Re: Hello Again: HP Alpha Server and OS install

From: Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER (peter_at_langstoeger.at)
Date: 09/24/05

  • Next message: GM: "Re: Hello Again: HP Alpha Server and OS install" 
    Date: 24 Sep 2005 22:30:47 +0100

    In article <S1hZe.269453$HI.248202@edtnps84>, "GM" <logquality@hotmail.com> writes:
    >The Model of the Server I have is the HP Alpha Server 800 5/333
    >
    >It is a 333mhz cpu and has 128mb memory with 2* 9.1G scsi drives and 1* 4G
    >scsi drive.

    A good system for OpenVMS ;-)

    >The BIOS identifies as 5.69 version and has the Options to install WinNT,
    >OPENvms and True64.

    OpenVMS, Tru64.
    And don't forget Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, FreeBSD, VxWorks and so on

    Firmware for the AlphaServer 800 is located here

            http://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/archive/as800.html

    Its version is numbered after the SRM. V5.8 (which is the last version for
    the AS800) does contain ARC/AlphaBIOS V5.70 - so you could upgrade (but you
    don't need to as the only change seem to be for the KZPCC-CE RAID ctrl)...

            http://ftp.digital.com/pub/DEC/Alpha/firmware/readmes/archive/as800/

    >I have a copy of Windows NT 3.1 that I p2p'd and I burned it as an ISO. I
    >ran a successful install on my desktop system as a test.

    Desktop ? You mean a WINTEL toy ?
    Binaries for INTEL and Alpha (and PowerPC and MIPS) are different of course.
    So that does not qualify as a test for a good/errorfree/working media...

    >The problem with the install seems to be:
    >
    >#1 Me (a total newb to anything other than recent Amd and Intel systems)

    Ok. Here is a good place to start.
    And if you are familiar with newsgroups you can RTF FAQ of this group
    and of the COMP.OS.VMS as well

            http://www.hp.com/go/openvms/faq/

    http://www.windows.digital.com/ was the original site but is no longer
    maybe http://www.alphant.com and some (very few) other sites will help you...

    >#2 The BIOS/ARC/SRM

    ARC is the "BIOS" (yes, with an INTEL binary compatible system) for use
    with M$ Windows NT (3.0, 3.1, 3.5, 3.51, 4.0 and 5.0RC1, 5.0RC2) and Linux.

    SRM is the console software for use with OpenVMS and Tru64 UNIX (and others).

    >#3 Me

    Ask again, learn, and don't give up too early. And don't forget to try OpenVMS.

    >#4 Perhaps I should just get a copy of NT 4.0(is it a different build for
    >Alpha?)

    Yes, it is. But IIRC it was located on the same 4.0 CD in another directory.
    (with V5.0 RCx it was on another - IIRC MSDN - CD). And yes, start with V4.0

    >#5 I can get into BIOS but have no idea what ARC and SRM is...and how to
    >access them.

    ARC and AlphaBIOS is the same. SRM is a different console program.

    You can switch from SRM to ARC/AlphaBIOS with a >>>SET OS_TYPE NT
    (or something like that) and a repower of the system. And you can switch
    back from ARC/AlphaBIOS to SRM by some (sub or subsub) menu entry (use F2
    to enter the Setup Mode of ARC/AlphaBIOS) and again a repower of the system
    (factory default - or with an empty BIOS battery - seems to be ARC/AlphaBIOS).

    You may need to switch to SRM for an Alpha F/W upd but I'm not sure on that...

    >#6 Using the "Install Windows NT" option in the BIOS it does not recognise
    >my burned winNT 3.1 disk

    You need also the HAL CD first.
    I remember to have used 4 or 5 (HAL, Graphic and Sound Driver, and so on)
    different CDs and diskettes and only one of them was the original
    M$ WinNT 4.0 CD which I all got with my PWS433au (with a PowerStorm 4D50T)
    and also downloaded from the web because of newer versions.

    Better forget 3.1 alltogether. There you might not find a HAL now at all...

    And consider also, that older CD-ROM drives do not recognize self burned
    media (where current CD-ROMs have absolutely no problem with). Better try
    original CDs and/or a newer drives also...

    >Upon an unsucessful attempt to install an OS, I will proceed to PLAN B.

    Which is ? OpenVMS ? Fine...

    But modify Plan A to start with NT4 or NT5 RCx instead of V3.1 ... 

    -- 
Peter "EPLAN" LANGSTOEGER
Network and OpenVMS system specialist
E-mail  peter@langstoeger.at
A-1030 VIENNA  AUSTRIA              I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist
  • Next message: GM: "Re: Hello Again: HP Alpha Server and OS install"

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