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Lab: Installing Nutanix on Dell VxRail nodes (r640)

  • July 10, 2026
  • 3 replies
  • 16 views

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Hi all,

I am trying to install Nutanix on a former Dell VxRail node. The server is a Dell PowerEdge R640, and it has been re-branded back to a standard Dell R640 in iDRAC - the installation is only for Lab/testing, not for production.

I have tried several installation combinations:

  • Latest available AOS/AHV versions — although I understand these may not be supported on this older hardware
  • Latest supported combination I could find for this platform:
    • AOS 6.5.1.8
    • AHV 20220304.336

In all attempts, Foundation fails during the installation with the following error:
CRITICAL svm_rescue: No suitable SVM boot disk found

AOS installation failed. Reason: None

The node boots successfully into Phoenix, downloads the AOS package, AHV ISO, Anaconda bits and driver package, but fails when the CVM/SVM installation begins.

Model: Dell PowerEdge R640 / R640-10

Boot mode: Legacy BIOS

Secure Boot: Disabled

iDRAC: iDRAC9

Storage controller: HBA330

Boot device: Dell BOSS-S1 RAID1

BOSS virtual disk size: approx. 240 GB

Data disks:

- Disk 1: approx. 3.84 TB SSD

- Disk 2: approx. 400 GB SSD

 

The BOSS disk is detected as the host boot disk:
Host boot_disk: sdc
sdc: approx. 223.5G

Visible disks:
 

sda 3.5T

sdb 372.6G

sdc 223.5G (BOSS RAID1)

 

Any idea why this deployment is failing?

3 replies

JeroenTielen
Forum|alt.badge.img+8

You need (minimum) two identical disks. So try to remove the 400GB disk and add an additional 3,84TB SSD. I cant guarantee this is the solution so I hope you got an extra disk laying around to test this. 


Forum|alt.badge.img+2
  • Author
  • Adventurer
  • July 10, 2026

You need (minimum) two identical disks. So try to remove the 400GB disk and add an additional 3,84TB SSD. I cant guarantee this is the solution so I hope you got an extra disk laying around to test this. 

I have 4 nodes - Ill try to move one disk from node 4 to node 1, to see if that solves it (on that Node) - thanks for the reply :-)


JeroenTielen
Forum|alt.badge.img+8

ah that is nice. Yes try that.