ML115 RAID won't boot

[Dempster, Mark]

I can install Win2003 using SATA driver, no problems. I've set up a RAID1 array using 2 disks & the built-in nVidia controller & all looks fine. I can install Win2003 (USB floppy etc) & that completes. Reboot & 'windows could not read from the selected boot disk'.

Tearing my hair out now; any ideas?

[Aks2]

hi

have you checked the boot controller order, make sure its set to correct controller.

Try clearing the NVRAM on the server and do a fresh installtion of the OS, this should clear the controller Raid information. And try doing a fresh installation.

If that doesnt work,
Try this method of installing the OS:
1.install OS with Embedded SATA RAID Disabled(No Drivers or F6 required) on one Harddrive.
2. Once OS is installed, Extract the Embedded SATA RAID Drivers to a folder.
3. Goto Control Panel-> Add New Hardware->Device is connected->New Hardware->Raid Controller->Have Disk->Browse to the folder where the Embedded SATA RAID Drivers were extracted. Select the .inf file->Install Adaptec Raid Driver.
4. Restart the Server goto BIOS enable the Embedded SATA RAID.
5. Press F8 and goto Sata Raid BIOS->Configure the Drives->Create Array->Raid 0/1 A warning message will appear "Warning: Configuring the drives will erase all Array information from the selected drives, if that drive is part of an array. Arrays using any of these drives as members will be affected! Do you want to continue?(Yes/No):". Press "Y" to continue.
6. If Raid 1 is selected it will ask you what is the Source Disk, select the Right Disk in which OS was installed previously. Warning message might appear again. Select "Y".
7. Rebuild will take sometime, once rebuild is complete restart the server.

Once rebooted Raid would be detected and windows would boot up, in windows it would detect new hardware and Adaptec Raid drivers will be installed. Now Server is built migrated to Raid Successfully.

[zak1]

Hi

I'm also having problems with this stupid server.

I have 2 sata drives all set for raid 1, plugged in usb floppy drive and configured the raid and windows proceeded to install.

I get to the point where i press f6, load the nvidia raid and scsi controller and it accepts from floppy drive. I get to create the partition and proceed to quick format it with NTFS, then files are copied and then it asks for the drivers again from the floppy disk, i hit enter and nothing happens, enter again and it stays there prompting me to hit enter with no light showing up on theusb floppy drive. Now the thing is i managed to load the drivers during the earlier phase (f6) and now it refuses.

This process is totally messed up and i blame HP for the mess.

So HP, can you help if not i will recommend all my SME to choose Dell???

[samanvya]

NVIDIA® MediaShield for Microsoft Windows Server 2003
version 5.10.2600.0951 (22 Mar 07)

NVIDIA® nForce Professional Driver for Microsoft Windows Server 2003 » 1.00
21 Mar 07

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/locate/69_6371.html


Installation

To create a driver diskette and install MediaShield, complete the following steps:

1.Copy the following files into the top-level directory of the driver diskette:

WE can try extracting the contents of both these... and create a single driver diskette with the contents of both these files.

Try using that it should work.
disk1

idecoi.dll

nvatabus.sys

nvraid.cat

nvraid.inf

nvraid.sys

nvraidco.dll

txtsetup.oem

2. In the BIOS menu, enable RAID. In the BIOS menu, specify which disks should be dedicated to RAID. Exit the BIOS menu and reboot.

3. At the RAID ROM screen, press F8 to enter RAID setup.

4. Press when prompted in the status line with the 'Press F6 if you need to install a third party SCSI or RAID driver' message. This message appears at the beginning of Windows setup (during text-mode phase).

Note: Nothing will happen immediately after pressing F6. Setup will temporarily continue loading drivers. You will then be prompted with a screen asking you to load support for mass storage device(s).

5. Press the S key to 'Specify Additional Device.'

6. You will be prompted to 'Please insert the disk labeled Manufacturer-supplied hardware support disk into Drive A:' .When prompted, insert the floppy disk containing the files extracted from zip file and press ENTER.

7. After pressing ENTER, you should be presented with a list of available SCSI Adapters; it should list:

NVIDIA RAID CLASS DRIVER (required)

NVIDIA nForce Storage Controller (required)

8. Both of them should be installed. Select one and press ENTER again to continue. Then return to step 5.

9. At this point, you have successfully completed the F6 installation of the driver and Windows setup should continue.

10.Leave the driver diskette in the floppy drive until the system reboots. Windows setup will need to copy the files from the driver diskette again to the Windows installation folders. Once Windows setup has copied these files again, you should then remove the driver diskette so that Windows setup can reboot as needed.

11. During Windows setup, create a partition and file system on the RAID volume as you would on any physical disk.

[zak1]

Hi,

Thnaks for that.

As i said i get as far as option 9 but then windows prompt me for the disk again, the disk is still in the floppy drive and nothing happens. I press enter to carry on and it stays prompting me for a disk.

I'v hit a brick wall, suffice to say i will not be recommending this server again.

[zak1]

Please note i'm using a sony branded usb floppy drive, this is seen within the HP bios.

[zak1]

I think i may know what the problem is. The first part of the install goes well as the bios deals with the usb device.

The problem is that the first part of setup (loading the Mass Storage driver) is not handled by Windows, but instead by the BIOSâ s floppy emulation. But the latter part, after formatting the hard drive is handled by Windows. And some of them are not recognized by the builtin USB storage drivers and you have to add them manually (either your own on eor the generic drivers)

The solution is here and i will give it a go:

http://www.msfn.org/board/lofiversion/index.php/t82711.html

[deludi]

I prefer a third party tool like Nlite (http://www.nliteos.com/) => create a new OS disk with the necessary drivers => No need for USB floppy anymore.

[zak1]

create a new os disk???? no one has the time anymore, just keep it simple and quick an duse a usb floppy with the correct driver from the manufacturer.

[deludi]

Hi Zak1,

I do not agree:

1. download the SATA drivers = 1 minute
2. copy the content of your 2003 OS cd to harddisk (on a separate system) = 3 minutes
3. Combine the two with Nlite = 1 minute
4. Burn a new 2003 OS disk with drivers (also with Nlite) = 4 minutes
Total: in or about 10 minutes!
I am a system engineer and I do the above on a regular basis on different HP low end servers.
You only need a separate desktop or laptop with Nlite and CD/DVD burner.

[zak1]

Hi,

It may work for you as you have access to other systems. These servers are for sme's who don't have other systems.

I purchased this system for a client, with a sony usb floppy disk, obviously it worked halfway, but would have worked fully if it was a hp usb drive. All i had to do was to download the raid drivers = 1 min, edit the oemsetup.txt file = 30 secs and that was all.

I would apportion blame on HP and microsoft equally for failing to update the txt file with generic driver details.

People have 3 ways to do this, using a usb floppy and nilite is 2 an dthe other way is described above as well.

[CSiem]

a USB floppy will work if you modify the TXTSETUP.OEM on the floppy disk you use to load the driver. You need to install BOTH drivers that appear on the diskette.

Modify the two sections shown below, and add in the lines at the end that reference "usbstor".

The documentation and support for the onboard RAID are not very good at all.

However, I was able to easily install 2003 with a USB floppy after I edited the OEM file. Just be sure to add BOTH drivers on the diskette during the F6 prompt.

[HardwareIds.scsi.RAIDCLASS]
id = "SCSI\NVIDIA__Raid_Disk________","nvrd32"
id = "SCSI\__NVIDIA_______Raid_Disk","nvrd32"
id = "*_NVRAIDBUS","nvrd32"
id = "*NVRAIDBUS","nvrd32"
id = "*NVRAID20","nvrd32"
id = "USB\VID_03F0&PID_2001", "usbstor" #--HP
id = "USB\VID_054C&PID_002C", "usbstor" #--Sony
id = "USB\VID_057B&PID_0001", "usbstor" #--Y-E Data
id = "USB\VID_0409&PID_0040", "usbstor" #--NEC
id = "USB\VID_0424&PID_0FDC", "usbstor" #--SMSC
id = "USB\VID_08BD&PID_1100", "usbstor" #--Iomega
id = "USB\VID_055D&PID_2020", "usbstor" #--Samsung

[HardwareIds.scsi.BUSDRV]
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0036", "nvgts" ; MCP04 SATA1
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_003E", "nvgts" ; MCP04 SATA2
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0054", "nvgts" ; CK804 SATA1
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0055", "nvgts" ; CK804 SATA2
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0266", "nvgts" ; MCP51 SATA1
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0267", "nvgts" ; MCP51 SATA2
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_036F", "nvgts" ; MCP55 OEM
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_037E", "nvgts" ; MCP55 CHANNEL
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_037F", "nvgts" ; MCP55 UNUSED
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_03F6", "nvgts" ; MCP61 OEM
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_03F7", "nvgts" ; MCP61 CHANNEL
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_03E7", "nvgts" ; MCP61 NSIP
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_044C", "nvgts" ; MCP65 RAID
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0558", "nvgts" ; MCP67 RAID, OEM
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0559", "nvgts" ; MCP67 RAID, CHANNEL
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_055A", "nvgts" ; MCP67 RAID, NBP
id = "PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_07B9", "nvgts" ; MCP72 RAID
id = "USB\VID_03F0&PID_2001", "usbstor" #--HP
id = "USB\VID_054C&PID_002C", "usbstor" #--Sony
id = "USB\VID_057B&PID_0001", "usbstor" #--Y-E Data
id = "USB\VID_0409&PID_0040", "usbstor" #--NEC
id = "USB\VID_0424&PID_0FDC", "usbstor" #--SMSC
id = "USB\VID_08BD&PID_1100", "usbstor" #--Iomega
id = "USB\VID_055D&PID_2020", "usbstor" #--Samsung

[KlugeFest]

CSiem,

Thanks!!! That worked great. I'd tried to make the USB work before on another server but the ML115 doesn't have any internal Floppy Connectors. USB Had to work and your tip made it successful.

Thanks a million.
Tim Biden

[Dempster, Mark]

Actually everyone, the answer was much simpler in the end (if really odd). The motherboard has an internal USB connector; plug the USB floppy drive into that & installation works fine.
Not sure why this is; someone suggested that the external USB sockets go through a hub & the internal one doesn't, but I can't say for sure.
Mark