Users Guide

146 Using and Configuring Virtual Media
Why does the Virtual Media connection drop
when configured in the Shared-NIC mode?
Installing network and chipset drivers on the server causes the
Virtual Media connection to drop when configured in the
Shared-NIC mode. Installing the network or chipset drivers
causes the LOM to reset, which in turn causes network packets
to timeout and the Virtual Media connection to timeout and
drop. To work around this issue, copy the drivers from your
virtual drive to the server’s local hard drive. To prevent a
dropped Virtual Media connection from interfering with your
driver installation procedure, start the driver installation
directly from the server.
An installation of the Windows operating system
seems to take too long. Why?
If you are installing the Windows operating system using the
Dell PowerEdge Installation and Server Management CD and a
slow network connection, the installation procedure may
require an extended amount of time to access the DRAC 5
Web-based interface due to network latency. While the
installation window does not indicate the installation progress,
the installation procedure is in progress.
I am viewing the contents of a floppy drive or
USB memory key. If I try to establish a Virtual
Media connection using the same drive, I receive
a connection failure message and am asked to
retry. Why?
Simultaneous access to Virtual Floppy drives is not allowed.
Close the application used to view the drive contents before you
attempt to virtualize the drive.
How do I configure my virtual device as a
bootable device?
On the managed system, access the BIOS Setup and navigate to
the boot menu. Locate the virtual CD, Virtual Floppy, or
Virtual Flash and change the device boot order as needed. For
example, to boot from a CD drive, configure the CD drive as
the first drive in the boot order.
What types of media can I boot from? The DRAC 5 allows you to boot from the following bootable
media:
• CDROM/DVD Data media
• ISO 9660 image
• 1.44 Floppy disk or floppy image
• DRAC 5 embedded virtual flash
• A USB key that is recognized by the operating system as a
removable disk
•A USB key image
Table 8-2. Using Virtual Media: Frequently Asked Questions (continued)
Question Answer