Advice on HP SL165Z G7 minimal system build needed

[tim.yoshi]

Hello, I got my hands on HP proliant sl165z G7 system board and like the idea to start it up and use as a kind of an overkill computer. Bought two 6276 opterons, heatsinks. Popped in my regular computer DDR3 RAM two sticks - one per CPU into first (white) A slot of each CPU. Placed heatsinks in place. My board came mounted in it's original case with power distribution board, front panel and some cabling. However I do not have any original PSU lying around and since it have quite standard power connectors I (with some tinkering) connected it to regular computer ATX PSU. There is 24 PIN ATX + 8 CPU pin + 4 CPU pin. I connected all of them (4 pin thru the adapter). Also connected SATA HDD to the ODD SATA socket on the mobo. I thought that I'm ready to go so I double checked each connection, prayed and plugged in the power socket. Some green led's on mobo started to shine, one the front panel power button lighted up in orange. "OK" thought I, "it's time to start up now". And pushed the power button. It colored green, some led's on mobo blinked and HDD started spinning, after some time CPU and some chipset radiators become warm, so I think it's all in kind of working order. BUT - there is nothing on the screen. I connected monitor thru the VGA output. Tried to reset BIOS settings pulling battery for clearing CMOS, but yet no luck.

Any advice on what's I'm missing?

My thought's on this are as follows:
1) This series of boards should accept newer 6200-series Opterons, BUT ONLY after BIOS update. Maybe on this particular board there is an OLD version of BIOS and hence it does not support the 6200- series processors? The pity part here is that a) it seems I can't upgrade it without popping in compatible old 6100-series CPU just in order to see what's going on the screen and command it to upgrade, b) looks like I can't download BIOS upgrade for the HP motherboard because of HP just lowered the resale value of your servers – No more firmware fixes without support contracts - ServeTheHome Awesome!
2) Unsupported type/size of RAM? I'm quite inexperienced in server hardware so maybe there is some special requirements for such a mobo's?
3) Maybe it won't work because of absence of it's native PSU? But that version is unlikely as it is already powering up, led's shining green, HDD spinning and CPU heat's up.
4) I have not connected any fans to the system. Since it is just a test build, kind of proof-of-work, table top bare striped computer because of "oh, look! There is server motherboard! Let's looks how it works" . Maybe mobo can't enter normal working state because of fans absence? But why the hell it still shines green, spin HDD and make some heat out of CPU's and chipset? Why it just not shut down after it realizes there is no FAN?

I will be glad if someone will help me fire it up.

 

[tim.yoshi]

Searching even more it looks like really issue is with the BIOS but still I can't download it from HP, nor I have found it somewhere else.
Maybe someone here with compatible server could share this BIOS update? Or maybe not the latest, but with 6200 compatibility at least? Looks like they added it from version 2011.11.04 ( Drivers & Software - HPE Support Center. ) filename is SP55185.exe
Others are:
2012.02.02 - SP56101.exe
2012.03.01 - SP56712.exe
2012.07.27 - SP58921.exe
and the latest
2012.10.17 - SP59838.exe

Please, anyone?

 

[SeanFi]

Those boards would have taken DDR3 ECC Registered memory, probably PC3-10600R spec. They could be picky about brand, but somehow I doubt that's your problem. If you're using just regular desktop memory, I would change that out first for the real stuff.

For the power, congratulations on getting it to fire up at all since HP can be odd with their power pinouts. Hopefully you did wire it correctly and that's not the issue. Short of actually trying it in a Z6000 or DL165 chassis with PSU I'm not sure how you would troubleshoot that. If you have the entire Z6000 chassis that it goes in, you can just get an HP Common Slot PSU on eBay; they're dirt cheap. If you actually have the standalone server (DL165), some of them used the Common Slot and some used a special PSU.

However, it could very well be a BIOS incompatibility; I can definitely see someone just never updating the firmware/drivers on their machines because what they have works.

HP's practice of withholding updates is annoying, but not impossible to get around. Pick one of their Service Pack for Proliant (SPP) packages, basically an all-in-one disc containing updates for all their systems, from around that time. 2012.06.0 (B) might be a good version to go for since it came out after that update was released, and your server should still have been supported at that time (100 series servers can sometimes lose support quickly). Search around on the web or your favorite file downloading platform and see if you can find the ISO of that release. From that point, boot with an inexpensive 6100 series processor, mount the ISO to a USB drive, and see if you can boot from it.

Hope that helps some!

 

[tim.yoshi]

Thank you for your answer.

Regarding power - it have pretty much standard ATX 24 pin + 8 CPU pin + 4 CPU pin. So wiring it was not a problem at all. Also it had power button so no problem here too. No, I don't have full chasis. As of now it is laying on table within it's original metal frame. And that's it

As of now I got the cheap 6100 series cpu and will try to play with it.

Thanks.

 

[SeanFi]

Did you also check the memory? If the model number looks like PC3-<some number>R (meaning registered) or PC3-<some number>E (meaning unbuffered ECC) you should be ok. If it is just PC3-<some number> or has a U on the end, it is probably the cause of your issue!

Here's the quick-specs for that system, so you can see what memory it will take.
https://www.hpe.com/h20195/v2/getpdf.aspx/c04284493.pdf?ver=14

Good luck.

 

[tim.yoshi]

Ok, i'll try 6100 CPU's first coz I got them in hand now. Will let you/community know if it works with current RAM (I'll add exact model, can't remember now and can't check it).

By the way - I had advice from one guy, that if I'll upgrade the BIOS I'll have to upgrade the onboard iLO 100 too. Otherwise it's possible that they will have kind of bad communication and problems to the whole server if BIOS version will be "too new" and iLO firmware stay old. He recommended to upgrade iLO first (step by step flashing each new available version gradually increasing to the last one) and then proceed to BIOS upgrade. Any thought on this point of view? Sorry, maybe it's quite obvious for the pro, but as I mentioned, I'm quite new to all of this server features.

Thanks.

 

[SeanFi]

Not sure about that specific model, but I've personally never had a problem with updating HP servers even from very old levels. If you do start updating, and use the SPP disc/package, it will update all firmware in the system that it can. It's really meant to be a one-shot deal.

 

[tim.yoshi]

Ok, so here is addition to the story two months after. Unfortunately it still won't start. So far I tried to install Opteron 6100-series CPU's for which it definitelly should have support.
Also I bought HP approved for this exact server RAM. Still no luck! It just won't show nothing on VGA, yet it shines with some led's green, HDD spins and CPU heats.

So far I see only two possible reasons:
1) The thing is not seeing it's original PSU or some power related boards and hence refuses to fire up. (Maybe it's just about shorting some pins on some of the connectors?)
2) The thing is not seeing any fans spinning and hence refuses to fire up.

I really don't know what to try in this case. Here I took small video of my setup and it's "kind of starting" behavior. Maybe somebody outta here will see something obvious that I'm missing. Maybe LED indication will be familiar to someone... I hope so.

Also I tried another approach, but yet without luck - it's BMC (iLO). I was hopping it will clear a little bit what's wrong with it. Upon connecting LAN cable to it and looking at it's IP in the router I can access it's interface over the WEB. But the hell - login/password! Of course I tried standard combos, but no luck. Upon reading the WEB I see that it should be printed on the label that supposed to ship with it, but since it's used item of course there in no labels. Anyone knows how to hack into it? Maybe some way to completely reset it and apply some standard login/password combo? I tried leaving it without power and took battery off for a night - no luck still.

Anyone, please?

 

[SeanFi]

Looking at pictures of the motherboard, and your video above, it has connections that aren't power lines to the power board that's built into the tray (the connections are at the far corner of the motherboard away from processor 1's memory banks, next to the single SFF-8087 port). The service manual labels one of them as "Power Backplane Control Connector." I'm thinking that it's refusing to boot because it's not getting any data from that power board, and likely also lacking data fed to that board about the fans and other environmental variables that are supposed to come from the Z6000 chassis. It looks like the fans don't directly connect to the motherboard in an SL165z. I don't have one of those chassis specifically to test it out for you, but that's my most likely guess since you've got a known good processor and the correct memory installed now. HP stuff is very finicky about environment, and although I'm surprised you don't at least get a POST screen I can see the missing components causing that.

As for the iLO (probably LO100), there are utilities to reset the logon info but they are command line based and require you to atleast be able to boot to a USB drive. Look specifically for LO100 default login info, maybe you can find another set of defaults...

I'm afraid that your best chance is going to be to just bite the bullet and get a Z6000 chassis to get this to work properly. Unfortunately they're not exactly cheap ($175 on eBay for just the chassis with no sleds) but I think that's because they are not common. Another possibility would be if you could find a DL165 G7 chassis; they used the same motherboard.

 

[tim.yoshi]

Ok, so here is update.
I managed to reset the LO100 password - that was easy part - just turn server off, get battery out and engage all of the jumpers near the battery (called "SYS MAINTENANCE"). After that I was able to login with admin/admin. Maybe it will be helpful for anybody.

But the sad part is that I still can't figure out what's wrong. In the LO100 control panel it says... "system normal". It's upgraded to the latest version BTW. System event log is empty and does not not filled with new entries under any circumstances. That's strange. Here is attached screenshots of all the areas of LO100.



What I noticed strange is that after power on it behaves absolutely the same if I place DIMMs in the any sockets or not - all the indication on the board and in the LO100 is the same all the times. When DIMMs are in it doesn't see temperature readings from them from any socket. Processors and DIMMs are tested 100% good.

And one more part - I found pinout for HP's 6 pin fan header and tried to emulate presence of fans supplying two different fan tacho signals to all of the boards fan connectors. And still - behavior doesn't changed and it does not recognize them in BMC - it just shows "no fan". And what is most weird - if I correctly understand logic behind this board it should POWER OFF server if there is two or more fan faults. But it does not. After pressing power button it just shines green. Processors and chipsets do heat up, but BMC (or who is responsible) is not shutting it down. It just doesn't show any output both from the VGA and from virtual KVM console.

 

[James A]

Hello, I got my hands on HP proliant sl165z G7 system board and like the idea to start it up and use as a kind of an overkill computer. Bought two 6276 opterons, heatsinks. Popped in my regular computer DDR3 RAM two sticks - one per CPU into first (white) A slot of each CPU. Placed heatsinks in place. My board came mounted in it's original case with power distribution board, front panel and some cabling. However I do not have any original PSU lying around and since it have quite standard power connectors I (with some tinkering) connected it to regular computer ATX PSU. There is 24 PIN ATX + 8 CPU pin + 4 CPU pin. I connected all of them (4 pin thru the adapter). Also connected SATA HDD to the ODD SATA socket on the mobo. I thought that I'm ready to go so I double checked each connection, prayed and plugged in the power socket. Some green led's on mobo started to shine, one the front panel power button lighted up in orange. "OK" thought I, "it's time to start up now". And pushed the power button. It colored green, some led's on mobo blinked and HDD started spinning, after some time CPU and some chipset radiators become warm, so I think it's all in kind of working order. BUT - there is nothing on the screen. I connected monitor thru the VGA output. Tried to reset BIOS settings pulling battery for clearing CMOS, but yet no luck.

Any advice on what's I'm missing?

My thought's on this are as follows:
1) This series of boards should accept newer 6200-series Opterons, BUT ONLY after BIOS update. Maybe on this particular board there is an OLD version of BIOS and hence it does not support the 6200- series processors? The pity part here is that a) it seems I can't upgrade it without popping in compatible old 6100-series CPU just in order to see what's going on the screen and command it to upgrade, b) looks like I can't download BIOS upgrade for the HP motherboard because of HP just lowered the resale value of your servers – No more firmware fixes without support contracts - ServeTheHome Awesome!
2) Unsupported type/size of RAM? I'm quite inexperienced in server hardware so maybe there is some special requirements for such a mobo's?
3) Maybe it won't work because of absence of it's native PSU? But that version is unlikely as it is already powering up, led's shining green, HDD spinning and CPU heat's up.
4) I have not connected any fans to the system. Since it is just a test build, kind of proof-of-work, table top bare striped computer because of "oh, look! There is server motherboard! Let's looks how it works" . Maybe mobo can't enter normal working state because of fans absence? But why the hell it still shines green, spin HDD and make some heat out of CPU's and chipset? Why it just not shut down after it realizes there is no FAN?

I will be glad if someone will help me fire it up.

 

[James A]

Last year, as a brain exercise I wanted to relearn building a server/v-server/website. I bought an HP 6000 Series Blade Server with 2 HP proliant sl165z G7's (2 x 8-Core 5162 Opteron Processors in each, plus 8GB SDRAM DIMM PC3-10600R (DDR3-1333), no hard drives). It was upgraded with two Matched Pairs of AMD Opteron 6176 SE 12-Core CPU (2.3GHz) processors (24-cores)/94GB HP RAM each.

I am also having problems installing an OS (Linux or Server 2008 R2), makes no difference. The USB DVD/Blu Ray drive is recognized, but is not booting/reading the HP Prolient Software and Easy Setup CD (Check Sum=OK). Says to remove any discs that have no OS (So I take it those include the internal 2 x 500GB's inside the sl165z G7's).

Q. In the set up, which boot device do I set the USB DVD device as Primary Boot.

And yes, I do share your frustration with HP for no longer providing any support without a Service Contract. I have always been fiercely loyal to HP, so it hurts, especially as I spent two decades as a computer engineer in the 80's and 90's, attended countless HP courses, maintained an array of HP Products (From HP 250 series of desktop and business computers, HP9000 series Unix (HP-UX)servers, to Inkjet and laser printers, home/heavy-duty Plotters/Printers and Medical equipment).

 

[Danil Bilousov]

hello, and did you know the pinout of front panel header of dl165 g7 motherboard? Have one this too, but there is some problems like onboard bios chip is absent, can anyone link me to backup of bios flash? And another - is this MB requires CPU in CPU1 slot(if only 1 cpu installed)?

 

[tim.yoshi]

hello, and did you know the pinout of front panel header of dl165 g7 motherboard? Have one this too, but there is some problems like onboard bios chip is absent, can anyone link me to backup of bios flash? And another - is this MB requires CPU in CPU1 slot(if only 1 cpu installed)?

1) It's front panel pinout is not that simple. It's not like binding two pins together to make it start. There is a PCB for a front panel and I guess it's more complicated then just simple wiring. Maybe some I2C communication or something similar. I tried to replicate the behavior or just find out which pins are responsible for firing up the thing, but unsuccessfully.

2) Here is link to some of the BIOS version I got for it (DL165 G7, SL165s G7, SL165z G7 ROM flash component - 2012.10.17(A) [USB key] (SP59838) ) as well as LO100 (predecessor of iLo) ROMs + it's maintenance manual and some insights I got about BIOS update from one user I had communicated to. From my experience I tried to break BIOS update but any way (even cut off power during the update) I tried it - I was able to easily restore it or update to the version I have in the above files. So it is pretty much bulletproof in terms of update. So good luck, I guess you will be able to fire it up.

3) Dunno exactly about empty CPU1, but I guess that NO - in case you want it to work with one CPU, it should be CPU1. But that is easy to test, isn't it?

 

[Danil Bilousov]

3) Dunno exactly about empty CPU1, but I guess that NO - in case you want it to work with one CPU, it should be CPU1. But that is easy to test, isn't it?

Not so easy, as I understand, mb have a second (reserve) bios flash. and on my mb socket of cpu1 is little broken(some legs of socket).
For pinout of front panel - I have a dl146 g2, with socket 940 and atx power, and it's funny, but I find the pinout of power button even without any manuals.

 

[tim.yoshi]

Not so easy, as I understand, mb have a second (reserve) bios flash. and on my mb socket of cpu1 is little broken(some legs of socket).
For pinout of front panel - I have a dl146 g2, with socket 939 and atx power, and it's funny, but I find the pinout of power button even without any manuals.

1) Yeah, I got the same problem with bad legs of socket. Was able to fix it with needle and microscope.

2) It differs hugely from motherboard to motherboard. Some are very easy, some are not.

 

[Danil Bilousov]

Hi, can you write here a model of bios flash module, and give me a bios dump? Thanks.

 

[Danil Bilousov]

BTW, I have an HP distribution with all files(BIOSes, drivers) from 2012, as I understand, but I can't find there files you asking. Maybe some another name of file? There is 52Gb...

 

[Danil Bilousov]

1) Yeah, I got the same problem with bad legs of socket. Was able to fix it with needle and microscope.

2) It differs hugely from motherboard to motherboard. Some are very easy, some are not.

And do you know, is this motherboard with ATX power pinout or not?