Dell PowerEdge 350 User manual

ix
Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
SystemFeatures...................................................1-1
Supported Operating Systems . . ......................................1-2
SystemOrientation.................................................1-2
RemovingtheOptionalFrontBezel.................................1-2
Front-PanelFeatures ............................................1-3
SystemIndicators...........................................1-4
SystemSwitches ...........................................1-5
ConnectingExternalDevices..........................................1-6
PowerProtectionDevices............................................1-7
SurgeProtectors ...............................................1-7
LineConditioners...............................................1-7
UninterruptiblePowerSupplies....................................1-7
GettingHelp ......................................................1-8
Safety,Regulatory,andWarrantyInformation ............................1-8
Chapter 2 Using the Dell OpenManage
Server Assistant CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Starting the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD........................2-1
SetupMode...................................................2-1
ServiceMode..................................................2-1
NavigatingtheCD..................................................2-2
SettingUpYourSystem.............................................2-2
ServerSetupMode .............................................2-2
RunningSystemDiagnostics..........................................2-2
CreatingDiagnosticDiskettes .....................................2-3
CreatinganAssetTag...............................................2-3

x
Chapter 3 Using the System Setup Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
EnteringtheSystemSetupProgram ................................... 3-1
RespondingtoErrorMessages.................................... 3-2
UsingtheSystemSetupNavigationKeys............................ 3-2
System Setup Menus and Options. .................................... 3-4
MainMenu.................................................... 3-4
AdvancedMenu................................................ 3-6
SecurityMenu................................................. 3-7
BootMenu.................................................... 3-8
SystemManagementMenu ...................................... 3-9
ExitMenu..................................................... 3-9
UsingtheSystemPasswordFeatures.................................. 3-9
Assigning a Supervisor Password (System Setup Only) . . . ............. 3-10
UsingYourSupervisorPasswordtoSecureYourSystemSetup ......... 3-11
DeletingorChanginganExistingSupervisorPassword ................ 3-12
UsingtheUserPasswordFeature .................................... 3-12
AssigningaUserPassword...................................... 3-13
OperatingWithaUserPasswordInstalled .......................... 3-14
DeletingorChanginganExistingUserPassword..................... 3-14
DeletingaForgottenPassword....................................... 3-14
Appendix A Technical Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1
Appendix B I/O Ports and Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1
I/O Ports and Connectors . . ..........................................B-1
SerialPorts .......................................................B-2
Serial Port Connectors . ..........................................B-2
Keyboard and Mouse Connectors. . ....................................B-3
KeyboardConnector ............................................B-3
Mouse Connector ..............................................B-3
Video Connector ...................................................B-4
USB Connectors ...................................................B-5
Integrated Network Interface Controller Connector ........................B-6
Network Cable Requirements . ....................................B-6
Glossary
Index

xi
Figures Figure1-1. RemovingtheOptionalFrontBezel..........................1-3
Figure1-2. Front-PanelFeatures ..................................... 1-3
Figure1-3. Front-PanelIndicators .................................... 1-4
Figure1-4. Front-PanelIndicators(BezelRemoved)....................... 1-4
Figure1-5. Front-PanelSwitches..................................... 1-5
Figure 1-6. Back-Panel Connections . . ................................1-6
Figure3-1. BIOSSetupUtilityScreen.................................3-4
FigureB-1. I/OPortsandConnectors..................................B-1
Figure B-2. Pin Numbers for the Serial Port Connectors . . . ................B-2
FigureB-3. PinNumbersfortheKeyboardConnector.....................B-3
Figure B-4. Pin Numbers for the Mouse Connector. . .....................B-4
Figure B-5. Pin Numbers for the Video Connector. . . .....................B-4
Figure B-6. Pin Numbers for the USB Connector.........................B-5
Tables Table1-1. Front-PanelIndicators ....................................1-5
Table1-2. Front-PanelSwitches.....................................1-6
Table3-1. SystemSetupNavigationKeys.............................3-2
TableA-1. TechnicalSpecifications...................................A-1
TableB-1. SerialPortPinAssignments................................B-2
Table B-2. Keyboard Connector Pin Assignments . . .....................B-3
TableB-3. MouseConnectorPinAssignments .........................B-4
TableB-4. VideoConnectorPinAssignments ..........................B-5
Table B-5. USB Connector Pin Assignments ...........................B-6

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v
Preface
This guide is intended for anyone who uses a Dell PowerEdge 350 system. The guide
can be used by both first-time and experienced users who want to learn about the
features and operation of their systems or who want to upgrade their systems. The
sections are summarized as follows:
•Chapter 1, “Introduction” — Overview of system features, description of indica-
tors on the front panel, and general discussion of connecting external devices to
the system back panel
•Chapter 2, “Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD” — Overview on
using the utilities and diagnostics
•Chapter 3, “Using the System Setup Program” — Overview of configuration
changes to the system and password features
•Appendix A, “Technical Specifications”— Overview of technical specifications of
PowerEdge 350 systems
•Appendix B, “I/O Ports and Connectors” — Overview of ports and connectors on
the back panel of your system
•“Glossary” — Definitions of terms, acronyms, and abbreviations used in this
guide
Warranty and Return Policy Information
Dell Computer Corporation (“Dell”) manufactures its hardwareproducts from parts and
components that are new or equivalent to new in accordance with industry-standard
practices. See your
Dell PowerEdge System Information document for complete war-
ranty information for your system.

vi
Other Documents You May Need
In addition to this User’s Guide , the following documentation is included with your
system:
•The Installation and Troubleshooting Guide provides instructions for installing sys-
tem hardware and includes troubleshooting and diagnostic procedures for testing
your computer system.
•The Dell PowerEdge System Information document, which provides information
about your system.
You may also have one or more of the following documents:
•Operating system documentation is included with the system if you ordered the
operating system software from Dell. This documentation describes how to
install (if necessary), configure, and use the operating system software.
•The rack installation documentation provides detailed instructions for installing
the system in a rack.
•Documentation is included with any options you purchase separately from the
system. This documentation includes information that you need to configure and
install these options in your Dell system.
•Technical information files—sometimes called “readme”files—may be installed
on the hard-disk drive to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to
the system or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced
users or technicians.
•Documentation updates are sometimes included with the system to describe
changes to the system or software. Always read these updates before consulting
any other documentation because the updates often contain information that
supersedes the information in the other documents.
Typographical Conventions
The following list defines (where appropriate) and illustrates typographical conven-
tions used as visual cues for specific elements of text throughout this document:
• Interface components are window titles, button and icon names, menu names
and selections, and other options that appear on the monitor screen or display.
They are presented in bold.
Example: Click OK.
• Keycaps are labels that appear on the keys on a keyboard. They are enclosed in
angle brackets.
Example: <Enter>
• Key combinations are series of keys to be pressed simultaneously (unless other-
wise indicated) to perform a single function.
Example: <Ctrl><Alt><Enter>

vii
• Commands presented in lowercase bold are for reference purposes only and are
not intended to be typed when referenced.
Example: “Use the format command to. . . .”
In contrast, commands presented in the Courier New font are part of an instruc-
tion and intended to be typed.
Example: “Type format a: to format the diskette in drive A.”
• Filenames and directory names are presented in lowercase bold.
Examples: autoexec.bat and c:\windows
• Syntax lines consist of a command and all its possible parameters. Commands
are presented in lowercase bold; variable parameters (those for which you substi-
tute a value) are presented in lowercase italics; constant parameters are
presented in lowercase bold. The brackets indicate items that are optional.
Example: del [
drive :][ path ] filename [/p]
• Command lines consist of a command and may include one or more of the com-
mand’s possible parameters. Command lines are presented in the Courier New
font.
Example: del c:\myfile.doc
• Screen text is a message or text that you are instructed to type as part of a com-
mand (referred to as a
command line ). Screen text is presented in the Courier
New font.
Example: The following message appears on your screen:
No boot device available
Example: “Type md c:\programs and press <Enter>.”
• Variables are placeholders for which you substitute a value. They are presented in
italics.
Example: DIMM
_x (where x represents the DIMM socket designation).

viii

support.dell.com Introduction 1-1
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
The Dell™ PowerEdge™ 350 system is an ultra-slim, rack-mounted server. This sys-
tem is a full-featured system which provides a robust, reliable, rack-optimized platform
on which both large and small customers can deploy Internet infrastructure
applications.
This chapter describes the system’s major hardware and software features, provides
information about the indicators and controls on the system's front panel, and dis-
cusses connecting external devices.
NOTE: The PowerEdge 350 system is a “headless” system that operates without
keyboard, monitor or mouse. While it is possible to connect these peripherals to the
system, it is generally not necessary unless troubleshooting the system.
System Features
PowerEdge 350 systems contain the following major features:
•An Intel®Celeron™microprocessor with 128 kilobytes (KB) of level 2 (L2) cache
memory and a minimum operating speed of 600 megahertz (MHz).
or
An Intel Pentium®III microprocessor with 256 KB of L2 cache memory and an
operating speed of 750 MHz.
•Upto1gigabyte(GB)ofsystemmemory.
•Two 1-inch integrated drive electronics (IDE) hard-disk drives.
•A single, 1.44-megabyte (MB) 3.5-inch diskette drive.
•An IDE CD-ROM drive.
•A video graphics array (VGA)-compatible video controller card.
•Two integrated Intel PRO/100+ network interface controllers (NICs), which pro-
vide two Ethernet interfaces.
•A Personal System/2 (PS/2)-style keyboard port and mouse port, two serial ports,
and two Universal Serial Bus (USB) connectors.

1-2 User’sGuide
•The System Setup program, which can be accessed at system boot for quickly
viewing and changing the system configuration information for your system. For
more information about the System Setup program, see Chapter 3, “Using the
System Setup Program.”
•The Dell OpenManage™software. For information on this software, see the soft-
ware documentation provided with your system.
•Diagnostics for evaluating your system’s components and devices. For informa-
tion on using the system diagnostics, see “Running the Dell Diagnostics”in your
Installation and Troubleshooting Guide .
Supported Operating Systems
Dell supports the following network operating systems for use on PowerEdge 350
systems:
•Microsoft®Windows®2000 Server
•Microsoft Windows NT®Server 4.0
•Red Hat Linux 7. x
NOTE: Installation service and support for other operating systems are available
through DellPlus
™ . For more information, see “Getting Help”in your Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide.
System Orientation
The front panel of your system contains switches, indicator lights, and diskette and
CD-ROM drives. To view the front panel, you must remove the optional front bezel
from the system.
Removing the Optional Front Bezel
To remove the optional front bezel, press the tab on each end of the bezel and lift the
bezel from the chassis (see Figure 1-1).

support.dell.com Introduction 1-3
Figure 1-1. Removing the Optional Front Bezel
Front-Panel Features
Figure 1-2 shows the main features on the system front panel.
Figure 1-2. Front-Panel Features
tabs (2)
system indicators (5)
serial port 2
diskette
drive
CD-ROM
drive
system switches (3)

1-4 User’sGuide
System Indicators
While troubleshooting your system, you may need to check the status of the indica-
tors on the system’s front panel, shown in Figure 1-3 and Figure 1-4.
Figure 1-3. Front-Panel Indicators
Figure 1-4. Front-Panel Indicators (Bezel Removed)
LAN 1 activity/link indicator
system fault indicator
hard-disk drive activity indicator
power indicator LAN 2 activity/link
indicator
LAN 1 activity/link indicator
system fault indicator
hard-disk drive activity indicator
power indicator LAN 2 activity/link
indicator

support.dell.com Introduction 1-5
Table 1-1 describes the appearance and function of the front-panel indicators.
System Switches
Figure 1-5 shows the location of the three switches on the system front panel. To acti-
vate a switch, press the corresponding icon on the front panel as shown in Figure 1-5.
NOTICE: To prevent accidental system lockup, system reset, or false error
messages, do not press areas of the front panel other than the three switch
locations shown in Figure 1-5. Reserved test switches are located in other
areas of the front panel.
Figure 1-5. Front-Panel Switches
Table 1-1. Front-Panel Indicators
Indicator Color Function
Power Green Lights up when the system is connected to
an AC power source; blinks when the sys-
tem is in sleep mode
System fault Amber Blinks during system startup, or when a
system fault is detected
Hard-disk drive activity Green Blinks when hard-disk drive activity occurs
LAN 1 activity/link Amber Lights up when the LAN 1 connector is
linked to an Ethernet port; blinks when
activity occurs on this channel
LAN 2 activity/link Amber Lights up when the LAN 2 connector is
linked to an Ethernet port; blinks when
activity occurs on this channel
power switch
sleep switch
reset switch

1-6 User’sGuide
Table 1-2 describes the function of the three front-panel switches.
Connecting External Devices
You can connect various external devices, such as a mouse or network connection, to
the input/output (I/O) ports and connectors on the system’s back panel. Figure 1-6
shows the back-panel connections on your system.
Figure 1-6. Back-Panel Connections
Table 1-2. Front-Panel Switches
Switch Function
Power switch Turns power to the system board on or off.
NOTE: To turn system power off, press and
hold this switch for at least 4 seconds.
Sleep switch Places the system in sleep mode.
Reset switch Reboots the system. If the system locks up
and you cannot shut down the system
using the operating system, press the reset
switch.
serial port 1
AC power receptacle
keyboard and mouse
connectors (2)
USB connectors 0 (top) and 1
LAN connectors 2 (top) and 1
video connector

support.dell.com Introduction 1-7
The system basic input/output system (BIOS) detects the presence of external
devices when you boot or reboot your system. When you connect external devices to
your system, follow these guidelines:
•Check the documentation that accompanied the device for specific installation
and configuration instructions.
•Always attach external devices while your system is turned off. Turn on any exter-
nal devices before turning on the system unless the documentation for the
device specifies otherwise. (If the system does not seem to recognize the
device, try turning on the system before turning on the device.)
Power Protection Devices
A number of devices are available that protect your system against power problems
such as power surges, transients, and power failures. The following subsections
describe some of these devices.
Surge Protectors
Surge protectors are available in a variety of types and usually provide a level of pro-
tection commensurate with the cost of the device. Surge protectors prevent voltage
spikes, such as those caused during an electrical storm, from entering a system
through the electrical outlet. Surge protectors, however, do not offer protection
against brownouts, which occur when the voltage drops more than 20 percent below
the normal AC line voltage level.
Line Conditioners
Line conditioners go beyond the overvoltage protection of surge protectors. Line con-
ditioners keep a system's AC power source voltage at a fairly constant level and,
therefore, can handle brownouts. Because of this added protection, line conditioners
cost more than surge protectors—up to several hundred dollars. However, these
devices cannot protect against a complete loss of power.
Uninterruptible Power Supplies
Uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems offer the most complete protection
against variations in power because they use battery power to keep the system running
when AC power is lost. The battery is charged by the AC power while it is available, so
once AC poweris lost, the battery can provide powertothe system fora limited amount
of time—from 15 minutes to an hour or so—depending on the UPS system.
UPS systems range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars,
with the more expensive units allowing you to run larger systems for a longer period
of time when AC power is lost. UPS systems that provide only 5 minutes of battery
power let you conduct an orderly shutdown of the system, but are not intended to
provide continued operation. Surge protectors should be used with all UPS systems,
and the UPS system should be Underwriters Laboratories (UL) safety-approved.

1-8 User’sGuide
Getting Help
If at any time you do not understand a procedure described in this guide, or if your
system does not perform as expected, Dell provides a number of tools to help you.
Formoreinformationonthesehelptools,see“Getting Help”in your
Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide.
Safety, Regulatory, and Warranty
Information
For safety, regulatory, and warranty information for your system, see the System
Information
document included with your system.

support.dell.com Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD 2-1
CHAPTER 2
Using the Dell OpenManage
Server Assistant CD
The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD contains utilities, diagnostics, drivers, and
other items that can help you configure your system to best meet your needs. This
chapter describes how to use the
Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD.
Starting the Dell OpenManage Server
Assistant CD
The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant application program has two modes of opera-
tion: a
setup mode for setting up and configuring your system, creating diskettes,
and viewing information, and a
service mode for creating diskettes and viewing infor-
mation. Documentation is available on the
Dell Online Documentation CD.
In both setup mode and service mode, the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main
screen gives you the option to choose one of the supported languages as the language
for the screen text. You can choose a language at any time from the main screen.
Setup Mode
To set up your system, as well as to access the utilities, drivers, and other items avail-
able on the
Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD, insert the Dell OpenManage
Server Assistant
CD into your CD-ROM drive, and turn on or reboot the system. The
Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main page appears.
If the CD does not boot, verify that the Boot Sequence is set to CD-ROM device in
the System Setup program.
Service Mode
You can create system diskettes and view information on any system that has
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 (or later). When you insert the CD in a system that
uses the Microsoft Windows NT or Windows 2000 Server operating system, the sys-
tem automatically starts the browser software and displays the
Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main page.

2-2 User’s Guide
Navigating the CD
The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD utilizes a standard Web browser interface.
Navigating the CD is accomplished by clicking the mouse on the various icons and
text hyperlinks.
Click the Back icon to return to the previous screen. Click the Exit icon to exit the
program. Exiting the program causes the system to reboot to the standard operating
system boot partition.
Setting Up Your System
If you purchase a system that does not have an operating system preinstalled by Dell,
or if you reinstall an operating system at a later date, you should use the Server
Setup option to configure your system or install your operating system.
Server Setup Mode
Dell recommends using the Server Setup program for most situations including install-
ing and reinstalling an operating system. The
Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD
guides you through the operating system setup and configuration process. The program
prompts you to select the operating system used on the drive and leads you through
a step-by-step process to install the operating system.
To start the Server Setup program, perform the following steps:
1. Cl ick the SETUP icon at the top of the screen.
2. Click Server Setup.
After you start the Server Setup program, follow the directions on the screen to com-
plete the installation and configuration process. The Server Setup program takes you
through the following tasks:
•Configuring your redundant array of independent disks (RAID) controller (if
applicable)
•Entering operating system and hard-disk drive information
•Entering operating system configuration
•Installing an operating system
Running System Diagnostics
To run the system diagnostics you must create diagnostics diskettes from the
Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD. See the following subsection, “Creating Diag-
nostic Diskettes.”
The system hardware diagnostics are described in “Running the Dell Diagnostics”in
your
Installation and Troubleshooting Guide .

support.dell.com Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD 2-3
Creating Diagnostic Diskettes
To create diagnostic diskettes from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD, select
Create Diskettes from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant menu and then con-
tinue down the menu hierarchy by selecting the following categories:
PowerEdge 350,Diskette Set,System Utilities,Server Diagnostics.Createfive
Server Diagnostics diskettes. To run the diagnostics, reboot your system with the first
diskette you made.
Creating an Asset Tag
Using Dell OpenManage IT Assistant, you can enter an asset tag number for your sys-
tem. An asset tag number can have up to ten characters and any combination of
characters, excluding spaces.
To create an asset tag number, perform the following steps:
1. Fr o m t h e
Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD, select Dell OpenManage IT
Assistant in Read/Write mode.
2. From the main Dell OpenManage IT Assistant window, select Servers.
3. From the new window, select the particular server for which you wish to create
the asset tag.
4. Select the Status tab and click the Asset Tag Field.
5. Log in to Dell OpenManage IT Assistant. You must have administrative rights to
do this.
6. In the Edit Attribute dialog box, type the asset tag number you want to assign to
the system and click OK.

2-4 User’sGuide