HP ProLiant MicroServer Gen8 | Intel Xeon E3-1265L V2 | 16GB ECC RAM | P222 Raid

HP ProLiant Gen8 Server - Upgraded CPU - 16GB ECC RAM - Smart Array P222 with cache capacitor - iLO - Very quiet - No disks

This is my personal HP ProLiant Gen8 server, originally purchased in 2015 and carefully maintained. It is fully operational (runs ESXi 6.0) and is decommissioned only because I am downsizing, not because of any issue. Very good condition, and perfect cosmetic condition - not a single scratch or any other sign of wear. I would have written "Very Good Condition" but Tradera guidelines say that it is equivalent to "used a couple of times" - which is not true - the server has been running 24/7 for many years - so changed it to "Good Use Condition" to be more accurate. As I already mentioned - I took great care of the server.

Configuration:

• HP ProLiant Gen8
• Upgraded CPU Intel Xeon E3-1265L V2
• 16 GB ECC RAM
• HP Smart Array P222 RAID controller
• Cache capacitor for P222 installed
• Custom Noctua fan solution for active cooling of the RAID card
• Very quiet operation
• Dual NIC
• iLO remote management
• No disks included

The P222 with capacitor provides proper RAID support with write cache protection. The additional custom Noctua fan keeps the RAID card cool and stable while remaining very quiet. This is not a noisy datacenter machine. It is suitable for home lab, NAS, backups, virtualization or small business workloads.

As a NAS it can run 4 HDDs internally (built in HDD cage, can be connected to either B120i or P222), and the P222 also supports external storage expansion for larger setups (I had 4 x 8TB WD Red). It is a solid platform for ESXi, Proxmox, TrueNAS, Linux or other hypervisors. I also had 2 x Samsung 850 Pro SSDs in the CD drive space, see the picture.

B120i DOES NOT SUPPORT DISKS LARGER THAN 3TB.
P222 has no disk size limitation. I confirm it worked with 8TB WD Red PRO no issues.

SOLD WITHOUT DISKS - NEITHER SSD NOR HDD - AND SD CARD WITH ESXi WILL ALSO BE REMOVED (however you can have it if you really want it - let me know and I'll clean up the ESXi for you - e.g. all settings reset, scratch/syslog/coredump configured to RAM because SSDs will be removed, SSH enabled). In that case, management IP and a new random root password will be provided on a printed note.

The buyer can of course also install any preferred operating system from scratch.

Why this server still has value:

• Enterprise grade hardware
• ECC memory support
• Real hardware RAID with cache capacitor
• iLO remote management
• Upgradeable and flexible
• No subscription or vendor lock in
• Proven stability and long service life

This is a reliable and well built server platform that still performs very well for storage, virtualization and lab environments. Very quite - I had it running at home in my living room under the TV...and it did not bother me at all. Power consumption is very low.

Some buyers asked questions about B120i and P222 RAID.

Q1: How did I put 2 SSD in this machine?
A1: I have my P222 Raid card wired to internal HDD cage so internal HDDs go to P222. And I also had one external SFF-8088 - had 4x8TB WD drives in external enclosure. Thus, B120i built in "pseudo RAID" was free - and I used 2 SATA connectors from there to put 2 SSDs in the DVD drive bay (removed) space. Had 2 Samsung 850 PRO 256GB in RAID 0 there - no issues.

Q2: Does P222 support JBOD or can one reflash firmware to make it work as JBOD.
A2: No. P222 supports RAID 0, 5, 10...ask ChatGPT for a workaround (it suggests having individual disks as RAID0) but I have not tried that. I had SSDs in RAID0 on B120i and HDDs in RAID5. E.g. one array - 4 HDDs in RAID 5 in external enclosure and 4 HDDs in RAID 5 in internal HDD caddy.

Internal B120i is not a real RAID - it's software emulated. P222 is real hardware RAID. You can reconnect internal HDD cage to either of the RAID cards by just reconnecting the SFF-8087 cable in the right place.

Good luck bidding!