Can a unattended Windows installation be performed on HP DL380 via ILO interface?

[apundir]

Hi,
Can we perform unattended Windows installation on HP DL380 server via ILO interface? If yes, then how we can do that, please provide steps/pointers to do that if it is at all possible

Thanks & Regards.
-Abhishek

[Adrian Clint]

The iLO interface is like a KVM over IP so no if I understand your question correctly.

[David Claypool]

iLO has features beyond 'KVM over IP' such as virtual media which is licensed via the iLO Advanced Pack, so the answer is yes, as long as you have the license.

[apundir]

Hi,
I have tried to perform an unattended Windows 2003 installation on HP DL380 G4 via ILO.I am attaching the answer file (WINNT.SIF) I am using for this. I am able to do the unattended installation of Windows 2003 using this answer file on VMWare but its fails in HP DL380 via ILO.
Please help in this regard and please let me know what else I need to do.

Appreciate the help.

[Pieter 't Hart]

this is intended to work, I used this way on DL380-from G3 to G5. (different job now so no experience on G6).
I assume you allready got the ILO advanced licence to connect ILO virtual media.

if you are using this answerfile on VMWare, you do not really access the smart-array-controllers (IO handeled by VM-ware virtual driver).

I'd check if the "dikette" (floppy image) contains the right storage drivers for this model and the winnt.sif point to the right driver.

[Pieter 't Hart]

I looked deeper into to your answer file.
it seems more suitable for RIS-installation image or OEM preinstallation image.
so using a virtual floppy is not used here?

using CD only should be no problem at all for ILO as long as it contains the right drivers.

[apundir]

Hi,
I have an another issue, while performing the unattended installation, it ask me "Press any key to boot from CD", I found a workaround for this by removing "bootfix.bin" file form I386 folder but after removing this file the server enters the windows setup mode again and again after the reboot.
Please let me help in resolving this problem of suppressing the "Press any key to boot from CD" so that my installation went totally unattended.

[Pieter 't Hart]

"I found a workaround for this by removing "bootfix.bin" file from I386 folder"
???
where did you remove this?
from the harddisk you want to install the OS on?
or from the source installation files?

I would not advice fidling around like that.

It looks like the correct driver for the disk-controller is not present on the installation disk(s) so it is not copied to the harddisk during first phase of installation.
That's why the system cannot boot from harddisk after copying.

With manual installation you would press F6 for additional drivers.
With unattended install you must have them on the same "floppy" as the winnt.sif file.

You may also need to check the boot order in the bios.

[apundir]

Hi,
I performed the following steps to setup the unattended windows 2003 server installation on HP DL380 G4 via ILO interface -
1. Extracted the contents of Windows 2003 CD into a folder with I386 folder into that folder.
2. Created an unattended file whose contents are as given below -

===============WINNT.SIF=====================
;SetupMgrTag
[Data]
AutoPartition=1
MsDosInitiated="0"
UnattendedInstall="Yes"

[Unattended]
UnattendMode=FullUnattended
OemSkipEula=Yes
OemPreinstall=No
TargetPath=\WINDOWS

[GuiUnattended]
AdminPassword="ADMIN"
EncryptedAdminPassword=NO
AutoLogon=Yes
AutoLogonCount=1
OEMSkipRegional=1
TimeZone=85
OemSkipWelcome=1

[UserData]
ProductKey=WB8Q6-W2T92-WYD3H-TJXGX-RK8YB
FullName="srai"
OrgName="Gale"
ComputerName=*

[LicenseFilePrintData]
AutoMode=PerServer
AutoUsers=5

[TapiLocation]
AreaCode=888

[Identification]
JoinWorkgroup=WORKGROUP

[Networking]
InstallDefaultComponents=No

[NetAdapters]
Adapter1=params.Adapter1

[params.Adapter1]
INFID=*

[NetClients]
MS_MSClient=params.MS_MSClient

[NetServices]
MS_SERVER=params.MS_SERVER

[NetProtocols]
MS_TCPIP=params.MS_TCPIP

[params.MS_TCPIP]
DNS=No
UseDomainNameDevolution=No
EnableLMHosts=Yes
AdapterSections=params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1

[params.MS_TCPIP.Adapter1]
SpecificTo=Adapter1
DHCP=No
IPAddress=10.12.12.19
SubnetMask=255.255.255.0
DefaultGateway=10.12.12.254
DNSServerSearchOrder=10.12.110.16
WINS=No
NetBIOSOptions=0

[MassStorageDrivers]
"IDE CD-ROM (ATAPI 1.2)/PCI IDE Controller" = RETAIL
"HP Dynamic Setup Support Driver" = OEM
"Smart Array 6i, 641, 642, 6400, 6400EM Controllers" = OEM

[OEMBootFiles]
cpqcissm.cat
cpqcissm.inf
cpqcissm.sys
startdss.sys
txtsetup.oem

3. Created the $OEM$/Textmode folder structure under the folder where Windows 2003 CD has been extracted. And copied the following contents under the folder $OEM$/Textmode -

cpqcissm.cat
cpqcissm.inf
cpqcissm.sys
startdss.sys
txtsetup.oem

4. To supress the "Press any key to boot from CD" step I have removed "bootfix.bin" file which lies under I386 folder.

5. And then create the ISO image for this Windows 2003 server setup.

After performing the above steps, I am having the following observations:
Observation i)- In case I do not keep the Virtual CD-ROM mounted on the iLO interface, I am seeing the system prompting me that installation cannot proceed since the required CD is not mounted (refer attached screenshot)

Observation ii)- In case I keep the Virtual CD-ROM mounted on the iLO interface, I am seeing the Windows setup process getting repeated continuously, and the system is not coming out of it.

Please advise on where I am going wrong in the above steps. Highly appreciate any guidance in this regard.

[Pieter 't Hart]

you must supply the storage drivers on two locations

Selecting and Loading the Correct Mass-Storage Driver
If you are including new or updated drivers for mass-storage devices, you must add the new driver to both of these folders:

\$OEM$\Textmode
The location specified in the OemPnPDriversPath entry in the Unattend.txt file.
For example: \$OEM$\$1\Pnpdrvrs\storage

(read winnt.sif for unattend.txt)