Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 build on HP ProLiant hardware

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This is a step-by-step guide to installing Windows Hyper-V Server 2008 R2 on HP ProLiant hardware (non SmartStart or Intelligent Provisioning).

It is written with reference to our server core commands post back in April 2008 – in fact this should have been written at least 6 months ago so apologies if you’ve only just found this now.

Before you start, go to your vendor’s (in this case HP) support site to check for latest downloads), namely firmware, drivers, and system management software.

For my development box, the cheap and cherful HP ProLiant ML110 (not really a ProLiant as in 3xx series upwards that take SmartStart) this means going to:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3577715&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=3577708&swLang=8&taskId=135&swEnvOID=4064
(at last R2 drivers! :-), but also suppliemented by Windows Server 2008 x64 drivers at:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareIndex.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodNameId=3577715&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=3577708&swLang=8&taskId=135&swEnvOID=4024

Matrox Video Driver for HP ProLiant 100-series Servers 5.96.6.6
10 Apr 2008
HP Embedded G5 SATA RAID Controller Driver for Microsoft Windows Server 2008 x64 Editions 1.5.17020.0
11 Aug 2008
HP NC-Series Broadcom 1Gb Driver for Windows Server 2008 x64 Editions 12.2.2.1
10 Nov 2009
HP NC-Series Intel E1E Driver for Windows Server 2008 R2 9.13.12.0
18 Aug 2009

 

  1. H/W config – unplug all but onboard NIC
  2. Boot from Hyper-V Server R2 installation media
  3. Language selection
  4. Regional Settings (Language, Time & Currency, Keyboard)
  5. Accept license terms
  6. Chose Custom installation
  7. Where do you want to install Windows?
    Select Load Driver to load h/w specific raid/disk drivers
    (For ML110 G5 PoC this is ‘G5 SATA RAID Driver 1.5.17’ from a USB key)
  8. Where do you want to install Windows?
    Delete any existing partitions so the target disk is all ‘Unallocated Space’
    Drive options (advance), New, Size is 32768 + 100 (32868 MB)
    (WS2008 R2 will create a partition called ‘System Reserved of 100MB), the remainder will become your target/intended size partition (32GB)
    Create a partition in the unallocated space and format it so the disk drives are contiguous
    Select the 32GB partition and select Next to start installation (Copying Windows files, etc.)
  9. The system will restart during installation (approximately 20mins from copying), and after c.30 mins the console screen will report ‘preparing the system for first time use’ before prompting ‘The user’s password must be changed before logging on the first time.’
  10. Install vendor specific hardware drivers
    1. Video drivers (ML110 G5 – Matrox G200e v.5.96.006)
    2. Network drivers (HP NC-Series Broadcom 1Gb Driver for Windows Server 2008 x64 Editions v12.2.2.1, HP NC-Series Intel E1E Driver for Windows Server 2008 R2)
  11. Hyper-V Configuration (sconfig.exe, formerly hvconfig.exe)
    1. Domain/Workgroup
      Workgroup: leave as WORKGROUP as domain join later
    2. Computer Name: HVNODEnn
      (DO NOT restart, resume Initial Configuration tasks)
    3. Add Local Administrator
      (add any local service accounts, etc.)
    4. Add Features
      Use script (sc-enableSNMP.cmd, sc-enableBackup.cmd) to add:
      SNMP Services (pre-req for most vendor systems management  tools)
      Windows Server Backup Features
    5. Configure Networking:
      Use script (sc-renameNICs.cmd) to rename adapters per:
      Local Area Connection – Onboard
      Local Area Connection – DualPort #1
      Local Area Connection – DualPort #2Assign static addresses per local site IP addressing allocation / standards
      Plug in any additional NICs e.g. iSCSI SAN, additional switches, etc.
    6. Configure Remote Management
      Enable all features (MMC RM, PS)
      (DO NOT restart, resume Initial Configuration tasks – Network Settings)
    7. Remote Desktop
      (E)nable with option 2) Allow clients running any version of Remote Desktop
      (needs review in production)
    8. Windows Update Settings (leave as manual)
    9. Download and install updates
      Search for (A)ll updates, select (A)ll updates
      (DO NOT restart, resume Configuration tasks – domain join)
    10. Change Domain/Workgroup membership
      Join (D)omain – yourdomain.local
      (domainadministrative account)
      RESTART THE COMPUTER
    11. Logon as domain administrator and resume configuration
    12. Complete ‘Configure Remote Management’ (enable SM RM)
    13. Failover Clustering Feature – Enable
    14. Configure Microsoft iSCSI (start iscsicpl.exe)
      Agree to starting iSCSI services automatically
      Quick Connect (IP address of iSCSI Target)
      Connect the Quorum volume first, then configure Volumes and Devices (auto-configure)
      Configure as drive letter Q: in Disk Management then make offline
      Connect other Shared Storage volumes
  12. Server Manager (Connect to another computer…)  – configuration task
    1. SNMP Service Configuration (Configuration, Services, SNMP Service)
      Agent Contact: IT sysadmin – sysadmin@fqdn.com
      Agent Location: Test Lab, Rack, Site, Country
      Agent Service: enable all services
      Security: Add community names
      READ ONLY: snmp_read
      READ WRITE:  snmp_read_write
      Restart the service
    2. Disk Management
      Change CD-ROM 0 to drive letter F
      Create ‘New Simple Volume’ for D: Data, 64K Allocation unit size
      (Convert to Dynamic Disk..?)
  13. Hyper-V Configuration
    1. Hyper-V Server Settings (set paths to D:Hyper-V)
    2. Hyper-V Network Manager – add External ‘Virtual Network – External’