Is the HP n40l a good candidate for a virtualization home lab?
Not only due to its price of approximately 200 euros, but also because of its low power consumption it is an great candidate for a virtualization home lab. An optional Remote Access Card (RAC) can extend ILO similar functions to the server. The HP N40L has 2 CPU cores and supports up to 8GB of RAM.
Does the HP n40l support ESX?
The HP N40L has 2 CPU cores and supports up to 8GB of RAM. Although this is quite low for a hypervisor, it should be sufficient for a pure test environment. The server does only have a software-based RAID controller which will not work with the ESX. If you want to use the local disks as an array, you have to buy an additional RAID controller.
Is the HP ProLiant microserver (n40l) any good?
I've been using an HP ProLiant MicroServer (N40L) as my home server for about 3 months now. It's been a reliable little work horse and has ticked along quite happily. I thought it was maybe time for me to share some of my thoughts on the box. Like most people, I bought it during the seemingly endless cycle of HP cashback deals.
How do I login to the HP microserver remote access card?
Once configured, open a browser to the IP you previously configured and you should get the login screen: The default username for the HP MicroServer Remote Access Card is admin and the default password is password. I originally had a few issues on return visits to the login page.
What is remote access card?
The Remote Access Card is a slightly cut-down version of HP's Integrated Lights Out (iLO), which provides over-the-network "lights out" remote access to your server. If you haven't used a KVM or Lights-out facility before, it basically lets you log into a web GUI where you can power up your MicroServer, mount an ISO as a virtual media device, and then control the server as if you were physically in front of it - including POST and BIOS. It's perfect if, like me, you're server is located somewhere inconvenient place (like a cupboard above your stairs!).
How to configure a ROM card?
The back of the card has a standard RJ45 Ethernet connector and a VGA port where you need to plug your monitor in . When prompted, press F10 to enter the ROM setup. From here, select the Advanced page and IPMI Configuration:
What is the default password for HP MicroServer?
The default username for the HP MicroServer Remote Access Card is admin and the default password is password.
How much RAM does HP N40L have?
The HP N40L has 2 CPU cores and supports up to 8GB of RAM. Although this is quite low for a hypervisor, it should be sufficient for a pure test environment. The server does only have a software-based RAID controller which will not work with the ESX. If you want to use the local disks as an array, you have to buy an additional RAID controller. The P410 for example is supported. I decided not to buy a RAID controller, because I want to store my VMs on an shared Storage. The good news is that the server is shipped with 4 hard drive trays, which allows the installation of any SATA hard drive.
How to access RAC server?
The IP address of the RAC is configured though a DHCP Server and you can access it either with HTTP or HTTPS. The default login is admin and password. The RAC enables the server to be powered on and off remotely. Additionally it comes with a KVM and remote media Java application. To install the ESX server you have to launch the KVM und Remote Media application, mount the ISO file through the “Add Image ..." button and check the Box next to "Mapped". The server is now ready to be installed from your local ISO file and can powered on through the Server Information -> Power -> Control menu. The installation is pretty straight forward and finishes without any errors. The System has been tested with ESXi 4.0, ESXi 4.1, ESXi 5.0, ESXi 5.1 and ESXi 5.5,
Is HP Proliant N40L good?
The HP Proliant N40L is a great deal. With two or three Systems you can build a reliable homelab and start to play around various VMware features. You can create a cluster, try vMotion, HA, DRS and resource pools or even create your personal vCloud or VDI environment. Great stuff to learn for your VMware certification. The server runs pretty quiet, so you can run it near your desk.
Update BMC Firmware
- As of this writing (2014-02-18), the latest firmware is 1.3. It can be updated from the webif. Use Safari, the credentials are admin/password. If you're trying to find it on your network, the OUI of the BMC NIC is a0:b3:cc.
Create /Etc/Modprobe.D/Ipmi_Si.Conf
- SMBIOS incorrectly exports the IO mapped Keyboard Control Style (KCS) interface at address 0xca8 instead of 0xca2. This causes the ipmi_si kernel module to fail to load. Fortunatly we can override the auto-detection with module options. See modinfo ipmi_sifor available options. The correct address was found in the IPMI Messaging Interfaces section in the PDF Manual for the …
Update /etc/modules
- Features are broken out into modules. Unused features can be disabled. ipmi_msghandler, ipmi_devintf, ipmi_si are a bare minimum configuration. Docs are vague regarding the neccessity of ipmi_powerofffor power commands.
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