Like so much else in my hardware collection, this 19″ computer server from HP with a height of 1U came into my possession as electronic waste. Like all servers with a space-saving design (DL stands for “Density Line”), this one is really very loud when the fans kick in – this is clearly audible every time it boots up before the BIOS POST (only then does the PWM speed control kick in).
An unexpected finding is that when you update the BIOS to a newer version, the “HP Integrated LightsOut iLO 100c” remote management must also be updated accordingly, otherwise the fans will run continuously at full speed and cannot be regulated. The iLO firmware update must be performed via FreeDOS or MS-DOS from a USB stick smaller than 32 GB* (or from a disc that must first be burned for this purpose), as was previously the case with the BIOS update. You first have to know that this is how it works. At first, I assumed that something had to be reconfigured after the BIOS flash and that I just couldn’t find the options.
When I found out that the management solution also had to be updated and that it worked right away, I was relieved and the room became much quieter.
Documentation from HP (“QuickSpecs”)
Here I have included the technical capabilities of this server as a PDF file:
Hardware
The parts for this server are now very cheap because they have long been obsolete. Whenever I came across something suitable, I upgraded it. As a result, the specifications now differ greatly from the original ones (my configuration included one of the weaker dual-core Xeon models and 2 GB of RAM, for example).
At the moment, it has HP’s top-of-the-line quad-core processor, 8 GB ECC RAM, and as many data carriers as SATA-II ports. That’s five, and there are six ports on the board. One of them is occupied by the DVD burner. That works out well: if you subtract the boot drive, you’re left with four ports, which is ideal for two RAID1 arrays of two data carriers each – that’s exactly how I configured the whole thing. I don’t think I need any more than that anyway, after all, the approach is “retro” and “compute,” not “storage.”
The slots for expansion cards are empty.
Operating systems
A triple boot setup consisting of Windows Server 2000, 2003 R2, and 2008 is installed. All are 32-bit and run in parallel on an OEM SATA SSD from Toshiba (MBR). Booting is done via BIOS.
Ideal for running server software from the early 2000s.
Photos
