Proliant 6500 P3 Xeon

[Rustom Mistry]

I hate to sound like a dodo on this but I truly am. I've recently aquired a Proliant 6500 P3 Xeon and it doesn't work.
It doesn't work meaning, I probably dont know what I am doing wrong. When I try to install an operating system on it, it tells me that it cannot find any hard drives, which is weird I have 4 18gig standard h/d which came with it.
I can not go to the partion section when it asks me to press F1 or F10, F10 being the partion settings, it says nonsystem disk, but I've tried various methods including Windows 2k Advanced Server boot disks, 2k Advanced Server CD, Windows XP (all sorts) boot disks, and Win2k3 CD. Any such information relating to how I can solve this problem would be greatly appreciated.

[Stephen Kebbell]

Hi,

first things first: do you have a SmartStart CD, version 5.50 or earlier? If so, boot from it and use that to setup your server. Makes life much easier.
If not, there might be other ways to get going.
What controller are your hard disks connected to? It sounds like your controller is not set as the first hard disk controller, and you can only change that in the F10 setup. Since you don't seem to have an F10 partition yet, you can create the floppy-disk version of this and set your options there.
Download it here:
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/13227.html

If you have a Smart Array controller (RAID), you will definitely need a SmartStart CD to configure the array before trying to install an operating system. If it's just a normal onboard SCSI controller, Windows should be able to see your hard disk(s) once the boot controller order is set.
Then you can install all other drivers after OS setup by downloading the latest Proliant Support Pack. All software downloads for the Proliant 6500 are here:
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/family/model/1105.html?locale=en_US&prodSeriesId=254864

Regards,
Stephen

[Rustom Mistry]

Thank you I will try this out and will reply shorty.

Thank you x 100^2

Rustom

[Rustom Mistry]

It seems what you've suggested would work, and probably does but I belive I'am at the final steps of solving this problem, but what challanges me now is the reson it doesn't see my hard disks. I've done the steps suggested but it seems it might be hardware related. Still being a dodo I could use a helping hand.

Rustom

[Rustom Mistry]

Well here is an odd twist, I seem to have managed to ressurect the hard drives. It sees all of them checks the space, etc etc, I run through the sysconfig with the Smart Disks, I save it but when I attempt to do anythng else ie: Partition, Install an OS, it says there are no hard disks avalible, and the Smart CD I tried but its not ment for the Proliant 6500. I still can not boot with out those disks (Smart Disk) any suggestions would be fantastic.

[sunshining_1]

you can download right scsi or raid drivers for pl6500,then copy to floppy disk.when you use win2k cd boot pl6500,see the first screen you put F6 ,later you will be asked to put S and put the floppy disk ,ENTER,you can find hard disk

[Rustom Mistry]

Well I really cant do much, I cant install anything and I still need some help any suggestions other than making death threats to the server? I tried it btw.

[Rustom Mistry]

Any one have any further ideas?

I can insert the Smart Disks, but when I do it tells me that to do the hardware CFG, so I do so, after it is done I restart my computer and attempt to install an O/S or modify partitions, and it tells me to run the CFG again, this is a never ending repetative process, anyone any ideas?

[Bob Compono]

From what you've said it sounds like you haven't worked with Compaq Arrays before :). It's not as straight forward as just drives. You have to configure the array with the configuration disk first. If you were able to see the individual disks then it sounds like you may have the right disk.

What you need to do is to create an Array using one or more of the disks and tell it what RAID level you want to set up. The config utility should have these options (and a short description of each). Once you set up the RAID then it appears to your OS install disks just like one big hard drive.

You can also use the smart start cd to set up the system partition on the configured array so the F10 functionality works. It needs a system partition that the system config software installs to an then the OS gets all the rest of the space.

My 6500 has the Smart Array-2/P and it was a bear to find the array config software (which is separate from the system config software, BTW).

[Rustom Mistry]

Sounds like bunches of fun, your right I haven't at all, would you mind being alittle more specific I have no idea how to do what you mentioned above. I'll try and figure it out thank you!