HP BL 380 G4

[Graham Webb]

We need to make some changes to the BIOS settings on our HP BL 380 G4 server but are unable to find the settings to enable shadow BIOS and BIOS caching. We also need to ensure that there is no CPU clock speed throttling working on the server

Can you forward me to a BIOS guide etc or tell me how to access these settings.

[Stephen Kebbell · Accepted solution]

Hi,

here is the user guide for HP ROM-Based Setup Utility.

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00191707/c00191707.pdf

I assume you have a DL380 G4, not BL (they're blades)

Regards,
Stephen

[Graham Webb]

Hi thanks for the reply but that guide doesn't seem to mention shadow bios or bios caching.

[Jaowon]

I'll add a bit more background information explaining Grahams request.

I've upgraded the DL380 to the most recent BIOS update available off this site. Since the update the performance of the server has been dire. Running benchmarks shows that the server is running at the equivalent speed of a 500Mhz Xeon, rather than the 3.6Ghz. The first thing that springs to mind, is that if this was a generic motherboard, I would then have to either

a) Go into the bios and select "Standard defaults" or "Optimized defaults" and maybe set the CPU detection to auto (or manually set up the speed)

b) on older motherboards I would have to again enter the bios, and enable bios caching and/or shadowing, and manually set the bus speed, RAM speed etc.

I can't actually find any of these things within the bios on here, I just get what I'm given.

Is this likely to be the cause of the slowdown post bios upgrade, or is there some other follow up task I havent spotted yet.


Regards


J

[Graham Webb]

Hi can anybody shed some more light on how to access these BIOS features as we are still unable to change the settings. Also theres now a rabbit next to the post indicating the post has been solved is it possible to remove that?

[Ryan Goff]

What power profile is setup in control panel? Always on?

What benchmark program are you using to test the system?

There are no settings in the RBSU to change what you want (shadow bios, bios caching).

[Ryan Goff]

What power profile is setup in control panel? Always on?

What benchmark program are you using to test the system?

There are no settings in the RBSU to change what you want (shadow bios, bios caching).

If you install this program is the cpu running at the proper speeds?

http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php

[Graham Webb]

Hi

Thanks for your reply I can confirm that the server power scheme is set to always on.

I have installed CPU-Z and it is showing that the clock speed and muliplier settings are fluctuating between 3.5Ghz and 2.8GHz.

[Jaowon]

I'm gonna have a little interject here again. Graham's sent me the results of that utility, and it's showing HT is enabled. I have a niggling suspicion that on the "old" bios HT was disabled, and equally nigling is the thought that HT being enabled is going to be the cause of the slowdown.

Unfortunately it's a 6 hour drive for Graham, or a 2 hour drive for me to go onsite and disable HT (ILO is such a wonderful thing with hindsight :) )