Solution Quick Start Guide | HP WS460c Graphics Server Blade Windows 7 and 8.1 Quick Start Guide

Purpose of this document
This document details the concepts and procedure for installing Microsoft Windows 7 and 8.1 on ProLiant WS460c
Graphics Server Blades.

Prerequisite reading
It is recommended that you read HP Hardware Accelerated Graphics for Desktop Virtualization for a detailed conceptual
overview of the overall solution before proceeding. This document can be found at the following address:
http://h71028.www7.hp.com/enterprise/downloads/4AA4-1701ENW.pdf

Microsoft Windows 7 versus Windows 8.1 on the WS460c Graphics Server
Blade
Microsoft Windows 7 does not support running multiple graphics architectures at the same time. For example, you
cannot have an NVIDIA card and an AMD card enabled on the same system at the same time. On Gen8 WS460c systems
running Windows 7, if both the embedded graphics (Matrox) and an add-in card (such as an NVIDIA K6000) are enabled at
the same time (“Setup Mode”), the system will disable the non-primary card, in this case, the add-in K6000. You are able
to install and uninstall drivers for the add-in card in this mode but you cannot enable the card.

Microsoft Windows 8 handles graphics cards differently than Windows 7. With Windows 8 and newer, the operating
system allows more than one graphics-card architecture to be enabled at one time. For example, with Window’s 8.1
running on a Gen9 WS460c in “Both Add-in and Embedded Video Enabled” mode, both embedded and add-in cards are
enabled and seen by the operating system. When multiple cards are presented to the operating system, Windows will
determine the graphics card with best feature set and make it primary. In the case of the WS460c Graphics Server Blade
the best graphics card will always be the add-in card. This creates a challenge with WS460c Graphics Server Blade as the
server runs headless (that is, no physical displays are attached to the add-in card) and the custom graphics driver used
by the add in card enables displays even though no physical displays are present. The system is set up and drivers
installed with Both Add-in and Embedded Video Enabled (“Setup Mode”) using the iLO remote console or SUV front
dongle. After installing the driver for the add-in card and rebooting, the add-In card becomes primary. This causes the
login screen to be displayed on the virtual display on the add-in card and NOT through the iLO remote console or front
dongle connection. On the iLO console, all that is seen is a black screen or a static solid blue screen (not to be confused
with a bug-check screen). Follow the steps below and use the Windows 8.1 enablement kit included with the driver to
work around this issue.

Understanding WS460c Graphics Server Blade video modes
The WS460c Graphics Server Blade has an embedded graphics card as well as add-in high-end graphics card options. In
Gen8 or Gen9 WS460c blades, the embedded graphics chip is a Matrox G200. In earlier Gen6 blades, it was an ATI RN-50.
Depending on the configuration, it may be necessary to disable the embedded graphics so that the add-in graphics card
can run as primary without any conflicts. The WS460c has specific BIOS modes that control which graphics cards are
enabled and seen by the operating system. During system setup, all cards should be enabled (“Setup Mode”) and the
system is accessed from the iLO remote console or front dongle SUV connection. Once setup is complete, the embedded
controller is disabled and the system is booted to production mode where only the add-in card is enabled and primary
(“User Mode”). In this state, the system can only be accessed via a remoting protocol such as HP RGS, PCoIP (Horizon
View), or HDX 3D pro (Citrix XenDesktop).

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