ML110 G4 SATA RAID Setup Woes

[farrina]

It is no doubt ignorance on my part but how do I install the specific SATA RAID driver for the HP Embedded SATA Controller (F6 during installation boot) when the server does not even appear to have a connection on the motherboard for a floppy drive much less a floppy?

Trying to install W2k3

Am I missing something or do HP expect me to purchase a USB floppy drive or worse still their cut down version of an iLO card for this server.

Any help or pointers would be much appreciated.

Cheers

Alan

[KarloChacon]

hi

check this

http://forums1.itrc.hp.com/service/forums/questionanswer.do?threadId=1172050

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Hello HP / Unknown Devices Enthusiasts,

The following Guide will provide a solution to the issue's surrounding the "Unknown Devices" issue after using the nLite un-Attended install program (Without Internal or External Floppy drive available) & wishing to use utilize the Onboard Raid Controller for Raid-0 or Raid-1.


Step 1:
Save all information & files currently on your Proliant Server. My advice is to backup the files / folders on a blank media disk.

Step 2:
Restart your Proliant Server.

Step 3:
Press (F10) to enter the Proliant BIOS. Wait until you see "PheonixBIOS Setup Utility" located at the top of your screen.

Step 4:
Navigate to "Advance" using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Then navigate to "Advanced Chipset Control", Navigate down to "Serial ATA:" press "Enter" & select "Enable". Navigate down to "SATA Controller Mode Option:" and press "Enter" & switch from "Compatible" to "Enhanced". Navigate down to "SATA RAID Enable:" and press "Enter" and switch to "Enabled"

NOTE: The process tree should now look like this:

Main:
-> Advanced:
-> Advanced Chipset Control
-> Serial ATA:
-> SATA Controller Mode Option:
-> SATA RAID Enable:

Step 5:
Navigate to "Boot" and using the "-" & "+" buttons on your keyboard adjust all options to look like the following:

Boot:
-> CD-ROM Drive
-> +Hard Drive
-> Removable Devices
-> Embedded NIC1
-> Embedded NIC2

Press (F10) to Save & Exit, A Setup Confirmation will appear asking you:
"Save configuration changes and exit now?"
[Yes] [No] -> Select Yes and press "Enter"

Let the server reboot and when you see the option to press (F8) to enter Raid Configuration press (F8) and move to step 6.

Step 6:
You should now see "HP Embedded SATA Setup" on the top of your screen.

Navigate to "Array Configuration Utility" and press "Enter", you should now see "Main Menu" with options underneath. I will now demonstrate how to configure your hard drives to a Raid-1 configuration.

Navigate to "Configure Drives", press "Insert" on your keyboard after selecting the hard drives you wish to have in the Raid array. For example:

00 WDC WD740ADFD-00NLR4 69.2GB (Insert)
01 WDC WD740ADFD-00NLR4 69.2GB (Insert)

You will now see that the selected drives have been moved to the right hand side of your screen which reads "Selected Drives"

Commit yourself to your selection by pressing "Enter" and move to the next section.

You will now be back at the "Main Menu" screen. If not press "Esc" which will bring you the Main Menu screen.

Navigate to "Create Array" Select "Raid 1: Mirror" and press "Enter" then select "Quick Init" and press "Enter" Lable your raid anything you want and press "Enter" select "Exit" or "create" and then if your not back on the "Main Menu" screen press "Esc" to get back to this section.

Navigate to "Manage Arrays" and select the array you want in the "List of Arrays" Don't press "Enter" this will just show you a summary of your configuration. Instead do the following:

- Press (Ctrl + W) "Enable Write Cache" (Option)
- Press (Ctrl + B) "Mark Bootable Array" (Mandatory)

You will then see that your array is bootable indicated by "*" next to your array.

Press "Esc" to get to the "Main Menu" and press "Esc" to get to the "Options" and press "Esc" to get to the "Exit Screen" select Yes and press "Enter"

At this point, insert your disk with your custom Un-Attended OS on it by made by "Windows Unattended CD Creator" and wait until you see the usual "Press a key to enter Windows Setup" press a key when you see this and continue with a standard windows install, if you selected the option of an "Unattended setup" then you will not have to insert any information. Windows will do this for you.

When Windows has finished the installation you will then switch your boot priority from CD -> HDD to anything you want, the option used mainly would be "HDD - CD - Removable" etc. See Step 5 for further details.

Let windows boot up into the login screen, Login, Install any other drivers you have E.G Lan drivers and Chipset. You can then see that in your device manager that you have 0 Unknown Devices!

Congratulation, You are done! For further help please reply here in this thread, The thread will remain open for others to ask for additional help / advice from this wonderful community.

I hope this guide has simplified the conundrum of how to install an OS with a Raid 1 configuration without the use of a Floppy Drive.

At this point I would like to thank the following people for their continued help and advice:

Happy Dude
Adric
Karlo

Regards,

Carl Garside
CEO, Chairman
RackGaming Services
http://rackgaming.co.uk

http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/Windows_Unattended_CD_Creator/1123777574/1


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regards

[ISSPE]

If you are into new technology, there is a USB key device supported on new platforms (gen 5 & 6) that acts like a floppy drive. You can put your array controller driver on it and do the F6 to install with Windows installation. Check into that for new products. URL: http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantstorage/drives-enclosures/usb-floppy-drive-key/index.html