Hp netserver lx pro boot/installation problem

[James Wang_3]

I got a hp netserver lx pro with 4 cpus and I try to load it with redhat linux.

The server boots with the message no scsi boot device found, even if I attached an additional scsi drive from the integrated ultra/wide scsi together with 11 raid/hot swap disks.

When booting from navigator cd, it complains error 10. When booting from NT 4.0 by choosing S, the disk with lxdrvnt40.exe not recognized. When booting from linux, it just ask me to stop.

Am I able to achieve my goal?

Thanks for your help in advance.

[Andrew P. Bielecki]

Hi James
How do you have the drives connected to your system? When system boots do you see HP raid controller? If you do you should hit Ctrl+M to go to setup and config your raid hardrives. If you don't do this the system will not see any of your drives.

Hope this help

Andrew Bielecki
Network Security Admin
Commonwealth of Massachusetts

[James Wang_3]

Thanks very much for quick response. I was able to do ctrl M and I was able to see all these 11 disks in ready status. I could even format them. However, when I was trying to initialize the or set logical drive, it never gets to anywhere or do anything even though I was able to see the prompted disk initializes message.

Also, during the boot, the scree stays at two lines message somewhat as 0 logical drives and 0 lun ... forever

Can you please tell me what are the steps to configure these disks to be available to NT/XP/Linux bootable installation cd.

[Andrew P. Bielecki]

The configuration is stored in controller memeory and most likly it is invalid. I would go to setup and clear the configuration.

1 .Configure -> Clear Configuration.
2. View/ADD/Delete Configuration ( you should see 12 drives in READY). Check if all drives are good by hitting F3 on each drive. If any drive doesn't show info replace drive.
3. Use space button to select drives which will make raid and hit enter. You should see like A0-0 for the first drive A0-1 for the second ....
4. Hit F10. it will display your raid 5 then scroll to ACCEPT and hit enter. you should have created logical drive(s). Hit enter to accept configuration.
5. Go back to Initialize and pick your logical drives.
6. once you reboot the HP raid should tell you how many logical drives are on the controller and how many are controlled by BIOS.

Andrew Bielecki

[James Wang_3]

Andrew,

Thanks for the procedure. I got some progress and was able to create logical drive 0.

However, the installation now stops at booting from cd. For NT, stopped at configurating the computer, Linux stopped with a blinking hyphen. These were even in a earlier stages. My question now focus as follows:

1. Can one just use netserver's raid disk to install OS and boot new os from there?

2. In defining logical drive, I started with 2gb disk. When moved to 4 & 9gb disks, it warns that I will lose space. So I went just build the 4 2gb disks and made raid of 6gb logical 0 disk. How can I create them without losing space?

3. Is it that I must bring all the disks online before I can proceed further for installing os? Is it necessary for me to have all 12 disks before the machine can work?
Currently, I have only 11 disks, 4 2gb, 3 4gb and 2 9gb.

4. I still see no scsi boot device, 0 bios installed. Do I have to use HP disks for ultra wide to know them then install os?

Thanks for your time.

Thanks again.

[Martin Breidenbach]

If you mix drives of different size in one logical drive then it will only use the space of the smallest drive on each drive.

example:

3 2GB and 2 9GB equals 5 2GB drives

If you use RAID5 you'll get (5-1)*2GB=8 GB which is less than a RAID1 with 2 9GB drives.

That's the way RAID works.

This NetRAID controller is based on a AMI MegaRAID controller. If you install Linux it should work with the MegaRAID driver (the SuSE Linux systems that I installed on NetRAID did).

[Eric Fligel_1]

Were you able to solve your problem. I am having the same exact problems.

What did you do to fix the issue.

Thanks.

Eric

[James Wang_3]

Eric,

Define the logical drive 0 by only picking 2gb drive. Load the NT by following the installation procedure for lx pro. Boot from navigation cd. Be sure to disable the ide controller. Be sure to install the NT or NT 2000 by using disks to boot and load the drivers before the NT files loading. When booting NT, invoke hp utility for configuring raid disks automatically

I was not able to find the way to install/config the 10/100 Nic card/driver. Also, everytime I try to load redhat 9, the logical 0 reports error. I was also hoping someone can tell me how to upgrade firmware and rom.

[Eric Fligel_1]

Do I disable the IDE controller in the BIOS? How do I get into the bios on this machine? The standard keys don't seem to be working.

I am trying to get RedHat 9 to install. If you didn't have any luck then I probably won't either. We'll see.

Thanks.

Eric

[James Wang_3]

Eric,

Change it through navigation cd booting. Go to mega utility and window nt, follow the prompts.

Good luck.

[Mark Young_2]

Hi,

This is in reference to your lxdrvnt40.exe not being recognized. In order to make the NT 4.0 driver disk, you have to execute the file from the PC and it will ask you for a blank formatted disk. It will then create the driver diskette that you need.

Hope this was a little helpful,

Mark

[Joe Short]

I am having a similar problem with Red Hat 8.0 on a Net Server LX Pro. I have madesome progress. I can boot from the Red Hat CD, and I get the initial startup screen. But when I begin the installation, it loads a couple of files, and then hangs with a blank monitor, the cursor in the top left corner.
Has anyone else had any progress with this server and Red Hat?

[Eric Fligel_1]

In order to get it to install, I had to move the Raid card to slot 1-4. My problem was due to the boot sequence of the SCSI controllers. Moving the Raid card to 1,2,3 or 4 caused it to be recognized before the onboard scsi which fixed my problem. Also, be sure and run "linux text" for the install. Redhat does not recognize the VGA adapter that is in these machines.

[Joe Short]

Eric,

That sounds like a resonable solution, my NetServer has 2 additioanl Adapatec AHA-2944UW HBAs in it, and they are being scanned befor the NetRAID card or the onboard SCSI controllers. I did try the text only install, and had the same result. I hope this is the solution. I'll give it a shot tonight.

Thanks

[Joe Short]

It worked, I'm all set now, thanks.

[James Wang_3]

Do you guys have made any progress in configuring the built-in network card? How to do it? Also, any idea for putting a new or additional network card? I tried to put it in slot one, then the system reported cpu card error. When tried to put in slot next to mem card, it reports memory error.

To choose linux test mode is to avoid graphic adapter incompatibility problem. Anyone successfully installed a third party graphic card or agp card in those pci slot?
How it get installed/configured?

[Joe Short]

My LX came with a 3rd party NIC installed in slot 5. I have not had any trouble with it. The RAID card needs to be in slot 1 or slot 2.
I saw a thread on adding a 3rd party vid card on the forums, but basically you would need to enter the BIOS, and disable the on board vid card first. Then install the additional card.