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straycatzhang
Contributor
Contributor

ESX install on MSI nvidia nforce 560 SATA raid control

Hi

I want to install esx server on my computer that is AMD Black 5000+ & MSI K9N(nvidia nforce 560 sata raid ) & 4G RAM & two ST 250 SATA RAID 1 . On ESX Server's document ESX server can install SATA HD ,but I get a error .

Can ESX Server 3.5 install on Nvidia nforce 560 Sata raid 1 ?

Thanks !

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jonhutchings
Hot Shot
Hot Shot

HI

You need to check if your SATA controller, systemboard chipset etc are on the HCL

Suggest you go here and download the compatibily guides for the version of ESX you want to install

http://www.vmware.com/resources/techresources/cat/119

for example the systems HCL for 3.5 is http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi35_systems_guide.pdf

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Dave_Mishchenko
Immortal
Immortal

Do you know which PCI id the sata controller has. I did a quick check on the MSI website and the k9n-neo v3 seems to have the (MCP65) controller. If that's the case then you might be able to install ESX by making some post install changes. What error message are you getting?

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Dunnib
Contributor
Contributor

got a question on this one as well....basically am looking to get ESX 3.5 on a Tyan GT28 which uses the nVidia NFP3600 chipset....

specs are (here ).

any help would be greatly appreciated!

thanks

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Dave_Mishchenko
Immortal
Immortal

ESX 3.5 will recognize the MCP55 SATA controller without any config chages and the manual for the MB on their website says that it has the MCP55PRO chipset, you'll have a good chance of getting this working. You might have to edit the PCI id xml files after the install as documented here - http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3.5/SATA_mounting_root_failed.html. I have a mb with the MCP61 controller (not listed below) but it's working fine.

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bards1888
Contributor
Contributor

Dave, I have an MCP61 controller on my motherboard and I'm curious how you get ESX installed on this before you modify the PCI id in the xml file ?

I'm trying to follow your http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3.5/SATA_mounting_root_failed.html instruction but the installer does not recognize my MCP61 to allow me to install. Any ideas ?

Cheers,

Brian.

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Dave_Mishchenko
Immortal
Immortal

What's the exact error that you're getting? I had a problem with an Intel board and the install saying it couldn't find a drive. The problem was actually the CD rom and I had to do an http install.

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bards1888
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks for getting back so quickly Dave. The motherboard is a gigabyte http://tw.giga-byte.com/Support/Motherboard/Utility_Model.aspx?ProductID=2507

I tried so many things to install and had many different errors. I Managed to install ESX successfully in an older MCP55 based box and then transferred the drive to the MCP61 based box. This then allowed me to get to the grub menu. Any choice from the grub menu resulted in me being dropped to a temporary shell (half way through kernel boot). This may have been because ESX was installed on '/dev/hde' on the MCP55 box and it is now on /dev/sda. I may try and build an initrd image that you mentioned in a previous post.

Some of the errors I experiences;

1) The installer is hanging at the 'Test or Skip CD' screen. This is when booting from an internal CD.

2) I'm not even getting to the 'where do you want to install from' screen.

3) the kernel is also hanging when probing the SATA ports, it does detect the drive but never moves on after that

Maybe I should just buy an intel board with an ICH9 and be done with it ? Problem is, to get 'VT' in an intel CPU costs nearly 3 times as much as the AMD CPU.

I also have an ICH8 based P965 based board and I cannot get ESX installed on that either. I would have thought that would have worked ? Maybe I should try the http install as you did. This board does say "cannot find a disk"

PCI-ID from P965;

00:1f.2 IDE interface : Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) 4 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 02)

00:1f.5 IDE interface : Intel Corporation 82801H (ICH8 Family) 2 port SATA IDE Controller (rev 02)

Cheers.

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bards1888
Contributor
Contributor

Here is where the installer hangs, if I have a sata drive attached to the MCP61.

ata1: SATA max UDMA 133 ...

ata2: SATA max UDMA 133 ...

ata1: dev 0 ATA-7 max UDMA 133 x Sectors : LBA48

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