[CentOS] CentOS on Compaq Proliant Rackmount Servers

Bryan J. Smith <b.j.smith@ieee.org>
Fri, 15 Jul 2005 20:10:02 -0000

From: Robert Hanson <roberth at abbacomm.net>
> Greetings,
> Can anyone relate experience(s) installing CentOS on Compaq rack
> mount servers units please?
> Easy no problem, easy some issues, or ghastly do not do it under any
> circumstances... ;)
> Basically, I'm looking at some used/refurb dual PIII units

Excellent buys for what you get, especially if they have ServerWorks
chipsets with 64-bit x 66MHz PCI or even PCI-X slots.

> and will run RAID on Compaq built in SCSI

Some DL units use software RAID.  Some have i960 microcontroller
SCSI RAID, which is rather pathetic these days.  You won't break
50MBps sustained writes very easily.

> or is it easy to pop in some 3ware SATA in them?

They'll take 3Ware cards in the expansion slots, but they typically
have SCSI SCA bays, not SATA bays.  Check with HP and see if you
can get DL3xx series SATA bays (I assume these are DL3xx series)?

If you're worried about reliability, buy 10,000rpm SATA drives that
typically roll off the same line as their SCSI/FC counterparts.  I'm
fairly sure the 73/146GB WD Raptors are fabbed by Hatachi and
match their specs.

> Let me know in terms of CentOS 3 and/or 4 please.

Have run RHL9/RHEL3 on the DL1xx and 3xx series, no major issues.
It really comes down to the _exact_models_ and _revisions_
(part numbers will do).  Do you have those?