while the lab ESX host does not have any onboard parallel port.

I have then added a PCI Express single-port parallel card to the ESX host compatible with Linux Kernel 2.6.x (http://www.lindy.it/shop/showProductDetail.do?orderNumber=51246&source=search), but when I try to pass the pysical parallel port to the Virtual Machine the option to "Use Physical Parallel Port Grayed Out" is still grayed out.

Do I have to provide ESX with additional drivers ?

How can I check whether ESX has properly recognized and installed the PCI Express card I have added ?

Thank you and have a great day.

Regads,

Massimiliano

[Linjo]

This will probably not work, the only possibility would be to use VMDirectPath to get the card directly into the VM.

It requires that the hardware supports VT-D and some other things, have a look here howto do it: http://vm-help.com/esx40i/VMDirectPath/USB_Setup.php

But I think your best bet would be to contact the software vendor and ask for a version that does not require dongle. (And tell them that we are past 1995...

Best regards,

Linjo

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[Dirtbagg]

That would be nice if the Business unit wants to spend the money, but mine does not. Hopefully we can get the parallel port card to work.