ML150 G3 and RAID 5 (P400)

[KarloChacon]

well at this point I would say some things are not supported by HP but work (memory, some PCI cards) but definitely this is not included

regards

[e4services]

THanks for the reply and info No Probs.
So are you telling me you never see the BIOS from the card loading in at boot? (that is when the 'Press F key to enter BIOS' would appear). If so, This means the server BIOS is not allowing the BIOS to load OR the card itself thinks there are no drives attached and is not loading (for if no compatible devices are attached the BIOS will not load also).

[e4services]

Looking at the G3's User Manual, I see some note about 'if you have a hot plug backplane' you need a 347786-B21 controller to support the hot pluggability, if that is a word. I now wonder if it is not the backplane that is the problem, because again, what you describe sounds like the controllers act when there are no devices attached, their BIOS will simply not load.
Try attaching a device directly to the card, cabling the drive to the card out of the backplane and see if the problem goes away

[mlaffert]

Just installed a P400 on a home built Asus Maximus Formula SE.

I have a nightmare getting this thing to work. Specifically the same issue you had. Comes up and tries to detect drives and then just carries on without any ORCA option.

What I did was make sure I had a PS/2 keyboard (used a USB-PS/2 convertor) and kept hitting F8 as it was doing its initialisation. I also interspersed the F8s with CTRL-Break (i.e. the old clear-keyboard-buffer combo).

Eventually it jumped into ORCA. I configured a logical drive and now whenever it boots I get a "press F8 to enter ORCA" prompt.

Hope this helps.
Martin.

[KarloChacon]

woa mlaffert

that was ingenious yes definitely

[No Probs]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions - I have been away for the festivities so this is the first chance to try.

Unfortunately I still have no success.

1) Tried directly attaching HD to P400 (ie missing out back plane)

2) Tried the repeated F8 and CTRL-Break (abput 6 boots)

I am going to try Martin's suggestion on a std PC containing the P400 and see if I can get to ORCA

I will let you know the resukt.

Thanks,

Jon

[No Probs]

Ok tried Martin's suggestion on a basic PC (though we don't have any with PS/2 connections) and unfortunately it did not work.

I think I will be selling this brand new P400 on Ebay...

Regards,

Jonathon

[e4services]

Good idea Jon. I can not believe that HP sells such a device that has built in incompatibility. They never cease to amaze me with this stuff. I thought it was behind them, but then this new 100 series comes out. Junk. Might as well build your own.

[mlaffert]

Well my saga contines,

still getting the nice ORCA prompt but the bu88er wont boot. I mean nothing in the machine will boot, not HD, CD, not P400, nothing. I take out the damn card and it boots off cd fine. Put it back in and ---- deathly hallows.

I feel Ebay coming.

M.

[No Probs]

Martin,

I just don't understand HP on this one and I have the lost the will to keep trying. I will buy another card - I may go for an independent (3ware, LSI, adaptec) rather than risk another HP one that doesn't work in general servers.

Looking at ebay I can see you have already done the same.


Jon