Setting up new Microserver Gen8

[sraper]

Hello,

Just bought a MicroServer G1610T Gen 8.

I am hoping to install 4 4Tb SATA disk (RAID 1+0) plus an SSD instead of the Optical Disk on the extra SATA channel.

I am hoping to install VMWare (or maybe XenServer) on the SSD and to boot from the SSD. All guest OS's would reside on the SSD leaving the RAID array purely for storage.

It seems that Intelligient Provisioning will not let be deploy an OS onto the SSD (if it is on the extra SSD channel).

I booted the VMWare installer (the customised HP one - actually 6.0 and not 5.5U2) from an external USB key and was able to install onto the SSD drive. However I can not boot from the SSD. It seems the server is not seeing the drive as bootable!

Now worst case I will give up and use the SSD in may laptop :)   however I dont see why it is not possible to boot from a hard drive on the extra SATA channel.

Regards

PS. Why did HP use such an unusuall power connector for the Optical Drive. It seems to be an 3.5" floppy drive power connector (it would certainly fit an floppy drive that I found in my box of "spare kit" :)  ) why is it not a standard molex or SATA power connector!!!!!

[Jimmy Vance]

That port wasn't intended to be a bootable hard drive port.

The cable kit that ships with the optical drive has a standard sata data/power connector on one end that plugs into the optical drive, and splits into a power cable and a data cable 

[sraper]

:(  Hmmm   Seems unfair that does!    I assume that it can be used for booting from an optical drive connected on that port.

Out of curiosity I plugged in a microSD and it wont let be use that as it is not an HP microSD!

Can I boot from the internal USB connector?

Regards

[Jimmy Vance]

Yes, it will boot from an optical device

You can boot from a micro SD or the internal USB slot

[sraper]

Hower using Intelligent Provisioning you cant seem to specify the drive to install on!   And at least for windows if you boot from the windows server CD it will not allow you to install on a USB drive (either the microSD or the internal USB port)!!!!

[omnix-mm]

By the way, Can you using SATA or SSD as ESXi datastore on now ?

VMware ESXi need hp's RAID Array (of SATA or SSD ) VID driver. (ML Gen8 is B120i.)
But,VID driver do to read startup process in ESXi,
So, Can not direct install ESXi on RAIDArrayDisks.

Bootable disk priority setting in BIOS.

*[System Option]-[USB Option]-

      [Removable flash media boot order]

         Int or Ext USB and SD card.(default is Ext USB)

*And, [IPL].

[Jimmy Vance]

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omnix-mm wrote:
VMware ESXi need hp's RAID Array (of SATA or SSD ) VID driver. (ML Gen8 is B120i.)
But,VID driver do to read startup process in ESXi,
So, Can not direct install ESXi on RAIDArrayDisks.

---

This is not a correct statement. HP offers versions of ESXi that contain all the required drivers for ProLiant servers

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/products/servers/solutions.html?compURI=1499005#tab=TAB4

[omnix-mm]

I'm sorry,Jimmy.

By the way, I have advantage external bootable device on ESXi, When If crushed server exchange it.

Which is more than better recommended external device or internal Disk by HP Enterprise ?