How to enable SATA suport on ML110

[curtis cook_1]

I have a Proliant ML110 with one IDE hard drive. I've added a non hot pluggable SATA hard drive. I attached it to the SATA1 slot on the motherboard. When I go into Setup advanced options I am not able to enable SATA drives. I upgraded my bios and it still can not be enabled. Is installing a stand-alone (non hot pluggable) an option? Any ideas?

[Roger Faucher]

Curtis:

An ML110 generally will support either SCSI, IDE, or SATA drives. In order to support two different storage technologies, I assume you'd have to add another storage controller.

See: http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/servers/proliantml110/comparison.html

Posting specific model information might help (although it sounds like you must have a first generation ML110, non-SATA variant).

Make a great day!

Roger

[curtis cook_1]

The motherboard has two places marked SATA1 and SATA2. I assumed this was for attaching two SATA ribbon cables to an onboard controller. Is there an onboard controller? If not what are the two places on the motherboard for. I suppose I could purchase a controller. Just assumed there was an onboard one. Especially when it's in the BIOS.

[Roger Faucher]

Hi:

Since there are so many models in the 4 generations of ML110, I can't help you without detailed model information.

Make a great day!

Roger

[Darren Street]

You don't have to enable sata support as such. However the connectors for IDE and SATA/2 are different.

the IDE connections are the ribbon type that you are usued to, like the cable that connects the CD-ROM.

SATA data cables are small and have only one connector each end. You need a new cable per device and the location of the connectors on the motherboard can be found on the lod of the access panel.

Hope it helps.

[bill richardson_5]

I too have an original ml110. Not a g2, g3, g4 or so on. It has two ide ports, and two sata ports. I contacted hp support to see if the sata ports were active. I was told they are. However when I attempt to add a sata device, it does not work. When checking the system bios, sata is disabled and there is no option to enable it.

Any help would be appreciated. Please only answer if you have actually been able to do this.

Thanks!

[Colin Winger]

Did you get a resolution of this problem?

I also appear to have the same problem. I have attached a sata disk but cannot find anyway to change the bios option to enable it. The option is shadowed out. The bios revision is 4.06.20RW, which is the latest as far as i can tell.

I would appreciate any help or ideas.

[curtis cook_1]

My resolution was to go out and purchase a sata controller and add it to the server. They are not that expensive. If you want to install Windows server on the SATA drive you'll probable need to use the option in setup to load a controller driver not listed and then load it from a floppy. Once Windows is done with setup, install the drivers.

[Colin Winger]

Thanks Curtis,

I might go and do the same rather than waste more time than I already have. I am running Suse 9.3 which I believe has inbuilt sata support and am just adding more storage. I am disappointed though that HP do not have a resolution to this as their documentation says it is supported, and why would you have sata data connectors on the motherboard if they are not supported.

Anyway thanks again for the prompt reply.

Colin.

[Malcolm McLeary]

From what I've read elsewhere on this forum, although the 1st generation ML110 motherboard has SATA ports they are not operational.

I've added a SATA RAID card to my machine and it works fine for data. My machine currently boots from either IDE or SCSI but I'd like to ditch both in favour or another couple of SATA drives. This sounds fine in theory, but I cannot get it to work.

I start the Windows Server 2003 install and at the appropriate time hit F6 so I can load drivers for my SATA card. It loads the drivers off the prepared floppy and presents the RAID 1 set for formatting and installation. Formatting happens ok and the installer starts writing files to the RAID volume, but when it restarts to continue the install it simply reports that it can't find a boot disk.

I've looked in the BIOS setup and sure enough there is no option to set the disks on my SATA card as boot options.

Whats the deal? The card is seen at boot and it lists the disks connected to it, but it will not boot from them.

Have I missed something simple or is the BIOS set to only support "limited" boot options.

There was a SATA variation of the first generation ML110 so it must be possible to boot from a SATA card. Perhaps the BIOS includes support for only a specific card. If so can anyone identify a "bootable" SATA RAID card for a first generation ML110?

[Roger Faucher]

The SATA model came with a SATA Hardware Kit (which, I assume, included the 4-port SATA controller). The kit P/N is 370530-B21.

Make a great day!

Roger

[Malcolm McLeary]

The kit P/N is 370530-B21.

Ok ... but I was really looking for one which can be purchased at a reasonable price.

Who makes a 370530-B21 and what do they call it?

[Malcolm McLeary]

Looking at the Hardware Guide the SATA card should be a Promise FastTrack S150 SX4 RAID controller card.

Unfortunately this card has been discontinued.

The suggested replacement is a FastTrak TX4310.

What are the chances that the ML110 BIOS will recognise this card as supporting boot devices?

[Roger Faucher]

Malcolm:

I would think the chances are pretty good. I have sent an e-mail to sales @ Promise asking if they have the answer. I'll post their response here.

Make a great day!

Roger

[Roger Faucher]

NewEgg has them for $116.

[Roger Faucher]

Is the "Hardware Guide" available online? Got a link?

Thanks.

Roger

[Malcolm McLeary]

I do not know if the Hardware Guide is online. Its hard finding info on anything but the latest generation ML110s.

I got my copy from the System CD which comes with the machine. Its 18MB ... 115 pages.

[Malcolm McLeary]

The document is available at;

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00095485/c00095485.pdf

Chapter 8 discusses SATA.

----------------------------------------

The HP Proliant ML110â s mainboard supports two 7-pin 150-MBps SATA (Serial Advanced
Technology Attachment) connectors. SATA is a new disk interface technology for
connecting hard drives into computer systems. It is based on serial signaling technology, as
opposed to parallel signaling used in PATA (Parallel ATA). The thinner serial cables used in
a SATA configuration makes installation procedures a lot simpler for users while at the same
time facilitating a more efficient airflow inside the system. The fewer number of conductors
used makes crosstalk and EMI (electromagnetic interference) less of a concern thus
promoting better system performance.

Your HP server can support four SATA drives via a hot-plug cage. RAID management
function is provided by the bundled FastTrak S150 SX4 RAID Controller card with its
ensuite software utilityâ Promise Array Management (PAM).

----------------------------------------

Interestingly it mentions the onboard SATA connectors which is what this thread is all about ...

[Roger Faucher]

Well, Promise has responded to my question re: compatability of TX4310 with ML110 (G1). Unfortunately, it's a non-answer:

"Hi Roger,
Thank you for your interest in Promise Technology products. As for your hardware configuration, we do not test every individual situation, but it is designed to work on any standard PCI slot; however, it is best to use the model of motherboard and hard drive that we have qualified. You can find the compatibility matrix by clicking the link below (or copy and paste into your browser).

Product information - http://www.promise.com/product/product_detail_eng.asp?segment=undefined&product_id=165
Card Specâ s- http://www.promise.com/marketing/datasheet/file/FT_TX4310_DS_032206_web.pdf
Compatability - http://www.promise.com/support/download/download2_eng.asp?productID=138&category=compatibility&os=100
Thank you again for your interest in Promise Technology products. Please let me know if you need assistance in finding a reseller to purchase these through and I will be more than happy to send over some suggestions and if you need assistance with setup or need tech support, please contact our Technical Support direct at 408-228-1400 or online at https://support.promise.com/support/."

Roger

[Malcolm McLeary]

I acquired a Promise FastTrak TX4310 RAID Controller Card for my ML110 (G1) and I'm pleased to report that it works fine.

Its not compatible with the original LSI SCSI card so I had to remove it, but thats not really an issue as I wanted to install 4 x SATA II drives anyway.

[Colin Winger]

Further to my last post, after HP confirmed by phone that sata was NOT supported even though the MB had 2 connectors, I purchased a sunix sata controller ($80) that supported Linux but found that it only supported the 2.4 linux kernel and not 2.6 so it still did not work!! After spending 2-3 days trying to resolve this problem... I ended up purchasing a whole new box (not hp) that was up and running in less than 4 hours with Suse 10.2 which found everything.

All I started out to do was add some extra storage... but it became bigger than Ben Hur.

Sometimes the easiest path turns out to be.... the easiest path.

Hope this helps somebody else.

[Nslaver]

Own an Old ML110: Model 346076-001
Open UP, SCSI X 2, available Sata on Board; Letâ s bought a $50 SATA drive, so I can make an image of the SCSI drives and make an OS upgrade, also I can use the drive as a cheap solution for not essential data.
Any solution to this problem until now?