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Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

 
Frank Hovin_1
Occasional Advisor

Old server (Proliant 1500)

I've just got my hands on an old Proliant 133MHZ server with a RAID5 hotswap disk system (if I'm not mistaken), and I'm wondering if someone can give me some pointers on how to get it up and running.

When I boot it up, it says "non system disk blah-blah...", which is logical, since I'm pretty sure the disks are empty. However, when I put a bootable CD in the CD drive, the machine still tries to boot from the HD. I see no way to enter any kind of BIOS, so I can make it boot from a CD. The only message it gives is "Press F9 for Quick Diagnostics". This only gives information about the system - there's nowhere to configure anything.

So - I'm pretty stuck. All downloads I can find at the Compag site are for specific OS's, which isn't of much help when I can't install an OS.

Any help, suggestions, pointers etc. will be greatly appreciated.
8 REPLIES 8
Ernestas
New Member

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

You should try to use Smart Start CD. It was helpful for me. Link for download to ISO file(370Mb.)
ftp://ftp.compaq.com/pub/products/servers/supportsoftware/CP004501-005000/CP004719.ZIP
Frank Hovin_1
Occasional Advisor

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

I seem to remember something about the free downloadable Smart Start CD not supporting models as old as the Proliant 1500. Or did you use it on the same model?
Jeff Brown_15
Frequent Advisor

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

You need version 5.50 or below.
Frank Hovin_1
Occasional Advisor

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

...which is not free. So I'm basically sc***ed, since I'm not about to pay for expensive software for a server I paid a handful of dollars for.
Barry Parrish
Advisor

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

Hello, I just did the exact task ahead of you. I went from ground zero..to fully lit up...most older pc's are not able to cold boot from a CD. It's an El Torro thingy.

You're right, a smart start CD is not available for download for the older machines..but not a problem here's why.

Mostly the Smart Start CD's are designed for Network adminstators...it is chocked full of admin tools...where...you can monitor remote computers from a single terminal...

Upgrade Your Bios.
Upgrade Your Controller Driver.
Then Install Your Operating System.

Yes.

Goto (hp's drivers and downloads section)

Hone in on the drivers you need based on your machine and target os. (whatchew are in stalling...this is important, as the drivers they are providing were written for the os you are installing...they work!)

What Operating System do you plan on putting on there.

Barry
Barry Parrish
Advisor

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

BTW: These machineseseses cmos is setup with a "System Configuration Utility" (4 disks created with a download from downloads and drivers...from this site see...

Download System Config Utility, get the one offered for your Machine and OS. (one download)


Techie Dany
Occasional Contributor

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

I am also in the same position. I could never get the Smart Start disk version 4.9 to even start. Would to go a splash screen then crash. I tried doing a system erase with a download from HP. Made things worse.

I have now decided to go the non Smart Disk way... do as Barry suggested and see how that helps me.

Good luck
Frank Hovin_1
Occasional Advisor

Re: Old server (Proliant 1500)

Thanks for the help. I guess I'll start on the task of doing it manually. I just need to fix my workstation first - I don't have a working floppy drive to make boot floppies with :-)

BTW: I'm going to install Linux on it. The one I thoght I'd try was a Mandrake server install, but that's not completely decided yet.