Nutanix CE Installation Issue - InstallerVM Timeout | Nutanix Community
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Nutanix CE Installation Issue - InstallerVM Timeout

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Hello Nutanix Community,

I'm trying to install Nutanix Community Edition (CE), but I'm encountering an InstallerVM timeout issue. The installation keeps retrying, and the hypervisor setup does not complete successfully.

My hardware setup:

  • 1 HDD (480GB) → Intended for data storage.
  • 1 SSD (2.8TB) → Assigned to CVM storage.
  • 1 USB Drive (32GB) → Used for the hypervisor installation.

Issue Description:

  • The installation starts but gets stuck with repeated messages:

    INFO Hypervisor installation in progress INFO InstallerVM timeout occurred, current retry 0

  • I have already disabled RAID and set the SATA mode to AHCI in the BIOS.
  • The disks are correctly recognized when using lsblk and fdisk -l.
  • I tried wiping the disks (wipefs -a and dd if=/dev/zero), but the issue persists.

Troubleshooting Attempts:

  1. Checked system RAM → I have more than 32GB available.
  2. USB Boot Media → I recreated the bootable USB with a fresh Nutanix CE ISO.

Best answer by JeroenTielen

USB 2.0 is to slow. Here you can find the requirements: https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Nutanix-Community-Edition-Getting-Started:top-sysreqs-ce-r.html

 

And one snip from it: 

 

Hypervisor boot device The AHV boot device must have at least 32 GB of capacity. Use one boot device per node. The boot device can be external or internal (such as SATA DOM, M.2 SSD, or a SATA SSD or HDD). Nutanix recommends using a device with a smaller capacity than all the other drives on the node. Nutanix recommends using drives with high I/O speed and reliability. For external drives, use USB 3.0 or later. USB 2.0 drives might time out during hypervisor installation.
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5 replies

A

try to install the hypervisor on the disk , just to see if the installation will get through, the issue could be from USB stick sometimes.

when the disk layout showing, does it show the disk serial numbers ?

 

JeroenTielen
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Is the USB stick fast enough? (No USB 1 or 2). 

Is the USB not worn out? Best is to get a freshly new one. 

Nutanix NTC 2022+2023+2024+2025 || Nutanix NUG Champion || Nutanix Certified Instructor
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  • Guillem
  • Author
  • Adventurer
  • 3 replies
  • March 12, 2025

Thank you for your suggestion, ​@ahmad.jamali and ​@JeroenTielen !

 

Regarding the disk layout, yes, the installation process does show the disk serial numbers when listing the available storage devices. However, the installation still fails with the InstallerVM timeout error.


The USB stick I’m using is a MediaRange USB 32Go Flexi Flash Drive 15MB/S USB 2.0. I dont’ know if it’s is fast enough for the installation.
Would you recommend a specific USB brand/model that works best with Nutanix CE?

 

Thanks for your help !

 

JeroenTielen
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  • JeroenTielen
  • Vanguard
  • 1353 replies
  • Answer
  • March 12, 2025

USB 2.0 is to slow. Here you can find the requirements: https://portal.nutanix.com/page/documents/details?targetId=Nutanix-Community-Edition-Getting-Started:top-sysreqs-ce-r.html

 

And one snip from it: 

 

Hypervisor boot device The AHV boot device must have at least 32 GB of capacity. Use one boot device per node. The boot device can be external or internal (such as SATA DOM, M.2 SSD, or a SATA SSD or HDD). Nutanix recommends using a device with a smaller capacity than all the other drives on the node. Nutanix recommends using drives with high I/O speed and reliability. For external drives, use USB 3.0 or later. USB 2.0 drives might time out during hypervisor installation.
Nutanix NTC 2022+2023+2024+2025 || Nutanix NUG Champion || Nutanix Certified Instructor
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1 person likes this
  • W
    Williamdot
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  • Guillem
  • Author
  • Adventurer
  • 3 replies
  • March 12, 2025

Thanks, ​@JeroenTielen ! I hadn’t seen that requirement.

I will try using a USB 3.0 drive instead.

Thanks for pointing that out! I’ll update once I test a different boot device.

JeroenTielen
1 person likes this
  • JeroenTielen
    JeroenTielen

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