Kickstart ignore remote disk completely

[markdjones82]

All,

  I have a kickstart file and I am trying to determine if there is a way to ensure it does not try to partition remote disks.

Would doing this option only try local?

install --firstdisk=local --overwritevmfs

[SatyS]

install --firstdisk=local --overwritevmfs

means install on the local disk and overwrite the vmfs partition on the same if any..It will not touch the remote disks.

[tomtom1]

Can I use install=remote if I need to use san boot disk ?

[SatyS]

Yea...install --firstdisk=remote will perform installation on remote disk

[jdptechnc]

I've had issues with my locally attached disks being incorrectly identified as "remote" multiple times in the past.  To make sure that I'm getting the local drives, I specify the driver for the internal controller as the --firstdisk.

install --firstdisk=mptsas

Because I'm ultra paranoid, when I'm working on a blade server that has no easy way to "unplug" the storage network from a single blade, I have a custom image created using Image Builder CLI from which I have removed the HBA drivers, so that my remote disks can't possibly be detected during ESXi installation.  Then my firstboot script will install the required driver.

[markdjones82]

SA,

Even if there is remote disks attached and there is an issue with local it will not try to hit a remote disk?  It completely ignores the remote disk?

JDP,

  I am in the same boat.  I found that on these blades my driver is ata_piix.  I am going to be testing it today.

[markdjones82]

Jpd can you show me an example of how you are installing the driver during firstboot?  I might explore this option

[jdptechnc]

I set up a web server to host my kickstart file, and used the same server to host the driver package.  I used esxcli to install it during firstboot.  After the next reboot the remote datastores should be visible assuming all the zoning, etc is already set up.

# FirstBoot Script
%firstboot --interpreter=busybox

#  Enter Maintenance Mode
vim-cmd hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter 

############################################
####### Install/Configure Drivers ##########

## Install QLogic HBA driver for FC-FCoE Adapter
esxcli software vib install -d http://x.x.x.x:8181/Drivers/vib/qla2xxx-934.5.6.0-offline_bundle-887798

[markdjones82]

cool, i didn't know you could hit a web server with the esxcli install command.  I can probably do the same, thanks!, I'll take a look

[markdjones82]

jdp, got the iso without the FC driver and that works great, but when I try to install a vib that i pulled from the offline depot i get an error saying it is looking for an xml file.

Do you have a depot created or just the vib file?

MetadataDownloadError]

Could not download from depot at http://10.x.x.x.x/ks/esx/VMware_bootbank_scsi-lpfc820_8.2.3.1-127vmw.510.0.0.799733.vib/index.xml, skipping (('http://10.100.113.231/ks/esx/VMware_bootbank_scsi-lpfc820_8.2.3.1-127vmw.510.0.0.799733.vib/index.xm...', '', '[Errno 14] HTTP Error 404: Not Found'))

        url = http://10.x.x.x/ks/esx/VMware_bootbank_scsi-lpfc820_8.2.3.1-127vmw.510.0.0.799733.vib/index.xml

[jdptechnc]

For the QLogic offilne bundle, I extracted the offline bundle .zip file to a folder.  The contents contained another .zip file.  I think in my case this is the actual offline bundle file (it contains the index.xml file and the metadata).  I extracted this second .zip file to the directory that was published on the web server.

[markdjones82]

Gotcha, I was trying to find the exact version that is in the 5.1 U1 ESXi offline bundle, but that doesn't appear to be the right kind.  I'll try to go to emulex's site and just get the newest bundle and try it. 

[markdjones82]

Ok to install the .vib instead of a depot file it is a -v.  Using your method jpd as far as removing the driver, good call!

esxcli software vib install -v http://10.x.x.x.x/ks/esx/VMware_bootbank_scsi-lpfc820_8.2.3.1-127vmw.510.0.0.799733.vib

Installation Result

   Message: The update completed successfully, but the system needs to be rebooted for the changes to be effective.

   Reboot Required: true

   VIBs Installed: VMware_bootbank_scsi-lpfc820_8.2.3.1-127vmw.510.0.0.799733

   VIBs Removed:

   VIBs Skipped: