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Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

 
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Hedon
Advisor

Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

IтАЩm a newbie both to HP servers & vSphere (ESXi4) & would like to ask the forum for some advice especially those with experience on this specific model. IтАЩm planning on buying a HP DL 380 G5 in a few days with the following config:

тАвHP PROLIANT DL380 G5 2xDC XEON/3GHz/4Mb
тАвBIOS Version P56 07/10/2009
тАв2xINTEL 5160 Dual core XEON 3GHz EM64T+VT 2x2MB L2 Cache, BUS Speed 1333hz .
тАвMEMORY installed 16GB PC2-5300F DDR2 667Mhz REG ECC .
тАвSTORAGE 584Gb as 3x146GB +2x73GB SAS 10k SP 2.5 inch -8 SLOT HOT-SWAP Cage.
тАвHP SMART Array P400 512MB Cache+Battery SAS 2 ports Raid Controller .
тАвILO2 Remote Insight Lights Out feature Version V2.01 /Aug 4 ,2010 .


IтАЩm planning on installing vSphere ESXi 4 (eval)& would appreciate some help with the following questions:

1.Will I have to upgrade the bios before installing ESXi 4.1 U1
2.Should I update RBSU, ORCA, iLO2 & NICтАЩs ?
3.To install ESX1 4 should I use the VMware generic ISO or the HP ISO
4.How to I update the BIOS & RBSU, ORCA, iLO2 & NICтАЩs

Many thanks in advance

Regards

Hedon
11 REPLIES 11
Bob_Vance
Esteemed Contributor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

Look for the latest Firmware CD. Should be at hp under servers/proliants drivers/ firmware.

Download the ISO. You can create a bootable CD/DVD of it.
Boot the CD/DVD on the Proliant and follow the instructions for installing the Firmware.
You'll get a screen with all the possible updates and can select them as desired.
I usually do all of them in one fell swoop.
However, if you're using the ILO to do this, and the ILO shows an update, do it on a separate first pass by itself.
Then do all the others on a second pass.

If you cannot create a DVD (no writer), then you can install an EVAL ILO Advanced license, and then serve the ISO up via the ILO as a local DVD on the server.


bv
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." - Chaucer
walterrsmith
Occasional Advisor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

As to #3. A G5 can use either one. My personal preference is to use the HP ISO and then update the Host with VUM (VMware Update Manager). If that is not an option (ie no vCenter Server), then you'd probably be better off using the latest Generic with Update 1 preinstalled. Looks #1, #2 and #4 are answered adequately.
Hedon
Advisor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

Hi Bob

You stated that I should use the latest Firmware CD to update the BIOS etc., but it looks like the v8.70 CD does not support Vmware.

Can I use iLO to do the required updates without installing the ESXi OS first?


Regards

Hedon
Hedon
Advisor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

Hi Walter

Can I install the generic 4.1 U1 & than use VUM (to update host), while using an eval of vCenter Server?



Regards


Hedon
walterrsmith
Occasional Advisor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

Hedon:

Yes you can.

Walter
Bob_Vance
Esteemed Contributor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

From my previous post:

"
...create a bootable CD/DVD of it.
Boot the CD/DVD on the Proliant and follow the instructions for installing the Firmware.
"

So, you are booting the downloaded FW ISO to update the Firmware on the Proliant.
If you can burn a DVD/CD (you have a writer) then burn it, insert in into the Proliant DVD, and boot from that DVD.

Otherwise, do the ILO Virtual Media thingy I mentioned.


bv
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." - Chaucer
Hedon
Advisor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

Hi Bob


I attempted to use iLO to upgrade the iLo firmware. On the HP website their is no support for ESXi 4 only windows & different flavors of unix/linux. So what firmware update am I supposed to use. Sorry to be so thick.

Regards


hedon
Bob_Vance
Esteemed Contributor

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

All of the Updates are on the FW CD.
Be sure to download the ISO -- it is bootable.

You never have to use Windows or ESX.

BOOT from the DVD, either by using Virtual Media w current ILO or burning the ISO to physical media.

It will discover all the available HW and the updates that it has for that HW, including the ILO.

So, first, deselect everything except the ILO and perform the ILO update.

After the ILO update finishes, you'll probably have to re-connect your browser to the ILO.
You also may have to reboot the DVD at this point to get the remaining HW,
although the DVD may support a re-scan or re-selection at this point, as well.

So now select ALL the HW and allow those updates to occur.



bv
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." - Chaucer
Bob_Vance
Esteemed Contributor
Solution

Re: Installation Advice for ESXi 4.1 U1 (HP DL360 G5)

Ooops my bad.

I think I confused you about the FW CD.
I left out some crucial words.

There was a thing called the "Firmware Maintenance CD".
Now, it's called the
" Smart Update Firmware DVD"
It has FW updates for ALL the HW for the various models of Proliants.


HP's web site can be very annoying and hard to negotiate.
You can traverse the HP web site to get to it:


ONE PATH to it:

hp.com
servers
HP ProLiant DL
ProLiant DL300
ProLiant DL300 G6 (this OK for the G5)
HP Support & Drivers
Download drivers and software
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
(we're just trying to get the DVD)
Firmware - CD-ROM
click the link
RECOMMENDED * Smart Update Firmware DVD
(Not the DOWNLOAD button.)

here, you can click any of the useful TABs like
Installation Instructions
Release Notes (and see that it supports the G5)
etc
or click the
DOWNLOAD button
.


ANOTHER PATH (a little more direct):

hp.com
Support & Drivers (at top)
select
Download drivers and software (and firmware)
enter product
ProLiant DL300 G5
GO
HP ProLiant DL365 G5 Server
Microsoft Windows Server 2003
... the rest is the same


bv
"The lyf so short, the craft so long to lerne." - Chaucer