Trying to get sever up and running

[Jhcx]

Just wondering if any of ye could help me

I got a Dell server yesterday and was told i would have to program it. Now tis my first time dealing with any of this so im a noob, but you have to learn somewhere i guess. Problem is i just dont know where to start.

Ive been in through the settings and stuff. Was told there was suppose to be windows sever 2003 on it. Just have to try and get to it first.

When you start up you get the dell start up bar and then have the usual options to f1 and all those. Without pressing anything i let it go to the loading, where it tells me all bits bout the hardware. But keeps telling me that the SATA port A was not found. continues on then gives me the F1 option to continue and the F2 to run setup. F1 doesnt respond unless loading from a boot which i cant do either and F2 just basic.

What i have noticed is that after certain amount of downtime the server seems to reset itself and asks to input date and time. Also reading the manual with the amber light on flashing which should be blue there is a problem somewhere. Got that much, just dont know where to go from here?

Any help or links to sites would be grateful. thinking of putting Ubuntu server on it just to mess around with. Sever is not big deal just for practicing really.

I just cant get any OS to start up or get it to boot from the ubuntu CD in the drive. Currently have blue light flashing which was amber on start up so im bit confused as to weather it sorted itself out or what..:confused:

[ethanf93]

If the server is unable to boot from HDD (which the SATA error seems to indicate,) I'd check that everything is OK inside the server (the HDD is in place and powered, all cables are secure) If this isn't a new server, its previous owners may have removed the HDD for security reasons.

As for Ubuntu not booting, my guess is either something wrong with the CD drive (similar to what's going on with the HDD) or that the server is not set up to boot from CD. You should use the BIOS setup menu to check the boot order and make sure booting from CD is enabled.

[Jhcx]

If the server is unable to boot from HDD (which the SATA error seems to indicate,) I'd check that everything is OK inside the server (the HDD is in place and powered, all cables are secure) If this isn't a new server, its previous owners may have removed the HDD for security reasons.

As for Ubuntu not booting, my guess is either something wrong with the CD drive (similar to what's going on with the HDD) or that the server is not set up to boot from CD. You should use the BIOS setup menu to check the boot order and make sure booting from CD is enabled.

Ya thats all checked and triple checked. took out the Hard drive and put it back in. also put my own one in from another dell computer i have just to see if that would make a difference but just comes up SATA A/B not found.

I went into the BIOS and enabled to boot from cd but no luck when you choose to boot from the cd press F1 and just get the flashing line no loading...

[TheMatrix]

Is RAM included? Sometimes it's not, and you have to buy that apart.
Also, read the datasheet for the motherboard. Sometimes, to enable SATA and other features, you have to place a jumper on certain parts of the motherboard. Make sure you have enabled the correct jumpers on your drives(only applicable for PATA/IDE). Try switching where the cords plug in on the motherboard.
Is the BIOS enabled to boot from LAN(PXE), or is it configured to have a "remote agent"(usually an RS232 terminal) connect?

It could be many things. You'll just have to play round with it, I guess.

[ethanf93]

Ya thats all checked and triple checked. took out the Hard drive and put it back in. also put my own one in from another dell computer i have just to see if that would make a difference but just comes up SATA A/B not found.

I went into the BIOS and enabled to boot from cd but no luck when you choose to boot from the cd press F1 and just get the flashing line no loading...

Do you know if the HDD is powering up? It sounds like a part (either the HDD or the SATA controller) may be dead.

As for the CD, have you tried the disk on another system? Another idea to try is try booting from CD with the HDD disconnected. Another thing to throw out there which would stop Ubuntu from booting is are you sure the architecture of the CD matches the system? (i.e. is the system 32bit and the CD 64bit Ubuntu?)

But... if another HDD failed to boot with an SATA error and the CD drive doesn't work, it sounds like the SATA controller died. You might want to look into working around the SATA controller (e.g. booting from USB might work.)

[Jhcx]

Do you know if the HDD is powering up? It sounds like a part (either the HDD or the SATA controller) may be dead.

As for the CD, have you tried the disk on another system? Another idea to try is try booting from CD with the HDD disconnected. Another thing to throw out there which would stop Ubuntu from booting is are you sure the architecture of the CD matches the system? (i.e. is the system 32bit and the CD 64bit Ubuntu?)

But... if another HDD failed to boot with an SATA error and the CD drive doesn't work, it sounds like the SATA controller died. You might want to look into working around the SATA controller (e.g. booting from USB might work.)

no havent tried the cd in the laptop yet. everything is 64bit. I tried that with the HDD disconnected but you dont get the F1 option at the end to continue so have to reboot. and change the settings. TBH if there was already windows 2003 server on it it should by right load from that but i cant get past this black screen.

[HunterSteele]

Where did you get the server from? And more importantly, what model is it?

[Jhcx]

Where did you get the server from? And more importantly, what model is it?

Came from a office that went belly up afaik. . whoops sorry thought i had added that in the title. Its a Dell Poweredge Server SC1435

[ethanf93]

no havent tried the cd in the laptop yet. everything is 64bit. I tried that with the HDD disconnected but you dont get the F1 option at the end to continue so have to reboot. and change the settings. TBH if there was already windows 2003 server on it it should by right load from that but i cant get past this black screen.
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So when you boot without the HDD it just hangs? And when you boot with the HDD it claims it can't find it?

Another stab in the dark, is there some kind of BIOS reflash/reset option in the setup menu? Also, is the SATA controller a separate, removable card? If so, you might want to try removing that and trying to boot from USB. (That'll determine if something more serious is going on, assuming the server is capable of USB boot)

[Jhcx]

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So when you boot without the HDD it just hangs? And when you boot with the HDD it claims it can't find it?

Another stab in the dark, is there some kind of BIOS reflash/reset option in the setup menu? Also, is the SATA controller a separate, removable card? If so, you might want to try removing that and trying to boot from USB. (That'll determine if something more serious is going on, assuming the server is capable of USB boot)

Sawpped the HDD's around today to the one with has 32bit Windows 7 from my own computer. Now it goes through the set up and allows me to press F1 and begins to load the os but suddenly crashes and reboots :confused: Im presuming its cause im loading a 32bit into a 64bit but reading it shouldnt have a problem and i cant update the BIOS from 0.2.9 to 2.2.? so.... must try the usb boot but i havent really seen any options to do so...

[ethanf93]

Sawpped the HDD's around today to the one with has 32bit Windows 7 from my own computer. Now it goes through the set up and allows me to press F1 and begins to load the os but suddenly crashes and reboots :confused: Im presuming its cause im loading a 32bit into a 64bit but reading it shouldnt have a problem and i cant update the BIOS from 0.2.9 to 2.2.? so.... must try the usb boot but i havent really seen any options to do so...
That's a good sign if it was able to access the Win7 HDD. Windows AFAIK doesn't react well to being transplanted from one system to another. Your server might not have USB boot, as I understand there are systems which don't support it.

Have you tried swapping in your Win7 HDD and then booting from a Live CD? I understand you weren't able to boot from CD before with the orig. HDD in.

It sounds like the original HDD is dead, if you can get its manufacturers diagnostics CD running you could confirm that.

[Jhcx]

That's a good sign if it was able to access the Win7 HDD. Windows AFAIK doesn't react well to being transplanted from one system to another. Your server might not have USB boot, as I understand there are systems which don't support it.

Have you tried swapping in your Win7 HDD and then booting from a Live CD? I understand you weren't able to boot from CD before with the orig. HDD in.

It sounds like the original HDD is dead, if you can get its manufacturers diagnostics CD running you could confirm that.

Thanks, Will try that tomorrow didnt think to to re run the disc. I dont have any manufactures cd. so i have to do it all off by hand. but im wondering is it possible to update the BIOS without any os on it or should i wait till i can get a OS on it?

[ethanf93]

Thanks, Will try that tomorrow didnt think to to re run the disc. I dont have any manufactures cd. so i have to do it all off by hand. but im wondering is it possible to update the BIOS without any os on it or should i wait till i can get a OS on it?
Check with Dell's website to check for BIOS updates, they might have an ISO available. It should be completely possible to update the BIOS without an OS installed but I recall some companies doing bizarre, bizarre things with their BIOS updates so it might require Windows. Anyways- doesn't look like BIOS is the issue after all so I wouldn't worry about that.

On getting a diagnostics CD for your HDD, go to the website of whatever company made your HDD and look up your HDD model, somewhere there should be an option to download a disk check/diagnostics/something like that ISO.

[Jhcx]

Check with Dell's website to check for BIOS updates, they might have an ISO available. It should be completely possible to update the BIOS without an OS installed but I recall some companies doing bizarre, bizarre things with their BIOS updates so it might require Windows. Anyways- doesn't look like BIOS is the issue after all so I wouldn't worry about that.

On getting a diagnostics CD for your HDD, go to the website of whatever company made your HDD and look up your HDD model, somewhere there should be an option to download a disk check/diagnostics/something like that ISO.

Ya they have a new one out. mine is still set at when it was bought back in '06. Just wondering could the battery be causing problems cause its not saving the date and time after a certain amount of downtime

[TheMatrix]

Im presuming its cause im loading a 32bit into a 64bit
No, that shouldn't be an issue. You can run 32-bit software on 64-bit machines, and you might as well if you have less than or equal to 4GB RAM installed.

That's a good sign if it was able to access the Win7 HDD. Windows AFAIK doesn't react well to being transplanted from one system to another.
That's one of M$'s many "anti-piracy" features.

is it possible to update the BIOS without any os on it or should i wait till i can get a OS on it?
Usually you'd download a floppy disk image, put that on a floppy, and ensure the floppy drive is enabled in the BIOS. The BIOS (should) automatically update it. Be careful, if it fails halfway through, your entire computer is useless and you'll have to wither buy a new motherboard or find a BIOS chip somewhere.

[Jhcx]

Managed to get Ubuntu Desktop 12.04 installed using a USB boot. Ive installed it on the system one of the internal hard drives alongside windows 7 because thats what its picking up. Now It gave me the choice to install on either HDD and i chose the one that came with the server. but i have a funny feeling it still installed on my own personal one. and still not giving me an option to load eith ubuntu or windows 7 without running through the set up telling me SATA port a not found. which means i still have to boot from the USB :(

So im wondering is there a more sever problem do ye think? maybe something faulty with the motherboard. Cause it should be able to pick up the HDD's