UCS C220 M3 Problem after installing ESXi 5.1.0 Cisco custom

[Ilianovich Ruiz Salinas]

Hi every one,

I´m using a Cisco UCS C220 M3 when I tried to install ESXi 5.1.0 Cisco Custom after complete all the process and restart the server. The ESXi did not start it appeared as if there no operating system.

Aditionally, before the ESXi installation I configured one HDD in RAID 0, initialized the virtual drive and selected as boot driver.

Hoping some one could help me.

[Keny Perez]

Ilianovich,

Could you please reboot the server, press F6 when you see the "Cisco" logo and select the RAID controller as boot device? If that works, then go to CIMC and in BIOS config, make sure that the HDD is set as the first option to boot.

One question... why would you use 1 Disk in RAID 0 ??? How is that going to do data stripping?  RAID 0 needs a minimum of 2 disks.

Rate ALL helpful answers

-Kenny

Cisco Support Community is also present in Spanish:

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[Ilianovich Ruiz Salinas]

Hi Kenny,

I did the "F6" step and it's the same result.

I used Raid 0 because I'm using the Embeded MegaRAID Controller, therefore I only use one disk for the ESXi.

Before the UCS failure by a sudden power-off it was working properly using this configuration with ESXi 5.1.0

[Manuel Velasco]

Hi Llianovich,

First of all what is the model of the raid controller that you are using? If you are using the onboard controller, esxi won’t be able to work as ESXi does not support the onboard controller

Embedded MegaRAID Controller

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/hw/C220/install/raid.html#wp1028426

Second, if you are using a supported controller, check your boot order might be HDD is not included there. (You can go into the BIOS to enable this) (See screenshot below)

Third, If the boot order is not a problem, then make sure that the optionROM for this controller is enable (see below) Note if you are using a Mezzanine base controller you will also see an option to enable this controller there, my server does not have this option that is why is not there.

Try this and let me know if this works.

[Ilianovich Ruiz Salinas]

Hi Manuel,

I'm using the Embedded MegaRAID Controller and was working great with one disk in RAID 0 where the ESXi 5.1.0 was installed.

By a unexpected power-off the UCS lost all the config and I had to reinstall the ESXi.

The boot order has the HDD device and the OptionROM is enable for the two PCI Slots where the HDD resides and the result is the same

[Manuel Velasco · Accepted solution]

Llianovich,

Unfortunately, the embedded controller is not supported with ESXi.  I've seen other people using this controller for VMware and making it work but the behavior is very random and it might work or fail anytime. It is recommended that you use one of the PCI or Mezzanine base controllers by the ESXi (see c220 m3 spec sheet below)

STEP4SELECT RAID CONFIGURATION (page 21)

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/ps10265/ps10493/C220M3_SFF_SpecSheet.pdf

Embedded MegaRAID Controller

http://www.cisco.com/en/US/docs/unified_computing/ucs/c/hw/C220/install/raid.html#wp1028426

[uneelstha]

Hi to all,

I got new Cisco UCS-C220-M3S with 12(2 x 6) core processors, Memory 48 GB, 2TB HDD, 16GB SD card inside.

Please help to installation and configure this with all the software i need and software verison step by step if possible for Cisco WebEx Meetings Server System.

ESXi ?

VMware ?

vCenter ?

Windows Server 8 or 12

With Best Regards

[Keny Perez]

Ilianovich,

If any of the answers received helped solve the problem, please mark the question as answered for us to keep track of questions solved.

Kenny

[Ilianovich Ruiz Salinas]

Hi Keny,

Unfortunately none of the answers help me. I keep looking for a solution.

Best regards...

[Keny Perez]

Ilianovich,

Actually the answer is that the embedded RAID controller is not supported with ESXi, even if it works or was working, you can see unexpected behaviors like the one you are facing, that is the reason for that controller not to be supported with ESXi.

Regards,

Kenny

[Ilianovich Ruiz Salinas]

Hi all,

Finally I came across with a sort of solution.

I had to Download and Install CIMC Firmware 1.4.7h and BIOS 1.4.7h

I had to Download SCU 3.1.4f

First upgrade or downgrade de CICM and BIOS with 1.4.7h

Create the array using Embeded MegaRAID Controller as RAID0 (Where the vsphere will be installed)

Install ESXi 5.1.0 Custom Cisco

Once the setup finishes if the vsphere won't startup and showed a RAID error when starting up.

Map and boot the SCU 3.1.4f using the KVM

On the server config section rebuild the RAID0 and create the array.

Select the HDD as primary boot and reboot the UCS

This procedure was the one I used and work perfectly using ESXi 5.1.0 Custom Cisco and the

Embeded MegaRAID Controller.

[dagerson]

Hi-

As of today, is this still the case with the MegaRaid controller and ESXi? 

thanks

[Manuel Velasco]

HI Dagerson

Yes, as of today the embedded raid controller is not supported by any version of ESXi.

[Ilianovich Ruiz Salinas]

Hi Dagerson,

As Manvelas said is not supported. However is it possible to work using ESXi and the Embedded MegaRAID Controller. We have two UCS C220 M3 and one UCS C240 M3 working in that way.

The issue is for the first time you try to install ESXi, in my case the RAID configuration was lost, but using the following procedure I was able to make it work. Since then those servers works fine.

----

-Download and Install CIMC Firmware 1.4.7h and BIOS 1.4.7h

-Download SCU 3.1.4f

-First upgrade or downgrade de CICM and BIOS with 1.4.7h

-Create the array using Embeded MegaRAID Controller as RAID0 (Where the vsphere will be installed)

-Install ESXi 5.1.0 Custom Cisco

-Once the setup finishes if the vsphere won't startup and showed a RAID error when starting up.

-Map and boot the SCU 3.1.4f using the KVM

-On the server config section rebuild the RAID0 and create the array.

-Select the HDD as primary boot and reboot the UCS

----

Regards...

[Keny Perez]

The user can also just use a SD card to install the OS which is cheaper and easier than buying a Hardware RAID controller.

-Kenny