New to ESXi ESXi installation USB or local disks operation best practices?

Similar Questions

• Move the existing 5.5 ESXi installation of the HARD disk on USB.

  I need help on what would be the best approach to move my existing ESXi 5.5 install the HARD disk to the new USB.

  Then you tell your environment uses the local disk to your VM data store (s)? In addition, you want to move your partition ESXi to USB and recover the local disk space? I think if it was me, the the more safe thing to do would be to shut down the system, pull on the local drive on just enough to disable / he dethrone, insert the USB key and run ESXi installation. Then (after checking the boot order) reinstall the local disk and boot the system. Once the USB key version boots, make your configurations (DNS, NTP, license etc.) and add the data store (s) existing local drive. You can then add existing virtual machines via "navigation" of the data store (s).

• Install ESXi 4.1. the local disk does not start

  I installed ESXi 4.1 successfully. on a local disk, a HP Server 8 Gen. However, the startup fails; I see the initial ESX charger on the screen, then I get this error message

  Kernel: b.z bootUUID =...
  Loading B.z
  No specified favorite video mode.
  Module: k.z
  Loading k.z
  Module: s.z
  Loading s.z
  PANIC: Error reading from file: s.z - 3.
  boot:

  I tried to reinstall, but I get the same message

  anyone experienced this? any help would be appreciated.

  What installation image that you use (VMware or HP)? For models of Gen 8 Server, HP provides an install image updated (ESXi 4.1 Update 2) to https://h20392.www2.hp.com/portal/swdepot/displayProductInfo.do?productNumber=HPVM06

  André

• ESXi 5.0 5.0 Update 2 - best practices / backup plan

  I intend to patch my ESX cluster (2 5.0 ESXi hosts) 5.0 Update 2. Although there is no active DRS (HA only), the idea is to vmotion virtual machine from one server to another, leaving one of them every time with no VM, put it on maintenance mode and to clean up the update (already staged).

  Since all data storage are located on a Dell MD3000 DAS, that backup precautions can I take to reduce the possibility of failure? I am already back up the configuration of host for two hosts using PowerCLI, then is it necessary to back up also all virtual machines inside the DAS? If so, save only the VMDK is the way to go, or should I use a specific as vDR, Veem or similar tool? Snapshots are a secure replacement?

  The reason why I've been confused was the mention of 'DAS', which is usually refers to the storage not shared, but from what you write, I guess it's more like the storage attached to two hosts directly rather than using a network switch.

  In any case, according to the applications running in the comments, and if a backup agent is needed, an image based backup (for example, Veeam, vRanger connection,...) can usually be restored more easily and more quickly.

  André

• Local storage for ESXi - SD USB or a traditional hard drive

  We will replace our ESX host soon with new hardware and I'm on the fence about the use of a player USB SD 4 GB or traditional hard drives in a RAID. Obviously, the reader SD has its advantages, namely its speed and reliability, but is reliable enough to give up using redundant hard drives?

  As someone mentioned previously, we spend much of our time concerned with our redundant hard disks, expecting to fail. Several times the failure is related to moving parts in the drive also. SD readers have the pleasure of having no moving parts to wear out or fail. But what good are they?

  Sells the dealer that I spoke with them for 3 years and never heard of a failure. His $62 for 4 GB, so it's not a bottom of the line edit. It is designed to be in a HP DL380G7, once again, I doubt that it is a lower end model.

  I'm leaning toward the SD drive rather than traditional drives, but I wanted to get feedback from others who may have used this before configuration. I'm looking for the successes and failures (and the reason for the failure).

  4 GB is enough for installation (ESXi 4.1) and I have not any more local storage as VM is on the shared storage and the assistance as AppSpeed and esXpress VM program I can also install it on the shared storage (where in our current datacenter these are installed on the local storage). Or should I worry about this size with respect to logging or something else?

  Thanks in advance, please discuss.

  Eduard Tieseler

  I had a fight 100 ESX hosts running by USB - only questions I ever had were with the original green USB keys that HP provided in the first days of ESXi on USB.

  I like the approach of USB for several reasons:

  1. no local physical disk required, less moving parts = less material problems

  2. If you have local physical disks, you can use these as the dumping grounds for the ISOs etc.

  3. If rebuilding a server, I can remove the old USB key and press a new - and recover simply by replacing the OLD USB key

  4. I can pre-generate a USB one double key as a method of construction of servers in bulk (not tested on 4.1u1 well)

  5. I've had many many hard drive failures. . USB (except Green HP ones) have never failed on me.

  In addition, your syslog problem isn't treally a 0 - practice problem is to get servers to connect to a centralized in any case syslog box (I would even if I used not USB/SD)

  Good luck - let us know what you decide.

• USB or HDD space for new server ESXi 5.5 updated 3 current enforcement?

  Hello

  We get a new DELL server to run ESXi 5.5 update 3.

  Just find out there is an embedded version of ESXi 5.5 update 3 on a USB is connected.

  We would like to know what meaning it is best to run ESXi - USB or Local HARD disk?  I think that if she runs on the Local HARD disk, we can remote access via DRAC card.   In addition, we do not use any local HD (i.e. no VSAN) and so there is no loss if VMware runs on the HD.

  Your opinion is requested.

  
  Thank you

  Hello.

  With ESXi on USB/SD is supported by VMware, so no problem here. Remember that if you use these devices, you'd probably set the partition scratching at some storage 'persistent '. I personally use one of the data stores for all guests, I have it in one place.

  I don't understand why you assuming that through a port USB as a boot device will not provide access to DCUI via the DRAC? Boot device has no importance here...

  So, to answer your question: you

• How will I know ESXi installed on the local hard drive or usb or SAN?

  Hi all

  Here, I have IBM Storage node flex and midsize, this storewize is divided in two. I want to know where my esxi os installed? all orders to find?

  Hello

  So you can run esxcfg-info-e and you will get your startup BACK type, it will be either visor-thin (means ESXi installable, means in general you are installed on the local disk or SAN), visor-usb (ESXi embedded, usually means you are installed on USB or SD or visor-pxe to PXE deployment.)

  If you want to go further, you can run ls-lisa/dev/discs and you should be able to identify your device initialization as one with a load of partitions, as the vm1.0000xxxx entries in the result below:

  ~ # ls-lisa/dev/discs

  Total 8784623329

  4 0 drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 512 31 Mar 14:25.

  1 0 drwxr-xr-x 1 root root 512 31 Mar 14:25...

  165 3921920 - rw - 1 root root 4016046080 31 Mar 14:25 mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0

  155 4064 - rw - 1 root root 4161536 31 Mar 14:25 mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:1

  157 255984 - rw - 1 root root 262127616 31 Mar 14:25 mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:5

  159 255984 - rw - 1 root root 262127616 31 Mar 14:25 mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:6

  161 112624 - rw - 1 root root 115326976 31 Mar 14:25 mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:7

  163 292848 - rw - 1 root root 299876352 31 Mar 14:25 mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:8

  145 4389890880 - rw - 1 root root 4495248261120 31 Mar 14:25 naa.600c0ff00012e5abe64a345301000000

  143 4389889024 - rw - 1 root root 4495246360576 31 Mar 14:25 naa.600c0ff00012e5abe64a345301000000:1

  166 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 20 Mar 31 14:25 vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30-> mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0

  156 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 Mar 31 14:25 vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30:1-> mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:1

  158 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 Mar 31 14:25 vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30:5-> mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:5

  160 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 Mar 31 14:25 vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30:6-> mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:6

  162 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 Mar 31 14:25 vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30:7-> mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:7

  164 0 lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 22 Mar 31 14:25 vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30:8-> mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0:8

  If in case of doubt, you can use partedUtil to check, enter the ID and plug into partedUtil, as follows: partedUtil getptbl /dev/disks/vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30

  If it is your boot device, you should see your systemPartition and all your Partitions ESXi...

  ~ # partedUtil getptbl /dev/disks/vml.0000000000766d68626133323a303a30

  TPG

  488 255 63 7843840

  1 64 8191 C12A7328F81F11D2BA4B00A0C93EC93B systemPartition 128

  5 8224 520191 EBD0A0A2B9E5443387C068B6B72699C7 linuxNative 0

  6 520224 1032191 EBD0A0A2B9E5443387C068B6B72699C7 linuxNative 0

  7 1032224 1257471 9D27538040AD11DBBF97000C2911D1B8 vmkDiagnostic 0

  8 1257504 1843199 EBD0A0A2B9E5443387C068B6B72699C7 linuxNative 0

  To further clarify, go back to your ls-lisa/dev/discs out and now you know that you have the right device, enter the path to your drive ID, in this case, mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0, then run esxcli nmp storage devices list | grep mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0

  and you will get your device nickname, so:

  
  

  ~ # esxcli list of nmp storage device | grep mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0

  MPX.vmhba32:C0:t0:l0

  Device display name: USB Direct - access Local (mpx.vmhba32:C0:T0:L0)

  Hope this helps, this should be good for ESXi 5.x and above all, I believe, something you might need to sub partedUtil for fdisk.

  Good luck!

  vM

  -----------------------------------------------------------------

  VCAP-DCD / VCAP-DCA / VCP-Cloud / VCP - DT

  vMustard.com

• Rufus (free utility) takes 2 minutes to create a USB bootable for ESXi installation starting source who becomes the target of the installation, even for 5.5

  Just info, one of these open Windows source rare beads that are becoming more and more difficult to find on the web these days, in the middle of a see payloads of downloader.

  Rufus I found to be very convenient for the quick creation of a USB flash drive you can start from, and then only install, for ESXi, no command-line stuff to memorize necessary and very fast:

  TinkerTry.com/rufus-takes-2-minutes-to-create-a-bootable-usb-flash-drive-for-esxi-installation

  works very well with ESXi 5.5 also:

  TinkerTry.com/download-vsphere-5-lab

  and when finished with this flash drive and you want to use it for something else (but normal reformatting does not work), she who manages, even on Windows 8.1:

  TinkerTry.com/rufus-lets-you-quickly-and-easily-reformat-an-esxi-usb-flash-drive-back-to-full-capacity

  Especially useful for people to start who shy away from Linux VMware procedure:

  Format a USB to start the ESXi Installation or upgrade

  Documentation Centre of vSphere 5.5

  Windows diskpart commands or potentially dangerous. Really fair, fast and useful for pretty much everyone.

  Thoughts and opinions?

  Just a follow up on my comment about several injection of VIB in the ISO that you use as a file source for Rufus (a few months back, seen above):

  Here is the article that came out of this subject (Yes, it works!):

  TinkerTry.com/use-esxi-customizer-gui-to-inject-multiple-driver-vibs-into-your-esxi-installer-iso

• ESXi & Installer hangs when starting

  Hello

  I looked around and looked for my problem-related entries in the forum, but I couldn't find anything...

  Here is my problem:

  * New server Fujitsu TX200 S7:

  2 x Xeon CPU / 64GByte = 16GByte RAM 4 x / 4 x SAS HDD 600GByte / RAID LSI Ctr RAID0/1/5/6/10/50/60 mit FBU - Erw. + Modul TFM / DVD - RW / embeddet USB Device of the UFM

  I experienced enormous problems to start with the installer of vmware esxi 5.1 (or 5.0) CD ROM or esxi host 5.1.

  What works with the above server:

  * Install it is an os windows 2012 std server on the raid system is executed without absolutely no problems

  Start the success of server std 2012 win every time.

  * Setup a esxi host 5.1 on the server, but only subsequently install Fujitsu «server see DVD»

  What does NOT work with the above server: (every time, never had a successful boot)

  Booting with the esxi 5.0 installation CD original fujitsu - fails!

  * Start with one (from vmware) downloaded fails - esxi 5.1 installation CD!

  * Start with one (from fujitsu) downloaded fails - esxi 5.1 installation CD!

  Start a successuflly by the Fujitsu 'Start Server CD' installed esxi host 5.1 on this server - fails!

  * Test: start without lsi sas controller (without any disk hard sas) - the server starts faster (without the lsi raid controller firmware)-, but fails.

  * Test: starting with half of the installed RAM - fails!

  The symptoms of what happens during startup and cannot:

  * First step of booting (bundle of progress on the top of the screen) will run successfully

  * During the first seconds of the second stage (starting ESXi Kernel, beam of progress is displayed on the bottom of the screen), the computer did a hard-reset and the startup process begins once more.

  So I don't know what I could do.

  Because all windows system works perfectly, I would exclude a hardware error

  On the other side, Fujitsu specifies this server with this equipment compatible with esxi, then I do not understand that no esxi (Installer) will be initialize to top.

  So, what could be the reason why the software does not start?

  How can I know the reason why the systems do not initialize-go to top?

  Thank you very much for any suspicion solve my problem!

  What about Tom

  the firmware all is patched up?

  There might be something that win2012 is ok with it the flaws esxi hypervisor

• ESXi installation options

  Is better to install ESXi on a local storage (for example 2 HD configured in RAID1) or on an SD card/USB key?

  Max

  It is up to you...

  There are pro and cons on two solutions.

  IMHO, I prefer the option without disc. And could be very interesting and probably also the best solution when a server will be delivered with a double SD card (mirrored).

  See also:

  Re: What are your thoughts on the flash local storage versus ESXi installation

  André

• ESXi Installable 5 backup

  Hello

  I am new to ESXi 5.0. I have a dell t310 with raid 10 Server and esxi 5.0 is installed on it.

  Is it necessary to back up the partition from the OS installable esxi 5.0? What happens when it is corrupted? What I lose all my esxi 5.0 configuration settings and virtual machines?

  Thank you

  Yes, which corrects if you have the same build version is much easier and there will be no problem.

  Here is the consideration for the use in the difference built version.

  We need to see if the built-up version makes a difference with the saved files.

  for example... When you migrate from esxi4.1 to esxi5 there are many files got changed this case we cannot use the backup and restore procedure.

  so it depends and as a best practice, you can use this backup and restore on the same version of the construction.

  Allocation of points for the useful and correct answer by clicking on the sub tab

• ESXi Installable vs ESXi Embedded

  Can someone please explain the differences between ESXi Installable, ESXi Embedded vs?

  See you soon.

  The installation program will install the CD to the hard drive or USB / SD card.

• Advice on ESXi 4 USB install

  Hi all

  I would like to know if there is something I should be paying attention to install ESXi 4 on a good brand USB 2.0 stick?

  I wonder if it's actually a good way to go into production serverconsidering if the ESXi generating logfile and execute read and write can shorten the life of USB drive which can be very harmful.

  CMIIW, the only benefits making this installare USB:

  1. more than disk space available for the local data store

  2 can move USB around different host if necessary

  Thank you

  Kind regards

  AWT

  ESXi does not work file log. Use an external syslog server for this.

  1. you can install ESXi on USB on the server without local disks - that you would save at least $ 500 for the blade HP (SATA 2 less expensive disks) server that you can spend on the RAM.

  2 but there is a delicate part that you should be aware. ESXi first start taking Mac of the NIC and then don't ask NIC, so if you move the key USB ESXi server will continue to use old Mac until you remove / add all the cards.

  ---

  MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert 2009

  http://blog.vadmin.ru

• HP DL360 with ESXi - local disks required for the SWAP file?

  Hello

  Can someone answer this question right ahead please?

  When you buy a new HP DL360 with ESXi embedded you need hard to host a file of any nature or can the server work without local disks at all?

  See you soon.

  Hi, Local storage is not required. You can create the SWAP file on the external data store. Please go through the link http://www.vmware.com/files/pdf/vmware_esxi_architecture_wp.pdf (number of page 4). See you soon!

• Cisco C220 M3 - ESXi installation - is ESXi free?

  Hi guys,.

  I want to install ESXi Server C220 M3. I think that ESXi is free but I'm not sure. Do need me a permit for the Cisco custom ESXi image?

  I also have another server C220 M3 distinct from each other. For this one, I have a license vSphere Enterprise license. Do I need another license of ESXi here?

  Thank you.

  At the end of 60 days, to change the 'license' to the ESXi installation to get a perpetual license (with much reduced features) key of VMware.

  Basis of VMware and virtuallisation managed with the vi client is included in the free license, but no vCenter and all the goodies that come with it.