DHCP unable to provide IP address to HP BL460C Gen 8 (AutoDeploy scenario)

[Rajat2013]

Hi,

Need urgent assistance & suggestion in fixing a issue. We are setting up a new VMware infrastructure & in process of configuring Autodeploy to boot stateless ESXi via PXE boot. In existing environment, we have HP C7000 chassis, HP 460C gen8 Blades & building VMware vsphere 5.5.

We have a dedicated DHCP server where we have defined the scope the stateless ESXi Hosts & configured all scope options as per the Autodeploy prerequisites (TFP server name defined in option 66, boot file name undionly.kpxe.vmw-hardwired in option 67. Also we have downloaded the tfp zip file, extracted & saved at the tftp root location.

On DHCP server, we have authorized the DHCP & also activated the scopes. Reservations also been defined for all the ESXi hosts in DHCP with MAC addresses.

So configuration wise, from DHCP perspective, we don't see any challenges. Now, after PXE booting the Blade Server, we are getting the error PXE-E51 'No DHCP or ProxyOffers DHCP  were received'

Just to give background, management and vmotion network has been configured as multiple network in HP virtual Connect server profile.  We have created port group of the same ESXi management vLan & tried to deploy the new blades.

Also, DHCP server & ESXi Ip address of different subnets however communication is happening fine so there is no internal vLAN routing issue. Also, for testing purposes, we reconfigured the DHCP server of same IP subnet as of ESXi hosts so that there is no separate vlan in picture & issue appeared to be the same.

Another thing, DHCP server functionality looks fine as we tested to assign one of the windows VM to get  ip address from DHCP with static reservation & that works too as well.

It seems an issue with blade. Anyone idea if there is any configuration to be done on HP BLC 460C Gen8 to PXE Boot for Autodeploy to function properly?

Your urgent inputs are appreciated....

Thanks

Rajat

[a_p_]

How are the switch ports configured. When the blade boots it sends a DHCP request without a VLAN tag, and therefore the switch port's native/default VLAN dictates the VLAN for which a DHCP lease is requested. In case the DHCP server is not in this VLAN you may also need to configure DHCP helper addresses in the switch(es).

André

[Alistar]

We have the same issue in our environment. You are most probably using LACP on the dual port 10Gb NICs - What helped us is to disable one of the ports on the switch where the blade is connected to and then it boots via DHCP just fine.

[Rajat2013]

We were able to get this fixed by going to UNDI (BIOS) of the Emulex card & then assigning the vlan id there.

Now, we have a different problem appearing, After booting the stateless ESXi through autodeploy, DHCP reservation (with mac address binded for stateless ESXis) which was configured on DHCP doesn't seem to provide the static IP to the esxi & only showing APIPA IP address (169.254.x.x)

Any clue on this?