Compaq Proliant 1600 Trouble

[shockcat]

Hello everyone. This website is a great tool and now I finally get to use it. I have acquired a Compaq Proliant 1600 Server that has me stumped.

I have removed all but one stick of RAM (512 megs)
There are two 18 gig Hot Swap drives installed.
There is also a Compaq 20/40 GB DLT Tape Drive along with the standard floppy and CD ROM drive.

I have removed both cages in the rear and reseated them, as well as the Hot Swap cage in the front. This has made no difference.

When I boot, here is what appears on the screen that I cannot get past:

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

524288 kb memory

Compaq Proliant 1600
BIOS P08 - 8-17-98
450 MHz with 512 kilobyte cache

Slot 2 Compaq Smart-2DH Array Controller
REV C, v3.08

0 Logical Drives

1785-Slot 2 Drive not configured
Run Compaq Array Configuration Utility

Searching for SCSI devices ...

SCSI Controller, System Board:
ID 6 - FAILED

Press "F1" key to continue
Press "F10" key for System Partition Utilities

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

At this point, no matter which choice I make, it returns to the same screen repeating:

Press "F1" key to continue
Press "F10" key for System Partition Utilities

I downloaded the Smart Start CD vs5.5 from HP and burned a copy from the ISO image. I cannot get the server to let me into the BIOS at any point using the F10 key, nor can I get the server to boot from the SmartStart CD. I want to install Novell 4.2. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I just built an HP E60 NetServer and installed Win NT 4.0 using HP's TopTools and that was a breeze compared to this goliath of a server. I actually acquired three of these Proliants, so I have two on the side for parts if that helps.

Thanks in advance.
Kyle

 

[ntinlin]

Sounds like one of the SCSI drives has failed so you cannot load the system partition.

Try taking one of the drives out and then the other and see if error goes away. If it does you should then at least be able to try SmartStart.

Suggest you get yourself a Smart2-DH or Smart3200 from eBay, not expensive, which will allow you to use RAID.

Neill

 

[shockcat]

Since originally posting this, I have been able to download the files necessary to (1) allow me to boot from a floppy and erase the system completely, arrays and partitions included and (2) Configure the system, readying it for installation of an OS.

But the server still will not let me enter the BIOS during or after POST and it will not boot from the SmartStart CD v5.50. I did download the SmartStart ISO image for HP and burned it to a CD using the menu command "burn from an ISO image," so, that is where I stand at the moment. Any ideas on how to get it to boot from the CD?

Thanks.
Kyle

 

[Walter349]

Try setting Switch 6(Six) on the DIP package at the rear of the system board to ON. This will bypass the the current F10 configuration settings and should allow you to boot from the CD. However in my experiance a lot of the proliant CD drives are toast, if they have not been used regularly.

So replacing it may be the way to go.

Good luck

 

[ntinlin]

Walter349 makes a good point about the CD drive.

However make sure you replace it with a slow speed one. I've never got more than an 8x to work in the older ProLiants.

Neill

 

[shockcat]

Walter349 and ntinlin,

thanks for the responses. walter349, when i checked the system board for the switch settings, i noticed one switch labeled 1 and 2 and another switch 1,2,3 and 4, but no switch number 6. What am I missing?

Thanks,
Kyle

 

[dumbnewfie]

I have two Proliant 1600 and as they are older you have to make sure you have all the right parts together.

First

The 1600 series was orginal design of a maximun of 1 gig of ram. 4-256mb... You said that you have one stick of 512mb in your server. The server will not function properly with that stick of memory unless there has been a bios update that lets you use it, that I am not aware of.

This is what the Compaq web site says you can use;

Memory
256-MB 100MHz Registered ECC SDRAM Memory Kit 313616-B21
128-MB 100MHz Registered ECC SDRAM Memory Kit 313615-B21
64-MB 100MHz Registered ECC SDRAM Memory Kit 313614-B21


Second

You have to have the right drive cage for the drive you are using. Here is a copy of the specs so you can check.

Hard Drives
(Caution – Check to make sure that you are using the right drive with the correct drive cage.)
Wide Ultra3 SCSI – Universal Hot Plug
36.4-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 176496-B22

18.2-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 142673-B22

9.1-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 142671-B22

18.2-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 15,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 188122-B22

9.1-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 15,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 188120-B22

Note: Wide Ultra2/Ultra3 Drives require an optional Wide Ultra2/Ultra3 Controller to support Ultra2/Ultra3 transfer rates.
Wide Ultra3 SCSI – Non- Hot Plug
36.4-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 179497-B21

36.4-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive
(1.6² ) 142676-B21

18.2-GB Wide Ultra3 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 142674-B21

9.1-GB Wide Ultra2 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 142672-B21

Note: Non-hot plug Wide Ultra3 drives are supported only in the removable media bays and required the Ultra3 Cable Option Kit (166391-B21). An optional Ultra3 controller must be purchased in order for the Ultra3 drives to operate at Ultra3 speeds.
Wide Ultra2 SCSI – Universal Hot Plug
18.2-GB Wide Ultra2 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 128418-B22

18.2-GB Wide Ultra2 SCSI Drive (1² ) 388144-B22

9.1-GB Wide Ultra2 SCSI 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 328939-B22

9.1-GB Wide Ultra2 SCSI Drive (1² ) 123065-B22

Note: Wide Ultra2/Ultra3 Drives require an optional Wide Ultra2/Ultra3 Controller to support Ultra2/Ultra3 transfer rates.
Wide Ultra2 SCSI – Non-Hot Plug
18.2-GB Wide Ultra2 SCSI Drive (1² ) 388143-B21

9.1-GB Wide Ultra2 SCSI Drive (1² ) 349526-B21

Wide Ultra SCSI-3 Drives – Hot Plug
36.4-GB Wide-Ultra SCSI-3 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 176498-B21

36.4-GB Wide-Ultra SCSI-3 10,000 rpm Drive
(1.6² ) 128420-B21

36.4-GB Wide-Ultra SCSI-3 Drive (1.6² ) 400740-B21

18.2-GB Wide-Ultra SCSI-3 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 128417-B21

18.2-GB Wide-Ultra SCSI-3 Drive (1² ) 400739-B21

9.1-GB Wide-Ultra SCSI-3 10,000 rpm Drive (1² ) 336357-B21

9.1-GB Wide-Ultra SCSI-3 Hard Drive (1² ) 313706-B21

Note: When using hot plug Wide Ultra SCSI-3 Drives in the Pentium III Models, Duplexing Drive Cage (264368-001) or the Wide Ultra SCSI-3 Drive cage (271912-001) are required.
Note: When using the Compaq Hot Plug Redundant Power Supply (283697-001/291) in conjunction with 10K-II rpm Drives (9 GB and 18 GB) please observe the following rules: 9-GB and 18-GB 10K rpm Hot Plug Hard Drives. In a rack configuration at altitudes above 5000 feet (1,520 meters) the server must be operated in ambient temperatures not exceeding 86° F (30° C).

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

Any way try a 256mb 100MHz stick of memory or smaller, otherwise check your drive type.

Cheers,
DumbNewfie I

 

[reallycornfused]

Hi everyone. I just picked up a Proliant 1600 for $0 and was thinking of running it as a game server(Q3) and wanted to know if there is a resourse for the server newbie, which I am, that will tell me what I can do to this thing, like this model comes with a max of 600Mhz P3 cpu but is it possible to upgrade to something like a 800Mhz P3?

I also need to buy a VRM for a second cpu I want to install, so what should I be aware of when shopping for one?

Thank you in advance.
reallycornfused

 

[shockcat]

Dumbnewfie,

Thanks for the reply. I will check to see that everything is setup the way you are advising. I will post my findings as soon as I check it all out. I did attempt to install WinNT 4 and it reported that it could not find any logical drives, even though there are two 18 gig hot swaps. I suspect the Array Configuration.

 

[strumminJ]

HEy shockcat or anyone else,

just upgraded my proliant 1600 from twin 350's to twin 600's - it works OK

however, I am seeking to verify I have correctly set the processor bus core / ratio switch in the processor cage properly (0 1 1 1) for 600 mhz operation as the only doc I find gives me seetings as below:

300 1 1 0 1
350 1 1 0 0
400 1 0 1 1
450 1 0 1 0
500 1 0 0 1

Much appreciate your help.

For info, the only way I have been able to get into BIOS settings is using system config utility, either on a system partition or booted from 4 floppy set. With older BIOS I could boot from CD, not anymore.