RDP support for G7 Blades

[Kerry Quillen]

I am running RDP 6.9 sp3. I just recently purchased some BL460C-G7 blades and cannot get them to boot via pxe. All of my pre-G7 blades work fine. Some of the messages that I see are:
-"Retarting DHCP client service"
-"PXE-E32 TFTP open timeout"

I suspect I may need newer nic drivers and/or need to upgrade RDP. I can't find anything documented that says I need to upgrade RDP nor can I find the location to download the upgrade.

Is there a newer version and where do I get it?
How do I inject drivers into the WinPE image?

[shocko]

I think 6.9 SP3 refers to the altiris console. YOu need to download the latest Insight CNOtrol DVD .iso . It conatins the 6.2.1.7 version of RDP whihc is the latest

;)

[shocko]

That is to say, if you install the latest version from that DVD, it will upgrade your WInPE images with the latest drivers. Alternaitvely, just inject them directly into the .WIM file using the PEIMG.exe from the WAIK.

;0

[Neal Bowman]

The error message you are seeing is before any NIC drivers are loaded, this is base PXE broadcasting for a boot server.

Are the blades connected to a PXE-enabled nVLAN/network? Can you PXE boot a non-G7 server from the same chassis?

[Kerry Quillen]

Yes the blades are connected to a PXE-enabled nVLAN/network. I have 8 non-G7 blades in the same enclosure that PXE boot fine. I found and downloaded the latest RDP version and will upgrade as soon as I get a chance.

[shocko]

Wee to be exact:

-"Retarting DHCP client service"

Most likely a driver not-present in the WinPE enviroment

-"PXE-E32 TFTP open timeout"
Most likely an issue contacting the TFTP server

[shocko]

Also, which NIC in the virtual connect profile is PXE enabled? Can you screenshot?

[Kerry Quillen]

I have decided to do a fresh install of the latest RDP. Got a lot of other issues going on with the current DS. Now just have to figure out how to migrate everything over.

[Raphaël Sougey]

Hi all,

I've the feeling that the winPE downloading phase is very slow with the NIC embbeded on G7 in opposition to G6.

Let me know if someone has the same low performance.

BR

[shocko]

Are you using flex-10 nics? if so, what bandwidth have you allocated to the pxe nic?

[Raphaël Sougey]

Yes we use flex-10 nics without specific settings on the bandwitdh (< 10 Gbps).

[shocko]

COuld be hard to tell then. I would select a PXE nic and set the bandwidth

[Raphaël Sougey]

We use the following parameters for the tftp :
packet size : 1456
Without IP fragmentation

Maybe there is a link with the model of Nics and its drivers ?

G7 => NC553i
G6 => NC532i

[Kerry Quillen]

I resolved the issue by installing Insight Software 6.2 Update 1. My deployment jobs work fine now across Flex Fabric VC's with both 1gb and 10gb nics.

[Raphaël Sougey]

In my side, the problem is during the TFTP phase before the winpe is completed downloaded.
So I suspect more a problem with the PXE firmware of the nics or something like that...

[shocko]

SInce you are using C-Class blades, use port mirroring on the virtual connect and attched a laptop with wireshark or the like. It should tell you if there are underlying networking problems.

Firmware could be an issue alright but port speed could be.

Are you sure the correct Nic is being used to PXE boot and helpers etc are configured on the VLANS??

[Raphaël Sougey]

Yes I'm sure :)

[Jase4772]

Hi,

I'm also having issues with BL460c G7's but not at the DOS PXE stage. Mine seems to relate to a missing driver when it's running through the WinPE boot.

It gets stuck on the DHCP retry stage and I've downloaded and imported the NC553i Dual Port Flexfabric 10gb driver but it still hasn't helped.

Before I take things to the extreme and flatten the server and reinstall with ICE 6.3 is there anything I can try?

Thanks
Jase

[shocko]

Hi,
"It gets stuck on the DHCP retry stage and I've downloaded and imported the NC553i Dual Port Flexfabric 10gb driver but it still hasn't helped. "

Can you tell us how you did that? Using peimg.exe on the offline image or using the PXE configuration tool?

Is you job using the default RDP enviroment? i.e. option 130?

[Raphaël Sougey]

Hi Jase,

What's your detailed PXE code error at the end of retry stage (Timeout ? file not found ) ?
=> Here the potential cause according to me :
- Firewall blocking port
- Missing DHCP relay if you have several subnet.....
- Missing scope options like 66, 67

The drivers issue in winpe arrives after the DHCP/PXE stage, when you have got the PXE menu and.... downloaded the winpe files ...("windows is loading..." over.

BR

[Jase4772]

Hi,

The way I updated the driver was the following :-

- Run PXE config from within RDP
- Highlight WinPE and click edit
- Now click on Edit Boot Image (says 131 for menu option
- Now click "< - Click Next (step 2 of 12 appears for device drivers)
- From here if you've downloaded the driver just click Have Disk and then it should import the new missing driver

The above hasn't worked for the G7 Blade but a test on a DL360 G5 the above worked.

Regarding my PXE error's here's my results :-

1) Firewall not an issue as same vlan and works with other boxes
2) Not applicable
3) Not using option 66 so will try that, what would option 67 be?

Thanks
Jase

[Jase4772]

Forgot to say after retry 19 I get :-

Could not acquire IP address
Could not authenticate network connection
Mapping drives
System error 53 has ocurred.

I added the extra option to the DHCP scope with no change, still the same open timeout as the first post.

[L.J.M. Hameeteman]

Same problem as Jase4772. Jase, did you find a solution for your problem allready?

regards, Ferdinand

[Jase4772]

Hi,

My WinPE now works with the BL460c G7 Blades. I'd imported drivers loads of times but nothing seemed to get it to pick it up. I then just happened to notice it was running the x86 WinPE environment. I then removed the x86 option from the boot menu (which did kinda break it) but then after readding it I don't know if its running the x64 version first or its now correctly spotting the server IS 64-bit but it works.

Hope this helps anyone still having issues. Might just be that once the x64 drivers have been imported a full rebuild of PXE is required.

My next issue is Linux! More network driver issues on G7's

[TConn]

From what I have been told by support, you should upgrade to SP5 for RDP foer full support.

The newer version is on the HPIS 6.3 download.

Here is some info on it.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/servers/management/rdp/knowledgebase/20000066.html

Terry