Selecting the Boot Media Option

You can start the software installation to a server by booting a local or remote installation media source. This section identifies the supported media sources and the setup requirements for each source.

• Boot Media Options Requirements

• Set Up the Local Boot Media Option

• Set Up the Remote Boot Media Option

Boot Media Options Requirements

This section describes the requirements for using local and remote media.

• Local Boot Media Requirements

• Remote Boot Media Requirements

Local Boot Media Requirements

Local boot media requires a built-in storage device on the server, or an external storage device attached to the server. Supported OS local boot media sources can include CD/DVD-ROM installation media.

Remote Boot Media Requirements

Remote media requires you to boot the install over the network. You can start the network install from a redirected boot storage device or another networked system that exports the installation over the network using a Pre-Boot eXecution environment (PXE).

Supported OS remote boot media sources can include:

• CD/DVD-ROM installation media

• CD/DVD-ROM ISO installation image media

• Automated installation image (requires PXE boot). For detailed instructions for automating the installation setup process, consult the VMware ESXi 5 installation documentation available at:

  http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vsphere-esxi-vcenter-server-pubs.html

  Alternatively, review the VMware ESXi 4 installation documentation at:

  http://www.vmware.com/support/pubs/vs_pubs.html

Set Up the Local Boot Media Option

To set up the local boot media, you must insert a storage device that contains the ESXi software installation media into the server using one of the following options:

1. If the server is equipped with an optional DVD drive, insert the ESXi software installation DVD into the DVD drive located on the front of the server; otherwise, proceed to the next step.
2. If your server does not contain a DVD drive, attach the appropriate storage device to the front or rear of the server.

   ---

   Note - For information about how to attach local devices to the server, see the Sun Server X2-4 Service Manual.

   ---

Set Up the Remote Boot Media Option

To redirect the boot media from a remote storage device, perform the following steps:

1. Insert the boot media into the storage device, for example:

   • For CD/DVD-ROM, insert media into the built-in or external CD/DVD-ROM drive on a remote workstation.

   • For CD/DVD-ROM ISO image, ensure that the ISO image(s) are readily available on a network shared location.

2. Establish a web-based client connection to the server Oracle ILOM SP and launch the Oracle ILOM Remote Console application.

   For more details, see the Setup Requirements for web-based client connection in Selecting the Console Display Option.

3. In the Devices menu of the Oracle ILOM Remote Console application, specify the location of the boot media, for example:

   • For CD/DVD-ROM boot media, select CD-ROM.

   • For CD/DVD-ROM ISO image boot media, select CD-ROM Image.