Deployment Assistant requires USB Disk Key

[DSche7]

I have a server with an Intel SR1630HGP board. The RIAD 1 was created via the Deployment Assistant. Attempts to install Win Srv 2008 R2 without the assistant fail however installation of the OS also fails because it's asking for a "USB disk on key" The error is "ERROR:No USB Disk on Key or Hard Disk detected!"

The RAID was detected and selected and the assistant/OS CD's have been provided when asked and thus the drivers for the board are being detected. I have been unable to find out why a USB drive is needing to complete the install.

Can someone please clear up this mystery.

Thx,

Don

[idata]

I cannot answer that question, but if you want some help getting past it - there probably is a better way. I assume the RAID is based on the ESRT controller? When the system is POSTing, press Ctrl + E to enter the RAID BIOS and configure the raid via this interface. Then you can simply boot from CD ROM to install the OS.

Check http://download.intel.com/support/motherboards/server/sb/d29305020_raid_swug_r20_0.pdf this guide, section 5 is the pertinent part.

[DSche7]

Hello Jason,

Thank you for your reply and the reference PDF.

Ultimately it was also discovered that the installation of the OS via the Deployment Assistant wants a USB drive so that the DA can populate drivers onto the USB drive for the reboot and then installation of the OS. Once a USB I inserted a USB thumb drive the installation proceeded. The confirmation of why the USB drive is needed is not made clear until AFTER the DA populates the drivers onto the USB drive and then your prompted to reboot the server with the message telling to NOT remove the OS DVD or the USB drive.

I don't think an empty USB drive is required however one was used.

Intel really needs to clean up it's GUI to better inform why the USB drive is needed. They need to stop calling it a KEY.

Again thanks for your help and quick response.

Don

[idata]

Okay, well it's good you figured it out. It's strange that the drivers are cached on a USB drive. When I get some spare time I might spin my gears trying to figure out that logic there!

But that would have to be some very "spare" time! Ha-ha!

[DSche7]

I can relate Jason. Spare time is very spare next to rare and all most never in the dictionary.

As best as I'm able to determine, the DA is using Linux and it's for this reason they are throwing the drivers to the USB drive. This is based upon the many postings I looked at in which a couple indicated Linux but none said what was really taking place. In looking at the USB thumb drive there is also an unattend file which is being used for the OS load.

One other item to consider is when you select the OS install from the DA there are several screens that you go through. The screen just before the one that states to insert the OS DVD and the USB disk on key (free Space 10MB), you are asked where the drivers should come from. There is a chance that if the server is internet attached the USB device may not be required. I believe there were four options to choose from however the one for the USB is preselected.

Notwithstanding, in researching this bugger, I found several postings on other Intel MOBO's all hitting the same problem. Unfortunately the MOBO's appeared to be earlier so the so-called fix did not apply. Notwithstanding, none of the postings I found specifically said, hey we need the ":USB disk on Key" because we load the MOBO drivers to the darn thing that everyone knows as a thumb drive or USB attached drive/storage device. Let's apply the KISS principle!

Have a good one and again thanks for the feedback. You provided another avenue.

Thx,

Don