Needing a Floppy to get drivers installed!

[happyhacker]

I have a HP proliant Ml115 G5. Supposedly OK for 2008. I am configuring RAID 1 and have setup the BIOS to do this, that seems OK. BUT, I need the software to run this type of RAID control (not a separate board). I loaded the Windows disc and got to the part where it showed just one drive (I don't know why but I assume the RAID configured so far only presents one drive to the world and the software (when installed) handles the pair?) and asks for a driver. This I have downloaded as a .exe file from the HP site.

The OS does not recognise the file on an ordinary USB drive so apparently (according to HP support) I have to create a floppy drive and put the downloaded files there before Windows will recognise them. That means I think I have to buy a USB floppy unit. Is that right?

Does anyone know the exact procedure for this - I know its not just copy the file to the floppy but there is an install procedure?

Thanks for your time.

 

[JackOfSomeTrades]

Hi,
I've installed 2008 SBS on several ML115 G5's - note before going any further, stick at LEAST 6GB, preferably 8GB (max for the hardware) RAM into it...

I've never needed the additional nVidia RAID controller drivers - like you say, Windows Setup detects the RAID Controller (as it loosly is called), so you select that Disk as the one you stick the OS on - yes, one disk is all you'll see because the 'Hardware' RAID Controller (that is the superb nVidia Controller) once setup correctly for RAID 1, will only appear as 1 physical drive.

IF you do need to install the RAID Drivers from floppy, use the internal USB port, download the appropriate RAID drivers from HP, extract them to the floppy, and install them from the floppy drive during the Setup of 2008 - USB stick with the drivers on should work - again though, the drivers need to be extracted, and not the zipped/self extracting exe versions. As with the Floppy, the Drivers on USB stick need to be on the root of the media.

1) Download nVidia RAID Drivers.
2) EXTRACT them to root of floppy or USB stick.
3) Setup nVidia RAID in RAID controller BIOS (F8 I think, once the RAID Controller has been ENABLED in the BIOS), while booting up and POST'ing and stuff.
4) Start SBS installation (from Disk 1).
5) If no drives are detected, install RAID drivers from extracted RAID Controller Drivers on either floppy or USB.
6) Once drive has been detected, install to this drive.
7) Somewhere on the internet, if you're lucky, you can find the x64 Nvidia RAID Controller Software which will allow you to see the state of your Hard Drives.

Good luck!

Thanks, Mark

 

[happyhacker]

Thanks Mark. I did manage to load the drivers. However because I somehow did not partition the C; drive ended up with a single partition. Trying to change that to no success so I reinstalled. Then I seem to have another problem.

The RAID system in the BIOS put itself in some sort of repair mode (due to me messing with the partition whilst live).

So I eventually got it into the "REBUILD" state in the BIOS. There was a message from the BIOS to then go ahead and load the OS with the drivers. So I proceed to do that and eventually got it loaded. It works but this time the whole thing appears so slow (it took 2.5 hours to install SBS 2008).

Is this "REBUILD" state the BIOS is in an automatic process which rebuilds the other half of the RAID 1?

Any other advice appreciated.

Thanks for your time.

 

[JackOfSomeTrades]

Hi,
2.5 hours to install SBS 2008 on an ML115 - thats not bad!!!
As you may have gathered, I'm less than a fan of these beasts, but they do their job I suppose...

The last time I re-build RAID 1 on 2x 250GB drives, it took over 15 hours for each build (replace one drive, allow for rebuild, then replace 2nd drive, and allow for re-build again).

They're not true 'hardware' RAID Controllers - but I don't believe depend on any software either (as I was lead to believe for a long time).

I'm pretty sure the 'rebuild' state will eventually finish - slightly quicker (but I don't know how much) if you leave it in the RAID BIOS screen, long if windows is running - but at least you have a usable server during the re-build.
Its an odd Controller, with severe 'querkyness'.

If you download the nVidia MediaShield software (like I said, its a right pain to find), then you can monitor from Windows, what it is doing, and its progress - I think there is limited functionality from the software too - initiating rebuilds and stuff.

Basically its crap.
Good luck.