PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Guide
Table of Contents Introduction to the Self Study Guide .......................................................................................... 1 Description .............................................................................................................................. 1 Goals ....................................................................................................................................... 1 Objectives.....................................................................
Details of DSP Response Procedures....................................................................................21 Response Policies..............................................................................................................21 Next Business Day Service ...................................................................................................24 Whole Unit Dispatch.........................................................................................................
Removing the Full Length PCI Card Guide ..................................................................... 63 Technical Appendix .................................................................................................................. 64 Features ................................................................................................................................. 64 BIOS....................................................................................................................
Introduction to the Self Study Guide Description The purpose of this self-study is to prepare Dell Service Providers (DSPs) to service the Dell PowerEdge 1550. It does so in various sections. The first section identifies the target markets and the needs of those markets. Then it describes the features that allow the Dell PowerEdge 1550 to serve the needs of those markets The next section describing how the Dell PowerEdge 1550 integrates into a rack and how to remove/replace each field replaceable unit.
• Understand the SCSI offerings with both integrated and optional cards with their configurations. • Understand the service procedures differences and enhancements. Prerequisites Before working with the Dell PowerEdge 1550, participants must have: • A DCSE Associates Servers V 3.0 certification. • Experience with the basic procedures for installing operating systems and drivers in a server environment. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 2 Version 0.
PowerEdge 1550 Overview Introduction This section provides information about the customer to which the PowerEdge 1550 is designed to appeal. It also provides a description of the feature set that allows the PowerEdge 1550 to serve the needs of those customers. The information contained in this section is helpful because it can provide the DSP with a clear picture of the types of environments to expect when servicing the PowerEdge 1550.
Product Features The Dell PowerEdge 1550 does not replace any existing product. Instead it is Dell's first entry into the 1U rack mountable general purposes server space. Features The PowerEdge 1550 features are: • Support for up to two (2) Pentium III (FC-PGA 370 socket) processors (up to 1 GHz). • Four (4) SDRAM DIMMs with support for up to 2 GB SDRAM. • Two 64/66 PCI slots (1 full length card and 1 short card with 1 processor, two short PCI cards with 2 processors).
CPU The PowerEdge 1550 supports an Intel Pentium III "Coppermine" processor. This level of Pentium III is designed entry to mid-range markets. Features of the processor include: • • • • Up to 2-way Symmetric Multiprocessing. 133-MHz system bus support. Support for 133-MHz memory. Internal cache operating at full core frequency. BIOS The PowerEdge 1550 BIOS has support for the following: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • System BIOS. System Setup. Onboard Video BIOS. Integrated SCSI BIOS. PCI 2.1.
System Chipset The PowerEdge 1550 uses the ServerWorks Enterprise ServerSet™ III HE –SL chipset. The constituent chips of this chipset are: • NCB20HE-SL – North Bridge • OSB4 – South Bridge • CIOB20 – Champion IO Bridge The features of this chipset are discussed in the technical appendix. Integrated SCSI The PowerEdge 1550 uses an onboard Adaptec AIC-7899. This is the same chip as used in the AHA®-2940UW/OF and AHA-2944UW/OF Host Controllers.
battery back-up (vs. no battery back-up), and have cluster support (vs. no cluster support). The table below lists the features of each. Feature PERC 3/DCL PERC 3/DC PCI 64-bit/66MHz 64-bit/66MHz SCSI 2 channel Ultra3 SCSI 2 channel Ultra3 SCSI Connectors 2 total: 1 internal 2 total: 1 int./1 ext. or 2 ext. Cluster Capable No Yes Cache 64 MB 128MB ECC Cache Yes Yes Battery Backup No Yes Backup Time N/A 48-72 hours S.M.A.R.T.
More in depth information can be found in the technical appendix at the end of this document. Integrated Video The video controller used on the PowerEdge 1550 is an ATI-Rage XL connected to the PCI bus with 4 MB of video RAM. Since the chips are not installed in sockets and there are no empty sockets the amount of video memory cannot be upgraded.
troubleshooting purposes as it will work regardless of the status of the control panel. External - Front • One (1) combined keyboard/mouse connector • One (1) VGA connector. The front of the system has three accessible ports, a combined keyboard/mouse connector and a VGA connector. The combined keyboard/mouse uses a Y-cable that combined the signals of a keyboard and a mouse into one connector.
Power-on LED: • On green solid: powered and running. • Amber blinking: sleep state. Hard Drive LED Operation When used in conjunction with a PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller, the backplane supports enhanced LED patterns to inform the user of drive activity. The following functions (taken from Backplane Firmware Specification) are implemented: • IDENTIFY The IDENTIFY condition is the highest priority condition of the indicated conditions. This condition can apply to both populated and empty slots.
The online/fault LED is amber on for 125msec, off for 125msec • DRIVE REBUILDING The online/fault LED is flashing green on for 500msec, off for 125msec and so on • DRIVE PREDICTED FAILURE The online/fault led is green on for 500 ms, amber on for 500 milliseconds, and off for 1000ms. • DRIVE ONLINE (No other displayable status). The online/fault led is green on. Chassis The PowerEdge 1550 is a 1U system. The term "U" is a unit of measure in rack mountable components. A U is 1.75".
In addition, Array Manager extends the value of the vendors’ tools by enabling them to be run from a central console that is not necessarily colocated with the devices being configured and managed. More information including installation and basic usability is located in the technical appendix at the end of this document. Racking hardware for Dell Four Post Racks Rails The Dell PowerEdge 1550 uses a new rail design that does not rely on the cage nuts for mounting the racking hardware.
The screw holes are bored into separate pieces that can pivot. The images above show the placement of these pieces and the tension springs that cause them to fall back into place. In these pictures the tension springs are not flexed. The images below are of the same portion, just with the tension springs flexed. The rear of the rails are designed in the same manner except the top of the rails do not have screw holes, they are just pegs that poke through the square holes in the racks.
At the back of both mounting rails is a notch that the brace rests on. This notch is indicated in the picture that follows by a red rectangle. There is a hook on both sides of the brace that rest in the notches on the rails. This is indicated in the following picture by the red circle. There is also a peg on the rails that notches in the brace fits onto a notch. The brace is indicated in the following picture by a red rectangle. The image is a close-up from the inside of the rail.
The peg that the notch fits into is indicated in the picture below by a red circle. Version 0.
When placing the brace on the rails it should be first inserted at and angle, as the picture that follows depicts, and then rotated back down so the hooks slide onto the notches. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 16 Version 0.
Dell Service Strategy Dell is an industry leader in providing Customer Support, and as you can see, Dell has grown to be a large, successful organization. Dell’s growth and success can be attributed to several unique ways of doing business, one of which is the Dell Service Strategy. Here is a snapshot of Dell’s Services Businesses: Dell’s direct model positions Dell to deliver the best end-to-end customer service. Dell is the single point of contact and is accountable.
The key to success of this model is the link between Dell Tech Support and the Field Organization. The Customer Experience should be seamless, so that the customer sees nothing but a smooth transition from the Dell Tech Support Technician to the Field Service Technician. If the process is not well integrated, the customer experience will not meet Dell standards. Our service is only as good as your execution in three areas: People, Processes, and Technology.
Virtual Integration Benefits the Customer Real-time, over-the-phone fixes – 85% of the service calls that come into Dell Tech Support are resolved over the phone, getting customers’ systems working as fast as possible. This means that you see only 15% of the customer issues that are called into Dell Tech Support. Internet access to solution status – This reflects Dell's commitment to communicate quickly and directly. Virtual Integration Benefits Dell saves money. Customers are happier.
DSP Support Introduction This section contains information pertaining to your role in service support to Dell customers. Each DSP has a procedure manual that defines the processes and procedures required for the delivery of services that a DSP provides to support the DELL customers. Some of the information contained in your PM is unique to your DSP organization. If you have any questions regarding your DSP’s services, contact your manager.
• • • • Advisory diagnosis/parts advisory. Type of operating system. Airbill and parts numbers. Special instructions or alternate contacts. How the DSP Responds to a Service Request For each service request, DSP completes several key tasks. The tasks are covered in the following sections. DSP Management Tasks Within 15 minutes of receiving the call, the DSP electronically confirms that the call was received. Then the DSP assigns the call an SRMS call number and provides the call number to the DELL.
Response Time The DSP responds to the customer’s call at the customer’s location within the prescribed service time to perform the required services. (See your DSP’s PM for details of covered services.) The DSP performs these services for each contract product and contract system, and the DSP verifies that the system is in working order and is properly functioning at the customer’s location as described below.
Acceptance Certificate The Acceptance Certificate is used for installation and upgrade services. DSP obtains the customer’s acceptance of the contract products/system by returning to Dell an acceptance certificate completed by the DSP in the form shown in the PM (as amended from time to time) and signed by the customer.
Next Business Day Service The DSP completes the following procedure to provide Next Business Day (NBD) service for DELL customers. # Procedure 1. DELL Technical Support performs call screening with the user (CONUS and OCONUS) and verifies that the customer is entitled to NBD service. 2. DELL Technical Support determines required action during the on-phone diagnosis. 3.
# Procedure 14. If the CRE is unable to restore the system to proper operating condition within two hours to the customer’s satisfaction, the DSP management immediately contacts DELL Technical Support and arranges to complete the work to the customer’s satisfaction. 15. If the DSP is unable to solve a customer's problem because the DELL delivered the wrong spare part, the DSP agrees to provide on-site diagnosis for one hour to determine the appropriate spare part(s) to solve the customer’s problem.
• External tape backup unit. • External zip backup drive. The procedure for Whole Unit Dispatch is as follows: # 1. Procedure The DELL notifies the DSP each time a Whole Unit Dispatch is required and provides the following details: • Customer’s name and location • Customer’s phone number • Item to be replaced and five-digit, alpha-numeric service tag number of system • Response time required (for example, NBD or 3rd Business Day) 2.
• • • • Logistics area/site. DSP part number. Date of failure. Failure detail (clear description of the failure as opposed to a reported symptom). • CRE’s name/organization and assignment number. NOTE: Below the CRE’s name, the CRE should include the CRE’s Dell service identification number.
DELL provides incorrect information in a DSP service request (phone number, contact name, zip code, or address). • DSP is unable to contact a customer by 12:00 noon on the same day the call is received. • DSP is unable to meet the required response time for the requested service. • • • • The customer does not have Dell Diagnostic diskettes to enable testing. Technical assistance is needed to complete the service request. DSP is unable to resolve the issue to the customer’s satisfaction.
Escalation Procedures A service call problem is subject to the escalation policy when the problem affects the customer’s business and/or the problem has not been solved within a reasonable timeframe. This built-in escalation procedure ensures that the appropriate technical expertise or management attention is applied to a problem. The DSP works with the Customer Resource Engineer (CRE) to offer specific resources, skills, and experience to handle the exceptions and expedite problem resolution.
If the CRE cannot meet the established ETA within the specified period, the following procedure must be completed: # 1. Escalation Procedure 2. The CRE contacts the support center to update the call. 3. The CRE notifies Dell Technical Support of any ETA changes. 4. The CRE contacts the on-site Support Manager. The CRE contacts the customer to re-establish the ETA. If the CRE cannot reach the customer (Customer Delay), the following procedure must be completed: # Escalation Procedure 24.
If the customer contacts Dell Technical Support because expected timeframes have not been met, the technician should complete the following procedure: # 1. Escalation Procedure 2. Check parts status, if needed. 3. Contact service provider, if needed. 4. Update customer on status. 5. Escalate the call to the U.S. DSP mailbox. Check service provider status in DSP. Asset Tag Utility The Asset Tag utility allows a technician to enter an asset tag number for the system.
Assigning and Changing an Asset Tag An asset tag number can have up to ten characters; any combination of characters, excluding spaces, is valid. # Assigning or Changing an Asset Tag 1. Do the following before Assigning or Changing an asset tag: • Perform the steps in "Using the Asset Tag Utility." Assign or change an asset tag number: 2. Type asset and a space followed by the new number. For example, type the following command: • asset 1234567890 • Press .
Disassembly and Re-assembly of the PowerEdge 1550 Goals The following are the goals for this exercise. • • • • Disassemble the PowerEdge 1550 to the FRU level. Recognize the FRUs for the PowerEdge 1550. Recognize the FRU replacement dependencies of the PowerEdge 1550. Reassemble the PowerEdge 1550 to the point of ready to power up. Description This section provides the information required for disassembly and reassembly of the PowerEdge 1550.
FRU List The following items are the FRUs for the PowerEdge 1550. FRU Description Planar to Control Panel Cable Assembly Cable to connect the control panel to the system board. High Density Cable 40-pin cable connecting the system board to the backplane that provides a pathway for FDD, CD-ROM, and control panel signals. System Power Cord A standard grounded power cable. CD-ROM Slimline form factor CD-ROM drive.
FRU Description Long Card Bracket Bracket mounted at front for securing full length PCI cards in the system. Fan Bracket Long plastic bracket at the front of the system that holds the system fans. System Fan Active cooling device located in the front of the system housed in the fan bracket. The system contains four. 2-Post Rack Mounting Kit Rail kit for mounting the system into a two-post rack. 4-Post Rack Mounting Kit Rail kit for mounting the system into a four-post rack.
Safety Considerations Before performing any installation or break/fix procedures involving disassembly/re-assembly, all safety precautions should be observed. • Turn off the server and any attached peripherals. • Disconnect the server and any attached peripherals from AC power sources. • Disconnect any telephone or telecommunications lines from the server. Many of the server’s internal components are subject to ESD damage.
Figure 9: ESD Wrist Strap Use an ESD wrist strap that is properly grounded. Handle all sensitive components in a static-safe area. If possible, use antistatic floor pads and workbench pads. When unpacking a static-sensitive component from its shipping carton, do not remove the component from the anti-static packing material until you are ready to install the component in your computer. Just before unwrapping the anti-static packaging, be sure to discharge static electricity from your body.
Installing the PowerEdge 1550 rack mounting hardware Installing the Mounting Rails Follow this procedure to install the PowerEdge 1550 mounting rails into the rack. # Installing the Mounting Rails 3. There are no prerequisite steps to perform before installing the mounting rails. 4.
# Installing the Cross Brace 11. • When the brace has been properly placed the hole just behind the notch that rests in the peg should line up with a screw hole in the rail. Secure the brace to the left hand rail (from the point of view of the technician while in the back of the rack) with one of the supplied screws. Version 0.
Installing the Cable Management Arm Follow this procedure to install the PowerEdge 1550 cable management arm into the rack. # Installing the Cable management Arm 12. Before installing the cross brace you must install the following: 13. • Mounting rails. • Cross brace.
# Installing the Cable management Arm 14. • The following picture shows a close-up of the support bracket with the cable management arm attached. The side that is completely square connects to the rail. Removing the PowerEdge 1550 rack mounting hardware To remove the PowerEdge 1550 rack mounting hardware follow the steps for installing it in reverse. Removing the PowerEdge 1550 from a rack There are two different but similar procedures that are performed for different reasons.
Extending the PowerEdge 1550 in the Rack Follow this procedure to extend the PowerEdge 1550 in the Rack. # Extending the 1550 in the rack 1. There are no prerequisite steps to perform before removing the front bezel. 2. To extend the PowerEdge 1550 in the rack, perform the following steps: • Remove the front bezel. The image that follows shows the bezel on the PowerEdge 1550 in the rack. The steps to remove the bezel are enumerated in the procedure Removing the Front Bezel in the Disassembly section.
Removing the PowerEdge 1550 from the rack Follow this procedure to remove the PowerEdge 1550 from the rack. # Removing the PowerEdge 1550 from the rack 5. There are no steps required prior to removing the PowerEdge 1550 from the rack. 6. To remove the PowerEdge 1550 from the rack, perform the following steps. • Unscrew the thumbscrew securing the cable management arm to the rear of the system. 7. • Perform the steps outlined in Extending the PowerEdge 1550 in the Rack. 8.
Removing the PowerEdge 1550 Top Cover from the Rack Follow this procedure to remove the PowerEdge 1550 Top Cover from the rack. # Removing the PowerEdge 1550 Top Cover from the Rack 9. Before removing the PowerEdge 1550 Top Cover from the rack you must: 10. 11. • Remove the PowerEdge 1550 Front Bezel. • Remove the PowerEdge 1550 from the rack.
Mounting the PowerEdge 1550 into a rack To mount the PowerEdge 1550 into a rack follow the steps for removing it from the rack in reverse. Version 0.
Disassembly of the Dell PowerEdge 1550 Follow these procedures to disassemble the PowerEdge 1550. Removing the Front Bezel Follow this procedure to remove the front bezel. # Removing the Front Bezel 12. There are no prerequisite steps to perform before removing the front bezel. 13. To remove the front bezel, perform the following steps: • Press the latch on the right side of the bezel so that the locking tabs disengage. 14.
Extending the PowerEdge 1550 in the Rack Follow this procedure to extend the PowerEdge 1550 in the Rack. # Extending the 1550 in the rack 16. There are no prerequisite steps to perform before removing the front bezel. 17. To extend the PowerEdge 1550 in the rack, perform the following steps: • Remove the front bezel. The image that follows shows the bezel on the PowerEdge 1550 in the rack.
Removing the Hard Disk Drives Follow this procedure to remove the hard disk drives. # Removing the Hard Disk Drives 20. Before removing the hard disk drives you must remove the front bezel. 21. To remove a hard disk drive, perform the following steps: • DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 48 Grasp the handle of the hard-disk drive carrier, press on the latch, and rotate the handle to the left. Version 0.
# Removing the Hard Disk Drives 22. • Pull the carrier from the bay and set it on a static-free surface. 23. • Repeat the above steps for all hard disk drives in the system. Version 0.
Removing the Floppy Disk Drive and CD-ROM Drive Follow this procedure to remove the floppy disk drive and CD-ROM drive. # Removing the Floppy Disk Drive and CD-ROM drive 24. Before removing the floppy drive and CD-ROM drive you must remove: 25. • The top cover. • The front bezel. To remove the floppy drive and CD-ROM drive, perform the following steps: • Disconnect the floppy drive and CD-ROM cables from the backplane; there are two different cables, each with a picture that follows.
# Removing the Floppy Disk Drive and CD-ROM drive 27. • Pull each unit forward out of the system. Removing the Backplane Follow this procedure to remove the backplane. # Removing the Backplane. 28. Before removing the backplane you must remove the top cover. 29. To remove the backplane, perform the following steps: • If the floppy drive cable and the CD-ROM cable are still attached disconnect them. Version 0.
# Removing the Backplane. 30. • Loosen the two thumbscrews on the backplane. 31. • Slide the backplane towards the front of the system disengaging the backplane from the grounding clips. 32. • Tilt the back of the backplane up exposing the power connector. 33. • Disconnect the power connector. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 52 Version 0.
# Removing the Backplane. 34. • Rotate the backplane further exposing the SCSI and high-density cable. Disconnect them. 35. • Complete rotation of the backplane and disconnect the control panel cable. 36. • Remove the backplane. Version 0.
Removing the Control Panel Follow this procedure to remove the control panel. # Removing the Control Panel. 37. Before removing the backplane you must remove the following: 38. • The top cover. • The backplane. To remove the control panel, perform the following steps: • Locate the hook underneath the control panel carrier. 39. • Pull the carrier forward to expose the chassis intrusion switch cable. 40. • Disconnect the chassis intrusion switch cable and the control panel cable. 41.
Removing the Power Supply Follow this procedure to remove the power supply. # Removing the Power Supply. 42. • 43. To remove the power supply, perform the following steps: 44. Before removing the power supply you must remove the top cover • Disconnect the power cable from the system board. • If it is connected, disconnect the power cable from the backplane.
Removing the Memory Follow this procedure to remove the memory. # Removing the Memory. 46. • Before removing the memory you must remove the top cover 47. • The memory is incorporated using standard DIMM sockets. Rotate the side levers out disengaging the memory and then remove the memory. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 56 Version 0.
Removing a Processor or a Terminator Follow this procedure to remove a processor or a terminator. # Removing a Processor or a Terminator. 48. Before removing the backplane you must remove the top cover 49. To remove a processor or a terminator perform the following steps: • Press down on the black tab on the heat sink clip and release the heat sink clip. NOTE: There is no heat sink on a terminator. 50. • Lift the heat sink clip off the heat sink. 51.
# Removing a Processor or a Terminator. 53. • Rotate the lever up disengaging the processor. 54. • Lift the processor from its socket. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 58 Version 0.
# Removing a Processor or a Terminator. 55. • Repeat this procedure for the second processor or the terminator if applicable. Removing the System Board Follow this procedure to remove the system board. # Removing the System Board. 56. Before removing the system board you must remove the following: 57. 58. • The top cover. • The memory. • The processor(s). To remove the system board, perform the following steps: • Disconnect any wires that are connected to the system board.
# Removing the System Board. 59. • Slide the system board towards the front of the system to disengage it from the grounding clips. 60. • Lift the system board out of the chassis. Removal of a Cooling Fan Follow this procedure to remove a cooling fan. # Removal of a Cooling Fan. 61. • 62.
# Removal of a Cooling Fan. 63. • Use a flat blade screwdriver to loosen the locking tabs on the corners of the fan. 64. • Work the fan out of it's retaining clips and remove it from the system. Re-assembly of the PowerEdge 1550 To re-assemble the PowerEdge 1550 follow the disassembly steps in reverse order. Full Length PCI Card Guide The Dell PowerEdge 1550 can support one or two processors.
Installing the Full Length PCI Card Guide Follow this procedure to install the full length PCI card guide. # Installing of the Full Length PCI Card Guide. 65. Before removing a cooling fan you must extend the PowerEdge 1550 in the rack. 66. To remove a cooling fan, perform the following steps: 67. • Identify the location to place the full length PCI Card Guide.
# Installing of the Full Length PCI Card Guide. 68. • The image that follows shows the full length PCI card guide properly installed. Removing the Full Length PCI Card Guide To remove the full length PCI card guide follow the instructions for installing it in reverse order. Version 0.
Technical Appendix Features BIOS The PowerEdge 1550 BIOS supports mainstream BIOS features. Some of these are described here. PnP 1.02a PnP is an acronym for Plug and Play. The PnP specification presents a mechanism to provide automatic configuration capability to Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) cards thus enabling full Plug and Play in the PC.
• Flexibility to use a BIOS with minimal MP-specific support. • An optional MP configuration table to communicate configuration information to an MP operating system. • Incorporation of ISA and other industry standard buses, such as EISA, MCA, VL and PCI buses in MP-compliant systems. • Requirements that make secondary cache and memory bus implementation transparent to software. SMBIOS 2.3.1 The Desktop Management Interface (DMI) is a method of managing computers in an enterprise.
Voltage Differential) SCSI connectors internal to the system. Channel A can be used (in non-RAID systems) to connect to SCSI hard disk drives. The SCSI B channel will be used to connect a SCSI tape backup unit. No SCSI channels from this chip are externally accessible. This chip is connected to the 66-MHz, 64-bit PCI bus. This will prevent the slower 33-MHz, 32-bit PCI bus from slowing it down.
Icon Function Controller Properties; click on this icon to display the propertied if the controller, such as the firmware version, BIOS version, RAM size, and initiator ID. Configure Controller; click on this icon to enter the Configuration Wizard. Silence the Alarm; Click on this icon to turn off the sound on the alarm. Go to Ctrl-M, click on this icon (on the right side at the top of the screen) to go from the WebBIOS Configuration Utility to the text based Configuration Utility.
Main Screen When you select a controller the main screen is displayed. The information is displayed in three distinct panes, all underneath the toolbar. One pane covers the left side of the screen. It contains links to other screens or commands. The right side of the screen is divided into two horizontal panes, one over the other. The top pane shows the physical drives connected to the controller and the lower pane shows the logical drives that are currently configured.
• Configuration Wizard: Provides a user-friendly interface for creation of a logical drive. • Controller Selection: Lists the Dell RAID controllers in the system that are compatible with the WebBIOS and allows changing current focus from one controller to another. • Physical View/Logical View: Allows toggling between viewing the hard disk drive resources on the controller through the logical device view or the physical device view.
• Spinup Parameters: Sets the timing for spinning up the hard disk drives attached to the controller. The options are: automatic, 2 per second, 4 per second, or 6 per second. • Flex RAID PowerFail: Enable or disable Flex RAID PowerFail. When enabled this option allows a drive reconstruction to continue after a power failure. • Alarm Control: Enable, disable, or silence the onboard alarm. • Adapter BIOS: Enable or disable the BIOS on the controller.
SCSI Channel Properties The properties under the Properties heading are Channel Width, Termination, and SCSI Capabilities. The Channel Width row displays the speed that the system transmits data, in terms of bits. You can change the options for the other two properties, Termination and SCSI Capabilities. The values for Termination are: • Enabled (default) • Disabled The values for SCSI Capabilities are: • • • • 160M (default) Ultra-II Wide Fast Version 0.
Logical Drives The Logical Drives screen provides an interface for selecting a logical drive and performing actions on the logical drives. To perform an action, select the logical drive on which to perform the action, select the action, then click the Go button. The actions that can be performed are: • Initialize: initialize the logical drive by writing zeros over it. • Check Consistency: check the correctness of redundancy data. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 72 Version 0.
Choose this option to verify the correctness of the redundancy data. This option is available only if RAID level 1, 5, 10, or 50 is selected. WebBIOS automatically converts any differences found in the data. After you click on Check Consistency and the Go button, a progress chart displays on the left side of the screen to show how much of the consistency check has been completed. There is also an option to abort the check for any or all logical drives. The above screen shows a consistency check in progress.
Physical Drives The Physical Drives screen is divided into columns, one for each channel on the controller. The drives physically connected to each channel appears in the appropriate column. There are two radio buttons under the DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 74 Version 0.
columns, Rebuild and Properties. Clicking on the radio button (Initialize, Check Consistency, or Properties) and then the Go button initiates an action. To return to the configuration that existed and not save any changes performed here click the Reset button. Configuration Wizard The Configuration Wizard provides a user-friendly interface for the creation of array configurations.
The second page offers three options: • Custom Configuration: allow the user to manually configure the array. • Auto Configuration With Redundancy (Recommended): automatically create a redundant array. • Auto Configuration Without Redundancy: automatically create a nonredundant array. To continue, select the operation to perform and then click the Next button. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 76 Version 0.
The third page is the array definition page. To add drives to an array press and hold the key and click on the drive(s). Click the Accept button to complete adding the drives. To undo the changes click he Reclaim button. After completing actions here click the Next button. Version 0.
The fourth page is the Logical Drive Definition page. It provides the facility for setting: • Raid Level: options are 0, 1, or 5. • Stripe Size: this defines the size of the data block written to each disk in a logical drive. Larger stripe sizes provide better performance during sequential read transactions. For random reads select a smaller stripe size. The default is 64 KB. • Read Policy: options are normal, read-ahead, or adaptive.
The fifth screen displays a preview of the array just configured. Click Accept to save the configuration. Click Back to make changes. Version 0.
After clicking Accept in the Configuration Preview screen the WebBIOS will prompt you to Save this Configuration. To save the configuration, click the Yes button. After the configuration is saved, a window displays the option to initialize the new logical drives. After the logical drives are initialized, the Logical Drives screen displays. To initialize the new drive click the Yes button. PERC BIOS Error Messages Message Problem Suggested Solution Adapter BIOS Disabled.
Message Problem Suggested Solution Configuration of NVRAM and drives mismatch. Run View/Add Configuration option of PERC 3/DC WebBIOS Configuration Utility. The configuration stored in the PERC 3/DC adapter does not match the configuration stored in the drives. Press + to enter the PERC WebBIOS Configuration Utility. Choose View/Add Configuration from the Configure menu. Choose View/Add Configuration to examine either the configuration in NVRAM or the configuration stored on the disk drives.
Message Problem Suggested Solution The following SCSI IDs are not responding: The physical drives with SCSI IDs a, b, and c are not responding on SCSI channel x. Make sure the physical drives are properly connected and are powered on. Channel x:a.b.c PERC Audible Messages Tone Pattern Meaning Examples Three seconds on and one second off A logical drive is offline. One or more drives in a RAID 0 configuration failed. One second on and one second off A logical drive is running in degraded mode.
The processor speeds supported by the chip are 100 MHz and 133 MHz. The PowerEdge 1550 is only shipped with processors that support 133 MHz. The memory bus works with SDRAM at 100 MHz or 133 MHz. The speed of the memory needs to be the same as the processor external speed so it will ship with 133 MHz SDRAM.
Dell Open Manage Array Manager Installation Overview Dell Open Manage Array manager is supported in Windows NT 4.0 (with Service Pack 5 or greater) and Windows 2000 (with Service Pack 1 or greater). The installation procedure for the two operating systems is identical however there are information dialogs that will appear while installing under Windows 2000 so the procedures for both are enumerated here.
Installing Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 4.0 To install Dell Open Manage Array manager on Windows NT 4.0 perform the following steps: # Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 4.0 69. To install Dell Open Manage Array Manager, perform the following steps: 70. • If you insert the CD while the operating system is running and the CD-ROM drive has been configured for autorun then the autorun.inf file will be loaded and the setup program will launch.
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 4.0 71. • Read the license agreement and then click the Yes button to continue installation. 72. • Click the radio button corresponding to the type of installation to perform and click Next. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 86 Version 0.
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 4.0 73. • A System Requirements screen will appear checking the current configuration against the minimum required configuration. Everything should pass the check. Click the Next button to continue. 74. • At the Choose Destination Folder for Windows Files screen click the Next button to continue. Version 0.
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 4.0 75. • DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 88 The window will change to show the progress of the file copy. This screen requires no user interaction unless you wish to cancel the installation. Version 0.
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 4.0 76. • When prompted, verify that the Yes, I want to restart my computer now option button is selected and click the Finish button to restart the computer. Version 0.
Installing Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows 2000 To install Dell Open Manage Array manager on Windows 2000 perform the following steps: # Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 2000 77. To install Dell Open Manage Array Manager, perform the following steps: 78. DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 90 • If you insert the CD while the operating system is running and the CD-ROM drive has been configured for autorun then the autorun.
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 2000 79. • Read the license agreement and then click the Yes button to continue installation. 80. • Click the radio button corresponding to the type of installation to perform and click Next. Version 0.
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 2000 81. • After choosing the type of installation to perform the installation wizard will recognize that the host operating system is Windows 2000 and will display the following alert. It advises that "Continuing will replace the native Windows 2000 Disk Management program with Array Manager...". It will also advise that, "…If you uninstall Array Manager, the Disk Management program will be restored to its original status...
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 2000 85. • The window will change to show the progress of the file copy. This screen requires no user interaction unless you wish to cancel the installation. • When prompted, verify that the Yes, I want to restart my computer now option button is Version 0.
# Installation of Dell Open Manage Array Manager on Windows NT 2000 selected and click the Finish button to restart the computer. • Then Windows 2000 will report: Found New Hardware Dell Open Manage 2.5 • After rebooting the computer an information dialog box will appear on the screen. It has the following text: Array manager has replaced Disk management, the built-in disk and volume manager that comes with Windows 2000.
When the Dell Open Manage Array Manager is run the application opens and the window shown below pops up over the application. Click on the View Configuration button and another window should popup. The View Hardware Configuration window should open. It should look similar to the image that follows. The exact configuration may be different. As long as the status shows online for every disk then the hardware is shown to be able to communicate and the software is shown to be able to interrogate the hardware.
DCSE: PowerEdge 1550 Self-Study Page 96 Version 0.
