Acer Altos G540 M2 Series User manual

Acer Altos G540 M2
Series
User’s Guide

Changes may be made periodically to the information in this publication without obligation
to notify any person of such revision or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new
editions of this manual or supplementary documents and publications. This company makes
no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect to the contents
hereof and specifically disclaims the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a
particular purpose.
Record the model number, serial number, purchase date, and place of purchase information in
the space provided below. The serial number and model number are recorded on the label
affixed to the unit. All correspondence concerning the unit should include these information.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of Acer Incorporated.
Model Name : G540 M2
Part Number: MU.R3500.001
Purchase Date:
Place of Purchase:
Copyright © 2009 Acer Incorporated
All Rights Reserved.
Acer Altos G540 M2 Series
User’s Guide
Acer and the Acer logo are registered trademarks of Acer Inc. Other company’s product
names or trademarks are used herein for identification purposes only and belong to their
respective companies.
Acer Altos G540 M2 Series

iii
Notices
FCC notice
Class A devices do not have an FCC logo or FCC IDE on the label. Class B devices
have an FCC logo or FCC IDE on the label. Once the class of the device is
determined, refer to the following corresponding statement.
Class A equipment
This device has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A
digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to
provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. 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. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is
likely to cause harmful interference, in which case the user will be required to
correct the interference at personal expense.
Notice: Shielded cables
All connections to other computing devices must be made using shielded cables
to maintain compliance with FCC regulations.
Notice: Peripheral devices
Only peripherals (input/output devices, terminals, printers, etc.) certified to
comply with the Class A limits may be attached to this equipment. Operation
with noncertified peripherals is likely to result in interference to radio and TV
reception.
Caution: Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the
manufacturer could void the user’s authority, which is granted by
the Federal Communications Commission, to operate this server.

iv
Use conditions
This part complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions: (1) this device may not cause harmful interference,
and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including interference
that may cause undesired operation.
Notice: Canadian users
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian
interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.
Laser compliance statement
The CD-ROM drive in this server is a laser product. The CD-ROM drive’s
classification label (shown below) is located on the drive.
CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT
CAUTION: INVISIBLE LASER RADIATION WHEN OPEN. AVOID EXPOSURE TO
BEAM.

v
Important safety instructions
Read these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for future reference.
1 Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product.
2 Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use
liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning.
3 Do not use this product near water.
4 Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. The product
may fall, causing serious damage to the product.
5 Slots and openings on the front and rear side of the chassis 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.
6 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.
7 Do not allow anything to rest on the power cord. Do not locate this
product where persons will walk on the cord.
8 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 the fuse
rating.
9 Never push objects of any kind into this product through chassis 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.
10 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.

vi
11 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 on 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 chassis has been damaged.
f If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a
need for service.
12 Replace the 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 service technician.
13 Warning! Batteries may explode if not handled properly. Do not
disassemble or dispose of them in fire. Keep batteries away from children.
Promptly dispose used batteries according to regulations applicable to
your area.
14 Use only the proper type of power supply cord set (provided in your
accessories box) for this unit. It should be a detachable type: UL listed/CSA
certified, type SPT-2, rated 7A 125V minimum, VDE approved or its
equivalent. Maximum length is 15 feet (4.6 meters).

Contents
1 System tour 1
System specifications 3
Performance 3
Mechanical 6
Environmental 6
Hardware options 7
External and internal structure 9
Front bezel 9
Front panel 10
Rear panel 13
Internal components 15
System boards 16
Mainboard 16
Backplane board 21
System LED indicators 24
Front panel LED indicators 24
Hot-plug HDD LED indicator 26
Gigabit LAN port LED indicators 27
2 System setup 29
Setting up the system 31
Pre-installation requirements 31
Connecting peripherals 32
Turning on the system 33
Power-on problems 34
Configuring the system OS 36
Rack mount configuration 37
Turning off the system 38
3 System upgrade 39
Installation precautions 41
ESD precautions 41
Pre-installation instructions 42
Post-installation instructions 42
Opening the server 43
Removing the side panel 43
Removing the front bezel 44
Configuring the hard drive 45
Installing a 3.5“HDD cage 45
Removing a HDD cage 48
Installing a 2.5“HDD cage 50
Removing a HDD cage 53

viii
Installing an additional hard drive 55
Configuring a 5-25 inch storage device 64
Upgrading the processor 70
Upgrading the system memory 78
Installing an expansion card 88
Installing the TPM module 91
Installing the System Fan module 92
Installing a redundant power supply module 94
4 System BIOS 97
BIOS overview 99
Entering BIOS setup 100
BIOS setup primary menus 100
BIOS setup navigation keys 101
Main menu 102
Advanced menu 103
Processor Configuration 104
Advanced Memory Configuration 110
Advanced Chipset Control 112
PCI Configuration 116
SATA Configuration 118
I/O Device Configuration 119
Boot Configuration 120
Thermal and Acoustic Configuration 121
Power 123
Security menu 125
Setting a system password 126
Changing a system password 127
Removing a system password 127
Server menu 128
System Management 129
Console Redirection 130
Event Log Configuration 131
Boot menu 133
Exit menu 134
5 System
troubleshooting 135
Resetting the system 137
Initial system startup problems 138
Initial troubleshooting checklist 139
Hardware diagnostic testing 140
Checking the boot-up status 140

ix
Verifying the condition of the storage devices 141
Confirming loading of the operating system 141
Specific problems and corrective actions 142
Appendix A: Server
management tools 147
Server management overview 149
RAID configuration utilities 150
Onboard SATA RAID Configuration Utility 150
LSI MegaRAID SAS 8708EM2 RAID Configuration Utility153
LSI MegaRAID SAS 8204ELP RAID Configuration Utility154
Appendix B: Rack mount configuration 157
Rack installation information 159
Rack installation precautions 159
System rack installation 161
Vertical mounting hole pattern 162
Installing the system into the rack 163
Appendix C: Altos eXpress Console 171
Using Your Altos eXpress Console 173
Software Installation 175
Prerequisites on remote management PC 175
Installing the Java Tool 175
Installing the UPnP tool 176
Using the UPnP tool to search for an Altos server 177
Altos eXpress Console 179
Accessing the Altos eXpress Console 179
Altos eXpress Console User Interface 181
System Status 182
System Information 183
Server Health 185
Configuration 187
Remote Control 200
Maintenance 203
KVM Remote Console Utility 205
Menu bar 207
Index 211

x

1 System tour

The Acer Altos G540 M2 server is a fully
modular dual-processor system featuring the
latest in computing technology. It host a range
of powerful and flexible features designed to
meet the needs of various network
environments. From simple networking
functions to computing intensive applications,
the Altos G540 M2 delivers.

3
System specifications
This section lists down the impressive computing features of the
Altos G540 M2 system.
Performance
Processor
• One or two Intel®Xeon™ processor 5500 series
• Up to 2.93 GHz
• 4.80/5.86/6.40 GT/s QPI
• 4/8 MB shared cache
• 800/1066/1333 DDR3 memory
• Support for the following Intel®technologies:1
• Turbo Boost Technology
• Hyper-Threading (HT) Technology
• Virtualization Technology
• QuickPath Technology up to 6.4 GT/s
• 64 Technology
Chipset
•Intel
®5520 chipset
Memory
• Twelve DDR3 1333 MHz ECC unbuffered/registered DIMMs (six
DIMMs per processor), supporting:
• Six-channel memory bus (three channels per processor)
• 1 to 8 GB (subject to availability) registered DIMMs for up to
96 GB of total system memory, or 1 to 4 GB unbuffered DIMMs
for up to 48 GB of total system memory
• Memory mirroring, Lockstep mode, x4/x8 SDDC
1For more information on these Intel technologies, visit the Intel Xeon web
site at http://www.intel.com/products/processor/xeon/index.htm.

1 System tour
4
PCI interface
• Five PCI Express® and PCI expansion slots
• One PCI Express® 2.0 x16 slot
• Two PCI Express® 2.0 x8 slots (with eight PCI Express® 2.0
lanes)
• One PCI Express® x8 slot (with four PCI Express® lanes)
• One PCI (32-bit / 3.3 V) slot
Video controller
• Embedded graphics controller with 32 MB video memory
Networking
• Integrated dual-port Gigabit Ethernet supporting Intel® I/O
Acceleration Technology (IOAT)
• Integrated single-port 10/100 Fast Ethernet for server
management and KVM over IP remote management
• Supports boot from iSCSI
Media storage
Two front 5.25” drive bays:
• Up to eight 3.5" or sixteen 2.5" SAS/SATA HDDs in two cages
• Easy-swappable
• Supports hot-swap with optional backplane
Note: 3.5” and 2.5” drives cannot be combined together,
either you have to all use the 3.5” drive or all 2.5” drive.
Combination of the two different sized drive is not
supported.
• DVD-ROM or DVD Writer
• 5.25" tape drive (optional)

5
I/O ports
Power supply and system fan
• 600 W (85% power efficiency) or 610 W power supply, 110-127 /
200-240V (can be upgraded with second power module for hot-
swap and redundancy)
• One system fan (can be upgraded with second system fan for
redundancy)
Hardware monitoring and server management
• Power status LED
• HDD access LED
• LAN activity LED
• System Status LED
• System ID LED/Button
• Chassis intrusion alert
• Lockable door
• IPMI 2.0
• TPM v1.2
• Built-in Altos eXpress Console for server management and KVM
over IP remote management
• Acer EasyBUILD™v9.0
• Acer Server Manager (ASM)
Operating system
• Microsoft® Windows® Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise
Edition (x86)
• Microsoft® Windows® Server 2008 Standard and Enterprise
Edition (EM64T)
• Two PS/2 ports
• Serial port
• VGA port
• Six USB 2.0 ports
• Two Gigabit LAN ports (RJ-
45)
• Fast Ethernet (RJ-45) port
dedicated for BMC for
management

1 System tour
6
• Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003 Standard and Enterprise
Edition (x86)
• Microsoft® Windows® Server 2003 Standard and Enterprise
Edition (EM64T)
• Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 5.0 (x86)
• Red Hat® Enterprise Linux 5.0 (EM64T)
• Novell® SuSE® Linux Enterprise Server 10 (x86)
• Novell® SuSE® Linux Enterprise Server 10 (EM64T)
• VMware ESX4i and VMware ESX4.0
• Novell® NetWare® 6.5
Mechanical
• Chassis
•Tower
• 5U rack-mountable
• Dimensions
– Height: 432 mm (17 in)
– Width: 210 mm (8.27 in)
– Depth: 650 mm (25.6 in)
Environmental
• Temperature
• Operating: +0° to +35°C with the maximum rate of change
not to exceed 10° per hour.

7
Hardware options
Note: To purchase the any of the following hardware options,
contact your local Acer representative.
• Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series:
• 2.66 – 2.93 GHz with 8 MB shared cache, 6.40 GT/s QPI
• 2.26 – 2.53 GHz with 8 MB shared cache, 5.86 GT/s QPI
• 1.86 – 2.13 GHz with 4 MB shared cache, 4.80 GT/s QPI
• 1.86 GHz with 4 MB shared cache, 4.80 GT/s QPI
•Memory
• Registered DDR3 1333 MHz ECC DIMMs: 1/2/4/8 GB
• Unbuffered DDR3 1333 MHz ECC DIMMs: 1/2/4 GB
• HDD:
• 2.5” SAS (10,000 RPM) HDD: 73/146/300 GB
• 2.5” SAS (15,000 RPM) HDD: 36/73/146 GB
• 2.5” SATA 3 Gb/s HDD: 250/320/500 GB
• 3.5” SAS (15,000 RPM) HDD: 147/300/450 GB
• 3.5” SATA 3 Gb/s HDD: 320/500/640 GB, 1/1.5 TB
• Daughter cards/modules:
• TPM module
• Add-on cards:
• ASC/3S single-channel U320 SCSI HBA (for backup device)
• ASSC/3D dual-port SAS HBA (for backup device)
• ASSC/3Q four-port 3 Gb SAS HBA
• ASSRC/3O eight-port 3 Gb SAS RAID HBA
• AFC/4S single-port 4 Gb FC HBA
• AFC/4D dual-port 4 Gb FC HBA
• Gigabit Ethernet server adapter
• PCI Express® x16 graphics card
• Storage drives:

1 System tour
8
• Quantum GoVault Tabletop Dock USB drive
• Quantum GoVault Tabletop Dock external USB drive
• Acer DAT160 80/160 GB USB tape drive
• Acer DAT72 36/72 GB USB tape drive
• Acer LTO-3 SAS tape drive
• DVD-RW or DVD Writer
• Hot-swappable, redundant power supply module
• 610 W redundant power supply module
• 600 W redundant power supply module (85% power
efficiency)
• Altos rack mount kit
• Redundant fan module

9
External and internal structure
Front bezel
No. Component
1 Security keylock
This lock secures the bezel door to protect the server unit from
unauthorized access.
2 LED indicator panel
For more information on the LED indicators description, go to
page 24.
3 Bezel door

1 System tour
10
Front panel
No. Icon Component Description
1 DVD-ROM drive Eject
button
Press this button to open the DVD
drive tray.
2 DVD-ROM drive
mechanical eject hole
When the DVD drive tray get
stucked, insert a paperclip to this
hole to manually eject the tray.
3 DVD-ROM drive Disk drive for reading CD, VCD, and
DVD contents.
4 DVD-ROM drive
activity indicator
When the LED indicator is lit, there
is an ongoing DVD drive activity.
5 5.25-inch drive bay Allows installation of additional
storage devices. Go to page 4 for a
list of supported devices.