ESXi 7.0.0 build-15843807 - Drivers Issues

[KalzB]

Hi

I am trying to install ESXi 7.0.0 build-15843807 on a Dell M520 blade server (VRTX Chassis). Although the server isn't on the supported VMware Compatibility Guide, I have managed to install ESXi 7, but with 1 major issue and 1 minor issue.

The major issue is that ESXi 7 does't recognize the integrated Broadcom BCM5720 4-port NICs, hence I have no network connectivity (but the iDRAC NIC is recognized). However, I have checked the VMware Compatibility Guide for the integrated NICs and it says they are supported for ESXi 7 and I have the latest firmware 21.60.2 as shown in the link.

VMware Compatibility Guide - I/O Device Search

The minor problem is the blade servers raid controller, PERC H310 mini is flagged as unsupported during the installation, again the VMware Compatibility Guide for the H310 mini is shown as supported for ESXi 7 as show in the link:

VMware Compatibility Guide - I/O Device Search​

Both devices work flawlessly in ESXi 6.7 and I have trying both a fresh install of ESXi 7, and a upgrade from 6.7, but still the same issues. Is there anyway I can take the device drivers from the ESXi 6.7 installation and inject into the ESXi 7 installation media?

Thanks in advance for any help.

[IRIX201110141]

There is not a single Dell 12Gen. server certificated for vSphere ESXi 6.7.  Why do you wonder that 7.0 not run?

• VMware drops the older vmklinux driver API and only "native" ones are allowed/supportet for now
• your post is #465 which claims that H310 doesnt work any more buts listed on HCL

Your VRTX must be a test system so i understood that you giving a spin and try to find out how v7 is going. Iam also surprised that a very common BCM5720/19 doest not work any more. On the otherhand this NIC is around 10Y old and Broadcom sold some models to QLogic some time ago. This drives me nuts because somethimes the docs/system management referrer to Broadcom but drivers named Qlogic.

Regards,
Joerg

[KalzB]

Hi Joerg

Yes the VRTX is my home lab which I use for testing etc, not a production system, I was wanting to try and get some experience using vSphere 7.

I think you might be onto something with QLogic. When I did the upgrade from 6.7 to 7 (not a fresh install), there was several VIBs I had to uninstall as seen in the attached pic.

As you can see they are QLC, which are QLogic network drivers.

However, if I SSH to my server (running ESXi 6.7), you can see the drivers used for the NICs, are the tg3 drivers, which are native drivers

Name    PCI Device    Driver  Admin Status  Link Status  Speed  Duplex  MAC Address         MTU  Description

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

vmnic0  0000:15:00.0  tg3     Up            Up            1000  Full    18:a9:9b:9f:88:4e  1500  Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet

vmnic1  0000:15:00.1  tg3     Up            Up            1000  Full    18:a9:9b:9f:88:4f  1500  Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet

vmnic2  0000:16:00.0  tg3     Up            Up            1000  Full    18:a9:9b:9f:88:50  1500  Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet

vmnic3  0000:16:00.1  tg3     Up            Up            1000  Full    18:a9:9b:9f:88:51  1500  Broadcom Corporation NetXtreme BCM5720 Gigabit Ethernet

So if ESXi 6.7 the server uses tg3 drivers then ESXi 7 should also use the tg3 drivers

As it is a blade server can there be some other interface device that is causing ESXi 7 not seeing the NICs?

[IRIX201110141]

We use 10G networking within the VRTX or Rack PowerEdge Servers.

Maybe you can find a supportet NIC and use the PCIe slots and bind them to the M520p as a workaround for the NIC issue. We use Dual SD cards for the productions system. If you dont have them use a USB stick for ESXi.

Did you check if there is a driver for the shared Perc8?

Regards,
Joerg

[yohanes2015]

Hi , i have vrtx too,

i'm using M63o with bcm5720 too

with vmware custom iso vsphere 7 it was fail to detect NIC

but in vsphere 7U1 , it was running smooth, Dell & VMWare has renew the driver for bcm 5720,

you can try again if you want . hopefully my advice can resolved your problem

[JanMracek]

Hi Guys,

i am have same issue on my PE R630 included bcm5720 too.

My some research when i am check the situation.

DELL: https://www.dell.com/support/article/cs-cz/sln320746/dellemc-esxi-7-0-quick-boot-compatibility-guide?lang=en

Broadcom 5720 DP 1Gb Network Interface Card

ntg3

4.1.4.1

21.60.2

Actually i am have on host installed :  ESXi, 6.7.0, 15160138

with this driver:

Currently running on device

Driver	Firmware
ntg3 4.1.3.2-1vmw	bc 1.39 ncsi 1.3.16.0

I am have no idea, if in esx 7.0.1 image is newest driver, but there should be a patch:

https://esxi-patches.v-front.de/vm-7.0.0.html

R630 server has last driver 21.60.16 ! For download from repository. I am must check, how to install firmware from dell directly on esx host...

Here is a driver: Challenge Page

I am not sure, if i am can install esx7 from CDROM , upgrade with ignore harware incompatibillity, and then patch the driver using repository (maybe unofficial).

In idela, should be fine, when vmware include the driver to image for VUM deploy.

VMware-VMvisor-Installer-7.0U1-16850804.x86_64.iso

has

ntg3                           4.1.5.0-0vmw.701.0.0.16850804        VMW     VMwareCertified   2020-11-03

HOPE only firmware driver upgrade to 21.60.2 will help....  I am not sure :smileysad:

Jan

[KalzB]

Hi yohanes2015

Are you saying if we install ESXi 7.0.0.update01 it will solve the issue and the the NICs will be recognized?

 

Thanks 

[Dieter Kalinowski]

I ran into the same problem:

With Custom-ISO from Lenovo my vmnic were "lost" not shown with "# esxcli network nic list"

because the vmkernel.log said, that system is seaching for tg3 devices, I made the following changes

# esxcli system module set --enabled=true --module=ntg3 

# reboot

 

hope this helps

[greedj1]

This also solved my problem!

Upgraded from 6.7 to 7.0.3, 20328353 and no Broadcom BCM5720 NICs were detected.

I ran the recommended command thanks to DKalinowski solution and rebooted.

esxcli system module set --enabled=true --module=ntg3 

# reboot

 

hope this helps

[cardias]

They deprecated ibm flex chassis also.

 

regarding this document

https://support.lenovo.com/kr/ko/solutions/HT506011

"The EN2024 uses a fibre PHY. Fibre PHYs are not supported by the ntg3 driver." 

 

BCM5720 (actually flex one is BCM5728) using tg3 driver, which not working with ntg3.

 

I've check esxi 7.0.1 confirm that is not working.

 

WARNING ntg3: Ntg3HwInit:910: 0000:08:00.0:Fibre PHY not supported yet for 5718 ASIC

WARNING ntg3: Ntg3Attach:846: 0000:08:00.0:Failed to initialize hardware (195887105)

 

and install screen displaying No Network Adapters 

 

[Scott Vessey]

 

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