Getting a Proliant 850R to boot from IDE HDD using onboard controller?

[Graham Smith_3]

Hello everyone,

I have spent quite a lot of time trying to get a Proliant 850R (P200Pro) to boot from an IDE HDD. (Trying to install SmoothWall Linux router which will only run/install from an IDE drive.)

I know that I must use the ECU to configure the IDE controller to identify the drive like a CMOS drive type, but if I move the CDROM to the secondry IDE channel, it no longer boots the SmartStart CD to finish the configuration!

Do I have to put the HDD on the Secondary IDE channel in order to still be able to boot from the CDROM?? Will it boot from there on such an old machine?

If someone could tell me the hardware layout (ie. HDD as master on Secondary, leave CDROM as master on Primary) I would be ever so grateful.

Oh, and it looks like the onboard controller doesn't support slave devices as there is no option for them in the ECU / CMOS setup.

This is supposed to be a "cheap" solution/ option, so unfortunately purchasing a Promise/AMI IDE controller with a BIOS is not an option. I must make this work with just the hardware I have.

BIOS version is P04 (latest I think??) and SmartStart CDROM is v5.5 for compatibility.

TIA....

[Oleg Koroz · Accepted solution]

IDE connector on board in the SCSI based systems is not designed to Support HDD, only CD ROM (one or two) and Settings should be CS
However some IDE controllers might be able see HDD from POST, but not guaranteed to work correctly, usually you can try use alternate IDE PCI card, just do research for compatible one.

[kcpant]

Hi Graham,

In addition to KOV's reply, I believe that even if you add additional IDE card, possibilities of booting through it are very rare.( I haven't worked on P 850R, but on other proliant servers, I have never found a way to boot through IDE drives, but, in some servers, you can use IDE drives for data storage)
Thanks & regards,