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Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

 
T Huizt
New Member

ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

Hello,

 

Is it really true that the new HP Proliant ML350p Gen8 servers do not come with a optical drive cage ??

 

This means that it is NOT possible to add a normal tapestreamer to the server without ordering a optical drive cage first.

 

I am really stupified if this would be missing by default.

 

10 REPLIES 10
Torsten.
Acclaimed Contributor

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

I was about to read the servers manual when your question arrives.

According to the manual the server has an optical drive bay.

 

see

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/14226_div/14226_div.html


Hope this helps!
Regards
Torsten.

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Priyansha
Valued Contributor

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

Hi,

 

Check the following quick specs link:

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13647_div/13647_div.pdf

 

For other troubleshooting on ML350 gen8 click on the following link of  HP Guided troubleshooting

http://h20584.www2.hp.com/hpgt/guides/select?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=5177961&lang=en&cc=us

Thank you,
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For HP Guided Troubleshooting; https://support.hpe.com/connect/s/?language=en_US
Lincy_Zachariah
Valued Contributor

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

Hi,

You can refer to following link :

 

 

Geoff_Langdon
Occasional Visitor

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

When my ML350p-G8 was delivered a couple of days ago, I discovered that I got caught by the same thing.  First time in all my experience with ML350 since the G2 that an "optional" second optical drive cage is required to mount a tape drive.

 

OK, according to the HP ProLiant ML350p Gen8 Server Maintenance and Service Guide, I need to order:  Second optical drive cage 670612-001...  annoying, but not a serious problem.

 

However....  That item apparently holds a full-height or two half-height devices.  My HP Ultrium 448 tape drive is a half-height device.  There is neither an indication of the cage being supplied with - nor a parts listing that I can find anywhere for - a blanking plate to fill the unused half-height position.  Leaving that unused position unblocked is highly undesirable for several reasons.  Among them is that it will seriously affect the controlled airflow through the front of the chassis, potentially "short-circuiting" the intended and critical airflow through the SFF hard disk cage at the bottom of the tower chassis.. 

 

I have talked with the HP Generation 8 Technical Support Group regarding this issue and have not received any answer to the riddle.

 

Has HP overlooked the (very likely) situation of only a single half-height device being placed in the second optical drive cage and not provided for a half-height blanking plate, or has HP just not done a particularly good job of communicating how one obtains a blanking plate?

 

Hopefully, someone from HP will be able to resolve this issue for me.

 

Thanks.

hygroovy
New Member

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

Yep, just had this problem myself. And after a long conversation with HP support, they recommended this -

 

http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/sm/WF06c/A1-329290-329233-3965972-3965972-468882-5226985.html?dnr=1

 

Which looks clearly wrong, but they claim that the picture must be incorrect...

 

Geoff's suggestion looks like exactly the right thing however, so I'll be ordering one of those. Thanks Geoff!

 

And please let us know about the blanking plate!

hygroovy
New Member

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

"According to the manual the server has an optical drive bay."

 

Yes, it does have 1 built-in optical drive bay, which has an DVD drive in it already, but even if you wanted to use that, its not deep enough for the HP Ultrium 1760 LTO4 tape drive I have.

Geoff_Langdon
Occasional Visitor

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

Hello "hygroovy" and all,

 

As one can see, HP never replied to my post of November 18th, 2012.  Moreover, the couple of replies from HP support personnel to posts prior to mine were indicative that those HP support personnel didn't understand the questions, as their suggested links not only didn't address the issue, but in one case (Priyansha, on Sept 4, 2012), was a link to the QuickSpecs for "HP NC365T 4-port Ethernet Server Adapter"!!!  Not exactly confidence inspiring, to say the least.

 

Not having had any response from HP here on this forum for over a week since my posting and needing to promptly resolve the situation, I contacted HP Parts for clarification and verification that the part number I had found in the HP ProLiant ML350p Gen8 Server Maintenance and Service Guide was the correct one.   Unable to get any detailed information from HP Parts, I ordered the "Second optical drive cage 670612-001" from HP Parts and, on receipt, discovered that it was the wrong item -- because it is just that, a replacement part... just the "raw" cage, no blanking panels, mounting screws, etc.

 

It took me multiple phone calls and emails to HP support over the period of a week to finally get it sorted out.  The correct item (including two half-height blanking panels, mounting screws, etc) is:

 

     HP 2nd Media Bay Cage Kit,  p/n 661618-B21

 

Hygroovy's link is valid, but appears to be on HP's UK site.  A search for that part number on HP's US site results in "No results found for 661618-B21"!  However, the item can be found on CDW.com.

 

Unfortunately, in my opinion, HP didn't sufficiently highlight the "optional accessory" nature of this item.  To the best of my knowledge, all ML350 server models prior to the ML350p-G8 always had two "ready to use" half-height external bays with blanking plates, in addition to the bay occupied by the included CD or DVD drive.   To my knowledge, this is the first time that usable bays are an option. 

 

HP's oversight that lead me - and likely others - to not realize that the cage is now an option:   On the first page of the ML350p-G8 QuickSpecs is a line drawing of the server with numbered callouts identifying the components.  Callout number 2 is identified as "Two (2) removable media bays".   Callout number 2 should be boldly footnoted, "Optional, p/n xxx".  In fariness to HP, the correct part IS listed in the QuickSpecs in a couple of locations, such as under "Additional Options - HP Tape Backup".  Of course, as I already had a tape drive, I didn't have cause to read that listing of optional tape drives.  My mistake!

 

Mark 035
New Member

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

JUst run in to this same problem myself...

 

Just one question, the images displayed for part number 661618-B21 appear to show a drive cage with a backplane.

Is that the correct image? I rather expected an open backed cage that just held the edges of the drive, cabling being just plugged in 'manually.

 

If anyone can clarify that would be good... before I order one in for our customer box and find I am still short of a full solution.

 

 

reddoorsupplies
Occasional Contributor

Re: ML350p Gen8 No optical drive cage ????

Hi did anyone find out if 661618-B21 was indeed the correct part, as looking at the stock images for this the cage seems to have a backplate with the connectors build in?

 

I would expect this not to be the case as I would need to plug my tape drive into my scsi card etc?

 

Or is it possiable to order a set of the runners that the DVD drive sits in?

 

Thanks