HP ML350 G5 with E200i controller restore problem.

[Kenny_H]

Hi. don't know if anyone has come across this situation before, but I am trying to move our Windows SBS 2003 Server over to new hardware - an HP ML350 G5 - using the Restore Anyware options and Backup Exec system Recovery Version 7.

The backup worked all OK on our old existing OEM server and the restore onto the new hardware works OK up until at the end of restoring the C:\ drive where it asks for the E200i Raid Controller drivers. I provide it with the correct driver, but the BESR program says that it can't find the correct driver where I've pointed it to.

I have ensured that the latest firmware is installed on both the E200i and all devices on the ML350, the BIOS is th latest version and that the E200i drivers are the latest available and have tested that they work OK by carrying out a clean install of SBS 2003 server on the new hardware (ML350) without a hitch.

I have tried loading the drivers before attempting the restore and although the drivers are reported to have loaded all OK, it doesn't make things any better. If I ignore the message prompting me for the E200i drivers at the end of the restore and continue I can provide & load other drivers such as the NIC without trouble when prompted. Obviously though if I reboot after this without providing the E200i drivers the OS blue screens after a few seconds of the "Windows SBS 2003 Server" loading screen starts.

Any help on this matter would be greatly appreciated as I have tried everything I can think of and the old server hardware is running on borrowed time as it is!

[Jon_R]

It is likely that the drivers are the wrong version. In order to restore to hardware, the recovery disk requires Windows Vista or 2008 drivers for the RAID controller.

[Kenny_H]

Thanks for the reply, I have tried the 2008 Server drivers after reading a similar problem with a 641 raid controller on another message posted previously. I will try them again just to double check, should I load them before attempting the restore and still check the option to prompt for drivers on the restore anywhere option? 

[Jon_R]

During the restore, are you using the delete existing drivers and/or prompt for drivers switches? If so, try the restore without either selected.

A short, simplified, explanation of what the two options mean. The delete existing drivers option removes existing drivers within the image before the restore. The prompt for drivers option prompts the user for drivers which are different between the source and the destination.

[Kenny_H]

Hi Jon_R, I have been trying the restore with both the restore anywhere options ticked, but I have now tried it without the options ticked, but the effect is the same. This time the restore said it worked OK, but then on restart I still get BSOD with error 0x00000050 after about 5 seconds of attempting to boot with reference to the old Silicon Image raid controller driver that is in the old server.

I loaded the 2008 Server drivers before attempting the restore when attempting the restore using the Restore Anywhere options ticked and then again unticked. With the options ticked it still prompts me for the drivers, even though I have loaded the 2008 Server drivers before the restore. The driver prompt does not recognize either the 2003 Server or the 2008 Server drivers as being correct. I have tried every driver for the onboard E200i SAS/SATA controller that I can find on the HP website, but none is recognized.

Yours increasingly frustrated....

[Kenny_H]

Could this be a limitation of Backup Exec System Recovery version 7 - would it help if we upgraded to version 8.5? Presumably version 8.5 would still use the Vista PE on the recovery CD?

[Kenny_H]

Does anyone know if there is a hardware compatibility list (especially storage controllers) for Backup Exec System Recovery 8.5? I have only been able to find a software compatibility list.

I have tried using a different SAS/SATA raid controller card and this time when it prompts me for the drivers during the restore process it accepts the Windows 2003 Server drivers without any trouble. I then skip the E200i drivers when prompted after this as there are no drives attached to this controller and continue. The restore says that it has completed OK, but I still get the same BSOD on restarting the system with error 0x00000050 referring to the old servers raid controller card driver.

[AJT]

Open a SYMC support ticket, you shouldn't be having this much trouble.

[Kenny_H · Accepted solution]

Finally resolved the problem yesterday!

First I upgraded BESR to version 8.5 with support, although using the media kit provided when purchased made no difference to the restore process, it still blue screened on the new server after attempting recovery. I then obtained the latest build available of 8.5 which had SP1 build in (version 8.5.1.26999 I believe) after talking to Symantec TCSP and also updated the Silicon Image RAID controller driver on the old server to the latest available as it was about 3 years out of date.

After reinstalling the latest build onto the old, source server and updated the RAID drivers I finally managed to successfully restore the SBS2003 image onto the HP ML350 G5 server using the E200i RAID controller. Nothing different was done during the restore process and the Windows 2003 drivers for the E200i controller were used as before.

Unfortunately I updated the RAID controller driver at the same time as installing the latest build of BESR so I'm not sure which one has actually cured the problem, but I'm not too fussed about this - it's cured and that's all I'm interested in.....

Hope this assists anyone who is going through the same nightmare that I have just done!