topic Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support in ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL)

DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 14:44:26 GMT

So our company went out and spent 30k on a new DL360 G10. I was looking forward to getting it into our environment but after hours of frustration I'm about to send this thing back.
HP has apparently modified the bios so much that there are no more hardware diagnostics to run to burn it in, and the bios settings to get it to boot to a usb stick don't work.
I've disabled, enabled, uefi, all security options for booting to a usb stick. The deployement software built into the bios won't accept a microsoft iso file to install the OS. It just says verifying, then does nothing and won't let me select the iso file on the usb stick.
Even when I can get it to boot to the usb stick, for some reason I don't have any mouse or keyboard options to use. I've tried usb mouse and keyboard, and even the one on the kvm...no luck nothing works.
I've attempted to connect to the ilo interface to get thru it, no luck.
I've worked with HP products for years and this one is one of the most frustrating ones I've ever come across.
I've tried searching blogs and everything else but apparently there's nothing out there yet.
When I try using HP's site and search specifically for the model and the results I get are for g9's and earlier, which doesn't apply.
Completely frustrated with this new model!!!

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

HPSDMike — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 15:41:36 GMT

Hello,

Having spent 30k on the server, I am assuming you have both a support agreement and an ILO Advanced license so you have some options here. Here is what I would suggest:

Download and run the latest Support Pack for Proliant (SPP) to ensure everything is up to date on the system. The easiest way to do this is to attach it as a virtual DVD through ILO remote console (but you need to have ILO Advanced license installed for that). http://h17007.www1.hpe.com/us/en/enterprise/servers/products/service_pack/spp/index.aspx
Try to boot, and run, your diagnostic tool ISO using the same ILO method above
Review pages 1-11 of https://support.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-a00016376en_us
Consider running your OS install through ILO remote console as wel
Launch a support call if still having trouble

I hope one of these items work for you as what you are trying to accomplish is pretty standard.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 15:59:52 GMT

I can't believe on such a new server I would have to do updates to it already and that the software that came on it wouldn't work as it should. But I am downloading it.
Since HP changed the bios, the one time boot option doesn't work as it has in previous version. It reboots the server and then skips the one time option selected.
I've set up countless numbers of HP servers, but this one takes the cake for how much more complex it is just to get it to boot and install an OS.
I did test the USB stick on another server and it booted to it fine and allowed me to use the mouse and keyboard just fine. However this G10 won't.
I'll do the SP update and see how that goes, but still very disappointed in how, right out of the box, difficult this new server is to setup and configure not to mention how poorly the HP support site has become when I can't even find solutions or relevant search results to my query.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Jimmy Vance — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 16:25:43 GMT

If the system is skiping the device you have selected for one time boot, it is generally because it doesn't recognise the device. Gen9 and Gen10 server are UEFI based systems. Is your boot device proper for booting UEFI, or is it MBR based for booting a BIOS type system?

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 19:43:33 GMT

Well I tried the SPP update, crashed part of the way thru and now I have a black screen with Stack error messages all over it, RIP error message. Basically it's crashing now when trying to boot. I had even tried to reset everything to factory defaults and that's when the crashing started.

I'm familiar with how to build a boot image and have done so many times over th 30 years I've been working on servers. Even our purchase last year of the G9 series went fine, doing the same process I've always done. But this new G10 quite frankly sucks. It appears they spent too much time trying to pretty up the BIOS guis, yes there is more than one depending on which option you select.

When I attempted to use the built in deployment tool and tried to select an ISO file, all it would do is show a splash screen saying verifying and then nothing. Wouldn't go past that screen. Even though the ISO file is a direct download from Microsoft.
When I was able to get it to boot from a USB drive, the mouse and keyboard would not work. I had usb mouse and keyboard plugged in and neither would work. When I attempted the same thing using our KVM...same result...it would prompt to push any key to boot from DVD/CD...then when the gui for the install loads....no mouse or keyboard to use.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Jimmy Vance — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 19:50:36 GMT

Sorry you are having issues. If your doing the same process you've been doing for the last 30 yrs, to create a bootable image, then you are probably creatiing an MBR based boot image. UEFI will not boot from an image setup for BIOS based MBR. Maybe you had the Gen 9 systems configured to boot in legacy emulation mode?

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 20:44:26 GMT

I've checked the manual, again. I am attempting to install Win2k8 R2 64 bit, but again, when I get the boot prompt to push any key to boot to dvd...I do and it boots, loads windows files, but then I have no keyboard or mouse to use. As I've said, I tried a KVM keyboard and mouse and also usb mouse and keyboard and nothing functions when attempting to interact with the installation options.

—When set to UEFI Mode, configures the system BIOS to boot using native UEFI graphic

drivers.

Disabled—Configures the system BIOS to boot using INT10 legacy video expansion ROM. This setting

is required if you are using Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows 7 as youroperating system.

3.Save your setting.

4.Reboot the server

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Jimmy Vance — Thu, 09 Nov 2017 21:14:24 GMT

According to the certification and support matrix, Server 2008R2 is not a supported OS on Gen10. You might try the following, as this was required for Server 2008 and 2008R2 on the Gen9 platform.

Access RBSU, and select System Configuration - Platform Configuration - Boot Options - UEFI Optimized Boot , set this option to disabled.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 14:49:58 GMT

You must have access to a compatibility list that isn't public. The public list doesn't even show the G10 on it.

I've tried disabling that option already, still doesn't work.

Heck the dang Intelligent provisioning won't even let me change the time zone, it keeps wanting to connect to the internet for some reason. I can't even disable that. I believe I should be able to control what my server does and how, but it takes several minutes for the intelligent provisioning to even be able to be accessed because it's trying to connect. Not sure why it won't even let me change the time zone without connecting to the internet.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

bkesting1 — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 21:10:43 GMT

I have gotten a DL360 Gen10 to boot off USB. Just need to make sure it is setup for UEFI and the USB stick must be formatted FAT32 (NTFS will not work).

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Jimmy Vance — Fri, 10 Nov 2017 21:21:08 GMT

@bkesting1 wrote:
I have gotten a DL360 Gen10 to boot off USB. Just need to make sure it is setup for UEFI and the USB stick must be formatted FAT32 (NTFS will not work).

If you use RUFUS to create the USB key, set the Partition Scheme to 'GPT partition scheme for UEFI' and the File System type can be set to NTFS. I recently loaded Server 2016 on an ML110 Gen10 for one of the marketing guys using this method

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 14:01:38 GMT

I've used Rufus and it will boot to the disk and I was able to get ILO working, however to do the install I need to do, business demands it, I can't find any drivers for the win2k8 r2 OS. And again, when I try searching HP's drivers I don't find anything for it or others.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Jimmy Vance — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 16:38:45 GMT

@BFH_2017 wrote:
I've used Rufus and it will boot to the disk and I was able to get ILO working, however to do the install I need to do, business demands it, I can't find any drivers for the win2k8 r2 OS. And again, when I try searching HP's drivers I don't find anything for it or others.

Glad you've got it booting. As I stated above, if you look at the certification and support matrix using win2k8r2 as the OS you will not see any Gen10 servers listed, as win2k8r2 is not a supported OS platform on Gen10

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 20:27:16 GMT

Well booting, that's another thing.

I still am unable to change the time zone. Everytime I try thru the intelligent provision option, I change the time zone, click submit, then it times out trying to connect to who knows what and gives me an error that no nic is detected. Why do I need a network connection to set the time zone? Even when trying to get into the intelligent provisioning settings it's trying to connect to who know what.
Personally I like to controll what my server does and connects to, but it looks like with the various bios configuration options on this box that's not an option for the customer to manage.

There are still other issues with this system and honestly it's been the biggest pain in the butt of any server I've ever worked on.
We are talking with our rep to possibly look at swapping this out with a G9.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Jimmy Vance — Mon, 13 Nov 2017 21:44:05 GMT

I haven't worked a lot with IP and Gen10, but one thing I noticed on a system I looked at the other day was a message popped up saying the time zone couldn't be changed while iLO was configured to use DHCP (I had no networking plugged into anything), I'll assume that is what you are also seeing.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

BFH_2017 — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 15:06:11 GMT

Actually no, I found that issue a couple of days ago and fixed it. Ilo is set static, but when trying to set the time zone and time thru intelligent provision as soon as I hit submit it tries to connect to the internet and then gives an error message stating "failed" network not configured and it keeps going back to the wrong time zone and subsequently the wrong time on the server.

I was finally able to set it thru the bios setup, after several tries. The bios setup option was to use local time and then set the time. The intelligent provision would not allow me to set it as I wanted to. However the intelligent provisioning still shows the wrong time zone. I'll have to monitor the server before I release it to the production team, because this morning when I came it it was many hours off what it should have been.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

PDP-Fan — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 15:38:40 GMT

I'm working with an ML350 Gen10 and I experience similar problems.

At least I got Windows 2012 working... after Intelligent Provisioning crashed the first time I used it. The second time it worked and it accepted the Win2012.iso image on my USB stick.
What not worked was entering the Windows password into the HP setup. It always said "password not equal"... but it can be entered later. (see my post from last year: https://community.hpe.com/t5/ProLiant-Servers-ML-DL-SL/Proliant-Gen-10-A-box-full-of-errors/m-p/7025035#M164590)

Booting from USB seems to be a much more complicated story. I have diagnostics USB sticks that I use everywhere... Lenovo, Dell, HP... and even the newest machines are able to boot from them when I set it to BIOS/Legacy boot mode.

Not so on the Gen10. You can choose "one time legacy boot" - doesn't work
You can set the server to permanently boot in legacy mode - no go

Someone wrote that (USB) NTFS filesystem is not bootable? I have FAT32 and it doesn't work either.

So if someone finds out HOW TO BOOT A GEN10 FROM USB.... please write it here :-(

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Torsten. — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 16:19:19 GMT

I successfully booted Gen10 servers many times, in legacy and UEFI mode from USB.

An USB must always be FAT32, not only for HPE servers.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

PDP-Fan — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 13:12:54 GMT

I managed it now to boot an UEFI bootable USB stick (ML350 Gen10). But legacy boot is not working. I tried different working USB sticks.... I see them blinking very shortly and then the server jumps to the hard disk.

I made this many times on Gen9 servers, "one time legacy boot", automatic reset, done. But not on the Gen10.

Is it possible this is because all external USB connectors are USB3? maybe I should try one of the internal USB's.

Re: DL360 G10 servers and lack of support

Torsten. — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 16:30:51 GMT

I would start with a known to work image - a current SPP.

The SPP works in legacy and UEFI mode.

Other images may fail for various reasons, for example secure boot enabled etc ...