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Installing Server 2012 on PowerEdge T110 II in Raid Mode
I am trying to install Windows Server 2012 on a PowerEdge T110 II that I just purchased. No software and driver utility disks came with the computer! When I try to install Windows straight from the OS Install disk it tells me that some drivers are missing however it does not list any specific ones missing to know what is lacking! The message reads: "A media driver your computer needs is missing. This could be a DVD, USB or hard drive disk driver. If you have a CD, DVD, or USB flash drive with the driver on it, please insert it now...."
I read in your Microsoft Windows Server 2012_Installation Instructions User's Guide_en-us document that I needed OpenManage 7.2 which supports installing Windows Server 2012 OS. I got the ISO of OpenManage 7.2.0 A01 from your website and burned it to a DVD. I started the computer with this DVD and was able to get to Dell Systems Build and Update Utility. From there I went to Configure Against Server OS Installation. It provides a list of supported OS. Windows server 2008 and 2011 are listed but not 2012!
When I go into the BIOS (PERC S100, version 2.2.3) and change the SATA settings to ATA and run OpenManage and go to Dell Systems Build and Update Utility and Configure Against Server, this time Windows Server 2012 shows up and I'm able to proceed further until it gets to 100% complete and reboots. I insert Server 2012 install DVD during reboot and it states "Valid Operating system installation media was found. Press "OK" to start install." A system Build and Update Utility message appears that states: "The Temporary Partition will be removed. If an error is encountered during the operating system install, you will need to use the Systems Build and Update Utility to restart the install process." I press OK and get an Install Windows message that states: "The file "autorun.dll" could not be loaded or is corrupt. Setup cannot continue. Error code is [0xC1]" I burned the OS DVD from a Microsoft ISO. I have read that perhaps the DVD needs to be burned differently and at a slower speed. That may resolve this last issue (don't know yet), but I actually would like to setup this computer in RAID mode anyway and first I need to resolve the following question:
1) Is it even possible to install Windows Server 2012 with Raid Configuration on this hardware? If yes, how? The OpenManage-->Dell Systems Build and Update Utility-->Configure Against Server does not list Server 2012 unless the SATA setting is not set to RAID!!!
2) When I configure the same computer with Server 2012 as the Operating System installed on Dell.com's Configure and Buy site, it gives a configuration error that says "Errors: Microsoft 2012 options selected from Operating System require Microsoft 2012 Media." When I pick/check "Windows Server® 2012, Foundation Edition, Media Kit" the error goes away. Do I need this media kit? Is this what is causing the issue with the install? And where do I get this missing component?
Any guidance you can give me or reference to appropriate material/docs to help out would be greatly appreciates as I have spent/wasted several days trying to get this server's OS installed! Thank you.
XDeus
10 Posts
1
February 5th, 2013 11:00
I am running into the same problem. I don't know why Dell is making new servers with old components that can not handle the latest server OS, especially when they have a newer component that will work (PERC S110). Perhaps they have a lot of older boards on their shelves that they are trying to get rid of.
Anyway, I found in another thread that someone used the PERC S100 driver for Server 2008 and it worked for them. I just tried it out and it is installing, but I'm not sure if the old driver will cause problems with Server 2012 later on down the road of if Dell developers were too busy to test out and certify the old driver with the new OS. It may be worth it to give it a try, do a search for the following: DELL_MULTI-DEVICE_A05_R294489.exe
theflash1932
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16.3K Posts
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February 5th, 2013 11:00
The T110 II is almost two years old, so yes, compared to the 12G systems, it is using older hardware (I suspect the T110 II's replacement is due out soon). The S100/S110 is a special implementation of Intel's onboard RAID, so the S110 is not an option on the older boards that have the S100.
ftp.dell.com/.../DELL_MULTI-DEVICE_A05_R294489.exe
Good luck.
XDeus
10 Posts
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February 5th, 2013 13:00
Yes, I installed Server 2012 with the 2008 driver in RAID mode. Everything is working great so far. I didn't want to install in non-RAID mode because I was in the same boat as you and ordered two drives for RAID 1. Use the link that theflash1932 posted for the S100 2008 driver.
aatux
1 Message
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May 7th, 2013 05:00
Thank you theflash1932.
It worked with me on Dell 110 II.
sanjayman
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May 8th, 2013 00:00
Thanks theflash1932
Keyatx
8 Posts
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February 4th, 2013 10:00
Thank you for the reply Chris! That's disappointing especially since I do not see any reference to it on the configuration website! Had I known this, I wouldn't have ordered two 1TB hard drives and would have just bought one hard drive! Can you kindly send me a link to the actual or specific product hardware Raid Controller on dell's website so that I can order it or decide if it's worth it. I could not find it on the shopping site. If I decide to forget about setting it as Raid, can I at least install OS 2012 in ATA or AHCI mode or do I basically need the hardware raid controller as long as I want to install OS 2012? Thank you again for your help!
DELL-Chris H
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February 4th, 2013 10:00
Keyatx,
The issue you are having is due to the 2012 OS not supporting the S100 controller. You would need to add a hardware raid controller (H200) in order to use Server 2012.
Let me know if this answers your question.
theflash1932
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February 4th, 2013 11:00
Hardware RAID is not required to install 2012 ... you should be able to disable the S100 RAID an install with no RAID.
Keyatx
8 Posts
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February 4th, 2013 12:00
Thanks for the reply. Is there an option to buy PERC H200 from Dell separately (since I have received the server already and I had ordered it without an OS... clearly I missed this requirement!)?
theflash1932
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February 4th, 2013 12:00
www.scsi4me.com/product_info.php
www.impactcomputers.com/u039m.html
Or you can call Dell Spare Parts.
Keyatx
8 Posts
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February 4th, 2013 14:00
I just ordered the controller from Dell Spare Parts. I hope this resolves the problem! Thank you for you help.
Keyatx
8 Posts
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February 5th, 2013 11:00
I completely agree with you and was disappointed as such! Especially since I didn't see any reference to this limitation unless I had picked an operating system first (which I didn't since I was configuring the computer without a preinstalled OS). I was actually trying to install OS 2003 initially and it didn't install and I can understand that since it is pretty old! I can't expect them to support that old of an OS even though it would be nice to be backward compatible! I was forced to buy another OS and I decided I might as well buy the latest (2012) only to find out that it is not supported unless you buy the H200 hardware controller which I have ordered since again! I am not happy to have wasted a couple of weeks trying to figure this out and paying for extra components and software after fact. Had I known these limitations upfront, I could have made a better decision and not waste so much time and be delayed this much! But, too late for that. I will be happy when it's all over and I can actually use the server that has so far been a nice and expensive paper weight!
Keyatx
8 Posts
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February 5th, 2013 11:00
XDeus, additionally, are you installing OS 2012 with server 2008 drivers in RAID mode? I tried installing OS 2012 in nonRAID mode and it works that way, but that was not what I want to ultimately do. I definitely want to configure the dual drive in Raid 1 mode to have extra protection against a possible hard drive failure and why I ended up buying the H200 hardware controller. Thanks for the reference and reply.
Keyatx
8 Posts
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February 5th, 2013 19:00
Awesome. That's good to know. I will give it a try until my RAID controller arrives early next week. Thanks.
Keyatx
8 Posts
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February 7th, 2013 15:00
I was able to install Sever 2012 in RAID mode by installing the 2008 drivers using Dell Systems Build and Update Utility just as XDeus had said and everything seemed to be working! It makes me wonder if I even needed the H200 controller especially since I just received the H200 controller and installed it on the motherboard and nothing seemed to be different except that during boot it showed there's a 6Gbps SAS controller and the option to enter the settings through Ctrl+C which if pressed lists PERC H200A adapter in PCI 01. This leads me to believe that H200 is installed and recognized on the board. Just to see what difference it makes, I wiped the hard disks and attempted to build the server again by going to OpenManage-->Dell Systems Build and Update Utility-->Configure Against Server and it still does NOT list Server 2012 as an option! When I go further by picking Server 2008, the "Select RAID Configuration" step shows the device as PERC S100. Can someone please tell me if PERC S100 suppose to show and be used when H200 is installed? Or do I need to somehow disable PERC S100 in BIOS SATA settings or somewhere else for H200 to take control? Thank you!