Upgrade from ESXI 5.0 to ESXI 5.5 but freezes when "Initializing ACPI"

[Keith_Ho]

Hi,

We are testing ESXi 5 to ESXi 5.5 migration. During loading the installer, it freeze "Initializing ACPI". It seem to be a lot of user facing this problem and need waiting to fix on BIOS. Unforturnately, the server does not have BIOS update since last year. I cannot see that it will have update BIOS in future.

I tested other migration plan from ESXi5

ESXi 5 -> ESXi 5.1 Updated 1 -> Patched ESXi510-201305001 -> Patched  ESXi510-201307001 -> ESXi510-201310001 (but freeze "Initializing ACPI")

ESXi 5 -> ESXi 5.5 (Freeze :Initializing ACPI")

Accoding above, it look ACPI does not support on server. I want to ask that any way to disable or without loading ACPI on ESXi? If no, it is difficult to the migrate. It is because we will plan to install Windows 2012 R2 for testing.

Hope someone to help.

thanks

Keith

[abhilashhb]

Hi Keith,

Welcome to VMware community.

Can you tell which hardware you are using?

[Keith_Ho]

HI,

Server motherboard is Intel Server Board S1200KP with 16GB memory installed. I tried to apply latest BIOS and still hang when initializing ACPI. I did to add "noACPI" and "ACPI=off" to kernalopt in boot.cfg but still have problem.

Any kernalopt to skip initializing ACPI, i think that most of people facing this problem and unable to upgrade to ESXi5.5.

And anyone know what latest patch on ESXi5.1 support Windows 2012 R2 guest install ?

thanks

Keith

[abhilashhb]

These are the only OS's that are supported on your mobo Intel� Server Board S1200KP  Tested operating systems

Most of the times when they say its not supported it will still work but some cases it will not. Why not buy a compatible hardware?

Or try 5.1?

[JarryG]

As you can see in VMware Compatibility Guide, the motherboard S1200KP is not supported. Actually, no motherboard of S1200-series is supported by ESXi 5.5 (only some are up to 5.1U1). I do not know why VMware dropped support for these entry-level server boards, but it is so...

BTW, S1200KP does not have VT-d (IOMMU virtualization). One more reason to stay away from it, if you want to use it for ESXi...