After using a CentOS LiveCD to update an HP DL180 G5 E200 storage controller’s firmware, without being able to recognize the 3TB SAS drives (625031-B21) connected to it, I went back to the well and updated the BIOS to 2010.10.25 (8 Dec 2010) using the same method. I just re-used the USB stick and added the new update in a new directory. But no joy on recognizing the drives. This step was a bit scary as the DL185 G5 has a known issue with needing to go to an intermediate BIOS level. Skipping that will brick the system. But nothing like that is anywhere in the BIOS version history for the DL180 G5. It didn’t get bricked.
By the way, after flashing the BIOS, the system fans ran at their highest RPMs continuously, making it sound like a plane was taking off in the rack. Updating the BMC/Lights-Out 100 controller to 3.20 (B) (22 Jun 2010) fixed that. That update wasn’t available from Linux. It’s packaged as an executable that creates its own bootable USB stick. After doing that (on yet another stick; how many of these things should I keep around?!), I ran the update, only to find it used FreeDOS as it’s boot environment.
I really wish these things were all available as Linux tools.
This issue of not recognizing a drive that’s specifically mentioned in the E200 QuickSpecs document is pretty frustrating. If one can’t trust that document, exactly how does one find compatible hard drives?
image sources
- 2731084578_a1f98b1e82_hp-rack: gothopotam on Flickr
