HP ProLiant G4 DL360 POST issues.

[JeffWScott]

I have an old ProLient G4 DL360 that will not get past the Smart Array controller information during the POST.

It never gets to the point where it tries to boot off any device.

This server worked fine up to this point.  I've Google'd everything I can think of and I can't find an answer as to what is wrong.  There are no red or yellow lights.. no beeps during Post.. I really have nothing to go off of expect a server that won't boot!

Here is the POST screen.  I replaced the Array Accelerator Cache board and battery thinking that might fix it.  But it didn't.  I had those errors before and it always booted off the Hard Drives.

Any help or direction at all would be apprectiated.

[scharchouf]

normally you must see at the end some options linkr presse F1 To continue or F2

Have you this possibility?

[Jimmy Vance · Accepted solution]

You might try setting switch 6 on to reset NVRAM, or strip the system down to the bare minimum and see if it will finish POST

[waaronb]

Yeah... what others said. If that screenshot really represents the last thing it shows on screen, right away we can tell it's missing the message from the SA 6i option ROM to "hit F8 to configure or ESC to continue" (or words to that effect).

That would make it seem like that array controller is hanging during it's own POST for some reason.

But maybe you took that screenshot before that message showed up... if that's the case, it would help to know just how far it's getting: what's the last thing it shows on screen?

Does it show the option to go into the system ROM setup for instance? If you're not even getting that far, then there's some option ROM getting in the way probably. Some other PCI card installed? Remove it, see what happens.

[JeffWScott]

Hey thank you to everyone for your answers.

I actually thought I had it fixed.  I plugged in the other power cord and then the server booted on the next power cycle.

This proved to just be a coincidence because I had an update today that required a reboot and the server is now stuck at the same place.

It does momentarily show the "F8" to enter Array Settings or "ESC" to skip options.  I just missed it on my screenshot.  But after that it just stalls.  It never tires to boot off any devices.  I don’t even get any options to boot into the BIOS.

I replaced the Drive Array and Battery and now those warnings have disappeared.  There are now no errors or warning during the POST or in the IML.  There are also no beeps, no red or amber lights..  nothing to go off of.

Thoughts?

[JeffWScott]

I set switch 6 and removed 2 boards that were not in use.  It booted up on the next power cycle. 

I'm not sure if this is a permenat fix as I won't be rebooting the server for the forseeable future.  

But thank you!

[waaronb]

Cool... when I re-read your original question, it dawned on me that the Smart Array POST routine was probably working fine, and it was when the system was checking other installed cards or options that it was hanging.

It was probably one of those 2 boards you mentioned removing.  The server POST will do CPU and memory checks, then start going through other installed adapters (technically the ILO is included there), the built in array controller, any other array controllers, etc.

I don't know if it's doing it in order of their PCI slots or whatever... but I bet one of those 2 cards was bad.

If you were really curious you could put one back in at a time and see which one, but if they weren't being used then you probably have better uses of your time. :)