Proliant DL380 G3 - Stuck in POST

[Ludovico Stevens]

I have acquired x2 identical HP Proliant DL380 G3 servers.
On one of them I am unable to boot anything from the CD-ROM.
The difference between the 2 servers is that the one which is not working does not seem to complete POST; it completes the Array Controller Initialization and detects a valid drive (which I was able to set up using the RAID Configuration utility via F8) but then I get no more messages after that and nothing happens - no matter what keys I press, and I tried them all!

The other server, which is working ok, goes on to initialize HP Ethernet Boot Agent (PXE init CTRL-S), then after that gives me the option to run the RBSU (F9) and then will boot off CDROM or Hard Drive..

So my question is, how do I get the failing server to complete POST and (a) get access to the RBSU ? (b) be able to boot off the CRROM ?

Thanks in advance
Ludovico Stevens

[TTr]

Check the servicr/maint guide to see if any status lights are on http://bizsupport2.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00065010/c00065010.pdf

Disbale the raid controller (if possible) to see if POST will continue.

Reset the BIOS the the default values.

Reset the NVRAM (maybe same as above)

See if these apply
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c01146232&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&objectID=c00815027&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

[Ludovico Stevens]

Hi

Thanks for the reply.

The service LEDs on the server are all green (both the internal & external health LEDs).
Also the internal SCSI Error led stays off as it should.

>>Disable the raid controller (if possible) to see if POST will continue.
- How do I do that ?

>>Reset the BIOS the the default values.
>>Reset the NVRAM (maybe same as above)
- Well, I can't get to the RBSU, so the only thing I was able to do is to set the Clear NVRAM dip switch on the motherboard, and power cycle the server. But this made no difference.

The two issues suggested do not seem to apply as the 1st one there was no video and no POST (and the solution was to clear NVRAM which I have already tried) while the 2nd an error message is displayed on screen, whereas I have no error messages.

I also tried to see if I could update the System BIOS but (a) this server has the latest (P29) and (b) I'm not able to make the Server boot off the floppy disk ROMPack anyway..
Also my failing server seems to have an older firmware version of the Raid Controlled and iLO; but the only way to update them is to be able to get the server to boot off the Firmware Maintenance CD, which again I cannot do because the bugger won't boot!

As a recap here is the output I get on the screen on my FAILING server:
===========================================
4096 MB Detected 4096 MB Initialized

Proliant System BIOS - P29 (09/15/2004)
Copyright 1982, 2004 Hewlitt-Packard Development Group, L.P.


Processor 1 initialized at 2.40 GHz/400 MHz(512 Kbyte L2)
Processor 2 initialized at 2.40 GHz/400 MHz(512 Kbyte L2)

Advanced Memory Protection Mode: Advanced ECC Support
Redundant ROM Detected - This system contains a valid backup system ROM.

Integrated Lights-Out press [F8] to configure
Integrated Lights-Out 1.41 Aug 19 2003

Slot 0 HP Smart Array 5i Controller (64MB, v2.36) 1 Logical Drive

Press to run the Option ROM Configuration for Arrays Utility
Press to skip configuration and continue
===========================================
... and it just stops there (the last 2 lines above get deleted after a few secs timeout)



While this is what I get on my WORKING server:
===========================================
4096 MB Detected 4096 MB Initialized

Proliant System BIOS - P29 (09/15/2004)
Copyright 1982, 2004 Hewlitt-Packard Development Group, L.P.


Processor 1 initialized at 2.80 GHz/400 MHz(512 Kbyte L2)
Processor 2 initialized at 2.80 GHz/400 MHz(512 Kbyte L2)

Advanced Memory Protection Mode: Advanced ECC Support
Redundant ROM Detected - This system contains a valid backup system ROM.

Integrated Lights-Out press [F8] to configure
Integrated Lights-Out 1.62 Aug 05 2004

Slot 0 HP Smart Array 5i Controller (64MB, v2.58) 1 Logical Drive

Press to run the Option ROM Configuration for Arrays Utility
Press to skip configuration and continue


HP Ethernet Boot Agent v6.2.11
Copyright (C) 2000,2003 Helitt-Packard Development Company, L.P.
All rights reserved.
Press CTRL-S to Enter Configuration Menu ...


System currently configured for Microsoft Windows 2000/Windows Server 2003.
Press "F9" key for ROM-Based Setup Utility
Press "F10" key for System Maintenance Menu
Press "F12" key for PXE boot
===========================================
... and then it boots the OS or CDROM, etc..

[TTr]

> Press to run the Option ROM Configuration for Arrays Utility
> Press to skip configuration and continue

> HP Ethernet Boot Agent v6.2.11

The prime suspects are the 5i controller and the NIC card because the next step in the good server POST is to load the network card BIOS.
If the 5i module is not fixed on the motherboard, pull it out and see if the POST goes any further. I don't think the NIC can be disabled by a motherboard switch, unless it is an add-on NIC which you should pull out. If there is a LAN cable plugged in, remove it. Check the LAN ports and see if the RJ45 connectors look OK (no shorted pins).
You should also pull any extra hw components on the server and boot up with minimal hardware.