HP Microserver+XPEnology

Goose

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I've just ordered a Gen8 that will be my first ever server/NAS and i'm looking for a proper noobs guide on how to install EXPenology. I'm not sure exactly which files I need from expenology.me to stick on a USB drive for the install. I've searched youtube but they all seem to be quite out of date tutorials so i dont really know which one, if any, I should follow.

Thanks
 

BlizzardX

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Goose said:
I've just ordered a Gen8 that will be my first ever server/NAS and i'm looking for a proper noobs guide on how to install EXPenology. I'm not sure exactly which files I need from expenology.me to stick on a USB drive for the install. I've searched youtube but they all seem to be quite out of date tutorials so i dont really know which one, if any, I should follow.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Download the latest .img file from here: https://download.xpenology.fr/XPEnology/a03db2a2cf145c3857d7f578ccf270e3/56005eb3/XPEnoboot_DS3615xs_5.2-5592.2.img
Download Windisk32imager from the internets.

Write the xpenology img file to a usb stick using Windisk32imager, this should create a stick that appears to be around 22mb in size.

Install said stick in server and boot.

Make sure HDDs are installed, goto find.synology.com to find your now booted xpenology box and just follow on the on screen prompts.
 

BlizzardX

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Nope, just create the boot usb from the image, install in the machine you want to use, let it boot and then find it using find.synology.com and follow the onscreen prompts... they've made leaps and bounds with the boot images now.
 

Pickers

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Amazing!!!
Can plex server be installed? I've got mixed messages. Also can the synology plug in transcode, or for a fully functional plex server would I need to use something like nas4free?
 

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There is a Plex Server in the Package Center, yes it can transcode.

plex_zpsgupgt04o.jpg
 

Goose

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Just received my Gen8 :)

How much of the setup instructions do i need to follow before installing EXPEnology? Do I need to setup the Array and install the HP server OS or can that all be skipped?

Also, to perform the initial setup whether it be HP or EXPEnology do i have to connect the server to a monitor or can it all be done from a web interface on a PC connected to the network? I only ask because i haven't got a VGA cable :(
 
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Pickers

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Got mine yesterday but ive not got any time to do anything with it uet. Still boxed up sitting under a desk!

The only thing I believe you/I may want to do is update the BIOS... Although I'm not sure what the benefit is... Anyone care to share?
 

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Well alrighty then, i'm up and running with Xpenology :D

Now i just need to figure out how to use the thing! :)

I found this video really helpful, Pickers.

[Edit] Is there a way to control the fan speed because it's kinda noisy?
 
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Goose

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I first tried to just get it going with all the default HP stuff but got stuck at the part where it wants to install and OS. I just rebooted and went ahead with installing Xpenoboot and then the DSM. Was much easier than i was expecting.
 

Pickers

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Hmm I'm now confused again. Have you got dsm 5.2 installed? So you need the bootloader on a usb and also download the dsm operating software to install?
Do you need to remove the USB stick once booted to allow hdd hibernation?

I've read somewhere a biod update throttles the fan back... But I'm not totally sure.
 

BlizzardX

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Pickers said:
Hmm I'm now confused again. Have you got dsm 5.2 installed? So you need the bootloader on a usb and also download the dsm operating software to install?
Do you need to remove the USB stick once booted to allow hdd hibernation?

I've read somewhere a biod update throttles the fan back... But I'm not totally sure.
Click to expand...

The basic premise is this:

Install xpenology boot image to the usb stick.
Install HDDs in to PC
Install USB stick in to free slot
Boot from USB
goto find.synology.com to search for the booted device on the network.
follow onscreen prompts -> this will install the DSM software to the HDDs in a special partition. Effectively the boot usb is there to provide the underlying hardware drivers for DSM to use, this is how a real synology works except the boot images are stored on a built in boot device and obviously have the right hardware to be detected.

Once installed DSM will be available on the IP and you can log in.

You will need to keep the USB device in if you want the system to boot up everytime, and it shouldn't stop hibernation if the system supports it.
 

Goose

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How do you go about updating the bios/firmware?

Also, is there a way to check the speed of the fan and control it? It needs to go in my front room that's incredibly small and at the moment the humming from the fan is really noticeable and extremely annoying. Is it possible to replace the fan with something quieter?

[Edit] After doing some googling it seems to be a bug of some sort with the RAID setup and it sounds like it cant be fixed when running Xpenology :( If so i'm gonna have to send it back, the noise is just too much :(
 
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Pickers

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I was going to go by the third video found in the playlist below. Involves getting the HP firmware updated (I think) before installing an OS.

But to download the update you need to register with HP which is fair enough, but I have yet to find 5 mins to sit at the computer to get the download started! I was going to boot to the ISO on a USB stick

https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYIS7PWFoq5zRq9ObjDbKa-R07CwbHBV

[Edit] Actually I think I am wrong... Seems that update is not simply a BIOS firmware. Chances are we have the latest bios.
 
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