Install Intelligent Provisioning Gen9
Sanny Olafeso
I have access to a new Proliant Gen9 DL380 (BIOS v2.42) with ILO 4 v2.50 (Intelligent Provisioning v2.50) installed and I've tried to use HPE Intelligent Provisioning to install RedHat 7.4 from an ISO image on ILO virtual media. I can see the ISO image listed and select it but if I attempt to install from it, then it initially scans and then says "Unable to find any available media". The same thing happens if I try to install from a RedHat 7.3 image but if I select a RedHat 7.2 image it seems to work OK. I know both images are good.
My assumption is that RedHat 7.3 and 7.4 are not supported by ILO v2.50 - is that correct? Assuming it is then my next step was to try to do a server firmware update in the hope that the system will be upgraded to the latest versions (ILO v2.53 and Intelligent Provisioning v2.60). However when selecting "Firmware Update" from the Maintenance menu I get a message "Unable to contact update server" and a message saying that the site "hp.com" can't be contacted. This URL seems to be hard-coded when using the "HPE Web Site" System Software Update option but presumably it should now be connecting to a "hpe.com" website.
Does anyone have any thoughts on how I can point to the right update server to allow me to upgrade and then do the installation of RedHat 7.4? I really want to use Intelligent provisioning as it allows me the remote management automation I need.
Maybe I didn't use the right terminology. By "remote management automation" I just meant the ability to use Intelligent Provisiioning itself to do remote OS installations. I need to get IP working to install the latest RedHat versions rather than use something else.
You don't really need IP to do remote installation, for Linux I've used PXE along with the Scripting Toolkit to automate everything. Pxe boot into the tolkit and run a series of bash scripts using the tools in the toolkit to configure RBSU, iLO and RAID settings, then I carve out a small partition on the drive to land the OS installer and reboot on the disk to do a network kickstart/autoyast/seed installation. You can use this and/or just a combination of iLO remote console and the OS media to do the installation. Personally I find the IP assisted Linux installation a bit to restrictive for my needs
Thanks for the reply. I know there are other ways of doing the remote installation but IP is the method we have to use in our test lab environment so I'm trying to get the latest version (i.e. 2.60) as I need to get this sorted. I agree it can be a bit restrictive for Linux but when it works it's OK for our purpose.
Upgrading HP Intelligent provisioning(IP), the system turned off. After that I couldn't start IP using F10, I've tried to re-install/upgrade it via CD-ROM (according to HP trouble shooting website), the process ends successfully but still noway to start intelligent provisioning and it restarts the system.
I haven't encountered this before, but I did receive a random call and email from HP support last month informing that they would be sending me instructions on how to reinstall and upgrade the Intelligent Provisioning software:
Dear Valued Customer: This letter is in response to your request for instructions to re-install HP Intelligent Provisioning (IP) on HP ProLiant Gen8-series servers, Storage and Networking products. Instructions to create a bootable DVD with the IP image are provided on the HP Intelligent Provisioning recovery media download site under the Installation Instructions tab. Note: The DVD can be used multiple times and on all HP ProLiant Gen8-series servers, Storage and Networking products. HP Intelligent Provisioning recovery media Version 1.61 (16 Sep 2014): -b23c0288447c48afa543a41de9
Please note the Intelligent Provisioning Recovery Media DVD may be remotely mounted using iLO Virtual Media functionality, in order to reinstall Intelligent Provisioning. Additional information is available in the Integrated Lights-Out iLO4 User Guide at the following URL regarding how to mount an ISO image (federated or un-federated) and perform basic virtual media operations. Reference Pages 189 and 223-237. -ext/kmcsdirect/emr_na-c03334051-11.pdf
Just in case it helps anyone, I was getting "Error flashing the nvram" trying to reinstall Intelligent Provisioning on a DL380p Gen 8 (latest BIOS and ILO firmware installed), using any of the recovery ISO images. Resetting the nvram in hardware or software made no difference and no errors were reported in the ILO pages. In the end, I was able to get it installed by booting into a Linux OS and running the rpm package as described here. The Linux package worked for me where everything else had failed... _us_v2/s_reinstalling_from_rpm.html
This quick start guide outlines the steps required to install and begin managing the ClearOS server. It assumes the user is familiar with software installation principles and has a basic understanding of computer hardware and networking.
ClearOS is a computer (server) operating system (OS) that provides enterprise-level network security and application services to the Small/Medium-sized Business (SMB) market. It allows an organization to protect against incoming threats, enforce ongoing policy, and be more productive through the use of integrated services.This guide outlines the steps required to install and begin managing the ClearOS server on an HPE ProLiant server. It assumes the user is familiar with software installation principles and has a basic understanding of computer hardware and networking.
The hardware required depends on what resource demands are placed on your HPE ProLiant server. For example, providing proxy and website content filtering to 50 users requires higher processor and memory requirements than a system running a simple firewall. The following general guidelines can be used for estimating your system requirements:
For HPE ProLiant servers that do not have ClearOS preloaded, ClearOS is available for download through Intelligent Provisioning. This step focuses on the options available for installing ClearOS through HPE Intelligent Provisioning. The time to complete these steps is dependent upon download connection speeds.
The ClearOS Marketplace, allows you to quickly find and install the apps your system needs. With ClearCenter and the ClearOS Marketplace, your server is transformed into a smart server that you can depend on for years to come. The ClearOS Marketplace delivers powerful apps and services at the click of a button. Continue to check back to the Marketplace to see what new integration options are available as new apps are being written all the time by third-party application developers and open source geniuses.
Intelligent Provisioning is a single-server deployment tool embedded in ProLiant Gen9 servers and HPE Synergy compute modules that replaces the SmartStart CDs and Smart Update Firmware DVD used with previous generations of ProLiant servers. Intelligent Provisioning simplifies server setup, providing a reliable and consistent way to deploy servers.
The user has several options for their source media: physical DVD or iLO virtual media, network share, FTP site, USB Key, or Installation from the web. Most users will select USB Key or installation Installation from the web. Installation from the web requires the server be connected to a live internet connection. If you select Installation from the web and the server is connected to the internet, clicking the forward arrow to the next step will initiate the downloading of ClearOS from one of the 13 mirrored sites around the world.
If this is your configuration and you boot ClearOS, you should be able to manage the rest of the installation process at the following URL: :81.Installation Modes and Optional Network installation detailsClearOS supports different modes. You can use ClearOS as a simple server that participates on your network or you can use ClearOS on your server to provide gateway services like firewall and content filtration to all your devices. Your choice to do one or the other is not a final decision and you can always change the mode later.
You need to identify your network interfaces. If you configure them and they are connected to the network, you can see from the graphical console which is which. If you are using a headless option and cannot connect to the management IP address, try switching the cable to see if you get an IP address on the 172.22.22.x network and if you can navigate to the Webconfig management address listed below.
If ClearOS came preinstalled on your server, it will attempt to setup a default network configuration. There are two ways to get your system configured quickly if ClearOS is pre-installed. If ClearOS is not pre-installed, use the second method:
1. With pre-installed ClearOS servers from HPE, the last interface (if you have more than one) is configured with a static IP address and is also configured to hand out addresses to anything plugged into it. You can connect a computer or laptop with your favorite browser and simply use this to get going quickly. This is by far the fastest method for deployment. Simply power on the server and connect an Ethernet Cable between the server and your laptop or desktop computer. Once the server is fully booted you will be able to navigate your web browser to the following IP address: :81.
2. The first interface will be configured for DHCP and plugging it into your existing network where you have DHCP already configured will automatically obtain an address from your DHCP server. You can find out what that address is from your DHCP server (headless method) or you can look at the console when you first boot. The address will be listed there with the headless URL that you MUST use to complete the setup. If your DHCP server gave the address of 192.168.20.20, for example, you would configure your server from that same network to which it is attached using your favorite browser on your PC, laptop, or mobile device at: :81.
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