atapi-cdrom to cdrom-raw

[InfraConsultant]

Hello, I have a DVDRW drive on my ESX3 host that gets detected as a "NECVMWARE CDR10" driver in a VM. I've attempted to convert this from atapi-cdrom to cdrom-raw by modifing the VMX file but when I start the VM the setting resets back to atapi.

Question: Why does the VMX file revert back when the VM is powered on?

Thanks

VMX FILE:

#!/usr/bin/vmware

config.version = "8"

virtualHW.version = "4"

floppy0.present = "true"

nvram = "apserver.nvram"

powerType.powerOff = "soft"

powerType.powerOn = "default"

powerType.suspend = "hard"

powerType.reset = "soft"

displayName = "apserver"

extendedConfigFile = "apserver.vmxf"

numvcpus = "4"

scsi0.present = "true"

scsi0.sharedBus = "none"

scsi0.virtualDev = "lsilogic"

memsize = "1024"

scsi0:0.present = "true"

scsi0:0.fileName = "apserver.vmdk"

scsi0:0.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

ide0:0.present = "false"

ide1:0.present = "true"

ide1:0.fileName = "/dev/cdrom"

ide1:0.deviceType = "atapi-cdrom" I set this to "cdrom-raw"

ide1:0.startConnected = "TRUE"

floppy0.startConnected = "false"

floppy0.fileName = "/dev/fd0"

floppy0.clientDevice = "true"

ethernet0.present = "true"

ethernet0.allowGuestConnectionControl = "false"

ethernet0.networkName = "Virtual Machine Network"

ethernet0.addressType = "vpx"

ethernet0.generatedAddress = "00:50:56:a2:45:f6"

guestOS = "winnetstandard"

uuid.bios = "50 22 37 a7 06 91 e1 e3-b2 2d 01 54 9b c8 0f 86"

log.fileName = "vmware.log"

sched.cpu.min = "0"

sched.cpu.max = "43304"

sched.cpu.units = "mhz"

sched.cpu.shares = "8862"

sched.mem.minsize = "0"

sched.mem.shares = "1024"

toolScripts.afterPowerOn = "true"

toolScripts.afterResume = "true"

toolScripts.beforeSuspend = "true"

toolScripts.beforePowerOff = "true"

scsi0:0.redo = ""

tools.syncTime = "FALSE"

vmware.tools.requiredversion = "7202"

sched.mem.max = "1024"

uuid.location = "56 4d 37 fc e1 36 f6 dd-7b cd 7d d4 29 f8 d1 ca"

migrate.hostlog = "./apserver-14ee63fe.hlog"

sched.swap.derivedName = "/vmfs/volumes/46b8976e-73999b88-fa5b-001a4bbe0a2a/apserver/apserver-14ee63fe.vswp"

scsi0:1.present = "true"

scsi0:1.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/46b89835-c47cc992-a29d-001a4bbe0a2a/apserver/apserver.vmdk"

scsi0:1.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

scsi0:2.present = "true"

scsi0:2.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/46fa4ef9-0a0cb544-88df-001a4bbe0a2a/apserver/apserver.vmdk"

scsi0:2.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

scsi0:3.present = "true"

scsi0:3.fileName = "/vmfs/volumes/46efaa0c-18c0230b-2dc2-001a4bbe0a2a/apserver/apserver.vmdk"

scsi0:3.deviceType = "scsi-hardDisk"

scsi0:1.redo = ""

scsi0:2.redo = ""

scsi0:3.redo = ""

[continuum · Accepted solution]

>

Question: Why does the VMX file revert back when the VM is powered on?

Simply because you can not edit a vmx file while it is in use.

Shutdown that VM, close that Window, remove from inventory or what ever fits your VMware-version.

Only then you can edit the vmx.

[InfraConsultant]

Thanks, that worked and the VMX file no longer reverts back. Unfortunatly, even with CDROM-RAW configured the driver still gets picked up as NECVMWar and is not recognized as a CDRW/DVDRW drive.

Its a DL585G2 server and no other driver is available on HP's website.

[jlanders]

InfraConsultant,

You can't use a driver from a vendor's web site because the hardware emulated in the guest is virtual, not the physical device.

At any rate, raw mode is only supported for remote CDROM devices.

Sorry,

Joe

[InfraConsultant]

OK, I misunderstood what raw mode does. I hoped the VM would detect the host DVDRW as the true nonvirtual device in raw mode and load the correct driver. So if I want to utilize the DVDRW in the ESX host I'll have to install burning software for Linux.

THanks for the help

[jlanders]

InfraConsultant,

I guess it's a little confusing because we have RDM's (raw device mapping), which only applies to VMFS. What you're really looking for is pass-thru capability. This is only supported on remote CDROM devices. You can use this feature to burn a DVDRW inside a guest on a drive connected to host where you are running VC or VI Client. It will probably be more convenient, since you don't have to have physical access to the ESX server.

Joe