Setup DSM 6.2.2 in a Virtual Synology DS3617xs using VMWare

Here is a step by step “How-To create a Virtual Machine to emulate a DS3617xs running DSM 6.2.2” using VMWare and Xpenology

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Xpenology is a bootloader for Synology’s operating system which is called DSM. It can be used to setup DSM on a PC or in a Virtual Machine like VirtualBox or VMWare.

I am using VMWare 15. But any version from VMWare 11 should work.

 

1: Download and unzip this package, containing:

  • the configuration of the virtual machine (dsm.ovf, dsm.vmx, disk.vmdk and synoboot.vmdk),
  • the xpenology boot file for DS3617xs (synoboot.img) and
  • the image of the DSM 6.2.2 for DS3617xs (DSM_DS3617xs_23739.pat)

Notice that only the image “23739” is compatible with the boot file (Jun’s loader 1.03b).

2: Open VMWare Workstation. If you never configured the default location where you want to create your Virtual Machines, press CTRL-P to open the “Preferences” panel. There, set this default location (I am using D:\VMWare).

3: Go next to “Windows Explorer”, in the folder where you have unzipped the package, and double click dsm.ovf. This is going to import the VM into VMWare. Type a name for the new virtual machine (I am using DSM3617 6.2.2) and click “Import”.

4: Here is the outcome to the importation. You can now click on “Power on this virtual machine”. But first, be ready to type F2 in the console to enter the Bios. You will have only 2 seconds to do so!

5: As soon as you have run the VM, click into it to capture the keyboard, and press “F2”. If you missed it, the VM will try to boot from the network. In such a case restart the VM and try again! Once in the Bios, go to the Boot tab and swap the SATA Hard Disk with  the SCSI Hard disk. The VM has indeed to boot with the SATA disk containing the boot loader. Finally, Save and Exit the Bios. The VM will reboot.

6: Again, quickly click into it to capture the keyboard and press the “down arrow” to select the loader for “VMWARE/ESXI” (attention, you don’t have a lot of time to start the selection). Press next Enter and the boot will load. The VM is ready to install the DSM image.

7: Open the “Synology Assistant”, which is more efficient than the page http://find.synology.com to find your VM, and after 1 minute click on “Search”. If you didn’t wait long enough, you will see an Error message (In such a case, click Search “Again”. I never had to do this more than 3 times).

8: Finally, the Assistant will find your VM. A webpage should automatically open (Otherwise, right click on the VM and select “Install”). Click on “Set up” in that page.

9: Click next on the link “Manual Install”.

10: Click on Browse to select the image of the DSM 6.2.2 for DS3617xs and select the file “DSM_DS3617xs_23739.pat” in the folder when you unzipped the package downloaded here previously.

11: Finally, click on “Install Now” and confirm that the installation can override the disk… it’s the virtual SCSI Hard Disk member of the VM. No worry 😉

12: The installation will take a few minutes and once completed, you will see in the VMWare Workstation that the VM is rebooting.

13: On the installation page, you see a count down. If you want to check the status of the VM, you can go back to the Synology Assistant and Click Search. You should see that it’s restarting, etc… and is finally ready. At that moment, you can select the VM and click Connect.

14: You will now be able to login into the VM and configure it. DO NOT select “Install the latest DSM version automatically” or “Install the important updates of DSM automatically”!!! The image 37739 is the latest compatible with the loader used by this VM. Upgrading your DSM will break the VM.

 

15: You have now a DS3617xs with the DSM 6.2.2-23739.

16: DO NOT upgrade or the disk will disappear and the VM won’t work anymore (Someone mentions that mounting the Disk on a SATA controller instead of a SCSI one helped… See here. But it didn’t work for me). Looking into the Synology Assistant, you would see that the Virtual Synology is not configured.

17: It’s now time to use the SCSI Hard Disk to create a first Volume. Open the DSM Main Menu and start the Storage Manager. Go to “Storage Pool” and click “Create”. Use the HDD of 20GB. Next, go to “Volume” and click “Create”. Use the “Storage Pool” created previously.

18: Now, you can upgrade the VM to your version of VMWare. Shutdown the DSM Properly (via the menu on the Buddy Icon in the top-right corner). The VM will soon stop.

 

19: Once the VM stopped, upgrade it by clicking on “Upgrade this virtual machine”.

Et voilà !

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Comments

16 responses to “Setup DSM 6.2.2 in a Virtual Synology DS3617xs using VMWare”

  1. glen Avatar
    glen

    Setup DSM 6.2.2 in a Virtual Synology DS3617xs using VMWare
    Download and unzip this package, containing:

    the configuration of the virtual machine (dsm.ovf, dsm.vmx, disk.vmdk and synoboot.vmdk),
    the xpenology boot file for DS3617xs (synoboot.img) and
    the image of the DSM 6.2.2 for DS3617xs (DSM_DS3617xs_23739.pat)

    the link you have provided seems to take me to this file
    ds918_6.2_v0.zip

    1. Valery Letroye Avatar

      Indeed. Sorry for this mistake.. I have updated the link to get the right package: ds3617_6.2_v0.zip

  2. John Cale Avatar
    John Cale

    Thanks a bunch.

  3. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    I can’t see the link. Is it normal?

    1. Valery Letroye Avatar

      The link is in in the text: “1. Download and unzip this package”.

      1. Jeremiah Avatar
        Jeremiah

        The link is not there yo.

        1. Valery Letroye Avatar

          Which one? I checked only the link to download my zip file but this one works. The others are external links.

          V.

  4. ben Avatar
    ben

    Hey,
    Is it somehow possible to get more than 4GB of RAM recognized on the DSM?

    1. Valery Letroye Avatar

      Sure… Ex.: In this VM I did set 8GB

      8GB in a Virtual DSM

  5. David Avatar
    David

    FANTASTIC write up, any chance you’ve set this up in a vSphere environment? Seems to have quite a few differences on a ESXi host.

    1. Valery Letroye Avatar

      Unfortunately, I didn’t played yet with ESXi. But if I could build a machine with the parts I have a bit everywhere in my garage, I could give a try to install vSphere (Indeed, nested VMs do not seem to be supported by VMWare… So I would not spent time on running ESXi as a guest hypervisor inside a VM on VMWare Workstation). Combining next a few how-to’s, I should be able to fine tune the VM images to run them on ESXi…

      Ex.:
      – in english for DSM 5.1 in ESXi 5.5: https://xpenology.com/forum/topic/3196-guide-xpenoboot-51-50222-on-esxi-550/
      – in french for DSM 6.2 in ESXi 6.5: https://labo-tech.fr/base-de-connaissance/comment-installer-xpenology-dsm-sur-une-vm-esxi/

      If I have some free time soon or later to try that, I will post back here…

  6. FERRAN Avatar
    FERRAN

    Sorry i´m following all your steps, but i can´t upload the .PAT file, error 35.
    https://ibb.co/QfBhtQW
    https://ibb.co/jbZjMck

    1. Valery Letroye Avatar

      I did retry again the procedure at home, with VMWare 15, and I have indeed the same error…

      Don’t know what mistake I did, sorry for that, but to fix it: when the VM Boot, quickly click inside to connect your mouse/keyboard and select the 3rd menu of the GNU GRUB: DS3617xs 6.2 VMWare/ESXI with Jun’s mod v1.03b

      1. Valery Letroye Avatar

        Ok… Got it (wrong img file…)… I did upload a new version of the package (ds3617_6.2.zip)… You can re-download and it should now work out of the box.

        1. ferran Avatar
          ferran

          Thank u. I´m going to download… and retry again. And Thk u very very much for your support amd tutorials.

  7. Mihai Avatar
    Mihai

    Very nice tutorial,its works all . Thanks

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