There was something interesting to do in office this week. They needed to install Windows Server 2003 on a Sun Fire X4100 server so that it could be used for running an anti-virus solution. It had RedHat installed previously but they didn't have license for Linux version of Symantac anti-virus.
One'd think how difficult it could be..installing Windows...point, click, voila. It is actually like that in most of cases..but not in this one. Earlier it was Linux which needed loads of tweaking, needed specialised drivers, dependencies and what not. But now, positions have changed. Linux supports most hardware out of the box unlike Windows.
This became clear when we staretd the installation. It turned out that Windows didn't have drivers for SCSI hard disc of the X4100. We needed to provide drivers during the installation from an external source..a floppy of all the things. Considering that the server had no support for floppy drive, it could be a USB floppy drive only, but owing to certain "politics"it was not an option. Then I tried Sun Integrated Lights Out Manager.
Logged in using console, used every command possible, changed IP address, but that didn't work out either. This guide here shows some of the steps used.
Then I adviced slipstreaming drivers inside the Server 2003 cd. I was told that they already did that. I asked the procedure and promptly banged my head on table. Their idea of slipstreaming was just copying the driver files on the cd and hoping that installer picks up drivers all by itself. No modifying other files to provide path of drivers or anything like that.
After I finishing damaging the table with my head, I downloaded another pdf from Sun website and made them read the correct procedure. Its quite long for them..so there is a software called nLite that can do all the dirty work in 4-5 point-click kind of steps.
No fun at all :|
All that ne needs to do is copying the Windows CD on hard disc. Give nLite the path of CD dump, drivers, chose option to make it bootable, unattended installation and what not...and click finish. It'll make an ISO that you burn on a CD. That CD will work perfectly.
Mission accomplished.
I had same problem with my older motherboard that didnt support SATA disks. Same procedure worked in that case too.
One'd think how difficult it could be..installing Windows...point, click, voila. It is actually like that in most of cases..but not in this one. Earlier it was Linux which needed loads of tweaking, needed specialised drivers, dependencies and what not. But now, positions have changed. Linux supports most hardware out of the box unlike Windows.
This became clear when we staretd the installation. It turned out that Windows didn't have drivers for SCSI hard disc of the X4100. We needed to provide drivers during the installation from an external source..a floppy of all the things. Considering that the server had no support for floppy drive, it could be a USB floppy drive only, but owing to certain "politics"it was not an option. Then I tried Sun Integrated Lights Out Manager.
Logged in using console, used every command possible, changed IP address, but that didn't work out either. This guide here shows some of the steps used.
Then I adviced slipstreaming drivers inside the Server 2003 cd. I was told that they already did that. I asked the procedure and promptly banged my head on table. Their idea of slipstreaming was just copying the driver files on the cd and hoping that installer picks up drivers all by itself. No modifying other files to provide path of drivers or anything like that.
After I finishing damaging the table with my head, I downloaded another pdf from Sun website and made them read the correct procedure. Its quite long for them..so there is a software called nLite that can do all the dirty work in 4-5 point-click kind of steps.
No fun at all :|
All that ne needs to do is copying the Windows CD on hard disc. Give nLite the path of CD dump, drivers, chose option to make it bootable, unattended installation and what not...and click finish. It'll make an ISO that you burn on a CD. That CD will work perfectly.
Mission accomplished.
I had same problem with my older motherboard that didnt support SATA disks. Same procedure worked in that case too.
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