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amurph
Contributor
Contributor

esx 3.5 upgrade problem

I am attempting to upgrade some 3.0.2 hosts to 3.5. I have enountered the following problem:

After media test, I get the following error:

an unhandled exception has occurred. This is most likely a big. Please copy the full text of this exception then contact VMware Support at http://www.vmware.com/support/ Traceback (most recent call last): File "/usr/bin/anaconda", line 1079, in ? intf .run(id, dispatch, configFileData) File "/usr/lib/anaconda/text.py", line 445, in run exec s File "<string>", line 1, in ? ImportError: cannot import name WelcomeWindow

At this point, I lose all keyboard input (IBM LS20 blade), so I use the blade center managmement console to reboot the blade. Still no keyboard input at all, can't F-12 to get to boot device options. Get to main ESX console screen and the following is shown in red: 0:00:01:46.992 cpu0:1024)VMNIX: <0>scsi: device set offline - not ready or command retry failed after bus reset: host 5 channel 0 id 0 lun 0

The host IS working just fine and hosting VM's. I can perform all the usual tasks in VC, I can open a vi client session, I can ssh into the host, etc. I just have no keyboard input through the IBM management console.

So I have another host running 3.0, and I try the upgrade on it. Identical hardware. I have the same exact problem.

Um....what? I'm not even DOING anything here, the upgrade is failing before I even get to select any options, and everything is 100% fine before I begin the upgrade. So I don't think I'm changing anything at all here. VMware support said that the problem is because the host is seeing more than 128 luns and to disconnect the FC hba and then reboot, but we don't even have 128 luns total, let alone that the host can see. I'm not at the site, so I can't disconnect the hba myself, and I haven't been able to get in touch with someone over there to do it for me so maybe that's the fix. But I thought I'd get the communities input on it as well.

So, like, what's wrong with my hosts?

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RParker
Immortal
Immortal

Did you try the upgrade via the console, and not the CD?

That will just upgrade the host, skip the formalities, and after a reboot it should come up. I would do this AFTER you move OFF ALL the VM's first.

Then there is always a reinstall of ESX. A new install is preferable to an upgrade, just because of problems like this. During the install, make sure you preserve the existing VMFS volumes, and it will do a clean install and keep your VM volumes, that's the best.

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amurph
Contributor
Contributor

Did you try the upgrade via the console, and not the CD[/quote]

unless I'm misunderstanding you....I dl'd the 3.5 iso from vmware, and mounted it as a cd through the console. I've also used a cd emulation tool on my pc and mounted the iso through that, and then directed that emulated drive to the console, AND I have burned the iso to a disk and then pointed the console to that physical disk. No difference with any of these.

Then there is always a reinstall of ESX. A new install is preferable to an upgrade, just because of problems like this. During the install, make sure you preserve the existing VMFS volumes, and it will do a clean install and keep your VM volumes, that's the best[/quote]

it doesn't matter in this case. All I had done to this point was boot the host from the CD. The only thing I could do was scan the media, which said it was fine. After that I get the error and now I have the error message I mention above and no keyboard.

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