New Dell Server, Need help with OS install!

[Winchester]

I got a new server, it has 2x146gb SCSI drives. I put the dell CD in and the only options it gives me are:

1.) Windows 2000 Server
2.) Windows 2000 Small Business/Enterprise
3.) Red Hat Linux 7.3
4.) Red Hat Linux 8.0


However, I had already purchased Windows XP Professional Full version. I opened the box and set the XP folder beside the server when I read this. Anyway, I hit F6 to install 3rd party SCSI drivers and put the driver disk in, it says it is loaded (it says something about the disk drivers being newer and asks if I should use default drivers or disk drivers; I have tried both ways), but then when I hit ENTER to install Windows XP it says I do not have any hard drives to install on. I am unable to figure out how I install Windows XP, since I have never messed with SCSI drives. This is driving me nuts, especially since I already spent $300+ on the Windows XP, and that it is asking for Windows 2000 Server, which is like $1200, which there is no way I can do.

All I am doing is setting up a file server so that about 7 computers (I need to setup unique users) can access the files. I have to have a Windows OS because the software that will be on the server is a small company and is not Linux compatible.

PS, I do have a copy of Windows NT Server, but I would prefer to have XP Professional, especially since I dont think I can return it since I opened the plastic box around it.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

 

[Workin']

Did you try NOT pressing F6 to install 3rd party SCSI drivers? WinXP has native drivers for all but the very, very, very newest hardware.

Of course you know XP is not a server OS, there is a hard limit on simultaneous network connections, I think it is 10 so you should be OK. But if it is 5 then you may have problems connecting 7 users. I can't remember which it is off the top of my head.

 

[WannaFly]

Originally posted by: Workin'

Of course you know XP is not a server OS, there is a hard limit on simultaneous network connections, I think it is 10 so you should be OK. But if it is 5 then you may have problems connecting 7 users. I can't remember which it is off the top of my head.

Yes, i hope you are fully aware that the max connections in XP Pro are 10. There is NO WAY to get around this, if you EVER need more then ten, one has be be disconnected. Also, by default XP will keep these connections alive for a LONG time, you gotta go into the registry (not sure exactly where) to change the auto disconnect time (if you have more then 10).

 

[Winchester]

Originally posted by: Workin'
Did you try NOT pressing F6 to install 3rd party SCSI drivers? WinXP has native drivers for all but the very, very, very newest hardware.

Of course you know XP is not a server OS, there is a hard limit on simultaneous network connections, I think it is 10 so you should be OK. But if it is 5 then you may have problems connecting 7 users. I can't remember which it is off the top of my head.

Yes, I did that. I put the SCSI driver disk in. It said that the disk driver was newer than the default windows driver. I told it to use the disk driver and it loaded it. Then I hit S again to go to the install screen and hit ENTER to install Windows, but it said no hard drive was found.


The max people access the server at one time will probably be 3 or 4, but the shared folders are open to about 7 computers.

Should I just try and install Windows NT Server, but then again, something about a 5 client thing, does this mean only 5 computers can use the server at one time? If so that really sucks, why is there a "limit" on how many pepole can access a computer. For instance, using Kazaa, I have seen 20-30 people downloading from one computer, kinda the same thing but with a program, so how does that allowed more connections.

 

[WannaFly]

Originally posted by: Winchester
Should I just try and install Windows NT Server, but then again, something about a 5 client thing, does this mean only 5 computers can use the server at one time? If so that really sucks, why is there a "limit" on how many pepole can access a computer. For instance, using Kazaa, I have seen 20-30 people downloading from one computer, kinda the same thing but with a program, so how does that allowed more connections.

The limit is 10. MS built this into ALL the non server OS's this is 10 local File sharing connections, remote TCP/IP connections do not count towards this limit. They put this limite because there is no reason there should be more then 10 connections to a non-server computer.

 

[Winchester]

Originally posted by: WannaFly

The limit is 10. MS built this into ALL the non server OS's this is 10 local File sharing connections, remote TCP/IP connections do not count towards this limit. They put this limite because there is no reason there should be more then 10 connections to a non-server computer.

Thanks, Just wondering, these computers will be connected through a router, what is the difference between computers connected to a router and normal cable/dsl connections? Pondering just because you said "remote." How can the computer tell a difference. Basically what Im saying is how can it tell the difference between the "internet" and an "intranet" as far as sharing goes, other than just IP addresses.

Anyway, I have tried the SCSI drivers 2 or 3 times and nothing. It would accept the drivers then say there is no hard drive to install to. I havent checked yet, but could it be that the drives might not be formatted? I just opened the dell box and plugged everything in and put the Dell CD in, which said it installed some drivers. Then proceeded to put the Win XP CD in.

 

[Nothinman]

Have you setup the volumes in the array yet?

 

[Winchester]

Originally posted by: Nothinman
Have you setup the volumes in the array yet?

Not sure what you mean. Like I said, I just opened the box and plugged the KB, Mouse, and monitor in and put in the Dell setup CD. It supposedly created a OS partition for me, 4096mb or 4GB, I think.

 

[WannaFly]

Originally posted by: Winchester
Thanks, Just wondering, these computers will be connected through a router, what is the difference between computers connected to a router and normal cable/dsl connections? Pondering just because you said "remote." How can the computer tell a difference. Basically what Im saying is how can it tell the difference between the "internet" and an "intranet" as far as sharing goes, other than just IP addresses.

I am not exactly how MS does it, but i believe its because local connections use netbios/netbeui (on top of TCP/IP) and it counts those connections

 

[Winchester]

Originally posted by: WannaFly

I am not exactly how MS does it, but i believe its because local connections use netbios/netbeui (on top of TCP/IP) and it counts those connections

I never install netbeui, just TCP/IP.

 

[bozo1]

When you power on, you should be prompted at some point to hit something to enter the RAID controller BIOS. (Assuming you have a RAID controller.)

You need to setup your drives in there BEFORE trying to install your OS or it won't find any drives. You can set them up as single disks or do RAID-1, whatever your plan is. Once that is configurated, Windows should see them during the install phase.

 

[Workin']

Programs like Kazaa connect multiple computers because that program manages the connections. For file sharing and other network services, the operating system manages the connections. If Microsoft didn't limit the number of connections to their non-server OS'es, why would anyone buy the server versions? There are other reasons besides that, but that's probably the main reason.

As far as your setup goes, you will need to configure your array and go from there.

 

[Nothinman]

I never install netbeui, just TCP/IP.

He meants NetBIOS.

Basically what Im saying is how can it tell the difference between the "internet" and an "intranet" as far as sharing goes, other than just IP addresses.

It can't, a connection is a connection no matter what the IP is.

 

[Winchester]

Originally posted by: bozo1
When you power on, you should be prompted at some point to hit something to enter the RAID controller BIOS. (Assuming you have a RAID controller.)

You need to setup your drives in there BEFORE trying to install your OS or it won't find any drives. You can set them up as single disks or do RAID-1, whatever your plan is. Once that is configurated, Windows should see them during the install phase.

According to the spec sheet, I have "Hot swappable SCSI drive attached to SCSI controller on board, No RAID" I can see the drives detected as the computer starts booting, but after that I dont have a clue. It has an "CTRL+A" option as well as other options, but none say anything that I can see about setting up the drives.