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    #1

    Extremely Annoying Server

    I can't get a SINGLE operating system on this thing! We've spent the last week trying to!
    Specs:
    P4HT 3.06
    4GB RAM
    Motherboard from an HP dx2000 Microtower
    Promise Fastrak S150 TX4

    We've tried:
    -Windows Server 2003
    -CentOS 6.2
    -Debian
    -Ubuntu Server
    -Ubuntu
    -More I probably forgot...

    RAID configuration is two identical 160GB WD Caviar Blue drives in Mirrored RAID 1.

    Server 2003 does the first round of installing but after the reboot it won't boot from that (note that it worked once, but then we tried CentOS simply because, and now 2003 won't work again)
    Ubuntu Server gets errors partitioning
    Ubuntu normal can't install GRUB
    CentOS worked once but not again
    Debain was being a bitch



    VERY ANNOYING!
    Any ideas?
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Extremely Annoying Server

    You didn't try FreeBSD.

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Extremely Annoying Server

      Originally posted by mariushm View Post
      You didn't try FreeBSD.
      Wouldn't wanna use that on a production server because I have no experience with it,
      and Linux is the industry standard for hosting and servers, because it's popular.
      FreeBSD is not popular.

      Any ideas to make any of the abovemention OS's work? Am I doing something wrong with RAID?
      Last edited by shovenose; 05-31-2012, 09:09 AM.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Extremely Annoying Server

        I'd start with the FAKEraid chip being toast... or if your RAID is set to a non-mirrored setting, the HDDs.
        sigpic

        (Insert witty quote here)

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Extremely Annoying Server

          Well, the first thing you're doing wrong is trying to use that relic of a computer as a server. I guess you don't care about the electricity costs.

          Second... honestly, your time must be very cheap if you can afford to waste a week on a system like this. Even at 5$ an hour, it would be cheaper to spend 80$ on an Atom 525 cpu+motherboard combo with twice as much processing power as that server, not to mention the fact it uses only 30 watts or so and gives you the ability to use sata drives.
          Using free or recovered stuff is commendable, but up to a point.

          Second, that raid 1 is pointless on such system and the card sucks anyway, so you might as well just use the onboard ide controller's raid if it has any.

          Nowadays, I would just plug a SSD drive on it, there's probably higher chance that both of those ide drives would fail from the old psu in that server than having the SSD die on you.
          Last edited by mariushm; 05-31-2012, 09:33 AM.

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Extremely Annoying Server

            Um... honestly I don't understand why you're attacking me.
            Especially on a forum like BCN. If you're advice were always to buy new stuff why are you here? The people on this forum usually want to reuse perfectly old stuff from a few years ago, ME INCLUDED.

            If you want to buy me an SSD, go ahead. I can PM you my address. Other than that, if you don't want to help, then don't..

            /rant

            Now, in reply why is RAID 1 pointless? Ratdude, what's wrong with the Promise RAID controller?

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Extremely Annoying Server

              I'm not attacking you.

              You're writing it like you're doing it for a company you work for, which makes me assume you're getting paid for that. You're also writing it like it's not the server of some guy that brought it to you to be repaired but rather that someone told you to build a server.

              I'd totally support and understand it if you're trying to do it for yourself or in your spare time but if you do work for someone it would make sense to point out to your employee the pros and cons of using such a system and spending so much time with it.

              If you're using 160 drives, it's kinda obvious that you don't need even that disk space, so considering a 40 GB SSD is about 50$ and makes that system feel like it's 2-3 times faster, it would be a logical choice.

              Generally, I'm against RAID of any kind, and with such slow system, it would make sense only if you use it for RAID 5 or RAID 0... otherwise, the card specs wise is too good for such old system.

              I just... seriously... you have time to waste trying more than five operating systems on that?

              --

              On topic.. I would try to install an operating system without the raid card, on something like an IDE drive connected directly to the motherboard - that ide controller should be something more generic which should be supported by most operating systems out of the box.
              This will tell you if it's an issue with the BIOS of the motherboard or the way it "talks" to the sata controller.

              If it works, you have something to start from.
              ...

              Anyway, I'll shut up from now on in this thread.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                Originally posted by mariushm View Post
                You're writing it like you're doing it for a company you work for, which makes me assume you're getting paid for that. You're also writing it like it's not the server of some guy that brought it to you to be repaired but rather that someone told you to build a server.
                Nope... he's building it for his own use. I agree though, that CPU is not known for its power efficiency. Even dual PIIIs would do a better job.
                Originally posted by PeteS in CA
                Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
                A working TV? How boring!

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                  ok i'm going to make 4 points here:

                  1. he's probably using this to learn
                  2. added technical problems will aid in his future technical endeavors. he doesn't need to be bitched at. As he never knows if he might run into something similar in the future
                  3. as much as you hate raid, its a fact of MANY server systems out there. Not every company can afford massive SSD's.
                  4. I should request you be banned mariushm for actually suggesting a member of this forum buy something with obvious KZG caps (I'm not really going to) :P
                  Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
                  ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                    The DX2000 series are pretty common office machines, so unless it's broken (possible, they're not high quality), it's most likely the RAID controller.

                    Does it work without the RAID controller just using onboard SATA?
                    Is there a firmware update for the RAID controller and have you applied it?
                    Last edited by seanc; 05-31-2012, 02:23 PM.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                      I'm trying striped RAID right now... it's not the best for reliability but it'll give me extra capacity, and extra speed, and as proof of concept that the damn thing actually works

                      Edit: 2003 is installing just fine! yay!

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                        is there a firmware update for the raid?
                        Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
                        ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

                        Comment

                          #13
                          Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                          Quick question does your raid card support booting?
                          You need raid card that supports booting from hard-drive and you'll need to enable "boot other devices" "int 13 option rom" or "boot from raid/scsi card" or something similar in the M/B bios.

                          It may install fine and then on reboot not be able to boot from drive.

                          Comment

                            #14
                            Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                            yeah...if that was true, it wouldn't be able to boot from the raid 0 array ether
                            Cap Datasheet Depot: http://www.paullinebarger.net/DS/
                            ^If you have datasheets not listed PM me

                            Comment

                              #15
                              Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                              Well ITS WORKING!
                              http://hardwareinsights.com/
                              HEHEHEHE I HAZ DEDICATED SEVRER!! :P
                              *excited*


                              The fine print: I don't trust it completely, given that it's striped RAID, so I'll backup weekly. That sure is an improvement over my previous backup scheme (every 3 months) lol!

                              Comment

                                #16
                                Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                                It feels a tad slower than the old one. But congrats on getting it up and running. How is the CPU load looking like?
                                Originally posted by PeteS in CA
                                Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
                                A working TV? How boring!

                                Comment

                                  #17
                                  Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                                  Originally posted by Th3_uN1Qu3 View Post
                                  It feels a tad slower than the old one. But congrats on getting it up and running. How is the CPU load looking like?
                                  IMO it's not any slower. But then again I've got horrible, slow internet.
                                  I had my friend due the transfer on his Comcast Business internet because it took him 5 minutes lol

                                  Comment

                                    #18
                                    Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                                    Originally posted by Th3_uN1Qu3 View Post
                                    It feels a tad slower than the old one. But congrats on getting it up and running. How is the CPU load looking like?
                                    This is me clicking randomly in the WordPress Admin Dashboard...
                                    Attached Files

                                    Comment

                                      #19
                                      Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                                      Not too bad. Must be the connection then. Anyway, it's alright, so i wish you the best of luck with your new server.
                                      Originally posted by PeteS in CA
                                      Remember that by the time consequences of a short-sighted decision are experienced, the idiot who made the bad decision may have already been promoted or moved on to a better job at another company.
                                      A working TV? How boring!

                                      Comment

                                        #20
                                        Re: Extremely Annoying Server

                                        Originally posted by Th3_uN1Qu3 View Post
                                        Not too bad. Must be the connection then. Anyway, it's alright, so i wish you the best of luck with your new server.
                                        Thank you!
                                        When we relocate, we'll have some downtime, so it's at that time that I'll upgrade our server (to a Linux-based one)

                                        Comment

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