Unable to detect new drives on HP DL380 G7 servers

[rhel_hpux_admin]

Hi,

       I have been trying to install RHEL 6 through kickstart on HP Proliant DL380 G7 servers. These servers have 4x300gig SAS drives attached directly to them. However the server is seeing only one drive, the BIOS is configured that way. I tried several ways to make the server see the other drives but none of them worked. This makes it impossible for me to install the OS cause the kickstart is configured to read all 4 drives and use them. Please help me in this regard.

FYI : The servers have HP Smart Array P410i Controller and Intel(R) SATA Controller and HP SCO8Ge Host Bust Adapter on them. But the HP Smart Array P410i Controller is set as the primary controller to load.

Thanks, Sam

[Jimmy Vance]

By default the Smart Array controller will create the best combination of an array depending on the amount of disks in the server. With 4 drives it probably created a RAID 5 array, which will show up to the OS as 1 disk.

If you want to present the disks as JBOD, you need to go into ORCA during POST (Press F8 when the Array controller displays firmware information) and delete the current array and create 4 seperate arrays each with one disk.

Depending on the System ROM version, the POST process may display a graphic intsead of the firmware init screens, in this case hit the ESC key during POST to switch over to text mode and then press F8 to get into ORCA

[rhel_hpux_admin]

Thanks for you quick reply!!

However, to presume it put all the disks under RAID 5, when I install the OS its taking only one disk and the space I got is roughly 279 gig. So for me even before I install the OS is there a way to change any setting to make sure that it reads all the drives.

Thanks, Sam

[Jimmy Vance]

You need to go into ORCA and see how the array was configured.

[rhel_hpux_admin]

Hi,

       Once I get OS installed on the machine I can go into OCRA and then add the other drives ( which when I installed OS on a test server, I saw only one drive configured and I was able to see other drives also ). But I was asked to install the OS with the server seeing all the drives, this is where I was struggling. Is there any chance for me to change the HP ACU settings even before installing the OS so that I will be able to add all the four drives.

Thanks, Sam

[Matti_Kurkela]

ORCA is included in the server firmware, so it is available by pressing F8 when the SmartArray controller prompts for it at boot time, even if there is no OS installed yet.

ACU is the OS-level array configuration utility, which obviously is available only after the OS and the ACU itself has been installed.

[Jimmy Vance]

Yes, configure the drives by going into ORCA during POST. When the smart array controller displays it firmware and logical drive info, you should be prompted to press F8.

 If the System ROM has a graphic POST screen at some point it should say "Press any key to view Option ROM messages" Press a key so you can see the Smart Array prompt to press F8 to enter Option ROM Configuration for Arrays (ORCA) Once in ORCA you can setup your drives

[rhel_hpux_admin]

Thanks for your support guys. I got the HP Smart Array CD and was able to run even before installing the OS and edit its default array configuration and finally bringing those 4 drives under hardware RAID 1+0.