Good Cheap Server - HP Proliant Microserver 4 BAY - OWNERS THREAD

Even with the BIOS updated and modified to increase the speed of the ODD SATA port, it's still rather slow. Get around 200mb/s read on my SSD.
But speed wasn't the main reason I stuck an SSD in there for the boot drive, it was reliability.
 
Can anyone recommend a cheap PCIe USB 3.0 card? I was considering the Western Digital SuperSpeed USB 3.0 PCI Express (PCIe) Card but there doesn't seem to be too many floating around.
 
Attu90 said:
If you haven't updated you BIOS to the hacked version do it first http://homeservershow.com/hp-proliant-n40l-microserver-build-and-bios-modification-revisited.html (same BIOS for all 3 versons ), this will allow the SATA to run at full speed (once you enable it in BIOS)

You will also need a 5.25 inch to 3.5 inch bay converter to mount the hard drive it the top optical bay.

Also needed are a SATA cable, I used a 60cm one but I think a 45cm one would be ok and a lot of people recommend you use one with a 90 deg connector.

Lastly you need a MOLEX to SATA power connector as hardly any harddrives use MOLEX power connectors these days but that's whats in the microserver.

On the left hand side front of the motherboard you will see a SATA connector (close to the fan connector), just plug the cable into there and I routed the cable the same path as the fan cable to the back of the optical bay.

Apart from changing the new setting in the hacked BIOS to 3mbs I didn't do anything special and the server booted from the drive without any problem even though like you id moved it from one of the front bays.
Click to expand...

I dont mean to quote your entire post but full credit for writing a short and sweet guide that really is straight to the point. I carried this out last weekend and booted up the disk yesterday after receiving my 45cm SATA cable and it worked a charm! :D
 
Attu90 said:
If you haven't updated you BIOS to the hacked version do it first http://homeservershow.com/hp-proliant-n40l-microserver-build-and-bios-modification-revisited.html (same BIOS for all 3 versons ), this will allow the SATA to run at full speed (once you enable it in BIOS)

You will also need a 5.25 inch to 3.5 inch bay converter to mount the hard drive it the top optical bay.

Also needed are a SATA cable, I used a 60cm one but I think a 45cm one would be ok and a lot of people recommend you use one with a 90 deg connector.

Lastly you need a MOLEX to SATA power connector as hardly any harddrives use MOLEX power connectors these days but that's whats in the microserver.

On the left hand side front of the motherboard you will see a SATA connector (close to the fan connector), just plug the cable into there and I routed the cable the same path as the fan cable to the back of the optical bay.

Apart from changing the new setting in the hacked BIOS to 3mbs I didn't do anything special and the server booted from the drive without any problem even though like you id moved it from one of the front bays.
Click to expand...


continuing on from this post.

please find some results here from tests done between unflashed internal sata and one of the standard AHCI bays.

http://www.avforums.com/forums/18490161-post670.html
 
MagicBoy said:
No need to apologise to me, just a bit of friendly advice before the mods spot it.
Click to expand...
Yeah, no :) -- I figured when I posted it that it was a £5 item, and OCUK probably doesn't really care about the lost revenue. By the way, I couldn't find an equivalent item on the OCUK catalogue (and as soon as I post this, someone will very helpfully prove me wrong).
 
colheath said:
I've reached the same conclusion, about to try WHS2011.
Click to expand...

whs11 is proving great for me.

ive done enough testing with it now.

ive bought a license so am going to flash the bios, move the 250gb drive to optical bay, install 2 x 2tb drives and 2 x 500gb drives

going to buy stablebit drivepool too.
 
bremen1874 said:
The modified firmware is easy to install, and it's just as easy to revert back to to stock if you want to. For my use of the Microserver there wasn't any benefit from running the modified firmware, so I ended up back at stock once the first HP updates were released.

The one real annoyance that the modified firmware presumably fixes is hotplug (or the lack of) on the eSATA port. It's a long time since I tried it so I'm not sure.

While I'm here has anyone seen any firm pricing and availability information for the Gen8? I've got a job I think one would be perfect for, but time is running out. At the moment it's looking like I'll have to get a ML310e (or similar) instead.
Click to expand...

Hmm okay :) Thanks for the advice!

rotor said:
Something like this:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-292-LL

(I haven't used this exact one, but it looks similar to what I have in my MicroServer).
Click to expand...

Thanks for the recommendation :) Is there any problem with it just sitting there? It doesn't seem to be making any more noise than normal...

/cheapskate :p
 
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