ESXi on unRAID 6.7.2

[xeven]

I am attempting to build out a lab and ideally would like to do this with ESXi as a nested VM on my unRAID server.

The steps I've done so far are:

 

• Created the scripts mentioned in the Spaceinvader One (hxxps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-saWn6ZbHc)
• Followed the steps in the video linked above
• Made the necessary changes to the XML also mentioned in the video linked above

 

I'm able to get ESXi to boot, but when it comes to installation it is asking for the disk location to continue the installation.

 

As seen in the screenshot, it isn't locating any media to perform the install on.

 

Is there something I'm missing in order to get his up and running? Thanks!

[Arbadacarba]

Did you create the primary vdisk and make it USB?

 

When I did my install I had the iso of the installer and an 8GB drive created and mounted as USB. Then I created a 100GB img on my cache drives to use as the array.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Arbadacarba

[xeven]

21 hours ago, Arbadacarba said:

Did you create the primary vdisk and make it USB?

 

When I did my install I had the iso of the installer and an 8GB drive created and mounted as USB. Then I created a 100GB img on my cache drives to use as the array.

Thanks! So it turns out I did not follow the instructions as I assumed I had.  This fixed it for me.

 

My only issue now seems to be that I cannot see/create data stores.  I created a second drive in the VM options (also USB) and it doesn't even detect it.  Would you happen to know how to create a data store in order to place the VM's? You mentioned you created a 100GB img, was this within the VM edit options? This is what I have done,

 

Edited September 25, 2019 by xeven

[Arbadacarba]

It should be sata I think... Not USB. I don't think USB is an option for the array.

[xeven]

18 minutes ago, Arbadacarba said:

It should be sata I think... Not USB. I don't think USB is an option for the array.

Yeah I tried SATA as well and still didn't seem to pick it up. Was there anything else you needed to do in the XML?

 

Nevermind, it seems to be working now.  Although my main issue now seems to be that the ESXi controller says I don't have VT-x enabled, which wouldn't make sense as it's a KVM which needs VT-x???

Edited September 25, 2019 by xeven

[Arbadacarba]

    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
      <driver name='qemu' type='qcow2' cache='writeback'/>
      <source file='/mnt/disks/NVMe/VMs/ESXi/vdisk2.img'/>
      <backingStore/>
      <target dev='hdd' bus='sata'/>
      <alias name='sata0-0-3'/>
      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='3'/>
    </disk>
 

Is my disk info

 

Where are you seeing the VT-x thing?

[xeven]

Just now, Arbadacarba said:

    <disk type='file' device='disk'>
      <driver name='qemu' type='qcow2' cache='writeback'/>
      <source file='/mnt/disks/NVMe/VMs/ESXi/vdisk2.img'/>
      <backingStore/>
      <target dev='hdd' bus='sata'/>
      <alias name='sata0-0-3'/>
      <address type='drive' controller='0' bus='0' target='0' unit='3'/>
    </disk>
 

Is my disk info

 

Where are you seeing the VT-x thing?

Ok so I figured out the VT-x issue.  The scripts that I was supposed to run did not run properly, but now it's working.

 

Your XML shows that your 100GB disk is a qcow2 type? Any reason why you went with qcow2, more curious than anything. But really, thanks for all your help!

[Arbadacarba]

No reason at all... I was just checking that it works.

 

For this particular project I don't need performance but rather want to reduce disk space usage. My Vdisks are on the second partition of an NVME drive (384GB) so I'm starting to get low on space. I have ESXi servers that I manage so this VM is just to familiarize myself with the platform.

 

 

[xeven]

Fair answer, thanks for the insight.  Do you feel that qcow2 has helped reduce disk space usage?