HP Factory-Installed Operating System Software for Microsoft Windows Server® 2008 R2 Foundation and Windows Server® 2012 Foundation User Guide

Overview 5
Overview
Introduction
IMPORTANT: If your server has a factory-installed operating system, do not boot from the HP
SmartStart CD/Support Pack for Proliants or HP Intelligent Provisioning when powering up the
server for the first time. The SmartStart CD or HP Intelligent Provisioning must be used only if it is
necessary to reinstall the operating system.
IMPORTANT: Complete the operating system installation before installing any additional
hardware options.
This guide provides instructions for completing the installation of the following factory-installed operating
systems: Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation and Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Foundation operating
system.
Features
The operating system is preloaded on the server disk drive before the server is shipped to you. Also, the latest
drivers are downloaded onto the server disk drive and integrated with the preloaded operating system.
The normal server operating system installation process is shortened for a preloaded server operating system.
This installation requires approximately 30 minutes, compared to the normal CD installation time of 90
minutes. The user-specific information such as the server name, IP address, and regional settings must be
entered during the installation process.
The HP factory-installed software for the Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation and Microsoft Windows
Server 2012 Foundation operating system is:
• Ready to run—You are guided through a mini-setup wizard, after which any HP specific components
are installed and, when possible, configured. After any required restarts of the operating system, the
Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation or Microsoft Windows Server 2012 Foundation installation is
complete and ready to perform any necessary user configuration.
• Preconfigured with the networking protocols TCP/IP and the SNMP service—These services are
required for effective network management and enable the HP Management Agents for Servers to
communicate with HP Systems Insight Manager.
• Operating System Activation—If this product was purchased directly from HP, it is pre-activated. HP has
configured the operating system so that customer activation is not required. If this product was
purchased from your local authorized reseller, you have 60 days from the installation of the product to
complete product activation - online by phone directly with Microsoft. Follow activation instructions
upon installation of the operating system. In addition, Microsoft extends the 60-day activation period up
to 240 days. For more information, see the Microsoft® knowledge base article
(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/948472).
• Capable of out-of-the-box management of the server with the installation of the HP Management Agents
for Servers—The HP Management Agents monitor server performance and configuration, as well as the