ESXi on ARM Datastore question

[Scott Reeve]

Just installed this on a Raspberry Pi 4:

ESXi on Arm Fling (Build 18427252)

All looks good with one problem: I can't create a local datastore.

I've tried putting several devices in and re-booting, but it never appears when I go to add the datastore.

I'm not exactly sure why the entire 32GB USB stick on which the install went doesn't offer a datastore.

FWIW, I can mount an NFS datastore, but that too has issues - can't write to the NFS mount so therefore a VM can't be created.

Would rather just create a datastore on a local disk (usb, sd/usb, ssd, spinning disk - doesn't really matter)

Easiest would be a USB flash drive.

 

Attachment(s)

esx-localhost.fios-router.home-2020-09-02--16.24-140464.zip   28.10 MB 1 version

[Fouad Sethna]

hi,

When you did the initial install at the boot option did you append autoPartitionOSDataSize=8192 for an 8GB VMFS-L partition, so the rest of the USB stick is available for a datastore?

[Scott Reeve]

I did not do that, thank so much for that suggestion, I'll use it next time.

Meanwhile, I'm able to make the NFS mounts writeable, so I can create a VM.

Any idea why when I click on "Connect" for the CD/DVD - it doesn't stick?

I go back in and it's not checked.  I clicked on Save.

"Save" and go back in:

 

 

Never seen that before.

 

[Fouad Sethna]

I have seen similar behavior when I have mounted a NFS location as read-write, when the backing volume is read only... 

Can you confirm you have write access on the share from the ESXi command line?

 

[Scott Reeve]

The VM's datastore is on disk2.

The ISO is on vol1.

 

[Fouad Sethna]

Try:

touch /vmfs/volumes/vol1/test.txt

touch /vmfs/volumes/disk2/test.txt

 

[Scott Reeve]

[root@localhost:~] touch /vmfs/volumes/vol1/testit.txt

touch: /vmfs/volumes/vol1/testit.txt: Permission denied

[root@localhost:~] touch /vmfs/volumes/disk2/testit.txt

[root@localhost:~]

and I had tried (just before that) trying the ISO on disk2 - same result.

 

Figured that vol1 doesn't need to be read/write because it's just getting an ISO.

 

[Fouad Sethna]

ok so you need to disconnect the iso from the VM

then unmount the ISO (vol1) from the ESXi host

then mount the ISO (vol1) making sure to tick the read-only box.

That should fix you up!

 

[Cyprien Laplace]

When the VM is not powered on, only the "Connect at power on" checkbox matters. When you power on the VM, the ISO will be connected automatically (yes, the UI is not very clear).

[Scott Reeve]

Unfortunately, none of the suggestions have made any difference.

I did notice that when I did the exact thing (CD pointing to the same NFS mount's ISO) with another test vm on a different host - it all worked fine.

Something about this ARM Fling vs the x64 esxi it seems.

I can write to the NFS mount no problem - from the esxcli, and from the vCenter's datastore browser, etc.

Doesn't seem to be a read/write type of problem, i.e. permissions.

It does seem to be that the CD just isn't "connected" to the .iso for some strange reason.

I did this:

autoPartitionOSDataSize=8192

to the kernelopt line in boot.cfg, but nothing changed.

FWIW:

 

 

[Fouad Sethna]

you need to append autoPartitionOSDataSize=8192 to the boot option when you boot into the installer, This tells the installer to only make an 8GB volume; adding it to a running install will not help, you need to reinstall esxi on the USB so that you have space to make a datastore.....

on the working ESXi (x64)

run esxcli storage nfs list

and look at the ISO share (vol1) see if it is flagged as read-only: true... if that is the case then you need to remount the vol1 share with the read-only flag set....

 

 

[Scott Reeve]

This is boot.cfg on the install media:

 

bootstate=0
title=Loading ESXi installer
timeout=5
prefix=
kernel=/b.b00
kernelopt=runweasel cdromBoot autoPartitionOSDataSize=8192
modules=/jumpstrt.gz --- /useropts.gz --- /features.gz --- /k.b00 --- /procfs.b00 --- /vmx.v00 --- /vim.v00 --- /tpm.v00 --- /sb.v00 --- /s.v00 --- /ena.v00 --- /bnxtnet.v00 --- /bnxtroce.v00 --- /brcmfcoe.v00 --- /brcmnvme.v00 --- /elxiscsi.v00 --- /elxnet.v00 --- /i40en.v00 --- /i40iwn.v00 --- /iavmd.v00 --- /igbn.v00 --- /iser.v00 --- /ixgben.v00 --- /lpfc.v00 --- /lpnic.v00 --- /lsi_mr3.v00 --- /lsi_msgp.v00 --- /lsi_msgp.v01 --- /lsi_msgp.v02 --- /mtip32xx.v00 --- /ne1000.v00 --- /nenic.v00 --- /nfnic.v00 --- /nhpsa.v00 --- /nmlx4_co.v00 --- /nmlx4_en.v00 --- /nmlx4_rd.v00 --- /nmlx5_co.v00 --- /nmlx5_rd.v00 --- /ntg3.v00 --- /nvme_pci.v00 --- /nvmerdma.v00 --- /nvmxnet3.v00 --- /nvmxnet3.v01 --- /pvscsi.v00 --- /qcnic.v00 --- /qedentv.v00 --- /qedrntv.v00 --- /qfle3.v00 --- /qfle3f.v00 --- /qfle3i.v00 --- /qflge.v00 --- /rste.v00 --- /sfvmk.v00 --- /smartpqi.v00 --- /vmkata.v00 --- /vmkfcoe.v00 --- /vmkusb.v00 --- /vmw_ahci.v00 --- /elx_esx_.v00 --- /btldr.v00 --- /esx_dvfi.v00 --- /esx_ui.v00 --- /esxupdt.v00 --- /tpmesxup.v00 --- /weaselin.v00 --- /loadesx.v00 --- /lsuv2_hp.v00 --- /lsuv2_in.v00 --- /lsuv2_ls.v00 --- /lsuv2_nv.v00 --- /lsuv2_oe.v00 --- /lsuv2_oe.v01 --- /lsuv2_oe.v02 --- /lsuv2_sm.v00 --- /native_m.v00 --- /qlnative.v00 --- /vmware_e.v00 --- /vsan.v00 --- /vsanheal.v00 --- /vsanmgmt.v00 --- /tools.t00 --- /imgdb.tgz --- /imgpayld.tgz
build=7.0.0-1.0.18427252
updated=0

 

This is the same as adding it to the command line in real time at install, correct?

I tried that initially, but it wouldn't let me into the cli for some reason.

 

[ThM12345]

Hello,

I have the same problem with my installation (build 7.0.0-1.0.18427252). For me, the whole USB stick (128GB) is completely used for the system (of which 107GB for VMFS-L partition). The kernel option seems to be ignored.

My entry in config.cfg:
kernelopt=runweasel cdromBoot autoPartitionOSDataSize=8192

Alternatively, I also tried the newer parameter from 7.0.0 CU1 without success:
kernelopt=runweasel cdromBoot systemMediaSize=min

 

 

[ThM12345]

Hello,

I have found my mistake. The option must be entered in CONFIG.CFG under in the \EFI\BOOT subdirectory. Not under \.
kernelopt=runweasel cdromBoot autoPartitionOSDataSize=8192

Now it works

[Paul Schroeder]

Ran into this as well!  Thanks!!