ML370 _ DL380

[Earl_J]

We have an old ML370 with Windows Server 2003 that crashed. Two array controllers - one for OS and the other for data. The old HP configuration disk does not include help for Windows Server 2008. The new configuration disk that came with our DL380 server does include help for Windows Server 2008.
The question becomes:
Is it possible to use the new HP configuration disk on the old machine to install Windows Server 2008 on the old ML370? Are there options to permit the OS to get replaced on the first array without damaging any of the data on the second array?
Thanks for any assistance...

Until that time ... Earl J.

[Michael A. McKenney · Accepted solution]

Does your old ML 370 support 2008? Which generation ML370? I know my G5 does.

[Earl_J]

G4, I believe Michael...
It performs well all the way to the Windows installation point ...
I'm more curious about the destruction of all the data on the second array...
Needless to say, I've never done this sort of re-install before... and if I lose the data, so be it; I'd just like an advance warning... (grin)

[Earl_J]

I'm off to give it a shot ... I'll know in about 90 minutes or so - I may have to come home to let you know how it all went. . .
_ _ _
I am encouraged enough to give it a shot.
Thanks for your response. . .

Until that time ... Earl J.

[Earl_J]

Michael,
when I selected the Windows 2008 from the menu, it only indicated that Windows Server 2008 will not access all the RAM currently installed (16GB)- it has a limit of 4,xxx MB.
It appears it will work. . . or it is willing to try... (grin)

[Earl_J]

It sure would be nice to edit my own posts... (sigh)

I'll be back to let you know how it went...

Later...

[Michael A. McKenney]

You want to move a controller and drives from the ML 370 to DL 380. As long as drivers exist for the controller, it should work. I have done it before with SAS/SCSI RAID.

What crashed? Was it OS or hardware crash?

I would install the drivers for the old controller in the new server first. Shut down. Carefully move the drives and controller to the new server. Make sure the boot order did not change on the new server. You will probably have to import the new arrays as foriegn into Windows. You might need to take ownership.

[Michael A. McKenney]

ML 370 G4

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3279717&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=397646&swLang=8&taskId=135&swEnvOID=4024

Looks like drivers are available. Not sure I would want to run 2008 x64 on a G4. You will need to get more RAM most likely. I am upgrading to 2008 x64 and going with 32GB to start.

[Earl_J]

Thanks for all the help everyone...
I wanted to use the HP Configuration disks from our new ML380G6 to install Windows Server 2008 on our old ML370G4 (where the OS crashed sigh)...
It can be done... I did it today.
Windows Server 2008 (Standard - sigh) is now running on our old ML370 ... although it will only find 4 GB of the 16 GB of RAM in there...
_ _ _
Now, the problem is:
We had an MSA 20 connected for data storage... a few of the drives are dynamic - they appear in Server 2008, but cannot be accessed. One of the drives is basic, and the data there is accessible. How do we collect the data from the dynamic drives in order to format them back to basic drives...? (sigh)
_ _ _
It's always something with this IT stuff, isn't it ... if it isn't electrons in the proton pool, it's free-radicals running through the conservative fields... it's always something. . . (grin)

Any tips on saving the data...?

Until that time ... Earl J.

[Earl_J]

Michael,
thanks for the help...
I'm closing this thread and moving my question over to the storage category...

Until that time ... Earl J.