New DL380G5 will not boot Windows after BIOS upgrade

[NJK-Work]

Hi,

We just purchased 4 new DL380 G5s for a project. Two have 8 GB and 1 processor (test and dev) and two have 16 GB and 2 processors(prod). I dumped our standard Windows 2003 R2 ES image on the test and dev servers and all is good. I updated the BIOS to the lastest we had (not HP's latest) and all was good still.

I repeated for the prod servers (again, 16 GB in these and 2 processors, but otherwise identical) and after updating the BIOS, the servers would no longer boot to Windows. They would try, then switch to a white flashing top left curser screen for a few seconds then reboot. Both prod servers do this. I reverted back to the old BIOS and they are fine. I downloaded the latest greatest BIOS from HP, and the same problem.

The only difference between these two and the two test/dev boxes is the RAM and number of processors. All else is identical including a QLogic PCIe HBA that is installed in all four of them.

Anyone have any thoughts?

[Daniel Leblanc]

Did try upgrading all firmware of all you're devices??? before upgrading maybe you're having an incompatibilite with BIOS firmware and a device?

Dan

[NJK-Work]

Hmmm - everything is up to date per our Software Repository; but I guess HP could have released some new firmware. The agents and such are the latest - that I know (7.9), but I will check the firmware.

Nelson

[Daniel Leblanc]

ya i know there a few item that software update will not keep up to date exemples,HArd Drive,NIC,ect...

Dan

[James ~ Happy Dude · Accepted solution]

Hello Nelson,
SWAP the processors & then try the BIOS update.

;) Regards.

[KarloChacon]

hi

have you try loading windows in safe mode?

try loading windows with one Proc at a time also

- you can try Clear NVRAM (know the procedure¡)


regards

[~sesh]

I have seen this happening quite a bit. Try installing the processors individually with the latest system ROM. It should boot fine.

Then try to install the 2nd CPU in slot 1 & vice versa on the latest system ROM. It should work fine.

[NJK-Work]

Thanks, I will try swapping the processors as suggested.

Nelson

[NJK-Work]

Lets assume for a minute that I work for a huge company - a company big enough to go out and buy 200 of this dual-cpu server in one shot and deploy them. Now, lets assume that I we deploy many of the these dual-cpu servers to remote sites located 100's of miles away where there are no IT admins around - only users.

Are you suggesting that would have to go to each one of these 200 server and pop out the CPU just to perform a BIOS upgrade? Especially considering that many of these servers would be in remote locations?

Surely there has to be a better way to upgrade the BIOS of servers than to go to each server an pop out the CPU.

The is madness :)
Any thoughts?

[James ~ Happy Dude]

So you saying the "one CPU at a time worked" ??

:) Regards.