Installing Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 - IBM System x3200 M3 (7327, 7328)

Table of Contents:
1.0 What you will need
2.0 Where to download firmware, device drivers and files
3.0 Preparing the hardware
4.0 Installing Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 5.0 Notices

Installation Instructions for Microsoft® Windows® Server 2012 R2 for IBM System x3200 M3 (7327, 7328)

Revision level: 1.00 Updated: 14 October 2013 © Copyright International Business Machines Corporation 2013. All rights reserved. US Government Users Restricted Rights - Use, duplication, or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contract with IBM Corp. Note: Before using this information and the product it supports, read the general information in 5.0 Notices in this document. Supported servers: IBM System x3200 M3 (7327, 7328) Follow the instructions in this document in sequential order unless these instructions advise you otherwise. Windows and messages might differ from those in this document. Throughout this document, the term select is used to denote the use of arrow keys, the Tab key, Alt + a letter combination, or the mouse to make a selection. References to optional hardware in this document do not imply support of that hardware. For information about supported options, see the ServerProven® information for your server at http://www.ibm.com/systems/info/x86servers/serverproven/compat/us.

1.0 What you will need

You must have the following software and hardware for the installation:

2.0 Where to download firmware, device drivers and files

You can download firmware, device drivers and files from the following sites: You can download product specifications from the following site:

3.0 Preparing the hardware

To prepare the hardware, update system firmware, and configure hard drives & arrays, see the IBM System x3200 M3 (7327, 7328) Installation Guide and User's Guide at the IBM Support Portal .

4.0 Installing Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2

To install Windows Server 2012 R2 complete the following steps:
  1. Insert the Windows Server 2012 R2 DVD into the DVD drive.
  2. Turn on the server.
  3. When you are prompted with the message " Press any key to boot from cd or dvd", press any key to start the server from the Windows Server 2012 R2 DVD. The files are copied from the setup DVD. This process takes a few minutes.
  4. In the Windows Server 2012 R2 window, make the following selections:
    • From the Language to install list, select English (United States) (or other language preference).
    • From the Time and currency format list, select English (United States) (or other time & currency preference).
    • From the Keyboard or input method list, select US (or other preference).
  5. Click Next.
  6. Click Install Now.
  7. Enter the Product Key and click Next to activate Windows.
  8. Select the version of Windows Server 2012 R2 you would like to install.
  9. Click Next.
  10. Scroll down and read the license agreement.
  11. Select I accept the license terms and click Next.
  12. Select Custom (advanced).
  13. When Windows Server 2012 R2 Setup displays all hard disk storage that is available on the server, select one of the following options to choose or create a drive partition in which to install Windows Server 2012 R2:
    • Allow Setup to create a partition: To partition the entire hard disk as one primary partition, highlight Disk0 unallocated space for the hard disk drive on which you want to install Windows Server 2012 R2, and click Next.
    • Create a partition: To create a partition, highlight Disk0 unallocated space for the hard disk drive on which you want to install Windows Server 2012 R2, and click Drive options; then, click New. You are prompted to indicate how much available space to allocate from the non-partitioned drive. Type the amount of space (in MB), and click Apply; then, click Next.
    • Delete a partition: Use this option to delete a previous partition prior to creating a partition using either method above.
  14. Setup formats the selected partition and copies the applicable files to the drive partition. This process takes 30-45 minutes and restarts the system twice.
  15. After Windows Server 2012 R2 completes, you are prompted to create an administrator password before you can log on. Enter the password twice and click Finish. Then Press Ctrl + Alt + Delete to sign in using the password you just created.
  16. After you log on as the administrator, the Server Manager window starts. Use Server Manager for naming your system, networking setup and other basic setup tasks.
  17. See section 4.1 Updating firmware and device drivers for instructions on obtaining the latest firmware and device drivers.

4.1 Updating firmware & device drivers

To make sure that the latest device drivers and firmware for the IBM System x3200 M3 (7327, 7328) unit are installed, follow the instructions in the README (.txt) file that is included with the device driver. To download the device driver and firmware packages and the installation instructions for IBM System x3200 M3 (Type 7376), complete the following steps:
  1. Go to http://www.ibm.com/support and the IBM Support Portal will automatically open.
  2. Select Find a product and select Browse in the pop up window
  3. Under Hardware expand Systems
  4. Under Systems expand System x and select your system
  5. Click on Select OS and check the box for Windows Server 2012 R2
  6. Click the Submit button followed by the double arrow button and verify that the item listed in the right pane is correct.
  7. Click Finish.
  8. In the Flashes and alerts box click on More to get the complete list of firmware and device drivers for your system. Follow the Readme.txt file in each download package for installation instructions.

4.2 Enabling Hyper-V

To enable Hyper-V (optional) under Windows Server 2012 R2 complete the following steps:
  1. Start Server Manager console
  2. In the Configure this local server area of Server Manager main window, click Add roles and features
  3. Click Next three times to get to the Select server roles page.
  4. Check the box next to Hyper-V and click Add Features.
  5. Add any desired features and click Next.
  6. Click Next again and follow the next few screens to configure Hyper-V.
  7. On the Confirm installation selections screen, confirm your selections and click Install.
  8. Close Server Manager, and allow system to reboot.
  9. Hyper-V configuration details for Windows 2012 R2 can be found at the following link: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc770901.aspx

4.3 Post-installation instructions

  1. Install the latest drivers and firmware (see section 4.1).
  2. Microsoft updates should be run after all roles and features are enabled to update the system with all the current hotfixes.
  3. IBM recommends you review all Retain Tips related to this system and the Operating System you are installing. Retain Tips are found at http://www.ibm.com/support/us/en. Review the " Problem Resolution" section for your specific machine type/model.

5.0 Notices

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THIS PUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some jurisdictions do not allow disclaimer of express or implied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not apply to you. This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will be incorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may make improvements and/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in this publication at any time without notice. IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. If these and other IBM trademarked terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with a trademark symbol (® or ™), these symbols indicate U.S. registered or common law trademarks owned by IBM at the time this information was published. Such trademarks may also be registered or common law trademarks in other countries. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the Web at http://www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Applicable countries and regions

  • Worldwide

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Document id:  MIGR-5093840
Last modified:  2013-11-01
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