Starting drivers. Please wait, this may ... take HOURS!!!

[kira12]

Hi,

in my case i fix it with installing a H440 instead of an P440ar. After swaping the Controller the Server works, i update the BIOS and reswap the Controller back and it will work again.

best regards ré

[gsxrman]

I have removed all components have the embeded 4GB nic, Ram,  2x CPUs and the Ilo module and still this issue remains, HPE jump in here anytime! Server is essiential a brick at this point.

[kira12]

Hello,

i tryed with different releases of Bios to bring the Server backon...

Greetings René

[MrBluesman]

I experienced the same problem here.
F9 would not work, as it is started after this hanging process, and in my case it would not boot at all, even if I waited for 10 hours.
It just kept saying "Starting devices. Please wait this may take a few moments...." (Gen10)
The G9 servers apparently say "Starting drivers", I believe.

My solution to start the server through iLO5 has been:

On the first page of the BIOS start ("Early PCI initialisation" and stuff) - press "Reset".
At the very same point on the next start - press "Cold Boot".
Then it will boot through the hangup point.

This procedure was reproducible more than 10 times on a DL380 Gen10.
I had opened a ticket with HPE before and had never got a real answer except "clear NVRAM" (which did not help as well).

And here´s my solution to get rid of the complete problem:
When the server was up and running, I updated the firmware of all components - I mean, really all.
System BIOS, iLO, Smart Array Controller, installed HBA, hard drives, network adapters - whatever component I could find and could flash remotely within the OS.
I always updated to the most recent version, even if the main version was already installed (i.e., hard drives were HPD8(A), and I flashed them to HPD8(B)).
I have been rebooting the server another 10 times after this, and did not see the issue again. This was done May 13 2023.
Firmware versions on this machine are now:
System ROM: 2.80
iLO5: 2.81
366FLR NIC: 1.3299.0
530SFP+ NIC: 7.19.14
H241 HBA: 7.20
P408i-a: 5.61(B)
EH000300JWHPL: HPD8(B)

Maybe this helps...

[MajorTom]

Hi everybody,

actually I had the same situation w/DL380 Gen9 and BIOS P89 v3.02 and iLO v2.82. Once I removed the Riser Cage, the system booted w/o problems. Then I attached card by card and recognized that a NC550SFP was issuing the problem. Exchanged it with another one, then the problem was gone, maybe this helps.

BR Tom

[kira12]

Hi,

thanks for this Information, i had this issue too and i had use also some nc550 in my Servers. By the way the nc550 are not specified for Gen9, only untill Gen7. Do you use the actually Firmware for the nc550? For Gen 9 is the nc557.

best regards ré

[MajorTom]

Hi,

thanks for this info, I know, these are "old" cards, but I still have lots of them - and they are supported from within ESXi 7&8. With some of them I have an issue with the firmware, that's correct, will upgrade them within the next maintenance window.

BR Tom

[kira12]

Hello Tom,

we did not talk about "old" Cards, i use them too if i have some of them. They are cheap and work a well. But just in Case something are not working, we have no support from hpe. Now i exchange some old Cards to newer one. They als have less Powerconsumption as the old.

best regards ré

[ianluk]

Today I got the same problem, when I plugged in the P840 Raid Controller on the DL380 Gen 9 server. which hold on "Starting drivers. Please wait..." screen.

I updated the BIOS and iLO firmware versions, but the problem is still happening.

The P840 raid controller contains add-on cache memory. When the add-on card is removed, the server boots up properly. As the result, I cleaned the add-on card connector and installed it back on the raid controller. The problem was fixed.

[bryan_it]

I have this problem with 2 servers, both are DL380 Gen9. They were working fine until I upgraded the firmware.

I started the upgrade process on the first server, and tried a lot of different options to get it to boot, but everytime it would hang / stall / stuck / stick.

The second server I upgraded ILO and BIOS, no problem.
I updated HP Intelligent Provisioning to a newer version, no problem.
Then I updated firmware on the LOM Broadcom 1G 4Port 331i (5719A) and the Mellanox QSFP FlexiLOM, now the issue has started. The firmware was updated using the Intelligent Provisioner (v2.87.5)

I followed all the suggestions in this forum, and lots of different possible options for BIOS, ILO, removing all possible hardware. Nothing seems to work on either server.

I have to conclude that it's a firmware problem with the Lan-on-motherboard (LOM) Broadcom 1G 4Port 331i (5719A) as this is when the problem started.  Perhaps the firmware upgrade partially failed, or maybe you need to flash the firmware twice to get it to stick.

I don't think the Broadcom LOM can be upgraded/downgraded via the ILO, can anyone confirm ? My guess would be if I could downgrade this, then it might resolve.

HP DL380 Gen9
BIOS 2.96 (2022) (The most recent version they let you download without an account)
ILO 2.82 Feb 06 2023
Intelligent Provisioner (v2.87.5)