Ok so the setup is a little complicated... I have an ESX server with a raid controller (3ware 9750-4i) being passed into a VM I have created for FreeBSD 10. However the FreeBSD install is not located on a VMDK, but on a pair of mirrored disks in an array that are hung off the raid controller. The VM is created merely with the CPU/RAM and other details to define the virtual machine and the raid controller is passed into it (so there is no VMDK for it). I have done this before with different hardware but for some reason, maybe a compatibility with this motherboard/controller or whatever, its not working here. I can boot to the FreeBSD 10 Install CD and it picks up the controller + the mirrored pair as da0 and it installs the OS to it with no issues at all. Though when I attempt to reboot, vmware for some reason won't boot to the passed through controllers array (I assume its not passing the bios of the controller into the vm so it won't boot to it). So my thought was I would create a small VMDK (1-2MB or whatever I need at absolute minimum) that contains a basic bootloader which will chainload FreeBSD 10 from the array since it seems I can't boot directly to the array.
Right now I have created the freebsd-boot partition and a freebsd-ufs partition on that VMDK and it loads to boot2 and fails. I have tried all versions of the startup line I can think of to point to the da0 drive and its preexisting kernel but have been unable to do so at this point. I've then manually loaded "loader" and an lsdev there still does not show the disk from the array to boot to.
So here is my question... I would like to use a boot loader on a locally created virtual disk in the VM to load an existing FreeBSD 10 install from a physical hard drive that is hung off of the 3ware 9750-4i controller in the VM. I am hoping I have just missed something but figured this would be the best place to reach out to for assistance.
I hope I explained it without making it sound extremely complicated (moreso than it already is).
Thanks in advance!
Right now I have created the freebsd-boot partition and a freebsd-ufs partition on that VMDK and it loads to boot2 and fails. I have tried all versions of the startup line I can think of to point to the da0 drive and its preexisting kernel but have been unable to do so at this point. I've then manually loaded "loader" and an lsdev there still does not show the disk from the array to boot to.
So here is my question... I would like to use a boot loader on a locally created virtual disk in the VM to load an existing FreeBSD 10 install from a physical hard drive that is hung off of the 3ware 9750-4i controller in the VM. I am hoping I have just missed something but figured this would be the best place to reach out to for assistance.
I hope I explained it without making it sound extremely complicated (moreso than it already is).
Thanks in advance!