ML310 with on-board Raid installing Windows 2008 x64

[Mr Richard Scales]

So far I have failed, I have tried all drivers referenced on support sites and forums as well as some 'work around' solutions but I still cannot get Windows 2008 server x64 installed when using the embedded RAID controller.
Has anyone actually managed this?
The closest I have got is by specifying drivers in the GUI during installation that appear to be recognised (Adaptec)but almost imeediately I receive a message saying that the driver cannot be loaded in this way - further testing showed that this happens with any additional raid driver that I try to load.
Does anyone actually have Windows 2008 server x64 working on an ml310 G5 with the embedded controller? if so - how did it happen?

[Hans Peter Andersen]

I have the same problem - I have used hours and hours for searching after drivers, but it seems like HP has not made a driver this yet??

[Paolo Bellei]

I've the same problem too.
I downloaded all more recent HP CDs, drivers, and tried all forums solutions, but problem still exists: with embedded SATA RAID controlled enabled and RAID array created ok, HP SmartStart cannot start, and WinSrv2008 install does not accept drivers from HP!!!
Only one additional note:
enabling SATA RIAD embedded controller, in most BIOS screens I see "Intel SATA RAID controller", but messages during startup and drivers from HP are related to Adaptec...

Anyway, I'm very surprised and disappointed of the situation, also because we are talking of HP and of a server machine...
I hope HP will solve ASAP the problem with a new SmartStart CD, or a new driver.

[Kersten Rafoth]

I have the same problem searching for hours and hours for a solution. Nothing work.

Hope HP will answer and give a solution!

[Mr Richard Scales]

I may be speaking prematurely but I have now managed to get the Server 2008 OS installed on a RAID mirror.
It was a combination of various things including correct drivers and the particular Windows 2008 server CD I was using.
If you would like to know more - let me know.
Regards

Richard

[S-mac-K]

Richard,

I for one would appreciate any details you could provide about getting it working.

[Mr Richard Scales]

Success was obtained via the following method:
The disk that I was using to install Windows 2008 Server from was dated March 2008 - I had an SBS 2008 Disk dated October 2008 - a trial installation of which worked and allowed me to specify the drivers.
I obtained an alternative installation disk which happended to be from a Volume Licence version and only contained x64 versions of the apps. I am presuming at this stage that it was a more recent version.
I could specify the additional driver using the files obtained from the file CP009516.exe from the listing on the HP Website. This listed the volume on the array, click next and then an odd error was displayed which indicated that "Windows could not determine whether the computer contained a valid system volume", google was my friend here.

http://www.dashken.net/index.php?/archives/204-Windows-could-not-determine-if-this-computer-contains-a-valid-system-volume.html#extended

I moved the boot order of the USB key drive down below the HDD and repeated the process â this time â OS installation proceeded.

Now the OS is installed on a 250GB array and I have a data drive on a 500GB array.

My next job is to make a backup image of the OS array using Acronis software though dissapointingly, the version I have lists the two drives that make up the OS array as individual drives. I made an image from one of them, after which the server would not boot - requiring a re-build. I will be trying other versions of Acronis when possible.

So, after much hard work, reserch and help from HP Support - we have a Windows 2008 x64 server running using a RAID via the embedded SATA RAID controller.

[Paolo Bellei]

Problem solved !!!!!
In my case the problem is related to the installation media; HP drivers are not able to work if You are installing from a media with both x32 and x64 versions.
The solution is to install from a only x64 DVD.

To obtain solution I opened a case with HP Italian support saturday, and monday morning a tech called me; after a few time she sent me the link to the following advisory

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 All Editions - Drivers for the Embedded SATA RAID Controller Will Not Work if Media with Both 32-Bit and 64-Bit Setup Is Used

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=110&prodSeriesId=3683232&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=3683232&objectID=c01560318

In effect I was using a x32+x64 installation DVD; this morning I started installation with a only x64 DVD and, when asked, I provided the driver files (extracted from cp009516.exe HP download) in an USB memory key, and everything is going on correctly.

[Markus Breymayer]

Would like to make some comments on that issue: First of all we do run SBS 2008 in ML310 GM with embedded SATA-RAID (4x250 GB) RAID 10
we struggled also in the beginning but then I recalled the old F6-installation mimic of NT4 and Windows 2000: If you OS doesn't know how tu use harddisc on its own and need additional driver you have to install it via floppy (have disk..). So we took an old floppy drive out of the scrap an installed it temporarely. Then we setup the SATA-RAID as recommended and started the SBS installation - knowing that it wont find the Volume. When needed we selected the appropate driver from the floppy - need to copied end extracted before of course - after that the installation process found our array as a 465 GB volume. SBS could now continuing installation.
Of course we tried that with usb-stick instead of floppy but failed.
We found this installation method at least easy and more understandable then other methods - but that is up to you.

[Mark Nishimura]

I have found a solution that worked. Download the storage driver for the ML310 g5P cp013131.exe. When choocing this file chooe to extract instead of installing. Burn to CD. Instert this CD in the server and load the Adaptec driver it finds. This will show you the Logical HD you created. Deleted this volume and create and new volume. Make sure you remove the driver CD and reinstall the Windows server DVD. Otherwise you will generate an Error 0x80300001. Now you will be able to conitue with the installation on your RAID 1 mirror set.