Cannot install Redhat on DL360 with Emulex FC Card

[Emil Velez]

I am having a problem installing Redhat Enterprise 4 on a DL360g4b (3 year old box) but the install is failing since I have a emulex FC card. We cannot easily disconnect the FC card from the san. The DL360 has its own internal disks for the install

FC HBAs are HP DC2243 dual channel 4 GB adapters Emulex model LP 1102

The quickspecs show it as supported with Linux

At roughly 8/10 of the bar, the installer hangs and the dl gives an amber light and the entire system freezes including ilo.

It gives you a read error on /dev/sdab

Points will be provided any tips welcome. Need Redhat enterprise 4 due to compatibility with polyserve Linux

[Uwe Zessin]

If the complete system freezes - even including the iLO, it looks like a very low-level problem. Can you take a look at the server's internal logs?

[Emil Velez]

Nothing really in the logs.

The box currently is used with WIndows 2003 and works with the emulex cards with windows 2003. We have a need to periodically install Redhat 4 on these systems for some weeks of training. (In fact as a trining environemnt we reload these systems every week). And when we automatic load windows with alteris the fiber channel comes up initially (then we load MPIO drivers) and everything works fine. We just have not been able to do this with Linux 32 bit.

Any pointers to incompatibilities or special non-media steps would be useful. We are using the smart start 8 CDs for Redhat Enterprise I think.


Emil Velez

[Bharath_Pingali · Accepted solution]

Hello,

If you installing the OS to the local disk, it is not advised to have the FC connected and Luns visible.

In your case, looks like you are having more than 27 Luns on your SAN, this might be the reason for the system to hang during installation.

If you cannot disable the HBAs, I would advise to start your installation with "nostorage" option and only select the driver for your local disk.


Hope this helps.

-Thank You
Bharath

[Alan_152]

Are you installing RHEL4U3 or better?

[Emil Velez]

Why is there a difference.. I am using the HP smartstart CDs with the redhat enterprise 4 with the 2.6 kernel.

[Alan_152]

When I did FC system testing for HP, there was a restriction to RHEL4U3 or better.

[Emil Velez]

it was U3. Thanks

Evidently what we need to do is install without fiberchannel connected, capture the image and then connect fiberchannel and reboot and add the drivers.

[Emil Velez]

Thank you for the pointers