Dell Poweredge 4400 and Win2003

[stkarma]

Looking for comments, pros or cons, on upgrading a Dell Poweredge 4400 to Windows Server 2003?
This server currently has Windows NT, 4GB RAM, 3/36GB raid 5 and 3/73GB raid 5 hard drives, a PIII XEON, 866MHZ.

 

[twwabw]

I run SBS2003 on a PE4400; (4) 36Gb Raid5; 1.5Mb Ram; dual 1Ghz Xeons. Runs great. They're a reall dependable workhorse, just like their 4300 ancestors.

Running Exchange Server for my office; main file/print server. Been real dependable. Had 2000 Server on it before- it was fine with that too.

 

[CoreyClamp]

We currently use 4 4400's on 2003 in our network. They're rock solid machines. we have two domain controllers and two virtual servers on the PE4400's. The only thing I suggest is to make sure that you do not load FAST (Flexible Array Storage Tool) for the PERC on Win2K3. Upon reboot from the installation you will be stuck in a reboot. If you tempt fate and do it anyway, just hit F8 when Win2K3 starts loading and choose last know good config.

I have not looked any deeper into the problem to see if Dell has an update or not, so there could be one out there. I just use the TUI bios on the controller to take care of my RAID arrays.

 

[jblewis]

The only thing to be aware of on the 4400s is that they are reaching end of support. This may or may not matter to you though.

We have a pair of 4400s that have been rock solid since the day we bought them.

The newer Server Assistant CDs use an OEM version of Vertias Volume Manager instead of the FAST tool.

JB

 

[AndrewTait]

We upgraded NT4 to 2003 with very few issues.

Just ran the setup to determine which bits of software were incompatable, and upgraded/removed them, and then upgraded.

Only issue we had is the Dell drivers were not all flagged as incompatable, and we had problems getting the latest PERC and Network card drivers to work.

He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy (Monty Python's The Life of Brian)