VMware ESXi 5.0 and 5.0 Update 1 virtual machine software will not support network connections when using the onboard network interface controller (NIC) unless an ixgbe driver or a compatible network interface card is installed. The driver needed for the 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) Controller (X540) used in the Sun Server X3-2 is not available in the general availability release of VMware ESXi 5.0 and 5.0 Update 1.
Affected software:
VMware ESXi 5.0 and 5.0 Update 1
Releases 1.0 and later
Workarounds:
Perform either of the following tasks:
Add the required driver to the ESXi 5.0 and 5.0 Update 1 installation ISO image.
Install a PCIe network interface controller (NIC) card in the server that is compatible with the standard download ESXi 5.0 and 5.0 Update 1 ISO image.
For instructions for performing the above tasks, see "Configuring the VMware ESXi Software or the Server Hardware to Support Network Connections" in the Sun Server X3-2 Installation Guide for VMware ESXi.