MicroServer Gen8 is noisy

[JustRoy]

Is there an How-To guide on installing the HPVSA on Ubuntu at install? Many thanks.

[JustRoy]

I got the HPVSA driver loaded on Ubuntu 14.04. I loaded the PPA repositories on RAID 0 drive and blacklisted AHCI. 

I confirmed loading of the driver with lsmod and the RAID 1 disk are shown as one logical HP volume.

I still get relatively high fan speeds (29%). It seems higher then AHCI. What are normal fan speeds for B120i (fake)raid with HPVSA loaded?  Could this be a hard disk compatiblity issue? Temperature sensors not detected (could not find them in ilo, but the B120i raid is shown).

[c0mm0n]

Not sure but : 

- Are you sur you have the latest BIOS ? (6/6/14)

- Aren't there some management tools to install ? (for ILO to get the reporting)

[Jimmy Vance]

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@JustRoy wrote:

I got the HPVSA driver loaded on Ubuntu 14.04. I loaded the PPA repositories on RAID 0 drive and blacklisted AHCI. 

I confirmed loading of the driver with lsmod and the RAID 1 disk are shown as one logical HP volume.

I still get relatively high fan speeds (29%). It seems higher then AHCI. What are normal fan speeds for B120i (fake)raid with HPVSA loaded?  Could this be a hard disk compatiblity issue? Temperature sensors not detected (could not find them in ilo, but the B120i raid is shown).

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When in B120i mode using hpvsa the fan speed is ~6%.  One test you could try is to download the HP Scripting Toolkit for Linux and boot it from a USB key (there is a script within the toolkit to create a bootable key) This is a SLES based kernel and it will load hpvsa. Would be a goo comparison.

What are the temp readings from the sensors listed in iLO?

Toolkit

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/km/search#q=toolkit&t=All&sort=relevancy&numberOfResults=25

download

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/km/search#q=MTX-dae51a12c67e499f93624a15d4&t=All&sort=relevancy&numberOfResults=25

[JustRoy]

Thank you for the link. I will test the SLES based version tonight. 

I entered ILO with Ubuntu running and looked at the temperatures. The hard disks seem recognized (HD max = 35C). I 'll see if I can make a "print screen" and post some temperatures.

If I get better fanspeed with the USB key, perhaps I should try OpenSUSE or CentOS?

[Jimmy Vance]

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@JustRoy wrote:

Thank you for the link. I will test the SLES based version tonight. 

I entered ILO with Ubuntu running and looked at the temperatures. The hard disks seem recognized (HD max = 35C). I 'll see if I can make a "print screen" and post some temperatures.

If I get better fanspeed with the USB key, perhaps I should try OpenSUSE or CentOS?

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The hpvsa driver for Red Hat will work with CentOS. The hpvsa driver for SLES will not work with OpenSUSE

[JustRoy]

I made the USB key and rebooted the system. I get some system information and then a prompt. The speed fan is the same as under Ubuntu (23%).

I've uploaded a screen grab from the temperatures under Ubuntu (also at 23 %).

Maybe it's just hot? 

[JustRoy]

Ok, I might have the suspect. I've installed an PCI card. Hp probably activates the fan with (non-hp) card. Sorry I did not mention it, but not think it was relevant.

[Jimmy Vance]

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@JustRoy wrote:
Ok, I might have the suspect. I've installed an PCI card. Hp probably activates the fan with (non-hp) card. Sorry I did not mention it, but not think it was relevant.

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I was looking at your temp readings before I read this post. Was going to post and ask if you had added a PCI card.  Your ambient and a couple other reading are a bit higher than what I'm seeing on a system here at the house and one at the office. So to answer the question, I think the fan is spinning a bit higher due to your configuration and environment

[JustRoy]

It is unholy in a server, but I installed a  Sapphire HD 5450 discrete graphics/audio card, which is one of the lowest powered dedicated cards around: 5W idle and 13W max (see link). I'm wondering how much heat a RAID controller would produce and disperse? Probably I made a mistake with the passive cooling though.

There's an additional sensor for PCI. I speculate the HP cards communicate their temperature to iLO, which will adjust the fan accordingly. However, if it detects a card and no sensor, it might default (just like HD Max and HDDs). 

[subsix]

Regarding the effect of PCI cards on fan speed:

One of our Microserver Gen 8 machines has an HP H220 HBA PCI card installed with 3 disks attached and is running at 11% fan speed - despite a 26°C ambient/inlet temperature. Not bad considering where we came from (fan speeds slightly below 50%)...

However, from what I know this is a supported card for the "bigger" ML/DL Proliants.

Peter

[JMann]

Reporting fan speed reduction success:

SATA controller configured as non-RAID AHCI. Two non-HP Seagate drives connected.

OS is VMware ESXi 5.5

BIOS 11/09/2013 -> 06/06/2013: fan speed dropped from ~30% to 15%

iLO 1.40 -> 1.51: fan speed initially surged to 60% when iLO rebooted post-flash, but quickly settled back to 15%

[ptiyannou]

Hello guys, 

I want to share my experience, by the way I am more a forum reader than contributor but in this case it took me crazy to fix my issue with the HP proliant but it worked so!

I bought the gen8 last week and put Debian without problem, and for no reason two days ago the fan start to get crazy, totally crazy!!!

I think I have read all your post and finally I tried tonight to update the ILO4 firmware but impossible to find the .bin file on the hp website...

I have finally found the bin file there:

http://www.claudiokuenzler.com/downloads/ILO/ILO4/1.51/

I downloaded the ilo4_151.bin and use the web interface to upload the firmware on the ILO card from 1.3 to 1.51.

I rebooted my server and wouaaaaaaaw, the fan stop louding!

That's it, for me it worked. Hope it can help.

See you guys!

[Highriser]

Hello Guys,

I know that there is nothing new on how to fix this but I just wanted to say that I will also send back my G1610T. It is not worth a Cent if you want to Use that Thing in the Living Room. I don't want to use a RAID, so this is no Solution. Sadly this Topic or Problem exists since Mid 2013 and HP didnt react at all and will never do.

So: Don't buy this Sh*t and make the same Mistake as I did. Gladly I have this Piece just 3 Days so it should be now Problem for me.

For those who are reading this and want a similar thing. Build your own Stuff (200€ = Case + 2GB Ram + Mainboard with CPU + PSU with 300Watt) but as you see, it's worth it. 

[ZakSmith]

For something quiet to run "media", another solution is something like a Mac Mini or MBPR or some other laptop that runs fanless for a living room.  Then run 1 GigE to the fileserver in the closet/basement. 

[c0mm0n]

I'm dumping the G8 too for this noise issue.

Bought the stock Xeon model, was a pleasure with Esxi but since moving to Proxmox and going AHCI it's a nightmare.

Even without harddrive it's noisy...

I've replaced it by expanding my storage with a 8 bay NAS and now using NUC i3 as headless server to run Proxmox. Will add a Nuc I5 Broadwell to expand the testing and get vPro/AMT.

Hp failed hard on this, this is a software issue, could be fixed easily. 

[der_burner]

I don't know what I can do. I have iLO Version 2.03 and the official System ROM J06 from 06/06/2014. But the fan ist still on 30% and very Noisy. What can I do to get the maschine quiet?

[Erathiel]

It would seem that the official HP solution is: turn it off ;)

[der_burner]

That is not a Solution! Where is the Problem? Is there a Bug Tracker?

[Erathiel]

Gee, of course it's not a solution. I'm just picking at HP for failing so pathetically on this.

Back to serious questions: What OS are you running on your machine? How many disks do have installed? What RAID mode is the controller set to?

[der_burner]

Hello Erathiel,

I understand! I don't want to tackle you personal. I say it also to HP! Sorry for my unclear words.

I have Ubuntu 14.04 installed and a Software Raid 1 with 2 Harddrives, a third one is also installed for additional backup. In sum 3 Harddrives.

[c0mm0n]

Why you don't use the internal RAID since it seems to me it's Ubuntu compatible (hpsva or something) ?

Then you could go as low as 6% fan. Yes 6%, and the G8 would be close to silent at this level.

[der_burner]

This have more than one reason:

1. I don't use Hardware Raids, because you can only restore your data on the same Controller. If you don't get the same or compactiple controller your data is away. 

2. I don't want to use a instable Package 'hpvsa' and also without Support.

[Erathiel]

Then you'd better go out and purchase good headphones as the server is not going to quieten. Due to some terrible error (or design flaw?) in the firmware installing hpvsa driver seems to be the only known way to slow the fans down and keep them at acceptable volume levels. If you're unwilling to install hpvsa, then you're screwed :(

[c0mm0n]

You could still use the b120i as a non raid (ie disks in single raid 1 or 0 arrays which ends in "Basic" mode for disks) and do the mdadm over this.

Doesn't solve the 2nd point and you'll see that as an infamy probably, but that works :)