DL160 G6 Unable to use RAID before install OS

[Marcel_Brown]

For about a day I'm trying to setup a raid 1+0 on this system. Default is has 1 x 160GB SATA drive and I've inserted a 2nd drive 160GB. Via de BIOS enabled SATA RAID and configured via F8 a 1+0 RAID. When using the Easy Smartstart CD 1.0(b) and v2.00 they are unable to detect the controller (HP Smart Array Sata RAID B110i). During the setup within the CD you can also configure an array but it just crashes wihtin a Firefox session. Strange because I already configured an array from within the controller software. When I skip the array config from the CD It can't continue and returns the message Partitioning had failed - unable to continue - could not update disk mbr code. When I skip the config within the controller, and try to use the array config from the cd, again it crashes within the FF session. I also tried not using the CD and just using Windows 2003 server standaard R2 to boot with an embeded driver (nLite) it returns a BSOD. With Windows 2008 servers it can't detect the controller with the drivers.

I already opened a case with HP. The supplied me with several drivers for all OS'ses mentioned. None of them work. They say the Easy CD is just crap, don't use it. Strange advise ....

Still. I'm looking to a server I can't use. I can't imagen I'm the 1st person facing this simply issue, installing a OS.

Maybe somebody can give me usefull advise?

Thanks.

[Marco Nachtrab]

First, I am a bit confused, as I thought the controller can handle raid 0,1 and 10.
However with two disks attached I can only choose raid 0 or raid 1+0. I hope this means the controller uses raid 1 if there are two drivers attached.

Second, using Windows 2008 R2 I am also not able to bind the B110i into the setup. It shows up as compatible driver, but it produces an error when it tries to load the files from the USB stick.

[Marcel_Brown]

From the HP Support I've understand that the B110i is not a common controller.

Meanwhile upgrading the bios also does not help. Case still open with support ....

[Marco Nachtrab]

Hoho,
not a common controller... I think I bought a HP? I settled with using AHCI-mode for my Windows 2008 R2 RC tests. I just need to test Hyper-V2 RC/SCVMM 2008 R2 RC, but when 2008 R2 hits the market on 22nd october HP should be ready with a driver...

[sierramike]

Hi,
Did someone solve this problem ?
I have the same ... Bought a DL160G6, removed the 160GB hard drive and put 2x HP 250GB hard drive, configured the RAID 1+0 via F8, and the Easy Setup CD hangs on the "could not update disk MBR code"...

Booting on the Windows Server 2008 "HP Branded" DVD doesn't work (bootlock : cannot find media), booting on a Windows Server 2008 from MSDN doesn't work because I can't load the drivers of the b110i controler ...

Could HP have sold some hardware that cannot work ??? How will I explain to my customer I sell a hardware RAID controler enabled server, and it will run on a shitty software RAID configured inside Windows ........

That's a shame for HP servers !!!

[Marcel_Brown]

Tommorow an HP engineer will be here to replace the backplane of the server. My drives should be OK. More news later.

[Marco Nachtrab]

I will open a support case for this tomorrow and point HP to this thread, so they see there are many customers falling struggling with that problem.

My tried and failed setup was:

Windows 2008 R2 RC german
2x 750 GB Samsung SATA
Raid '1+0' setup
B110i controller shows as valid but fails on install

[sierramike]

Just had HP Support by phone, they told me to download the new version of the Easy Setup CD (v 2.00, shipped was the 1.00b) and burn it to boot the server and install the OS. That should solve the problem ...

I'm actually downloading, and will give it a try in less than an hour, I'll let you know as soon as I know ...

For information, the download is availaible with many others by selecting the "United States - English" language at the top right of the http://www.hp.com webpage, before browsing to drivers section ...

[sierramike]

I don't know why I expected it to work ...

Exactly the same error ... "could not update disk mbr code" ...

[Marcel_Brown]

Engineer was here. There is no backplane in this server. So he could return with the item. Tommorow they are going to replace the motherboard, since the backplane is on the motherboard. To be continued ....

BTW EasyCD2 also does not work as mentioned in my first post.