compaq servers

[billb]

anyone know anything about compaq servers?

we have a proliant ml530 running exchange 2k and win2k and about once a day it just hangs with a black screen. you reboot it and everything works fine but theres nowt in the event logs as to what is the problem??

[Dontlift]

billb said:

anyone know anything about compaq servers? we have a proliant ml530 running exchange 2k and win2k and about once a day it just hangs with a black screen. you reboot it and everything works fine but theres nowt in the event logs as to what is the problem??

Sounds like a hardware issue, have you made sure all firmware is upto date etc, failing that it's probably warranty time....

[TheHobbit]

thoughts:

- have you run the diags that come on the shitestart cdrom?

- also, be sure to take a gander at the compaq event log (*not* the windows event log). you get to it via a number of ways, sometimes from your OS (especially if its windoze), or via F9 RBSU during boot (IIRC).

- also check the compaq faq/tech support site -- there may be a bios or firmware update for your board or array controller(s) etc etc....

how old is it? and which generation is it?

cheers,

karl

(we have ~1500 compaq/hp servers, from DL320 thru to DL580)

[billb]

have run the diag and its a faulty cdrom - have reinstalled the drivers on that and all seems well so will se if that works - didnt know about the diag program!

ta for help!

[TheExcession]

Just about everyone of the compaq servers we have ever installed (+30) has fried a power supply and there does appear to be a fault so that even if they are dual redundant the other doesn't take over.

Might want to check that out.

[TheHobbit]

In DL360 G1 servers, the power supplys were known to be bad. If you whip the lid off, and take a look at the PSU there will be a label on it. If the PSU is before revision 9 it is going to fail at some point due to a design flaw... and you'll regret it... maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon. DL360 G1 servers do not have redundant PSUs.

[rlk500]

If it's a compaq server the parts will normally fail in this order....

1. Power supply
2. Hard Drive
3. Hard Drive
4. Hard Drive
5. Another Power Supply.....
6. Another hard drive.....
7. Motherboard...

you get the picture....

Probably the most unreliable servers in the world....

[billb]

hmmm it hasnt solved my rebooting problem as thought

have "asr detected by system rom" in the logs with the asr automatically rebooting - anyone know how you tell why the asr had rebooted it?

ta

[TheHobbit]

billb said:

hmmm it hasnt solved my rebooting problem as thought have "asr detected by system rom" in the logs with the asr automatically rebooting - anyone know how you tell why the asr had rebooted it? ta

IIRC, when you install the server OS the hp/compaq bits have a timer which should normally run nicely to stop the asr from rebooting. if the timer fails for a certain period of time, the asr thinks the OS has hung, and reboots it. you can increase the time the asr waits for IIRC.

is the server quite busy? is it possible the asr timer could be getting starved of cpu?

[billb]

TheHobbit said:

billb said: hmmm it hasnt solved my rebooting problem as thought have "asr detected by system rom" in the logs with the asr automatically rebooting - anyone know how you tell why the asr had rebooted it? ta IIRC, when you install the server OS the hp/compaq bits have a timer which should normally run nicely to stop the asr from rebooting. if the timer fails for a certain period of time, the asr thinks the OS has hung, and reboots it. you can increase the time the asr waits for IIRC. is the server quite busy? is it possible the asr timer could be getting starved of cpu?

not at all busy at the mo as its an exchange server and i work at a school and noone is here till tomorrow