BL20p - Installation Instructions

[Gene Laoyan]

We will be ordering the BL20p in a few weeks and I was wondering if anyone can direct me to the installation instructions and/or manuals to this blade?
I would like to RTFM (lol...) before we get it in so I don't look like a knucklehead.

Thanks!

[A. Clay Stephenson]

When in doubt try "docs.hp.com".

http://docs.hp.com/en/hw.html

You should see blade servers under this URL.

[Gene Laoyan]

I couldn't find any info on BL20p on that site. I did find this page: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/DocumentIndex.jsp?contentType=SupportManual〈=en&cc=us&docIndexId=179911&taskId=101&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=1121598#2

But I don't see any Linux support.
What we will be using the BL20p for is ESX 3.0. Are there any issues running ESX 3.0 on this blade?

[A. Clay Stephenson]

Well, I had no trouble at all pulling up a number of manuals for the BL20p at docs.hp.com BUT why are you posting this in an HP-UX area? This a Linux question.

[Gene Laoyan]

Ohhhh....crap.
I'm sorry, I'm so used to posting Unix questions I didn't stop to think.
Sorry.
Could you move it for me?

[David Claypool]

See http://www.hp.com/go/vmware for best practice documentation, including certified ProLiant servers. Don't worry, the BL20p is certified.

Also, please note that VMware ESX <> Linux. This confusion is caused by the "Service Console" being a special instance of a virtual machine that runs Linux, but the hypervisor is actually called the VMkernel. If you have Linux experience, you'll have a leg up on ESX, but there are special considerations for VMware.

[Rob Leadbeater]

Hi,

When you say BL20p I assume you mean you're ordering new G4 variants...

If you happen to be getting the older (second user) G1 variant bear in mind that these only had 100Mb/s NICs which could limit things in ESX...

Cheers,

Rob