Installation SBS 2003 on ML 110 G4

[Leonard MOR]

Hi,

Am trying to install Windows SBS 2003 R2 on a new ML 1104 (model 432534-055) with a single SAS HDD (no RAID). Windows doesn't detect the hard disk and so presumably I need to press F6 when installing and add the necessary driver.

Where can I find this driver (can find any support or drivers for ML110 G4 on the HP site using these key words or product number: maybe the machine is to new)?

And presumably there is a special procedure using a USB key since there in no floppy drive.

Regards,

[Leonard MOR]

Am using USB external floppy reader.

Tried the embedded Adaptec SATA RAID controller (adpahci.sys 05/10/2006 which supposely supports the ML110 G4) but this didn't detect the disk either.

When I press F8 during boot I can see the single disk and select it as the boot disk.

Any ideas?

[~sesh]

I think RAID is enabled in the BIOS of the server. With a single disk, you would not need RAID configuration.

Launch BIOS by pressing F10. Get into the "Advanced Chipset Control". Select SATA RAID as "Disabled."

Reboot the server, it should now boot without RAID configuration, and you would not see the F8 to configure RAID. Insert the Windows Installation disc & install operating system as on a normal desktop with a single hard drive.

[Víctor Cespón · Accepted solution]

ML110 G4 has no internal SAS controller, so you must be using the optional "HP 8 Internal Port SAS HBA with RAID".

This is a RAID (0/1) HBA, so if you only have one disk, you must create a RAID 0 on it, and a logical unit at least.

The drivers for that HBA are in http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/storage/us/locate/69_6227.html

ML110 G4 also comes with no floppy drive, so you must purchase the optional HP floppy or USB floppy/pendrive.

NOTE: When installing a Windows OS Environment and configuring the embedded SATA RAID, AHCI,
or SAS controllers, installation of a driver from a diskette device is required. The optional USB floppy
drive (part number DC361B) is required on the ML110 G4 to accomplish this operation

[Leonard MOR]

adric,
Checked the Advanced Chipset Control (default) Options in the BIOS and both the Parallel ATA and Serial ATA options are on Enabled.
Under Serial ATA, the SATA Controller Mode Option is Enhanced, and both SATA RAID Enable and SATA AHCI Enable are on Disable.

However, I don't think it is a BIOS problem because the HP diagnostic CD detects the disk and tests it OK.
Believe it is more likely to be a driver problem.

vcespon,
Think you are probably on the right track, but are you sure about your link which sends me to a Windows driver package (cp007914.exe) rather than a compressed file that I can expand to a diskette. In any case having problems downloading this file (seems to be a problem with the HP FTP server) so will try later.

Re floppy drive, in fact I have an external USB floppy reader so there is no problem about installing the driver (when I find it) but I saw somewhere on a recent post that there is a procedure for creating a diskette image on a USB key and it was this procedure that I was looking for.

Cheers,

[Víctor Cespón]

1st you need to clarify what you have. In the initial post you say that you have a SAS disk. SAS != SATA.
ML110 G4 has a SATA controller on motherboard, this does not support SAS disks.
The drivers for integrated SATA controller are:
HP Embedded SATA RAID Controller Driver for Windows 2000/Windows Server 2003
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/26742.html

The drivers for the optional SAS controller are:
HP 4/8 Internal Port SAS HBA with RAID and SCxxGe series HBA Driver for Windows Server 2003
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/27550.html

Using a non-HP floppy drive to load the drivers usually does not work.

[Leonard MOR]

My apologies vcespon,

I downloaded the ML110 G4 Quick Specs and found references to 4 Host Bus Adaptateurs: references 416096-B1, 412911-B21, 347786-B21, 374654-B21 plus a SmartArray E200 controller card.

I opened the box and according to label on the card, SAS3080X-HP, a search on the HP drivers shwoed it to be the "HP 8 Internal Port SAS Host Bus Adapter with RAID", P/N 374786-B21.

I then did a search on the name (not the P/N) and finally came across the driver which you originally suggested! After multiple attempts I was able to download cp007914.exe, extract the files and copy all except the excutable files (.exe and .dll) to a diskette. This driver then enabled me to install Windows on my machine.

And, of course, I am using an HP USB external floppy drive. However, should you know where to find the HP utility for creating a (bootable) diskette on a USB key ...

Thanks again

[~sesh]

Here is the link to download the HP USB key utility:
http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/26504.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

[Víctor Cespón]

Instead of a floppy drive, you can use this:

HP USB Floppy Drive Key
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/drives-enclosures/usb-floppy-drive-key/index.html

It's more expensive than the floppy drive, but you can use it as floppy for all recent Proliant models that came without floppy drive, and it's also a USB drive key. You can use the Drive key utility (link above) to format it and then copy the firmware CD to it, so you can update firmware on all your servers with this too.

[Leonard MOR]

Thanks vcespon,

Looks good. Have ordered one to try it out. I currently use a diskette to boot servers and save images on a SAN server. This device could solve a number of problems.