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Vitaly91
VMware Employee
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Unable to start ESX.. Urgent.

Guys,

I am trying to boot ESX 3.5 Update 1 server. It worked fine yesterday. Then we had some hardware issues that have been resolved (server would not boot). Now server boots, gets to ESX startup, starts loading ESX and then hangs after this:

Based upon Swansea University Computer Society NET3.039

Initializing RT netlink socket

IA-32 Microcode Update Driver: v1.13 <tigran@veritas.com>

Starting kswapd

aio_setup: num_physpages = 17408

aio_setup: sizeof(struct page) = 60

Journalled Block Device driver loaded

pty: 256 Unix98 ptys configured

Serial driver version 5.05c (2001-07-08) with MANY_PORTS MULTIPORT SHARE_IRQ SERIAL_PCI enabled

Any ideas? This is VERY urgent. So any help is greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your help!

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1 Solution

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mike_laspina
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Sounds like bad memory, try swapping banks or replace it.

Clear the CMOS maybe the PCI bus is not enumerating correctly.

If all else fails throw in the install CD and run the upgrade option.

http://blog.laspina.ca/ vExpert 2009

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17 Replies
lmonaco
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Try this from debug mode:

esxcfg-boot -b

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mike_laspina
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Hello,

IRQ Sharing seems to be messing it up and it's not something you want anyway.

The quickest fix would be to disable the serial interface in BIOS so it does not detect it.

http://blog.laspina.ca/ vExpert 2009
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TCP
Enthusiast
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Did you replace any hardware on your server?

VCP3, VCP4
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Vitaly91
VMware Employee
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I cant get to debug. It hangs at the same spot regardless of wether I let it boot, let it boot in debug or let is boot in troubleshooting.

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Vitaly91
VMware Employee
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TCP, no we did not replace any hardware.

I will try to disable serial in BIOS.

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TCP
Enthusiast
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Try to start ESX server installation from the installation CD till step partitioning.

In this case you will check your hardware environment for new installation and consistence for ESX.

VCP3, VCP4
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sbeaver
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What has your hardware problem? What was changed and or fixed?

Steve Beaver

VMware Communities User Moderator

====

Co-Author of "VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center"

*Virtualization is a journey, not a project.*

Steve Beaver
VMware Communities User Moderator
VMware vExpert 2009 - 2020
VMware NSX vExpert - 2019 - 2020
====
Co-Author of "VMware ESX Essentials in the Virtual Data Center"
(ISBN:1420070274) from Auerbach
Come check out my blog: [www.virtualizationpractice.com/blog|http://www.virtualizationpractice.com/blog/]
Come follow me on twitter http://www.twitter.com/sbeaver

**The Cloud is a journey, not a project.**
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christianZ
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Have you many serial ports in your server? (Maybe com2 enabled in bios?)

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Vitaly91
VMware Employee
VMware Employee
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The hardware issue with the server was due to memory needed to be re-seated. Nothing was changed. Just fixed memory and tried to boot.

We have 2 serial ports on this box. It's Sun's x4450.

I have tried disabling serial ports in BIOS and played with IRQ settings for them. The best I could get is two more lines after what I posted above:

ttyS1 at 0x02f0 (irq=3) is 16550A

ttyS2 at 0x03e8 (irq=4) is 16550A

So I am still stuck here.

Thank you all for trying to help!

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TCP
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You are welcome!

VCP3, VCP4
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christianZ
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Have you a chance to test the hardware?

mike_laspina
Champion
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Sounds like bad memory, try swapping banks or replace it.

Clear the CMOS maybe the PCI bus is not enumerating correctly.

If all else fails throw in the install CD and run the upgrade option.

http://blog.laspina.ca/ vExpert 2009
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Vitaly91
VMware Employee
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I tried to run CD but it got stuck in the same spot. Right after you try to go into GUI mode it goes thru the same loads and gets stuck in the same spot.

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TCP
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This is 100% hardware problem.

Check your hardware environment.

VCP3, VCP4
Vitaly91
VMware Employee
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Well, I am running full hardware diagnostics on the box right now.

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mike_laspina
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Did you have chance to reset the CMOS?

http://blog.laspina.ca/ vExpert 2009
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Vitaly91
VMware Employee
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Guys,

Turned out that there was a CPU that was not locked down and when we opened the server again it was just stuck to heat sink. After locking everything down, it came up beatifully!

Thank you all SO much for your help!

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