Hi - I've seen this type of question asked before but I'm damned if I can figure things out from things that have been posted. I'm using a Dell R710 server with ESXi 5.0
I added 6 USB Controllers to my hosts DirectPath I/O Configuration and now I want to remove them. None are assigned to any virtual machine. I edit the directpath devices and uncheck all of them, I get them marked with the red arrow with notes saying that I need a reboot to complete the changes. At this point my /etc/vmware/esx.conf file has been updated to reflect the removal of the devices (all references to the controllers are gone) yet on a reboot they are all back enabled in my DirectPath I/O Configuration and the esx.conf file. This seems it should be so simple - what am I missing?
-mick
To answer my own question, the issue starts with the fact that my VMware image is loaded to an internal USB based solid state drive. Assigning all my USB controllers to directpath meant that the USB controller associated with the VMware image became inaccessible for any write backs thus my attempts to reverse the directpath config was futile as the changes were not being saved. A reload of VMWare was required and allowed me to test exactly how the 6 VMware USB device names matched up to physical USB ports. Not surprisingly, after figuring this out I now see google posts of others falling into this exact hole.
-mick
*sigh*
Damn! Did exactly the same thing.
I just did this on a production box. I'm really reticent to reload ESXi and then have to reregister all the VM guests on the box. That'd be a nightmare.
There has to be a way of manually disabling the passthrough via the config files on the USB stick (or other USB drive that you boot from)? Any suggestions?
Thank f#$ck I can still start the VM's even though the Esxi boot isn't writeable any more - or it'd be a LONG night.
OK. Fixed it.
So for anyone else with the drama....
Had to do this all remotely ---
Create a new VM, boot Linux on it.
As you have "passedthrough" all the USB and screwed yourself over by ESXi no longer being able to access its own boot drive, you'll notice that the guest linux you have just started should have access to the USB controller and USB boot drive.
Mount it -- on mine it was partition 5 (ESXi 5.X uses GPT/EFI partitions)
You should find a file called state.tgz --- pull the file out... unpack it... It'll contain one file called local.tgz, unpack local.tgz.
Inside there, you'll find esx.conf; this contains the passthru lines which need fixing. You fix them then carefully repack the whole thing back the way it was, and write it to the USB (overwriting state.tgz) -- reboot and you'll be good.
Here's further instructions
http://www.vm-help.com/esx40i/VMDirectPath/fix_config_issues.php#disable_boot
