Hyper-v on Proliant Servers - best install method

[DaveStevenson99]

Hi, 

I am experimenting with Hyper-V on some quite old Proliant severs and have a fundamental question that I'd appreciate some help with please . . . . 

Using Hyper-V 2012R2, I can either install the hypervisor "bare metal", or by adding it as a role on Server 2012R2. There are probably pros and cons with both, but I think that the hypervisor overhead will be smaller if I install it "bare metal" with no GUI.

The question that I have is what does this mean for the HP Management tools, such as array and hardware diagnostics? 

Am I better installing the HP Proliant Support Pack tools on each VM, and would they actually be safe to use on a VM basis?

Or is it better to install Hyper-V as a role and install the PSP on the same instance of Windows, then just ignore the PSP tools in the individual VMs?

Or, are the PSP tools best not used in virtualised systems anyway?

regards

Dave

[AmRa]

1. The question that I have is what does this mean for the HP Management tools, such as array and hardware diagnostics?

Ans. HP Management tools are the tools which is used to manage HPE serves, like HP Array configuration utility is use to configure/manage RAID on HPE servers

2. Am I better installing the HP ProLiant Support Pack tools on each VM, and would they actually be safe to use on a VM basis?

Ans. HPE Service Pack for ProLiant Replaces the HP ProLiant Support Pack and Firmware DVD.

The Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) contains HP ProLiant server and BladeSystem drivers, systems software, and firmware. The SPP uses HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM) to deploy firmware and system software components on multiple HP ProLiant servers. It replaces the following products, which are not delivered or supported on HP ProLiant Gen8 servers:

• HP SmartStart CD
• HP Smart Update Firmware DVD
• HP ProLiant Support Pack (PSP)

SO you can use HPE Service Pack for ProLiant to install HP Management tools on base OS not on VM’s.

3. Or is it better to install Hyper-V as a role and install the PSP on the same instance of Windows, then just ignore the PSP tools in the individual VMs? Or, are the PSP tools best not used in virtualised systems anyway?

Ans. You have to install HP Management tools on the same instance of Windows and not on VM’s. However HPE Service Pack for ProLiant Replaces the HP ProLiant Support Pack and Firmware DVD. So you can use HPE Service Pack for ProLiant to install HP Management tools on base OS.

[DaveStevenson99]

Hi,

thanks for taking the time to reply, but I don't really understand your answers to point 3 in the context of the Hyper-V install.

On your comments under points 1 and 2, yes, I am aware of the function of the management tools - that's why I want to install them. I am also aware of the change from SmartStart and Firmware DVD to the SPP distribution method, but I still have the same question . . . . 

I get that you need to install them on the "base OS", but how does that work with the Hyper-V install when it's not installed as a role. The basic Hyper-V installation is a bit like ServerCore, i.e., you don't get a GUI to install and run software through? Is there some way to install and run the Service Pack software "headless" - or do I need to do without them on Hyoer-V if it is not installed as a Role on a "standard" WIndows install?

regards
Dave

[AmRa]

Hi Dave,

Please refer Smart Update Manager 8.4.0 CLI and Interactive CLI Guide (page Number 60) to deploy SPP in core OS without GUI mode.

https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/docDisplay?docId=a00068141en_us

[DaveStevenson99 · Accepted solution]

Hi,

just following up to answer my own post in case it helps someone else in the future . . . .

The "problem" was caused by 3 main issues:

1. Lack of detailed knowledge of HP Server Management Tools installation

2. Lack of any knowledge of managing Hyper-V Server, i.e., struggling without a GUI and using PowerShell

3. General Ignorance !

(As an aside, I tried installing Chrome at one point and found that you could run a Web Browser on Hyper-V or Core, that in itself was interesting, but probably not advised anyway and didn't actually get me running, but it may be handy in the future.)

Anyway, this is what worked for me . . . . 

1. I burned the relevant SUM image to DVD and put in in the local drive (though this can probably be done using iLO and a DVD image on the remote computer).

2. From a command prompt, navigated to \hp\swpackages on the DVD and ran hpsum.bat, when the program said that it had started a local browser (which it obviously couldn't)

3. Added a Windows firewall rule to open the SUM ports from PS (PS:> "New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Open HP Ports" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 63001,63002 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow")

4. Ran SUM remotely (server ipaddress:63002\index.html), updating localhost and rebooted when asked

5.  Added a Windows firewall rule to open the SMH ports from PS (PS:> "New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Open HP SMH Ports" -Direction Inbound -LocalPort 2301,2381 -Protocol TCP -Action Allow")

This let me run SMH remotely (server ipaddress:2381). All of the hardware dignostic pages that I expected were there, but the Array Configuration Tool was not. The Array Configuration Utility is now Smart Storage Administrator (SSA), it had been instsalled, but is not linked to SMH by default. There is a utility program called SSAPrefs.exe which is used to configure some preferences and it runs a pop-up box that needs a GUI, so a little "frig" is needed for that . . . 

You need a copy of a file from a non-Hyper-V version of Windows. In my case, I was trying to install Hyper-V 2012R2 and copied the file called oledlg.dll from its location on a full Windows install at c:\windows\system32\oledlg.dll to the SSA directory - in my case, C:\Program Files\HP\hpssa\bin, then ran ssaprefs.exe. As well as allowing you to select your language, the resultant Dialog Box allows you to select SSA integration with SHM. It starts a new Service and when SMH is opened, SSA is now available.

TA - DA!

Things are working now, it might not be the best way of doing things, but it worked for me!

[DaveStevenson99]

Another problem has some to light - installing the HP WBEM package after Hyper-V is installed can break Hyper-V!

See this related thread : https://community.hpe.com/t5/ProLiant-Servers-ML-DL-SL/Smart-Storage-Administrator-and-Hyper-V-2012-R2-Core/td-p/6402079/page/3#.XntfyW52v4Y

The situation can be fixed by . . . . 

"Run from cmd as admin this: MOFCOMP %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsVirtualization.V2.mof 

This will rebuild required classes and should restore back Hyper-V console. "