BLADES 35P

[Deploying Linux in BLAD]

Hi, Smart cant detect SAS controllers?. Its my first time to install Blades. I read some installation method and decided to go USB cdrom and SmartStart. After booting the smartStart and going to launch the ACU for raid configuration it seems that SmartStart can detect the SAS controllers..im using 7.70 and 7.60..hope you could answer this....Thank you!

[Deploying Linux in BLAD]

Correction, SmartStart can not detect or load any driver for SAS cotroller, Hope you can give me other option in deploying linux on blades servers..thanks

[Chris Rosan]

John,

You don't need smartstart to install linux. You can simply install it from the CD. Blades come with advanced ilo, so you don't need a USB cdrom.

What version & flavour of linux are you running? EG - You can obtain the Redhat (what I use) ISO's from Redhat network and use them to install the server through advanced ilo. If you do it this way it's MUCH faster than installing from CD anyway.

If you have a number of servers, you can use HP RDP (if you got it with your servers, i wouldn't pay extra for it), you can setup an FTP server to install from, and/or use a kickstart disk (should work with all flavours of linux) to setup your server.

[Deploying Linux in BLAD]

Hi Sir Chris,

Thanks for replying for my inquiry.. We are planning to deploy FedoraCore2. I did the standard installation of Linux. I booted from the CD but unfortunately my cd can not detect my raid controllers. May I ask if there are specific drivers for other flavors of linux..Thanks in advance...

RDP sounds good but as of now there's still no plans for it..

[Chris Rosan · Accepted solution]

Fedora core 2 is quite old. Is there a reason you're not using fedora core 4? I'm not sure if FC2 is supported on the BL35p.
FC is basically the same as Redhat. You should be able to use the drivers for Redhat Enterprise 2.1 from HP's site (if it's supported and FC isn't). There should be an explanation on how to use the drivers. I've got RH4 on BL25 & BL45 using onboard raid & mezz FC card and RH detected it fine. I'm surprise FC doesn't.

I just checked the download site, and neither RH2.1 or FC2 are supported. I suggest you use FC3 or 4 and use the Redhat drivers equivilant to the FC version.

You could try the drivers for RH3, or pick an older server, such as the ML370 G3. I had RH2.1 on that for a number of years and the drivers work. Even better, find another server that has the same model raid card (such as DL360 or DL380) and use the drivers for that (pick a G3 model as that's the vintage of the O/S). You're still better to use FC3+ for O/S/HW support...

Sorry to ramble.

[Deploying Linux in BLAD]

Thanks chris..I checked the supported Linux OS in Blades, Unfortunately redhat 2.1 is not supported. The supported OS are Redhat 3, 4 and 5.. And just want to clarify Fedora Core 2 is == Redhat 2.1? if so, We need to go Fedora core 3, 4 and 5..

Thanks for answering my questions Im still newbie in Linux and servers,, Thank you..

[Chris Rosan]

It depends on what you are running. I don't use Fedora on any of my systems and the latest version i'm using is RHEL4. I know that RHEL5 has some new virtualisation stuff which i don't need in my deployment. FC6 is the latest so I'd either use that or FC5.

[Deploying Linux in BLAD]

Hi Chris,,

Thanks for the advices..I already installed linux in our blade server using Centos 4.4. Thank you