PANIC: Failed to find HD boot partition

[Webby_]

I have a new dell 2900 with esxi embedded. I wanted to test with expanding arunning RAID 5 by adding a disk. In my attempts i seem to have broken VMWare and Dell doesn't gives support on software (even though they sell it pre-installed). I booted with a DRDOS burned cd with Nero 7 to see if i could update the PERC6i BIOS. But i forgot to burn cdrom drivers. so i rebooted the machine doing nothing but booting it in DRDOS and enabled the DRAC card to see if that might give me something. Then the server booted further and ESXi started. Everything loads fine till the last bit, then i get the "PANIC: Failed to find HD boot partition".

Is there a way to reset ESXi to factory default since i can't get into it anymore, that might resolve my problem?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

So is ESX booting to the point when you can see the F2 - Customize Sytem option / System Info screen? Did you get a recovery CD with your system?

[Webby_]

No it stops right before the F2 screen. Then i get the Falied to find HD boot partition, even though it's embedded esxi which should boot even without a hd. I do have a Vmware Infrastructure Install disc, but not a restore.

[Webby_]

The dvd box did contain a second disk to restore the system. Only it is unlicensed now and i don't know my license. Also i see a lot less options under configuration - health status. Anyone experienced in dell vm systems?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

I haven't dealt with Dell's recovery CD, but it appears that the recovery image was perhaps the vanilla VMware image and not the one containing Dell's CIM providers. I would contact Dell support and get some clarification on what's on the recovery CD.

[Webby_]

It was the update, everyting is ok now except for the license. I never found one in the box so i contacted dell. They informed me that the license is embedded in the first install. So apparently i lost it forever now, that's to bad for such an expensive standard license + support. I'm working on this now with dell ...

[Dave_Mishchenko]

We've purchased licensing for ESX throught Dell and it ends up on the VMware licensing site. Might be worth checking there.

[Webby_]

I found out that you have to put them on that page yourself. But if you lost them before that Dell has a "partner activation code replacement acknoledgement form". Only i had to speak to more then 10 persons before they found it. My account manager with Dell took alot of effort and found this solutions for me now.

So if you get a new dell server with a vmware infrastructure license and embedded esxi on a usb stick, first connect to your server with infrastructure client or look your serial number up at the console and register them at http://www.vmware.com/code/dell since this is the only exception (esxi embedded usb) on getting a license card.

[benny_hauk]

So if you get a new dell server with a vmware infrastructure license and embedded esxi on a usb stick, first connect to your server with infrastructure client or look your serial number up at the console and register them at http://www.vmware.com/code/dell since this is the only exception (esxi embedded usb) on getting a license card.

... Or write down the code when you first install it