Windows Installation Tips And Settings - IBM System x3850 X5 Implementation Manual

We recommend that you review all of the RETAIN tips, which relate to this system and the
operating system that you are installing, which are available at the following website:
http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/Troubleshooting/Hardware/Systems/BladeCente
r/BladeCenter_HX5/7872
For further general VMware tuning information, see the paper VMware vCenter Server
Performance and Best Practices for vSphere 4.1, which is available at this website:
http://www.vmware.com/resources/techresources/10145

8.7.4 Windows installation tips and settings

In this section, we provide useful information to assist with the installation of Windows Server
2008. We have not described the installation process in this chapter, because there are no
particular deviations from a standard Windows 2008 installation. However, we provide links to
useful installation instructions and troubleshooting information for certain configurations.
The latest versions of Microsoft Windows 2008 are all UEFI compliant and can therefore take
advantage of the full functionality that is provided by UEFI. The HX5 only supports x64-bit
versions of the Windows 2008 operating system. You can obtain a complete list of supported
Windows Server operating systems for HX5 at the following website:
http://ibm.com/systems/info/x86servers/serverproven/compat/us/nos/microsofte.html
Windows Server 2008 and Windows 2008 R2 with MAX5
Consider these points when installing Windows Server 2008:
When running Windows Server on a memory-expanded HX5, set the MAX5 Memory
Scaling option to Non-Pooled. See 8.5.5, "HX5 with MAX5 attached" on page 401 for
instructions.
Use at least the Enterprise Edition of Windows 2008 or Windows 2008 R2 to take full
advantage of the MAX5 expansion memory capability. You can obtain information about
Windows Server memory limits at the following website:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa366778.aspx
Installing Windows 2008 with IBM ServerGuide
Consider these points when installing with ServerGuide:
We recommend using IBM ServerGuide to simplify the installation of Windows 2008
Server. It integrates RAID-array configuration and driver installation into the operating
system installation process. You can download the IBM ServerGuide image from the
following website:
http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=SERV-GUIDE
IBM ServerGuide automatically detects whether to install in Legacy mode or native UEFI
mode, depending on the boot settings that are defined in the UEFI. The operating system
will install in UEFI mode unless Legacy Only is the first entry in the boot order.
You can use IBM ServerGuide v8.31 x64 bit or later to install Windows 2008 on the HX5.
When using ServerGuide, you set the RAID array configuration in the Configure RAID
Adapter panel. Choose Keep Current Adapter Configuration if the RAID array has been
set previously and the next installation will use that current configuration.
In the IBM ServerGuide partition setup panel, selecting the Clear All Disks check box
proceeds with clearing the contents of all of the disks that are attached to the system. This
deletion
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includes SAN storage logical drives that are mapped to the system. Ensure that