Dell PowerEdge 850 Server Installation Guide PDF

Dell PowerEdge 850 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide

Introduction

Indicators, Messages, and Codes

Running the System Diagnostics

Troubleshooting Your System

Installing System Components

Installing Drives

Service-Only Parts Replacement Procedures

Getting Help

Jumpers, Switches, and Connectors

I/O Connectors

 Notes, Notices, and Cautions

 Abbreviations and Acronyms

For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the Glossary in your User's Guide.

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.  2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, PowerVault, PowerApp, Dell OpenManage, Inspiron, Dell Precision, Dimension, OptiPlex, and Latitude are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel, Pentium, and Celeron are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.

Initial release: April 2005

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

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  Jumpers, Switches, and Connectors Dell PowerEdge 800 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 

  JumpersA General Explanation

  System Board Jumpers

  System Board Connectors

  SCSI Backplane Connectors

  Disabling a Forgotten Password

This section provides specific information about the system jumpers. It also provides some basic information on jumpers and switches and describes the connectors on the various boards in the system.

 JumpersA General Explanation

Jumpers provide a convenient and reversible way of reconfiguring the circuitry on a printed circuit board. When reconfiguring the system, you may need to change jumper settings on circuit boards or drives.

Jumpers

Jumpers are small blocks on a circuit board with two or more pins emerging from them. Plastic plugs containing a wire fit down over the pins. The wire connects the pins and creates a circuit. To change a jumper setting, pull the plug off its pin(s) and carefully fit it down onto the pin(s) indicated. Figure A-1 shows an example of a jumper.

 Figure A-1. Example Jumper

A jumper is referred to as open or unjumpered when the plug is pushed down over only one pin or if there is no plug at all. When the plug is pushed down over two pins, the jumper is referred to as jumpered. The jumper setting is often shown in text as two numbers, such as 12. The number 1 is printed on the circuit board with a triangle so that you can identify each pin number based on the location of pin 1.

Figure A-2 shows the location and default settings of the server-module jumper blocks. See Table A-1 for the designations, default settings, and functions of the jumpers.

 System Board Jumpers

Figure A-2 shows the location of the configuration jumpers on the system board. Table A-1 lists the jumper settings.

 Figure A-2. System Board Jumpers

NOTE: To access the jumpers, remove the memory cooling shroud by lifting the release latch and sliding the shroud toward the front of the system. See Figure 6-1.

 Table A-1. System Board Jumper Settings 

 System Board Connectors

See Figure A-3 and Table A-2 for the location and description of the system board connectors.

 Figure A-3. System Board Connectors

Jumper

Setting

Description

PASSWD_EN    (default) The password feature is enabled.

The password feature is disabled.

NVRAM_CLR    (default) The configuration settings in NVRAM are retained at system boot.

The configuration settings in NVRAM are cleared at next system boot.

 Table A-2. System Board Connectors 

 SCSI Backplane Connectors

See Figure A-4 for the location and description of the connectors on the back of the optional SCSI backplane board.

 Figure A-4. Connectors on Back of SCSI Backplane

Connector

Description

12V Power connector

BACK_FAN Fan power connector

BATTERY Connector for the 3.0-V coin battery

BP_I2C Connector for the baseboard management controller (BMC) inter-IC (I2C) cable for the optional SCSI backplane

CPU Processor connector

DIMMn_ x Memory module connector (4)

FDD Diskette drive connector

FRONT_FAN Fan power connector

FRONT_PANEL Control panel connector

IDE IDE optical device connector

SLOT_n PCI expansion slot connector

PWR_CONN Power connector

RAC_CONN Connector for the remote access controller (RAC)

SATA_n SATA hard-drive connector

 Disabling a Forgotten Password

The system's software security features include a system password and a setup password, which are discussed in detail in "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide. The password jumper enables these password features or disables them and clears any password(s) currently in use.

  1. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

2. Open the system. See "Opening the System" in "Troubleshooting Your System."  

3. Remove the memory cooling shroud by lifting the release latch and sliding the shroud toward the front of the system. See Figure 6-1.  

4. Remove the password jumper plug.

See Figure A-2 to locate the password jumper on the system board.

  5. Replace the memory cooling shroud.

6. Close the system. See "Closing the System" in "Troubleshooting Your System."  

7. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system.

The existing passwords are not disabled (erased) until the system boots with the password jumper plug removed. However, before you assign a new system and/or setup password, you must install the jumper plug.

  8. Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

9. Open the system.  

10. Remove the memory cooling shroud.  

11. Reinstall the password jumper plug in its original position to enable the password protection feature.  

12. Reinstall the memory cooling shroud.  

13. Close the system, reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system.  

14. Assign a new system and/or setup password.

To assign a new password using the System Setup program, see "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

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CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

NOTE: If you assign a new system and/or setup password with the jumper plug still removed, the system disables the new password(s) the next time it boots.

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  I/O Connectors Dell PowerEdge 800 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 

  Serial Connector

  Parallel Connector

  PS/2-Compatible Keyboard and Mouse Connectors

  Video Connector

  USB Connectors

  Integrated NIC Connectors

  Network Cable Requirements

I/O connectors are the gateways that the system uses to communicate with external devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, or monitor. This section describes the various connectors on your system. If you reconfigure the hardware connected to the system, you may also need the pin number and signal information for these connectors. Figure B-1 illustrates the connectors on the system.

 Figure B-1. I/O Connectors

Table B-1 shows the icons used to label the connectors on the system.

 Table B-1. I/O Connector Icons

 Serial Connector

Serial connectors support devices such as external modems, printers, and mice that require serial data transmission. The serial connector is also used by the BMC to provide remote access to the system. The serial connector uses a 9-pin D-subminiature connector.

Icon

Connector

Serial connector

Parallel connector

Mouse connector

Keyboard connector

Video connector

USB connector

NIC connector

Serial Connector Autoconfiguration

The default designation of the integrated serial connector is COM1. When you add an expansion card containing a serial connector that has the same designation as the integrated connector, the system's autoconfiguration feature remaps (reassigns) the integrated serial connector to the next available designation. Both the new and the remapped COM connectors share the same IRQ setting. COM1 and COM3 share IRQ4, while COM2 and COM4 share IRQ3.

Before adding a card that remaps the COM connectors, check the documentation that came with the software to make sure that the software can accommodate the new COM connector designation.

Figure B-2 illustrates the pin numbers for the serial connector and Table B-2 defines the pin assignments for the connector.

 Figure B-2. Serial Connector Pin Numbers

 Table B-2. Serial Connector Pin Assignments 

 Parallel Connector

The integrated parallel connector, intended primarily for use by printers that require data in parallel format, uses a 25-pin D-subminiature connector on the system's back panel. The default designation of the system's parallel connector is LPT1. If you add an expansion card containing a parallel connector configured as LPT1 (IRQ7, I/O address 378h), use the System Setup program to remap the integrated parallel connector. See "Using the System Setup Program" in the User's Guide. Figure B-3 illustrates the pin numbers for the parallel connector and Table B-3 defines the pin assignments for the connector.

 Figure B-3. Parallel Connector Pin Numbers

 Table B-3. Parallel Connector Pin Assignments 

NOTE: If two COM connectors share an IRQ setting, you may not be able to use them both at the same time. In addition, if you install one or more expansion cards with serial connectors designated as COM1 and COM3, the integrated serial connector is disabled.

Pin

Signal

I/O

Definition

1 DCD I Data carrier detect

2 SIN I Serial input

3 SOUT O Serial output

4 DTR O Data terminal ready

5 GND N/A Signal ground

6 DSR I Data set ready

7 RTS O Request to send

8 CTS I Clear to send

9 RI I Ring indicator

Shell N/A N/A Chassis ground

Pin

Signal

I/O

Definition

1 STB# I/O Strobe

2 PD0 I/O Printer data bit 0

3 PD1 I/O Printer data bit 1

4 PD2 I/O Printer data bit 2

5 PD3 I/O Printer data bit 3

6 PD4 I/O Printer data bit 4

7 PD5 I/O Printer data bit 5

8 PD6 I/O Printer data bit 6

9 PD7 I/O Printer data bit 7

10 ACK# I Acknowledge

 PS/2-Compatible Keyboard and Mouse Connectors

The PS/2-compatible keyboard and mouse cables attach to 6-pin, miniature DIN connectors. Figure B-4 illustrates the pin numbers for these connectors and Table B-4 defines the pin assignments for these connectors.

 Figure B-4. PS/2-Compatible Keyboard and Mouse Connector Pin Numbers

 Table B-4. Keyboard and Mouse Connector Pin Assignments

 Video Connector

You can attach a VGA-compatible monitor to the system's integrated video controller using a 15-pin high-density D-subminiature connector on the system front or back panel. Figure B-5 illustrates the pin numbers for the video connector and Table B-5 defines the pin assignments for the connector.

 Figure B-5. Video Connector Pin Numbers

 Table B-5. Video Connector Pin Assignments

11 BUSY I Busy

12 PE I Paper end

13 SLCT I Select

14 AFD# O Automatic feed

15 ERR# I Error

16 INIT# O Initialize printer

17 SLIN# O Select in

1825 GND N/A Ground

Pin

Signal

I/O

Definition

1 KBDATA or MDATA I/O Keyboard data or mouse data

2 NC N/A No connection

3 GND N/A Signal ground

4 FVcc N/A Fused supply voltage

5 KBCLK or MCLK I/O Keyboard clock or mouse clock

6 NC N/A No connection

Shell N/A N/A Chassis ground

NOTE: Installing a video card automatically disables the system's integrated video controller.

Pin

Signal

I/O

Definition

1 RED O Red video

2 GREEN O Green video

3 BLUE O Blue video

4 NC N/A No connection

58, 10 GND N/A Signal ground

9 VCC N/A Vcc

11 NC N/A No connection

12 DDC data out O Monitor detect data

 USB Connectors

The system's USB connectors support USB-compliant peripherals such as keyboards, mice, and printers and may also support USB-compliant devices such as diskette drives and optical drives. Figure B-6 illustrates the pin numbers for the USB connector and Table B-6 defines the pin assignments for the connector.

 Figure B-6. USB Connector Pin Numbers

 Table B-6. USB Connector Pin Assignments

 Integrated NIC Connectors

Each of the system's integrated NICs function as a separate network expansion card while providing fast communication between servers and workstations. Figure B-7 illustrates the pin numbers for the NIC connector and Table B-7 defines the pin assignments for the connectors.

 Figure B-7. NIC Connector

 Table B-7. NIC Connector Pin Assignments

 Network Cable Requirements

The NIC supports a UTP Ethernet cable equipped with a standard RJ45-compatible plug.

Observe the following cabling restrictions.

13 HSYNC O Horizontal synchronization

14 VSYNC O Vertical synchronization

15 NC N/A No connection

NOTICE: Do not attach a USB device or a combination of USB devices that draw a maximum current of more than 500 mA per channel or +5 V. Attaching devices that exceed this threshold may cause the USB connectors to shut down. See the documentation that accompanied the USB devices for their maximum current ratings.

Pin

Signal

I/O

Definition

1 Vcc N/A Supply voltage

2 DATA I Data in

3 +DATA O Data out

4 GND N/A Signal ground

Pin

Signal

I/O

Definition

1 TD+ O Data out (+)

2 TD O Data out ()

3 RD+ I Data in (+)

4 NC N/A No connection

5 NC N/A No connection

6 RD I Data in ()

7 NC N/A No connection

8 NC N/A No connection

l  Use Category 5 or greater wiring and connectors.

l  Do not exceed a cable run length (from a workstation to a hub) of 100 m (328 ft).

For detailed guidelines on operation of a network, see "Systems Considerations of Multi-Segment Networks" in the IEEE 802.3 standard.

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NOTICE: To avoid line interference, voice and data lines must be in separate sheaths.

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  Introduction Dell PowerEdge 800 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 

  Other Documents You May Need

Your system includes the following service and upgrade features:

l  Embedded server management hardware, which monitors temperatures and voltages throughout the system

l  System diagnostics, which checks for hardware problems (if the system can boot)

System upgrade options are offered, including:

l  Microprocessors

l  Additional system memory

l  A variety of PCI, PCI-X, and PCIe expansion-card options (including SCSI and SATA RAID controller cards)

l  Optional remote access card for remote systems management

l  Tape backup units

l  Diskette drive

l  Additional SATA or SCSI hard drives

l  Optional SCSI backplane bay to support up to four front-access non-hot-plug SCSI hard drives (SCSI controller required) or hot-plug SCSI drives (optional SCSI RAID controller required)

 Other Documents You May Need

l  The Getting Started Guide provides an overview of initially setting up your system.

l  The User's Guide provides information about system features and technical specifications.

l  Systems management software documentation describes the features, requirements, installation, and basic operation of the software.

l  Operating system documentation describes how to install (if necessary), configure, and use the operating system software.

l  Documentation for any components you purchased separately provides information to configure and install these options.

l  Updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system, software, and/or documentation.

l  Release notes or readme files may be included to provide last-minute updates to the system or documentation or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or technicians.

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The Product Information Guide provides important safety and regulatory information. Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate document.

NOTE: Always read the updates first because they often supersede information in other documents.

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  Indicators, Messages, and Codes Dell PowerEdge 800 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 

  Front-Panel Indicators and Features

  Back-Panel Features and Indicators

  SCSI Hard-Drive Indicator Codes

  Power Indicator Codes

  NIC Indicator Codes

  Diagnostics Indicator Codes

  System Messages

  System Beep Codes

  Warning Messages

  Diagnostics Messages

  Alert Messages

  Baseboard Management Controller Messages

The system, applications, and operating systems can identify problems and alert you to them. Any of the following can indicate when the system is not operating properly:

l  System indicators

l  System messages

l  Beep codes

l  Warning messages

l  Diagnostics messages

l  Alert messages

This section describes each type of message, lists the possible causes, and provides steps to resolve any problems indicated by a message. The system indicators and features are illustrated in this section.

 Front-Panel Indicators and Features

System Status Indicators

The system front panel incorporates blue and amber system status indicators. The blue indicator lights up when the system is operating correctly. The amber indicator lights up when the system needs attention due to a problem with power supplies, fans, system temperature, or hard drives.

Table 2-1 lists the system's indicator patterns. Different patterns are displayed as events occur in the system.

 Table 2-1. System Status Indicator Patterns

Figure 2-1 shows the controls, indicators, and connectors located behind the optional bezel on the system's front panel. Table 2-2 describes the front-panel features.

 Figure 2-1. Front-Panel Features and Indicators

Blue and Amber System Status Indicator

Description

Off Power is not available to the system.

Amber indicator is blinking. The system has detected an error. See "System Messages" and "Troubleshooting Your System" for more information.

Blue indicator is on. Amber indicator is off Power is on, and the system is operational.

 Table 2-2. Front-Panel Indicators, Buttons, and Connectors

 Back-Panel Features and Indicators

Figure 2-2 shows the controls, indicators, and connectors located on the system's back panel.

 Figure 2-2. Back-Panel Features and Indicators

Indicator, Button, or Connector

Description

Blue and amber system status indicator

The blue system status indicator lights during normal system operation. The amber system status indicator flashes when the system needs attention due to a problem with power supplies, fans, system temperature, or hard drives.

NOTE: If the system is connected to AC power and an error has been detected, the amber system status indicator flashes regardless of whether the system has been powered on.

Power button Turns system power off and on.

l  If you turn off the system using the power button and the system is running an ACPI-compliant operating system, the system can perform an orderly shutdown before power is turned off. If the power button is pressed for more than 4 seconds, the system power will turn off regardless of the current operating system state.

l  If the system is not running an ACPI-compliant operating system, power is turned off immediately after the power button is pressed.

The power button is enabled in the System Setup program. When disabled, the button can only turn the system power on. For more information, see "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide, and the operating system's documentation.

Power-on indicator The power-on indicator lights when the system power is on. When the indicator is off, the system is off.

To exit from a power-saving state, briefly press the power button or click or move the mouse.

Hard-drive activity indicator

Flashes when data is being read from or written to the internal SATA hard drives that are connected to the integrated controller.

USB connectors Connects USB 2.0-compliant devices to the system.

 SCSI Hard-Drive Indicator Codes

If an optional SCSI RAID controller is installed in the system, two indicators on each of the hard-drive carriers provide information on the status of the SCSI hard drives. See Figure 2-3 and Table 2-3. The SCSI backplane firmware controls the drive power-on/fault indicator.

 Figure 2-3. SCSI Hard-Drive Indicators

Table 2-3 lists the drive indicator patterns. Different patterns are displayed as drive events occur in the system. For example, if a hard drive fails, the "drive failed" pattern appears. After the drive is selected for removal, the "drive being prepared for removal" pattern appears, followed by the "drive ready for insertion or removal" pattern. After the replacement drive is installed, the "drive being prepared for operation" pattern appears, followed by the "drive online" pattern.

 Table 2-3. Hard-Drive Indicator Patterns 

NOTE: If a RAID controller is not installed, only the "drive online" indicator pattern appears. The drive-activity indicator also blinks when the drive is being accessed.

Condition

Indicator Pattern

Identify drive The green power-on/fault indicator blinks four times per second.

Drive being prepared for removal The green power-on/fault indicator blinks two times per second.

Drive ready for insertion or removal Both drive indicators are off.

Drive being prepared for operation The green power-on/fault indicator is on.

 Power Indicator Codes

The power button on the front panel controls the power input to the system's power supplies. The power indicator can provide information on power status (see Figure 2-1). Table 2-4 lists the power button indicator codes.

 Table 2-4. Power Button Indicators

 NIC Indicator Codes

 Figure 2-4. NIC Indicators

 Table 2-5. NIC Indicators

 Diagnostics Indicator Codes

The four diagnostics indicators on the system front panel display error codes during system startup. Table 2-6 details the conditions associated with the diagnostic indicator codes.

 Table 2-6. Diagnostic Indicator Codes 

Drive predicted failure The power-on/fault indicator slowly blinks green, amber, and off.

Drive failed The amber power-on/fault indicator blinks four times per second.

Drive rebuilding The green power-on/fault indicator blinks slowly.

Drive online The green power-on/fault indicator is on.

Indicator

Function

On Indicates that power is supplied to the system and the system is operational.

Off Indicates that no power is supplied to the system.

Blinking Indicates that power is supplied to the system, but the system is in a standby state. For information on standby states, see your operating system documentation.

Link indicator

Activity indicator

Description

Off Off The NIC is not connected to the network or the NIC is disabled in the System Setup screen. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

Green Off Indicates that the network adapter is connected to a valid link partner on the network, but data is not currently being sent or received.

Green Blinking amber Indicates that network data is being sent or received.

Code

Causes

Corrective Action

A possible processor failure has occurred.

See "Troubleshooting the Microprocessor" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Memory failure. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Possible expansion-card failure.

See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Possible video card failure. See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

 System Messages

System messages appear on the screen during system boot to notify you of a possible problem with the system. Table 2-7 lists the system messages that can occur and the probable cause and corrective action for each message.

 Table 2-7. System Messages 

Diskette or hard-drive failure. Ensure that the diskette drive and hard drive(s) are properly connected. See

"Installing Drives" for information on the drive(s) installed in your system.

Possible USB failure. See "Troubleshooting a USB Device" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

No memory modules detected. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

System board failure. See "Getting Help."

Memory configuration error. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Possible system board resource and/or system board hardware failure.

See "IRQ Assignment Conflicts" in "Finding Software Solutions." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Possible expansion card failure. See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Other failure. Ensure that the diskette drive, optical drive, and hard drive(s) are properly

connected. See "Troubleshooting Your System" for the appropriate drive(s) installed in your system.

If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

The system is in a normal operating condition after POST.

Information only.

NOTE: If you receive a system message that is not listed in Table 2-7, check the documentation for the application that is running when the message appears or the operating system's documentation for an explanation of the message and recommended action.

Message

Causes

Corrective Actions

Amount of available memory limited to

256MB!

OS Install Mode is enabled in the System Setup program.

Disable OS Install Mode in the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

Attempting to update Remote

Configuration. Please wait....

Remote Configuration is in progress.

Wait until the process is complete.

BIOS Update Attempt Failed BIOS remote update failed. Retry update.

Caution! NVRAM_CLR jumper is installed

on system board.

NVRAM_CLR jumper is installed.

Remove the NVRAM_CLR jumper. See Figure A-2 for the jumper location.

CD-ROM drive not found Improperly connected or missing optical drive.

If no optical drive is installed, disable the IDE controller. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

If an optical drive is installed, see "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Decreasing available memory Faulty or improperly installed memory modules.

Ensure that all memory modules are properly installed. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Diskette drive 0 seek failure Incorrect configuration settings in System Setup program.

Run the System Setup program to correct the settings. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

Faulty or improperly installed diskette, loose diskette drive

Replace the diskette. Ensure that the diskette drive and optical drive cables are properly connected. See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" and

or optical drive interface cable, or loose power cable.

"Troubleshooting an Optical Drive" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Diskette read failure Faulty or improperly inserted diskette.

Replace the diskette.

Diskette subsystem reset failed Faulty diskette drive or optical drive controller.

Ensure that the diskette drive and optical drive cables are properly connected. See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive" and "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Drive not ready Diskette missing or improperly inserted in diskette drive.

Reinsert or replace the diskette.

Dual rank DIMMs are not supported in the

following memory sockets in this memory

configuration.

Invalid memory configuration. Correct the memory configuration. See "General Memory Module Installation Guidelines" in "Installing System Components."

Error: Incorrect memory configuration.

Ensure memory in slots DIMM1_A and

DIMM1_B, DIMM2_A and DIMM2_B match

identically in size, speed, and rank.

An unmatched pair of memory modules is installed.

Install a matched pair of memory modules, or remove the memory module in socket DIMM1_B. See "General Memory Module Installation Guidelines" in "Installing System Components."

Error: Remote Access Card initialization

failure.

Faulty or improperly installed RAC.

Ensure that the RAC is properly installed. See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System," or "Installing a RAC Card" in "Installing System Components."

Error 8602: Auxiliary device failure.

Verify that the keyboard and mouse are

securely attached to correct connectors.

Loose or improperly connected mouse or keyboard cable; faulty mouse or keyboard.

Replace the mouse. If the problem persists, replace the keyboard.

Gate A20 failure Faulty keyboard controller (faulty system board).

See "Getting Help."

General failure Operating system corrupted or improperly installed.

Reinstall the operating system.

IDE Primary drive 1 not found Improperly connected or missing optical drive or tape backup unit.

Ensure that the drive cables are properly connected. See "Troubleshooting Your System" for the appropriate drive installed in your system.

If no drive is installed, disable the IDE controller. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

Keyboard controller failure Faulty keyboard controller (faulty system board).

See "Getting Help"

Keyboard data line failure

Keyboard failure

Keyboard stuck key failure

Loose or improperly connected keyboard cable; faulty keyboard; faulty keyboard controller.

Ensure that the keyboard is properly connected. If the problem persists, replace the keyboard. If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Keyboard fuse has failed. Keyboard fuse has failed. Replace the keyboard.

Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

Manufacturing mode detected System is incorrectly configured.

After the message appears during system boot, press to turn off manufacturing mode.

Memory address line failure at address,

read value expecting value

Memory double word logic failure at

address, read value expecting value

Memory odd/even logic failure at start

address to end address

Memory write/read failure at address,

read value expecting value

Faulty or improperly installed memory modules, or faulty system board.

Ensure that all memory modules are properly installed. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Memory tests terminated by keystroke The spacebar was pressed during POST to terminate the memory test.

Information only.

No boot device available Faulty or missing diskette drive, optical drive, or hard drive.

Check the Integrated Devices configuration settings in the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide. Ensure that either SATA Controller, Diskette Controller, or IDE Controller is enabled. If the system is booting from a SCSI controller, ensure that the controller is properly connected. If the problem persists, replace the drive. See "Installing Drives."

No boot sector on hard-disk drive An operating system is not on the hard drive.

Check the hard-drive configuration settings in the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

No timer tick interrupt Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

Not a boot diskette Not a bootable diskette. Use a bootable diskette.

PCI BIOS failed to install Loose cables to expansion card(s); faulty or improperly installed expansion card.

Ensure that all appropriate cables are securely connected to the expansion cards. See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

PCIe Degraded Link Width Error: Embedded

Bus#nn/Dev#nn/Funcn

Expected Link Width is n

Faulty or improperly installed PCIe card.

Reseat the PCIe cards. See "Expansion Cards." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

 System Beep Codes

If an error that cannot be reported on the screen occurs during POST, the system may emit a series of beeps that identifies the problem.

Actual Link Width is n

PCIe Degraded Link Width Error: Slot n

Expected Link Width is n

Actual Link Width is n

Faulty or improperly installed PCIe card in the specified slot number.

Reseat the PCIe card in the specified slot number. See "Expansion Cards." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

PCIe Training Error: Embedded

Bus#nn/Dev#nn/Funcn

Faulty or improperly installed PCIe card.

Reseat the PCIe cards. See "Expansion Cards." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

PCIe Training Error: Slot n Faulty or improperly installed PCIe card in the specified slot number.

Reseat the PCIe card in the specified slot number. See "Expansion Cards." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Plug & Play Configuration Error Error encountered in initializing PCI device; faulty system board.

Install the NVRAM_CLR jumper and reboot the system. See Figure A-2 for jumper location. Check for a BIOS update. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Read fault

Requested sector not found

Faulty diskette, diskette drive, optical drive, or hard drive.

Replace the diskette. Ensure that the diskette, optical, and hard-drive cables are properly connected. See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive," "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive, "Troubleshooting SATA Hard Drives," or "Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives" in "Troubleshooting Your System" for the appropriate drive(s) installed in your system.

Remote Configuration update attempt

failed

System could not implement Remote Configuration request.

Retry Remote Configuration.

ROM bad checksum = address Faulty or improperly installed expansion card.

Remove and reseat the expansion cards. See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

SATA Port n hard disk not found SATA hard drive not connected to port n.

Ensure that the hard-drive cable is properly connected. See "Cabled SATA and SCSI Hard Drives" in "Installing Drives."

If a drive is not connected to port n, check that the SATA port is disabled in the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

Sector not found

Seek error

Seek operation failed

Faulty diskette or hard drive. Replace the diskette. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting SATA Hard Drives" or "Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives" in "Troubleshooting Your System" for the appropriate drive installed in your system.

Shutdown failure Shutdown test failure. Ensure that all memory modules are properly installed. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

The amount of system memory has changed. Faulty memory module. See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Information only, if you have changed the memory configuration.

The amount of tested memory is below the

minimum system configuration. System

halted!

Invalid memory configuration or faulty memory module.

See "General Memory Module Installation Guidelines" in "Installing System Components."

See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Time-of-day clock stopped Faulty battery; faulty system board.

See "Troubleshooting the System Battery" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Time-of-day not set - please run SETUP

program

Incorrect Time or Date settings; faulty system battery.

Check the Time and Date settings See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide. If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting the System Battery" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

Timer chip counter 2 failed Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

Unexpected interrupt in protected mode Faulty or improperly installed memory modules or faulty system board.

Ensure that all memory modules are properly installed. See "General Memory Module Installation Guidelines" in "Installing System Components." If the problem persists, see "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Unsupported CPU stepping detected Processor is not supported by the system.

Check for a BIOS update using the Dell Support website at support.dell.com. If the problem persists, install a supported processor. See "Installing a Processor" in "Installing System Components."

Utility partition not available key was pressed during POST, but no utility partition exists on the boot hard drive.

Create a utility partition on the boot hard drive. See "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD" in your User's Guide.

Warning! No microcode update loaded for

processor n

Unsupported processor. Update the BIOS firmware using the Dell Support website at support.dell.com.

Write fault

Write fault on selected drive

Faulty diskette, diskette drive, optical drive, hard drive.

Replace the diskette. Ensure that the diskette drive, optical drive, and hard- drive cables are properly connected. See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive," "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive," or "Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives" in "Troubleshooting Your System" for the appropriate drive(s) installed in your system.

If a beep code is emitted, write down the series of beeps and then look it up in Table 2-8. If you are unable to resolve the problem by looking up the meaning of the beep code, use system diagnostics to identify the possible cause. If you are still unable to resolve the problem, see "Getting Help."

 Table 2-8. System Beep Codes 

 Warning Messages

A warning message alerts you to a possible problem and prompts you to respond before the system continues a task. For example, before you format a diskette, a message will warn you that you may lose all data on the diskette. Warning messages usually interrupt the task and require you to respond by typing y (yes) or n (no).

NOTE: If the system boots without a keyboard, mouse, or monitor attached, the system does not issue beep codes related to those peripherals.

Code

Cause

Corrective Action

1-1-2 CPU register test failure See "Troubleshooting the Microprocessor" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

1-1-3 CMOS write/read failure; faulty system board Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

1-1-4 BIOS error Reflash the BIOS.

1-2-1 Programmable interval-timer failure; faulty system board

Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

1-2-2 DMA initialization failure See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

1-2-3 DMA page register write/read failure

1-3-1 Main-memory refresh verification failure

1-3-2 No memory installed

1-3-3 Chip or data line failure in the first 64 KB of main  memory

1-3-4 Odd/even logic failure in the first 64 KB of main  memory

1-4-1 Address line failure in the first 64 KB of main  memory

1-4-2 Parity failure in the first 64 KB of main memory

1-4-3 Fail-safe timer test failure

1-4-4 Software NMI port test failure

2-1-1 through 2-4-4

Bit failure in the first 64 KB of main memory

3-1-1 Slave DMA-register failure Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

3-1-2 Master DMA-register failure

3-1-3 Master interrupt-mask register failure

3-1-4 Slave interrupt-mask register failure

3-2-2 Interrupt vector loading failure

3-2-4 Keyboard-controller test failure

3-3-1 CMOS failure

3-3-2 System configuration check failure

3-3-3 Keyboard controller not detected

3-3-4 Video memory test failure

3-4-1 Screen initialization failure

3-4-2 Screen-retrace test failure

3-4-3 Video ROM search failure

4-2-1 No timer tick Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

  4-2-2 Shutdown test failure

4-2-3 Gate A20 failure

4-2-4 Unexpected interrupt in protected mode See "Troubleshooting Expansion Cards" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

4-3-1 Improperly installed or faulty memory modules See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

4-3-2 No memory modules installed in the first memory module connector

Install a memory module in the first memory module connector. See "System Memory" in "Installing System Components."

4-3-3 Faulty system board Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

4-3-4 Time-of-day clock stopped See "Troubleshooting System Memory" in "Troubleshooting Your System." If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

4-4-1 Super I/O chip failure; faulty system board Faulty system board. See "Getting Help."

4-4-4 Cache test failure; faulty processor See "Troubleshooting the Microprocessor" in "Troubleshooting Your System."

 Diagnostics Messages

When you run system diagnostics, an error message may result. Diagnostic error messages are not covered in this section. Record the message on a copy of the Diagnostics Checklist in "Getting Help," and then follow the instructions in that section for obtaining technical assistance.

 Alert Messages

Systems management software generates alert messages for your system. Alert messages include information, status, warning, and failure messages for drive, temperature, fan, and power conditions. For more information, see the systems management software documentation.

 Baseboard Management Controller Messages

The Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) enables you to configure, monitor, and recover systems remotely. BMC uses the system's serial port and integrated NIC1 to support fault logging and SNMP alerting.

For additional information on using BMC, see the documentation for the BMC and systems management applications.

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NOTE: Warning messages are generated by either the application or the operating system. For more information, see "Finding Software Solutions" and the documentation that accompanied the operating system or application.

NOTE: If the integrated network controller is used in an Ether Channel team or link aggregation team, the BMC management traffic will not function properly. For more information about network teaming, see the documentation for the network controller.

Back to Contents Page

  Finding Software Solutions Dell PowerEdge 800 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 

  Before You Begin

  Troubleshooting Errors and Conflicts

Software problems can be caused by:

l  Improper installation or configuration of an application

l  Application conflicts

l  Input errors

l  Interrupt assignment conflicts

Ensure that you are installing the software application according to the software manufacturer's recommended procedures. If a problem occurs after you install the software, you might need to troubleshoot your software application and your system.

See the documentation that accompanied the software or contact the software manufacturer for detailed troubleshooting information.

 Before You Begin

l  Scan the software media with antivirus software.

l  Read the software documentation before you run the installation utility.

l  Be prepared to respond to prompts from the installation utility.

The installation utility may require you to enter information about your system, such as how the operating system is configured, and the type of peripherals that are connected to the system. Have this information available before running the installation utility.

 Troubleshooting Errors and Conflicts

While configuring and running software, problems might occur that are caused by input errors, application conflicts, and/or IRQ assignment conflicts. The problems are sometimes indicated by error messages.

Error messages are generated by system hardware or software. "Indicators, Messages, and Codes" provides information about error messages that are hardware-based. If you receive an error message that is not listed, see your operating system or software program documentation for troubleshooting information.

Input Errors

Pressing a specific key or set of keys at the wrong time may produce unexpected results. See the documentation that came with the software application to ensure that the values or characters you are entering are valid.

Ensure that your operating system is configured properly to run the application. Remember that whenever you change the parameters of the operating system, the changes can conflict with an application's operating requirements. After you configure the operating system, you may need to reinstall or reconfigure a software application so that it can run properly in its new environment.

Application Conflicts

Some applications can leave unnecessary files or data behind after they are deleted from your system. Device drivers can also create application errors. If application errors occur, see your application device driver or operating system documentation for troubleshooting information.

IRQ Assignment Conflicts

Most PCI devices can share an IRQ, but they cannot use an IRQ simultaneously. To avoid this type of conflict, see the documentation for each PCI device for specific IRQ requirements.

 Table 3-1. IRQ Assignment Defaults 

NOTE: If all of the system diagnostic tests complete successfully, then the problem is most likely caused by the software and not the hardware.

IRQ Line

Assignment

IRQ0 System timer

IRQ1 Keyboard controller

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IRQ2 Interrupt controller 1 to enable IRQ8 through IRQ15

IRQ3 Available

IRQ4 Serial port 1 (COM1 and COM3)

IRQ5 Remote access controller

IRQ6 Diskette drive controller

IRQ7 Parallel port

IRQ8 Real-time clock

IRQ9 ACPI functions (used for power management)

IRQ10 Available

IRQ11 Available

IRQ12 PS/2 mouse port unless the mouse is disabled through the System Setup program

IRQ13 Math coprocessor

IRQ14 IDE optical drive controller

IRQ15 Available

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  Running the System Diagnostics Dell PowerEdge 800 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 

  Using Server Administrator Diagnostics

  System Diagnostics Features

  When to Use the System Diagnostics

  Running the System Diagnostics

  System Diagnostics Testing Options

  Using the Custom Test Options

If you experience a problem with your system, run the diagnostics before calling for technical assistance. The purpose of the diagnostics is to test your system's hardware without requiring additional equipment or risking data loss. If you are unable to fix the problem yourself, service and support personnel can use diagnostics test results to help you solve the problem.

 Using Server Administrator Diagnostics

To assess a system problem, first use the online Server Administrator diagnostics. If you are unable to identify the problem, then use the system diagnostics.

To access the online diagnostics, log into the Server Administrator home page, and then click the Diagnostics tab. For information about using diagnostics, see the online help. For additional information, see the Server Administrator User's Guide.

 System Diagnostics Features

The system diagnostics provides a series of menus and options for particular device groups or devices. The system diagnostics menus and options allow you to:

l  Run tests individually or collectively.

l  Control the sequence of tests.

l  Repeat tests.

l  Display, print, or save test results.

l  Temporarily suspend testing if an error is detected or terminate testing when a user-defined error limit is reached.

l  View help messages that briefly describe each test and its parameters.

l  View status messages that inform you if tests are completed successfully.

l  View error messages that inform you of problems encountered during testing.

 When to Use the System Diagnostics

If a major component or device in the system does not operate properly, component failure may be indicated. As long as the microprocessor and the system's input/output devices (monitor, keyboard, and diskette drive) are functioning, you can use the system diagnostics to help identify the problem.

 Running the System Diagnostics

The system diagnostics is run from the utility partition on your hard drive.

  1. As the system boots, press during POST.

2. From the utility partition main menu, select Run System Diagnostics, or select Run Memory Diagnostics if you are troubleshooting memory.

When you start the system diagnostics, a message is displayed stating that the diagnostics are initializing. Next, the Diagnostics menu appears. The menu allows you to run all or specific diagnostics tests or to exit the system diagnostics.

 System Diagnostics Testing Options

NOTICE: Use the system diagnostics to test only your system. Using this program with other systems may cause invalid results or error messages. In addition, use only the program that came with your system (or an updated version of that program).

NOTE: Before you read the rest of this section, start the system diagnostics so that you can see the utility on your screen.

Click the testing option in the Main Menu window. Table 4-1 provides a brief explanation of testing options.

 Table 4-1. System Diagnostics Testing Options 

 Using the Custom Test Options

When you select Custom Test in the Main Menu window, the Customize window appears and allows you to select the device(s) to be tested, select specific options for testing, and view the test results.

Selecting Devices for Testing

The left side of the Customize window listsdevices that can be tested. Devices are grouped by device type or by module, depending on the option you select. Click the (+) next to a device or module to view its components. Click (+) on any component to view the tests that are available. Clicking a device, rather than its components, selects all of the components of the device for testing.

Selecting Diagnostics Options

Use the Diagnostics Options area to select how you want to test a device. You can set the following options:

l  Non-Interactive Tests Only When checked, runs only tests that require no user intervention.

l  Quick Tests Only When checked, runs only the quick tests on the device. Extended tests will not run when you select this option.

l  Show Ending Timestamp When checked, time stamps the test log.

l  Test Iterations Selects the number of times the test is run.

l  Log output file pathname When checked, enables you to specify where the test log file is saved.

Viewing Information and Results

The tabs in the Customize window provide information about the test and the test results. The following tabs are available:

l  Results Displays the test that ran and the result.

l  Errors Displays any errors that occurred during the test.

l  Help Displays information about the currently selected device, component, or test.

l  Configuration Displays basic configuration information about the currently selected device.

l  Parameters If applicable, displays parameters that you can set for the test.

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Testing Option

Function

Express Test Performs a quick check of the system. This option runs device tests that do not require user interaction. Use this option to quickly identify the source of your problem.

Extended Test Performs a more thorough check of the system. This test can take an hour or longer.

Custom Test Tests a particular device.

Information Displays test results.

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  Troubleshooting Your System Dell PowerEdge 800 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting Guide 

 Safety FirstFor You and Your System

To perform certain procedures in this document, you must remove the system cover and work inside the system. While working inside the system, do not attempt to service the system except as explained in this guide and elsewhere in your system documentation.

 Start-Up Routine

Look and listen during the system's start-up routine for the indications described in Table 5-1.

 Table 5-1. Start-Up Routine Indications 

 Checking Basic Power Problems

  1. If the power indicator on the system front panel or power supply does not indicate that power is available to the system, ensure that the power cable is

securely connected to the power supply.  

2. If the system is connected to a PDU or UPS, turn the PDU or UPS off and then on.  

3. If the PDU or UPS is not receiving power, plug it into another electrical outlet. If it still is not receiving power, try another PDU or UPS.  

4. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet and turn on the system.

If the system still is not working properly, see "Troubleshooting a Power Supply."

 Checking the Equipment

This section provides troubleshooting procedures for external devices attached to the system, such as the monitor, keyboard, or mouse. Before you perform

  Safety FirstFor You and Your System

  Start-Up Routine

  Checking Basic Power Problems

  Checking the Equipment

  Troubleshooting Basic I/O Functions

  Troubleshooting a NIC

  Responding to a Systems Management Software Alert Message 

  Opening the System

  Closing the System

  Inside the System

  Troubleshooting a Wet System

  Troubleshooting a Damaged System

  Troubleshooting the System Battery

  Troubleshooting a Power Supply

  Troubleshooting System Cooling Problems

  Troubleshooting System Memory

  Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive

  Troubleshooting an Optical Drive

  Troubleshooting a SCSI Tape Drive

  Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives

  Troubleshooting SATA Hard Drives

  Troubleshooting a RAID Controller Card

  Troubleshooting Expansion Cards

  Troubleshooting the Microprocessor

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

Look/listen for:

Action

An error message displayed on the monitor. See "System Messages" in "Indicators, Codes, and Messages."

A series of beeps emitted by the system. See "System Beep Codes" in "Indicators, Codes, and Messages."

Alert messages from the systems management software. See the systems management software documentation.

The monitor's power indicator. See "Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem."

The keyboard indicators. See "Troubleshooting the Keyboard."

The diskette drive activity indicator. See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive."

The optical drive activity indicator. See "Troubleshooting an Optical Drive."

The hard-drive activity indicator. See "Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives."

An unfamiliar constant scraping or grinding sound when you access a drive. See "Getting Help."

any of the procedures, see "Troubleshooting External Connections."

Troubleshooting External Connections

Loose or improperly connected cables are the most likely source of problems for the system, monitor, and other peripherals (such as a printer, keyboard, mouse, or other external device). Ensure that all external cables are securely attached to the external connectors on your system. See Figure 2-1 and Figure 2-2 for the front-panel and back-panel connectors on your system.

Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem

Problem

l  Monitor is not working properly.

l  Video memory is faulty.

Action

  1. Check the system and power connections to the monitor.

2. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

If the tests run successfully, the problem is not related to video hardware. See "Finding Software Solutions."

If the tests fail, see "Getting Help."

Troubleshooting the Keyboard

Problem

l  System message indicates a problem with the keyboard.

l  Keyboard is not functioning properly.

Action

  1. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

2. Examine the keyboard and its cable for signs of damage.  

3. Swap the faulty keyboard with a working keyboard.

If the problem is resolved, replace the faulty keyboard.

  4. If the keyboard is a USB keyboard, enter the System Setup program and ensure that the USB ports are enabled. See "Using the System Setup Program"

in your User's Guide.

If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help."

Troubleshooting the Mouse

Problem

l  System message indicates a problem with the mouse.

l  Mouse is not functioning properly.

Action

  1. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

If the test fails, continue to the next step.

  2. Examine the mouse and its cable for signs of damage.

If the mouse is not damaged, go to step 5.

If the mouse is damaged, continue to the next step.

  3. Swap the faulty mouse with a working mouse.

If the problem is resolved, replace the faulty mouse.

  4. If the mouse is a USB mouse, enter the System Setup program and ensure that the USB ports are enabled. See "Using the System Setup Program" in

your User's Guide.  

5. If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help."

 Troubleshooting Basic I/O Functions

Problem

l  Error message indicates a problem with the serial port.

l  Device connected to the serial port is not operating properly.

Action

  1. Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the serial port is enabled, and that console redirection is disabled. See "Using the System Setup

Program" in your User's Guide.  

2. If the problem is confined to a particular application, see the application documentation for specific port configuration requirements that the program may require.  

3. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

If the tests run successfully but the problem persists, see the appropriate procedure"Troubleshooting a Serial I/O Device" or "Troubleshooting a Non- USB Parallel Printer."

Troubleshooting a Serial I/O Device

Problem

l  Device connected to the serial port is not operating properly.

Action

  1. Turn off the system and any peripheral devices connected to the serial port.

2. Swap the serial interface cable with a working cable, and turn on the system and the serial device.

If the problem is resolved, replace the interface cable.

  3. Turn off the system and the serial device, and swap the device with a comparable device.

4. Turn on the system and the serial device.

If the problem is resolved, replace the serial device.

If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Troubleshooting a USB Device

Problem

l  System message indicates a problem with a USB device.

l  Device connected to a USB port is not operating properly.

Action

  1. Enter the System Setup program, and ensure that the USB ports are enabled. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

2. Turn off the system and any USB devices.  

3. Disconnect the USB devices, and connect the malfunctioning device to another USB connector.  

4. Turn on the system and the reconnected device.

If the problem is resolved, the USB connector might be defective. See "Getting Help."

  5. If possible, swap the interface cable with a working cable.

If the problem is resolved, replace the interface cable.

  6. Turn off the system and the USB device, and swap the device with a comparable device.

7. Turn on the system and the USB device.

If the problem is resolved, replace the USB device.

If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Troubleshooting a Non-USB Parallel Printer

Problem

l  Parallel printer is not operating properly.

l  Parallel printer interface cable is faulty.

Action

  1. Turn off the system and the parallel printer.

2. Swap the parallel printer interface cable with a known working cable, and turn on the system and the printer.  

3. Attempt a print operation.  

4. If the print operation is successful, replace the interface cable (see "Getting Help").  

5. Run the printer's self-test.  

6. If the self-test fails, the printer is malfunctioning (see "Getting Help").

 Troubleshooting a NIC

Problem

l  NIC cannot communicate with network.

Action

  1. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

2. Enter the System Setup program and confirm that the NICs are enabled. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.  

3. Check the appropriate indicator on the NIC connector. See "NIC Indicator Codes" in "Indicators, Messages, and Codes."

l  If the link indicator does not light, check all cable connections.

l  If the activity indicator does not light, the network driver files might be damaged or missing.

Remove and reinstall the drivers if applicable. See the NIC's documentation.

l  Use another connector on the switch or hub.

If you are using a NIC card instead of an integrated NIC, see the documentation for the NIC card.

  4. Ensure that the appropriate drivers are installed and the protocols are bound. See the NIC's documentation.

5. Ensure that the NICs, hubs, and switches on the network are all set to the same data transmission speed. See the network equipment documentation.  

6. Ensure that all network cables are of the proper type and do not exceed the maximum length. See "Network Cable Requirements" in your User's Guide.

 Responding to a Systems Management Software Alert Message 

Systems management software monitors critical system voltages and temperatures, fans, and hard drives in the system. Alert messages appear in the Alert Log window. For information about the Alert Log window, see the systems management software documentation.

 Opening the System

Removing the Bezel

You must remove the bezel to remove the system cover.

  1. Using the system key, unlock the bezel. See Figure 5-1.

2. Slide the bezel latch toward the right side of the system.  

3. Swing the top of the bezel away from the system, disengage the hooks at the bottom of the bezel, and lift the bezel away from the system.

 Figure 5-1. Removing the Bezel

Removing the Cover

To upgrade or troubleshoot the system, remove the system cover to gain access to internal components.

  1. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

2. Remove the bezel. See "Removing the Bezel."  

3. Lay the system on its right side.  

4. Loosen the thumbscrew at the front of the system. See Figure 5-2.  

5. Slide the cover forward and grasp it at both ends.  

6. Lift the front edge of the cover 2.5 cm (1 inch), slide the cover toward the top of the system, and then lift the cover away from the system.

 Figure 5-2. Removing the Cover

 Closing the System

Replacing the Cover

  1. Ensure that all cables are connected, and fold cables out of the way.

2. Ensure that no tools or loose parts are left inside the system.  

3. Fit the cover on the side of the system, and slide the cover backward.  

4. Tighten the cover thumbscrew to secure the cover.

Installing the Bezel

To install the bezel, align the hooks at the bottom of the bezel, swing the top of the bezel toward the system, and press the bezel onto the system until it snaps into place. Using the system key, lock the bezel.

 Inside the System

In Figure 5-3, the bezel and system cover are removed to provide an interior view of the system.

 Figure 5-3. Inside the System

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

The system board holds the system's control circuitry and other electronic components. The processor and memory are installed directly on the system board. The system can accommodate up to five expansion cards.

The system supports up to four SCSI or SATA hard drives. The peripheral bays support an optional diskette drive and optical drive.

 Troubleshooting a Wet System

Problem

l  Liquid spilled on the system.

l  Excessive humidity.

Action

  1. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

2. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

3. Remove all expansion cards installed in the system. See "Removing an Expansion Card" in "Installing System Components."  

4. Remove all memory modules installed in the system. See "Removing Memory Modules" in "Installing System Components."  

5. Remove the processor from the system. See "Removing the Processor" in "Installing System Components."  

6. Let the system dry thoroughly for at least 24 hours.  

7. Replace the processor, memory modules, and expansion cards. See "Installing a Processor," "Installing Memory Modules," and "Installing an Expansion Card" in "Installing System Components."  

8. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

9. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and peripherals.

If the system does not start properly, see "Getting Help."

  10. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running the System Diagnostics."

If the tests fail, see "Getting Help."

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

 Troubleshooting a Damaged System

Problem

l  System was dropped or damaged.

Action

  1. Open the system. See "Opening the System."

2. Ensure that the following components are properly installed:

l  Expansion cards

l  Memory modules

l  Processor

l  Power supplies

l  Fans

l  Hard drives

  3. Ensure that all cables are properly connected.

4. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

5. Run the system board tests in the system diagnostics. See "Running the System Diagnostics."

If the tests fail, see "Getting Help."

 Troubleshooting the System Battery

Problem

l  System message indicates a problem with the battery.

l  System Setup program loses system configuration information.

l  System date and time do not remain current.

Action

  1. Re-enter the time and date through the System Setup program. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

2. Turn off the system and disconnect it from the electrical outlet for at least one hour.  

3. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet and turn on the system.  

4. Enter the System Setup program.

If the date and time are not correct in the System Setup program, replace the battery. See "System Battery" in "Installing System Components."

If the problem is not resolved by replacing the battery, see "Getting Help."

 Troubleshooting a Power Supply

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

NOTE: If the system is turned off for long periods of time (for weeks or months), the NVRAM may lose its system configuration information. This situation is caused by a defective battery.

NOTE: Some software may cause the system time to speed up or slow down. If the system seems to operate normally except for the time kept in the System Setup program, the problem may be caused by software rather than by a defective battery.

Problem

l  No power to the system.

l  Power indicator on the front panel does not light.

Action

  1. Run the appropriate online diagnostics test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running the System Diagnostics."

  2. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

3. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

4. Ensure that the power cables are properly connected to the power connectors on the system board and backplane (if installed). To identify the system board power connectors, see Figure A-3.  

5. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

6. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

 Troubleshooting System Cooling Problems

Problem

l  A cooling fan is not operating properly.

l  System status indicator is amber.

l  Systems management software issues a fan-related error message.

Action

  1. Run the appropriate diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

2. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

3. Locate the fan referenced by the systems management software or diagnostics.

See Figure A-3 for the relative location of each fan.

Ensure that the fan power cables are securely connected to the fan power connectors on the system board. See Figure A-3 for the location of each fan power connector.

  4. Check that cables are not blocking the airflow within the system.

5. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

6. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.  

7. If the problem is not resolved, install a new fan. See "System Fans" in "Installing System Components."  

8. If the replacement fan does not operate, see "Getting Help."

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

 Troubleshooting System Memory

Problem

l  Faulty memory module.

l  Faulty system board.

l  System status indicator is amber.

l  System beep code indicates a memory problem.

l  Systems management software issues a memory-related message through the systems management software.

Action

Memory-related beep code during system startup.

  1. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

2. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

3. Reseat the memory modules in their sockets. See "Installing Memory Modules" in "Installing System Components."  

4. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

5. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If there is no memory-related beep code, the problem is resolved.

  6. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

a.  Open the system. See "Opening the System."

b.  Remove all memory modules from the system. See "Removing Memory Modules" in "Installing System Components."

c.  Replace one of the memory modules in socket DIMM1_B.

d.  Close the system. See "Closing the System."

e.  Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

f.  If there is no memory-related beep code, the memory module is not faulty.

If the beep code reoccurs, the memory module is faulty and should be replaced.

  7. Perform the following steps:

a.  Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet.

b.  Open the system. See "Opening the System."

c.  Repeat step c through step f in step 6 for each memory module installed.

8. If you have tested all the memory modules and the problem persists, or none of the memory modules passes, the system board is faulty. See "Getting Help."

The system starts up successfully but there are memory-related error messages.

  1. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

2. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

  3. Ensure that the memory modules are populated correctly. See "General Memory Module Installation Guidelines" in "Installing System Components."

If the memory modules are populated correctly, continue to the next step.

  4. Reseat the memory modules in their sockets. See "Installing Memory Modules" in "Installing System Components."

5. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

6. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If there is no memory-related error message, the problem is resolved.

If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

There are memory-related error messages in the SEL.

  1. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

2. Replace the memory module(s) identified by the diagnostics. See "Installing Memory Modules" in "Installing System Components."  

3. Restart the system. If there are still memory-related errors in the SEL, see "Getting Help."

 Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive

Problem

l  Error message indicates a problem with the optional diskette drive.

Action

  1. Enter the System Setup program and verify that the diskette controller is enabled and the diskette drive is configured correctly. See "Using the System

Setup Program" in your User's Guide.  

2. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."  

3. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.  

4. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

5. Ensure that the diskette drive interface cable is securely connected to the diskette drive and the system board. To identify the connector on the system board, see Figure A-3.  

6. Ensure that a power cable is securely connected to the drive.  

7. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

8. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.  

9. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test to see whether the diskette drive works correctly.

If the tests fail, continue to the following step.

  10. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from its electrical outlet.

11. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

12. Remove all expansion cards installed in the system. See "Removing an Expansion Card" in "Installing System Components."  

13. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

  14. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

15. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test to see whether the diskette drive works correctly.

If the tests run successfully, an expansion card may be conflicting with the diskette drive logic, or an expansion card may be faulty. Continue to the next step.

If the tests fail, see "Getting Help."

  16. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

17. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

18. Reinstall one of the expansion cards you removed in step 12. See "Installing an Expansion Card" in "Installing System Components."  

19. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

20. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.  

21. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test to see whether the diskette drive works correctly.  

22. Repeat step 16 through step 21 until all expansion cards are reinstalled or one of the expansion cards causes the tests to fail.

If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help."

 Troubleshooting an Optical Drive

Problem

l  System cannot read data from a CD.

l  Optical drive indicator does not blink during boot.

Action

  1. Try using a different CD that you know works properly.

2. Enter the System Setup program and ensure that the drive's IDE controller is enabled. See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.  

3. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."  

4. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.  

5. Ensure that the optical drive interface cable is securely connected to the drive and the system board. To identify the connector on the system board, see Figure A-3.  

6. Ensure that a power cable is securely connected to the drive.  

7. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system and attached peripherals.

If the problem is not resolved, see "Getting Help."

 Troubleshooting a SCSI Tape Drive

Problem

l  Defective tape drive.

l  Defective tape cartridge.

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

l  Missing or corrupted tape-backup software or tape-drive device driver.

l  Defective SCSI controller card.

Action

  1. Run the System Setup program and ensure that the secondary SCSI channel is enabled and set to SCSI.

See "Using the System Setup Program" in your User's Guide.

  2. Remove the tape cartridge you were using when the problem occurred, and replace it with a tape cartridge that you know works.

3. Ensure that the SCSI device drivers for the tape drive are installed and are configured correctly.  

4. Reinstall the tape-backup software as instructed in the tape-backup software documentation.  

5. Ensure that the tape drive's interface cable is connected to the tape drive and SCSI controller card.  

6. Verify that the tape drive is configured for a unique SCSI ID number and that the tape drive is terminated or not terminated, based on the interface cable used to connect the drive.

See the documentation for the tape drive for instructions on selecting the SCSI ID number and enabling or disabling termination.

  7. Run the appropriate online diagnostics tests. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

8. Turn off the system and attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.  

9. Open the system. See "Opening the System."  

10. Check that the SCSI controller card is firmly seated in its connector. See "Installing an Expansion Card" in "Installing System Components."  

11. Close the system. See "Closing the System."  

12. Reconnect the system to the electrical outlet, and turn on the system, including attached peripherals.  

13. If the problem is not resolved, see the documentation for the tape drive for additional troubleshooting instructions.  

14. If you cannot resolve the problem, see "Getting Help" for information on obtaining technical assistance.

 Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives

Troubleshooting a Hot-Plug or Front-Access (Non-Hot-Plug) SCSI Hard Drive

Problem

l  Device driver error.

l  Hard drive not recognized by the system.

Action

  1. Run the appropriate online diagnostic test. See "Using Server Administrator Diagnostics" in "Running System Diagnostics."

If the test fails, continue to the next step.

  2. Run the SCSI controllers test and the hard-drive tests in the system diagnostics. See "Running the System Diagnostics."

CAUTION: See your Product Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

NOTICE: This procedure can destroy data stored on the hard drive. Before you continue, back up all files on the hard drive.

For information about testing the controller, see the controller's documentation.

If the tests fail, continue to the next step.

  3. If the SCSI hard drives are configured in a RAID array, restart the system and enter the RAID configuration utility.

  4. Ensure that the primary SCSI channel is enabled, and restart the system.

5. Verify that the device drivers are installed and configured correctly. See the operating system documentation.  

6. Remove the bezel. See "Removing the Bezel."  

7. Remove the hard drive:

 If your hard drive is not configured in a RAID array, shut down the system, remove the hard drive and install it in another drive bay. See "Front- Access SCSI Hard Drives (Non-Hot-Plug)" in "Installing Drives."

 If your hard drive is configured in a RAID array with four hard drives, install a new hard drive. See "Hot-Plug SCSI Hard Drives" in "Installing Drives."

 If your hard drive is configured in a RAID array with up to three hard drives, remove the hard drive and install the drive in an empty drive bay. See "Hot-Plug SCSI Hard Drives" in "Installing Drives."

  8. Install the bezel. See "Installing the Bezel."

9. If the system recognizes the hard drive, reinstall the hard drive in the original bay. See "Hot- Plug SCSI Hard Drives" or "Front-Access SCSI Hard Drives (Non-Hot-Plug)" in "Installing Drives."

If the hard drive functions properly in the original bay, the drive carrier could have intermittent problems. Replace the drive carrier. See "Hot-Plug SCSI Hard Drives" or "Front-Access SCSI Hard Drives (Non-Hot-Plug)" in "Installing Drives."

If the problem persists, the SCSI backplane board has a defective connector. See "Getting Help."

  10. Check the SCSI cable connections inside the system:

a.  Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect the system from the electrical outlet.

b.  Open the system. See "Opening the System."

c.  Lay the system on its right side.

d.  Remove the cover. See "Removing the Cover."

e.  Verify that the SCSI cable is securely connected to the controller card and the SCSI backplane.

f.  Replace the cover. See "Replacing the Cover."

g.  Stand the system upright.

h.  Install the bezel. See "Installing the Bezel."

11. Format and partition the hard drive. See the operating system documentation.  

12. If possible, restore the files to the drive.

If the problem persists, see "Getting Help."

Troubleshooting a Cabled SCSI Hard Drive

Problem

l  Device driver error.

l  Hard drive not recognized by the system.

NOTE: To enter the utility, press ,