Hi All
I will need to install CentOS 5.3 on HP DL380 R05 server with RAID-1 required. I am a newbie to CentOS / HP servers, need your help:
- Does CentOS 5.3 work smoothly with HP DL380 server especially recognizing SAS disks and hardware RAID-1 features? From you experience, do you have to use HP Storage Drivers provided for RedHat Enterprise Linux 5?
- How is HP hardware RAID-1's performance? Should I use HP's hardware RAID or software RAID in this case?
Thanks a lot and looking forward to your answers.
Chau
My server configuration:
HP DL380R05 E5420 2GB Base AP Server (1) Quad-Core IntelR XeonR Processor E5420 Two Embedded NC373i Multifunction Gigabit / 2 GB (2 x 1 GB) PC2-5300 Fully Buffered DIMMs (DDR2-667)/HP Smart Array P400/256MB Controller /Rack (2U)/Hot Plug Fully Redundant Fans Standard Two HP 146GB 10k 2.5 SAS HP SP HDD HP 1000W IEC C14 Cord RPS Kit
- Does CentOS 5.3 work smoothly with HP DL380 server especially
recognizing SAS disks and hardware RAID-1 features? >From you experience, do you have to use HP Storage Drivers provided for RedHat Enterprise Linux 5?
I have a few of those G5's and they will work fine, CentOS has the needed drivers. You currently can't even use the PSP for updated block device driver as it doesn't support anything other than the base kernel AFAIK. The PSP will allow System Management and SNMP but I doubt you are using these features.
- How is HP hardware RAID-1's performance? Should I use HP's
hardware RAID or software RAID in this case?
Yeah, it works well. Use it, it's far less trouble than software raid and that controller will have fairly good performance.
HTH, jlc
Nguyen Hai Chau wrote:
Hi All
I will need to install CentOS 5.3 on HP DL380 R05 server with RAID-1 required. I am a newbie to CentOS / HP servers, need your help:
The specs look like a DL380 G5, perhaps that is the same as the "R05". As another poster mentioned it should work fine. I used CentOS 4.4 on DL380G5s about a year and a half ago without issue either.
My only suggestion is to either install over a serial connection with the iLO or configure a serial console after you install as the iLO 2 standard license does not allow VGA connectivity after the bios POSTs, unlike previous iLOs. Remote serial console is unrestricted however. Of course this is a non issue if you don't use iLO or have an advanced license key. You can get free 30 day iLO license keys from HP's website. Also at least at the time remote VGA console was not available via SSH, only remote serial console. iLO 1 provided limited remote VGA in text modes via SSH. So that's another reason to stick to serial, faster to get to the console via ssh than it is via a web browser typically.
And by all means stick to the HP hardware RAID, especially if you have the battery backed cache, much better than software raid.
The DL380G5s are great boxes, I do miss mine(had them at my previous company, new company is Dell..)
nate
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Joseph L. Casale -
nate -
Nguyen Hai Chau