Update to esxi 4 from 3.5 - "Unsupported boot disk: The boot device layout on the host does not support upgrade."

[simo79]

I want to update my esx 3.5 to the version 4.0

I have find this link http://technodrone.blogspot.com/2009/05/esx3i-to-esx4i-update.html but when the"host compatibility check" run I received this error:

"ERROR: Unsupported boot disk" The boot device layout on the host does not support upgrade.

What can I do to resolve this problem?

Thank you

[DSTAVERT]

What is the hardware you are trying to upgrade. Is it on the hardware compatibility list. There are a lot of servers, devices that are no longer supported.

[AndreTheGiant]

Have a look at:

Andre

**if you found this or any other answer useful please consider allocating points for helpful or correct answers

[Texiwill]

Hello,

In general a 'reinstall' will fix this problem. Most likely there is an issue in how much disk space is currently available for the various components of ESXi 4 compared to 3.5i. With a major upgrade like this. reinstallation is recommended.

Best regards, Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009
Now Available on Rough-Cuts: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment'[/url]
Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'[/url]
[url=http://www.astroarch.com/wiki/index.php/Blog_Roll]SearchVMware Pro[/url]|Blue Gears[/url]|Top Virtualization Security Links[/url]|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast[/url]

[sbarnhart]

A reinstall is a great idea, but only if you can preserve ~2TB of VMFS data on the local disks. It's a major nuisance if it involves backing up and restoring that data.

Is there a way to keep the 4i installer from puking on an existing VMFS filesystem?

- Shawn

VCP 40282

Texiwill wrote:Hello,

In general a 'reinstall' will fix this problem. Most likely there is an issue in how much disk space is currently available for the various components of ESXi 4 compared to 3.5i. With a major upgrade like this. reinstallation is recommended.

Best regards, Edward L. Haletky VMware Communities User Moderator, VMware vExpert 2009

Now Available on Rough-Cuts: 'VMware vSphere(TM) and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment'

Also available 'VMWare ESX Server in the Enterprise'

SearchVMware Pro|Blue Gears|Top Virtualization Security Links|Virtualization Security Round Table Podcast

[krishnaprasad]

This is a known issue and the issue is because of a different partition layout in ESXi 3.5 but the upgrade zip file expects the partition start and end blocks in a particular format.

I overheard from some where that 4.0 U1 will fix this. I think the same is documented in VMware release notes of ESXi 4.0.

[DSTAVERT]

My personal preference is install to a USB stick. You don't risk overwriting anything. Any future install/upgrade issues involve pulling out the USB stick and replacing it. Restore the configuration and away you go.

[dmiklus]

Hi! I have the same problem!

Now I plan to reinstall from beginning.

I have only one question. It is possible to import in Esxi 4.0 the configuration backup of Esxi 3.5 and then the VM?

I have create a backup with VMWARE VI REMOTE CLI.

Best Regards

David

[DSTAVERT]

You should always post your own question to a new thread. You don't mention any details about your setup.

[AlbertWT]

Can we perform ESXi 4 USB install on a new baremetal server and then replace the broken USB key with the new one after resetting in the Yellow console ?

(attaching that new USB stick into the existing host which has a local VMFS datastore with VM and SAN connection ?)

Kind Regards,

AWT

[DSTAVERT]

I regularly move USB keys back and forth between ESX and ESXi in 3.5 and 4 in my testing environment. At least in my testing environment it works well. Adding an ESXi USB key to an ESX install picks up the ESX VMFS volume. Moving between 3.5 and 4 just works. A fresh USB stick is a perfect upgrade. Absolutely no possibility of overwriting the VMFS. Easy to switch back if you have a problem with supported hardware etc. Use the cli tools to backup your configs to a shared datastore and restore quickly.

In production I keep several USB sticks ready to go in both versions.

[AlbertWT]

Thanks for the explanation Mr. Stavert,

Is this the tool that you mean ? http://vmwaretips.com/wp/2009/10/12/before-host-profiles-there-was-vicfg-cfgbackuppl/ ?

Kind Regards,

AWT

[DSTAVERT]

David works better than Mr Stavert

Yes that tool will backup and restore the configuration. It is a part of the VMA appliance or the rcli tools from the vmware website.

[AlbertWT]

Great, I shall download that perl script from the web or if i can't get it then I'll get vMA appliance deployed first.

Cheers.

Kind Regards,

AWT

[DSTAVERT]

That script is part of the vMA appliance

[johnswb]

I'm getting the same thing. But I only have two VM's with about 40GB vmdk's at the most. The host has 38GB Free. This is another reason why I don't like ESXi in a production environment. In my testing I installed ESXi on a test box and upgraded it with Update Manager with no problems. The hardware is different but that shouldn't make that much difference seeing that I've installed a fresh copy ESXi 4.0 on the hardware in question. I've looked for answers and doing a fresh install is not it.

Will Johnson

VCP on VI3 / VI4 vSphere

&

2009 vEXPERT

[johnswb]

I successfully upgraded an ESXi host to 4.0 that has the same hardware and the same amount of VM's running on it. So I'm completely lost on why it would work on one and not another.

Will Johnson

VCP on VI3 / VI4 vSphere

&

2009 vEXPERT

[johnswb]

I had 3 out of four ESXi servers that I was able to update via "Update Manager". The forth one I had to do a fresh install. On a side note, I've just had the same problem with a ESX server.

Looks like the best option would be to do a fresh install. But don't get me wrong, I'm going to attempt any and all upgrade with "Update Manger" first.

Will Johnson

VCP on VI3 / VI4 vSphere

&

2009 vEXPERT