Hey everyone:
I'm running ESXi 3.5 Update 3 on a Sun Fire X2250 w/ 2 datastores.
I've noticed that everytime I create a new Virtual Machine and "boot" the VM it trys to boot using the Intel PXE ROM.
Now, I use .ISO images that are on my local machine. By the time I click "Connect CD/DVD 1" browse to the .ISO and select it --- the VM has already skipped that device and is trying to use the PXE boot.
I've attached a screenshot.
Here's the question: How can I make sure that the VM I'm booting up boots from an .ISO on my local machine - without clicking the "Connect CD/DVD 1" button (I've managed to successfully get it going once or twice but it's like a video game, you only have a few seconds to click - browse - select!)
Thanks!!
What I'll usually do is edit the VM, go to advanced settings \ boot options and set a 5000 ms boot delay. That'll give me the time I need to press the option to select a boot device. Then I power on the VM and select the option to select a boot device. Once I'm on that screen, I'll connect to my client side ISO image and then resume the boot process by selecting the CD option.
The VM will re-start the POST sequence at any time (including during the PXE search or when the "Operating System not found" is displayed) by sending it a Ctrl-Alt-Del (either from the "VM" menu or by clicking in the VM and hitting Ctrl-Alt-Ins), and that sequence does not cause the client-connected CD/DVD to disconnect. So what I do is just start up the VM, and connect the CD/DVD normally. As soon as I get it connected I send the VM a Ctrl-Alt-Del which causes it to restart the boot process, it now finds the conencted CD/DVD and off we go.
Great, thanks for your replies!
I'll try both methods...
And one more method that works.... you can edit the settings of the VM to boot the VM into the BIOS at next start-up - once in the BIOS connect the CD/DVD. To be honest - the method I always use is what Dave mentioned - change the boot delay.