Unable to install ESXi 4.x on HP ML150G6

[danmagli]

ESXi 4.0 and ESXi4.1 fail to install on my ML150G server. ESXi 4.1 claims there is no free space on disk. ESXi 4.0 goes one step further in the install process but then gives back a Fatal Error Message: Unable to write image to the selected disk.

The ESXi 4.0 CD I used sucessfully befor, for the ESXi 4.1 ISO I checked the MD5 which is ok.

I have a SAP410 controller with a newly updated firmware 3.5. 4 disks with 1TB setup as raid5 =3TB. Server BIOS is V021, 07/06/2009.

A test installion of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS did work fine on the same machine.

Thanks for any help.

Daniel.

[golddiggie]

Try installing to an USB flash drive (2-8GB in size) so that you can bypass the hard drives (and controller) inside the host... You could also try making a pair of drives mirrored so that you're volume is smaller (this could be the issue)... It could also be the RAID controller you're using really isn't compatible (I find no entry for 'SAP410' on the VMware HCL)...

I've never installed onto anything over 146GB for ESX/ESXi (typically a pair of mirrored high RPM SAS drives)... Typically, in production environments I've worked in, VM's were stored on SAN's, not on the host themselves. We always purchased the smallest drives inside the hosts, so that no one would be tempted (later) to migrate VM's to those drives. Even in my home lab I follow this example with ESXi installed onto a pair of mirrored 146GB SAS drives.

VMware VCP4

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[a_p_ · Accepted solution]

This may be a disk/logical volume size issue with the disk being larger than 2TB.

Run the ACU (Array Configuration Utility) from the SmartStart/Easy Setup CD and split the RAID into multiple smaller logical volumes (max. 2TB-512Bytes).

BTW: I assume you mean the P410 controller and I hope you have one with BBWC (for performance).

André

[danmagli]

Following your recommendation I configered a 146GB raid volume. The ESXi installed now with no problems.

With SAP410 I meant the HP Smart Array P410.

Thanks a lot. Rgds, Daniel.

[danmagli]

cc answer to golddigie. thx, Daniel.