Hp PROLIANT BL20P G4, PROLIANT DL145 G2, PROLIANT BL20P G3, PROLIANT ML110 G3, PROLIANT BL30P Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2008

Implementing Microsoft Windows Server
2008 on HP ProLiant servers
integration note, 2nd edition
Abstract..............................................................................................................................................	3
Introduction to Windows Server 2008....................................................................................................	3
Server Core Installations ...................................................................................................................	4
Server Roles ....................................................................................................................................	4
Read-Only Domain Controllers...........................................................................................................	5
Networking requirements ..................................................................................................................	5
TCP/IP ........................................................................................................................................	5
NDIS 6.0 ....................................................................................................................................	5
IPv6 ............................................................................................................................................	5
Windows Hardware Error Architecture (WHEA) ..................................................................................	5
Supported configurations ..................................................................................................................	6
Recommended system configuration ...................................................................................................	7
Recommended ProLiant server platforms .................................................................................................	8
Supported components for ProLiant servers ...........................................................................................	10
Software drivers.............................................................................................................................	10
Management software ....................................................................................................................	10
Storage options .............................................................................................................................	11
Tape options .................................................................................................................................	13
Network interface controllers ...........................................................................................................	14
IPMI and WS-Management.................................................................................................................	15
IPMI and WS-Management for the HP ProLiant 100 Series servers .......................................................	16
HP IPMI Provider for HP BladeSystem servers and ProLiant 300 and 500 Series servers .........................	16
Failover Clustering .............................................................................................................................	16
Storage requirements......................................................................................................................	17
Configuring EVA host connections....................................................................................................	17
Windows Server 2008 installation for 32-bit and 64-bit editions on ProLiant servers..................................	18
Pre-installation tasks........................................................................................................................	18
Installation procedure .....................................................................................................................	18
Upgrading from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008..........................................................	19
Application requirements for Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2008 upgrades ......................	19
Upgrade policies ...........................................................................................................................	20
Installing the ProLiant Support Pack ......................................................................................................	20
Getting PSP updates .......................................................................................................................	20
NIC Teaming driver........................................................................................................................	20
Appendix A: known issues and workarounds ........................................................................................	23
ProLiant servers with Windows Server 2008 .....................................................................................	23
Windows Server 2008 ProLiant Support Pack (PSP) ...........................................................................	24

For more information ......................................................................................................................	26
Call to action ....................................................................................................................................	26

Abstract

This integration note describes the level of support available for Microsoft® Windows® Server 2008 on HP ProLiant servers. The purpose of this paper is to assist customers during installation of the Windows Server 2008 operating system (OS). For more information, visit the HP website: www.hp.com/go/ws2008.

Key topics addressed in this paper:

•Supported configurations of ProLiant servers

•Recommended system configuration and server platforms

•Supported software, storage options, and network adapters

•Procedures for new installations

•Known issues with workarounds

Microsoft provides Windows Server 2008 in the following editions:

•X86 edition

•X64 edition for systems with of the following processors:

–Intel Xeon® Processors with Intel Extended Memory 64 Technology (EM64T)

–Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD64) Opteron TM Series Processors

•Web edition

NOTE

To obtain a trial version of the Windows Server 2008 OS visit Microsoft’s website: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/trialsoftware.aspx .

Introduction to Windows Server 2008

Windows Server 2008 builds on a solid foundation based on the strength and success of preceding Windows server OSs while adding new functionality to the base OS. Designed to power the next generation of network applications and web services, Windows Server 2008 will help administrators manage and deliver a rich, more secure user experience that will help save time and reduce IT infrastructure costs.

IMPORTANT

Windows Server 2008 uses DVD media and requires a server configured with either a USB DVD-ROM or an IDE DVD-ROM for local installations. For customers without IDE DVD-capable servers, copy the Windows Server 2008 media to a network share.

Current iLO firmware contains support for virtual DVD media; however, the installation is much slower than local installations.

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Server Core Installations

Windows Server 2008 offers server core as a minimum installation option providing a reduced, more secure OS footprint. Administrators utilize the command line to install select roles and features on a server-core-based server.

For additional information about command line, see the Microsoft website: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver/en/library/552ed70a-208d-48c4-8da8- 2e27b530eac71033.mspx?mfr=true.

Server Core supports the following server role installations:

•Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP) server

•Domain Name System (DNS) server

•File server

•Active Directory Domain Services

•Active Directory Lightweight Directory Services (AD LDS)

•Print Server

•Streaming Media Services

•Internet Information Services 7 (IIS7)

•Hyper-V

Server Core installations also support the following optional features:

•Backup

•Bitlocker Drive Encryption

•Failover Clustering

•Multipath I/O

•Network Load Balancing

•Removable Storage

•Subsystem for UNIX-based applications

•Telnet client

•Windows Internet Name Service (WINS)

For additional information about Server Core, see the Microsoft website: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/servercore.mspx.

NOTE

The Server Core installation is not available for Itanium-based systems.

Server Roles

Server roles allow an administrator to customize a server during the OS installation. After Windows Server 2008 completes the initial setup tasks (partition creation and file copy), the system reboots and presents the administrator with the GUI-based Initial Configuration Tasks wizard. From this wizard, an administrator may set the system password, set up TCP/IP, join a domain, and add server roles to the system. Administrators may utilize Server Manager in Windows Server 2008 for adding server roles and features after initial server installation.

For more information on server roles, as well as other changes, refer to the Microsoft website: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/servermanagement.mspx.

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Read-Only Domain Controllers

Windows Server 2008 introduces a new type of domain controller (DC), the read-only domain controller (RODC). This DC hosts read-only partitions of the Active Directory Domain Services (ADDS) database. An RODC provides a secure solution for DC deployments to remote sites that require fast and reliable authentication but do not necessarily have adequate physical security for the deployed servers.

Additional information is available on the Microsoft website: http://technet2.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/servermanager/activedirectorydomainservice s.mspx.

Networking requirements

TCP/IP

Microsoft has updated the TCP/IP stack in Windows Server 2008. For more information on the next generation TCP/IP stack in Windows Server 2008, visit the Microsoft website: www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg0905.mspx.

NDIS 6.0

NDIS 6.0 is the next major version of the Network Driver Interface Specification. HP has updated the Windows Server 2008-capable network adapter drivers to meet the NDIS 6.0 requirements. A list of supported network adapters may be found in Table 5. For more information on NDIS 6.0, visit the Microsoft website: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms795192.aspx.

IPv6

Windows Server 2008 provides support for the next generation TCP/IP protocol stack known as Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6). Administrators should be aware that IPv6 support is enabled by default in a Windows Server 2008 installation. It cannot be uninstalled but may be disabled. For more information on IPv6, visit the Microsoft website: http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/columns/cableguy/cg1005.mspx.

Windows Hardware Error Architecture (WHEA)

Windows Hardware Error Architecture is a new feature added to Windows Server 2008 that provides a common infrastructure for hardware errors on Windows platforms.

The initial implementation of WHEA focuses on platform hardware devices, including processor, memory, cache, and system interconnects such as PCI, PCI-X, and PCI Express. Peripheral device errors remain under the control of their respective device drivers.

WHEA provides several benefits:

•A generic error source discovery mechanism

•A common hardware error record format and error handling flow

•A persistence mechanism for preserving error records

•A hardware error event tracking model based on Event Tracing for Windows (ETW)

Not all HP servers that support Windows Server 2008 will be WHEA compatible. Table 2 lists the WHEA-capable ProLiant servers. HP has updated the following deliverables in support of WHEA:

•System ROMs for specific ProLiant server platforms planned for WHEA support (see Table 2)

•iLO firmware (version 1.42 or later)

•iLO 2 Management Controller Driver for Windows Server 2008 [hpqilo2.sys, Version 1.5 (or later)]

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WHEA support is enabled for the following servers. (See Table 2 for ROM details for these servers):

•ProLiant BL servers:

–ProLiant BL460c

–ProLiant BL465c

–ProLiant BL480c

–ProLiant BL680c G5

–ProLiant BL685c

•ProLiant DL servers:

–ProLiant DL360 G5

–ProLiant DL365

–ProLiant DL380 G5

–ProLiant DL385 G2

–ProLiant DL580 G5

–ProLiant DL585 G2

•ProLiant ML servers:

–ProLiant ML350 G5

–ProLiant ML370 G5

For additional information about WHEA, visit the Microsoft website: www.microsoft.com/whdc/system/pnppwr/WHEA/default.mspx.

Supported configurations

Windows Server 2008 should load and run on any HP server listed in “Recommended system platform” section of this document when the server meets the recommended hardware configuration established by Microsoft.

Carefully review this document for the recommended system configuration and possible issues that might be encountered. Do not use this paper as the sole source of information. In addition to the websites mentioned throughout this paper, visit the Windows Server 2008 support page: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/default.mspx.

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Recommended system configuration

The recommended system configurations listed in this section are established by Microsoft for Windows Server 2008 base OS installations.

Table 1. Recommended system configuration as established by Microsoft

	Component	Requirement
	Processor	•	Minimum: 1 GHz
		•	Recommended: 2 GHz
	RAM per processor	•	Minimum: 512 MB
		•	Recommended: 2 GB
		• Optimal: 2 GB (Full) 1GB (Server Core)
	Maximum RAM 32 bit	•	4 GB (standard edition)
	systems	•	64 GB (Enterprise/Datacenter Editions)
	Maximum RAM 64 bit	•	32 GB (standard edition)
	systems	•	2 TB (Enterprise/Datacenter)
	Monitor	SVGA resolution (800x600) or higher
	Optical storage	DVD drive
	Available disk space	•	Minimum: 10 GB
		•	Recommended: 40 GB

NOTE

•Available disk space refers to the free disk space on the partition to contain the system files. Additional space is required to copy the Windows Server 2008 CD contents to the hard disk during installation.

•Refer to the Microsoft website for any system requirement updates: www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/sysreqs.mspx.

•Computers with more than 16 GB of RAM will require more disk space for paging and dump files.

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Recommended ProLiant server platforms

Table 2 lists the ProLiant servers, ROM version, and ROM date that support Windows Server 2008. Refer to the following web resources to assist in determining the ROM version and family of the supported ProLiant server.

• Software and drivers: http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/ProductRoot.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&taskId=135.

• Windows on ProLiant support matrix: http://h10018.www1.hp.com/wwsolutions/windows/index.html.

IMPORTANT

iLO 2 firmware must be updated to Version 1.29 (or later) before Windows Server 2008 is installed.

Table 2. ProLiant server platforms that support Windows Server 2008

Server platform	ROM family	ROM date (minimum)
ProLiant BL servers:
ProLiant BL20p G3	I08	07/16/07
ProLiant BL20p G4	I13	11/13/07
ProLiant BL25p	A02	04/14/05
ProLiant BL25p G2	A11	09/20/07
ProLiant BL30p	I10	10/27/05
ProLiant BL35p	A03	03/01/06
ProLiant BL45p	A02	03/01/06
ProLiant BL45p G2	A12	09/20/07
ProLiant BL460c*	I15	08/21/07
ProLiant BL465c*	A13	09/20/07
ProLiant BL480c*	I14	08/21/07
ProLiant BL680c G5*	I17	10/18/07
ProLiant BL685c*	A08	09/20/07
ProLiant DL servers:
ProLiant DL140 G2	DL140G2	03/31/06
ProLiant DL140 G3	DL140G3	06/18/06
ProLiant DL145 G2	DL145G2	03/23/06

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