HP ProLiant MicroServer owners' thread

Decided to buy another of these whilst there is still a £100 rebate available. Installed a Radeon 5450 and so far linux/XBMC has coped with everything I've thrown at it.

Also added to my first microserver by fitting two 2TB drives in the optical drive bay:

DSCF1415.JPG


The second drive is connected via the eSATA port using the nice complex method of an eSATA to eSATA cable then a startech eSATA half height bracket with a SATA cable:

DSCF1417.JPG


Really should get a shorter eSATA cable now to finish it off. Was a bit concerned at first about drive cooling but the airflow through the case appears to keep them quite cool. Great little machines, 12TB of storage on 6 drives will keep me happy for now.
 
So after a lot of work and a number of visits to my local PC part shop my N36L is finally up and running.

I have

Data: 6 x 2TB SATA
OS: 1 x Seagate 2.5" 320GB drive (small so I can hide it in the case)
ATI 5450
A dual port SATA hub to give me a few extra ports.
4GB Ram

20zy35u.jpg


Some questions:

Anyone else using software RAID 5? How long did it take you to resync? Did you start loading files whil eit was resynching?

Also, one I should know the answer to but i'm not a server guy! What happens if my OS drive dies? Will the data still be there once I get a new OS drive and reinstall?

Edit: 28 hours into the resynch and 66% done!
 
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i have the old 1.3GHz microserver. How much faster is the 1.5GHz (beside the obvious 200Mhz difference)? Worth the upgrade? Is there anyway to overclock the 1.3GHz server?
 
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I'm stressing. 36 hours into my initial RAID 5 resych and with about 5 hours to go and my PC reboots.

I forgot automatic updates were on and the N36L set to apply them at 3am :/

Such a waste of time! Have to wait another 36 hours now.
 
why do you have your server automatically reboot everyday? Aren't servers supposed to be as little reboots as possible?
 
why do you have your server automatically reboot everyday? Aren't servers supposed to be as little reboots as possible?

I don;t, Let me explain. When I first build the server I left it on 'allow automatic updates'. Now before I went to bed one night I connected the LAN cable so I could remote into the array to see how it was going.

Come 3am it found it had internet, found some updates and rebooted iteself. Well.....I assume it did because when I returned it was on the login screen and when I logged in it said it was doing the final touches of an update.

How or why it rebooted itself I do not know. I didn't think they could even do it without permission, even Win7 doesn't do that!

Unless it downloaded and installed the updates and then happenned to blue screen, forcing a reboot anyway.
 
I loved my little N36L. I have 4x3TB drives, with parity, so ~9TB of storage. I have all of my x264 Movies/TV shows/backups on there. It hasn't hiccuped yet after so many months of use, and I've only rebooted it three times. I'm just using it as a NAS box for now...since I have a dedicated HTPC for viewing media.

Its been a great NAS box, however, there is now a vibration causing a loud buzzing noise on the hinge of the door that's making me go insane. I might have to bend some of the metal of the frame of the door and/or of the locking mechanism to keep it closed tighter. Right now it sounds like a high-voltage buzz is coming from my little black box.
 
N36L here as well.

Great little box.

WHS2011
4x 2Tb Samsung F4
1x 320GB Samsung F4


@abubin

I don't imagine the extra Mhz on the N40L would benefit its file serving duties.

An upgrade to a dedicated NIC and extra RAM, or faster system drive might be a better/cheaper upgrades.
 
how about some rubber/silicone grommet silencers for the fans?

The rear system fan slides into a snug fitting frame, so I doubt there's any room for grommets. Maybe the PSU fan could be quietened somehow, but when operating normally these boxes are almost totally silent - it's only when they start buzzing and vibrating for no apparent reason that they can become a little annoying.

I gave a N36L to my brother which has gone in his computer room, but his wife complains it makes too much noise at night - even with full disk spin-down of the 4x 5400RPM Samsung 1TB's - so he keeps turning it off. I'm going to try some anti-vibration feet to see if they can help...
 
Hi everyone,

Does anyone use Win7/RAID 1/RAIDxpert in this system?

I am having some issues that I would like to have some advices.

Info: Windows 7 64 installed in RAID 1 (2x2TB)/HP Microserver/2x4GB ECC/ATI 6450

1) RAIDxpert configuration doesn´t match with RAID bios.
- I plugged 2 3TB HDs(Hitachi), then I created the RAID 1 in the bios (RAID 1, read ahead, writeback, etc).
- In the next boot, the Windows didn´t see the logical drive, just 2 physical drives. (I don´t remember what happened when I first installed the windows with 2x2TB. I may do it all over)

- The RAIDxpert didn´t show the new logical drive. I had to create it again using the RAIDxpert.

2) RAIDxpert doesn´t allow me to change the cache settings. I can´t set read ahead and writeback for the logical drives.


Does anyone has a clue?


Thank you for the help.
Joselito Maciel.
 
Hi everyone,

Does anyone use Win7/RAID 1/RAIDxpert in this system?

I am having some issues that I would like to have some advices.

Info: Windows 7 64 installed in RAID 1 (2x2TB)/HP Microserver/2x4GB ECC/ATI 6450

1) RAIDxpert configuration doesn´t match with RAID bios.
- I plugged 2 3TB HDs(Hitachi), then I created the RAID 1 in the bios (RAID 1, read ahead, writeback, etc).
- In the next boot, the Windows didn´t see the logical drive, just 2 physical drives. (I don´t remember what happened when I first installed the windows with 2x2TB. I may do it all over)

- The RAIDxpert didn´t show the new logical drive. I had to create it again using the RAIDxpert.

2) RAIDxpert doesn´t allow me to change the cache settings. I can´t set read ahead and writeback for the logical drives.


Does anyone has a clue?


Thank you for the help.
Joselito Maciel.

I don't know what went wrong, or if you overlooked something. But I will say that I have Win7 64 running on mine with 4 x 2TB Samsung drives with two mirrors. Runs perfectly, so I can tell you that running Win7 shouldn't be an issue. If that helps any.
 
I don't know what went wrong, or if you overlooked something. But I will say that I have Win7 64 running on mine with 4 x 2TB Samsung drives with two mirrors. Runs perfectly, so I can tell you that running Win7 shouldn't be an issue. If that helps any.

Ok, thank you for the info.

Did you have to recreate the RAID in RAIDxpert or it recognize the initial setup made in BIOS?

AMD says "Once the user has configured the logical drives, the option ROM will store the configuration information in a proprietary format on the hard drives"

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/emb-386-raid.aspx

So, the RAIDxpert, through the RAID driver, should be able to read this stored information and recognize the RAID.

Next weekend I am going to rebuild the system using the original 160GB HD for Win7 and 2x2TB for RAID. I am starting to think that the problem is related to 3TB HD size.

Thank you,
jbmaciel.
 
Ok, thank you for the info.

Did you have to recreate the RAID in RAIDxpert or it recognize the initial setup made in BIOS?

AMD says "Once the user has configured the logical drives, the option ROM will store the configuration information in a proprietary format on the hard drives"

http://support.amd.com/us/kbarticles/Pages/emb-386-raid.aspx

So, the RAIDxpert, through the RAID driver, should be able to read this stored information and recognize the RAID.

Next weekend I am going to rebuild the system using the original 160GB HD for Win7 and 2x2TB for RAID. I am starting to think that the problem is related to 3TB HD size.

Thank you,
jbmaciel.

I only had to create the Mirrors in the BIOS. Didn't have to touch RAIDXpert at all for things to work correctly. You may be correct, it could have something to do with the HDD size, or just the model in general. I'd do some looking to see who's running the same 3TB drives and with what OS.
 
Looking to build/buy a server to play with. Will be my first one. Should I just buy one of these little guys or will I save any money/get anything better by just building one? I like the way it looks :p Have windows server 2008 for it.
 
I only had to create the Mirrors in the BIOS. Didn't have to touch RAIDXpert at all for things to work correctly. You may be correct, it could have something to do with the HDD size, or just the model in general. I'd do some looking to see who's running the same 3TB drives and with what OS.

I am going to try the Win7 software RAID or maybe the PureSync...I think it is more safe
I really don't need a big perfomance since the server is just for backup over the network and HTPC.

Regards.
 
Recently purchased a N36L and installed WHSv1 using the latest AMD/Broadcom drivers. Everything seems to be running great with the exception that the machine will hang everytime I attempt a reboot. Shutdowns work fine but a WHSv1 reboot will hang the machine. Anyone else having a similar experience?
 
My ProLiant N36L is working ok. But I tried to install an Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD/CD optical drive and WHSv1 will not see it. BIOS recognizes it fine, but nothing in Windows Device Manager or Disk management. I swapped SATA cables and tried another older DVD/CD drive and the results are the same. I tried the optical in another PC and it works normally. HP was stumped but sent me a replacement mainboard but the new board worked the same as the old one. I thought that maybe since I installed in IDE mode, that may be the problem. So I converted to AHCI and that also had no effect. What am I missing. Should I try the hacked BIOS?
 
Hi

I got a HP P410 raid controller with 10 Samsung Spinpoint F4EG HD204UI harddrives running windows home server 2011 all with the microserver.
2 of my drives reports eminent drive failure. but when testet with estool no problem found when testet in windows 7 no problem found.

When reinserted in my server fault is still there does anybody know why this is and how i can solve this?
 
I too have bought a P400 only to realise the SFF8484 to SFF8087 is no good and what I need is a SFF8087(f) to SFF8484(f) like pedigree used, only problem is I can't find anywhere that sells them. Any chance Pedigree or someone else could point me in the right direction?

Thanks

Does the P400 support 3Tb drives? Anyone know?
 
Everyone who has a gfx card and multiple drives (especially those with extra on top of the 4) installed, have you had any power issues? or is the 150w psu coping?

If I were to install 4 1tb 3.5 inch drives and 4 1tb 2.5 inch drives on a optical drive bay backplane connected to an adaptec pci express raid controller, and a radeon hd 6570 and 8gb of ram i'm guessing the psu won't cope?
 
Thanks for the prompt reply.

I shall flash the latest IR BIOS and check. I purchased the card in order to use a RAID setup which is supported by VMware ESXi, so hopefully i can get it working.

I have the latest HP BIOS applied to the Microserver, so if the latest LSI BIOS does not resolve the issue, my method of last resort is to place the card in my i5 desktop and attempt to configure the card with the drives attached to it whiles powered up via the Microserver!



Any chance a custom HP BIOS may resolve the issue?

Here ya go,

Overclockers Australia Member "NoCarrier" has made one.....

Naturally use at your own risk blah blah

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showpost.php?p=13737662&postcount=4193

.
 
Wanted to use mine as vSphere server without all that huhaa of Raid problems.

So put in a 3805 (5805 gets too hot)

2lk73vo.png


then 4x2TB SATA in one channel in Raid 5 but more importantly, 4x2.5" 300 GB SAS (15k) for more disk performance (Raid10) ...

Works like a charm

here the 4x2.5" enclosure which fits in the optical drive bay

2udx9xx.png


The fan had to go though - sounds like a DL360 during bootup :)

2a1cmt.png


And nice and clean, without any fancy dremel action :)

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I have got a cuestion about this new machine. Is it mandatory change the firmware to the russian guy? Can I use the six sata in ahci mode in the new release without changing it?

Thanx in advance
 
Or would you suggest doing a linux based solution of some kind, even for a noob?

If you want to try a Linux-based NAS solution, I'd suggest giving OpenMediaVault a try. It's a very promising Debian-based NAS project. I'm currently using it myself, although not on a MicroServer, to copy files from my Windows desktops and I'm very happy with it.
 
On sale today for $250.00

Yep! Bought it!

If you want to try a Linux-based NAS solution, I'd suggest giving OpenMediaVault a try. It's a very promising Debian-based NAS project. I'm currently using it myself, although not on a MicroServer, to copy files from my Windows desktops and I'm very happy with it.

Cool! I just might do that. This is a toy for me until hard drives come back down.

--

Thanks guys!
 
just picked this up for 250 on new egg, but had a few questions

1. How much diff is an intel gigabit adapter going to make?
2. Should i put 8gb of ram in it or is 4 enough? if 4 is enough, can i just get another 2gb stick or should they match?
3. Which type of ram? kingston?
4. can whs do iTunes streaming and time machine? (doubt the second one)

picked this up to play around with, got a lot of reading/questions
 
I just ordered on of these also.

This thread has tons of info. I ordered 8gb of ram just for fun, as it was 35 bucks from newegg. I also order a removable hdd caddy for the 5.25 slot to use for my parity drive.

Unraid server build

They werent using WHS, but a lot of info still applies.

I have had 4 Samsung 2tb F4s sitting in since they were 60 buck each. Now I can finally do something with them. Too bad I can get a 5th right now.

I plan to do some sort of software Raid 5 for media streaming, backups. I have a couple of drives filled with bluray backups.
 
Yes, according to the link i posted I order the same ram they used. Non ecc, if it doesnt work, oh well.

I would love to find a 5th Samsung 2tb f4 for less than 100 bucks right now. HDD thing is crazy.
 
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