Cannot get ANY OS on POWEREDGE 2850

Question

Yes I am Trying to install any OS on this computer and when the OS Loads and gets To the Choice Menu it tells me it CAN NOT

FIND ANY HARD DRIVES ,,, But on boot the DIOG Finds Both HDs 0 d 1 ??? I have the BIOS settings to SCSI on the embeded raid controller and OS SYSTEM MODE - ON ??

I have tryed just about all different settings and still get the same thing ???

Could Someone Give Me A Little Advice On What The Issue Might Be ???

Thanks

theflash1932 · Accepted Answer

Well, 2008 x86 is probably going to be your easiest install, but since you put 2003 in your tag, let's start with that:

If you have Embedded SCSI set to SCSI Mode in Integrated Devices in the BIOS, then you should not need a driver, but if you do need one, it should be this:

www.dell.com/.../DriverFileFormats

You will need to download and extract these files, then put them on a floppy disk to load at the F6 prompt (or use nLiteOS to integrate the drivers into the installation disk).

Alternatively, you can boot to the utility below, which assists in installing operating systems on Dell servers:

www.dell.com/.../DriverFileFormats

globalgvc · Accepted Answer

thank you for your insight,,,,   the link to the download resolved the issue,,, i downloaded the installer and bingo,,,  server 2003 installed like a charm and is working fine on this POWEREDGE 2850.....  I would have installed 2008 but I need a NAT with Remote Access Security Server Set Up In My Network and 2003 is Easier to configure in my case....    Thank You For Your Help,,,,,  Jes - GVC Services .....   http://gvcsecurity.us/

theflash1932 · Accepted Answer

Well, there is really nothing in this thread that would help you, except for the installation utility:

www.dell.com/.../DriverDetails

The reason Windows cannot see the drives is because it doesn't have the drivers for the RAID controller (make sure to use the 'hard drive' version':

www.dell.com/.../poweredge-2850

theflash1932 · Answer

No problem ... glad it worked for you.  I've had pretty much every OS installed on the 2850, as I have manually deployed dozens of them, so if you need help with anything else ... shoot.  Take care.

josecp · Answer

Hi theflash1932, I have experienced a similar problem, maybe you can help me...

Recently due to some issues with the hard drives I had to replace all the disks in a Poweredge 2850. This was running CentOS4, therefore, with the new set of drives, I tried to install the same OS. However I was unable to install it precisely because during the installation process the hard drive(s) could not be found. I went back to CentOS3 which is able to find the (logical) hard drive, and the installation process went smoothly. I've read a bit and it seems that it all boils down to load the megaraid2 drivers.

I have noticed that I have "Embedded RAID controller" set to "RAID enabled" (and not "SCSI enabled"). I want to create a logical (RAID5) volume where I can install CentOS4, should I change this to "RAID enabled"?

Thanks.

josecp · Answer

in my last question above, I meant: change this to 'SCSI enabled'. And I noticed that this indeed allows me to see all individual disks, but not a RAID logical volume. Is this correct?

theflash1932 · Answer

Hi,

Yes, if you want to use the hardware RAID functionality built into the 2850, then you should set RAID Enabled. After setting it to RAID Enabled, you MUST configure and initialize RAID in CTRL-M before the OS can see the drives. If it still doesn't, then you need to start looking for drivers. The OS will not see individual disks that have been configured in RAID, but a single "disk" that is the logical drive.

If you want to use each drive individually in a non-RAID setup or use them in a RAID array managed by linux, then you need to select SCSI Enabled.

cedusmc · Answer

Hi,

I am new in servers. I have a Poweredge 2850 with 3 HDD 146 Gb. I configure them as 1 disk RAID 0 for OS and 2 Disks as RAID 1 Just for test

I initialized Drive 0 and when I tried to initialize Drive 1, I received the "this logical drive is in background initialization state". I tried to install OS (Win server 2008 R2) on the Drive 0, but OS cannot recognize any drive.

I already downloaded your recommended files but it does not work for me.

would you please advise me how shall I start from the scratch?

Thank you in advance for your time

cedusmc · Answer

Thank you theflash1932, the second link solved the issue

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Cannot get ANY OS on POWEREDGE 2850

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