How to mount a CDROM in ESX4i from ILO?

[THP]

I am trying to install ESX4i Update 2 (installable version going onto internal SD cards) onto a HP BL490 blade hooking into a Flex 10 Virtual Connect module on the chassis.

The HCL states a need to install a set of drivers and provides an ISO to download them. Which I have done.

If I try to install ESX with a Blade Server Profile applied then the install fails stating that 'No compatible Network adapter found'.

If I remove the profile then I can install but if I then re-apply the profile then ESXi will fail to boot with the same error message.

As I am unable to get any true connectivity I am relying on ILO and have attempted to mount the driver ISO via ILO.

But at that point I am stumped with how to mount the cdrom into ESX so I can run the install.

The ILO attached ISO does show up under /dev/genscsi/mpx.vmhbax:x:x:x but I can't seem to get this to be accepted as a mount.

Has anyone got the command(s) I'd need to run within the unsupported console in order to get access to the ISO?

[RParker]

Has anyone got the command(s) I'd need to run within the unsupported console in order to get access to the ISO?

You can't do it. ILO much like the DRAC for DELL uses a proprietary access method, and those CD roms are visible only to special components within that ILO/DRAC interface. ESX will not see these virtual CD rom drives, they are actually attached via ILO, not the hardware of the machine.

So there is no way to get ESX to make them visible. If you want ISO access, you need to create an NFS share, and mount it to each ESX host as a datastore.

[THP]

That would explain it then.

So is there a way to attach an NFS share without having connectivity or am going to be off to the datacentre with a CD in hand?

[RParker]

So is there a way to attach an NFS share without having connectivity

No, sorry didn't see that part about no connectivity, if you can't connect ISO to the ESX host via NFS, you can upload the ISO to the ESX local datastore, but I thought you meant shared access.

Otherwise yes, you must have physical access to the host. I know that's a pain... It would be nice if we could mount ISO via the ILO, perhaps HP or DELL will work with VM Ware to make this a reality.

[rsandlan]

This is not true....

I know it's probably a bit late for the OP, but the following works fine on ilo2 on a DL580G5:

mount /dev/scd0 /mnt/cdrom

Hope this helps.