can HP DL360 G4 Server support Seagate SCSI hard drive?

[yangliuran]

For some reasons, I Bought a Seagate SCSI hard dirve(model no.st373405lc)in stead of the original HP SCSI hard drive. But when plug the hard drive in the server, The array controller can not recognize it. Can someone tell me if the server support the Seagate drive I metion above? If so, should I do some setting on the hard drive such as jumper setting or array contraller?

[Troy Blewitt]

No, the 6i controller in the DL360 G4 will not support any other drive besides those with the correct HP firmware.

[Ernest Ford]

HP servers will typically work with non-HP branded SCSI drives - BUT - you WILL lose some functionality.

[e4services]

For a better answer than the 2 above, please explain what you have done up until now. Like where you "plugged in" this drive and where you are looking to see if the controller "recognize it".
It is true that is the drive is attached to the controller it should be available on the bus and show up as "Online" when the controllers BIOS is accessed.

[Terry Hutchings]

The drive is likely not fitting in the server correctly:
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=PSD_EL021101_CW01

[Terry Hutchings]

The advisory I provided the link for says G3s, but it's still going to be the same for the G4s. These types of drives may work fine in other Proliants, but may have a problem fitting into this type of server.

[Sean Waite]

So can I assume then that this would be the same for a ML350 G3 w/ Smart Array 641 with Fujitsu 36GB 10k drives? All our older Compaq servers contain drives purchase other than Compaq, usually direct from a distrib.

But I got notice today that a ML350 G3 with 2 brand new Fujitsu drives had an array failure. The last message was that the drives were rebuilding. Up untill now the server has operated without issue for 2-3 weeks.

Should I be concerned at using non-Compaq OEM drives?

[Troy Blewitt]

Yes, this applies to all drives attached to Smart Array controllers. While in many cases things will work ok without the HP firmware on the drives, you may find things such as monitoring/failing of drives does not work, for example.

But ultimately even if it does work, it is not supported by HP. To some this may not matter, and is a choice that is up to you...

[Terry Hutchings]

The drives will likely be seen and work properly on all Proliant servers, except for possibly DL360 G3s or G4s.

Like Troy said, you will lose some of the features available when you're not using HP drives, but they should work. They are also not supported by HP.

[yangliuran]

What the error message I got is "No logical hard drive detected" when the first screen displayed on the mornitor.

And I tried to press F8 when the hint "press F8 to setup the mini 6i SCSI controller" appeared. Then I Entered the setup interface. There are 3 choices on the screen, i tried to enter the first on and got message "no logical hard drive".

I am sure that the mini 6i SCSI controller was enabled.

And I didn't get "array failure" message.

In fact I doult that the Seagate Drive spin or not. I can't hear the noise came from hard drive.

Can some one give me an exactly answer whether I should gave up with my Seagate hard dirve?

[Terry Hutchings]

Yes, give up. Did you read the advisory I posted regarding the drives not physically fitting in the slot and not getting the correct connection on the backplane?

You can try this in another type of server to verify what I'm saying. This drive should be recognized in other servers since it doesn't have this "fit" issue.

[yangliuran]

First,thanks for all replies.

Terry, I have just one server and get no chance to try.

the link you post above show that only HP- branded hard drive are support by DL360 G3 (G4 is the same as you said). But Sean Waite are using non HP oem drives and they work. so it seem that "DL360 G3 (G4 is the same) Servers Support ONLY The HP Universal U320 SCSI Hard Drives" is not 100% true.

All I need is to let my Seagate hard drive work: just can let me install OS in it. I do not care about risk of data lose and unsupported by HP. Or the minor requirment is the drive can be detected by SCSI controller.

Am I making trouble?

[Terry Hutchings · Accepted solution]

Yes, but Sean Waite is not installing the drives in question in a DL360 G3 or G4. He's installed them into an ML350, which doesn't have the issue I've described.

[yangliuran]

You mean that DL360 is special and only support HP-branded and ML350 has no this limitation?

[Terry Hutchings]

Yes.

[yangliuran]

Thanks!