Question

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #4210400

    Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

    by rabbit_runner ·

    HP ML350 G6 Server — 128GB RAM — 8-SAS 900 GB drives — 2 CPUs with 4 core each

    Have HP SmartStart 8.7 CD

    To install OS (Windows Server 2022), the SmartStart CD ‘requires’ the original manufacturer’s OS DVD which I don’t have.
    To install OS from a flash drive, the server only allows MBR formatting, rather than UEFI. This means the installation will be 32-bit. That’s a problem because the RAID 5 partition is ~4T. The 32-bit installation downgrades the drive to 2T. The OS is installed as 32-bit, but the drives are not upgradable to 64-bit without wiping the entire drive. The SmartStart CD won’t allow me to install the OS because I don’t have an MS installation DVD, and the USB install only allows MBR (32-bit installation).

    I have created a one-disk array and got the OS installed as 64-bit, (through a bunch of machinations) but when attempting to create an array on the rest of the drives, the system refuses to boot because the EFI partition isn’t where the server is expecting.

    I’m at a loss for what to do. Does any have ideas to help me out?

You are posting a reply to: Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. Please refer to our Community FAQs for details. All submitted content is subject to our Terms of Use.

All Answers

  • Author
    Replies
    • #4210401

      Added info

      by rabbit_runner ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      I have a valid MSDN copy of the operating system in ISO format

    • #4210403
      Avatar photo

      I see big problems.

      by rproffitt ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      Let’s start with this: “HP SmartStart CD x64 version 8.70 (B) contains one or more software components that were signed with a digital signature that was revoked on October 21, 2014.”

      As such this appears to be Legacy Hardware that may be limited to what OS that HP supported back then.

      I am not a HP historian and we already know that HP will not support such old gear.
      Best to sell it off and move up to something more current or forget Windows.

      You know what’s next: Linux.

    • #4210405

      New Server is not possible

      by rabbit_runner ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      Getting a different server is not possible. I’m retired and on SS. I don’t have the money needed to do what “rproffitt’ suggested.

      • #4210407
        Avatar photo

        Linux is still free.

        by rproffitt ·

        In reply to New Server is not possible

        Since there is a problem with said CD you could ask HP if there’s a replacement.
        As to the missing Windows OS, another question for HP or see if any sells it on eBay (unlikely, I looked.)

        Again, Linux is free and may be the answer to running HP servers that are end of life and unsupported.

        Then we have the issue that such a server is very energy inefficient. With 8 900GB drives if that’s what I wanted to serve up I’d consider selling this for what I can get and look at any cheap PC that can run Windows 2022 which could be almost any PC today.

        Just checked on the price for a 8TB HDD at Best Buy and it was $109. The energy cost of running that old HP server here is more than that for a year.

        For zero dollars, I suggest Linux.

    • #4210409

      Linux

      by rabbit_runner ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      Linux is not an option for me because the purpose I’m using it for required an MS OS

      • #4210411
        Avatar photo

        Let’s look again.

        by rproffitt ·

        In reply to Linux

        If I did install Linux then I could put Windows Server into a VM. But I haven’t done that with Windows Server 2022.

        You may be running into other issues such as a TPM which is absolutely not available on this HP Server.

        https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/get-started/hardware-requirements

        Note

        A Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip is required in order to use certain features such as BitLocker Drive Encryption. If your computer uses TPM, it must meet these requirements:

        Hardware-based TPMs must implement version 2.0 of the TPM specification.TPMs that implement version 2.0 must have an EK certificate that is either pre-provisioned to the TPM by the hardware vendor or be capable of being retrieved by the device during the first boot.TPMs that implement version 2.0 must ship with SHA-256 PCR banks and implement PCRs 0 through 23 for SHA-256. It is acceptable to ship TPMs with a single switchable PCR bank that can be used for both SHA-1 and SHA-256 measurements.”

        There are multiple reasons Windows Server 2022 won’t run on this HP.

        Sometimes folk don’t want to accept this but further good news (not bad!)

        -> WS2022 running in VM doesn’t need TPM. WS2022 shouldn’t be running on bare metal unless it is also running Hyper-V, or is doing something very unusual (IMHO).

        Time to explore Linux with WS2022 in a VM.

    • #4210413

      WS 2022

      by rabbit_runner ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      Windows Server 2022 does not require TPM except for services like Bitlocker, which I’m not planning to use. I’ve already got an installation of WS2022 on a small array, so I know that it works just fine.

      If I could find a way to get the server to boot into the OS after the third array is enabled, I could accomplish what I need. But the way the server is currently running, the EFI portion is not where the hardware is looking for it, and the OS fails to load.

      Once I enable the third array, I’m stuck.

      Before I retired, I worked as an MCSE for almost three decades, running Exchange on a variety of hardware and also in O365. I’m an MS person snf know very very little about how to run and install Linux.

      • #4210415
        Avatar photo

        Think back to when we would have to

        by rproffitt ·

        In reply to WS 2022

        Place drives on specific channels, slots and so on.
        Maybe this is a configuration error but as I went looking for documentation, HP appears to have cleared their servers of such in this regard.

        This isn’t so much about Windows or Linux knowledge but an arcane hardware configuration issue that your best hope is if anyone at HP will take up the challenge.

        At my office we won’t since time is money and so is energy. We returned all the older servers years ago.

        Why would one need that third array? You have over 5TB so that’s more than enough for any home server I’ve heard of.

    • #4210417

      Bootable Partition Manager for working with an Array

      by rabbit_runner ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      Does anyone know of a Bootable Partition Manager that would work with formatting and enable partitions in a server Array?

      • #4210419
        Avatar photo

        The last ML350 I was on

        by rproffitt ·

        In reply to Bootable Partition Manager for working with an Array

        And that was a long time ago, you did that in Windows own management.

        Now for simpler machines I do use GPARTED which comes in bootable form but it’s all about partitions and not formatting. Formatting would be something we do in the OS that runs on said PC.

        Why isn’t this work we would do with Windows own management apps?

    • #4210421

      Boot the Server

      by rabbit_runner ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      If I could get the server booted with the third array enabled, then the server OS could accomplish the formatting, etc., etc. But to get it booted is the problem.

      If I disable the third array, then the server boots normally. But if the array isn’t enabled, then the server OS cannot see it.

      • #4210423
        Avatar photo

        Which brings us back to

        by rproffitt ·

        In reply to Boot the Server

        How do you know the third array is clean? I’ve seen so many failed boots over drives that have foreign (to Windows) formatting or boot information on them.

        How did you insure that array is clean, blank and ready to be prepared with the usual Windows tools?

        Also, given the hardware age, how did you test the hardware?

        Now that I’ve been thinking over my time with HP servers, their control cards needed firmware updates. If a card was not updated the server would fail to boot.

        Circling back to those drives and how much storage you have with 2 arrays, this looks like a problem that doesn’t need fixing.

    • #4210425
      Avatar photo

      Signing off for now. New test.

      by rproffitt ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      Since 2 out of 3 work and the last one doesn’t for a test I’d power down, unplug the 2 working controllers leaving the cranky one in the system.

      Now I can boot up the install media and see if that array works on its own with a clean install.

      There’s a reason this server ended up in your possession. You might find out this is why.

    • #4210530

      Problem Solved

      by rabbit_runner ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      I created a USB Key from the SmartStart CD and a USB install of MS Server 2022.

      I inserted one drive (Bay 1) into the server and installed the OS without any problem.

      I shut down the server, removed the disk with the OS on it, and inserted the other disks in an array by using the USB Key.

      All well and good.

      My grandson used his Linux utility to format the array’s hard drive into a GPT partition with the NTFS file system. Size is ~4TB.

      Rebooted, and everything is working as I wanted.

      • #4210532
        Avatar photo

        Good to read.

        by rproffitt ·

        In reply to Problem Solved

        This sounds like that array was not clean. This fixed that.

    • #4210541

      Reply To: Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      by lucifercork ·

      In reply to Can’t boot HP ML350 server with all three hardware ARRAYS enabled

      It seems you’re facing challenges installing Windows Server 2022 on your HP ML350 G6 server due to limitations with the SmartStart CD and the MBR formatting. Since the server only allows MBR formatting for a flash drive, it restricts the installation to 32-bit, causing issues with the RAID 5 partition size.

      You’ve managed to install the OS as 64-bit on a one-disk array, but creating an array on the remaining drives leads to boot issues because the EFI partition isn’t in the expected location.

      To resolve this, consider obtaining the original manufacturer’s OS DVD or an MS installation DVD for use with the SmartStart CD. Alternatively, explore if there are firmware or BIOS updates for your server that might provide additional installation options or address the EFI partition location issue. Additionally, check HP’s support resources or forums for specific guidance tailored to your server model and configuration.

      Moderator Note: Irrelevant link removed.

      • This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by lucifercork.
      • This reply was modified 1 year, 1 month ago by Avatar photorproffitt.
Viewing 9 reply threads