Dell PowerEdge 1800 Guide

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Dell™ PowerEdge™ 1800 Systems
Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide

Notes, Notices, and Cautions
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the
problem.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
Abbreviations and Acronyms
For a complete list of abbreviations and acronyms, see the “Glossary” in the User’s Guide.
____________________
Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2009 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc. is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, PowerConnect, PowerVault, Axim, Dell OpenManage,DellNet,Dell Precision,
Dimension,Inspiron, OptiPlex,and Latitude are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation; MS-DOS is a
registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products.
Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and trade names other than its own.
September 2009 P/N R2053 Rev. A02

Contents 3
Contents
1Introduction
Other Documents You May Need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Obtaining Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2Indicators, Codes, and Messages
Front-Panel Indicators and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
System Status Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Back-Panel Indicators and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Power Indicator Codes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
SCSI Hard-Drive Indicator Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
NIC Indicator Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
System Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
System Beep Codes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Warning Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Diagnostics Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Alert Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
3Finding Software Solutions
Before You Begin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Troubleshooting Errors and Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Input Errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Application Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
IRQ Assignment Conflicts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
4Running System Diagnostics
Using Server Administrator Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

4Contents
System Diagnostics Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
When to Use the System Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Running the System Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
From the Utility Partition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
From the Diagnostics Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
System Diagnostics Testing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Using the Advanced Testing Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Error Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
5Troubleshooting Your System
Safety First—For You and Your System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Start-Up Routine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Checking the Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Troubleshooting External Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Troubleshooting the Video Subsystem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Troubleshooting the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Troubleshooting the Mouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Troubleshooting Basic I/O Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Troubleshooting a Serial I/O Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Troubleshooting a USB Device . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Troubleshooting a NIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Responding to a Systems Management Software Alert Message. . . . . . . 46
Inside the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Removing the Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Installing the Bezel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Stabilizing the Tower System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
System Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Opening the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Closing the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Contents 5
Baffle/Back Fan Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Removing the Baffle/Back Fan Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Installing the Baffle/Back Fan Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Troubleshooting a Wet System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Troubleshooting a Damaged System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Troubleshooting the System Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Troubleshooting Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Troubleshooting System Cooling Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Troubleshooting a Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Troubleshooting System Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Troubleshooting a CD Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Troubleshooting an External SCSI Tape Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Troubleshooting a SCSI Hard Drive (System With a SCSI Backplane) . . . 63
Troubleshooting SATA Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Troubleshooting a SATA Hard Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Troubleshooting a SATA Hard Drive in a RAID Configuration . . . . . . . 65
Troubleshooting a RAID Controller Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Troubleshooting Expansion Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Troubleshooting the Microprocessors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
6Installing System Options
System Fans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Removing the Front System Fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Installing the Front System Fan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Redundant Power Supplies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Removing a Redundant Power Supply . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Installing a Redundant Power Supply. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Expansion Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
Installing an Expansion Card. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76

6Contents
Removing an Expansion Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
System Memory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
General Memory Module Installation Guidelines . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Installing Memory Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Removing Memory Modules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Processors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
System Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Replacing the System Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Removing the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Installing the Control Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
7Installing Drives
Connecting Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Interface Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Drive Cable Configurations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
DC Power Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
IDE Configuration Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
SATA Configuration Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
SCSI Configuration Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
SCSI Interface Cables . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
SCSI ID Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Device Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Configuring the Boot Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Diskette Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Removing a Diskette Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Installing a Diskette Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Front-Panel Drive Inserts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Removing the Front-Panel Drive Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Installing the Front-Panel Drive Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
5.25-Inch Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Installing a 5.25-Inch Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

Contents 7
Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
General Installation Guidelines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Installing and Removing SATA Hard Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Installing and Removing Hot-Plug SCSI Hard Drives. . . . . . . . . . 111
Installing a RAID Controller Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
8Getting Help
Technical Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Online Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
AutoTech Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Automated Order-Status Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Technical Support Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Dell Enterprise Training and Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Problems With Your Order . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Product Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Returning Items for Warranty Repair or Credit. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Before You Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Contacting Dell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
AJumpers, Switches, and Connectors
Jumpers—A General Explanation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Jumpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
System Board Jumpers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
System Board Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Disabling a Forgotten Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
BI/O Ports and Connectors
I/O Connectors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145
Serial Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Serial Connector Autoconfiguration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

8Contents
Parallel Connector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147
PS/2-Compatible Keyboard and Mouse Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
Video Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
USB Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Integrated NIC Connector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Network Cable Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Figures
Tables

Introduction 9
Introduction
Your system includes the following significant service and upgrade features:
• Embedded server management hardware, which monitors temperatures and voltages
throughout the system and notifies you if there is a fault or failure
• System diagnostics, which checks for hardware problems (if the system can boot)
The following system options are offered:
• Microprocessors
• System memory
• Expansion-card options, including RAID controller cards
• Non–hot-plug SATA or hot–plug-ready SCSI hard drives
• IDE and SCSI half-height tape drives
• Redundant, hot-plug power supplies
Other Documents You May Need
The Product Information Guide provides important safety and regulatory information.
Warranty information may be included within this document or as a separate document.
• The
Rack Installation Guide or Rack Installation Instructions included with your rack solution
describes how to install your system into a rack.
• The
Getting Started Guide provides an overview of initially setting up your system.
• The
User's Guide provides information about system features and technical specifications.
• The
Installation and Troubleshooting Guide describes how to troubleshoot the system and
install or replace system components.
• Systems management software documentation describes the features, requirements,
installation, and basic operation of the software.
• Operating system documentation describes how to install (if necessary), configure, and use
the operating system software.
• Documentation for any components you purchased separately provides information to
configure and install these options.

10 Introduction
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• Updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system, software,
and/or documentation.
NOTE: Always read the updates first because they often supersede information in other
documents.
• Release notes or readme files may be included to provide last-minute updates to the system or
documentation or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or
technicians.
Obtaining Technical Assistance
If at any time you do not understand a procedure described in this guide or if your system does not
perform as expected, a number of tools are provided to help you. For more information on these
help tools, see "Getting Help."

Indicators, Codes, and Messages 11
Indicators, Codes, and Messages
The system, applications, and operating systems can identify problems and alert you to them. Any
of the following can indicate when the system is not operating properly:
• System indicators
• System messages
• Beep codes
• Warning messages
• Diagnostics messages
• Alert messages
This section describes each type of message, lists the possible causes, and provides steps to resolve
any problems indicated by a message. The system indicators and features are illustrated in this
section.
Figure 2-1. Tower and Rack-Mount Orientations
tower version with
standard bezel
rack version with
standard bezel

12 Indicators, Codes, and Messages
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Front-Panel Indicators and Features
Figure 2-2, Figure 2-3, and Figure 2-4 show the system’s front-panel features. Table 2-1 and
Table 2-2 describe the front-panel controls and indicators.
Figure 2-2. Front-Panel Controls and Indicators
System Status Indicators
The system front panel incorporates blue and amber system status indicators. The blue indicator
lights up when the system is operating correctly. The amber indicator lights up when the system
needs attention due to a problem with power supplies, fans, system temperature, or SCSI hard
drives.
Table 2-1 lists the system's indicator patterns. Different patterns are displayed as events occur in
the system.
Table 2-1. System Status Indicator Patterns
Blue indicator Amber Indicator Description
Off Off Power is not available to the
system.
Off Blinking Power is available to the system,
but the system is not powered
on.
power button
NMI button
USB connectors (2)
system identification
button
blue and amber
system status
indicator
power-on indicator
security lock

Indicators, Codes, and Messages 13
Off Blinking The system is powered on and
has detected an error. See
"System Messages" and
"Troubleshooting Your System"
for more information.
On Off Power is on, and the system is
operational.
Blinking Off The indicator has been activated
to identify the system in a rack.
NOTE: While the system is being identified, the blue indicator blinks even though an error has been
detected. After the system is identified, the blue indicator stops blinking and the amber indicator resumes
blinking.
Table 2-2. Front-Panel LED Indicators, Buttons, and Connectors
Indicator, Button,
or Connector
Icon Description
Blue system status
indicator
The blue system status indicator lights up during
normal system operation. Both the systems
management software and the identification buttons
located on the front and back of the system can cause
the blue system status indicator to flash to identify a
particular system.
Amber system status
indicator
The amber system status indicator flashes when the
system needs attention due to a problem with power
supplies, fans, system temperature, or SCSI hard drives.
NOTE: If the system is connected to AC power and an
error has been detected, the amber system status
indicator flashes regardless of whether the system has
been powered on.
Table 2-1. System Status Indicator Patterns (continued)
Blue indicator Amber Indicator Description

14 Indicators, Codes, and Messages
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Power-on indicator The power-on indicator lights when the system power is
on. The power-on indicator blinks when power is
available to the system, but the system is not powered
on.
The power button controls the DC power supply output
to the system.
NOTE: If you turn off the system using the power button
and the system is running an ACPI-compliant operating
system, the system performs a graceful shutdown before
the power is turned off. If the system is not running an
ACPI-compliant operating system, the power is turned off
immediately after the power button is pressed.
System identification
button
The identification buttons on the front and back panels
can be used to locate a particular system within a rack.
When one of these buttons is pushed, the blue system
status indicator on the front and back blinks until one of
the buttons is pushed again.
USB connectors Connects USB 2.0-compliant devices to the system.
NMI button Used to troubleshoot software and device driver errors
when using certain operating systems. This button can
be pressed using the end of a paper clip.
NOTE: Use this button only if directed to do so by qualified
support personnel or by the operating system's
documentation.
Table 2-2. Front-Panel LED Indicators, Buttons, and Connectors (continued)
Indicator, Button,
or Connector
Icon Description

Indicators, Codes, and Messages 15
Figure 2-3. System With SATA Hard Drives
Figure 2-4. System With SCSI Hard Drives
CD drive (or optional data-only
DVD or combination drive)
diskette drive
peripheral bay
up to six SATA hard
drives (behind faceplate)
up to six SCSI
hard drives
CD drive (or optional data-only
DVD or combination drive)
diskette drive
peripheral bay

16 Indicators, Codes, and Messages
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Back-Panel Indicators and Features
Figure 2-5 shows the back-panel features of the system. Table 2-3 describes the back-panel
features.
Figure 2-5. Back-Panel Features
PS/2 mouse connector
PS/2 keyboard connector
USB connectors (2)
serial connector
NIC connector
expansion slots (6)
parallel connector
video connector
power cable strain relief loop
Kensington
lock
system status indicator connector
system status indicators
system identification button
optional redundant
power supply PS1
optional redundant
power supply PS2

Indicators, Codes, and Messages 17
Power Indicator Codes
The power button on the front panel controls the power input to the system's power supplies. The
power indicator can provide information on power status. See Figure 2-2. Table 2-4 lists the power
button indicator codes.
The indicators on the optional redundant power supplies show whether power is present or whether
a power fault has occurred. See Figure 2-6.
Table 2-3. Back-Panel Features
Component Description
PS/2 mouse connector Connects a mouse to the system.
PS/2 keyboard connector Connects a keyboard to the system.
Serial connector Connects a serial device to the system.
Parallel connector Connects a parallel device to the system.
Video connector Connects a monitor to the system.
System status indicator
connector
Connects to an indicator that can signify when the system is operating
correctly or when the system needs attention. See "Front-Panel
Indicators and Features."
USB connectors (2) Connects USB 2.0-compliant devices to the system.
NIC indicators Provide information on NIC status. See "NIC Indicator Codes."
System identification
button
Locates a particular system within a rack. See "Front-Panel Indicators
and Features."
System status indicators Functions the same as the front-panel system status indicators. See
"System Status Indicators."
Table 2-4. Power Button Indicators
Indicator Function
On Indicates that power is supplied to the system and the system is operational.
Off Indicates that no power is supplied to the system.
Blinking Indicates that power is supplied to the system, but the system is in a standby
state. For information on standby states, see your operating system
documentation.

18 Indicators, Codes, and Messages
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Figure 2-6. Redundant Power Supply Indicators
SCSI Hard-Drive Indicator Codes
Each SCSI hard-drive carrier has two indicators: a busy indicator and a status indicator. See
Figure 2-7. The indicators provide information on the status of the respective SCSI hard drive.
NOTE: Hard-drive indicator codes are not available on SATA hard drives.
Table 2-5. Redundant Power Supply Indicators
Indicator Function
Power supply status Green indicates that the power supply is operational.
Power supply fault Amber indicates a problem with the power supply.
AC line status Green indicates that a valid AC source is connected to the power supply.
AC line status indicator
power-supply fault indicator
power supply status indicator

Indicators, Codes, and Messages 19
Figure 2-7. SCSI Hard-Drive Indicators
Table 2-6 lists the drive status indicator codes. Different codes display as drive events occur in the
system. For example, in the event of a hard-drive failure, the "drive fail" code appears. After the
drive is selected for removal, the "preparing for removal" code appears. After the replacement drive
is installed, the "preparing for operation, drive online" code appears.
The drive-busy indicator signifies whether the hard drive is active on the SCSI bus. The indicator is
controlled by the hard drive.
Table 2-6. SCSI Hard-Drive Status Indicator Codes
Drive-Status Indicator Indicator Code
Drive bay empty Off
Drive being prepared for operation,
drive online
Steady green
Drive being identified or prepared for
removal
Blinks green three times per second at equal intervals
Drive rebuilding Blinks green once per second
Drive offline or failed Steady amber
green drive-activity
indicator
drive-status indicator
(green and amber)

20 Indicators, Codes, and Messages
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NIC Indicator Codes
The NIC on the back panel has an indicator that provides information on network activity and link
status. See Figure 2-8. Table 2-7 lists the NIC indicator codes.
Figure 2-8. NIC Indicators
System Messages
System messages appear on the screen to notify you of a possible problem with the system.
Table 2-9 lists the system messages that can occur and the probable cause and corrective action for
each message.
NOTE: If you receive a system message that is not listed in Table 2-9, check the documentation for the
application that is running when the message appears or the operating system's documentation for an
explanation of the message and recommended action.
CAUTION: Many repairs may only be done by a certified service technician. You should only perform
troubleshooting and simple repairs as authorized in your product documentation, or as directed by the
online or telephone service and support team. Damage due to servicing that is not authorized by Dell is
not covered by your warranty. Read and follow the safety instructions that came with the product.
Table 2-7. NIC Indicator Codes
Indicator Indicator Code
Link and activity indicators are off. The NIC is not connected to the network.
Link indicator is green. The NIC is connected to a valid link partner on the network.
Activity indicator is amber blinking. Network data is being sent or received.
activity indicatorlink indicator
Table 2-8. System Messages
Message Causes Corrective Actions
Address mark not found Faulty CD/diskette drive subsystem or
hard-drive subsystem; faulty system
board.
See "Troubleshooting a Diskette Drive,"
"Troubleshooting a CD Drive,"
"Troubleshooting SCSI Hard Drives,"
and "Troubleshooting SATA Hard
Drives" in "Troubleshooting Your
System."