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ESXI-DSM-Upgrade-Arc-Loader

This guide will walk you through the process of upgrading from DSM 6 to DSM 7 using Arc Loader on a VMware ESXi setup.

Additional resources: Arc Loader Wiki

Screenshot

Prerequisites

Equipment

  • ESXi host

SECTION 1: Creating the New Virtual Machine

  1. Create new virtual machine: Start by creating a new VM with your preferred settings. Ensure you select "Other 5.x Linux (64-bit)" for the operating system.

  2. Adjust virtual machine settings: Remove the existing disk, SCSI controller, and CD drive from the VM. Adjust the CPU, memory, and network settings as needed.

  3. Set boot options: Modify the boot options to use BIOS. This step might not be necessary if you selected "Other 3.x Linux 64 Bit" while creating the new VM.

SECTION 2: Configuring and Launching the VMware ESXi VM running DSM 7

After the VM setup, proceed as follows:

  1. Transfer the .vmdk file to your ESXi host: Transfer the downloaded .vmdk file to your ESXi host using scp (secure copy protocol). Replace <ESXi host IP> and <datastore-name> with your specific details.
scp ~/Downloads/arc-*.vmdk-dyn.zip root@<ESXi host IP>:/vmfs/volumes/datastore-name/
  1. Unzip the transferred file and reformat: Log into your ESXi host and unzip the file. Then, clone and reformat your .vmdk file using vmkfstools for a streamlined file structure. Replace <path to the .zip file> with your specified path.
ssh root@<ESXi host IP>
cd <path to the .zip file>
unzip arc-*.vmdk-dyn.zip
vmkfstools -i arc-dyn.vmdk arc-dyn-clone.vmdk -d thin

(Optional steps)

rm -rf arc-dyn.vmdk
rm -rf arc-*.vmdk-dyn.zip

  1. Attach arc-dyn-clone.vmdk as an existing hard disk: Go back to your ESXi console, edit the new VM, and add the cloned .vmdk file as an existing hard disk. Ensure the "Controller location" is set to SATA (0:0), as it should be the only drive.

  2. Start VM: Boot up your new DSM 7 VM.

SECTION 3: Configuring Arc Loader and Connecting Storage Drives

Proceed with the following steps:

  1. Set up Arc's Drive Mapper: Configure Arc's drive mapper settings to either "auto" or "active" to optimize its operations during the DSM 7 installation (see Section).

  2. Install DSM 7 using Arc: Begin the DSM 7 installation process using Arc.

  3. Attach storage/data drives: Connect your storage drives. This procedure varies based on your specific setup.

SECTION 4: Migration from DSM 6 to DSM 7

After confirming a stable DSM 7 installation and you're ready to attach storage volumes:

  1. Shutdown DSM 7 VM: Power down your DSM 7 VM to avoid conflicts when transferring PCIe passthrough.

  2. Move PCIe passthrough: Transfer the host bus adapter's (HBA) PCIe passthrough from the DSM 6 VM to the new DSM 7 VM. This allows you to maintain your device connections during the upgrade process.

  3. Boot DSM 7 VM using Arc: Restart the new DSM 7 VM using Arc.

  4. Adjust Arc's Drive Mapper: Modify Arc's drive mapper to "active". This correctly maps your drive paths in your setup (see Section).

  5. Launch DSM 7: Boot DSM 7, verifying that everything is functioning as intended.

  6. Restore Storage Pools: Lastly, restore your saved datasets and recreate storage structures to access your previously stored data based on your setup preferences.

Enjoy navigating Xpenology! :D