The Serial Port appears in the hardware list. In the hardware list, expand the serial port and select the type of media port to access.
Thus, the named pipe(.pipevmware-serial-port) will be created after the VMware launches the Fedora. So, Tera Term can connect to the virtual machine by using the named pipe. However, the Magic SysRq key can not be worked after doing 'Send break' of Tera Term because the break signal is.
I have an older system that requires a serial connection to the hardware. This system will not work on a Serial to USB converter as it uses some of the specialty pins that are otherwise not normally used. I know that I can add a serial port to a virtual machine but I have never done it. I was wondering, not necessarily how to do it, but what kind of luck you have had doing this or if you have had any issues.I am using ESXi 5.5 and have vCenter also.
The machine I am going to virtualize is a non-networked Windows 2000 workstation. I'd bet the serial card is bad. Probably knocked out.
Make sure your VM system is grounded properly. I had a security system attached to a PC via serial, after replacing the 4th serial card I asked her who installed the system and it was some local electrician.
I looked at the cover and there was a schematic for how everything needed to be installed and sure enough there was a ground on the diagram that the electrician probably thought he didn't need. I grounded it and we have not had an issue since. I know that I can add a serial port to a VM running on an ESXi host.
The machine is not networked because it is not needed. I am concerned about the age of the physical hardware that this machine is running on, that is why I want to virtualize this machine. All that this computer does is run a clock, bell, and intercom controller.Unfortunately the company that makes this controller has been long out of business but I can't afford to replace the controller for a few years.
I figured if I could virtualize the machine I would be able to get a few more years out of this piece of equipment. One system I've had luck with is a digiport to a virtual machine. Let me see if I can find the link.Edit Here is the link to the hardware There is a driver that gets loaded into the client VM that creates a virtual serial port to this device. These are true serial devices.
The problem you will have with a USB to serial device is that USB is +5v so older equipment that follow the true RS232 standard of +- 12v have a hard time detecting the communication from a USB to serial converter. You can also do serial port pass through to your exsi host, but that makes your vm client less portable. Da Beast wrote:da Beast wrote:Gary D Williams wrote:You can only add a serial port to a VM when using VMWare workstation. It's not supported in ESXi.Umm.I can add a serial port to a VM and have it connected to the local host's serial port. What version of ESXi are you running? I am on 4.1 at this site.Where did Gary's post go? I went to verify before I posted my comment and this thread changed quite a bit.For what it is worth - I recall using the physical serial port on my ESX 3.x servers too.I deleted after I realised I was talking rubbish.
I figured you didn't need my post cluttering up the correct answers. George1421 wrote:One system I've had luck with is a digiport to a virtual machine. Adobe cs5 master collection free. Let me see if I can find the link.Edit Here is the link to the hardware There is a driver that gets loaded into the client VM that creates a virtual serial port to this device. These are true serial devices. The problem you will have with a USB to serial device is that USB is +5v so older equipment that follow the true RS232 standard of +- 12v have a hard time detecting the communication from a USB to serial converter.
You can also do serial port pass through to your exsi host, but that makes your vm client less portable. /EditI have used these before (made a virtual fax server with multiple fax modems). I don't know if it will work for John's need - but then I don't know if any virtual driver (for the VM side) will work either.John - once you get it virtualized, let us know if it works or not - and how you did it. John4120 wrote:I know that this can be done, and I have played around with this on a ESXi host I have setup on a test machine. My big question is wanting to know how well this works in a production environment and anyone that has done this how it has worked and held up for them.Not sure what reference 'this' is.
If it is in reference to the digiport. A lot depends on what the remote machine is and how much traffic is flowing between the vm client and the serial device. Is the remote machine running a timing critical application (i.e. Process control)? Where we've used them is downloading programs to milling machines and industrial equipment. By using the digiports we have been able to get the PCs off the shop floor at one client. These are batch based downloads and they work really well with both virtual as well as physical hosts.
We've also used them for out of band management for routers and legacy PBX systems. I am currently using a Digi to convert my TT5A RS485 serial communication to Ethernet. My host lives on a VM and I do not have any issues with lost data or downtime. This is mission critical because the users submit thier jobs to the ERP system through this device. I have used Digi SP One's in many other facilities around the world and have been very satisfied with their performance. You do not need to use a physical port with a Serial to Ethernet converter.
The whole purpose is to get the data to the server over Ethernet and the Digi driver emulates a serial port in the OS. You can then assign a COM port to the digi and tell your software which COM port to use.