HP ProLiant MicroServer owners' thread

Has anyone managed to get the 'hardware status' tab in ESXi to work?

I have loaded the HP Agents on my ESXi installation which gives me information about the storage adapter and the drives which is most useful information for me.
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If you use a HP branded media (for the ESXi installation) or download the agents and load them up using SSH you should be able to see the same information with your raid-card as well.
 
Anyone put the ATI HD 6570 in one of these puppies?
mine's already decked out with a heap of disks, wondering if I should drop one in or not?
 
The Gen7 Microservers had a nonstandard fan (required modded fan connector). Does the Gen8 also use the nonstandard fan connector?
 
Does anyone know if it's possible to boot into ESXi using a USB drive and then pass through the SATA controller to a Open Indiana VM? I'm sure best practice is to purchase an HBA and pass that through but I'm trying to find out if this is possible as well.

Thanks!
 
are there any restrictions on disks that can be run with the b120 controller, or it it a case of stick in whatever you like?
 
Does anyone know if it's possible to boot into ESXi using a USB drive and then pass through the SATA controller to a Open Indiana VM? I'm sure best practice is to purchase an HBA and pass that through but I'm trying to find out if this is possible as well.

Thanks!

On the HP Microserver (N36-N54) you have no vt-d/IOMMU so you cannot pass-through hardware to guests. It is also not possible to use USB for a local ESXi datastore.

What you can do:
- boot ESXi from USB or Sata
- use one Sata disk as local datastore for OI
- use RDM to assign other disks to OI

not as fast as hardware pass-through, I suppose no hotplug, no smartvalues and not as save with sync writes.

On the Gen8 Microserver, you have the option to pass-through hardware
 
On the HP Microserver (N36-N54) you have no vt-d/IOMMU so you cannot pass-through hardware to guests. It is also not possible to use USB for a local ESXi datastore.

What you can do:
- boot ESXi from USB or Sata
- use one Sata disk as local datastore for OI
- use RDM to assign other disks to OI

not as fast as hardware pass-through, I suppose no hotplug, no smartvalues and not as save with sync writes.

On the Gen8 Microserver, you have the option to pass-through hardware

some opinions on G7 microserver
not a good solution since RDM will break advatange of SMART(or passthrough SMART). would defeat ZFS on how to handling HardDrive :p
the solution is using non VM (esxi) that running OI on G7 machine.
 
Does anyone know if it's possible to boot into ESXi using a USB drive and then pass through the SATA controller to a Open Indiana VM? I'm sure best practice is to purchase an HBA and pass that through but I'm trying to find out if this is possible as well.

Thanks!

well. you should forget on running esxi with passthrough on G7 microserver.....

pick on G8.....this machine can do pass-through.

on HBA, you can pick dell H2XX or H3XXX . or IBM M1015. which is cheaper.
H2xx has well suppored driver(kernel modules) on OI, but you can flash with dell HBA IT firmware.. if needed.
On H3XX or IBM M1015, you need to downgrade the firmware, where equivalents witnh9211 firmware
 
I've had my Gen8 for a few days now. It's a step up from my old N36L in many aspects. It's more like it's bigger proliant brothers in terms of build quality, management and smart layout and solutions.

But it lacks som things that I needed VT-d, AES-NI, HDD slots and some grunt.
So I did some modifications tonight:
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More pics here: http://imgur.com/a/rJSux
 
I've had my Gen8 for a few days now. It's a step up from my old N36L in many aspects. It's more like it's bigger proliant brothers in terms of build quality, management and smart layout and solutions.

But it lacks som things that I needed VT-d, AES-NI, HDD slots and some grunt.
So I did some modifications tonight:

More pics here: http://imgur.com/a/rJSux

Smaller pics please...
 
Hi, How did you get the HP ESXi running?

I’ve got the HP 5.1.0-Update1-1065491-HP-5.50.26.iso on a USB stick which I’ve recently used successfully on other HP Proliant servers.
I boot from the USB stick, and install ESXi to another USB stick.

When I try to boot off the new stick, VMWare begins to load and says at the top of the screen: “Recovery”, and then “Loading”, but nothing ever happens.
I’ve tried both the internal and external USB2 ports.

FreeNAS works fine from USB.

Also, I cannot boot off of the MicroSD card; is that normal?

Thanks!
 
Hi, How did you get the HP ESXi running?

I’ve got the HP 5.1.0-Update1-1065491-HP-5.50.26.iso on a USB stick which I’ve recently used successfully on other HP Proliant servers.
I boot from the USB stick, and install ESXi to another USB stick.

When I try to boot off the new stick, VMWare begins to load and says at the top of the screen: “Recovery”, and then “Loading”, but nothing ever happens.
I’ve tried both the internal and external USB2 ports.

FreeNAS works fine from USB.

Also, I cannot boot off of the MicroSD card; is that normal?

Thanks!

Hi!

I installed this image: VMware-ESXi-5.1.0-799733-HP-5.34.23.iso through the ilo remote console. I have tried installing to a USB-stick before I did my final installation to a 8GB Kingston microsd. Have you checked your boot order in the BIOS?

I did have some problems with the ESXi installation and loading ACU when I had the M1015 controller installed with default bios (which loads optionrom) but since I flashed the IT-firmware it doesn't seem to cause any issues.
 
I used a different thumbdrive as the installation target, and it is working now, and it boots fine off the internal USB port.

Now I just need to figure out how to get the MicroSD card to show up as a datastore in ESXi; right now it only sees the SATA drives for some reason.

Thanks!
 
I used a different thumbdrive as the installation target, and it is working now, and it boots fine off the internal USB port.

Now I just need to figure out how to get the MicroSD card to show up as a datastore in ESXi; right now it only sees the SATA drives for some reason.

Thanks!

You can't use MicroSD cards or USB-keys as datastores in ESXi (it's possible to hack your way into this) but it's for a good reason since they aren't suitable.
 
Any pics with a Gen8 filled with drives?

do they support 4T drives okay?

Any one have power usage reeading from this new Gen8

i could be selling my HTPC box and this would be perfect for storage for me as i could run media streamers off it, i think

k found some sites and pics

proliant_microserver_800x600_00003.jpg


I guess i am looking for a low powered storage box, wont need ESXi on it, would be nice but not willing to dish out $200+ for a xeon CPU.
 
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So i sold my HTPC and my Dell monitors... but still the prices are high for me needing a NAS basically... ugh the new box is so tempting!
 
There are a lot of conflicting reports and files on the internet about the latest modded BIOS for the N54L.




Which is it and where can I find it?




Thanks
 
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My original post on setting up my Microserver as a 5+ TB RAID5 array has long since been buried. So I've created a blog post with minor updates here.

So if you're interested in the HP Microserver and are wanting a very large and fast RAID5 array then read on. It works using Ubuntu without the need for Windows or RAID cards or memory upgrades. Perfect solution as a file server or for streaming video and audio to XBMC. It runs headless and can be administered using a web browser.

http://mightyintelligence.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/using-hp-proliant-microserver-as-ubuntu.html
 
us.jpg


My original post on setting up my Microserver as a 5+ TB RAID5 array has long since been buried. So I've created a blog post with minor updates here.

So if you're interested in the HP Microserver and are wanting a very large and fast RAID5 array then read on. It works using Ubuntu without the need for Windows or RAID cards or memory upgrades. Perfect solution as a file server or for streaming video and audio to XBMC. It runs headless and can be administered using a web browser.

http://mightyintelligence.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/using-hp-proliant-microserver-as-ubuntu.html



Thanks! I have two of these HP Microservers...awesome little machines for the money.
 
Nice to see HP still using this platform. I am still rocking my old Gen1 as NAS only device which has been working great.
 
Anyone running owncloud? How did you go about making it accessible on the internet and securing it for that matter?
 
Does anyone have the latest HP BIOS for the N40L. I bought one used, but I can not download the BIOS as the HP site thinks the unit is already registered. Anyone also have the latest Mod BIOS to unlock 3GB speeds and the port multipler on the 5 and 6 ports?
 
I got the 2013 BIOS loaded and things are working great. I got the port multipliers work on the 5th and 6th ports, hot swap support, and 3Gb/s rate. This is turning out to be a great 'little' NAS. Here are the specs:

  • Fedora 20 x86_64 with ZFS for Linux
  • 16GB DDR3-1333 ECC UDIMMs
  • 8GB USB internal host/boot/root Disk
  • Internal Bays := (4) WD 1TB Blacks RAIDZ[/INDENT]
  • 4-in-1 2.5" Cage in 5.25" Bay := (4) 120GB SSD SATA3 as log and cache drives
  • Infiniband 10 Gb/s IBoIP in 16x slot := main network interface
  • 1Gb/s Ethernet as maintanence port
  • 100 Mb/s USB to Ethernet for Internet Access
  • Generic 4 port 6Gb/s SATA3 Marvel controller card in 1x slot
  • Rosewill external eSATA case := (4) WD 1TB Blacks RAIDZ[/INDENT]
  • Digital San external eSATA case

I to get some throughput benchmarks over the weekend. I am also looking for another set of 1TB WD to add a third RAIDZ array. That should help out the performance some.
 
If I knew you weren't going to use the video card, I could have taken in out.
:)

Glad you're enjoying it. It served me well, too.
 
I got the 2013 BIOS loaded and things are working great. I got the port multipliers work on the 5th and 6th ports, hot swap support, and 3Gb/s rate. This is turning out to be a great 'little' NAS. Here are the specs:

  • Fedora 20 x86_64 with ZFS for Linux
  • 16GB DDR3-1333 ECC UDIMMs
  • 8GB USB internal host/boot/root Disk
  • Internal Bays := (4) WD 1TB Blacks RAIDZ[/INDENT]
  • 4-in-1 2.5" Cage in 5.25" Bay := (4) 120GB SSD SATA3 as log and cache drives
  • Infiniband 10 Gb/s IBoIP in 16x slot := main network interface
  • 1Gb/s Ethernet as maintanence port
  • 100 Mb/s USB to Ethernet for Internet Access
  • Generic 4 port 6Gb/s SATA3 Marvel controller card in 1x slot
  • Rosewill external eSATA case := (4) WD 1TB Blacks RAIDZ[/INDENT]
  • Digital San external eSATA case

I to get some throughput benchmarks over the weekend. I am also looking for another set of 1TB WD to add a third RAIDZ array. That should help out the performance some.



What's this new BIOS all about? I heard you need to "downgrade" from the hacked BIOS to use Windows 8 or some such? Did they hack AHCI back in for all ports though?
 
Running the following:

HP Microserver Gen8
Intel Xeon E3-1265L v2 (Ivy Bridge)
16GB Kingston ECC unbuffered
(2) Crucial M500 240GB drives in RAID-0 on the B120i controller (using the custom SchoonDoggy Drive Bracket)
(4) WD RED drives, (two are 2TB, two are 3TB, slowly upgrading for migration) in RAID-5 on an HP SmartArray P222 RAID controller with 512MB cache
External WD RED 4TB in a MacAlly USB3 enclosure for backup
Matsushita slim DVDRW
Running Server 2012 R2 Standard

Completely approved by SysAdmin Cat.
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SSD (Crucial M4 64GB) decided to fail on me this week. BSOD with 0x000000f4 errors and apps crashing all over the place.

It still seemed to have all the data in place, and I could copy it to a HDD. Just apps and OS going wrong. So I figured just time to reformat and do a fresh OS install. Windows 8 setup wouldn't format the drive (came up with an error), nor let me install to it (different error). (It did have Windows 7 Pro installed previously, my 2.5yr old setup still going strong until last weekend, but it's a HTPC, so I thought I might as well go for Win8.)

The SSD works OK in an Icy Dock via my laptop (SATA-USB), I was able to format the drive and copy 10GB of data across apparently without any problems. So I am no longer suspecting the drive is faulty.

It could be dodgy SATA cable, or the SATA controller is fubar, but I'm wondering if the miniSAS and SATA are on the same controller?

Or maybe as someone mentioned above, do I need to downgrade from TheBay BIOS to install Win8? I've not kept up with this thread since 2012.....

Still investigating and testing but I'm hoping it might just be the Windows 8 issue....

I'm currently running a "garbage clean" as recommended by Crucial, and will try a Windows 7 install and a different SATA cable tonight, and see how that goes. If it's no use then surely it must be the SATA controller?

Pointers would be welcome, or just tell me I'm doing all the right things....
 
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SSD (Crucial M4 64GB) decided to fail on me this week. BSOD with 0x000000f4 errors and apps crashing all over the place.

It still seemed to have all the data in place, and I could copy it to a HDD. Just apps and OS going wrong. So I figured just time to reformat and do a fresh OS install. Windows 8 setup wouldn't format the drive (came up with an error), nor let me install to it (different error). (It did have Windows 7 Pro installed previously, my 2.5yr old setup still going strong until last weekend, but it's a HTPC, so I thought I might as well go for Win8.)

The SSD works OK in an Icy Dock via my laptop (SATA-USB), I was able to format the drive and copy 10GB of data across apparently without any problems. So I am no longer suspecting the drive is faulty.

It could be dodgy SATA cable, or the SATA controller is fubar, but I'm wondering if the SAS and SATA are on the same controller?

Or maybe as someone mentioned above, do I need to downgrade from TheBay BIOS to install Win8? I've not kept up with this thread since 2012.....

Still investigating and testing but I'm hoping it might just be the Windows 8 issue....

I'm currently running a "garbage clean" as recommended by Crucial, and will try a Windows 7 install and a different SATA cable tonight, and see how that goes. If it's no use then surely it must be the SATA controller?

Pointers would be welcome, or just tell me I'm doing all the right things....


Which microserver are you using? Unless you installed a secondary controller there is only 1 on the motherboard. Neither supports SAS but there are 4 SATA phy off a miniSAS plug.

As far as I know they are both just using the chipset for both optical and b120i.
However the intel chipset has 2 ports at different speed I guess it is possible to fail parts of the chipset... it is also possible to have 1 port go bad... odd as it is. More likely to have a cable wiggle loose.
 
Sorry yeah that would have been useful.... N40L, no additional h/w apart from a 6450 GPU and 2x4GB RAM.

Yes it's the miniSAS plug I meant, I was just typing shorthand.

I'll report back once I've tried a bit more testing with a new cable.
 
One of the following worked, not sure which, but in order of likelihood:

1. Crucial "garbage collection" -- works like trim but not good idea to do this outside Windows. Found out about a possible bug in Windows where it defrags your SSDs which might well have caused my mess in the first place.

http://www.outsidethebox.ms/why-windows-8-defragments-your-ssd-and-how-you-can-avoid-this/

2. Downgraded BIOS to latest HP, formatted, installed Windows 8.1, upgraded to latest hacked BIOS, repaired boot sector.

3. wiggled the SATA cable a bit

4. prayed

Took about 3 hours in total to build from blank SSD, including half an hour ish to repair the boot sector after upgrading the BIOS. All seems to be working well, except I can't shut down or reboot from Windows or DOS. Everything seems to shut down as usual, but the Microserver stays powered up and hangs indefinitely. Switch off and on fixes but it's annoying. I'm guessing there's a setting in the BIOS I might need to change.
 
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