Boot windows from EVA 5000

[Jacky Zhang_1]

Proliant DL360 with FCA2404 and EVA 5000, I want to setup Windows 2000 or Windows 2003 boot from SAN through FCA2404.

Create Vdisk from EVA 5000 web management console, and add new server, present vdisk to this server.

I boot from CD and press F6 to install driver for FCA2404, and Windows setup can see Vdisk, but when I tried to partation vdisk and format vdisk, it tell me the partation is not compatible with windows, and ask me create another compatible partation!!! and I can not go through

Could anyone give me some idea?

[SAKET_5]

Jacky,

yup, been in the same boat.

does your proliant have any local disks attached to the SA controller, make sure this is disabled, i.e. the OS install program does not see any other disks other than the Vdisk from your EVA5000. On Proliant DL380 G4, with two local disks, when I tried to set up a Windows system booting off the SAN, the first disk that the OS install would see is the local smart array disk and the second one was the SAN disk. Windows for some reason didnt like this. I disabled the local disks/array and had just the Vdisk from the SAN available for the OS install. This worked like a treat.

Give it a shot and let us know how you go.

Good luck.

[Jacky Zhang_1]

There is one integraged SA card inside, and I download the tools from HP and change the boot order, and change HBA as firt boot device, there is no local hard drive.

[Jacky Zhang_1]

I tried to setup boot windows from EVA with QLA2200F and QLA2340, and all of them don't work. and then someone told me EVA doesn't support QLA2200F and QLA2340, and I have to change to FCA2404 or similiar HBA. I will tried to remove Smart Array card from server and try FCA2404 HBA, see if it works, and I will let you know.

[SAKET_5]

Jacky,

Are you following the "Booting 32 bit Windows System from the SAN" Guide/Procedure from HP or not? Not that the procedure mentions this issue when you have local drives configured, but I would strongly recommend that you follow this procedure.

Btw, have you configured just ONE Path for your SAN Drive in the FCA BIOS instead of four, i.e. have you just configured zoning such that there is only path to the Vdisk for your host. The procedure suggests you only configure ONE PAth to the boot LUN during the OS install procedure. Once this is done, then you can go back, configure your zoning such that you have four paths (assuming you have dual redundant fabrics), etc.

Also, whats the LUN number that has been assigned to your Windows system? Have you confirmed that SSP (Selective storage presentation/LUN Masking) is configured correctly?

Hope, it helps and consider assigning points to the responses.

[Stephen Kebbell]

Hi,

I'd just like to add to Saket's good comments.
You also have to go into the BIOS of the HBA itself, and tell the HBA which LUN it should boot from, among other things. And zoning it for single path is also important during setup.
By the way, the Boot Guide Saket refers to is here:
http://h200001.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00099862/c00099862.pdf

It has all the detailed steps to configure SAN Boot.

Regards,
Stephen

[Jacky Zhang_1]

In fact,
1. There is no local Scsi HD, there is only Floppy and IDE CDROM,
2. During installation, Windows setup process can see two disk there, ( Does this mean there are two path to reach Vdisk ), how can I disable one?

I have same document on my hand you mention to me, I followed the procedure to change boot order, change setting of HBA through its BIOS, create vdisk, present to Server, etc.

One thing, I don't know how EVA and Switch connected together, we have one EVA 5000, one Brocade 3800 and Brocade 3900 Firea Switch.

[SAKET_5]

Hi Jacky,

I am assuming you have dual fabrics, i.e at the server end, you either have dual single port FCAs or a single dual ports FCA - each connecting to two different fabrics - two different fabric switch ports. From each of the two fabrics, there should be two connections each to the host ports at the backend of the HSV 110 controller pair (EVA 5000 Controllers) - so really if this is the case, you should see 4 paths to this server's boot LUN.

If you can confirm that you have a single fabric only then you are likely to see 2 paths.

In any case, what the procedure means when it says, configure switch zoning so that you have only one path to the boot LUN is, you configure a zone of one of the WWNs (assuming you zone via WWNs of your FCAs) of the server's FCA and one of the EVA Controller host port's WWN. Note that, each Node of the controller has actually two ports WWN (FP1 & FP2) - just select one of these port WWNs on one controller only and you are done! - i.e. you only have one path from your server to one host port at the controller's backend - and hence one path to your boot LUN.

Also ensure that on the Command View EVA interface, where you have created your host and added two of its ports, remove one (the one that you dont configure the zoning for).

let me know if you need any further info....

should be straightforward....

[Jacky Zhang_1]

It realy make sense to me, I will try it.

[Jacky Zhang_1]

It works, thank you very much