Lack of SmartStart Support for Windows Server 2003 on older (non-RBSU) Servers

[Kim Beard]

Has anyone tried installing Windows Server 2003 on older non-RBSU Proliant Servers using SmartStart 5.5?

Has anyone found the process simple or the instruction clear at http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/SmartStart/index.html as to how to install Windows Server 2003 on a non-RBSU Server?

Has anyone worked out how to get the Proliant Management Agents Working?

Has anyone at HP installed Windows Server 2003 on a non-RBSU server using SmartStart V5.5 and then tried to get the Management Agents Working?

If you have the resources to install Windows Server 2003 on an older Server using SmartStart V5.x and then get the management agents to work, let me know how you go.

[Terry Hutchings · Accepted solution]

As to the first question:
Are you trying to do an assisted install? I've gotten Win2003 to install fine on a Proliant 1600. It WILL require doing a manual install though. The process for doing this is pretty simple (just boot off the Win2003 CD and do the install). I have the management agents working right now on non RBSU and RBSU machines.

The web page says:
- Use SmartStart 5.5 to install Windows Server 2003 on non-RBSU-based systems.
- Select Manual Installation Path to configure your hardware
- Use the Windows Server 2003 CD to complete the OS installation
- Use SmartStart 6.x to upgrade to the latest Windows Server 2003 server drivers

What is the actual problem you're having?

[Kim Beard]

The real problem I have is that HP aren't properly supporting Windows Server 2003 on non-RBSU servers with SmartStart.

How difficult would it be for HP to release another version of SmartStart that Supports Windows Server 2003 on non-RBSU Proliants.

It's not a real issue if you only re-build one or two servers but I have up to 80 non-RBSU servers that will need to be re-built and the instructions supplied by HP for installing Windows Server 2003 are very poor.

The web page is missing a couple of important steps which will be highlighted by an ***

- Use SmartStart 5.5 to install Windows Server 2003 on non-RBSU-based systems.
- Select Manual Installation Path to configure your hardware
*** Select Windows 2000
- Use the Windows Server 2003 CD to complete the OS installation
*** Install SNMP before installing the Latest Supportpaq.
- Use SmartStart 6.x to upgrade to the latest Windows Server 2003 server drivers.

[keith shailes]

I have had to build a number of Proliant 1600's with 2003 using ss5.5
As you cannot select W2K3, I tried selecting 2K, then use the 2K3 disk. This didn't work, so I installed 2K, then upgraded to 2K3, and then applied 6.40 update. This works ok, but takes a hell of a time.