Setting up old prolient Servers

[mpociask]

I bought a couple of old prolient servers (one is 3000 and one is a 5500). They have dual pentium III 550mhz processors.

They both came without hard drives (SCSI) and not configured. I bought 3 hard drives for the 5500 and am trying to get the server to run so I can install my operating system.

Right now, when I boot, it checks the RAM and says:

Slot 7 COMPAQ Smart Array 3200 Controller - 0 Logical Drives

1785 - Slot 7 drives array not configured. Run COMPAQ Array Configuration Utitilty

Scanning for the SCSI Devices... No SCSI devices detected.

F1 key to continue
F10 key for system partition utilities

If I press F10, I get

System Disk Error or Non system disk. Replace disk and press Enter

If I put the Smart Start 5.5 disk in the CDROM and press F1 I get:

SmartStart does not support deployment for this server. Consult the support matrix on the Smart Start website at

http://www.hp.com/servers/smartstart

for a complete list of supported servers.

What do I need to do to get this thing going?

 

[anawrocki]

I think you may need an older (4.x?) version of Smart Start.

 

[ustillflyin]

In the 3000's that we have we use version 4.80
of the smart start CD.
Don't know about the 5500's though

 

[TheLad]

You can use up to SmartStart v5.5 with both the 3000 and 5000 servers - I have done on many many occasions lol. The link below is a download to the ISO image of v5.5 (the link is from the Proliant 3000 drivers section of the HP website):

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/22678.html

Might be worth trying the download just incase there is a problem with your SmartStart CD

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"It's true, its damn true!"
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[mpociask]

Thanks for your replies.

I downloaded 5.5 because thats what Customer Support told me to download at HP.

Should the server boot from the CD? Somone on the HP support forum told me I need to make driver diskettes. When I looked on the CD (from a windows enviorment) nothing seemed to make much sense.

Can some one please post an overveiw of how to get a server from having nothing configured to getting ready for an OS?

 

[tap1946]

I just set up a Compaq DL580 that was purchased used. Before I could really get anywhere, I had to use the ERASE utility that came with my version of Smart Start and then rerun SmartStart to set everything up correctly. I'm not familiar with the older versions of Smart Start to know if 5.5 includes that program or not. You might try to run Smart Start 5.5. on your machine and see if you are given that option. You might also seach the HP site to see if they offer a version of ERASE that will work on your machine. Just a thought that this might help you.

tap1946

 

[mpociask]

Thanks for the tip. Someone on the HP forum told me I need version 4.9 of smart start. Does anyone know where to get it?

 

[TheLad]

I don't know about v4.9 but the HP website still offers v5.5 or download in both the Proliant 3000 and Proliant 5500 sections:

3000 -

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/locate/32_1112.html#59

5500 -

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/locate/32_1108.html#61

-----------------------------------------------------
"It's true, its damn true!"
-----------------------------------------------------

 

[mpociask]

Thanks for the reply.

There seems to be some kind of mistake in the HP/Compaq documentation. All the online docs say 5.5 will work however, when I load it into the server, it says it is not supported. I got off the phone with a tech at HP yesterday and they said 5.5 typically supports series 1 servers. The 3000 and the 5500 are pre-series 1. He told me if I got my hands only 4.9 everything would be cherry.

 

[sk291]

you need to first reset the bios on this machine by ficking dim switch 6 on the motherboard to the on position, reboot and then switch off and return the dim switch back to it orginial position.

this worked on a ml 530 server

 

[mpociask]

I will try that.

Also, I have a similar thread on this subject on the HP.com forum. Here is an excerpt from it. Perhaps you can answer this question as well?

Okay guys here is the run down.

Thank you very much for your help thus far. 4.9 seems to be working great. I ran it on a Windows PC and created the following Diskettes:

Erase
System Config (4 disks total)
Array Config (2 disks total)

I ran the erase disk first.

Then I ran the System config. I said "this system is not configured, do you want to configure?"

I ran thru the configuration prompts. Everything seemed be going OKAY. It only asked for the first 2 (of four) system config disks.

I booted back into the 1st system config disk and chose System Configuration from the options menu. Then I chose "Drive Array Configuration".

I inserted the 1st array config diskette and pressed enter. It asked me to reboot. I did.

I was assuming it was going to run the drive array config, but all I get was the same error (drive array not configured, run system config utility) then it took me to a screen and said:
"invalid or non-system disk" etc.

If I let the server boot to the Smart Start 4.9 CD, it will give me an error (after a long wait):

CD or CDROM error
Press enter to restart Smart Start

That will reboot the server and give the same error if I allow it to boot to the CDROM again.

What am I missing here?

 

[imdaryl]

Did you ever get this server (3000) up and going? I've been working on one for a week with no success as of yet. I did locate a SmartStart cd, however it is version 4.3.

 

[hiwayman1]

I have a copy of 4.8 if that will do any good.

 

[imdaryl]

hiwayman1, is there a way for me to get a copy or download it from a server from you? Thanks in advance.

 

[hiwayman1]

Is there an email address that I can send the instructions for download?

 

[imdaryl]

I really don't want to post my email here, but if you have yahoo messenger, my id is: midaryl and I will give you my email address there, (spammers you know). I was looking for a way to PM you from here, but there doesn't seem to be a way to. Again thanks for all your help.

 

[hiwayman1]

I sent a message with yahoo messenger, I do not use it much so let me know id you did not get it.

 

[imdaryl]

Thanks highwayman1, yes I did get it and replied

 

[hiwayman1]

mpociask, did you get your problem resolved?

 

[mpociask]

Nope, I am still searching for answers. I have swapped the array card, drive cages, everything. I also bought warranty so I could get support from Compaq/HP and even the techs there couldn't get it to work.