Acer AcerAltos 21000 Parts list manual

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System Guide

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Copyright 1999 by Acer Incorporated. All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, transcribed, stored
in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer
language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise, without the prior
written permission of this company.
'LVFODLPHU
This company makes no representations or warranties, either
expressed or implied, with respect to the contents hereof and
specifically disclaims any warranties, merchantability or fitness for
any particular purpose. Any software described in this manual is sold
or licensed "as is". Should the programs prove defective following
their purchase, the buyer (and not this company, its distributor, or its
dealer) assumes the entire cost of all necessary servicing, repair, and
any incidental or consequential damages resulting from any defect in
the software. Further, this company reserves the right to revise this
publication and to make changes from time to time in the contents
hereof without obligation to notify any person of such revision or
changes.
All brand and product names mentioned in this manual are trademarks and/or registered
trademarks of their respective companies.

iii
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1. Read these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for
future reference.
2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.
3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not
use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for
cleaning.
4. Do not use this product near water.
5. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table.
The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product.
6. Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back or bottom are
provided for ventilation; to ensure reliable operation of the
product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must
not be blocked or covered. The openings should never be
blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa, rug, or other
similar surface. This product should never be placed near or
over a radiator or heat register, or in a built-in installation unless
proper ventilation is provided.
7. This product should be operated from the type of power indicated
on the marking label. If you are not sure of the type of power
available, consult your dealer or local power company.
8. This product is equipped with a 3-wire grounding-type plug, a
plug having a third (grounding) pin. This plug will only fit into a
grounding-type power outlet. This is a safety feature. If you are
unable to insert the plug into the outlet, contact your electrician
to replace your obsolete outlet. Do not defeat the purpose of the
grounding-type plug.
9. Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate
this product where persons will walk on the cord.

iv
10. If an extension cord is used with this product, make sure that the
total ampere rating of the equipment plugged into the extension
cord does not exceed the extension cord ampere rating. Also,
make sure that the total rating of all products plugged into the
wall outlet does not exceed 15 amperes.
11. Never push objects of any kind into this product through cabinet
slots as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short out
parts that could result in a fire or electric shock. Never spill
liquid of any kind on the product.
12. Do not attempt to service this product yourself, as opening or
removing covers may expose you to dangerous voltage points or
other risks. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
13. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to
qualified service personnel under the following conditions:
a. When the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed
b. If liquid has been spilled into the product
c. If the product has been exposed to rain or water
d. If the product does not operate normally when the operating
instructions are followed. Adjust only those controls that are
covered by the operating instructions since improper
adjustment of other controls may result in damage and will
often require extensive work by a qualified technician to
restore the product to normal condition.
e. If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been
damaged
f. If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance,
indicating a need for service
14. Replace battery with the same type as the product's battery we
recommend. Use of another battery may present a risk of fire or
explosion. Refer battery replacement to a qualified serviceman.

v
15. Warning! Battery may explode if not handled properly. Do not
recharge, disassemble or dispose of in fire. Keep away from
children and dispose of used battery promptly.
16. Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided in
your keyboard/manual accessories box) for this unit. It should be
a detachable type: UL listed/CSA certified, type SJT, rated 6A
125V minimum, VDE approved or its equivalent. Maximum
length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).

vi
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Note:
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital
device, pursuant to Part 15 of FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable
protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment
generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in
accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If
this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can
be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct
the interference by one or more of the following measures:
1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.
2. Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.
3. Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for help.
Notice 1:
The changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for
compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment.
Notice 2:
Shielded interface cables, if any, must be used in order to comply with the emission limits.

vii
$ERXW WKLV 0DQXDO
Getting Started
This system guide aims to give you all the necessary information to
enable you to set up and operate the AcerAltos 21000 system.
Manual Structure
This system guide consists of five chapters and an index.
Chapter 1 Getting Started
This chapter helps you get started. It illustrates how to prepare
the system for installation, connect the cables, and start up the
system.
Chapter 2 System Housing
This chapter describes the assembly and disassembly of the
system housing. It also shows you how to install the main
board, power supply, fan module, storage devices, and other
housing components.
Chapter 3 System Boards
This chapter describes the main board, the memory board, the
SCSI backplane board, and the LCD display module. Also, It
introduces the system’s unique features and powerful
architecture. It includes a brief introduction of the new
generation Intel Pentium II Xeon processor that forms the heart
of the AcerAltos 21000 system.
Chapter 4 BIOS Utility
This chapter explains the BIOS parameter functions. It tells
how to configure the system by setting the parameters.

viii
Chapter 5 Diagnostics and Utilities
This chapter describes the software utilities that enhance the
system’s operation and remote operation functions.
Appendix A LCD Module Event Log List
This chapter shows lists of error messages that can be
displayed in the LCD display module.
Conventions
The following are the conventions used in this manual:
Text entered by user Represents text input by the user.
Option Items Represents options that you can
select on the screen.
, , , etc. Represent the actual keys that you
have to press on the keyboard.
NOTE
Gives bits and pieces of additional
information related to the current
topic.
CAUTION
Gives precautionary measures to
avoid possible hardware or
software problems.
IMPORTANT
Reminds you to take specific
actions relevant to the
accomplishment of procedures.

ix
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Chapter 1 Getting Started
1.1 Preinstallation Requirements...............................................1-1
1.1.1 Selecting a Site ...................................................1-1
1.1.2 Checking the Package Contents..........................1-2
1.1.3 Preparing the System Unit...................................1-3
1.2 Basic Connections...............................................................1-4
1.2.1 Connecting a Keyboard........................................1-4
1.2.2 Connecting a Mouse............................................1-5
1.2.3 Connecting a VGA Monitor ..................................1-6
1.3 System Startup ...................................................................1-7
1.4 Power-on Problems.............................................................1-8
Chapter 2 System Housing
2.1 External and Internal Structure............................................2-2
2.1.1 Front Panel..........................................................2-2
2.1.2 Rear Panel ..........................................................2-4
2.1.3 LCD Display Module............................................2-6
2.1.4 Internal Components.......................................... 2-12
2.2 Opening the Housing Panels............................................. 2-14
2.2.1 Removing the Left and Right Panels.................. 2-14
2.2.2 Opening the Front Panel Door........................... 2-15
2.3 Installing and Removing Storage Devices......................... 2-17
2.3.1 Installing and Removing a 3.5-inch Storage
Device............................................................... 2-17
2.3.2 Installing and Removing a 5.25-inch
Storage Device.................................................. 2-20

x
2.4 Installing a Hot-swappable SCSI Drive.............................. 2-23
2.5 Installing and Removing a Hot-swappable Redundant
Power Supply Module....................................................... 2-25
2.6 Installing and Removing a Hot-swappable Redundant
Housing Fan ..................................................................... 2-29
2.7 Installing an Expansion Board........................................... 2-32
2.8 Removing and Installing the Thermal Air Guide................ 2-34
2.8.1 Removing the Thermal Air Guide....................... 2-34
2.8.2 Reinstalling the Thermal Air Guide.................... 2-35
2.9 Cable Connections............................................................ 2-37
Chapter 3 System Boards
3.1 Main Board .........................................................................3-1
3.1.1 Layout .................................................................3-3
3.1.2 Jumpers and Connectors.....................................3-4
3.1.3 Installing and Removing an Intel Pentium II
Xeon CPU............................................................3-7
3.1.4 Installing and Removing the Termination
Board................................................................. 3-10
3.1.5 Installing and Removing a VRM (Voltage
Regulator Module)............................................. 3-12
3.2 Memory Board .................................................................. 3-14
3.2.1 Layout ............................................................... 3-14
3.2.2 Memory Configurations...................................... 3-14
3.2.3 Removing and Installing the Memory Board....... 3-15
3.2.4 Installing and Removing a DIMM....................... 3-17
3.3 SCSI Backplane Board...................................................... 3-18
3.3.1 Features............................................................ 3-18
3.3.2 Layout ............................................................... 3-19

xi
3.3.3 Hard Disk ID Switch Settings.............................3-20
3.3.4 Dual Channel Configuration............................... 3-21
3.4 LCD Display Module.......................................................... 3-22
Chapter 4 BIOS Utility
4.1 Entering Setup....................................................................4-2
4.2 System Information.............................................................4-3
4.2.1 Processor ............................................................4-4
4.2.2 Processor Speed .................................................4-4
4.2.3 Bus Frequency.....................................................4-5
4.2.4 L1 Cache.............................................................4-5
4.2.5 L2 Cache.............................................................4-5
4.2.6 Floppy Drive A.....................................................4-5
4.2.7 Floppy Drive B.....................................................4-5
4.2.8 IDE Primary Channel Master ...............................4-5
4.2.9 IDE Primary Channel Slave.................................4-5
4.2.10 Total Memory ....................................................4-6
4.2.11 Serial Port 1.......................................................4-6
4.2.12 Serial Port 2.......................................................4-6
4.2.13 Parallel Port.......................................................4-6
4.2.14 Pointing Device .................................................4-6
4.2.15 Memory Parity Mode..........................................4-6
4.2.16 Onboard USB ....................................................4-7
4.3 Product Information.............................................................4-8
4.3.1 Product Name......................................................4-8
4.3.2 System S/N .........................................................4-8
4.3.3 Main Board ID......................................................4-9

xii
4.3.4 Main Board S/N...................................................4-9
4.3.5 System BIOS Version..........................................4-9
4.3.6 System BIOS ID..................................................4-9
4.3.7 BIOS Release Date .............................................4-9
4.4 Disk Drives........................................................................ 4-10
4.4.1 Floppy Drives .................................................... 4-12
4.4.2 IDE Drives......................................................... 4-12
4.5 Power Management.......................................................... 4-16
4.5.1 Power Management Mode................................. 4-16
4.5.2 ACPI BIOS ........................................................ 4-17
4.6 Startup Configuration........................................................ 4-18
4.6.1 Fast POST Mode...............................................4-18
4.6.2 Silent Boot......................................................... 4-19
4.6.3 Num Lock After Boot .........................................4-19
4.6.4 Memory Test ..................................................... 4-19
4.6.5 Initialize SCSI Before IDE..................................4-19
4.6.6 System Boot Drive............................................. 4-20
4.6.7 Boot From IDE CD-ROM ................................... 4-20
4.6.8 Single Processor MP Table................................4-20
4.6.9 MP Table Compliant..........................................4-21
4.6.10 CPU Clock Ratio.............................................. 4-21
4.7 Advanced Configuration.................................................... 4-22
4.7.1 Onboard Devices Configuration......................... 4-23
4.7.2 PnP/PCI System Configuration.......................... 4-29
4.7.3 Memory/Cache Configuration ............................ 4-32
4.7.4 Non-PnP ISA Device Configuration ................... 4-33
4.7.5 System Event Configuration .............................. 4-36

xiii
4.8 System Security Setup...................................................... 4-42
4.8.1 Disk Drive Control.............................................. 4-42
4.8.2 Setup Password................................................. 4-43
4.8.3 Power-on Password........................................... 4-47
4.9 Date and Time.................................................................. 4-48
4.9.1 Date................................................................... 4-49
4.9.2 Time.................................................................. 4-49
4.10 Remote Diagnostic Configuration.................................... 4-50
4.11 Load Setup Default Settings............................................ 4-51
4.12 Abort Settings Change .................................................... 4-52
Chapter 5 Diagnostics and Utilities
5.1 Advanced Server Manager..................................................5-1
5.2 Remote Diagnostic Manager...............................................5-3
Appendix A LCD Module Event Log List

Introduction xv
Introduction
The AcerAltos 21000 is a powerful 64-bit quad-processor system
loaded with a host of new and innovative features. The system offers
a new standard for flexible productivity ideal for local or wide area
networks and multi-user server environments.
Intel Pentium II Xeon Processor with the Intel 450NX
Chipset
The Pentium II Xeon processor, like its predecessors, the Pentium
Pro and Pentium II processors, implements a Dynamic Execution
micro-architecture - a unique combination of multiple branch
prediction, data flow analysis, and speculative execution. This means
that the Pentium II Xeon can deliver higher performance than the
Pentium Pro processor while maintaining binary compatibility with all
previous Intel Architecture processors.
Also, the Pentium II Xeon processor is available in 512K, 1MB, and
2MB L2 cache options with the introduction of the Slot 2 socket.
Unlike Slot 1 Pentium IIs, which access the L2 at half the processor
speed, the Slot 2 accesses the L2 at full processor clock speed. An
addition to the Pentium II Xeon processor is the Intel 450NX chipset,
for servers with four or more processors, which supports a 100MHz
front-side bus, USB (four ports), a south bridge to the ISA bus,
provides up to 8GB of memory support and multiple 32-bit and 64-bit
PCI buses.
In addition to meeting the mission-critical and fast system response
time requirements of enterprise servers, the AcerAltos 21000 is fault
tolerant and capable of preventing faults from occurring. It also
demonstrates graceful performance scalability when the system
configuration is expanded.

xvi AcerAltos 21000 System Guide
System Architecture
4
64bit @ 100MHz GTL
+
Deschute FSB 800MB/s
64bit @ 100MHz GTL
+
Deschute FSB 800MB/s
Xeon-CPU2
512K/1M/2M Cache
450NX
MIOC
Xeon-CPU3
512K/1M/2M Cache
12345678
910 11
12 13 14 15 16
2/4 Way Interleave ECC Memory
800MB
/
s
RCGs + MUXs
Xeon-CPU1
512K/1M/2M Cache Xeon-CPU4 512K/1M/2M Cache
F16 Bus 400MB/s PCI Ex
p
ander
Brid
g
e
PCI Ex
p
ander
Brid
g
e
Dual
Ultra2
5
PCI Bus1
PCI Bus1
32 bit PCI
Slot * 4
PIIX4e
PIIX4e
PCI Bus0
32 bit PCI
Slot * 3
A.S.M.
R.D.M.
S I/O
12
I/O
APIC
I/O
APIC
BIOS
BIOS
ISA
Slot*1
367
KBC
KBC
CD-ROM
BMIDE HDD
USB
VGA
VGA
LAN
LAN
64bit @
100MHz GTL +
16
bit @ 200MHz
133MB/s 133MB/s
The system includes a main and memory subsystems with four Slot 2
processors and voltage regulators for the processors. The memory
subsystem runs in 100 MHz timing and has a maximum size of up to
4GB.
Six PCI and 1 PCI/ISA shared slots are also incorporated for fast
expandable I/O capabilities.
There are two LVD SCSI (Ultra-2) channels for high performance
storage devices and one Narrow SCSI channel for backup (i.e., tape
drives) or CD-ROM devices.
A high-speed 10/100Mbit Ethernet controller and a PCI VGA device
are also provided.
For more information about the main board see section 3.1.

Introduction xvii
Server Management
The system comes with the ASM Pro feature that monitors voltage
stability and CPU temperature, prevents data loss by prompt ECC
memory error reporting, maximizes system resources by indicating
the PCI bus utilization, and promotes efficiency by minimizing system
downtime.
A feature related to ASM Pro is Remote Diagnostic Management
(RDM) that permits system diagnosis from a remote site through a
modem. RDM facilitates the fixing of detected problems, changing
system configurations or rebooting in the event of system failure.
Hot-swappable Redundant Power Supply Subsystem
The system comes with a power backplane that holds up to three 430-
watt power supply modules. The power subsystem supports a
redundant configuration such that even if one power supply fails, the
remaining two continue to work together to supply 860-watt power to a
fully-configured system. You can also replace a faulty power supply
module without opening the system housing or shutting down the
system. See section 2.5 for more information.
Hot-swappable Redundant Housing Fan
The system comes with four housing fans that ventilate the system
housing. In the event that any one of the fans fails to operate, you
can simply replace it without shutting down the system. See section
2.6 for more information.
Security
The system housing comes with mechanical security locks on the
front panel to prevent unauthorized access to the internal components
and system use. Also, a microswitch located on the left side of the
housing panel warns you of intrusion.

xviii AcerAltos 21000 System Guide
The system BIOS protects the CMOS data and other system software
with a power-on password, keyboard password, setup control, disk
drive control, and monitor control.

Getting Started 1-1
Chapter 1 Getting Started
This chapter tells how to install and set up the system. It gives
instructions on how to select a site for the system, prepare the system
for use, connect basic peripherals, and start up the system.
1.1 Preinstallation Requirements
1.1.1 Selecting a Site
Before unpacking and installing the system, select a suitable site for
the system for maximum efficiency. The system is suitable to set up
in an office environment.
Consider the following factors when choosing a site for the system:
•Near a grounded power outlet
•Clean and dust-free
•Sturdy surface free from vibration
•Well-ventilated and away from sources of heat
•Secluded from electromagnetic fields produced by electrical
devices such as air conditioners, radio and TV transmitters, etc.

1-2 AcerAltos 21000 System Guide
1.1.2 Checking the Package Contents
Check the following items from the package:
•AcerAltos 21000 System
•AcerAltos 21000 System Guide
•CD-ROM Driver Kits
•System keys (hung inside the front panel door)
If any of the above items are7 damaged or missing, contact your
dealer immediately.
Save the boxes and packing materials for future use.

Getting Started 1-3
1.1.3 Preparing the System Unit
Do the following to begin setting up the system:
1. Unlock the front wheels and move the system to your desired
site.
The system housing design allows for easy transport in spite of
its size. It comes with four wheels that facilitate short-distance
transits. The two front wheels each include a lever to lock the
wheels after you have positioned the system into place.
2. After moving, lock the wheels by pressing down the levers.
Make sure to unlock the wheels when you want
to move the system again.
3. Connect the system power cable into the power supply modules
on the rear panel. See section 2.5.
Unlock
Lock
Front Wheel Lever