Intel NUC: Wall Mount Monitor And NUC

We initially had a bit of a puzzle as to how to mount both a monitor and the Intel NUC on the same wall mount monitor arm.

In the end the solution proved to be quite simple.

As seen above we took the stock Intel NUC mounting plate and attached it on top of the Ergotron's mounting plate using the Erogotron supplied mounting screws. The Intel supplied screws were a bit too short to pass through both mounting plates.

The finished product looks like this:

It will be used as a training station for our client. The keyboard and mouse are wireless so they can sit or stand anywhere in the area to work on the machine.

Philip Elder
Microsoft Cluster MVP
MPECS Inc.
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen ASP Project
Find out more at
Third Tier: Enterprise Solutions for Small Business

Flash Multiple Intel or LSI RAID and SAS HBAs Together

We ran into a bit of a question mark around updating the SAS HBAs (Host Bus Adapters) in our Scale-Out File Server nodes. The question being how do we update all of the SAS HBAs in the server without having to take things a part physically.

When looking at the HBA.NSH file that comes with the firmware update for EFI Shell we see the default command line in the batch:

• sas2flash -f Intel\gb.fw -b mptsas2.rom -b x64sas2.rom

A quick search on the SAS2Flash utility and we found the LSI manual here:

• LSI SAS2Flash Utility Quick Reference Guide (Direct link to PDF)

In the guide we find what we need:

• sas2flash -fwall Intel\gb.fw -b mptsas2.rom -b x64sas2.rom

Once we power cycled through POST and CTRL+C into the HBA BIOS we saw:

Happiness is not having to pull apart the server systems to update things one at a time!

Philip Elder
Microsoft Cluster MVP
MPECS Inc.
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen ASP Project
Find out more at
Third Tier: Enterprise Solutions for Small Business

Intel Modular Server – Setting up Untagged VLANs for Dedicated Compute NIC Port to External Port Must Do

We followed these instructions to set up a dedicated external port for each Compute Module NIC as we have several physical networks to work with (lab and management).

• Intel Support: Intel Modular Server: One VLAN per Compute Module, and one VLAN per external port

The catch was after completing the settings on Switch 1 everything kept working but once Switch 2’s Save Settings button was clicked on packets stopped flowing in and out of the IMS switches.

We did not, however, figure out exactly what was going on until we ran through the setup process a number of times as it turned out that one of the mezzanine network adapters has a faulty port thus contributing to the confusion.

After running through the setup process a few times we were able to replicate the problem consistently.

A call into Intel Channel Support and about 45 minutes with Christian and we had the answer:

Disable Span Tree for the external ports.

1. Click on Configure Ports
2. Change the Spanning Tree setting for the VLAN dedicated external ports
• 
3. Click Apply
4. Click on Switch 2
5. Repeat

Once we had the above two steps complete:

All four NICs showed green and our setup went live without a hitch.

We have one Compute Module running as DC and two others as Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V nodes for a 2012 failover cluster.

We then have two Intel Server System SR1695GPRX2AC 1U single socket servers tied to a Promise VTrak E610sD that are running Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 set up as Hyper-V nodes for a 2008 R2 cluster.

Now that we have this networking problem figured out we can move on to our work!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Updating the Intel Modular Server from v6.5 to v6.8 Involves Taking the Storage Controllers Offline

We are in the process of updating the firmware on our Intel Modular Server from v6.5 to v6.8 on our way up to v6.10.

When we uploaded the file using Modular Server Control (MSC) we came to the point where the firmware would not go any further before we reset the Storage Controllers into Safe Mode.

The process of flipping the two Storage Controllers into Safe Mode takes about five to ten minutes with a few CONFIRM steps required.

Once they are offline, we are able to move on with our firmware updates:

Given that storage is offline this particular update will need to be run after hours. A backup is mandatory for any servers whether physical or virtual prior to running this update (we only back up the guests in the case of a Hyper-V Failover Cluster).

IE10 is a waste of time. IE9 in Compatibility Mode with the MSC in Trusted Sites will work for the most part. Third Party browser may be the best option for this process.

Note that the IMS will go into Limp Mode once the first SCM goes offline. That means that hearing protection should be worn during the process.

The update process can take anywhere from 40 to 60 minutes to complete. Please budget time for this process accordingly.

Intel Modular Server Support:

• IMS Unified Firmware Update file versions for all IMS versions

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Intel Server Configurator Tool – Excellent Rework

We edited the previous post with this content, but here it is:

The Configurator now has a similar grid to its pre-Silverlight days where we now see a simple grid with product features and an actual picture of the product.

This is a _huge_ step in the right direction for us!

Oh, the the linked documentation directly below the product is HUGE! Product research steps just took a huge step forward in efficiency.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Intel Server Configurator Tool – Registration Required

We use the Intel Server Configurator Tool _a lot_ for our on-premises Intel Server Systems configurations.

So, we were a little more than surprised to see the following this morning:

We clicked the “Not Registered” link as our Intel Reseller username and password did not work and finally ended up here:

Okay, so registration is required. What could this mean? Well, since the tool has been open to the public for many years now it is hard to say at this point.

But, one thing is pretty clear: Intel wants to know a bit more about the folks using the tool.

EDIT: Meh ... hit SEND too quickly. :S

For those of us that have used this tool for a long time we will get a pleasant surprise once we click into the wizard:

Instead of a hard-to-read text based description of each product line we can finally see a nice grid with pictures of each product. This is how the Configurator used to look before Silverlight took over.

This is definitely a step in the right direction! :D

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Intel Announces the End-Of-Life for the Intel Modular Server Platform

Bummer ...

• Intel Product Change Notification: 112168-00: IMS Compute and Chassis (link to PDF)

Wow, we had a good run with the IMS platform.

It was the platform we build our first Hyper-V failover cluster on.

It was the platform where we learned what VLANs do, Trunking means, and how to configure centralized storage for shared access.

We have done _a lot_ of testing on this platform, Hyper-V cluster deploys, and so much more. We have had the fortune to have been in touch with folks from all around the world that reached out to us for assistance with their IMS questions.

We do see some neat changes coming down the pipe including a new Intel Storage System JBOD2224S2DP platform that is perfect for Windows Server 2012 Storage Spaces and VHDX delivered via SMBv3 to Hyper-V Failover Cluster setups. The new Intel Server System R1208JP4OC 1U single socket unit looks to be a perfect fit for entry level nodes with the ability to tie in two SAS HBAs for redundancy.

So, time to move on with our individual node configurations utilizing Promise, IBM, and now we are even looking at Dell MD3220 smart storage as an option.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

We don't like physically moving servers. Period.

Over the years we have learned may lessons. One of the particularly valuable ones is that we prefer to not move a server once it has been in production.

This particular server is an Intel Server System R2208GZ4GC 2U that has been online for about 90 days.

The server was moved just recently to their new location.

Things went well after firing the server up and bringing services online but today, after being online this last weekend, we came in to some errors.

The status indicator was blinking red. In the Intel Active System Console indicated that we had two error conditions in place:

• Warning: Memory Channel G1 disabled due to ECC fail.
• Critical: Blower 2 not present.

After opening the top we could see the above. We re-seated the fan with nothing happening.

So, since we were going to be removing the air duct to get at the memory we went on to check the fan power connector and sure enough it was loose.

We moved the memory stick into another channel to see if we were having a board issue or the memory was faulty.

When we booted the server up we received the three BIOS POST beeps that indicated faulty memory. Sure enough, the little red light followed the problematic stick. But this time we had two fault conditions.

After a few memory channel swaps to figure things out we ended up with the following:

A call into Kingston support and we had an RMA and an advanced swap set up for the problematic sticks. Their support and RMA process has always been consistently good.

In the end it is our preference that once a server has entered service it never gets touched until it is heading for the recycling bin.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Chef de partie in the SMBKitchen
Find out more at
www.thirdtier.net/enterprise-solutions-for-small-business/

Windows Live Writer

Desktop Board BIOS Flash Initiated Within Windows – Caveat

When flashing a desktop board with TXT (Trusted Execution Technology) enabled in the BIOS an update to the BIOS initiated within Windows will fail.

Prior to initiating the BIOS update reboot and disable TXT then run the update.

Once the update has completed and the system has finished its post update boot shut the system down. Pull the power and let it sit for a minute.

Power the system up and F2 or DEL into the BIOS. Verify that the update did not change any of the settings and enable TXT.

We enable TXT before installing the operating system by default. We also make sure the drive mode is set to AHCI.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Windows Live Writer

Intel Desktop Board 7 Series BIOS Update Caveats – Important

We’ve been building a lot of our corporate desktop systems based on the Intel DQ77KB and the Core i5-3470S with either an 80GB or 120GB Intel 320 Series SSD installed.

We normally finish of a system install with the most recent BIOS update and then a run through the settings post update boot.

This last board stopped dead during the reboot to BIOS update process.

A call into Intel and we discovered why (from their support technician’s e-mail we requested):

In this particular case, for the 7 Series Chipset based motherboards like the Intel® Desktop Board DQ77KB it is extremely necessary to have the BIOS 0044 before applying the latest version. This is because BIOS 0044 contains the update version 8.1.2.1318 for the Intel® Management Engine which corrects possible problems with USB3.0 front panel headers.

All of the Intel® 7 Series Chipset Based motherboards require this Intel® Management Engine firmware update so here is a list of the required BIOS version to accomplish this fix based on the motherboard number:

Motherboard model BIOS with the Management Engine firmware update

DP75EN 0039

DH77DF / DH77KC 0102

DH77EB 0096

DQ77KB 0044

DQ77CP / DQ77MK 0052

DZ75ML-45K 0010

DZ77BH-55K 0093

DZ77GA-70K / DZ77RE-75K 0057

DZ77SL-50K 0089

You can continue updating the BIOS version once you have reached the one having the Management Engine firmware update

As we can see, we need to step our BIOS updates.

UPDATE: Put “77” in the original title. Corrected to “7 Series”.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Windows Live Writer

Intel Desktop Board DQ77KB Slim Mini-ITX - Anyone Have a Brick/Adapter They Use?

Hello all.

We are trying to get a system configured using the Intel Desktop Board DQ77KB Thin Mini-ITX motherboard and are having some difficulties since we are not using an Intel All-in-One unit.

The Power Supply situation:

• 19 Volt DC (120 to 150 Watt is what we are looking for).
• 7.4 mm/Outer Diameter
• 5.1 mm/Inner Diameter

The Thin Mini-ITX Component Catalogue gives us the following:

So far we have not had too much success sourcing any of the above adapters.

• Intel Desktop Board DQ77KB Support Page

Please do comment or e-mail us with your suggestions!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

Windows Live Writer

Intel Integrated RAID Modules - POST Hang and/or Data Loss Issues

A few Intel Technical Advisory documents to take note of with the first being the most critical.

• Intel Technical Advisory TA-1005-1: Intel Integrated RAID Module rework to resolve an AC power cycling cache backup issue (PDF Document)
• RMS25PB080
• RMS25PB040
• RMT3PB080
• RMS25CB080
• RMS25CB040
• RMT3PB080

Description

The PCB’s (Print Circuit Boards) for the controllers listed above are being modified to resolve an AC power cycling cache backup issue with the Intel RAID Smart Battery AXXRS8BU9 and the Intel RAID Maintenance Free Backup Unit AXXRMFBU2 cache backup solutions. In addition to some minor component changes a jumper wire will be added to the PCB’s during manufacturing. Intel has completed product qualification for the changes to verity that there is no impact to product quality and reliability.

Root Cause

During AC power cycle testing Intel found a rare occurrence where data yet to be written to disk from the RAID modules DDR3 memory may be lost even though cache protection is enabled by the Battery Backup Unit (Intel® RAID Smart Battery AXXRSBBU9) or the RAID Maintenance Free Backup Unit (Intel® RAID Maintenance Free Backup Unit A)(XRMFBU2) that is installed. The issue has a very low occurrence rate and is observed on a small percentage of modules. The component changes and jumper wire solution provides a resolution to this issue.

The units we just brought in for a couple of 2 node clusters we are building out do indeed have the jumper wire in place.

• Intel Technical Advisory TA-1014-1: System may hang during POST with "Quiet Boot" enabled in BIOS and default Intel Integrated RAID Module firmware (PDF Document)
• RMS25PB080, 080N
• RMS25PB040
• RMT3PB080
• RMS25CB080, 080N
• RMS25CB040
• RMT3PB080

With the factory default firmware in place the server will hang during POST. We update all firmware on the server builds and deploys that we do prior to introducing them into a production environment. Once updated we run a series of burn-in tests over a period of days to validate the build.

Firmware, drivers, and more can be had from Intel's Download Centre.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Excellent Intel Board Identifier Utility

The Intel Board ID Tool is an excellent little utility for the Technician's Thumb Drive.

The utility eliminates the need to open the box if all that is needed is the board model and BIOS version for troubleshooting purposes.

• Intel Board ID Tool (direct link to the .EXE)
• Intel Download Centre
• The Board ID Tool turned up when searching for drives and a BIOS for the DQ77MK.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Ordering the Intel Server System R2216GZ4GC or R2216GZ4GCLX

When it comes to ordering Intel Server Systems for our Hyper-V failover clusters we are settling in on the Intel Server System R2208GZ4GC as our mainstay for mid-range clusters and up.

When it comes to ordering the systems the differences between them can sometimes be difficult to pick up on.

In the case of the “LX” suffix we almost got caught as the suffix used to mean redundant power and cooling among a few other added features in Intel Server Systems.

In the case of the Intel Server System R2216GZ4GC or R2216GZ4GCLX we noticed that this was not the case:

The “LX” model comes with the added Hardware RAID SAS module and the 10Gbit fibre module.

Since we are not working with fibre in our solutions at this point we will be working with the R2216GZ4GC and adding in the RMS25CB080 among other additions to the configuration.

It pays to pay attention. :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Current Intel Integrated RAID Module Hardware User’s Guide

The direct link to PDF documentation on the Intel Integrated RAID Modules can be found here:

• Intel Integrated RAID Module RMS25PB080/040, RMS25CB080/040 Hardware User’s Guide
• Intel Integrated RAID Module RMS25PB080N and RMS25CB080N Hardware User’s Guide
• Intel Integrated RAID Module RMS25KB080/040 and RMS25JB080/040 Hardware User’s Guide
• Intel Site: Search Results for Intel integrated raid module hardware users guide

Note that the above links are good as of this writing.

A relatively full list of compatible products can be found on the Intel Ark site:

• Intel Server System R2208GZ4GC Compatible Products List

So, between the Technical Product Specifications, the Ark site, and the Server Configurator we get a pretty good picture on what components we can deploy with our Intel Server Systems.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Thoughts on the Intel Server System R2208GZ4GC Are Excellent So Far

As we go through setting up the Intel Server System R2208GZ4GC we are discovering that there are a lot of features in this server system that we appreciate.

Some are cluster specific:

• Power Restore Delay

We now have a boot delay option in the BIOS. This option is absolutely critical for servers that are configured in a cluster with shared storage.

In a full power out situation the networking and centralized storage systems need to be online prior to the Hyper-V Failover Cluster nodes coming online. Otherwise there can be all sorts of issues.

• Static Boot Order

We can now save the default boot order out of the box. So, when this box gets connected to a Promise VTrak E610sD RAID Subsystem with LUNs configured the 120GB Intel 320 Series SSDs in RAID 1 should still boot after a reboot with no interference.

This has yet to be tested, but we are confident that the feature will work as advertised.

• Reset Static Boot Order

Important Software RAID Consideration

When using the Intel Chipset RAID feature for software driver based RAID on _any_ Intel Server Board _always_ use the Intel ESRT2 (LSI*) Mode.

The other option is the consumer chipset version of Intel’s Software RAID stack.

The major catch is that the LSI version can have an Intel or LSI RoC Hardware RAID controller plugged into the server board or PCI-E slot at a later time and have the ESRT2 (LSI*) based RAID set imported with no fuss.

This is not possible with the Intel chipset version.

So far so good. This Intel Server System is the configuration we have been asking for in the Channel for _years_ now to compete with HP, IBM, Dell, and others.

Pound for pound we will now be able to compete apples to apples with the Tier 1 vendors. And, with Intel’s available next business day on-site warranty support we can reach most major markets in Canada and Lower 48.

The Intel Server System R2208GZ4GC 2U will be our primary starting point for any 2 processor Hyper-V Failover Cluster Nodes going forward. It is an awesome product!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Intel Document: Basic Instructions for Using EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface)

We use EFI to update the BIOS and other firmware components on Intel Server Systems and Intel Server Boards.

To work with the EFI shell we sometimes need to plug in a USB flash drive or run other commands that are not so obvious.

• Intel: Basic Instructions for Using EFI (Extensible Firmware Interface) for Server Configuration on Intel Server Boards and Intel Server Systems. (Link to PDF document)

The mount command:

• map –r [Enter]

Then to choose the flash drive:

• fs0: [Enter]

Off we go to run our updates whether in the root of the flash drive or in a subfolder.

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Intel Xeon E5-2650 Is Pretty Large

We are setting up the Intel Server System R2208GZ4GC 2U unit with its processors, RAID, storage, and SAS components.

The CPU below the E5-2650 is a Cyrix by IBM. Vintage is around the Pentium II 300 time frame which was mid nineteen nineties.

And, as a comparison with a socket 775 CPU which is fairly consistent size wise through to today’s Intel Second Generation Core processors.

Moore’s law is alive and well. :)

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Confirmed: Intel Server System R1208GZ Integration For Our 2 Node Hyper-V Failover Cluster Is A Go Plus RemoteFX Compatibility!

We mentioned that we were looking at the new Intel Xeon E5-2600 series 1U and 2U server systems.

• MPECS Inc. Blog: New Intel Server System R1208GZ Integration Notes for 2 Node Cluster Deployment

We now have it on good authority that an external LSI based SAS connector is available in the Intel RAID Controller RS25GB008:

Not only that we have the nVidia Tesla C2070 series and the PNY nVidia Quadro 6000 series graphics processors showing as being compatible with this particular server system.

We would be utilizing a 2U configuration if we were going to run with RemoteFX capabilities for our client’s VDI needs though. These boards are quite large so won’t fit in t 1U chassis depending on the add-on components are installed on the server board.

Since these particular adapters show up on the R1208GZ series 1U we checked to see if the R2208GZ series 2U configuration has them:

They do indeed.

Now to see if we can gain access to either of the graphics products to run some tests on our own setups! They are quite expensive. :)

We are one step closer to Private Cloud and RemoteFX based VDI!

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer

Intel Desktop Board Executive Series DQ67EP: PCI Serial Port Unrecognized

The reason we were digging into the Intel Download site as indicated in our earlier post was because the systems we are building have the following problem:

• Intel DQ67EP: PCI Serial Port
• Device Drivers not loaded.

After digging around to try and find the driver for the SOL component (device showing) we ended up calling the Intel Support hotline for Resellers.

After talking with the support technician for a few minutes, being put on hold for a few more, he came back and indicated that the current AMT/MEI driver was bad.

• Current Intel DQ67xx Series MEI Driver: 7.1.20.1119
• Previous Intel DQ67xx Series MEI Driver: 7.1.13.1088

We ended up installing the previous version of the driver, 7.1.13.1088, and voila:

• Intel(R) Active Management Technology – SOL (COM3)

So, for now make sure to avoid the current version of the driver!

Applies to:

• DQ67EP
• DQ67SW
• DQ67OW

Philip Elder
MPECS Inc.
Microsoft Small Business Specialists
Co-Author: SBS 2008 Blueprint Book

*Our original iMac was stolen (previous blog post). We now have a new MacBook Pro courtesy of Vlad Mazek, owner of OWN.

Windows Live Writer