ESXi 4

This table contains a list of systems, motherboards, storage controllers and network cards that have been tested and found to work with ESX 4.x or ESXi 4.x Installable. Please check out the source column for a system you are considering using as some systems will include special steps to enable ESX / ESXi to run …

Motherboards and unsupported servers that work with ESX 4.x and/or ESXi 4.x Installable Read More »

This pages lists systems and devices that have been found to support VMDirectPath with ESX and ESXi 4.0. To submit a server or device for this list, please post in the VMDirectPath HCL forum. If you’re having a problem with VMDirectPath you can post a question here. Servers / PCs / MBs ESX ESXi Asus …

ESX / ESXi 4.0 VMDirectPath Whitebox HCL Read More »

When you configure devices for passthru on ESXi the changes you make are stored in /etc/vmware/esx.conf. This makes it possible to edit your passthru configuration with vifs.pl (supported option) or at the console (unsupported). In the below 2 examples I have a screenshot of the VMDirectPath configuration screen, as well as the output of esx.conf and lspci. …

VMDirectPath – Passthru Config Read More »

VMDirectPath is a great new feature with vSphere 4.0, but with new features come new challenges. This page will deal with some common configuration problems that you might encounter. 1) Disable VMDirectPath with a reboot2) Disable VMDirectPath without a reboot3) Remove devices from the VMDirectPath Configuration when you’re unable to do so with the vSphere client4) Dealing with the ESXi boot device that …

VMDirectPath – Fix Configuration Issues Read More »

A very commonly sought after option for ESX and ESXi is the ability to pass through a locally attached USB device into a VM. While the release of ESX/ESXi 4.0 did provide the ability to add a USB controller to a VM, it is not possible to add a locally attached USB device to a …

Enable USB Support for ESXi with VMDirectPath Read More »

ESXi comes in two flavors, embedded and installable. Installable comes on a CD but if you have to do a number of installs or repeat installs, it’s a bit of a pain to always have the CD ready. Plus in my home lab, my newer servers don’t have a CD-ROM so I have to dig …

ESXi 4 PXE Install Read More »

The devices listed below were listed in ESXi 3.5, but are not in ESXi 4.0. Vender Name PCI IDs Device Type Driver Name Device Name Vender ID Device ID Sub-vender ID Sub-device ID Digital Equipment Corporation 1011 1065 1069 0020 storage DAC960 DAC960P / DAC1164P Hewlett-Packard Company 103c ffff ffff ffff storage cciss Unknown Smart …

ESXi Simple.Map Read More »

The below table lists the devices that ESXi 4.0 will be able to recognize. Also included is the module that ESXi will load to enable the device to work. The inclusion of a device on this list does not guarantee that ESXi will work with the device. There are devices on this list that work and are …

What storage and network devices will ESXi 4.0 recognize? Read More »