ML110 G3 - load RAID driver without floppy

[Stephen Gultig]

I am trying to load the Windows Server SBS 2003 driver for Adaptec embedded RAID but the server is shipped without a FDD.

I can get as far as recognising the the driver after F6 by using a USB flash drive, but when Windows 2003 loads it aks for the driver disk to be placed in Drive A: The USB flash drive is installed to Drive D:

Is there a way to force the USB to be recognised by windows as drive A: ?

[BR894765]

Use of USB devices during OS installation
http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/platforms/usb-support.html

[Stephen Gultig]

Thanks, very interesting link. I see that it specifically says that the table does not include the PL 100 series although what it describes is exactly the same problem. It also refers to what appears to be an MS Windows problem...

QUOTE:
"The newly supported USB drive key cannot be used even when formatted as a floppy to provide a driver update during a Microsoft Windows installation for 2000 or 2003. The device can be used once the operating system has loaded and loads the necessary USB driver. The system ROM will support the device prior to OS load"
UNQUOTE:

I have since tried a SONY USB Stiffy drive that is recognised as drive A: after the F6 prompt but not after the OS has restarted.

Still not cured. Will post the solution when I find it.....

[Benoit Sarton]

I have tried do this raid install with an iomega usb floppy drive, which was initially recognised as a:, but after windows starts formatting the partition, I'm requested to insert the floppy for the second time, and then the usb floppy drive is not read any more.

The techs at HP France say the problem is known, and suggest using a HP USB floppy drive (which is unavailable ...).

Any comment on using this HP USB floppy drive will be appreciated

[Stephen Gultig]

Solution still not found. I would like to add the Adaptec RAID driver files to the Windows 2003 "Disk 1" and try that but I am not sure how to copy the CD, add files (where to add them, I think SETUP/i386?) and still be able to boot from the CD.

Any suggestions on that?

[Benoit Sarton]

Maybe this :
http://www.nliteos.com/download.html

[Stephen Gultig]

That is a very useful application! But, it only added the driver to the installation files and did not help to get them back onto a BOOTABLE CD. I have used "ISO Buster" to copy the boot image to a floppy and Nero to get the boot image back onto the CD but nothing worked.

Going to enjoy Christmas Eve now, will try booting that image from NETWORK next...

[Peter Hanssen]

Only USB 2.0 floppy drives are supported

HP Option part for floppy drive kits
379257-B21

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/17581.html

TxtSetup Support for USB Floppy/Mass Storage Devices
version 1.4.2195.0

[Stephen Gultig]

In the end I have installed SBS 2003 without HP/Adaptec's embedded RAID and just used the disk management of Windows to create mirrored dynamic disks (RAID 1).

Didn't have the time to waste trying to sort it out and was not going to wait for HP to re-open after New Year and then invest in an HP USB2 drive as well.

If anyone has comment on using Windows disk management as an alternative (good or bad comment)I would appreciate your feedback. Perhaps, if the experience is not good I will consider trying the embedded RAID again in the future...

[Benoit Sarton]

Windows raid by disk management works fine ; but the question is performance. When you get an integrated raid management at a lower lever, you might assume better performance, no ?. I've ordered the HP usb floppy.

[Stephen Gultig]

Let us know how it goes.

[Benoit Sarton · Accepted solution]

Fine as far as installing windows. The hp usb external floppy drive is recognized as a: and the raid driver correctly installed.

I'm now entering the stage to test the failure of one of the disks and try a recovery or the raid array.

[Stephen Gultig]

That was quick. Obviously your suppliers are open this time of year. Not open in South Africa :-(

Summary for the benefit of those who come across this in future.

The HP external USB-FDD drive worked, but NOT the Iomega or Sony external USB-FDD drives. If you don't have or don't want get an HP USB-FDD drive, you can use Windows disk management to mirror the drives and leave the embedded RAID switched off. However, it seems that you will get better performance by investing in the HP USB-FDD unit and using the emabedded RAID.

Thanks Benoit.

[Benoit Sarton]

Now next question is : if you did NOT install the raid 1 driver ( for any reason, including you did not have the hp usb fd), -and now you have a server in production and you want to install the raid 1 afterwards, -is it still possible to build an array - or is it too late ?

We're investigating this point, any comment appreciated

Benoit

[Stephen Gultig]

I could not find the answer for the embedded RAID on the HP Proliant ML110 G3 but according to Adaptec FOR OTHER PRODUCTS the answer is YES. See here:

http://adaptec-tic.adaptec.com/cgi-bin/adaptec_tic.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=2319&p_created=989232129&p_sid=GjUCfgYh&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjUmcF9wcm9kcz0xMjgsMCZwX2NhdHM9NTEzJnBfcHY9MS4xMjg7Mi51MCZwX2N2PTEuNTEzOzIudTAmcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWJ1aWxkIGFycmF5&p_li=&p_topview=1

and here:
http://adaptec-tic.adaptec.com/cgi-bin/adaptec_tic.cfg/php/enduser/popup_adp.php?p_sid=GjUCfgYh&p_lva=&p_li=&p_faqid=3684&p_created=1021491532&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9MjUmcF9wcm9kcz0xMjgsMCZwX2NhdHM9NTEzJnBfcHY9MS4xMjg7Mi51MCZwX2N2PTEuNTEzOzIudTAmcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MSZwX3NlYXJjaF90ZXh0PWJ1aWxkIGFycmF5

[Benoit Sarton]

Humm...
interesting. The simple answer is yes, but the last sentence is "It is highly suggested, create the array as you would normally from scratch and then restore your data back on to it. This is the most reliable way to ensure your data is intact. "

So I would not do it on a production disk.

What we have successfully done is :

Change the bios to raid 1 settings
Reinstall windows and select 'repair'

This way we got a raid array over a single disk install. That was more an exercice that something I want to do on client servers. I'll make mine the rule : choose at install if it will be a raid 1 or a single disk install...

Anyway from now on I'll install ALL ml110 g3 with raid 1 arrays. I think it is really worth the price of a second HD (50 euros or so). So I don't regret my usp floppy investment !! Have happy new year

[yoo joon]

this article proved useful:

http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleid=1703

slipstreaming the adaptec 2120s drivers into this unattended install CD saved me.

hopefully the board admins will let me get away with saying this, but this was the most frustrating server install i've ever had. this is *NOT* what i expect from HP, who inherited the prestigious server line from Compaq, this whole experience was unacceptable.

attached is the txtsetup.sif file in case anyone finds it useful in their adaptec 2120s raid card install. it might save someone a lot of time, tho they'll still have to read every step of the pcstats article linked above.

[CA1361967]

Yes, slipstreaming the 2120s driver with nlite works for me.

[Technical Datamerge]

We had this same problem few months back. Our solution was to purchase some generic USB floppy drives which solved the problem for us. It was very frustrating initially.

[RMo. .]

Here is a quick guide I put together for you guys. These instructions are to be followed when you do not have access to an external USB floppy drive to use for loading the SATA RAID controller driver during Windows Server 2003 setup on an ML110 G3. Hope it helps.

Before starting, please have the following available:
- A USB drive key that is empty (back up any important data elsewhere).
- A notebook/desktop (or some server/workstation other than the ML110 G3) which has an internal floppy drive as well as a connection to the Internet.
- An empty, formatted 1.44MB floppy disk.
- Please ensure you have already configured the RAID array on your ML110 G3 using the SATA RAID controller's BIOS, which is accessible on POST using Ctrl-A;

Please follow these instructions accurately.

1. Download the appropriate SATA RAID controller driver from the HP website:

HP Embedded SATA RAID Controller Driver for Windows 2000/Windows Server 2003
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/23534.html

HP 6-Port SATA RAID Controller Driver for Windows 2000/Server 2003
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/storage/us/download/22908.html

2. Insert the empty formatted 1.44MB floppy disk into your notebook/desktop's floppy drive.

3. Copy the extracted contents of the SATA RAID controller driver zip file to the root of the floppy disk. If done correctly, the contents of your floppy disk will be as follows:

HP Embedded SATA RAID Controller Driver for Windows 2000/Windows Server 2003:
adpahci.cat
adpahci.inf
adpahci.sys
readme.txt
satadsk1
txtsetup.oem

HP 6-Port SATA RAID Controller Driver for Windows 2000/Server 2003:
aaccin.dll
aacmgt.inf
raidisk1
txtsetup.oem
aac.cat
aac.inf
aac.sys

4. Download and install the HP Drive Key Boot Utility on your notebook/desktop, which is located at:
http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/23062.html

5. Insert a USB drive key into a USB port in your notebook/desktop. Windows should have no problem recognising it and assigning it a drive letter under My Computer. It does not matter how the drive key was previously formatted.

6. Go to Start -> Programs -> HP System Tools -> HP Drive Key Boot Utility. The HP Flash Drive Boot Utility should start. Hit Next.

7. Choose the Drive Letter from the dropdown box that corresponds to your drive key and hit Next.

8. Choose the radio button "Create New or Replace Existing Configuration", and hit Next (Do not check "Backup Existing Contents").

9. Choose "Floppy Disk" and hit Next.

10. Choose "Image from drive" and select the drive letter corresponding to your notebook/desktop's floppy drive (likely to be "A:"), and hit Next.

11. Wait until the software is finished flashing the USB drive key. Once completed, remove the USB drive key from the USB port in your notebook/desktop, then click on Finish.

12. Re-insert the USB drive key into a USB port in your notebook/desktop. It will appear as a drive letter in My Computer. Please ensure the SATA RAID controller drivers are now in the root of your USB drive key.

You will also notice that the capacity of the drive key appears in Windows as 1.44MB, just like a floppy disk. Your USB drive key is now ready to be used in your ML110 G3 server.

13. Remove the USB drive key from your notebook/desktop, and insert it into a USB port in your ML110 G3 server, and then turn the server on. Immediately insert the Windows Server 2003 CD into your CD drive.

14. Enter the server's BIOS by hitting F10 during POST.

15. Go to Advanced -> USB Configuration.

16. From the USB Configuration menu, choose the following settings:

USB Functions: Enabled
USB 2.0 Controller: Enabled
Legacy USB Support: Enabled
USB 2.0 Controller Mode: HiSpeed

You should also have a fifth option available, called "USB Mass Storage Device Configuration". Select it and hit Enter (this option will only be available if the USB drive key was plugged into the server prior to POST).

17. Choose "Floppy" as the Emulation Type.

18. Hit Escape twice to return to the Main Menu, and then go to Boot -> Boot Device Priority. Make sure the 1st boot device is set to CD/DVD.

19. Hit F10 to save changes and exit. The server should now restart.

20. Hit Enter when prompted to "Press any key to boot from CD..." during POST.

21. Hit F6 at the start of Windows Server 2003 setup when prompted at the bottom of the screen. Files will continue to load.

22. Eventually you will be presented with a screen stating that "Setup could not determine the type of one or more mass storage devices...". Hit S to specify an additional adapter.

23. Select the correct SATA RAID controller (you might only have one option anyway) and hit Enter twice. Windows setup will accept the driver and continue to the drive partition screen.

[Svaboda]

Hi all and sorry for my not correct English !
So, I did exacly as "R@Mo." wrote upper but don't work again.
Windows 2003 see the USB flash drive as A drive the first time and infact I can see the 2 HD SATA on the pc(I have a HW RAID 1 not well ok on), I can choose where install the SO. The Pc (Proliant ML110 G3)start to copy files but it stop and ask again me to insert "Adaptec SATA drivers v1.00 (Windows 32 bit for 2000/XP/2003)" in the drive A.
I have again the USB flash on pc but pc don't see it; I tried too to remove and reinsert the flash but the situation don't change.
So I could not install W2k3 on the pc.
In this moment I dont know how to do it..

[Jean-Pierre Florisoone]

Hi,


I have the same probleme (request at second time acces to driver a:), and better this drivers version not run with Windows Server 2003 R2 (64bits).

"The device driver is not compatible with the x64-based version of Windows" ..

*Sigh*

Any suggest are welcome !!

[Shane Moffitt]

379257-B21 is not what to get

I have just recieved one express delivery and it has no connectors for the mother board. This is a normal floppy drive, not a USB floppy drive.

[CA1380611]

Exactly the same problem with DL320 G4...

[Albany Msoffe]

I have tried to do all what have been suggested above but still does not work.
excerpt using the HP external USP drive, before I buy one can someone who has already used it, tell me if it real works?