
Issue 11
© Solarflare Communications 2014
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Solarflare Server Adapter
User Guide
5.3 Installing Solarflare Drivers and Utilities on VMware
• Using the VMware ESX Service Console...Page 238
• Installing on VMware ESXi 5.0 and 5.1...Page 238
• Installing on VMware vSphere 4.0 and 4.1...Page 238
• Granting access to the NIC from the Virtual Machine...Page 238
Using the VMware ESX Service Console
The service console is the VMware ESX Server command-line interface. It provides access to the
VMware ESX Server management tools, includes a command prompt for direct management of the
Server, and keeps track of all the virtual machines on the server as well as their configurations.
Installing on VMware vSphere 4.0 and 4.1
Installing on VMware ESXi 5.0 and 5.1
To install or update the .VIB through the CLI:
esxcli software vib install -v <absolute PATH to the .vib>
To install or update the offline bundle
esxcli software vib install -d <absolute PATH to the .zip>
To install through the Update Manager
Import the package in to the Update Manager and add to a baseline, then follow the normal update
process. To install a new package on to a host deploy the package as part of a Host Extension type
baseline rather than a Host Upgrade type.
Granting access to the NIC from the Virtual Machine
To allow guest operating systems access to the Solarflare NIC, you will need to connect the device to
a vSwitch to which the guest also has a connection. You can either connect to an existing vSwitch, or
create a new vSwitch for this purpose. To create a new vSwitch:
Firmware updates
Support for Boot ROM and Phy transceiver firmware upgrades
for in-field upgradable adapters.
• See
Upgrading Adapter Firmware with Sfupdate on page 252
Table 58: VMware Host Feature Set