Opinions on HP ProLiant ML115 G5

fonzee · 4 Apr 2009 at 11:31

elmo1982 said:
I was wondering if someone could help me? I am running through the process to create a ESXi usb boot pen for my new machine and when I am going through the DD for windows bit my machine is not identifying the usb pen (I think maybe since I am running vista) so can anyone tell me can you simply copy the image put onto a previous boot pen and if so could someone maybe post a link to the usb pen image I need? If not then I will hopefully be able to get access to an XP machine to do it but it will be next week.

If there is somewhere else I would be better posting this then please let me know and I will do that.

Thanks in advance

as said above, use the winimage method instead, far easier.

no idea why they even bothered writing an article using the DD method.

elmo1982 · 4 Apr 2009 at 18:36

Wondering if anyone can help, I got the usb stick set up. The issue was with the usb stick not what I was doing, oh well. I've now got ESXi running on the machine and VMware Infrastructure Client running on my laptop. I've got a virtual machine set up but I can't seem to get the OS installed on it. I've been reading but it doesn't seem obvious.

Any help? Thanks

fonzee · 5 Apr 2009 at 15:14

simply get an .ISO of the OS required and load it up on bootup using 'Connect CD/DVD 1'. ensure it looks to the clients drive under settings (think this is by default).

bootup is very quick though, so what i do is go into BIOS on the VM and get it to check for PXE boot before the CD first so i have time to select the ISO to load. not sure if there is way around this yet so that it doesn't lose the .ISO evertime you reset the damn thing.

btw what RAM is everyone using? keep getting issues with two sticks of my 1GB OCZ pc2-6400 jobbies so im only running 2GB now.

preferably non-ECC and 4GB/8GB kit and cheapest possible

Tuvoc · 5 Apr 2009 at 15:47

Crucial ECC is pretty cheap isn't it ?
Anyway - here, 2 x 2GB of OCZ Vista upgrade stuff works fine, so far

fonzee · 5 Apr 2009 at 16:39

not cheap enough

i went with the corsair XMS 4GB deal in the end, can't complain for 33 bean delivered from ocuk and its been proven to be compatible.

has anyone got a ML115 G5 with the Nvidia RAID controller, using ESXi 3.5 U3 on USB and have RAID 5 successfully up and running?

mines playing up

all detected and dandy under BIOS, however once ESXi boots up it only detects the first disk, and not as a whole array (3 disks together)...

Zaf · 5 Apr 2009 at 20:00

fonzee said:
not cheap enough i went with the corsair XMS 4GB deal in the end, can't complain for 33 bean delivered from ocuk and its been proven to be compatible.

has anyone got a ML115 G5 with the Nvidia RAID controller, using ESXi 3.5 U3 on USB and have RAID 5 successfully up and running?

mines playing up all detected and dandy under BIOS, however once ESXi boots up it only detects the first disk, and not as a whole array (3 disks together)...

You need to get an e200 or Perc raid controller

edit: I'm useing 8GB OCZ had no issues at all running a dream but its in a ML110 Guy at work has the same in a ML115 Quad

iaind · 5 Apr 2009 at 20:24

fonzee said:
simply get an .ISO of the OS required and load it up on bootup using 'Connect CD/DVD 1'. ensure it looks to the clients drive under settings (think this is by default).

bootup is very quick though, so what i do is go into BIOS on the VM and get it to check for PXE boot before the CD first so i have time to select the ISO to load. not sure if there is way around this yet so that it doesn't lose the .ISO evertime you reset the damn thing.

btw what RAM is everyone using? keep getting issues with two sticks of my 1GB OCZ pc2-6400 jobbies so im only running 2GB now.

preferably non-ECC and 4GB/8GB kit and cheapest possible

Either-

-Press Esc at bios for boot menu, then connect ISO before selecting CD
-In advanced options for the VM you can set a delay for the bios (in ms :confused:

)
-Upload the iso to the server and set the CD drive to "datastore iso file", check "connect at power on"

elmo1982 · 6 Apr 2009 at 22:19

Hi Fonxee and iaind,

Thanks for the help it seems to be playing ball a little more now. I was wondering once yur eval of Infrastructure Client expires how do you manage the virtual environment, or are you stuck with what you have set up at that point?

Again I really appreciate all the help as I am new to all of this.

Zaf · 6 Apr 2009 at 23:05

elmo1982 said:
Hi Fonxee and iaind,

Thanks for the help it seems to be playing ball a little more now. I was wondering once yur eval of Infrastructure Client expires how do you manage the virtual environment, or are you stuck with what you have set up at that point?

Again I really appreciate all the help as I am new to all of this.

When you sign up for ESXi you are given a FREE license key. You just need to goto configuation and add the key to the license settings

elmo1982 · 7 Apr 2009 at 13:19

Can I just say a big thanks to everyone who has helped me out on this project. I now have server 2008 (& vista incase of any incompatabilities) up and running perfectly on ESXi with no issues at all. The only things left to do are to get my media server software up (I've used Nero and TVersity before but is there any built in to Server 2008) and running for the PS3 and another media payer which I am looking for at the moment and get another couple of hard disks, set up the raid controller (does the onboard one work with ESXi?) and put another 4GB of memory on when I get paid.

I would also say that although it sounds like a jet on take-off when it starts up it is pretty quiet the rest of the time.

Tuvoc · 7 Apr 2009 at 17:00

elmo1982 said:
I would also say that although it sounds like a jet on take-off when it starts up it is pretty quiet the rest of the time.

That is what I thought at first, but when you put the CPU under 100% load for a while, the fan makes an annoying whine.

Vibein · 19 Apr 2009 at 23:04

Has any one got a perc 6i working on the AMD opteron ML115 G5?

Zaf · 20 Apr 2009 at 21:40

elmo1982 said:
set up the raid controller (does the onboard one work with ESXi?)

No it doesn't you need a Dell Perc controller or HP e200 and they aren't cheap!

Tuvoc · 20 Apr 2009 at 21:44

regarding fitting extra drives - are these just a normal case, slide then in and 4 screws ? Or something different ?

fishfishfish · 20 Apr 2009 at 21:46

The front of the case includes some special round-ended screws that go into the usual holes on the drives. You simply screw these and slide the drives into the bays.

Tuvoc · 20 Apr 2009 at 21:50

Thanks, going to put a couple of drives in with RAID 1
I'll check the manual too. I think I recall seeing something in there

CraigN · 21 Apr 2009 at 09:30

have any of you guys had issues with the onboard NIC and ESXi.

i couldnt connect to it for the service console. I had to put another NIC in (intel based) and use that for the service console.

Once setup the onboard nic did work was jsut a pain as i couldnt configure it without putting another nic in.

I have now used the PCI slot for my raid controller and will be re-installing ESXi tonight so wondered if anyone had overcome this or if i was being a numpty ?

Zaf · 21 Apr 2009 at 13:20

CraigN said:
have any of you guys had issues with the onboard NIC and ESXi.

i couldnt connect to it for the service console. I had to put another NIC in (intel based) and use that for the service console.

Once setup the onboard nic did work was jsut a pain as i couldnt configure it without putting another nic in.

I have now used the PCI slot for my raid controller and will be re-installing ESXi tonight so wondered if anyone had overcome this or if i was being a numpty ?

Its a known issue checkout first couple of pages mate

BAM279 · 24 Apr 2009 at 09:19

Hi all,

I just ordered an ML115 G5 quad core for ESXi, was wondering if anyone has used the Kingston HyperX 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 6400C4 800MHz Dual Channel (KHX6400D2LLk2/4G) http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-038-KS with this? I wanted to get 8GB but to be safe I just ordered up one 2x2GB kit for the moment - if this RAM works well I will definitely be picking up another 4GB kit.

I know on this thread several of you have mentioned that ECC stuff can be almost as cheaply, but I looked all over the place and couldnt find prices even close to what OcUK are doing this Kingston non-ECC for so I just pulled the trigger...

Any feedback greatfully apprectiated!

PeterNem · 24 Apr 2009 at 09:41

I should have an ML115 arriving today...

I nearly bought the Kingston ram but ended up going for the Corsair stuff on "This Week Only" - no particular reason though, I've heard of both Kingston and Corsair RAM being successful.