DL160 G6 Unable to use RAID before install OS

[sierramike]

Well mbr99, I think I've forgotten what I've read in your initial post, I would have known that the v2 of the CD doesn't even work ...

I don't think this is a hardware issue as we are many people having the same issue ... Anyway, you can tell us if changing the hardware resolves your problems, so I can do the same ...

But in emergency, I've setup a software RAID inside W2K8 so I can put the server in production ... I'll remember to test another brand next time I'll sell a server ...

[Marco Nachtrab]

The version inside the easy-setup-cd v2 is 6.6.0.64, called cp010380.exe

The newer version on the homepage is 6.6.2.64, called cp010930.exe

Both don't work, as it seems!

[Marco Nachtrab]

So to get this a little more straight: I tried on Windows 2008 R2 RC, you alle tried Windows 2008 R1. Did you try x64 or x86?

Marco

[sierramike]

Yes, I was trying "Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 (HP Branded)", using Easy Setup CD,

and "Windows Server 2008 Standard x64 MSDN" booting normally.

One thing to notice is that the MSDN version did boot, but then didn't load any driver for the RAID Array, but the HP Branded did not start setup when booting alone, the error message was "Bootlock : cannot find media".

But when the RAID Controller was disabled in the Bios, I managed to install W2k8 correctly. This is why I actually ended by building a software RAID using Windows functionnalities. Not the best performance, but at least it works ...

[Marco Nachtrab]

Maybe everyone should post his setup:

DL160 G6 rom 2009/06/10
RAID 1+0 in B110i setup
2x Samsung HD753LJ SATA
Windows 2008 R2 x64 RC from MSDN

all driver versions and eays-setup-cds fail

[Marco Nachtrab]

Ok, I solved it!

I used two firmware updates from HP for the BMC and ROM, the files are called:
SP44271.exe
Sp44299.exe

I think this upgraded the B110i firmware to v1.10, could you please check your B110i versions before you update?

I then used the regular driver for the B110i from the homepage. I put all those files here:

http://nachtrab.de/files/hp_dl160_g6/

What still bothers me is the naming of those raid levels in the setup:
It calls raid0 'fault tolerance', and does not show any raid1 option, only a raid1+0 option, which seems to be raid1, as raid1+0 would need four drives and I am only using two!
After install I will rip out one of those drives just to be sure...

[sierramike]

Arghhh, I feel like I need to reinstall this server from scratch using the hardware RAID ...

Thanks so much to HP for having tested their hardware before manufacturing ...

Thanks a lot, REALLY, to you for having found the solution, and posted the files to your website ... I hope to read some good news from you today about the RAID 1+0 feature working like a RAID 1, so I will be sure to reinstall this server as I said ...

[Marco Nachtrab]

The good news is, the array is working as a raid1 should, and with the installed event notifier agent the loss of redundancy is shown in event manager in windows 2008 r2. When rebooting the server the B110i offers to rebuild redundancy. Fine.

What I noticed though with the B110i is that write caching seemed disabled (going to the HP Logical SCSI Volume, Properties, Caching is disabled), and cannot be activated. It says this should be done via ACU, the Array Manager. That one does not work for me, I get a browser site 127.0.0.1:2081 that is not reachable.

Write performance is abysmal therefore, and hovers around 10MB/sec, whilst read is around 90mb/sec

[sierramike]

So ... It sounds like it's still not perfect ... Still wondering about what I'll do ...

Just keep us informed if you find that last solution ... Thanks for your great job about that issue !

[Marco Nachtrab]

I now also got write-caching to work and am happy. I summarized the whole incident here:

http://nachtrab.de/2009/08/14/hp-dl160-g6-raid-controller-b110i-and-windows-2008-r2/


Short version of getting write-caching to work:
Use cp010232.exe from the HP homepage