Before Modifying An Existing System; Planning The New Configuration - Compaq 108164-003 - ProLiant - 800 Integration Notes

PCI Bus Numbering in a Microsoft Windows NT Environment

Before Modifying an Existing System

Complete a thorough planning session to understand possible considerations and anticipate
unexpected issues. Be sure to have a backup plan so you can return to your original configuration
if necessary.
Because bus renumbering is likely to occur when controllers are added or removed in a PCI
configuration, Compaq recommends that you perform the following steps:
Backup the server registry and all data so that you can return to the original configuration,
if necessary.
Update the Emergency Repair Disk so that you can use it to restore current system settings.
Run the System Configuration Utility, from the System boot partition, and print out the log
that the utility generates. This log identifies slot numbers and bus number assignments.
Log important network settings such as, protocols, IP addresses, frame types, etc.
When loading Disk Administrator
you will automatically be notified,
if a drive does not have a signature.
Run Disk Administrator to verify that additional drives have received a signature from
Windows NT.
Verify you have the necessary Windows NT CDs and the Compaq Support Paq for Microsoft
Windows NT 4.0 to update drivers, if necessary. This information will be essential should
you need to return to the original configuration.

Planning the New Configuration

The next part of the plan involves identifying the best method to update the original
configuration. Armed with the knowledge that PCI slot number and bus number assignments are
affected when controllers are added or removed will help you integrate new hardware into an
existing server configuration with minimal disruption and downtime.
You will also want to answer the following questions, before making modifications:
Will the network controllers be standalone or set up as a redundant pair? Decide which slot(s)
to use for the NIC(s).
What slots will be used for the disk controller(s)? Does the configuration include external
storage?
Is the system load balanced across the buses to provide the optimal system performance?
Does the controller(s) have a bridge? Controllers that contain bridges will be assigned a PCI
bus number which increments the bus numbering assignment of each subsequent PCI bridged
controller detected.
Reviewing these questions ahead of time will help you with the decision making process; each
computing environment differs and the responses to these questions will not be the same for
every configuration. You, as the network administrator, must determine the best solution for your
computing needs.
13UK-1200A-WWEN
Label the disk drives/volumes using the Windows NT Disk
Administrator. Drive letters remain the same, but disk number
assignment might change, including labels on disk helps
identification.
18