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  • 1.  Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 12:48 PM

    Hello

    I had successfully installed esxi on a ML115 server.

    I had created 2 VMs, windows and linux.

    It seemed to be ok

    Now when the server boots it gives a blank screen.

    I have tried the HDD connections, they are ok, they appear in the bios and post.

    I have ran memtest and memory seems ok too.

    I am not sure if i can run some sort of repair.

    I dont want to wipe my datastores yet till i have tried to repair boot issue.

    I had changed a file to allow ssh and phsically moved it, but other than that, nothing.

    Anyone know what might be wrong?

    Thanks



  • 2.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 01:20 PM

    I had changed a file to allow ssh and phsically moved it, but other than that, nothing.

    Can you clarify "physically moved it"?!

    On the host's console try pressing ALT-F1 and ALT-F12. Can you see any error messages?

    André



  • 3.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 01:33 PM

    Hi,

    Yes I lifted it up and put it in another location.

    but since my post i have had some other findings:

    Am having some weird results.

    Seems if i swap sata drives about within the server the hypervisor boots.

    i.e i plug the 3rd sata drive or 4th drive into my sata1 slot i get a booted hypervisor, although the settings for the network are not there and its lost its password.

    Am not sure whats going on, its weird

    The original sata1 drive will not boot or the sata2 drive, its not the cables i swapped them.

    It is as if the drives are faulty but am not convinced they are.



  • 4.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 02:00 PM

    Did you create a RAID set with the embedded controller?

    If so this could be the issue. I don't think this is a supported RAID controller.

    André



  • 5.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 02:10 PM

    No i was unable to create a raid because it was not supported

    I did have this working at one point, i dont know how its managed to get all screwed up.

    looking like a new install, but am dubious now about having a production esxi server running incase it happens again.



  • 6.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 02:20 PM

    For production I would never go with a system, which is not on the official VMware HCL

    I'm aware of HW costs. However, how much money will you actually loose if an issue like this one occurs in production?

    André



  • 7.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 02:27 PM

    That aside, i just want to find out and solve the issue.

    Seems that the 3rd sata has

    /dev/sda4 hypervisor0

    /dev/sda5 hypervisor1

    /dev/sda6 hypervisor2

    /dev/sda8 hypervisor3

    Am not sure wht this is, i am just looking at it through a linux rescue cd

    I am going to look at each drive inturn and try to figure out wahts happened



  • 8.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 13, 2010 02:52 PM

    That's the correct partition layout for ESXi.

    Take a look at http://www.vcritical.com/2009/08/if-vmware-esxi-4-is-so-small-why-is-it-so-big

    André



  • 9.  RE: Blank boot screen flashing cursor on esxi server

    Posted May 14, 2010 08:16 AM

    Thanks for that

    Its very strange.

    My 1st sata drive has

    /dev/sda1 fat16

    /dev/sda2 unknown

    and so does my 2nd sata drive

    Seems like the 3rd and 4th sata drives have hypervisor on.

    It looks like somethings moved ?

    Drive 1 which i thought would have hypervisor on is nearly empty apart from the fat16 partition

    Am not sure whats happened