What do I do when my server crashes?

[Leon Janse van Rensburg]

Hi, I have a new client with 2 HP servers. On Proliant ML 370 G3 and one Proliant ML330 G3. In case of disaster, and I have to rebuild, where can I find the drivers for the array controllers and so on. I know they do have a "HP CD Box" that came with the servers...Will it be in there, or do I donwload it. Where do I find it?

[Guy Humphreys]

Leon,

All new HP servers come with a CD pack entitled proliant essentials (or smart start as a lot of people know it as). This contains all the files you need to build a server from scratch.

You can also get the most up to date drivers from here:

http://www.hp.com/country/us/en/support.html?pageDisplay=drivers

I always use the web verions myself.

cheers
Guy

[Steven Clementi]

Leon:


You can also download the latest supported Smart Start CD image from here...

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/subscription/PSM_subscription.html?

...which will allow you to run the assisted install. (All drivers are provided by the CD and you do NOT need to "press F6 to specify additional drivers" during the Windows set up process)

You can also use the Smart Start CD that came with the server, but they are probably out of date by now.


Steven

[Leon Janse van Rensburg]

Hi Steven, so in case of a system crash, do I only pop in the smart start cd and off we go. No need to create a diskette with the raid driver on it?

[Steven Clementi]

Leon:

Yes, all you need is to boot form that CD, smart Start will load up and will guide youthrouh the process of installing your OS. No need for floppies if you use the CD. If you want to skip the Smart Start CD and go right to a Windows CD and boot up, then you would probably want the latest drivers for the Smart Array on a floppy to be able to load it up at the beginning of the install, otherwise... don't bother with the floppies.


Steven

[Oguz Kutlu Asik]

Hi,

I recommend you take a offline/online image of your servers, so in case of a disaster, you can restore your servers to their state before disaster in 1 hour or something. Use Norton Ghost or Live State Recovery like products to take image.

[Leon Janse van Rensburg]

Hi. You say I should create an image of my server using ghost? My servers both has 3 drives, using RAID 5. Each have 2 partitions. C : with all the system, and D: With all the data. How will I do the ghost. Only of the c Partition, and then , say it crashes, how do I restore it?

Thanks
Leon

[Oguz Kutlu Asik]

Hi again,

I was using standalone version of Ghost. I create a ghost boot floppy, then boot server with it. A small menu comes, after you select image, there are options like

partition to partition
partition to file

Select Partition to file, then you will select source disk, source partition, destination disk, destination partition. Your 3 disks with raid 5 configuration will be recognized as a single disk by ghost, like windows did.

You can select partition to file, then select C as source partition, and d:\image1.gho as destination. that way you can create an image file of your C on D partition (in this case, source and destination disk will be the same).

In case of a windows problem, you can boot with ghost floppy, then select restore from image, select d:\image1.gho, and select C partition as destination.

You can make two network boot floppy for two different server, that way you can take image/restore of a partition on a server to another using your network.

In your case, i assume you are already backing up your D (data) partition with some backup tools, so just make an image file of your system partition to D, also copy that file to another server or something for backup purposes. For example if all your disks fail, you can replace them with new ones, build raid5 again, install a clean windows operating system (just 20 minutes or something, you don't have to install patches etc.), make partitions C and D, then copy image1.gho to D, then restore it over your newly installed operating system to get your server into state before disaster.

There are programs can take images online like Livestate recovery, that way you will not have to restart server while imaging it. You can boot with product cd and restore images in case of a disaster.