Proliant 8500 hardware questions

[gwunta]

I've been trying to search everywhere for these answers but have come up empty handed Im hoping somene here might be able to help. I recently purchased a compaq proliant 8500 and just have a few hardware questions.

1. The server came with 9.1G hdd caddys. Can you put different sized drives in the caddys? If so which sizes are suitable?

2. The server documentation says that it supports up to 8 processors. Do you have to purchase VRMs as well as the processors to add into the server? Are there any other hardware purchases that need to be made in oreder to add more processors? currently it has installed 550MHz xeons.

3. I have found the part numbers for the CPU and hdd ugrades for this machine. These are compaq part numbres. Can you fit generic parts to these servers. e.g. A processor upgrade kit part number 146169-B21 for proliant 8500 contains the processor (I assume from pictures). Is the processor specific to compaq or just branded that way? Can I just purchase any xeon (as long as its the same clock speed) and fit it?

Thanks

 

[tf1]

You ca fit any SCSI disk that has the correct connectors to fit the caddy. You may need to update the SoftPaqs (firmware) for any controllers in order to recognise larger drives.

Processors are usually in kits. The 8500 has a complex history of processor upgrades. The earlier Pentium III Xeons came in both 1MB and 2MB versions that cannot be mixed. The second processor also required the Cache Accelerator Option Kit 328819-B21. (The 700 and 900MHz versions shipped with the Cache Accelerator.)

There were also kits to upgrade the 550MHz to quad 900MHz or single 700MHz.

I'd be exceptionally carefull upgrading these now because you may find parts expensive, incompatible, time consuming and just not worth the effort.


Regards: tf1