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Best Practices When Deploying Microsoft Windows Server on the HP ProLiant DL980
Table of contents Introduction OS support matrix for the HP ProLiant DL980 server Hyper-V support matrix Additional software components recommended when running Windows on the DL980 HP Smart Update CD HP ProLiant DL980 system providers HP Enterprise SQL Optimizer (HP ESO) Hardware best practices for the DL980 when running windows Boot adapter location Power consumption settings Windows Server 2008 SP2 best practices for the DL980 Disabling Hyper-Threading to keep logical processor count at 64 maximum Hyper-Threading + Windows Server 2008 SP2 + Hyper-V (version 1) Workaround for possible driver conflict when logging when using iLO Windows Server 2008 R2 best practices for the DL980 Enabling Hyper-Threading to maximize resource usage for large applications (but NOT for Hyper-V or Windows 2008 SP2 with 8 sockets populated) 3 3 4
5 6 7 15 16 16 18 20 20 21 21 22
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Hyper-Threading + Windows Server 2008 R2 + Hyper-V (version 2) Enabling 44-bit Mode after OS installation Enabling x2APIC mode for systems with 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors running Windows Server 2008 R2 (with or without SP1) Installing Microsoft hotfix on systems with more than 1 TB RAM Workaround when enabling Hyper-V on Systems with more than 512 GB RAM Windows Server 2012 best practices for the DL980 BIOS Release 07/30/2012 Enabling Hyper-Threading to maximize resource usage (as appropriate) Enabling 44bit memory addressing mode Enabling x2APIC mode (for configuration with 8 Intel Xeon E7 processors) For more information Documentation feedback
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25 27 27 30 31 32 32 32 33 33
Introduction
The purpose of this white paper is to facilitate the successful deployment and configuration of Microsoft Windows Server on HP ProLiant DL980 servers. It includes a description of additional recommended HP software components for the DL980, and best practices you can use when deploying Microsoft Windows on the DL980. Topics include:
Operating System support matrix Hyper-V support matrix Additional software components recommended Hardware best practices Windows Server 2008 SP2 best practices Windows Server 2008 R2 best practices Windows Server 2012
The HP ProLiant DL980 server is HPs latest 8 socket, x86-based, 64-bit scale up platform. Available in 4-, 6-, 8-, and now 10-core configurations, it can support up to 160 logical processors (with 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors x 10 cores x 2 threads/core, with Intels hyper-threading enabled), 4 TB of physical memory (RAM), and up to 16 PCIe/PCI-X I/O cards. In addition, the DL980 utilizes Non-Uniform Memory Architecture (NUMA) and Intel QuickPath Interconnect (QPI) technology. For a general overview of the technical specifications for this server, see the HP ProLiant DL980 G7 Server Data Sheet at h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA1-5671ENW.pdf. For detailed technical specifications, see the server QuickSpecs at h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13708_div/13708_div.pdf. The DL980 uses HP PREMA architecture which incorporates a new node controller design with Smart CPU caching and redundant system fabric. Combined with the Microsoft Windows Operating System, these features provide a solution that is fully capable of supporting the most demanding, data-intensive workloads, with the reliability, availability, and efficiency needed to run all of your business-critical applications with confidence. For a detailed discussion of the HP PREMA architecture, see the technical overview at h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetPDF.aspx/4AA3-0643ENW.pdf.
Figure 1: Front view of the DL980 server
Table 1: HP ProLiant DL980 Windows Operating System Support Matrix Maximum CPUs Supported by OS 8 Sockets 64 Logical Processors 64 Sockets 64 Logical Processors 256 Logical Processors 256 Logical Processors 640 Logical Processors 640 Logical Processors
Operating System Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Enterprise x64 Edition Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Datacenter x64 Edition Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise Edition Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter Edition Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Standard Edition Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Datacenter Edition
x2APIC Support
Notes
1 TB
No
1 TB
No
2 TB 2 TB 4 TB 4 TB
Service Pack 1 (SP1) supported. Service Pack 1 (SP1) supported. Standard Edition only supports up to 4 guests. Datacenter Edition supports unlimited guests.
Though the HP ProLiant DL980 server can support up to 4 TB of physical memory with 32 GB dimms, the current maximum memory supported for each Window OS is as listed in the matrix above. This matrix shows that Windows Server 2008 R2 or now Windows Server 2012 is necessary to make full use of the DL980 G7s maximum processors and memory. Note that Hyper-V is also fully supported in either operating systems on the DL980. More information on Hyper-V is found in the next section. Intel x2APIC interrupt architecture was designed to meet interrupt address scaling needs above 128 logical processors. (When x2APIC is not enabled, the system works in the previous xAPIC mode). The x2APIC mode provides better performance in the delivery and handling of interrupts, both in hardware and software, and is only supported in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2012. For configuration with 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors, if x2APIC is used, it must be enabled through BIOS. For more information, see the section Enabling x2APIC mode for systems with 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors running Windows Server 2008 R2 (with or without SP1) on page 25. Testing with Windows indicates that x2APIC resolves some of the high contention issues in kernel data structures, when compared with xAPIC support.
Table 2 : Hyper-V: Version Comparison Hyper-V Feature Maximum CPUs/Host Maximum Memory/Host Maximum Guests Maximum Virtual CPUs/Guest Maximum Virtual Memory/Guest Maximum Virtual CPUs/Host Version 1 (WS 2008) 24 Logical 1 TB 192 4 64 GB 192 Version 2 (WS 2008 R2) 64 Logical 1 TB 384 4 64 GB 512 Version 3 (WS 2012) 320 Logical 4 TB 1024 64 1 TB 2048
For specific recommendations regarding the use of Hyper-V version 1 and version 2 in combination with hyperthreading, see the following sections:
Hyper-Threading + Windows Server 2008 SP2 + Hyper-V (version 1 (page 21) Hyper-Threading + Windows Server 2008 R2 + Hyper-V (version 2 (page 23)
In addition, Hyper-V version 2 includes several new features such as live migration, storage hot addition and removal, jumbo frame and TCP chimney, and CPU core parking. Released in February 2011, Service Pack 1 (SP1) for Windows Server 2008 R2 also added significant features for Hyper-V, like Dynamic Memory support. With Dynamic Memory, instead of setting a fixed memory amount, you can allocate a range of memory with fixed upper and lower limits, and let the guest operating system inform Hypervisor how much memory it really needs. This allows you to run more virtual machines and consume your memory resources much more efficiently. The Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 update is available directly from Microsoft, here: microsoft.com/downloads/en/details.aspx?FamilyID=C3202CE6-4056-4059-8A1B-3A9B77CDFDDA Windows Server 2012 extends this with many more features that provide enhancements and improvements in several areas, such as storage, resource management, networking, user experience, high availability and resiliency. For more information see Microsoft Technet: Windows Server 2012 Hyper-V overview at technet.microsoft.com/library/hh831531. ProLiant DL980 servers take advantage of these features, thus increasing the level of scalability, flexibility and reliability of virtualized environments.
Note HP Service Pack for ProLiant CD can be found on the HP ProLiant DL980 support web site at hp.com/support/DL980G7 or hp.com/go/spp.
For Windows Server 2012, ProLiant DL980 must be running a BIOS version dated 05/01/2012 or later. To enable all the features available with Windows Server 2012, for example SR-IOV or memory error recovery, HP recommends running a BIOS version dated 07/30/2012 or later. A technical white paper, Implementing Microsoft Windows Server 2012 on HP ProLiant Servers, available at h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c03305495/c03305495.pdf , explains this.
Other components to be used on the ProLiant DL980, in addition to drivers and utilities found in the HP Service Pack for ProLiant (or on the HP Support website), are the HP Smart Update CD and the HP ProLiant DL980 System Providers for Windows. To download these components, along with other drivers and software, go to the HP DL980 Support web page at hp.com/support/dl980g7. From this page, select the release of the operating system version for your server. Then look in the section marked Software CD-ROM for the HP Smart Update package, or in the section marked Software System Management for the HP System Providers package.
Note It is critical that you download and install the HP Smart Update CD and the HP ProLiant DL980 System Providers for Windows on the DL980 for optimal performance and functionality. At this time, the Smart Update CD v9.3 includes the HP ProLiant DL980 System Providers v9.1 and HP Enterprise SQL Optimizer 2.1.
HP Smart Update CD
One of the challenges when administering servers in mission critical environments is the sourcing and installation of important system updates. The HP Smart Update CD provides a comprehensive source for operating system and security updates, created by Microsoft and recommended by HP, all of which are thoroughly tested to ensure their compatibility on the DL980. Distributing updates in this way offers the following advantages for the administering IT professional:
It provides a single source for critical OS, security, and clustering Microsoft hotfixes (known as QFEs Quick Fix
Engineering).
It is the quickest way to update the system, minimizing down time It is the only way to update systems that are not connected to the Internet
Also known as hotfixes, these updates are grouped into 3 categories in the Smart Update package: Operating System, Security, and Clustering. Each category provides a collection of self-extracting, self-installing system updates. HP recommends that you regularly update your system with the most recent Operating System and Security updates. However, you only need to install the Clustering updates if your server will function as a node in a Microsoft Failover Cluster. Updates are provided for Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, and Windows Server 2008 SP2 (in both English and Japanese). There are currently no QFEs for Windows Server 2012, as it released recently To download the latest ISO image of the Smart Update CD, go to hp.com/support/DL980G7, select the Windows Operating System version, locate the Software - CD-ROM section on this page, and then click the Download button next to Smart Update QFE CD for x64. To install the updates, follow these steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Download the Smart Update ISO package and burn it to CD. Insert the CD locally (or use iLO3 Virtual media), on the target server, or remotely using an iLO3 Integrated Remote Console. Select the desired OS (Windows Server 2008 SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2, or Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1). Navigate to the desired category (Operating System, for example) using the links on the left side of the page. Click the Install button and the HP Setup screen displays. Click Install again and a command window displays, listing each update as it installs. These can be large updates, taking several minutes each. When prompted, click Reboot to complete the installation for that category. You must reboot after each category finishes, to ensure correct updating of the system registry. Repeat to install the Security updates (highly recommended). Repeat again to install the Clustering updates (if your server will function as a cluster node).
Note: Hyper-V release from Windows Server 2012 supports up to 320 logical processors, and fully benefits from Hyper-Threading; therefore, the DL980 System Providers 9.1 and later releases take this into account for optimal settings. In this case Hyper-Threading should be turned on.
Click the Download button on this page to download the HP ProLiant DL980 System Providers: h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=15351&pro dSeriesId=4231377&prodNameId=4268505&swEnvOID=4064&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTXf6f0f6ca295a411e8c1c522c76 Also on this page are the installation instructions and release notes for the System Providers. Once installed, the DL980 System Providers detect the current memory addressing mode and, if the non-optimum 40-bit mode is found under Windows Server 2008 R2, report it to the Windows System log (see Figure 2). Similarly, if the DL980 System Providers detect that processor hyper-threading is enabled under Windows Server 2008 SP2 or Windows Hyper-V version 2; it also reports this non-optimum setting to the Windows System Log (see Figure 2A).
Figure 2: Windows System log screen with 40-bit mode warning (Windows Server 2008 R2)
Figure 2A: Windows System log screen with hyper-threading warning (Windows 2008 SP2 or Windows Hyper-V version 2)
In general, the following hyper-threading settings are recommended for optimal performance:
Enabled for systems running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, or Windows Server 2012, if
the application supports more than 64 processors, and if the application benefits from the additional logical processors logical processors
Disabled for systems running Windows 2008 SP2 or Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V, when there are more than 64
Performance testing may indicate a zero performance gain when enabling hyper-threading, and in some cases, even degraded performance. HP always recommends that you test your workloads with hyper-threading both ON and OFF. Whether or not the workload or custom application supports more than 64 processors, it is always good practice to test and benchmark these configurations. Software licensing may dictate that hyper-threading and/or some cores are disabled. Also, you can ignore the hyper-threading alert and Degraded State notice if the server workload does not benefit from hyper-threading.
Note The hyper-threading state displayed by SMH reflects the actual processor hyperthreading state of the system. It may differ from the RBSU setting for the Intel Hyper-Threading option, because the Optimize System Configuration button may have optimized the logical processors, including their hyper-threading state.
With System Providers Release 9.1.0 hyper-threading can be enabled or disabled from the SMH Advanced Server Settings page (if the OS running on the system is Windows 2008 R2, Windows 2008 R2 SP1, or Windows Server 2012). Processor groups will be optimally pre-set, and the changes will become effective after a system reboot.
X2APIC mode The following values are recommended for optimal performance:
Enabled for systems with 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors running Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server
2008 R2 SP1, or Windows Server 2012.
Disabled for systems which do NOT have 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors running Windows Server 2008 R2, or
Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1. In particular, x2APIC Mode must be disabled on systems running Windows Server 2008 SP2, or Windows Server 2008 R2 Hyper-V; otherwise, these systems will not boot.
Note On systems running Windows Server 2008 R2, there are several hotfixes that must be downloaded and installed before enabling x2APIC mode. You can find these hotfixes on the Microsoft Support website, or on the HP Smart Update CD, v7.1 or later. They are not required on systems running Windows 2008 R2 SP1 or Windows Server 2012. See the section Enabling x2APIC mode for systems with 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors running Windows Server 2008 R2 (with or without SP1) section on page 25 for a more detailed discussion.
Verifying installation of the ProLiant DL980 system providers You can confirm the presence of the DL980 System Providers on your systems either by looking at the Windows Services window for the HP ProLiant DL980 System Providers entry (see Figure 3), or by looking at the Start All Programs shortcut (see Figure 3A).
Figure 3: Verifying System Providers installation (Services window)
Figure 3A: Start All Programs shortcut showing presence of the DL980 System Providers
Another way to confirm positive installation is to check the Windows System log for the following event (see Figure 4).
Figure 4: Verifying System Providers installation (System log)
To confirm the System Providers v9.x are functional after installation, using HPs System Management Homepage (SMH) software, follow these steps: 1. 2. From the target server, or from a system with a network connection to the target server, open a web browser window (the firewalls may need to be turned off for remote connection). Enter the following URL into the browsers address bar: https://machine:2381/, where machine is the IP address or computer name of the target server. If it is the first time using this link, a Security Alert dialog box displays and asks if you want to trust this server. Click Yes to continue, and the Sign In page displays. Enter your user name and password, and click Sign In to access SMH. The SMH Main page displays In the Advanced Server Health Information section, click Advanced Server Settings. Locate the System Address Mode, Hyper-Threading State, x2APIC Mode settings, and HP Power Regulator in the Advanced Server Settings window. The current System Address Mode (44-bit/40-bit), Hyper-Threading State (Enabled/Disabled), x2APIC Mode (Enabled/Disabled), and HP Power Regulator Mode (OS Control Mode/HP Dynamic Power Savings Mode/HP Static Low Power Mode/HP Static High Performance Mode) values are indicated there (see Figure 5A, Figure 5B, and Figure 5C).
3. 4. 5.
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Figure 5A: Advanced Server Settings window 44-bit enabled, Hyper-threading enabled, x2APIC enabled (Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, or Hyper-V 2012), HP Power Regulator Mode set to OS Control Mode, Logical Processor Configuration setting is optimal
Figure 5B: SMH Advanced Server Settings window 40-bit enabled, x2APIC disabled, HP Power Regulator Mode set to OS Control Mode, Minimum Processor Idle Power Core State set to No_C-States, Collaborative Power Control disabled, Logical Processor Configuration setting is optimal, Hyper-Threading Disabled, OS Power Plan Selection set to High performance (Windows 2008 SP2 on an 8-processor system)
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Figure 5C: SMH Advanced Server Settings window 44-bit enabled, x2APIC disabled, HP Power Regulator Mode set to OS Control Mode, Minimum Processor idle Power Core State set to No_C-States, Collaborative Power Control disabled, Logical Processor Configuration setting is optimal Hyper-threading disabled, and OS power plan set to High Performance (Windows 2008 SP2R2 Hyper-V on an 8processor system)
6.
In the Advanced Server Health Information section, Operating System QFEs. A list of QFEs on the Smart Update CD is reported (see Figure 6A and Figure 6B).
Figure 6A: SMH Operating System QFEs page (Windows 2008 R2 and R2 SP1)
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Figure 6B: SMH Operating System QFEs page (Windows 2008 SP2)
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If the system determines that the logical processor configuration is not optimal, the Optimize System Configuration button displays in the lower left corner of the Logical Processor Information page (see Figure 7). Press this button to optimize the logical processors and better utilize system resources. A system cold boot is required before the changes take effect.
Note The Optimize System Configuration button is also available on the Advanced Server Settings page if there is non-optimal setting on that page.
Clicking the Optimize System Configuration button on either Advanced Server Settings page or Logical Processor Information
page would change non-optimal settings and configuration related to both pages.
The Disable System Optimization Alert button is intended for customers who must leave their system configuration as is due to
known limitations or licensing issues. This button disables the alerts normally generated by non-optimal system configurations. One alert not being ignored is the missing UsePhysicalDestination setting on systems with x2APIC enabled. The status icon displayed is informational. changes and to restore the previously saved configuration.
After the optimization is completed, the Remove Optimization button will be available to remove the most recent optimized
System reporting tool The DL980 System Providers also install a command-line tool named SysReportWMI.exe in the \Program Files\MCWBEM\Tools directory. This tool generates a text file containing a full inventory of the system hardware. Since most of the data captured by this tool are provided by the HP Insight WBEM Providers, the WBEM Providers must also be installed prior to running SysReportWMI.exe. Command line system optimization utility DL980 System Providers Release 9.1.0 installs a command line utility called DL980Optimize.exe in the \Program Files\MCWBEM\Tools directory. This utility, running under Windows command line, has options to optimize server
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settings (as if the SMH Optimize click button was used). There are also options to change the OS power plan and hyperthreading mode, and an option to change the number of processor groups from smallest amount of processors per group to largest amount of processors per group.
Note Processor groups must be distributed evenly using the DL980 hardware topology.
DL98optimize.exe KM
KM optimization will create the most NUMA-conforming Kgroups
A drastic reduction in the time and complexity needed to configure and tune SQL Server
on the DL980
An easy to use interface that makes recommendations you can either accept in full, or pick
and choose those which best suit your needs
A one-stop configuration utility that eliminates the need for multiple tools A means of ensuring that available system resources are allocated not just appropriately,
but optimally
SQL Server instance parameters like MAXDOP, CPU Affinity, Lightweight Pooling, and Min/Max Memory Storage settings Database File/Log/TempDB locations, RAID Levels, Number of Drives, and Drive Sizes Network settings Network Ports, NUMA/Interrupt CPU Affinities Operating System options such as Power Management IO Card Configuration and Placement for optimal PCI card placement based on I/O
slot capability
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HP ESO uses built-in WBEM-based instrumentation for future integration with other management tools such as HP System Insight Manager. It also provides reporting pages that provide you with graphical displays of various data collection parameters, for use in analysis and interpretation, and the ability to export these results to a file. HP ESO can save your current configuration at any time, and with its ability to roll back to previously saved configurations, you can retrieve and apply those configurations later, if necessary. For a complete description of HP ESO features, along with instructions for installing, configuring, and using this powerful tool, refer to the HP ESO User Guide on this website (go to the User Guide section): hp.com/go/proliant-DL980-docs. HP ESO is available as a self-installing, self-extracting system update on the HP Smart Update CD. To download the latest ISO image of this CD, go to hp.com/support/DL980G7, select the Windows Operating System version, locate the Software - CD-ROM section on this page, and click the Download button next to Smart Update QFE CD for x64.
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Refer to the RBSU User Guide for more information on these features at this address: bizsupport1.austin.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00191707/c00191707.pdf
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Do disable a controllers option ROM if the storage controller requires its option ROM to be executed in order to initialize itself. Consult the controllers documentation for more information.
7. 8. 9.
Select Advanced Power Management Options. Select Minimum Processor Idle Power Core State. Select C1E State (see Figure 10).
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10. Select Collaborative Power Control. 11. Select Disabled (see Figure 11).
Figure 11: Disabled selection
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Note It is worth mentioning here that power savings usually come at the price of performance. They are, by nature, contradictory goals. However, choosing C1E State does provide some degree of power savings without impacting performance too much. If saving power is not a concern, No C-states might be a better choice. HP recommends that you test your representative workload in order to make the right decision.
12. Exit all RBSU menu screens using the Esc key. Then press the F10 key to confirm your changes and reboot the system. As an alternative to navigating through RBSU to make the changes above, System Providers Release 9.1.0 introduces a SET button on SMH for OS Power Plan Selection. This changes the power plan to the desired selection (HighPerformance, Balanced, or Power Saver). The SET button also
Changes the HP Power Regulator Mode setting to OS_Control_Mode Disables Collaborative Power Control Sets Minimum Processor Idle Power Core State to No C-states for High-Performance power plan Sets the C1E state for Balanced and Power Saver plans
The OS Power Plan Selection can be seen from sample screenshots captured in Figures 5A, 5B and 5C above.
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For more information about the RBSU, see the HP ROM-Based Setup Utility User Guide: h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00191707/c00191707.pdf
Workaround for possible driver conflict when logging when using iLO
Another issue, although intermittent, occurs when logging onto the system using iLO (HPs Integrated Lights Out a remote console technology). The problem has usually been seen in systems with 1TB of RAM, and results from a conflict with the ATI2dvag video driver. The resulting blue screen displays the following stop code: 0x000000EA (0xFFFFFA86B9A91860, 0xFFFFFA86B9B64910, 0xFFFFFA86B9AF37C0, 0x0000000000000001) To resolve this issue, you must add the following two keys to the system registry: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Watchdog\Display\ DisableBugCheck REG_DWORD 0x1 HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Watchdog\Display\ EaRecovery REG_DWORD 0x0
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Enable hyper-threading to maximize resource usage (unless inappropriate, as with Hyper-V) Enable 44-bit mode after OS installation Enable x2APIC Mode (for configuration with 8 Intel Xeon E7 processors) Install a Microsoft hotfix on systems with more than 1 TB RAM Implement Hyper-V workaround for systems with more than 512GB RAM
Enabling Hyper-Threading to maximize resource usage for large applications (but NOT for Hyper-V or Windows 2008 SP2 with 8 sockets populated)
As noted in the OS Matrix earlier, Windows Server 2008 R2 can support up to 160 logical processors (8 Intel E7-family processors x 10 cores x 2 threads/core, with hyper-threading enabled). In general, it is highly recommended that hyper-threading be enabled on DL980s running Windows Server 2008 R2, in order to take full advantage of these additional logical processors, assuming that your application is aware of processor groups. The processor group concept was introduced in Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2 to support more than 64 logical processors. Any machine with more than 64 logical processors has more than one processor group by necessity. Drivers and applications are all expected to run properly in the multi-group context if coded properly. For more information, see msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd405503%28VS.85%29.aspx. Hyper-threading is controlled by the system BIOS, and is enabled by default on the DL980. If, however, it was disabled for some reason, you should follow these steps to enable it: 1. 2. 3. 4. During system boot, press F9 to run the ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU). Select System Options. Select Processor Options. Select Intel Hyperthreading Options (see Figure 13).
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5. 6.
Select Enabled to turn hyper-threading ON. Exit all RBSU menu screens using the Esc key. Then press the F10 key to confirm your changes and reboot the system.
For more information about the RBSU, see the HP ROM-Based Setup Utility User Guide: h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00191707/c00191707.pdf
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2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Install the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system. Install the Windows Server 2008 R2 operating system updates, using the Smart Update CD, as described in the HP Smart Update CD section on page 6. Reboot the system. Enable a System Address Mode of 44-bit as follows: During system boot, press F9 to run the ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU). a. Select Advanced Options. b. Select Advanced System ROM Options. c. Select Address Mode 44-bit (see Figure 15).
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d.
e. 7. 8.
Ignore the Warning message: Caution: Enabling 44-bit Address Mode may cause problems with an operating system if it does not support 44-bit memory addressing. Select Enabled to turn 44- bit memory addressing ON.
Exit all RBSU menu screens using the Esc key. Then press the F10 key to confirm your changes and reboot the system. Confirm the new 44-bit System Address Mode by looking at the RBSU splash screen during system boot, as described in Step 1 above.
Enabling x2APIC mode for systems with 8 Intel Xeon E7-family processors running Windows Server 2008 R2 (with or without SP1)
x2APIC architecture provides better management of interrupts, but Microsoft hotfixes are required before enabling this feature on systems with the recommended number of Intel Xeon E7-family processors. The following hotfixes are found either on the Microsoft Knowledge Base (KB) website, or on the HP Smart Update CD, v7.1 or later:
KB #2398906 A computer running an x64-based version of Windows Server 2008 R2 with more than 128
processors crashes at startup: support.microsoft.com/kb/2398906 support.microsoft.com/kb/2303458 enabled in Windows Server 2008 R2: support.microsoft.com/kb/2508054
KB #2303458 A fix is available for three x2APIC mode issues in x64-based versions of Windows Server 2008 R2: KB #2508054 Users experience "0x0000005C" stop error code or assertion failure during startup if Driver Verifier is
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Note Hotfix #2508054 is only needed on systems running Windows Server 2008 R2 (with or without SP1), and only when the Windows Driver Verifier is enabled. The Driver Verifier is used for debugging purposes, and is not normally enabled by default since it affects performance adversely.
After installing the required hotfixes, enable the x2APIC Mode in the BIOS firmware and within Microsoft Windows operating system using the bcdedit command to set the physical destination interrupt delivery mode. To enable the x2APIC Mode in BIOS firmware, follow these steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. During system boot, press F9 to run the ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU). Select Advanced Options. Select Advanced System ROM Options. Select x2APIC Options (see Figure 16). Select Auto to enable x2APIC Mode.
To set the x2APIC physical destination interrupt delivery mode within Windows using the bcdedit command:
Note The Optimize System Configuration button on SMH automatically creates the bcdedit entry above, upon detecting the system is running Windows 2008 R2 or Windows 2008 R2 SP1 with x2APIC enabled.
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Workaround when enabling Hyper-V on Systems with more than 512 GB RAM
In Windows Server 2008 R2 (without SP1), if you enable the Hyper-V role on DL980s with between 512 GB and 1 TB of RAM, these systems will hang after rebooting and never return back to the Windows Login prompt. A Microsoft hotfix must be installed, but it cannot be installed until the Hyper-V role is enabled, and once enabled, you run into the problem. There are several workarounds, all of which involve a temporary reduction in the amount of memory made available to Windows. Use one of these following temporary solutions to reduce system memory:
Method #1: Enable Mirrored Memory using RBSU Method #2: Decrease maximum memory in Windows using the MSCONFIG utility Method #3: Reduce addressable memory with a Windows boot option
After the memory is reduced to less than 512 GB using one of the previous methods, you must enable Hyper-V, then apply the Microsoft hotfix for the problem, documented in Knowledge Base Article #2133637, titled The computer stops responding at startup in Windows Server 2008 R2 if you enable the Hyper-V role and if you have more than 512 GB of RAM, found here: support.microsoft.com/kb/2133637. Reboot again after applying the fix and then restore the system memory back to its original value.
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5. 6.
Select Enabled to turn Mirrored Memory ON. Exit all RBSU menu screens using the Esc key. Then press the F10 key to confirm your changes and reboot the system.
Note Enabling or disabling mirrored memory will increase your system boot time, since any change invokes a mandatory test of all system memory during the boot process.
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6. 7.
4.
5.
6.
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Figure 19: Windows Boot Manager screen showing new boot entry
For a complete description of the BCDEdit command and an explanation of all available options, see the following Microsoft documentation, titled BCDEdit Command-Line Options, found here: technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc709667(WS.10).aspx After you reduce the system memory using one of the previous methods, follow these steps: 1. 2. Enable the Hyper-V role. Download and install the Microsoft Hyper-V hotfix for this problem, documented in Knowledge Base Article #2133637, titled The computer stops responding at startup in Windows Server 2008 R2 if you enable the Hyper-V role and if you have more than 512 GB of RAM, found here: support.microsoft.com/kb/2133637 Reboot the system and remove the memory restriction, depending on the method previously used: a. Method #1: Press F9 during system boot, disable Mirrored Memory within RBSU, and reboot. b. c. Method #2: After system boot, use MSCONFIG utility to remove the maximum memory limit, and reboot. Method #3: Let the system reboot using its default boot option (with no memory restriction).
3.
To run Windows Server 2012 is 05/01/2012 you must use a BIOS with a release date of 5/1/2012, or later; however,
HP highly recommends that you use a BIOS version with a release date of 07/30/12, or later to benefit from additional features like SR-IOV with Hyper-V 2012 environments and memory error recovery with Hyper-V 2012 and SQL Server 2012
Enable Hyper-Threading to maximize resource usage (as appropriate) Enable 44-bit mode Enable x2APIC Mode (for configuration with 8 Intel Xeon E7 processors) Implement Windows Server 2012 Supplement for Service Pack for ProLiant until HP Service Pack for ProLiant with
Windows Server 2012 components is released.
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For more detailed information about implementing SR-IOV use the following link to the Implementing Windows Server 2012 SR-IOV on HP ProLiant Servers whitepaper: h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c03514877/c03514877.pdf
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Memory error recovery This BIOS release (07/30/2012) allows support for Windows Server 2012 memory error recovery whereby uncorrectable hardware memory errors are detected, a machine check exception is generated and the firmware reports it to the operating system, if the affected memory page is not in use, or can be freed by the application (for instance Hyper-V 2012 and SQL Server 2012) or by Windows, then page is unmapped, marked as bad, and taken out of service. Information is reported in the system event log, but the system does not crash and an operation to change the faulty component can be scheduled at a later time.
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Copyright 2011-2012 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Intel and Xeon are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. 4AA3-6553ENW, Created September 2011; Updated October 2012, Rev. 8
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