Setting up a Compaq ProLiant DL380 from 2000

Overview, setup, and Windows 2000 install for a Compaq ProLiant DL380 Gen 1 from 2000. We'll also cover Compaq's solution to lights out management. Oh let's run Doom on it too.
Stuff I used in this video
IDE to Compact Flash Adapter: amzn.to/3PQuF3o
Molex to Floppy Adapter: amzn.to/3NJf035
Rack stuff
StarTech 25U Rack: amzn.to/3mEB7hS
Tripp Lite SMART1500LCD UPS: amzn.to/3KZW3Jw
1U 24 Port Patch Panel: amzn.to/3Nm0bFa
1U Brush Panel: amzn.to/3mExAA3
1U Rack Shelf: amzn.to/3oaDclT
Note: The above are Amazon affiliate links. It doesn't cost you extra, but I'll receive a commission which will help keep the content coming. I only link to things I've personally ordered.
Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

[@neil2402]

Used to work on these professionally back in the day. Yes the G1 was a bit clunky and the LO card a bit primitive, but things improved quite a bit with later generations. The G1 had the styling of earlier proliant models (400,800,1600 etc) and the SCU looks very EISA like! The G2 and later had a new look and feel and were much easier to work on. Thanks for the memories!

[@naikrovek]

USB floppy drives are not true floppy drives as far as those older computers are concerned. with USB floppy drives there is no real floppy controller, and they only handle 1.44MB or 720kB disk images, and they simply will not do non-standard things to a floppy disk, which is why there is a tool to create the floppies for you, instead of downloads of floppy images. The disk image creator from Compaq did some slightly special things to make one or more of those disks bootable which is not something that all USB floppies can do, if the computer you want to boot from the floppy is very old, such as the Compaq you're using here. You will almost certainly need to make those floppy disks with a real computer with a real, old floppy drive connected to either an integrated floppy controller, or a floppy controller on an ISA/PCI card.

[@johnpanzer2034]

My dad worked on these servers for HP and Compaq back in the day. He had one of these exact machines in his lab at his office so he could test software and SP bundles for customers. He had it running Windows Server 2003 when it first came out. Quite an impressive machine for its time. Yes, the Compaq BIOS utilities ran a very custom version of Windows 9x and before that, Windows 3.1 in older machines.

[@meatpockets]

I worked at a job that bought these second hand and would throw them in a colo to rent out. They were too cheap to buy proper rail kits and had like 5-6 of these resting on some kind of rack mounted L bracket. One day we got a swarm of Nagios alerts in and I rushed down to take a look. Turns out the bracket blew out and all the severs were falling out the rack. There was so much weight that it forced the locked cabinets front door wide open. Good times…

[@nathan9510]

If you need some more SCSI drives, I can ship 4-6 to you if you pay for the shipping. I have a bunch in HP/Compaq sleds of various sizes and speeds. All are 80 pin SCA SCSI.

[@huseyinfahriuzun2216]

at least now HP is smarter and using linux kernel for their bios and utilities

[@kmickCSX]

I’m about to make some people feel old- I forgot that compaq used to be a company- I have a new proLiant and I had no idea compaq made these

[@CammyFi]

The way your microphone picks the keyboard up louder than your voice is uncomfortable.

[@JMassengill]

I used to work for an authorized COMPAQ dealer in 2000/2001. Smart start was different. The worst part about running old java based hardware is finding the right version of java. (the ILO on the Dell R710 is also fun to get working for the same reason) I have a Cisco ASA 5510 in my home lab and it took forever to find the needed java files to run the ASDM.

[@arjovenzia]

I love the fact the CPU PSUs are on cards that look like they're removable. That's some impressive serviceability

[@markpriceful]

omg, so proud of that 40-bit SSL @

[@smpstech]

I had one of these first generation DL380's and HP still sends me support alerts about them to this day. Pretty amazing.

[@hessex1899]

I found a gen 1 chassis with a live ILOM on my work's network last year. The system was off but the chassis was still racked, attached to network, and powered.

[@markpriceful]

That remote management / ILO card is pretty wild, glad to see you stuck with it and the old Java to make it work. Reminds me of that old meme "hey dog, we heard you like computers, so we got a computer for your computer"

[@timcsmedic2162]

I worked with those and some older stand up Compaq models. They are a weird beast. Especially running Novell 4.11 and 5. Cool to see those again.😊

[@LeeZhiWei8219]

It's so cool to see such retro hardware. I discovered your channel due to researching about some sun hardware. And subscribed!

[@jbgaud]

I assembled and configured a bucket load of those servers and tower aquivalent : the ML530. Usually they came partially mounted. We have to add the Smartarray controler, power supply and processors.

[@VK2FVAX]

Love to see more on this era of old servers ..even older. Especially DEC/Compaq/Fujitsu/SNI/HP/Amdahl.

[@tims001]

Great work mate, I have one of these at work that has been end of life for a long time... Actually the whole floor is being E-wasted so I need to get in there and salvage what I can.

[@alvaroamestegui5836]

Awesome! Brings back memories. Don't forget the HAL!