In the actual ESX3i U2 release (Build 110271) I was unable to attach a local SATA datastore to my notebook.
Looking inside the pci.ids file I could only find the Mobile SATA IDE Controller (ICH8M) string.
I went into the BIOS and changed the SATA mode from compatible to AHCI.
With lspci -p I identified the missing vendor/device ID and after inserting
2829 Mobile SATA AHCI Controller (ICH8M) into pci.ids and
8086:2829 0000:0000 storage ahci into simple.map every thing worked as expected.
Can you dev guys confirm this and consider it in the next patch release?
Thx
There are quite a view PCI IDs "missing" from the ESXi installer. Only VMware can say how many of these are intentional and how many are purposely left out, but they definitely have a small set of hardware supported in ESXi. There are quite a few controllers like this that require modifications to the simple.map file in order for ESXi to detect them correctly.
It is not "missing". It was most likely not tested, therefore is not supported, so it was not put there.
Hi Peter,
is there any timeline or roadmap for inclusion?
I don't know, I do not work for VMware. Maybe one of VMware employees reading those posts can comment on that.
Try a post here for requesting inclusion - Requests for unsupported hardware - http://communities.vmware.com/message/947521#947521
If you have a chance to try it, could you test this method to install ESXi onto the controller when it is in IDE mode? http://www.vm-help.com/esx/esx3i/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive/ESXi_install_to_IDE_drive.php
Try a post here for requesting inclusion - Requests for unsupported hardware - http://communities.vmware.com/message/947521#947521
It does not seem to be taken seriously. No regular VMware employee commenting on progress of any request of that kind.
<sarcasm>Shocking...</sarcasm>
Neither does the Suggestions forum for product suggestions, for that matter, and yet I still hope that VMware will lend an ear to my plea for a Linux VI Client...