SATA RAID on BL260c Problem with W2k3 x64

[Rob Buxton]

AGhhhh SATA!
OK that out of the way, I've a couple of BL260c's. The first mistake I made was to not enable the SATA RAID before I did my install, which went okay - I just didn't have RAID 1.
Configure SATA via the BIOS and now SmartStart 8.10 doesn't see the array.
A W2K3 x86 R2 install worked directly from the Windows CD.
But on my second BL260c where I need 64 bit I cannot get the drivers installed.
I've downloaded the latest "HP ProLiant Smart Array SAS/SATA Controller Driver for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition Package", extracted that and slipstreamed that into the x64 installation CD using nLite. But the install still comes up with no suitable disks found to install on.
Is there something else I need to add in?
Is there a more recent version of SmartStar that will actually allow me to install the OS I want on a BL260c?

[Blazhev_1 · Accepted solution]

Hi Rob,

this blade ships with the standard HP Embedded G5 SATA RAID Controller and there is no option to install smart array controller according quickspecs.

This means that you can't use Smartstart for the installation and that the Smart Array SAS/SATA Controller Driver is not the right one. Please don't ask me why this driver is the only one available as storage driver for this server on hp.com if no Smart Array controller is supported from the server...

Try the following driver:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=3682822&swItem=MTX-4810d57f44f74d8cbe18413697&mode=3

Best regards

[Rob Buxton]

Thanks, that was my suspicion, I just couldn't find any links.
I was pointed at an older version of that driver, but it kept blue-screening, so now I'm formatting the disks and I'll recreate the array and then restart using the driver you've pointed me at slipstreamed into the w2k3 x64 ISO.
Be a while before I can re-test.

[Rob Buxton]

As Blashev noted above, the Drivers section for the BL260c doesn't include this driver.
Once I'd slipstreamed this into a W2K3 R2 x64 ISO and then used that to install from everything finally worked.

[Jeff Wiedenfeld]

I know this is an old thread.

The link provided to the SATA driver is no longer active. I am getting the BLUE SCREEN as well. I do have SATA RAID enabled. And the Array mirrored. I am attempting to install 2003 X64.

This successfully installed when I do not have the raid enabled in the BIOS.

Can anyone provide guidance?

[Rob Buxton]

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3682823&prodTypeId=3709945&prodSeriesId=3682822&swLang=13&taskId=135&swEnvOID=1113

The above link now has a link to the embedded SATA Controller. It didn't use to have this.

If things haven't changed then you'll need to slipstream this driver into a W2K3 x64 ISO and use that.
For how to slipstream drivers into distros, google is your friend. I used nlite.