Install of MUX adapter & NIC

[TWBSupport]

Hi Everyone.
I need to install a PCI 64 Port Serial Mux Adapter & a second NIC card in 2 RP2470's. My vendor is insisting that I pay HP to do this, aprox $1200! I have installed hardware in Windows machines, but never an HP box. Shouldn't this be as simple as popping the cards in & loading the drivers?

[S.K. Chan]

Yes it should be that simple PROVIDED these are "HP supportable" cards. Double check what part numbers these cards are in the RP24xx user guide, under "Adding Components to Server" -> "Adding Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Cards". It will tell/recommend which slot these cards should be installed into. The doc ..
http://www.docs.hp.com/hpux/onlinedocs/2411/rp24xx_customer.pdf

[John Payne_2]

The rp2470 has 4 slots available. The top 2, (You have 3 one the far right, and one to the left of those 3. The top of the 3 and the 1 by itself share I/O bandwidth, BTW.) The other 2 each have a dedicated I/O channel.

The problem with doing this yourself is that you have never done this before. HP minimized free space inside the servers when the designed them, so it's kind of complicated getting things out and back in, but it's not impossible.

Some tips if you decide to do it yourself:

First, when you open the cover of the machine, look at the machine from the front. You will see a long rectangular 'box' on the left where the io slots are. If you have all 4 slots free, there will be a little I/O slot cover on the 4th to the right of the box. First remove the I/O slot cover. (Or whatever is inserted there.) It is kind of hard to get to the screw for this... Then you can remove the I/O box. There should be directions to do this on the inside of the server. Turn the screws a 1/4 turn, then open the box by lefting the lever on the right of the box. It should pop right out. (I am assuming the slots are empty or that you have already pulled all cables, etc from the back.) You can then set the box on end and insert your cards.

Getting the box back in is the hardest part. The best advice I can give there is to first be gentle, then be less gentle. (I usually give them a good shove, then count my blessings when it goes in...) When I say give it a shove, I mean pushing the box towards the back of the server while inserting it. If you do it just right, it will drop into place. If not, you have to try, try again. I think they could have made the box 1/8 of an inch shorter or something...

Good luck.

Also, you could pay HP to do one, then do the other yourself, if you want. That way you learn from them and don't have to pay the full $1200...

Hope it helps

John