Asus RS540-E9-RS36-E User manual

Server User Guide
RS540-E9-RS36-E

ii
Copyright © 2020 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.
No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means,
except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission
of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).
ASUS provides this manual “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not
limited to the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose. In no
event shall ASUS, its directors, ofcers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, special, incidental,
or consequential damages (including damages for loss of prots, loss of business, loss of use or data,
interruption of business and the like), even if ASUS has been advised of the possibility of such damages
arising from any defect or error in this manual or product.
Specications and information contained in this manual are furnished for informational use only, and are
subject to change at any time without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ASUS.
ASUS assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual,
including the products and software described in it.
Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the
product is defaced or missing.
Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or
copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.
E16716
Revised Edition V7
April 2020

iii
Contents
Safety information..................................................................................................... vii
About this guide....................................................................................................... viii
Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1.1 System package contents.........................................................................1-2
1.2 Serial number label....................................................................................1-3
1.3 System specifications ...............................................................................1-4
1.4 Front panel features...................................................................................1-6
1.4.1 Front panel buttons ..................................................................... 1-6
1.4.2 Asset tag ..................................................................................... 1-7
1.5 Rear panel features....................................................................................1-8
1.6 Internal features .........................................................................................1-9
1.7 LED information .......................................................................................1-10
1.7.1 Front panel LEDs ...................................................................... 1-10
1.7.2 LAN (RJ-45) LEDs .................................................................... 1-11
1.7.3 Bay status LED ......................................................................... 1-11
Chapter 2: Hardware Information
2.1 Chassis cover.............................................................................................2-2
2.1.1 Removing the rear cover............................................................. 2-2
2.1.2 Air Duct ...................................................................................... 2-3
2.2 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................................. 2-5
2.2.1 Installing the CPU ....................................................................... 2-5
2.3 System memory .........................................................................................2-7
2.3.1 Overview ..................................................................................... 2-7
2.3.2 Memory Congurations............................................................... 2-7
2.3.3 Installing a DIMM on a single clip DIMM socket.......................... 2-9
2.3.4 Removing a DIMM from a single clip DIMM socket .................... 2-9
2.4 Storage drives ..........................................................................................2-10
2.4.1 Installing Storage drives to the front panel................................ 2-10
2.4.2 Installing Storage drives to the rear panel................................. 2-13
2.4.3 Installing a storage device to the 2.5” bay................................. 2-16
2.5 Expansion slot..........................................................................................2-18
2.5.1 Installing an expansion card to the PCI-E slot .......................... 2-18
2.5.2 Installing ASUS Pike II cards .................................................... 2-20
2.5.3 Installing an M.2 expansion card............................................... 2-22
2.5.4 Installing a Mezzanine card....................................................... 2-23
2.5.5 Conguring an expansion card ................................................. 2-25

iv
Contents
2.6 Cable connections ...................................................................................2-26
2.7 Backplane cabling ................................................................................... 2-27
2.8 Removable/optional components...........................................................2-29
2.8.1 System fans .............................................................................. 2-29
2.8.2 Redundant power supply module.............................................. 2-30
Chapter 3: Installation Options
3.1 Friction Rail Kit...........................................................................................3-2
3.1.1 Attaching the rack rails ............................................................... 3-2
3.1.2 Mounting the server to the rack................................................... 3-4
3.2 Rail kit dimensions ....................................................................................3-5
Chapter 4: Motherboard Information
4.1 Motherboard layout....................................................................................4-2
4.2 Jumpers ......................................................................................................4-4
4.3 Onboard LEDs..........................................................................................4-10
4.4 Internal connectors..................................................................................4-13
Chapter 5: BIOS Setup
5.1 Managing and updating your BIOS .......................................................... 5-2
5.1.1 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility................................................... 5-2
5.1.2 ASUS EZ Flash Utility ................................................................. 5-3
5.1.3 BUPDATER utility ....................................................................... 5-4
5.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................................. 5-6
5.2.1 BIOS menu screen...................................................................... 5-7
5.2.2 Menu bar..................................................................................... 5-7
5.2.3 Menu items.................................................................................. 5-8
5.2.4 Submenu items ........................................................................... 5-8
5.2.5 Navigation keys........................................................................... 5-8
5.2.6 General help................................................................................ 5-8
5.2.7 Conguration elds ..................................................................... 5-8
5.2.8 Pop-up window............................................................................ 5-8
5.2.9 Scroll bar..................................................................................... 5-8
5.3 Main menu ..................................................................................................5-9
5.3.1 System Date [Day xx/xx/xxxx]..................................................... 5-9
5.3.2 System Time [xx:xx:xx] ............................................................... 5-9
5.4 Performance Tuning menu......................................................................5-10

v
Contents
5.5 Advanced menu .......................................................................................5-12
5.5.1 Trusted Computing.................................................................... 5-13
5.5.2 ACPI Settings............................................................................ 5-13
5.5.3 Smart Settings........................................................................... 5-14
5.5.4 Super IO Conguration ............................................................. 5-14
5.5.5 Serial Port Console Redirection................................................ 5-15
5.5.6 Onboard LAN Conguration ..................................................... 5-17
5.5.7 APM .......................................................................................... 5-18
5.5.8 PCI Subsystem Settings ........................................................... 5-19
5.5.9 USB Conguration .................................................................... 5-20
5.5.10 CSM Conguration.................................................................... 5-21
5.5.11 NVMe Conguration.................................................................. 5-22
5.5.12 Network Stack Conguration..................................................... 5-22
5.5.13 iSCSI Conguration................................................................... 5-23
5.6 Platform Configuration menu ................................................................. 5-23
5.6.1 PCH Conguration .................................................................... 5-23
5.6.2 Miscellaneous Conguration..................................................... 5-24
5.6.3 Server ME Conguration........................................................... 5-25
5.6.4 Runtime Error Logging Support ................................................ 5-25
5.7 Socket Configuration menu ....................................................................5-26
5.7.1 Processor Conguration............................................................ 5-26
5.7.2 Common RefCode Conguration.............................................. 5-28
5.7.3 UPI Conguration...................................................................... 5-28
5.7.4 Memory Conguration............................................................... 5-29
5.7.5 IIO Conguration....................................................................... 5-31
5.7.6 Advanced Power Management Conguration........................... 5-31
5.8 Event Logs menu .....................................................................................5-34
5.8.1 Change Smbios Event Log Settings ......................................... 5-34
5.8.2 View Smbios Event Log ............................................................ 5-34
5.9 Server Mgmt menu...................................................................................5-35
5.10 Security menu ..........................................................................................5-36
5.11 Boot menu ................................................................................................5-38
5.12 Tool menu.................................................................................................5-39
5.13 Save & Exit menu.....................................................................................5-39

vi
Contents
Chapter 6: RAID Configuration
6.1 Setting up RAID.......................................................................................... 6-2
6.1.1 RAID denitions .......................................................................... 6-2
6.1.2 Installing hard disk drives............................................................ 6-3
6.1.3 Setting the RAID item in BIOS .................................................... 6-3
6.1.4 RAID conguration utilities.......................................................... 6-3
6.2 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise
SATA/SSATA Option ROM Utility ............................................................. 6-4
6.2.1 Creating a RAID set .................................................................... 6-5
6.2.2 Deleting a RAID set..................................................................... 6-7
6.2.3 Resetting disks to Non-RAID ...................................................... 6-8
6.2.4 Exiting the Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise
SATA/SSATA Option ROM utility................................................ 6-9
6.2.5 Rebuilding the RAID.................................................................... 6-9
6.2.6 Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup Utility........................ 6-11
6.3 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise (Windows)...................... 6-12
6.3.1 Creating a RAID set .................................................................. 6-13
6.3.2 Changing a Volume Type.......................................................... 6-15
6.3.3 Deleting a volume ..................................................................... 6-16
6.3.4 Preferences............................................................................... 6-17
Chapter 7: Driver Installation
7.1 RAID driver installation .............................................................................7-2
7.1.1 Creating a USB ash drive with RAID drive................................ 7-2
7.1.2 Installing the RAID controller driver............................................. 7-2
7.2 Management applications and utilities installation ................................ 7-5
7.3 Running the Support DVD......................................................................... 7-5
7.4 Intel®chipset device software installation .............................................. 7-8
7.5 VGA driver installation ............................................................................ 7-10
7.6 Installing the Intel®I350-AM2 Gigabit Adapters driver ......................... 7-12
7.7 Intel®Rapid Storage Technology enterprise installation ..................... 7-14
Appendix
Z11PR-D16 block diagram...................................................................................... A-2
Notices .................................................................................................................... A-3
REACH ....................................................................................................A-4
Australia statement notice............................................................................A-5
ASUS contact information...................................................................................... A-6

vii
Safety information
Electrical Safety
• Before installing or removing signal cables, ensure that the power cables for the system
unit and all attached devices are unplugged.
• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the electrical outlet
before relocating the system.
• When adding or removing any additional devices to or from the system, ensure that the
power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables are connected. If
possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing system before you add a device.
• If the power supply is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a qualied service
technician or your dealer.
Operation Safety
• Any mechanical operation on this server must be conducted by certied or experienced
engineers.
• Before operating the server, carefully read all the manuals included with the server package.
• Before using the server, ensure all cables are correctly connected and the power cables
are not damaged. If any damage is detected, contact your dealer as soon as possible.
• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from connectors, slots,
sockets and circuitry.
• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Place the server on a stable surface.
This product is equipped with a three-wire power cable and plug for the user’s safety. Use
the power cable with a properly grounded electrical outlet to avoid electrical shock.
Heavy System
CAUTION! This server system is heavy.
Ask for assistance when moving or carrying the system.

viii
About this guide
Audience
This user guide is intended for system integrators, and experienced users with at least basic
knowledge of conguring a server.
Contents
This guide contains the following parts:
1. Chapter 1: Product Introduction
This chapter describes the general features of the server, including sections on front
panel and rear panel specications.
2. Chapter 2: Hardware Information
This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform when
installing or removing system components.
3. Chapter 3: Installation Options
This chapter describes how to install optional components into the barebone server.
4. Chapter 4: Motherboard Information
This chapter gives information about the motherboard that comes with the server. This
chapter includes the motherboard layout, jumper settings, and connector locations.
5. Chapter 5: BIOS Setup
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus and
describes the BIOS parameters.
6. Chapter 6: RAID Configuration
This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup menus.
Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.
7. Chapter 7: Driver Installation
This chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for different
system components.

ix
References
Refer to the following sources for additional information, and for product and software
updates.
1. ASUS Control Center (ACC) user guide
This manual tells how to set up and use the proprietary ASUS server management
utility. Visit asuscontrolcenter.asus.com for more information.
2. ASUS websites
The ASUS websites worldwide provide updated information for all ASUS hardware and
software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.
Conventions
To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following symbols used
throughout this manual.
Typography
Bold text Indicates a menu or an item to select.
Italics Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.
<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than
sign means that you must press the enclosed key.
Example: <Enter> means that you must press
the Enter or Return key.
<Key1>+<Key2>+<Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously,
the key names are linked with a plus sign (+).
Example: <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<Del>
Command Means that you must type the command
exactly as shown, then supply the required
item or value enclosed in brackets.
Example: At the DOS prompt, type the
command line: format A:/S
DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when
trying to complete a task.
CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when
trying to complete a task.
NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.
IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.

x

1
Product Introduction
This chapter describes the motherboard features and the new
technologies it supports.
Chapter 1: Product Introduction

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-2
* ASUS Control Center
If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.
1.1 System package contents
Check your system package for the following items.
Model Name RS540-E9-RS36-E
Chassis ASUS 4U Rackmount Chassis
Motherboard ASUS Z11PR-D16 Server Board
Component
2 x 800W Redundant Power Supply
36 x Hot-swap 3.5-inch HDD Trays
2 x Hot-swap 2.5-inch SSD Trays
2 x SATA/SAS Backplane Board
(supports 24 bays in the front, and 12 bays in the rear)
1 x Front I/O Board
1 x Front USB Board
3 x System Fans (120 mm x 38 mm)
1 x Power Sharing Board
1 x Air Duct
2 x CPU Heatsink (Quantity may vary depending on the request of
each area/country)
Accessories
1 x Support DVD
1 x ACC* instruction card
1 x ASMB9 DVD
2 x Bag of Screws
2 x AC Power Cable
Optional Items 1 x Tool-less Friction Rail Kit
2 x Redundant 1600W 80 PLUS Platinum Power Supply

ASUS RS540-E9-RS36-E 1-3
1.2 Serial number label
Before requesting support from the ASUS Technical Support team, you must take note of the
product’s serial number containing 12 characters such as xxS0xxxxxxxx shown as the gure
below. With the correct serial number of the product, ASUS Technical Support team members
can then offer a quicker and satisfying solution to your problems.
xxS0xxxxxxxx
RS540-E9-RS36-E

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-4
1.3 System specifications
The ASUS RS540-E9-RS36-E is a 4U barebone server system featuring the ASUS
Z11PR-D16 Server Board. The server supports Intel®Xeon®Processor Scalable Family plus
other latest technologies through the chipsets onboard.
(continued on the next page)
Model Name RS540-E9-RS36-E
Processor Support / System
Bus
2 x Socket P0 (LGA 3647)
1st Gen Intel®Xeon®Processor Scalable Family (up to 150W)
2nd Gen Intel®Xeon®Processor Scalable Family (up to 150W)
UPI (10.4 GT/s)
Core Logic Intel®PCH C621
Memory
Total Slots 16 (6-channel per CPU, 8 DIMM per CPU)
Capacity Maximum up to 4096GB
Memory Type
DDR4 2933 (1 DIMM per Channel)
DDR4 2666/2400/2133 RDIMM/LRDIMM/LRDIMM 3DS
(2 DIMM per Channel)
* 2933MHz will drop to 2666MHz when using 2DPC configurations.
* Refer to www.asus.com for the latest memory AVL update.
Memory Size
4GB, 8GB, 12GB, 32GB (RDIMM)
64GB, 128GB (RDIMM 3DS)
32GB, 64GB, 128GB (LRDIMM)
64GB, 128GB, 256GB (LRDIMM 3DS)
* Refer to www.asus.com for the latest memory AVL update.
Expansion
Slots (follow
SSI Location #)
Total PCI/PCI-E
Slots 6+1
Slot Type
2 x PCI-E x16 (Gen3 x16 link), LP, HL
4 x PCI-E x8 (Gen3 x8 link), LP, HL
1 x OCP 2.0 Mezzanine (Gen3 x16 link)
Storage
SATA Controller
Intel®Lewisburg PCH
- 11 x SATA 6Gb/s ports (8 by 2 mini-SAS Connector)
- 2 x M.2 connector(SATA 6Gb/s & PCI-E Gen3 x4 link)
Intel®RSTe
(Support software RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5)
Intel®VROC
(for Windows only; Support software RAID 0, 1, 10 & 5)
SAS Controller
Optional kits Controller:
ASUS PIKE II 3008-8i 8-port SAS 12G RAID card
ASUS PIKE II 3108-8i 8-port SAS 12G HW RAID card
12G SAS Support
HDD Bays
I = internal
A or S = hot-
swappable
24 x Front Hot-Swap 3.5”/ 2.5” Storage Bays (BP w/Expander )
12 x Rear Hot-Swap 3.5”/ 2.5” Storage Bays (BP w/Expander )
2 x Hot-Swap 2.5” Storage Bays (Rear)
2 x M.2 (2280, 2260, 2242) (Support SATA/PCIe M.2,SATA/
PCIe RAID)
System Fans 3 x System Fans (120 mm x 38 mm)
Networking LAN 1 x Dual Port Intel I350-AM2 Gigabit LAN controller
1 x Management Port

ASUS RS540-E9-RS36-E 1-5
* Specifications are subject to change without notice.
Model Name RS540-E9-RS36-E
Graphic VGA Aspeed AST2500 with 64MB VRAM
Front I/O Ports 2 x USB 2.0 ports
Rear I/O Ports
2 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports
1 x VGA port
2 x RJ-45 GbE LAN ports
1 x RJ-45 Mgmt LAN port
Switch/LED
Front Switch/LED:
1 x Power switch/LED
1 x Location switch/LED
1 x Reset switch
1 x HDD Access LED
1 x Message LED
LAN 1-4 LED
* LAN3-4 for Mezzanine card use
Rear Switch/LED:
1 x Power switch
1 x Q-Code/Port 80 LED
1 x Message LED
1 x HDD LED
1 x Location LED
Security Options Trusted Platform Module (TPM 2.0) Header
OS Support Please nd the latest OS support from http://www.asus.com
Regulatory Compliance BSMI, CE, CB, FCC
Management
Solution
Software ASUS Control Center (Classic)
Out of Band
Remote
Management
ASMB9-iKVM for KVM-over-Internet
Dimension (HH x WW x DD) 615mm x 447mm x 176mm (4U)
Net Weight Kg
(CPU, DRAM & HDD not included) 27.73 Kg
Power Supply 1+1 Redundant 800W 80 PLUS Platinum Power Supply
1+1 Redundant 1600W 80 PLUS Platinum Power Supply
Power Rating
For 800W:
100-127Vac/200-240Vac, 10A/5A, 50/60Hz, Class I
(for each inlet)
For 1600W:
100-127Vac/200-240Vac, 50-60Hz, 13A/9.5A or 240Vdc
(China only), 9.3A, Class I (for each inlet)
Environment
Operating temperature: 10°C – 35°C
Non operation temperature: -40°C – 70°C
Non operation humidity: 20% – 90% (Non condensing)

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-6
1
3 4
2
RESET
ID
1.4 Front panel features
The barebone server displays a simple yet stylish front panel with easily accessible features.
The power and reset buttons, LED indicators, and USB ports for each Node are located on
the front panel.
Refer to the 1.7.1 Front panel LEDs section for the LED descriptions.
Turn off the system power and detach the power supply before removing or replacing any
system component.
Bay 1
Bay 13 Bay 14 Bay 15 Bay 16
Bay 17 Bay 18 Bay 19 Bay 20
Bay 21 Bay 22 Bay 23 Bay 24
Bay 2 Bay 3 Bay 4
Bay 5 Bay 6 Bay 7 Bay 8
Bay 9 Bay 10 Bay 11 Bay 12
USB 2.0 ports
Steel pull
handle Steel pull
handle
Front Panel LEDs
and buttons
Asset tag
(hidden)
1.4.1 Front panel buttons
1
3 4
2
RESET
ID
1
3 4
2
RESET
ID
Reset button
Power button Location button

ASUS RS540-E9-RS36-E 1-7
1.4.2 Asset tag
The Asset tag is a simple but useful device that is conveniently located on the front panel of
the server that you can pull out or easily slide back in. It has a piece of paper that allows you
to write down important information about the server.
1
2

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-8
1.5 Rear panel features
The rear panel includes the expansion slots, system power sockets, and rear fans. The I/O
shields with openings for the rear panel connectors on the motherboard are also placed in the
rear panel.
* This port is for ASUS ASMB9-iKVM controller and for technicians only.
Power connector
Redundant Power
Supply
Rear
Thumb
Screw
Mezzanine 10G dual/quad-port LAN card
(optional)
VGA port Serial port (optional)
2.5-inch
Bay 1
USB 3.1
Gen 1 ports
2.5-inch
Bay 2
Bay 1 Bay 2 Bay 3 Bay 4
Bay 5 Bay 6 Bay 7 Bay 8
Bay 9 Bay 10 Bay 11 Bay 12
DM management
LAN port*
Rear Thumb Screw
LAN port 1
Power On
button
LAN port 2
Q Code/
Port 80

ASUS RS540-E9-RS36-E 1-9
1.6 Internal features
The barebone server includes the basic components as shown.
1. Redundant power supply
2. 2.5-inch Storage Device Bay
3. ASUS Z11PR-D16 Server Board
4. SATA/SAS Backplane Board
5. Asset Tag (hidden)
6. System fans
7. Hot-swap 3.5-inch Storage
Device Bay
The barebone server does not include a oppy disk drive. Connect a USB oppy disk drive
to any of the USB ports on the front or rear panel if you need to use a oppy disk.
*WARNING
HAZARDOUS MOVING PARTS
KEEP FINGERS AND OTHER BODY PARTS AWAY
Turn off the system power and detach the power supply before removing or replacing any
system component.

Chapter 1: Product Introduction
1-10
1.7 LED information
1.7.1 Front panel LEDs
LED Icon Display
status Description
Message LED
OFF System is normal; no incoming event
ON
1. Without ASMB9-iKVM installed: CPU over-heated
2. With ASMB9-iKVM installed: a hardware monitor event is
indicated
LAN LEDs
OFF No LAN connection
Blinking LAN is transmitting or receiving data.
ON LAN connection is present
Storage
Device
Access LED
Green Data is being read/written into the storage device.
OFF Storage device failure or no storage device is installed
1
3 4
2
RESET
ID
1
3 4
2
RESET
ID
Message LED LAN2 LED
LAN4 LED
LAN3 LED
LAN1 LED
HDD Access LED