Install Icy Dock MB994SP-4SB-1 in HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9

(And Install Windows Server 2016 in HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9)

By: JohnStutsman

Figure 1 – HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9 with Tower Bezel Assembly removed and both EMI shield’s removed. MB994SP-4SB-1 rests in static mat in front.

After finishing up work on my ML10v2 I wanted to move back to the HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9 and begin testing to eventually configure it as a workhorse in my home lab. First I wanted a way to be able to easily add 2.5” drives (from thin SSD’s but including up to the 15mm VelociRaptor’s – what’s a home lab without VelociRaptor’s I always say J). The ML30 Gen 9 (Product No. 830893) has 6 SATA III (6Gb/s) ports with 4 (ports 1 -4) to the LFF hot-swap cage via a mini-SAS cable from the System Board and ports 5 & 6 available as SATA III (6Gb/s) on the System Board all controlled by the embedded B140i on the system board. While I only had 2 extra SATA ports I also wanted some future expandability if I decided to move to an add-on controller card. I felt that the Icy Dock 4-in-1 ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1 would best fit my “want’s”.

Figure 2 – Front view of Icy Dock ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1, fits in an external half height 5.25” bay holding 4 x 2.5” SATA III (6Gb/s) SSD’s or HDD’s up to 15mm high with hot swap capability. Each drive bay has LED indication of drive power (green) & activity (amber)

Figure 3– View of Icy Dock ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1 with the 4 x 2.5” SATA III (6Gb/s) hot-swap drive trays extended. Note that they are all metal construction with a very solid feel. Also note the anti-vibration design.

Figure 4 – Bottom view of a single 2.5” SATA III (6Gb/s) hot-swap drive tray for the Icy Dock ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1. Each drive can be secured with 4 screws (supplied by Icy Dock) making for a very solid configuration.

Figure 5 – Rear view of the Icy Dock ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1. Each drive has its own SATA III (6 Gb/s) port. The power is supplied via the Molex connector on the lower left and the two 40mm fans are controlled by the on/off switch above the Power Connector. I would certainly want the fans “on” if I fill the ToughArmor with 15mm high VelociRaptors to keep my “Raptors” cool but even if I fill the ToughArmor with SSD’s I plan to have the fans “on” to provide more air circulation inside the ML30 Gen9. Currently, I’m planning to only connect SATA Ports 1 & 2 and save 3 & 4 for future expansion. SATA Ports 1 & 2 will be connected to SATA III (6 Gb/s) Ports 5 & 6 located on the ML30 Gen9 System Board.

Figure 6 – This specification chart I copied from Icy Dock’s web page for the ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1 The major item missing from this chart is that each drive tray will accommodate 2.5” drives up to 15mm thick. 15mm is the thickness of a VelociRaptor without its cool pack for 3.5” drive spaces. The “Data Sheet” for the MB994SP-4SB-1 in Figure 7 below does reference the drive height that the drive tray will accommodate.

Figure 7 – Icy Dock’s “Data Sheet” that I downloaded from their web page for the ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1.

Figure 8 – HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9 with Tower Bezel Assembly removed and both EMI shield’s removed. MB994SP-4SB-1 rests on static mat in front. The two 18 SATA III cables that I attached to SATA III Ports 5 & 6 on the System Board extend out of the front of the ML30 Gen9 case.

Video of installation of the MB994SP-4SB-1.

Video 1 – Install MB994SP-4SB-1 in HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9

Updating Firmware, installing Windows Server 2016, Updating Drivers

After the installation of the ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1 I used iLO4 to remote into my ML30 Gen9 and began to install Windows Server 2016 manually (i.e. without using IP) in the following general steps:

Download Service Pack for ProLiant (SPP) from Hewlett Packard Enterprise Support Center – Drivers & Software – the current version is 2016.10.0 (24 Oct 2016) – check also threads about SPP at HSS Forum MS Gen8
Load the SPP ISO in remote desktop of iLO4

Boot the ML30 Gen9 – with no drives in the ML30 Gen9 in my case – and let SPP run automatically and update all firmware

Shut down the ML30 Gen9

Figure 9 – After running SPP’s ISO the firmware of the ML30 Gen9 is up to date.

Next: I loaded the Samsung 840 Pro 256GB into drive 1 of the Icy Dock ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1
Go to the Hewlett Packard Enterprise Support Center – Drivers & Software – and download the file cp028631.exe that is the Dynamic Smart Array B140i Controller Driver for 64-bit Microsoft Windows Server 2012/2016 Editions (This is the same driver I plan to use for a manual installation of Windows 10 64-bit Pro sometime later in the ML30 Gen9) – the current version is 62.12.0.64 (24 Oct 2016)

Extract the files in cp028631.exe and load those into a file folder that I then attach/load in remote desktop of iLO4 (during Windows install this will be the folder I browse to so that Windows can pull in the driver and see the Samsung 840 Pro)

Load the Windows Server 2016 ISO in remote desktop of iLO4

Boot the ML30 Gen9

During boot go into IP and select SSA (Smart Storage Administrator)

In SSA I set up the Samsung 840 Pro as a single drive RAID0 to be used as my OS drive

Exit SSA & IP and Restart the ML30 Gen9

Proceed with the normal Windows install

After Windows is installed and updated – reattach SPP ISO in remote desktop of iLO4

In the Windows desktop go to the SPP ISO in File Explorer and Execute the Batch file for HPSUM – I chose the automatic update

After running HPSUM (and rebooting) the HPE software shown in Figure 10 below was installed. Enjoy!

Figure 10 – Software installed by HPSUM in Windows Server 2016

Figure 11 – This shows my Samsung 840 Pro (my OS drive) set up in a single drive RAID0 in the B140i using SSA

Figure 12 – Temperatures in the ML30 Gen9 via iLO4. BIOS is set on optimal cooling and my single System Fan is running at 6% and the two 40mm fans on the MB994SP-4SB-1 are turned on.

Figure 13 – Basic information showing Windows Server loaded onto my HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9 running from a single SSD RAID0 in bay 1 of the Icy Dock ToughArmor MB994SP-4SB-1

Figure 14 – Icy Dock MB994SP-4SB-1 ToughArmor installed in the HPE ProLiant ML30Gen9

I really like the MB994SP-4SB-1 in the ML30 Gen9 and the installation of Windows Server 2016 while updating the firmware and drivers with SPP and HPSUM was relatively trouble free.

In the As-Built that follows I list how this ML30 Gen9 is loaded. Be sure to check out more on this at ML10 and ML10v2 Forum and Icy Dock MB994SP-4SB-1 ToughArmor in HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9.

As-Built (I named my Computer: Serenity)

HPE ProLiant ML30 Gen9 (Product No. 830893)
Xeon E3-1240v5 (SkyLake LGA 1151)

8GB ECC RAM (Expandable to 64GB)

OS: Windows Server 2016 – Logical Drive 01 (Samsung 840 Pro 256GB – RAID0 B140i Dynamic Smart Array

B140i Dynamic Smart Array (4*3.5” Drive Tray Caddies for Main Drive-Cage Assembly)

Icy Dock MB994SP-4SB-1; with/ 2*18” SATA III (6 Gb/s) cables attached to Bays 1 & 2; Molex to Molex & Fan Y-Connector Cable; Samsung 840 Pro 256GB in Bay 1;