HP Proliant DL380 / iLO2 / Boot from virtual media

[Lorin Weilenmann]

Hi

I have a HP Proliant DL380 G5 in a remote office which I'd like to reinstall. Therefor, I've bought the iLO Advanced features License and entered the key in iLo.

However, I seem to be unable to boot from a virtual media. I know that this works on my Proliant DL380 G6, but it doesn't seem to work on the G5. I've read somewhere that it might be because the BIOS is not up to date. I'm not sure if this is still the case, since the G5 is still fairly new... The System ROM Firmware is P56 - 2008.01.24. I've upgraded iLO2 to the newest version available (1.81 01/15/2010).

I tried to mount several bootable ISO-Files (Windows, Smartstart and the System ROM update ISO from HP), all to no avail. The Virtual CD-Rom shows up and works perfectly in Windows, but the Server doesn't boot from them.

My questions are: How can i boot from a virtual media? Or: Is there a way to update the server's System Rom from windows, without booting from a USB Key / CD rom, so i can get the BIOS to a version where it supports booting from virtual media?

Thank you for your answers.

[cnb]

Hi Lorin,

Online Flash to update the BIOS:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=0&prodSeriesId=1121516&swItem=MTX-945687e3e38046beadd0d8c0b4&prodNameId=1157693&swEnvOID=1065&swLang=8&taskId=135&mode=4&idx=1

Rgds,


http://forums11.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/helptips.do?#33

[Moderator edit: The above links are no longer valid. Please refer to https://support.hpe.com/]

[Lorin Weilenmann]

I was looking for something like this for over an hour, and didn't find it. I've updated the BIOS by using the proliant support pack, which also updated the bios.

Regarding the main issue: I solved it. The server didn't boot from the virtual media because there was a UPS connected via a front USB-Port. This seems to interfere with the virtual media. I don't know whether it was the specific device (UPS) or the specific port (on the front, not on the back). But after talking someone at the branch office through on how to pull out a usb cord, the server boots from virtual media like a charm!

[Michal Kapalka (mikap)]

hi,

if you have UPS connected to the serial port you need to disable Serial port for ILO.

mikap

[Mikey976]

I think i may figured this out for any user whom is having this issue. without the need for on-site assistance. 

withing the RBSU go to the usb settings and select "disable external usb devices"

then reboot (Making sure your virtual media is loaded) , your image should boot from that point. this disables all external input to machine and unlike disabling usb legacy devices will still retain iLO support/control as well as "embedded" ie Virtual Media Devices. 

hope this helps 

[Kopp3]

Hi Mikey976,

the same story on DL370 G6. After deactivation of "External USB" :

(F9 > System Options > USB Options > USB Control > External USB Ports Disabled)

 I was able to boot Acronis via mapped iLO2 "virtual media".

Thx @ Mikey976!!!

[NielsDettenbach]

+1 here on a ProLiant DL580 Gen8 with latest available firmwares / ilo (beside this is disable the the embedded serial prt - only use the virtual serial port).

Tried Virtual USB Images and CD/DVD by Browser and Remote URL over a Apache on the same LAN - with different Linux distribution medias / install media (ans different boot loaders like grub2, isolinux, syslinux). For me that seems a bug within the BIOS / iLO firmware from HP, especially while boot loaders. If using the "One Time BIOS Boot Menu" it goes a bit further crazy - it just seem to "hang within" that boot menu.

This taked me several hours to fiddle that out - while each pre-boot / hardware check (seems the "shortest" version) takes >5min on that machine. Just wondering, why this is still an issue - Linux is not an "exotics" on such machines...ß)

[Jimmy Vance]

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@NielsDettenbach wrote:

+1 here on a ProLiant DL580 Gen8 with latest available firmwares / ilo (beside this is disable the the embedded serial prt - only use the virtual serial port).

Tried Virtual USB Images and CD/DVD by Browser and Remote URL over a Apache on the same LAN - with different Linux distribution medias / install media (ans different boot loaders like grub2, isolinux, syslinux). For me that seems a bug within the BIOS / iLO firmware from HP, especially while boot loaders. If using the "One Time BIOS Boot Menu" it goes a bit further crazy - it just seem to "hang within" that boot menu.

This taked me several hours to fiddle that out - while each pre-boot / hardware check (seems the "shortest" version) takes >5min on that machine. Just wondering, why this is still an issue - Linux is not an "exotics" on such machines...ß)

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So you've added to a thread that started 7 years ago. There is a lot of difference between G5 / Gen8 and iLO2  / iLO4.   This issue was resolved as they had another USB key in the system it was trying to boot from.

You should start a seperate thread with your questions.   and provide more detail  or screenshots on what errros you are getting or what is not working as expected. 
Booting Linux installation media using iLO Virtual Media is done daily in my lab