Has anyone attempted to load ESXi 5 on an HP Z620?

[MaldonadoW]

So has anyone attempted to load any version of ESXi onto the HP Z620?

This is a new Workstation that is supposed to be an upgrade from the previous Z600 but it has several enhancements so just wondering if it is supported, since it would make for a cheaper solution than having to buy a Proliant Server...

:smileysilly:

[DonChino · Accepted solution]

Yes, I finally got one of these workstations and they ROCK, since they have USB 3.0 and a bunch of other options but unless you are working for Pixar or someone runnin FULL-ON 3D Modeling software then it is overkill for regular work... :smileysilly:

Anyway, I did not want to just install Windows Server so I decided to try out VMware ESXi on this machine so I could use it as a development server and I can always RDP into my own workspace.

So maybe this will help others, but the HP Z620 works with:

ESXi 5.0

ESXi 5.1

I have loaded both of these versions and they work fine, so feel SAFE buying one as you can eventually off-load it as a makeshift Virtual Host...

I will try to get my hands on a Z800 and Z820 next, muhahaha...

:smileydevil:

[JazzyN]

Hi DonChino,

I have a quick question for you: How you manage to get ESXi 5.0 & 5.1 to load on the HP z620 Workstation box?

I have tried severally without any joy...

I have the ESXi 5.1 iso image on CDROM

When i boot from it, it doesn't find the host HDD...

Did you have to make any BIOS changes?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Cheers,

Jazz

[DonChino]

Whoops, I guess I should mention that the RAID on the HP Z620 is not a REAL hardware (but rather Software) RAID, so ESXi will not see any disks you have in a RAID setup. The HP Z620 uses the Intel C600 chipset and that is the RAID Driver I used to install Windows 2008 R2 on, but then I switched to VMware ESXi to test hosting capabilities, which is when I noticed this problem.

Basically you will have to set your disks to non-RAID and then ESXi works normally or do what I did and install an old LSI 3041E 4-Port SAS 3GB RAID NIC that you have lying around, because this is recognized by ESXi as it is a hardware RAID.

:smileycool:

I am now testing vCenter 5.1 and possibly vCloud soon with a small "cluster" of 3 HP Z620s... Cool stuff...

Oh, and I FINALLY got a hold of an HP Z800 so I will see if that works soon and I spotted an HP Z820 "down the hall" so I might try booting it just to see if it works also, hahahaha...

[JazzyN]

Hi DonChino,

Pardon my late response to say thanks, i will try this out again and see but as far as i'm aware my HP z620 Workstation doesn't have a RAID drive, it's only got one HDD installed on it.

That's why i wondered what was going on with it...

But thanks for your valued time and response...

Regards,

JN

[DonChino]

You might still have the RAID features turned ON though, so next time you boot hit F10 and then go into the BIOS.

Make sure the machine does not have the RAID+AHCI feature turned on, so make this IDE.

Also, you might want to try using the HP ESXi Image although I just used the generic one, but I have not tested the AMT features yet because supposedly you can now manage the HP Z620 like the Proliant servers but I have not tested that feature either.

Working on it now, since I have some old Proliant DL380 G6s and G7s...

:smileycool:

[1EyedBob]

Hi, did you get the chance to test on the HP Z820?

Our providers won't give us the server that we want (on the compatibility list) but they will give us one of these.

Thanks.

[JazzyN]

Hi there,

Yes I did and it's working just fine... Make sure you disable RAID in the bios and it would work fine...

Jazz Nwaiwu, MSc London

+44 791 253 1629

'If its Secret & Elite, then it can't be Good'

Sent from my iPhone

[DavidMWolff]

Hi. I am about to purchase an HP Z 800 and I was wondering if you had gotten ESXi 5.1 running?

Thanks

[DonChino]

If anyone got that post I submitted, then just know I deleted it because I was looking at the wrong machine in vCenter. Whoops...

As for the Z800 and Z820, I will check it out this week or next, since I am rebuilding some hosts and I have some equipment lying around so I will find some time to build a key to test.

I will post my findings when I am done...

[AntonioMR]

Hi DonChino,

Did you test the Z800 with ESXi 5?. I'm thinking to buy a second hand Z800 to virtualize and I need to make sure it is compatible.

Cheers!

[mibrunet0807]

Hey AntonioMR,

I recently picked up an old Z800 and have turned it into a basic home ESXi lab running 5.5.  With the generic install of 5.5 everything appears to be working except sensor information in vSphere.  I am going to install the HP version of 5.5 later this week to see if the sensor information will populate.  For storage, I ended up throwing 2 x HP P410 Hardware Raid Controllers with 2 x Icy Dock 5.25 6 Drive Enclosures running 12 x 320GB 72k SATA drives.  But everythign is working as expected and have been running ~10 VMs for the past month without any issues.

Hope this helps

[MRAntonio]

Hi,

As far as I know the only way to make ESXi load in my Z800 is configuring the IDE mode but, how can I get rid off the IDE mode and get the best of AHCI and SATA? Is there any configuration or do I have to buy a ESXi compatible RAID controller?

Thanks.