ESX Installation options

[gnetaneli]

Hello,

Can anyone tell me if there is any switch that I can use when installing ESX 3, to disable the automatic opening of the CDrom?

I am trying to run a few ESX installations on an IBM BladeCenter that is located in a remote location and I would like to avoid traveling to the data center to push the CDrom back in.

Your help is greatly appreciated.

Guy

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Not sure about a switch for this, but you could use the Remote Control option in your bladecenter to install it. You could either run the remote control window from a physical server that has the USB drive attached to it, or do the same with a VM that has the ESX install ISO attached to it. It's a bit slower, but it'll do the job.

[gnetaneli]

I'm not sure I understand your resolution.

The problem I have is that the cdrom tray is opened at the end of the ESX installation, which means that I need to drive to the data center to push it back in.

Can you provide more detail on how your suggestion resolves this issue?

Thank you in advance,

Guy

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Do you have any non ESX blades in the same bladecenter?

If so, you could assign the media tray to that blade, open a session on that blade and then connect to management web site for the bladecenter. Then open a remote control session to the blade on which you want to install ESX. Before you power on the ESX blade, use the remote disk panel to map the CD-rom of the blade that owns the media tray to the blade that you'll install ESX on. Then when you power on the ESX blade the CD-rom will be recognized and you can run the install.

So blade1 (running Windows or other) gets the media tray assigned to it. On blade 1 you open a web browser and connect to the management module. Then you open a remote control session to blade 2 on which you want to install ESX. When you power on blade 2 the install runs but can't pop out the CD rom and it is a mapped via the remote control session.

You can do the same with an existing VM if you map an ESX install ISO to the CD-rom for the VM and then connect to the management web site from the VM.

[gnetaneli]

That's a great idea.

I will try it right away and update this thread once I'm done.

Thank you very much for your help.

Guy

[cshenberger]

Physically tape the CD drive shut on the bladecenter. not a pretty solution but it works. That is how we accomplished this task in the virtual infrastructure class. That way when the blade center tells the CD drive to eject it tries and then ultimately stays closed