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HPE ProLiant DL Gen9 Booking-In Procedure

Complete procedure for booking in HPE ProLiant DL-series Gen9 servers, including factory reset, iLO configuration, and Blancco data erasure.

Prerequisites

Item Details
Keyboard & Mouse USB keyboard and mouse
Monitor VGA cable and TFT display
Network Cable Ethernet cable for Ghost/PXE network
Power Cables IEC C13 power leads
Blancco Server Network access to Blancco PXE boot server

Part 1: Hardware Setup

Physical Connections

  1. Attach USB keyboard and mouse to rear USB ports
  2. Connect VGA cable to VGA port (rear panel)
  3. Plug in power leads to both PSU slots (if dual PSU)
  4. Connect NIC Port 1 to the Ghost/Blancco network
  5. Press power button on front panel

NIC Port Numbering

Port 1 is typically the leftmost network port. For 4-port cards, ports are numbered left to right: 1, 2, 3, 4.

Part 2: Reset to Factory Defaults

Access System Utilities

  1. Power on the server
  2. Wait for POST (Power On Self Test)
  3. Press F9 when prompted at the bottom of the screen
  4. Select System Configuration and press Enter

Reset iLO 4 to Factory Defaults

Step Action
1 Select iLO 4 Configuration Utility
2 Navigate to Set to factory defaults
3 Select YES when prompted
4 Press Esc to go back
5 Press Y to save and exit

iLO License

Factory reset removes any iLO license keys. Re-apply licenses after reset if required.

Reset BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU)

Step Action
1 From System Configuration, select BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU)
2 Navigate to System Default Options
3 Select Restore Default Manufacturing Settings
4 Press Enter on the warning popup
5 Select Yes, restore the default settings
6 When prompted "Do you want to reboot the system?" press Enter

RBSU vs UEFI

BIOS/Platform Configuration menus were formerly known as ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU). Gen9 uses UEFI by default.

Part 3: Blancco Data Erasure

Boot to Blancco Network

  1. Wait for server to complete reboot
  2. Press F9 when prompted to enter System Utilities
  3. Select One Time Boot Menu and press Enter
  4. Select Legacy BIOS One-Time Boot Menu and press Enter
  5. Server reboots and displays Legacy boot device list
  6. Select One Time Boot to Network (1st NIC in IPL) (usually option 4)
  7. Press Enter

Select Blancco Image

  1. PXE boot menu appears
  2. Select Blancco Drive Eraser x.xx.x
  3. Press Enter

Configure Blancco Boot Options

  1. In Booting options menu, highlight Freeze Lock Removal
  2. Press Enter
  3. System boots to Blancco interface

Freeze Lock

Freeze Lock Removal is required for SATA drives that have security freeze lock enabled. This allows Blancco to access and erase the drives.

Run Data Erasure

  1. Blancco interface loads
  2. Select all drives to be erased
  3. Choose erasure standard (e.g., DoD 5220.22-M, NIST 800-88)
  4. Start erasure process
  5. Wait for completion and generate certificates

Quick Reference

Boot Key Functions

Key Function
F9 Enter System Utilities (UEFI)
F10 Intelligent Provisioning
F11 Boot Menu
F8 iLO Configuration (during iLO POST)
F12 Network Boot

iLO 4 Default Credentials

Field Default Value
Username Administrator
Password (on pull-out tag or label)
IP Address DHCP or 192.168.1.x

Common BIOS Settings to Check

Setting Recommended
Boot Mode UEFI Mode
Secure Boot Disabled (for PXE boot)
Boot Order Network first (for imaging)
Virtualization Enabled
Hyperthreading Enabled

Troubleshooting

Server Won't POST

  • Check all power connections
  • Verify PSU LEDs are green
  • Remove and reseat RAM modules
  • Check for beep codes

Cannot Enter System Utilities

  • Press F9 immediately when HP splash screen appears
  • Ensure USB keyboard is connected to rear ports
  • Try different USB port

PXE Boot Fails

  • Verify network cable is in Port 1
  • Check DHCP server is responding
  • Ensure Legacy BIOS Boot is enabled in boot options
  • Verify Blancco server is accessible

Blancco Doesn't See Drives

  • Enable Freeze Lock Removal at boot
  • Check RAID controller settings
  • For RAID arrays, present as JBOD or individual disks
  • Update storage controller firmware if needed

iLO Not Accessible After Reset

  • iLO reverts to DHCP by default
  • Check DHCP server for new lease
  • Connect directly to iLO port and scan for IP
  • Default IP range: 192.168.1.x

Post-Erasure Checklist

  • [ ] All drives erased successfully
  • [ ] Blancco certificates generated
  • [ ] iLO reset to factory defaults
  • [ ] BIOS reset to manufacturing defaults
  • [ ] Server powers off cleanly
  • [ ] Physical cleaning completed
  • [ ] Asset tag recorded

References