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DELL Server / Adding another cpu
Good Day,
I searched and found a variety of opinions on the matter, but I wanted to run my situation past the experts here.
We have a Dell Poweredge server with one CPU. The mother board can accommodate another cpu, however I read that it's risky to add another one. We are running Windows Server 2003 Web Ed.
My questions are:
1. Our plan is to buy an identical cpu, ensure the bios is up to date, install cpu. Am I missing something?
2. Will windows error out (HAL, etc)?
3. Can we avoid reinstalling Windows?
4. What are the potential pitfalls?
This is a production machine and we cannot afford more than a few minutes of downtime.
Thank you for your input.
I searched and found a variety of opinions on the matter, but I wanted to run my situation past the experts here.
We have a Dell Poweredge server with one CPU. The mother board can accommodate another cpu, however I read that it's risky to add another one. We are running Windows Server 2003 Web Ed.
My questions are:
1. Our plan is to buy an identical cpu, ensure the bios is up to date, install cpu. Am I missing something?
2. Will windows error out (HAL, etc)?
3. Can we avoid reinstalling Windows?
4. What are the potential pitfalls?
This is a production machine and we cannot afford more than a few minutes of downtime.
Thank you for your input.
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SOLUTION
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First, check if your Hardware abstraction layer (HAL) is going to support multiple processors, to do so, go to %systemroot%\system32 and right-click on hal.dll, choose properties, look in the version tab and choose internal name, see if there is an M in the name (halmps.dll or halmacpi.dll, etc.) if it does, your hal will support multiprocessors.
Next, and this part is usually tricky depending on your supplier, you need to find exactly the same processor and need to make sure the processor is capable of working in tandem (most xeon nowadays are able to do so, so I wouldn't really worry too much about that if you bought that server in the last 1-3 years). The hard part is finding the exact same model and speed, processors get phased out after only 3-6 months.
Those two items are your pitfalls, if your HAL doesn't support multiprocessing, you'll have to replace it before you add the other processor. And if your processor doesn't support multiprocessing then you've got a problem. otherwise, if all is well, you shouldn't have to reinstall windows or rebuild your server.
As I always suggest when doing similar things, MAKE SURE YOU'VE BACKED UP YOUR SERVER before proceeding with anything and backing up includes restoring the backup to make sure everything is fine.
Next, and this part is usually tricky depending on your supplier, you need to find exactly the same processor and need to make sure the processor is capable of working in tandem (most xeon nowadays are able to do so, so I wouldn't really worry too much about that if you bought that server in the last 1-3 years). The hard part is finding the exact same model and speed, processors get phased out after only 3-6 months.
Those two items are your pitfalls, if your HAL doesn't support multiprocessing, you'll have to replace it before you add the other processor. And if your processor doesn't support multiprocessing then you've got a problem. otherwise, if all is well, you shouldn't have to reinstall windows or rebuild your server.
As I always suggest when doing similar things, MAKE SURE YOU'VE BACKED UP YOUR SERVER before proceeding with anything and backing up includes restoring the backup to make sure everything is fine.
ASKER
Great. Thank you. I will check HAL.
For future reference, there are two possible HAL CPU types in use, but if this is a multi-cpu or the single CPU. If you have a new server - ANY new server that uses multi-core CPUs OR HyperThreading, then you already have the multiprocessor HAL in use and the only thing you should need to do is put the CPU in while the system is off. Done. Period. Yes, BIOS updates may be required if you are upgrading the CPUs beyond what they were, but if you are just adding a second CPU, then there's really nothing to it.
But I do agree- ANYTIME you do major change to a system, make sure to perform a backup. Nothing SHOULD happen - but once you've been in IT long enough, you learn ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. Yes, computers work by logic - but they were designed and programmed by people - who do not.
But I do agree- ANYTIME you do major change to a system, make sure to perform a backup. Nothing SHOULD happen - but once you've been in IT long enough, you learn ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. Yes, computers work by logic - but they were designed and programmed by people - who do not.
Very good and wise comment, leew!
ASKER