Re: SBS2003 New instralaltion onto a Dell POweredge 2900

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Gordon,

To enable cache on your PERC controllers, install the Dell OpenManager Server administrator, and navigate to `virtual disk`, there set cache to `adaptive read-ahead` and `write-back` for all your virtual disks. Then disable caching on the hard disks in the device manager.

For broadcoms....jesus they are a pain. Download pre-latest drivers for them...they are most stable ones.
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/format.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&SystemID=PWE_2900&servicetag=&os=WNET&osl=en&deviceid=2957&libid=5&catid=5&impid=-1&typecnt=0&vercnt=6&releaseid=R164432

Make sure the driver versions for card itself and for VBD driver (system device) are the ones that are mentioned in the download description.


Then, as a MUST for all servers that have broadcoms, the following hotfix HAS to be installed:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948496

That disables Scalable Networking Pack - No. 1 problem of all dell networking subsystem and solves 90% connectivity and stability issues.

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Andrew





"Gordon Keenan" <gordonian@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:FA8D2672-CA0E-4896-9DDD-7928F13CEB68@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Been working on a new installation all weekend and I have to say that this has been one of the worst installs I have ever had in a long time.
I have never experienced so many weird issues with SBS 2003 before so I can only assume that the issues experienced are down to the Dell hardware side of things as well.

The server spec is:
Microsoft Small Business Server R2 2003
PE2900 III - Quad-Core Xeon E5320 1.86GHz/2x4MB 1066FSB
PE2900 III - C4 - RAID 5 PERC5i/6i 3-8 HDD
PERC 6/i Internal RAID Controller Card (256MB cache, battery backup)
PV LTO-2-LT, 200GB, 24MB/s, Internal Tape Drive, HH, 39320A SCSI Controller
4GB 667MHz FBD (4x1GB dual rank DIMMs)
Broadcom TCP/IP Offload Engine functionality (TOE) Enabled

I keep getting errors in the event log about the caching being an issue with drive C: (from what I have read online it would appear SBS is trying to do something to the cache side but the raid card is not allowing it - so possibly in theory the error could be ignored)

EVENT ID 32: The driver detected that the device \Device\Harddisk0\DR0 has its write cache enabled. Data corruption may occur.


If I create a VPN connection to the server then I can connect fine. From there I can log in via remote desktop, etc etc

If I try to access the server directly via remote desktop etc I get either an incomplete login box, and the system times out of a blank grey screen and then it times out.

If I try to go in via: https://ipaddressofserver/remote or https://ipaddressofserver/exchange again it tries to connect but then times out.

In the event log I see the following error:
Failed to load Terminal Server Profile path. Note that the profile path must be less than 256 characters in length. User Name: Administrator Domain: COMPUTERDOMAIN

Now this installation is the same basic install that I have done year in and year out, and I have to say I'm frustrated in what the heck is happening here is a bit of an understatement!

I have been searching for solutions all over the place, and the only thing I came across that does not really fit into anything above, but, I sorta thinking may do.. but with no reason other than blind hope, would be the network cards being used or the drivers? The cards are (and I'm only using one) - Broadcom BCM5708C NetXtreme II GigE (NDIS VBD Client)

If it is the network card, can anyone suggest a way to sort them out? This is new gear and I don't want to have to swap NICs about when the things appear to be working ok otherwise!!!

Typically I have a few users who (tomorrow) will all be looking to do remote work from home tomorrow night (yes I can give them the von workaround PHEW!) but heck I need to know why on earth I cannot get in via the normal routes I use on all the other serves I have out there!!!!

Where's me gun.....

Help and a new set of eyes/brain very much appreciated here people.


G






.

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