Windows 2008 Server on Sunfire V20z Server

Question

I am looking to install Windows 2008 Server (Standard Edition) on a retired Sunfire V20z server. The box is totally raw - i.e. new drives with no OS. The problem is that the Win2008 install disc is a DVD and the V20z only has a CD-ROM drive. I purchased an external DVD USB drive, but the BIOS does not support booting from the USB. I'm thinking updating the BIOS to version 1.35.3.2, but I can't find any documentation that it even supports USB booting.
Anyone have any ideas on how I can install Win2008 server on this raw box?

Answer 1

Depending on what other resources you have to hand I'd use one of the following approaches. Note: I don't have a V20z but the following approach has worked on other machines which had no DVD drive.
Open the box and temporarily connect a slimline IDE DVD-ROM in lieu of the built in CDROM. I've found that while there is often a proprietary interface on the M/B the connection at the drive end can normally be dismantled and connected to another drive. I use one salvaged from an IBM P3 based Netvista.
or
Download the Microsoft WAIK and generate a Windows PE CDROM. Insert that into the CD drive and place the Windows 2008 DVD in the USB DVD drive. Boot the machine from the CD and then launch the Windows setup program from the USB DVD. The process for creating the Windows PE CDROM is straightforward and is covered in the Windows PE User's Guide as provided in the WAIK but here are the steps.
Launch the Deployment Tools Command Prompt and run the following commands ( for amd64 )
copype amd64 C:\winpe_amd64
copy c:\winpe_amd64\winpe.wim c:\winpe_amd64\ISO\sources\boot.wim
oscdimg -n -bC:\winpe_amd64\etfsboot.com C:\winpe_amd64\ISO C:\winpe_amd64\winpe_amd64.iso
Burn the resulting ISO to a CD.