How to (freshly) install Lion on a headless Xserve

Dear all,

I'm writing here as I'd need some help on how to install Lion on a headless Xserve.

The Xserve has a static IP address, a DNS name and it is able to connect to the Internet. In order to install the OS on it I booted the machine from a self-made Lion DVD (connecting a keyboard and keeping the 'c' key pressed during the boot) and took remote control over it through another computer - on the same subnetwork - running ARD. So far, so good. The server can be pinged, ssh-ed, and the remote control via ARD works fine (blank username and the server serial number as password). I managed to erase the HD (which, of course, was previously backed up) and to launch the Lion installation. The installation seemed to go alright, until, at the end of it, ARD disconnected (I guess that happened because the installer forces a reboot at that stage). From that point onwards I'm not able to do anything else on the server. The machine can still be pinged, but no ports appear to be open. I can't therefore SSH the server and I can't access it through ARD or any alternative VNC client.

I've repeated the entire procedure twice, ending up with the very same results. My feeling is that the installation is waiting for some input by me (maybe it is stuck at the "select language/keyboard layout" stage?), but I don't know how to provide it. Of course I may be wrong and the problem being something completely different.

Please consider that the target machine doesn't have any graphics card installed at all, thus the option of connecting a monitor to it has to be excluded.

Would be absolutely lovely if someone could give me a hint! 🙂

PS: apologies for the cross-posting. I originally posted this message in the general Mac OS X 10.7 section, before realising it would have been more appropriate here.

Cheers,

Fabio