ESXi and DL380 Gen8 - Which Drivers?

[briancola]

Okay so this is my inquiry.  

I'm looking at purchasing the 

HP ProLiant DL380p Gen8 - Xeon E5-2690v2 3 GHz - 32 GB - 0 GB server with 8 x 300gb HDDs

and putting ESXi on there. The problem I'm running into is I dont know what software / drivers that I need to properly install to get the best performance out of my new server. 

My first thought is to download the latest firmware

Smart Update Firmware DVD 10.10 (4 Jun 2012)

located here: link

then install 

* RECOMMENDED * HP Custom Image for VMware vSphere 5.5 Update 1 (17 March 2014)

located here:  link

I plan on having about 6 vm's to start and possibly growing a few more vm's over time. Are there any other items I need to do or install or integrate in order for the server to operated to it's fullest capacity?

I have 1 other server using as a test pilot for vm's and being an amature to vm now, time to upgrade but a server of this magnitude, I just want to run this by people who are more familiar with larger servers of this magnitude.

All suggestions are welcome. 

Thanks!!!

[scharchouf]

With Gen8 server you can do all installation from Intelligent provisioning via F10

First of all update it using this link :

https://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/psi/swdDetails/?javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.prp_bd9b6997fbc7fc515f4cf4626f5c8d01=wsrp-navigationalState%3Didx%3D%7CswItem%3DMTX_bd68f366ac3748d6acb0892b7e%7CitemLocale%3D%7Cmode%3D%7Caction%3DdriverDocument&javax.portlet.tpst=bd9b6997fbc7fc515f4cf46...

Second Steps :
Install OS that you need from Intelligent Provisioning

Final Steps update your server with the lastest Firmware & Drivers  :

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/server-software/product-detail.html?oid=5104018#!tab=features

you can swith Final step & second Step :)

[Torsten.]

The old Smart Update Firmware DVD 10.10 has been replaced by SPP:

http://www.hp.com/go/spp

Download SPP2014.02, boot from and update all firmware if needed.

But ESX from intelligent provisioning?

Use the custom image (mount the ISO via ILOs virtual media), this should work.

However, IP supports these versions:

• VMware ESXi 5. 1 and VMware ESXi 5. 1 Update 2
• VMware ESXi 5.0 and VMware ESXi 5.0 Update 1
• VMware ESX 4. 1 and VMware ESX 4. 1 Update 2
• VMware ESXi 4. 1 and VMware ESXi 4. 1 Update 2

[scharchouf]

http://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.BINARYPORTLET/public/kb/docDisplay/resource.process/?spf_p.tpst=kbDocDisplay_ws_BI&spf_p.rid_kbDocDisplay=docDisplayResURL&javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&spf_p.rst_kbDocDisplay=wsrp-resourceState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-c03894825-2%257CdocLocale%253D&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken

[scharchouf]

The following operating systems are supported for use with Intelligent Provisioning:

•Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2

•Microsoft Windows Server 2012

•Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard, Enterprise, Datacenter, Hyper-V, and Web x64

Editions

•Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Foundation R2 - supported on Single Socket Servers; check

server QuickSpecs

•Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 for x86

•Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 for AMD64 and Intel EM64T

•Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 for x86

•Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 for AMD64 and Intel EM64T

•SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 for x86

•SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 for AMD64 and Intel EM64T

•VMware ESXi 5.1 and VMware ESXi 5.1 Update 2

•VMware ESXi 5.0 and VMware ESXi 5.0 Update 1

•VMware ESX 4.1 and VMware ESX 4.1 Update 2

•VMware ESXi 4.1 and VMware ESXi 4.1 Update 2

For information about supported servers and the supported firmware, software, and driver versions,

see the HP Intelligent Provisioning Server Support Guide, available on the Intelligent Provisioning

Information Library (

http://www.hp.com/go/intelligentprovisioning/docs).