free esx and cdrom

[GoodMorningDave]

So I download the free ESX, made a cd, and then made the host. Next using the client, created a virtual machine on the host. Problem

We can not get the VM to boot the OS cd, is that by design in the free version? Will the free version only work with an iso? I asked a vendor using 30 vm's and ESX - he just said yes it should boot up.

I went in to the bios of the vm and set it to boot cd, hd, network. However it only boots from the network.

Why won't the vm on the ESX boot the cd?

[Dave_Mishchenko]

Your post has been moved to the ESXi forum

Dave Mishchenko

VMware Communities User Moderator

[jasonlitka]

You need to connect the physical drive to the VM. If you edit the VM properties for the optical drive there will be a pair of checkboxes in the upper-right, one that says "connected" (which is only available if the VM is running) and another that says "connected at boot" which does exactly what it sounds like.

Jason Litka

[abufa]

I have two ESXi and they can't boot from host cd. I tested a lot of options, but nothing.

I use the boot from isos or the cd of the computer where I execute de Viclient. That's works ok.

[jasonlitka]

When using a client device I usually have to check "Emulate IDE" rather than "Passthrough IDE".

Jason Litka

[K-MaC]

Hey GoodMorningDave, I am going to assume your host is a Dell machine. There are known issues with using the cdrom from within the host on a dell machine. I searched the site and found this thread. Basically the fix in the thread may or may not work for you. It changes the cdrom to scsi, however by doing this you will still not be able to use the cdrom as a bootable device. I would suggest using ISO's as they are easier to use if you have the extra space. Especially if your server is not psyhically close to you as is my situation.

http://communities.vmware.com/message/905274#905274

Please follow the instructions below information on how to upload ISO's to your ESXi server. After you have uploaded the files you can select to have the ISO boot as a cdrom device in your guest.

Right click on your datastore and select browse. A new window will pop up and you can create folders and manage the files on your datastore. The little button that looks like 3 harddrive platters with an up arrow on them is what you press to upload your files.

Cheers

Kevin

[GoodMorningDave]

There's no browse option on the datastore.

[jasonlitka]

Double-click it.

Jason Litka

[GoodMorningDave]

Nada.

localhost

->vm1

[GoodMorningDave]

screen shot

[jasonlitka]

You're not looking at anything that shows you the datastore.

1. Open the VI Client & Log In.

2. Click your server from the list on the left.

3. Select the "Configuration" tab

4. Click "Storage"

5. Right-click on the name of your datastore and select "Browse Datastore".

Jason Litka

[GoodMorningDave]

Thanks. I have it going now. My last question is it appears ESX is using one drive of the hardware RAID1 because one drive shows decreased space while the other is unchanged.

Is this a Dell issue as well?

[jasonlitka]

Sounds like you have a 'fakeraid' controller (Intel ICHxR, Highpoint everything, etc.), not a hardware controller (Adaptec, LSI, 3Ware, etc.); ESX/ESXi doesn't support those and the drives as a part of the RAID set you configured would be shown to ESXi as two separate drives.

Jason Litka

[GoodMorningDave]

So the onboard RAID controller is not a RAID controller.:0

That's wonderful.

[jasonlitka · Accepted solution]

If you've configured it for a RAID 1 set but ESX is showing it as two separate drives then yes, it is a 'fakeraid' controller and requires OS support (read: Windows) for the RAID functionality.

Jason Litka

[GoodMorningDave]

OK so I installed a LSI 4 port RAID controller and but of course the installer can not find it.

Is there tip/trick to have the installer see it?

[JMills]

Which specific LSI Logic RAID controller are you using?

J

OK so I installed a LSI 4 port RAID controller and but of course the installer can not find it.

Is there tip/trick to have the installer see it?

[GoodMorningDave]

LSI 8204XLP, 4 port sata raid 0,1,5.

[JMills]

LSI 8204XLP, 4 port sata raid 0,1,5.

To my knowledge that controller (LSI Logic 8204 and 8208) doesn't have a driver available (I did a decent amount of digging internally).

The MegaRAID 150-4 and 150-6 controllers should still work, but I don't personally have access to one to confirm that it continues to work in ESXi 3.5.0u2

[GoodMorningDave]

Thanks. All the servers use those cards so I tried an Adaptec. That worked, no surpise there. So ESXi is free but the VMI client isn't? It's say it's an eval and expires in 58 days.

I guess I have that long to decide.

Thanks for the help.