If so, is it complicate to flash them to IT mode?
Thank you so much, @justinclift !! Now I feel a bit braver to try it!Welcome, fellow R620 user.
For flashing the Dell HBA cards, this is the process you want to be following: https://fohdeesha.com/docs/perc.html
I've personally flashed 2x H310 Mini Mono's, and 2x H710 Mini Mono's following that process with 100% working outcome every time.
The very first time I was super nervous, but it turns out to be pretty straight forward.![]()
I maybe have phrased it wrong. What I want to know is that if those servers usually have an HBA from factory or if the disk controller is on the motherboard. I haven't received them yet.You got some servers and we should know the hardware configuration of them? Did you get those from a community member here, or why do you think we would know that? Just open up the cases and have a look...
OMG, thank you so much for this amazing guide!!!! I hope that next week I will start to work on it. Will take some pics as well!Ahhh. They do technically come with an onboard controller built into the motherboard.
BUT, most of the ones I've seen (up on Ebay, my R620 hunting ground) also come with at least a basic HBA that's connected through to the drives in the front (via a backplane).
The main things to check when you get it are:
With that bit sorted out (hopefully it has an enterprise license key in it
- Can you get into the Dell management controller over the network? (you can set its IP address on the front panel using the buttons there)
- Does that Dell management controller come with the "Enterprise" license key?
- If so get a copy of the license key (there's an "export" option among the settings) and BACK IT UP before doing anything else
- Don't even think of doing a "RESET TO FACTORY DEFAULTS" (or similar) until you've backed up that license (if it has one) otherwise you'll kick yourself later
) you can then start figuring out your hardware:
Quite a lot of it upgradable. So if (say) you have a 4 drive one, you can upgrade it to an 8 drive one without too much problem.
- Processor and memory specs
- If there's add in cards (ie network or something else) in it
- What kind of default network card it has in it
- There's a range of 1GbE and 10GbE port cards they can come with
- How many drives bays it has (eg, 4, 6, 8, 10, etc)
- What kind of back plane it has (eg 4 drive, 6 drive, 8 drive, 10 drive)
Also be aware that they're quite noisy when first started up, but they'll quieten right down after they get through their bootup sequence. There are also options in the BIOS/UEFI settings that control the fan behaviour. Hopefully the previous owner didn't tell it to forcibly run them at 100%, otherwise it's going to sound like a jet engine until you find those settings and change them to something reasonable.
When you get it, you're welcome to take photos and ask questions, etc. Happy to help.![]()
Hehe Thanks a lot!Oh, the management console. There's a dedicated port for it at the back of the servers. Looking directly at the back of a server, it's the individual ethernet port on the left hand side.
The ethernet address for the management server can either be automatically assigned by DHCP, or you can set a static one. Either way, it's done through the panel on the front. Setting it there is a slow process (lots of menus and submenus and messing around), but you only need to do it once. After that's done you can login to the web based interface instead to do stuff.
When you try logging in to the web based interface it'll ask for a username/password. From memory the default username is "root" (I think) and the default password is "calvin" (definitely sure of that one).
See how you go with all of that.![]()
Not at all, on the contrary!! Thank you so much for all the info and details! I hope that this week I can start to have hands-on on these servers and starting to configure.Cool. They should suit that purpose pretty well. Probably pretty overkill really.
When you have a chance, use the Dell management console (iDRAC 7 for these) to figure out what kind of network card is in the mezzanine slot. That's the 4 ethernet port thing your ones have.
There are some 10GbE options that turn up pretty cheaply on ebay. The Dell part number is "165T0". Random examples (I don't know the sellers):
The 10GbE ports in those take "SFP+" modules, Dell part number "0WTRD1", also cheap on Ebay:
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/355686090045
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/166730225736
- https://www.ebay.com/itm/225825755054
- Heh, someone's selling them in lots of four for the same price as 3
The fibre cables themselves I tend to get from fs.com, as fibre on Ebay seems to be a bit hit or miss and fs.com are pretty cheap:
Hmmm, I'm probably overloading you. You've just received the things after all.![]()