No checksum verification on ESXi 4.0 installer

[Sancho78]

We recently had very big problems with installing ESXi 4.0 on supported hardware. I finally found out, that the burned cd had an error. Neither the burn program complained (not md5 capable programm, as there aren't many which can verify an iso burn), nor the ESXi installer itself.

As far I can tell, the whole image (tar.gz) is loaded to RAM by the boatloader and then tried to be written on the installation media. The load of this image file completes without any errors and after that the installer shows the progress of writing which hangs always on 4%. I tried three different cdroms (ide, usb, sata), none did it.

So, I really would suggest to implement an integrated md5 check on loading of this image to RAM, as this is a really hard to find brainkilling error.

Mathias

[TomHowarth]

Welcome to the forums, I am moving this post to the dedicated ESX 4i forum

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Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author for the upcoming book "[VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment|http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780136083214]”. Currently available on roughcuts

[admin]

Try to install ESXi 3.5 instead then upgrade to ESXi 4.0.

VMware-GSS,

VMware Communities User Moderator

[Sancho78]

I had tried to do the upgrade as the new ESXi 4.0 didn't want to install but encountered this message:

Unsupported boot disk /

The boot device layout on the host does not support upgrade

[admin]

ESXi 4.0 is now a 64 bit OS. Do you have the supported hardware?

VMware-GSS,

VMware Communities User Moderator

[Sancho78]

On 3.5 it was all supported. But as mentioned, my hardware isn't the problem. My ISO was md5 checked and ok, but the burned cd had errors and neither my burn programm nor the ESXi 4.0 installer detected this. So I just wanted to suggest the md5 check within the installer.

[zhangtong3910]

What's the type of your CD/DVD burner?

Try with different CD and/or burner.

[Sancho78]

Again, this is just a feature suggestion, as this is a hard to find error. So this is just for the benefit of your customers...

[TomHowarth]

What storage adaptor do you have, have you checked the HCL to check the status. a lot of hardware that was supported in 3.5 is not supported in 4.0.

If you found this or any other answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or correct buttons to award points

Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

Contributing author for the upcoming book "[VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment|http://my.safaribooksonline.com/9780136083214]”. Currently available on roughcuts