The support CD with this product (ML110)

[happyhacker]

When I got the server there was a note with it that it did not support installation of SBS 2008. OK. But in fact the CD contains such software as the Manager, etc which I never used because I thought that the CD was effectively useless. Can someone confirm that the management s/w for this server IS in fact on the CD and I should install it under Windows and if so should I really download the latest s/w from HP support as the CD stuff is likely to be  out of date now?

Thanks.

[Dave73]

I am not sure of the manager you are referring too but, its always a good idea to keep drivers and firmware up todate. HP SPP - support pack for proliant - is the software to use.

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/service_packs/en/index.html

[happyhacker]

Does this also contain the Array Manager(s), i.e. all I need to manage the server?

[Johan Guldmyr]

Historically the ML110 has not been supported by the normal HP cds/tools. Perhaps this has changed with whatever model/generation of it you have?

Could you tell us which CD you are talking about (perhaps it has a name printed on it) and which model of the ML110 you have.

Any software from HP you want to install for the ML110 is better off getting from HP's download page:

http://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/psi/swdHome/?lang=en&cc=us&sp4ts.oid=5075943

As for array manager - which array controller do you have installed?

[happyhacker]

OK, thanks, bear with me I've got it slightly wrong. We have the ProLiant ML115 G5 and the Easy Set-up CD that came with it does not support the SBS 2008 OS version. The CD does not seem to have any extra RAID control s/w on it.

Questions I have:

1. Does the HP ProLiant Array Configuration Utility for Windows 64-bit run from the OS and offer better control than the default (BIOS) Array control?

2. I understand that if I need to change a RAID 1 drive I need to power down and swap them over and the drive will be adopted as a new RAID 1 drive by the embedded s/w. Is this correct?

3. With a brand new drive is it necessary to format the drive and if so how?

4. Is the Lights Out facility available as default with this server?

Thanks.

[Johan Guldmyr]

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13013_na/13013_na.HTML

1.) No. By default the ML115 G5 does not come with a smart array controller. User Guide mentions a "HP Storage Manager", unsure what that is though.

2.) User guide is here of the controller is here: http://www.hp.com/support/E_SATA_RAID_C_UG_en (found in User Guide of ML115 G5)

3.) With a RAID, formatting a drive is done from within the OS on the logical drive/LUN that the controller is presenting to the OS. If you replace a drive in an existing RAID you should not have to reformat the disk.

4.) No, it is optional.

[happyhacker]

OK, thanks just to be sure:

3) so I buy a disk and just plug it in and the system does it without manual config.?
4) how do I get this (is there some hardware involved)?

[Johan Guldmyr]

3.) Do what? Read the user guide I linked to above. Page 7-8 is about replacing a disk. If you have no hot-spare you need to manually add the disk as a spare to the array to start rebuild.
4.) Please read about Remote Management in the quickspecs. http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13013_na/13013_na.HTML#Additional Options

There is a lo100c card you can add.

[happyhacker]

Thanks for being patient with me on this one. I see now that I have not installed any of the HP management s/w and now need to do so. I will download the Array Utility (the non CLI version - I don't think I need both).

There is also shown in the downloads an "CRITICAL" update and it's description is:

"Version Control Agent enables management of the HP ProLiant software and firmware on the system, in conjunction with the HP Version Control Repository Manager."

1. What is the HP Version Control Repositoy Manager and where can I get it? Perhaps this is part of the Insight Manager which I intend to download and install as well?

2. Should I also install the Smart Array Driver Storage Controller or is this for other hardware type Array controllers (I use the default ML115 controller)? Just checking that the existing controller is not covered by this download.

[Johan Guldmyr]

1.) Which softwares would you monitor with this anyway??

2.) If you do not have an HP smart array controller (the default ML115 G5 is not one) - you do not need to install drivers for one and you cannot use HP ACU.

[happyhacker]

Well I assume I will be able to run something which will update all my drivers.

I am also expecting it to give me an OS view of the RAID set instead of having to reboot into F8.

I assume the Insight manager will do the first (and maybe the second) and the ACU do the first. Both of these are in the ML115 s/w downloads section. Is that correct?

One thing I have noticed about the faulty RAID, the first drive listed when the error is shown during POST is shown as ERROR. Which of the configured drives would this be so I can change the correct one?

[Johan Guldmyr]

OK. Give the Version Control a shot.

HP SIM is quite a big software - it is frequently used to manage many servers. You can download that from software.hp.com. If you do not have many servers, perhaps it will use too much resources?

You cannot use ACU unless you have an HP SmartArray controller.

[Jimmy Vance]

With a quick glance, I didn't see what version of Windows server you're running, but if you start at the driver site here: http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/public/psi/swdHome/?sp4ts.oid=3577715&lang=en&lang=en&cc=us&cc=us&ac.admitted=1357570761751.876444892.492883150

and then select 2003 or 2008 as appropriate, look under Software- Storage Controller and grab the

HP ProLiant Smart Array SAS/SATA Event Notification Service for Windows Server and HP Embedded G5 SATA RAID Controller Manager for Windows Server files

[happyhacker]

Cheers Jimmy, I did mention the SBS 2008 server and I corrected my server type which is in fact the HP ProLiant ML115 G5 (not 110). I will go there and check out those files.

PS there is no Embedded controller s/w.

How do I know if I have the Smart Array system?

[Jimmy Vance]

The older 1xx series servers contained an embedded SATA RAID controller. Some systems a Smart Array was an option. If you have a Smart Array it should identify itself during POST by showing Smart Array  along with firmware version and how many arrays it is configured with. I'm pretty sure the embedded RAID chipset was the same on both the 110 and 115, so the software for the 110 should work fine.