Newbie - Proliant M370 2

[no1youno]

Hi all

Today I picked up my first server (Proliant ML370) and looking forward to setting it up. My current web server is just a desktop and was fairly easy to setup, but this ML370 is totally different. Raid??
Anyway I have been reading some of the posts on this forum and one of the first things I think I'm going to need is SmartStart. Can anyone tell me if I need a specific version of this software. I want to install Win 2003 Server.

Thanks

 

[ADB100]

For a G1 ML370 you need SmartStart 5.50, however there is no support for an assisted install of Windows 2003 with SmartStart 5.50. You need to do a manual install when booting from the SmartStart CD. This will set up your RAID and other hardware. After that it is just a case of booting from the Windows 2003 Server CD and installing Windows as normal. Once Windows is installed you should apply the latest HP Proliant Support Pack for the ML370 (7.60 I think?).

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/locate/69_1119.html

You can download an ISO of SmartStart 5.50 from HP's website. I would also download the latest Firmware Maintenance CD for the ML370 to upgrade any firmware (BIOS, RAID, ILO etc).

http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/22678.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

HTH

Andy

 

[burtsbees]

What generation is it? Should say "G2", etc on the lower left corner of the front cover...
G1's are creme colored, and G2 and up are a dark grey. How many drives do you have in it? During POST, it will tell you what RAID controller you have...what is it?

Burt

 

[no1youno]

Thanks ADB100. The information helps.

Burtsbees, I believe its a G1. Its creame in colour. There are currently no drives, but the bay will accomodate 6 drives. Which brings me to my next question.

Does all the bays need to have a drive, or can I just start off with 3 and add another 3 later?

Cheers
Anthony

 

[ADB100]

You can start off with one drive if you want... Or none if you have an OS you can boot from CD. The cooling is designed to have all holes filled when the server is running though, whether it is with drives or blanks. Probably not a big problem when you are building it but I wouldn't leave it powered on for any length of time with empty drive bays.
I think you will have issues if you try and move from no RAID to RAID 0 or RAID 1 or RAID 5. I have never tried it and I think backup and restore are your best options.
I have a pair of 18.2GB 10K drives in a ML370 running as a mirror (RAID 1) and then four 72.8GB 10K drives in a RAID 5 stripe.

Andy

 

[no1youno]

Thanks Andy.

I think I will need to read up a bit more on RAID. I think I will need to setup mine similar to yours.
I was planning on using the server for hosting, so I would like to use 2 drives as C: to hold the OS, 1 drive as D: to hold common directories, and the other 3 as E: to hold accounts. What types of RAID would you suggest? I'm guessing that RAID 5 joins multiple drives into one Drive letter (eg C

Cheers

 

[burtsbees]

Andy, I believe the HP Array Configuration Utility that gets loaded with Smart Start will config a RAID from nothing when adding a new drive---I think it lets Windows see even one drive as a JBOD...I'll have to try tomorrow.
No1youno, I would suggest to maybe try Smart Start 5.5 and load Windows 2000 Server, and then upgrade to 2003---that way, Smart Start should leave the Array Config Utility on for you. Never tried that one...

Burt

 

[burtsbees]

Now that I think of it, that may have been in an MSA1000 controller attached to the server...
I'm still gonna try tomorrow, though...

Burt

 

[ADB100]

I built my ML370 using SmartStart 5.50 and did a manual install. As Burt says it does configure the hardware RAID and carves up the disks as you want it, but you must then manually install Windows 2003. Windows 2003 installed without problems and even had the relevant Compaq/HP drivers for the RAID and SCSI controllers available. I did however run the HP PSP after the install to get the correct Compaq/HP drivers installed.
It has ran like a dream for a couple of years. I recently swapped four 18.2GB drives I had as a RAID 5 set with four 72.8BG drives. I spent some time looking at how to increase the existing volume but the potential for a screw-up and decided against it. I ended up backing the data up to another server, removed the old volume and drives, recreated a new one with the new disks and copied the data back.

Andy

 

[no1youno]

Thanks guys. All this information is very helpful.

One more question; do I need to use RAID? Is it possible to just use one disk as C: and another for D:

 

[burtsbees]

Yes, you can...but why would you not want to mirror them? If one goes bad, the other just picks right up...no backup needed (for the replacement of the drive, anyway...)

Burt

 

[no1youno]

Okay, if I mirror them, and I assume mirror is RAID 1 and what is written on the first drive is written exactly the same on the second drive, does this double my storage capacity or is the second drive just a backup?

 

[burtsbees]

The second drive is just a backup. Two 72GB drives will show up as one 72GB volume. When one goes bad, the volume is "degraded", though that term is usually meant for RAID 5 with one bad drive.

Burt

 

[no1youno]

OK, how about this:

If I create RAID-1 with 2 of the 6 disks as Drive C:, and 2 for Drive D:, is it possible to create RAID-0 for the last 2 disks which will be drive E:
Also, can partitions be created on these three logical drives, even the 2 disks (drive E on RAID-0?
Lastly, is it possible to do an image backup of drive E: (RAID-0) using something like Ghost or Acronis even though its "striped" to 2 disks?

Thanks.

 

[burtsbees]

Yes, yes and yes. Normally, with 6 disks, one would create a mirror with two disks for the OS, and the last 4 in a RAID 5, which is like RAID 0, but you can lose a disk. Sometimes, one would make 2 drives a mirror, three a RAID 5 and the last disk as a hot spare for the RAID 5, so that the RAID 5 can lose two disks and still be safe. If you create a RAID 0, and you lose one of the disks, you're hosed. RAID 5 needs at least 3 disks. You'll get the same performance as with a striped pair (RAID 0), but with fault tolerance. Servers allow these RAID 5 configs, as most desktops do not. Imagine a production server with a RAID 0---I'd shoot them! One disk goes, and say bye bye to all that important data.

Burt

 

[no1youno]

I see. Now that I know that performance is the same on both RAID 5 & RAID 0, then I think I will go with the way you suggested. Do all the drives need to be the same size on RAID 5?

Cheers

 

[burtsbees]

Not necessarily, but it's a good idea. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I strongly suggest you make them the same manufacturer, size and speed.

Burt