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Mark_Lynch1
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Can I undo DirectPath I/O Config - added USB controllers by mistake - boot from USB memory stick

I'm made a mistake on my production server and marked the two USB controllers on the motherboard as "DirectPath I/O" and can't seem to remove that setting because I'm also booting from a USB memory stick inside the server that I believe is connected to one of those controllers.


I've tried unchecking them, tried to look at the memory stick in a Win computer, but the files don't appear to be editable.

I could document the entire config and reinstall, scratch, 5.5 or 6.5 and then rebuild the networks and import the VM's, but, I would rather just remove the two check's that enabled Direct I/O on those controllers.

Any help?

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TheBobkin
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Hello,

Unfortunately it looks like you have got binded in a 'chicken-before-egg' situation there:

"Cause:

This issue occurs when you boot the ESXi host from a USB device or a SD card and the image is loaded to the memory which includes the esx.conf file. When you enable the USB controller for passthrough, all USB devices are invisible to the kernel. When you deselect the USB controllers from the passthrough list, the change saves to the esx.conf file. The esx.conf file is in the memory during ESXi uptime and when you issue the reboot command, the esx.conf is saved back to the USB device. In this case, the kernel cannot see any USB devices, so the configuration change does not get saved."

Workaround is to re-image the install or use a different USB port (and not set DirectPath I/O on this):

https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2068645

You may be able to edit the esxi.conf on perform a few other steps as per this thread:

https://communities.vmware.com/thread/395625?start=0&tstart=0

(Though I am unaware if /sbin/autobackup.sh still exists as per this fix)

Bob

-o- If you found this comment useful or answer please select as 'Answer' and/or click the 'Helpful' button ,please ask follow-up questions if you have any -o-

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TheBobkin
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Hello,

Unfortunately it looks like you have got binded in a 'chicken-before-egg' situation there:

"Cause:

This issue occurs when you boot the ESXi host from a USB device or a SD card and the image is loaded to the memory which includes the esx.conf file. When you enable the USB controller for passthrough, all USB devices are invisible to the kernel. When you deselect the USB controllers from the passthrough list, the change saves to the esx.conf file. The esx.conf file is in the memory during ESXi uptime and when you issue the reboot command, the esx.conf is saved back to the USB device. In this case, the kernel cannot see any USB devices, so the configuration change does not get saved."

Workaround is to re-image the install or use a different USB port (and not set DirectPath I/O on this):

https://kb.vmware.com/kb/2068645

You may be able to edit the esxi.conf on perform a few other steps as per this thread:

https://communities.vmware.com/thread/395625?start=0&tstart=0

(Though I am unaware if /sbin/autobackup.sh still exists as per this fix)

Bob

-o- If you found this comment useful or answer please select as 'Answer' and/or click the 'Helpful' button ,please ask follow-up questions if you have any -o-

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Mark_Lynch1
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Thanks - that's what I had found, that I basically need to reinstall over-top the existing. I guess now is as good a time as any to upgrade to 6.5 and use a larger memory stick instead of the 1GB SD card that Dell shipped in the server initially.

Thanks again.

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frederix1
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I recently had this problem and there is a fix for it that doesn't involve reinstalling ESXi.  Attach the USB controllers to a VM and copy a new state.tgz to the USB flash drive or SD card.

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