bootfromsan switch, what is the difference?

[infinitiguy]

We just bought VI3 and I picked up a ESX server book from Amazon(VMware ESX Server by Ron Oglesby and Scott Herold) and within there(and as I've seen in the forums) there is mention of a bootfromsan switch for the installation process.

I guess my question is, what difference does it make when you use it? I had already installed VI3 onto my san, before I had read about that switch, and it seems to have been fine. I'm doing another re-install now, and was just curious what exactly it'll make different during the installation if I used it.

Cheers,

-Derek

[Samcer]

Hi Derek,

I think your book is out of date (still remains a good book)

In the previous version of ESX 2.x while installing you have to specify devices for COS (consol OS) and VMkernel.

At boot the switch BOOTFROMSAN tells ESX to use the SAN instead of Local, this makes the FC HBA shared between COS & VMkernel.

Nowadays all the devices belongs to VMkernel so you install to a remote disk simply by choosing the disk.

Hope this helps

Sam

[admin]

That switch does not exist anymore

[infinitiguy]

Thats pretty much what I was looking for. I know the book I have is out of date and was written when 2.5 was out, but I bought it just because at the time(don't know if it's still true) there really weren't any books out on VI3, so I figured that most of the concepts(really all I was looking for in the book) could still hold true, and I'd use the forums to fill in the missing pieces.

I had figured it may be a antiquated switch. Thanks for confirming guys!!

[Samcer · Accepted solution]

Let's wait some time.

I know Ron, Scott & Mike will publish an updated version.

Cheers

Sam

[grasshopper]

Countdown to the VI3 book here[/url]. Not intended to be glamorous, but certainly functional.