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Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

 
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Stevie Eccleson
Advisor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Hi all, just a quick update

I received the new Raid card and 4 port cable, attached everything up, booted up the ML110 and when it got to the initilising the RAID the P212 it thought about it for a little bit longer, more than what it had been doing yesterday, then it basically said the same thing..."no logical drives" and started going round on its loop the loop!

I went into the BIOS as Glen states above and under the boot sequence, I put HDD first, and was able to expand this and in there was the P212 card listed and the onboard RAID controller, so I promoted the P212 and disabled the onboard raid, then rebooted the server - nothing happened, so I'm at exactly the same point I was at yesterday :(

I'm still at no point at all prompted for an F8 to get in to the new RAID cards BIOS, nor any other key stroke is letting me get in to it.

There is no way that 2 RAID cards are faulty, so there has to be a compatibility issue or something that this server simply doesn't like.

Has anyone got any ideas that can help take me forward with this?

Many thanks
Stevie
Alzhy
Honored Contributor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Man... puzzling puzzling puzzling...

Have you tried the CArds on different slots or even on a different server?
Hakuna Matata.
Glenn Hudgins
Advisor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

After doing a Google search, I found 3 recent posts with people having similar issues with the same server and array. Some said that updating the BIOS off a flash drive to the newest version worked. Others said they hadn't installed the proper cable to the array card. Check out the posts and maybe something they did might work for you.

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/ProLiant-Servers-ML-DL-SL/Proliant-ML-110-G6-will-not-boot-off-HP-Smart-Array-P212/m-p/4726832#M107810


http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/ProLiant-Servers-Netservers/SOLVED-How-do-I-configure-a-ML110-G6-with-a-Smart-Array-P212/td-p/2301434

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/ProLiant-Servers-ML-DL-SL/ML110-G6-raid-functions/m-p/4588638#M100248

Stevie Eccleson
Advisor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Hi Glen, hi all,

thanks for the further replies.

The only solution I can see from the links (as I do have the right 4 port cable, I confirmed this with my reseller and HP via the phone)

Is to do what the guy did via the 3rd link, update/flash the BIOS so that the F8 option becomes available.

How do I do this with a USB stick? I've never done this before, is it easy to do? Any help you can supply me with in achieving this I would be grateful.

Do I boot up the server and set the USB to boot first (obviously) then what?

I think this is my final and last option, as the cables are fine, the HDD's are fine, the system see's the card, it just won't let me do a damn thing with it.

Again, many thanks to everyone for helping me.

Thanks
Stevie
Glenn Hudgins
Advisor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Stevie,
Here's a link to the updated BIOS that works with the USB key (flash drive): http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=3984625&prodNameId=3984626&swEnvOID=4064&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-95ff7c2749a3437ea9d068085c

They have the installation instructions there and it looks pretty straight forward. Once you have the USB drive ready you reboot the server and it should boot right from it or at least give you the choice to boot from it. I'm pretty sure the server BIOS doesn't require you to preset it to boot to a USB device.

You also might want to get all the updated drivers for your server while your there so you can install them once you have your Windows server OS running. You should have a list of all the hardware that was installed on the server because they'll list several choices for different server configurations, i.e. like the NIC, video, array, etc.

Hang with it - you'll have that puppy up and running in no time. The first HP servers I setup in the early 2000s I had no issues at all - all running SCSI arrays & drives and took about an hour. The last 3 that I setup with SATA arrays & drives have all had different issues and took me a couple of days of research and trial-and-error to get going. The good thing is you end up learning a lot and you also find that you're not the only one to have similar issues.

Here's a link for all the drivers listed by the different server OS: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DriverDownload.jsp?prodNameId=3984626тМй=en&cc=us&taskId=135&prodClassId=-1&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=3984625

-Glenn
Stevie Eccleson
Advisor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Glenn - thanks, I'm not at work now, so I will give it a bash tomorrow and will let you all know what the outcome is.

I suspect this is my last chance saloon! ;-)

Cheers to all

Stevie
Stevie Eccleson
Advisor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Hi Glenn,

Well I did what you suggested last night.

:(

When I go to boot of the USB key, I get the message "Rompaq may take a few minutes to get started"

Then I get the message "Command or filename not recognised" Then I get a C:\>

Then nothing.

I tried two different USB keys and I followed the instructions to the letter, I also tried the patch prior to the one that you suggested that I download and install.

What am I doing wrong, I feel like such an idiot, I've had problems with HP servers in the past, but I genuinely don't know what I'm doing wrong.

As always, thanks in advance for any help/advice given.

Stevie
Stevie Eccleson
Advisor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Hi all,

This is turning in to a saga!

Please ignore my last post, I was being an idiot.

I was able to get the bios update on to a usb key, however the problem is that my existing bios has the latest flash update already on it, so the link you sent me Glenn is already the version that I have on the ML 110.

So I not really sure which way to turn now, other than admitting defeat and sending the server back to the reseller.

I put the card in to another slot, same issue.

The upshot is, is that I have tried everything that all of you have suggested, and the server refuses to play ball :(

Help!!!

Stevie
Alzhy
Honored Contributor

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Not really familiar with the ML series -- specially the ML110 -- are you saying this server has an on-board RAID chip (which is a FakeRAID) and you are adding the P212 true RAID card?

How do you access/set up the On-Board RAID - via BIOS or does it have its own "BIOS"?

If HP's Tech can't figure out what is wrong and why you can't configure the P212 -- then I'd say either insist that HP helps you or return them.
Hakuna Matata.
Glenn Hudgins
Advisor
Solution

Re: HP ML 110 ProLiant G6 / P212 RAID Array Controller Card issue

Stevie,

The only thing I can come up with is I remember when I was setting up my last server, I read that HP servers will work with other HDs plugged directly into its SATA ports, but the array cards really only like HP HDs (as well as HP won't provide tech support for other drives connected to their arrays). When I was putting my hardware together for purchase, I read the quickspecs on the array to find the exact HP drives and part numbers I needed which were HP SAS drives. I know this may be a stupid question, but are your drives HP drives? Here's a link to the quickspecs for the P212 array controller: http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13203_div/13203_div.pdf

I can't think of anything else. I also agree with Alzhy that you need to call HP and tell them that they need to help you get the array working correctly or your going to send it back. I've found most phone support don't know their products very well or even how to troubleshoot. They read off a computer using the info you give them and most of the time their answer is to replace the part. If they can't help, ask for a supervisor or for your issue to be escalated up to a hardware engineer.

Also while you're waiting, if you haven't done so already, find other tech forums and post your question there. Maybe someone else has had your exact issue and figured it out. I know what you're going through because I had similar issues with HP servers and their arrays (one internal and one was a P410 controller card) just recently. I posted my issues on every forum I could find and between the answers I got and a lot of Google searching and trial-and-error on my own, I finally got both working.

One more thought, did you get a server setup CD from HP? That might have an installation routine that helps with the install.

Hope it works out-
Glenn