Care Pack

HP Care Pack Services offer upgraded service levels to extend and expand standard product warranty with easy-to-buy, easy-to-use support packages that help you make the most of your server investments. Refer to the Care Pack website (http://www.hp.com/hps/carepack/servers/cp_proliant.html).

Firmware maintenance

HP has developed technologies that ensure that HP servers provide maximum uptime with minimal maintenance. Many of these technologies also reduce server management efforts, enabling administrators to work on issues and resolve problems without taking servers offline.

The process of updating system or option firmware is referred to as flashing the ROM. A ROM flash removes the existing version of firmware from the ROM and replaces it with a more recent version.

Flash the ROM to:

•Support new features

•Correct problems in a previous ROM version

Without the correct firmware version, the server and hardware options may not function properly.

Types of ROM

Types of ROMs include:

•System ROM (on page 65)

•Option ROMs (on page 66)

System ROM

All ProLiant servers have a system ROM.

A system reboot is required for a ROM upgrade to take effect. For disaster recovery or ROM downgrade purposes, backups of the most current ROM image are available in either redundant ROM or a ROM backup.

Redundant ROM support

The server enables you to upgrade or configure the ROM safely with redundant ROM support. The server has a 4-MB ROM that acts as two, separate 2-MB ROMs. In the standard implementation, one side of the ROM contains the current ROM program version, while the other side of the ROM contains a backup version.

NOTE: The server ships with the same version programmed on each side of the ROM.

When you flash the system ROM, ROMPaq writes over the backup ROM and saves the current ROM as a backup, enabling you to switch easily to the alternate ROM version if the new ROM becomes corrupted for any reason. This feature protects the existing ROM version, even if you experience a power failure while flashing the ROM.

You can choose which ROM to use in RBSU ("HP ROM-Based Setup Utility" on page 55).

Automatic backup

A backup copy of the ROM image existing on the target server is made in the ROM image backup subdirectory:

\CPQSYSTEM\FWBACKUP\SYSTEM

Software tools and solutions 65

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HP ProLight Server manual Firmware maintenance, Care Pack, Types of ROM, System ROM
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ProLight Server specifications

The HP ProLiant server series is designed to deliver exceptional performance, scalability, and reliability for a variety of workloads, making it a popular choice among businesses of all sizes. Known for its robust architecture, the ProLiant series integrates cutting-edge technologies to support critical applications, virtualization, and cloud computing.

One of the defining features of HP ProLiant servers is their advanced management capabilities, facilitated by HP Integrated Lights-Out (iLO) technology. This embedded management tool offers remote access and monitoring capabilities, enabling IT administrators to oversee servers even when they are powered down. iLO provides essential features like firmware lifecycle management, power consumption monitoring, and system health checks, all of which simplify management and enhance uptime.

HP ProLiant servers leverage Intel's latest Xeon processors, which deliver impressive processing power and energy efficiency. The architecture supports multi-core processing, allowing for greater parallelism and improved operational efficiency. Furthermore, the series supports various memory configurations, with options for scalable and high-speed memory that can significantly enhance performance in memory-intensive applications.

Storage is another strength of the HP ProLiant series. The servers provide a range of storage options, including HDDs and SSDs, which enable organizations to configure systems to meet their performance and capacity requirements. HP’s Smart Array technology allows for advanced RAID capabilities, providing added data protection and redundancy, ensuring that critical information remains secure even during hardware failures.

HP ProLiant servers also focus on security, featuring built-in security technologies to protect against potential threats. Technologies such as silicon root of trust, secure boot, and firmware validation help safeguard server integrity from the ground up.

Scalability is essential for growing businesses, and the ProLiant series is designed to accommodate increasing workloads efficiently. Its modular architecture allows for seamless upgrades, ensuring that organizations can expand their infrastructure as needed without extensive downtime or resource expenditure.

In conclusion, the HP ProLiant server series blends performance, management, security, and scalability, making it a reliable choice for enterprise IT environments. With its robust features, advanced technologies, and focus on security and manageability, HP ProLiant servers provide businesses with the capability to meet their evolving IT demands effectively.
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