Proxmox install on nmve ssd connected with pcie adapter on dell r720xd.

[patrick05]

I want to use Proxmox VE on my Dell R720xd Server. So I booted on the USB stick and installed Proxmox on the pcie nvme ssd.Unfortunately when I boot the Bios doesnt detect my ssd, because it doesnt support pcie connected ssds. So I installed Ubuntu on a USB stick with Grub in hope to first boot onto grub on the usb stick and then select the pcie ssd to boot on.

When I now boot Grubs startups fine and the ssd gets detected, but when I try to boot Proxmox the error below is shown and after about 10s it returns to the grub menu.

Error:
error: no such device: 75fecbec-4e40-41d7-9cef-95239e076f4d.
error: disk Uvmid/eLlHca-hndF-LnlL-Dz7s-cZdn-2u6B-S9Pimk/qHsnHE-hWf-fVN7-Hd0k-F3DI-qeGQ-ZDvvqg' not found, error: you need to load the kernel first.
Press any key to continue...

 

[leesteken]

Is your system using proxmox-boot-tool to sync ESP partitions? Maybe you could just put an ESP partition on the USB stick and boot from that?

 

[solyxius]

Try this https://www.tachytelic.net/2020/10/dell-poweredge-install-boot-pci-nvme/

 

[abourdaa]

For the R720XD
The Intel DC P3520 PCIe SSD card is bootable in UEFI mode. I have Proxmox 8.2.4 installed directly to it and it boots every time. Windows Server 2012 also boots off this card with no issue or special configuration. Running bios 2.9.0 and the card works on either CPU 1 or CPU 2 riser. Hope this helps anyone buying old hardware that wants a fast home storage server for as cheep as possible.

also the R720XD does NOT support pcie bifurcation. BUT you can get quad slot PCIe switching cards and they 100% work in Proxmox, TrueNAS core and Scale, and UNRAID. I’ll link below what I bought, I have 3 working perfectly all loaded up with 1TB Optain drives. If the link is dead just search PLX 8747 chipset on AliExpress and you’ll find at-least a few people making them. Mine are by LinkReal and they work awesome. https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256...c4MPfhy&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

FYI you NEED to have your Proxmox (or which every hypervisor) installed on a PCIe SSD if you want to be able to iommu Hardware pass through your PERC LSI controller to a VM (make sure you flash your PERC to IT mode for best results with TrueNAS Scale.) cuz if you install on a drive that’s in one of the bays your gonna crash your hypervisor when you start your VM with pass through (for obvious reasons)

Learned all this over 3months trial and erroring different PCIe adapter cards and 6 different nvme drives and 3 different models of Optain drives.