Installation guide

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VMware ESX Server Administration Guide
Controlling VMkernel Module Loading
During Bootup
You can customize the loading of VMkernel device driver modules during bootup by
editing one of the following files:
• /etc/vmware/hwconfig — Automatically supply extra parameters to a
driver when it is loaded during bootup.
• /etc/vmware/vmkmodule.conf — Supply extra parameters to a driver,
add or prevent a driver module from loading, or determine the order in which
the driver modules are loaded during bootup.
Caution: Editing these files are recommended for advanced users only. If you have
any questions, be sure to contact your authorized service provider before editing
these files.
Customizing Parameters of VMkernel Device Driver Modules
on Bootup
Caution: Do not modify the /etc/vmware/hwconfig file other than to add extra
parameters, as described in this section. Instead, use the VMware Management
Interface to manage your hardware.
You can supply extra parameters to be passed to a driver when it is loaded during
bootup. You do this by editing the file /etc/vmware/hwconfig. This file
contains information about the hardware on your system, including device driver
modules.
As an example of passing a parameter to the Emulex device driver, first identify the
bus, slot and function holding the first (or only) Emulex card. (You can find this
information by looking at the Startup Profile page in the Options tab of the VMware
Management Interface.) Then add a line with the format
device.vmnix.6.14.0.options = "lpfc_delay_rsp_err=0"
to the end of /etc/vmware/hwconfig. Here, the numbers 6.14.0 specify the
bus, slot and function where the Emulex card is located. If you have more than one
Emulex card, you should have only a line referencing the first card.