Acer R910 Series manual

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192

Go to page of

A good user manual

The rules should oblige the seller to give the purchaser an operating instrucion of Acer R910 Series, along with an item. The lack of an instruction or false information given to customer shall constitute grounds to apply for a complaint because of nonconformity of goods with the contract. In accordance with the law, a customer can receive an instruction in non-paper form; lately graphic and electronic forms of the manuals, as well as instructional videos have been majorly used. A necessary precondition for this is the unmistakable, legible character of an instruction.

What is an instruction?

The term originates from the Latin word „instructio”, which means organizing. Therefore, in an instruction of Acer R910 Series one could find a process description. An instruction's purpose is to teach, to ease the start-up and an item's use or performance of certain activities. An instruction is a compilation of information about an item/a service, it is a clue.

Unfortunately, only a few customers devote their time to read an instruction of Acer R910 Series. A good user manual introduces us to a number of additional functionalities of the purchased item, and also helps us to avoid the formation of most of the defects.

What should a perfect user manual contain?

First and foremost, an user manual of Acer R910 Series should contain:
- informations concerning technical data of Acer R910 Series
- name of the manufacturer and a year of construction of the Acer R910 Series item
- rules of operation, control and maintenance of the Acer R910 Series item
- safety signs and mark certificates which confirm compatibility with appropriate standards

Why don't we read the manuals?

Usually it results from the lack of time and certainty about functionalities of purchased items. Unfortunately, networking and start-up of Acer R910 Series alone are not enough. An instruction contains a number of clues concerning respective functionalities, safety rules, maintenance methods (what means should be used), eventual defects of Acer R910 Series, and methods of problem resolution. Eventually, when one still can't find the answer to his problems, he will be directed to the Acer service. Lately animated manuals and instructional videos are quite popular among customers. These kinds of user manuals are effective; they assure that a customer will familiarize himself with the whole material, and won't skip complicated, technical information of Acer R910 Series.

Why one should read the manuals?

It is mostly in the manuals where we will find the details concerning construction and possibility of the Acer R910 Series item, and its use of respective accessory, as well as information concerning all the functions and facilities.

After a successful purchase of an item one should find a moment and get to know with every part of an instruction. Currently the manuals are carefully prearranged and translated, so they could be fully understood by its users. The manuals will serve as an informational aid.

Table of contents for the manual

  • Page 1

    Acer Altos R910 Series User’ s Guide[...]

  • Page 2

    Changes may be made periodically to the info rmation in this publicat ion without obligation to notify any person of such re vision or changes. Such changes will be incorporated in new editions of this manual or supplementary doc uments and publications. This company makes no representations or warranties, either expressed or implied, with respect [...]

  • Page 3

    iii Notices FCC notice 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 agai nst harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commer cial environment. This equipment generates, us[...]

  • Page 4

    iv Caution! Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’ s authority , which is granted by the Federal Communications Commiss ion, to operate this server . Use conditions This part complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the following two conditions: (1) this devi ce may not caus[...]

  • Page 5

    v Important safety instructions Read these instructions carefully . Save these instructions for future reference. 1 Follow all warnings and instruct ions marked on the product. 2 Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aeros ol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. 3 Do not use this product near wa[...]

  • Page 6

    vi d If the product does not operat e normally when the operating instructions are followed. Adjust on ly those controls that are covered by the operating instructions sinc e 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[...]

  • Page 7

    Contents Notices iii FCC notice iii Laser compliance statement iv Important safety instructions v 1 System tour 1 Features summary 3 External and internal structure 7 Front bezel 7 Front panel 8 Rear panel 13 Internal components 16 System boards 17 Mainboard 17 SCSI backplane board 19 Hot-plug memory board 20 System jumpers 22 2 System setup 23 Set[...]

  • Page 8

    viii Removing a memory board air baffle 42 Installing a memory board air baffle 43 Configuring hot-pluggable components 44 Hard disk drives 45 Installing a HDD 46 System fan assembly 47 Power supply 49 Memory board 51 PCI card 55 Configuring cold-pluggable components 57 DVD drive 58 5.25-inch drive 60 Processor 62 Processor core VRMs 66 Memory boar[...]

  • Page 9

    ix Verifying proper operation of key system lights 131 Specific problems and corrective actions 132 Appendix A: Acer Altos R910 rack installation guide 141 Setting up the system rack 143 System rack installation 145 Vertical mounting hole pattern 146 Installing the system into the rack 147 Appendix B: Memory configuration options 155 Introduction 1[...]

  • Page 10

    x[...]

  • Page 11

    1 System tour[...]

  • Page 12

    The Acer Altos R910 is a rack optimized 64-bit Intel Xeon MP processor-based server system. The system features redundant memory , networking, hot-plug PCI slots, standard-based server management, and server-oriented embedded I/O. Remote monitoring and management functions are also included, providing a new level of user tools for server administra[...]

  • Page 13

    3 Featur es summary Listed below are the system’ s key features: Processor • Supports one to four physical processors • Dual-core Intel ® Xeon™ processors 7000 sequence • 64-bit Intel Xeon processors MP with 1 MB L2 cache • 667 or 800 MHz front side bus • Hyper-Threading T echnology • Extended Memory 64-bit T echnology • Demand-B[...]

  • Page 14

    1 System tour 4 • Memory reliability , availability , and serviceability (RAS) features • Memory mirroring • Memory RAID •M e m o r y s p a r i n g • Memory hot-plug • x8 SDDC (Single Device Data Correction) for memory error detection and correction Media storage • One 5.25-inch device bay supports: • AIT2 tape drive • L TO-2 half[...]

  • Page 15

    5 Serial A T A port • One SA T A port (reserved for slim-type DVD drive) Networking • Broadcom BCM5704C Gigabit Ethern et Controller with dual ports PCI I/O • One hot-plug x8 PCI Express slot • Three hot-plug x8 PCI Express slots (with x4 throughput) • One hot-plug 133 MHz, 64-bit PCI-X slot • T wo non hot-plug 100 MHz, 64-bit PCI-X slo[...]

  • Page 16

    1 System tour 6 • T wo Gigabit LAN ports (RJ-45) • Server management port (RJ-45) 1 Operating system and software • Operating system options: • Microsoft ® Windows ® Server 2003, x64 Edition • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0 • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 4.0, EM64T •S U S E ® Linux Enterprise Server 9.0 [...]

  • Page 17

    7 Exter nal and inter nal structure Front bezel The front bezel provides an inte rface for system management via status LED indicators. The status LEDs on the bezel mirrors the LEDs on the front panel, indicating HDD activity , LAN1 and LAN2, system status/ fault, power , and ID status. The beze l is detachable to allow access to the external drive[...]

  • Page 18

    1 System tour 8 Fr ont panel Item Icon Component Item Icon Component A DVD drive bay F6 Reset button B 5.25-inch drive bays F7 Power button C VGA/monitor port F8 System ID button D NMI button G Hot-swap system fan assembly eject button E USB 2.0 ports H Hot-swap system fan modules F1 HDD (hard disk drive) activity indicator I Hot-swap system fan as[...]

  • Page 19

    9 * The hot-swap system fan assembly indica tor lights up amber when a fan module fails. Front panel contr ol button functions Below table lists the functions of the front panel control buttons. F2 LAN1 and LAN2 status indicator J Hot-plug HDDs F3 Status/fault indicator K Hot-plug HDD activity indicator F4 Power indicator L Hot-plug HDD carrier lat[...]

  • Page 20

    1 System tour 10 Front panel LED indicators Below table lists the LED states on the front panel. Item LED indicator Color Status Description A HDD activity indicator Green, on HDD is being initialized. Green, blinking HDD is active. Amber , on HDD or HDD slot failure. Amber , slow blinking (~1 Hz) A predictive HDD or HDD slot failure or rebuild is [...]

  • Page 21

    11 C Status/ fault indicator Green, on Ready System booted and ready . Green, blinking Degraded CPU or DIMM disabled Amber , on Critical condition Critical power supply , blower , voltage, or temperature failure. Amber , blinking Non- critical condition • Redundant power supply or blower failure. • Non-critical blower , voltage, and temperature[...]

  • Page 22

    1 System tour 12 GH o t - p l u g HDD activity indicator Amber , flashing HDD is active. Amber + Green, alternate flashing • HDD is powered on and rebuilding RAID. • HDD is powered on and has a fault condition. Amber , flashing HDD is not powered on and has a fault condition. Unlit • No HDD is installed. • HDD is initiated but has no curren[...]

  • Page 23

    13 Rear panel * Reserved for remote management of server . Th is requires installation of an ARMC/3 (Acer remote management card/3). Item Component Item Component A Serial port G1, G2 Hot-swap power supply module status indicators B1 - B7 B1 Hot-plug PCI Express x8 slot B2 Hot-plug PCI-X 133MHz slot B3 Hot-plug PCI Express x8 slot (with x4 throughp[...]

  • Page 24

    1 System tour 14 Rear panel LED indicators Below table lists the LED states on the rear panel. Item LED indicator Function Color Description A1 Hot-swap power supply module status indicator Power good indicator Green, on System has power applied to it. A2 Fault indicator Amber , on • Power rail failure. • Power supply is in a latched state. Amb[...]

  • Page 25

    15 C LAN port indicators Status Green, on Network link is detected. Green, off No network connection. Green, blinking Network connection in place. Speed Green/ Amber , off 10 Mbps connection Green, on 100 Mbps connection Amber , on 1000 Mbps connection Item LED indicator Function Color Description[...]

  • Page 26

    1 System tour 16 Internal components Item Component Item Component A DVD drive bay D Plastic PCI slot divider and PCI bus slots B CPU air baffle E Memory board C Memory board air baffle F Mainboard[...]

  • Page 27

    17 System boar ds Mainboard The mainboard becomes accessible on ce you open the system. It should look like the figure shown below. Item Description Item Description A Server management port (RJ-45) * Q BMC or ARMC/3 module connector (optional) B Integrated SCSI hardware RAID activation key (iButton) connector R Memory board slot B C PCI-X 100MHz ([...]

  • Page 28

    1 System tour 18 * Reserved for remote management of server . Th is requires installation of an ARMC/3 (Acer remote management card/3) D PCI-X 100MHz (Slot 6) T Pow er distribution board (PDB) signal connector E Hot-plug PCI Express x8 (with x4 throughput) – (Slot 5) U CPU socket 1 F Hot-plug PCI Express x8 (with x4 throughput) – (Slot 4) V CPU[...]

  • Page 29

    19 SCSI backplane boar d Item Description Item Description A Front panel board connector D Power cable connector to DVD and 5.25” drives B Power distribution board connector E Hot-swap system fan module connectors (two on reverse side) C SCSI cable connector F Hot-plug HDD connectors (two on reverse side)[...]

  • Page 30

    1 System tour 20 Hot-plug memory board * Press this button to perform a hot-inse rtion or hot-removal of a memory board. Item Description Item Description A Mirror mode indicator F Memory board handle B RAID mode indicator G DIMM 1B error indicator C Hot-plug attention indicator H DIMM 1A error indicator D Attention button * I DIMM 2B error indicat[...]

  • Page 31

    21 Memory board LED indicators The hot-plug memory board has LEDs indicating the configuration and status of the DIMMs installed on it. Feature Color Description Mirror mode indicator Green, on System is in memory mirror configuration. The memory board mirrors another memory board in the system. Green, off System is not configured for memory mirror[...]

  • Page 32

    1 System tour 22 System jumpers Jumper name Settings Function JA41 Password clear 1-2 (default) 2-3 Password enabled Password disabled/cleared JA42 BIOS write protect 1-2 (default) 2-3 BIOS unprotected BIOS write protected J4A3 BIOS recovery 1-2 (default) 2-3 Normal boot BIOS recovery J4A4 BIOS clear CMOS/ NVRAM 1-2 (default) 2-3 BIOS clear CMOS Fo[...]

  • Page 33

    2 System setup[...]

  • Page 34

    This chapter gives you instructions on how to set up the system. Procedures on how to connect peripherals are also explained.[...]

  • Page 35

    25 Setting up the system Pre-installation r equirements Selecting a site Before unpacking and installing the sy stem, select a suitable site for the system for maximum efficiency . Consider the following factors when choosing a site for the system: • Near a grounded power outlet • Clean and dust-free • Stable surface free from vibration • W[...]

  • Page 36

    2 System setup 26 Connecting peripherals Caution! The server operates on 220 VDC only . Do not connect the system to an inco rrect voltage source. Refer to the illustration below for sp ecific connection instructions on the peripherals you want to connect to the system. Note: Consult the operating system manual for information on how to configure t[...]

  • Page 37

    27 Tur ning on the system After making sure that you have properly set up the system and connected all the required cables , you can now power on the system. T o power on the system, press the power button on the front control panel. The system starts up and displays a welcome message on the monitor . After that, a series of power-on self -test (PO[...]

  • Page 38

    2 System setup 28 Power -on problems If the system does not boot after you have applied power , check the following factors that might have caused the boot failure. • The external power cable may be loosely connected. Check the power cable connection from the power source to the power cable socket on the rear pane l. Make sure that the cable is p[...]

  • Page 39

    29 Configuring the system OS The Altos R910 comes with Acer EasyBUILD TM that allows you to conveniently install your choice of operating system. T o start using EasyBUILD, follow the steps below . 1 Locate the EasyBUILD DVD includ ed in the system package. 2 With the system turned on, gent ly press the CD-ROM drive Stop/ Eject button. 3 When the d[...]

  • Page 40

    2 System setup 30 T ur ning of f the system There are two ways by which you can turn off the server . These include: • If you are using a Windows OS on your server , you can turn off the server by clicking the Start button on the Windows taskbar , point to Shut Down... , select Shut down from the drop-down window then click on OK . Y ou can then [...]

  • Page 41

    3 System upgrade[...]

  • Page 42

    This chapter discusses the precautionary measures and installation procedures you need to know to upgrade the system.[...]

  • Page 43

    33 Installation pr ecautions Before you install any server component, we recommend that you read the following sections. These se ctions contain important ESD precautions along with pre-installation and post-installation instructions. ESD precautions Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can damage the processor , disk drives, expansion boards, motherboard[...]

  • Page 44

    3 System upgrade 34 W arning! Failure to properly turn off the server befor e you start installing components ma y cause serious damage. Do not attempt the procedures described in the following sections unless you are a qu alified service technician. Post-installation instructions Perform the steps below after installing a server component: 1 See t[...]

  • Page 45

    35 Opening the server Caution! Before you proceed, make sure that you have turned off the system and all peripherals connected to it. Read the “Pre- installation instructions” on page 33. Y ou need to open the server before you can install additional components. The front bezel and to p cover are removable to allow access to the system’ s int[...]

  • Page 46

    3 System upgrade 36 Installing the front bezel Slide the front bezel onto the chassis. Removing the top cover 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Loosen the two captive screws located on the faceplate of the chassis (A) . See illustration on page 37. 3 Slide the top cover toward the back of the c[...]

  • Page 47

    37 4 Lift the top cover away from the server and put it aside for reinstallation later (B) . Installing the top cover 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Place the top cover on the chassi s so that the tabs on the cover align with the slots on the chassis (A) . 3 Slide the top cover toward the fr[...]

  • Page 48

    3 System upgrade 38 Removing the CPU air baf fle Y ou will need to remove the CPU air baffle to perform the following procedures: • Removing and installing a heat sink • Removing and installing a CPU • Removing and installing a DVD drive T o r emove the CPU air baffle 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described [...]

  • Page 49

    39 Installing the CPU air baf fle 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Insert the front of the CPU air ba f fle under the two metal tabs at the front of the baffle, just belo w the SCSI backplane board. One tab is located on each side of the chassis. 3 Lower the rear of the baf fle into place, mak[...]

  • Page 50

    3 System upgrade 40 Removing the center brace Y ou will need to remove the center brace to remove and install an optional processor core VRM. T o r emove the center brace 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Slide the chassis at each side of the chassis to the unlock position (A) . 3 Lift the cent[...]

  • Page 51

    41 Installing the center brace 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Slide the center brace into position in the chassis (A) . 3 Slide the latches at each side of the chassis to the locked position (B) . 4 Observe the post-installation in structions described on page 34.[...]

  • Page 52

    3 System upgrade 42 Removing a memory board air baf fle Y ou will need to remove the memory board air baffle to perform the following procedures: • Removing and installing a memory board • Removing and installing a PCI card T o r emove the memory board air baf fle 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on pag[...]

  • Page 53

    43 Installing a memory board air baf fle 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Insert the memory board air baf fle into the memory board slot with arrow on the tab pointing to the right. The memory air baffle will lock into the memory board slot. 3 Observe the post-installation in structions descri[...]

  • Page 54

    3 System upgrade 44 Configuring hot-pluggable components Hot-pluggable components are the components that can be removed and replaced while the system is pow ered on. For this server model, it refers to the following: • Hard disk drives • System fan assembly • Power supply • Memory board • PCI cards with OS hot-plug interface[...]

  • Page 55

    45 Hard disk drives The server’ s hard disk drive bay su pports five hot-plug SCSI drives. Use only Acer-qualified HDDs. T o purchase an HDD, contact your local Acer representative. Caution! T o ensure proper airflow an d server cooling, all drive bays must contain either a carrier with a hard drive installed in it or a hard disk carrier cover . [...]

  • Page 56

    3 System upgrade 46 Installing a HDD Note: T o puchase a HDD carrier , contact your local Acer representative. 1 Perform steps 1 to 4 of the “Removing a HDD” on page 45. 2 Remove the four screws that secure the air baf fle to the HDD carrier (A) . 3 Remove the air baf fle from the HDD carrier (B) . 4 Save the air baf fle and screws for later us[...]

  • Page 57

    47 7 Use the lever to push the HDD carrier until it docks into place (A) , then close the HDD carrier lever (B) . System fan assembly The system has two cooling fan as semblies — two fan modules each — located on the front panel. Each assembly has an amber LED to indicate a failed fan condition. If th e amber LED is on, the fan assembly needs t[...]

  • Page 58

    3 System upgrade 48 Installing the system fan assembly W arning! T o ensure proper system cooling, the r eplacement of a failed system fan module should be completed within one minute. 1 If a system fan assembly is installe d in the fan bay , perform steps 1 to 3 of the “Removing the sy stem fan assembly” section. 2 Slide the new fan into the f[...]

  • Page 59

    49 Power supply The server has two hot-swap power supply module bays on the rear panel that accept hot-swap redundant power supply modules. The system ships out with two power supply modules installed. A redundant power configuration enables a fully-configured system to continue running even if one power supply module fails. WAR NI NG ! T o reduce [...]

  • Page 60

    3 System upgrade 50 Removing a power supply Caution: Power suppy hot-swap operat ions should be performed only if a failure occurs in the power supply . 1 Observe the ESD precautions described on page 33. 2 Remove the DC power cord from the power supply . 3 Loosen the thumbscrew on the la tch to unlock the power supply handle (A) . 4 Open the handl[...]

  • Page 61

    51 4 Rotate the handle to the closed position (B) . 5 T ighten the thumbscrew to secure the power supply (C) . 6 Plug the power cord into the DC receptacle on the power supply . 7 V erify that the LEDs on the power supply are functioning. Refer to the “Rear panel LED indicators” on page 14 for more information. Memory boar d The memory boards i[...]

  • Page 62

    3 System upgrade 52 Caution! Do not attempt to hot-remove or hot-add a memory board in a non-redundant configur ation. If your server is not configured in the BIOS setup ut ility for maximum compatibility , memory RAID, or memory mirror ing, you must power down your server before removing or instal ling any memory board or DIMMs. For instructions, [...]

  • Page 63

    53 Removing a hot-plug memory board Note: If you remove a memory bo ard from the server , you must either replace it with a new memory board or install a memory board air baffle. 1 Observe the ESD precautions described on page 33. 2 Press the attention button on the memory board. The power LED will begin to flash. Refer to “Memory board LED indic[...]

  • Page 64

    3 System upgrade 54 6 Install a memory board or memory board air baf fle. For instructions on how to install a me mory board, refer to section below . For instructions to install a memory board air baffle, refer to “Installing a memory board air baffle” on page 43. 7 Observe the post-installation ins tructions described on page 34. Installing a[...]

  • Page 65

    55 The BIOS setup utility executes a me mory test prior to configuring the memory in POST and when a memory board is inserted into the system during a memory hot-removal or hot-add operation. If a DIMM fails the memory test , an LED will light on the memory board to identify the location of the bad DIMM and the DIMM bank will be disabled. The faile[...]

  • Page 66

    3 System upgrade 56 8 Install the slot cover over the empt y slot, then rotate the retention latch downward (C) . 9 Observe the post-installation ins tructions described on page 34. Installing a hot-plug PCI card 1 If your server is operating, use y our OS to power down the PCI slot. 2 Observe the ESD precautions described on page 33. 3 Locate an e[...]

  • Page 67

    57 Configuring cold-pluggable components Cold-pluggable components are the components that require the system to be powered down before you can remove or replace them. The cold-pluggable components in stalled in the server include: • DVD drive • 5.25-inch drive • Processor • Processor core VRMs • Memory board • DIMM modules •P C I c a[...]

  • Page 68

    3 System upgrade 58 DVD drive Removing the DVD drive 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Disconnect the power and SA T A cables from the SA T A-to-IDE converter board on the rear of the media device (A) . 3 Press the blue release latc h on the media device carrier (B) . 4 Slide the media device f[...]

  • Page 69

    59 3 Lift the rear right corner of the me dia device to remove it from the carrier (A) and (B) . 4 Remove the SA T A-to-IDE converter board (C) . 5 Remove the new drive from its protective packaging. 6 Attach the SA T A-to-IDE converter board to the media device. 7 Install a new media device into the carrier . 8 Slide the carrier into the fr ont op[...]

  • Page 70

    3 System upgrade 60 5.25-inch drive The 5.25-inch drive bay allows you to install additional drives such as another backup hard drive, CD-ROM drive, or a tape drive. These options provide the system with additional storage capacity . Installing a 5.25-inch drive 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. [...]

  • Page 71

    61 7 Slide the 5.25-inch peripheral device into the server until it clicks into place. 8 Observe the post-installation in structions described on page 34.[...]

  • Page 72

    3 System upgrade 62 Processor The server supports up to four pr ocessors, the following models are supported: • dual-core Intel Xeon processor 7000 sequence • 64-bit Intel Xeon processor MP with 1 MB L2 cache CPU upgrading guidelines When installing CPUs the following must be observed: • Use only Acer-qualified CPUs. • Each CPU socket inclu[...]

  • Page 73

    63 2 If necessary , remove the CPU air baffle. Perform instructions described in “Removing the CPU air baffle” on page 38. 3 Locate the CPU you want to remove. 4 Loosen the four screws on the heat sink. 5 Lift the heat sink to remove it. 6 Place the heat sink upsid e down on a flat surface. Note: Wipe off the thermal grease fr om both the heat [...]

  • Page 74

    3 System upgrade 64 8 Pull out the CPU from the socket. Store it in an anti-static bag. Installing a CPU 1 Perform steps 1 to 3 of th e “Removing a CPU” section. 2 If a heat sink is installed, remove it. 3 Pull the CPU socket retainer lever to a fully open position. 4 Remove the CPU from its protective packaging.[...]

  • Page 75

    65 5 Position the CPU over the socket, matching the two triangle markers (A) and lining up the CPU pins with the socket (B) . 6 Press the retainer lever down to lock the CPU in place. 7 If the heat sink does not have thermal grease on the bottom, apply thermal grease to the heat sink base. 8 Set the heat sink on the processor , aligning the four sc[...]

  • Page 76

    3 System upgrade 66 Processor cor e VRMs Use processor core 10.2 VRMs with pr ocessors installed in CPU sockets 3 and 4. Processor cor e VRM requirements This server requires the installati on of VRMs when upgrading the CPU in CPU sockets 3 and 4. Refer to the configuration label on the inside of the chassis top cover for the locations of these VRM[...]

  • Page 77

    67 Removing the processor cor e VRM Note: The two processor core VRMs are located under the center brace. 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Remove the memory boards or me mory air baf fles from DIMM slots C and D. See “Cold Removal of Memory Board” on page 70 and “Removing a memory board [...]

  • Page 78

    3 System upgrade 68 5 Gently pull the VRM upward to remove it from the socket (B) . 6 Observe the post-installation ins tructions described on page 34. Installing a processor cor e VRM Caution! The processor core VRM connec tor is slotted to ensure proper installation. Make sure th at you are inserting the correct VRM to the connector . Forcing the[...]

  • Page 79

    69 6 Insert the VRM into the correct VRM connector and press down firmly (B) . 7 Press the holding clips inward to lock the VRM in place. 8 Install the VRM baf fle over the pr ocessor 4 core VRM, if installed. 9 Observe the post-installation in structions described on page 34. Memory boar d The memory boards that are configured in a non-redundant c[...]

  • Page 80

    3 System upgrade 70 Removing a memory board Caution! Damage to the system occu rs if power is not removed from the system prior to remova l or installation of memory boards. 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Press the latch on the memory bo ard handle to release the handle (A) and lift the hand[...]

  • Page 81

    71 Installing a memory board 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Locate an empty memory board slot. 3 If necessary , remove the memory board air baffle. Perform the instructions described in “Removing a memory board air baffle” on page 42. 4 Add or replace memory DIMMs as needed. For instruct[...]

  • Page 82

    3 System upgrade 72 DIMM modules Each memory board on the server has four DIMM slots. Within the memory board, the four DIMM slot s are organized into two groups. Each groups is referred to as a bank. Y ou must install the correct type of memory in each bank. Each slot supports 512 MB, 1 GB, 2 GB, and 4GB DDR2-400 (PC2-3200), ECC regi stered, 240-p[...]

  • Page 83

    73 • The system does not support combination of single-channel with dual-channel memory . • Use only DDR2 DIMMs. Other DIMMs will not fit into the socket. Attempts to force a non-DDR2 DI MM into a socket will damage and/or the socket or the DIMM. • Hold DIMMs only by the edges. Do not touch the components or gold edge connectors. • Install [...]

  • Page 84

    3 System upgrade 74 (4) Lift the cover from the memory board (D) . 4 Locate the DIMM slots on the memory board. 5 Open the clips on the DIMM slot(s) (A) . 6 Align (B) then insert the DIMM into the socket (C) . 7 Press the holding clips inward to lock the DIMM in place (D) . Note: The DIMM slot is slotted to en sure proper installation. If you inser[...]

  • Page 85

    75 8 Install the memory board DIMM cover on the memory board: (1) Align the DIMM cover tabs with the top of the memory board (A) . (2) Press the retainer tab inward (B) . (3) Press the DIMM cover down unt il it clicks into place. 9 Install the memory board. For in structions, see “Hot-insertion of a Memory Board” on page 54 or “Cold Insertion[...]

  • Page 86

    3 System upgrade 76 3 Install the memory board. For instr uctions, see “Hot-insertion of a Memory Board” on page 54 or “Cold Insertion of a Memory Board”on page 71, depending on your server configuration. 4 Observe the post-installation ins tructions described on page 34. T o reconfigur e the system memory: The system automatically detects [...]

  • Page 87

    77 ARMC/3 (optional) or BMC module The ARMC/3 or BMC module provid es server management firmware and functionality for the system. Removing the ARMC/3 or BMC module 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Remove the memory boards or me mory air baf fles from DIMM slots C and D. See “Cold Removal of[...]

  • Page 88

    3 System upgrade 78 3 Insert the standof f into the hole in the ARMC/3 or BMC module connector (A) . The standoff installs on the bottom side of the module. 4 Attach the module to the connector and snap the standof f into the matching hole on the mainboard (B) . 5 Observe the post-installation ins tructions described on page 34.[...]

  • Page 89

    79 Configuring integrated SCSI har dwar e RAID components The system supports hardware RAID through the storage I/O processor in conjunction with the LSI SCSI controller . The server platform supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10 configurations. Functionality for hardware RAID is enabled by using the following components: • RAID activation key (iButton) [...]

  • Page 90

    3 System upgrade 80 RAID activation key Removing the RAID activation key 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Remove the memory boards or memory air baf fles from DIMM slots C and D. See “Cold Remova l of Memory Board” on page 70 and “Removing a memory board air baffle” on page 42. 3 If a [...]

  • Page 91

    81 5 Align then insert the activation key into the RAID activation key connector on the mainboard. . 6 Replace the memory board air baf fle. 7 Replace the PCI card. 8 Observe the post-installation in structions described on page 34. RAID cache The RAID cache serves as memory fo r the storage I/O processor and as a disk cache to store write data to [...]

  • Page 92

    3 System upgrade 82 5 Close the clips. 6 Replace the memory boards and memory air baf fles. 7 Observe the post-installation ins tructions described on page 34. Installing the RAID cache 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Remove the memory boards or memory air baf fles from DIMM slots C and D. Se[...]

  • Page 93

    83 Note: RAID activation key and RAID cache is required to activate integrated hardware RAID. For instructions on installing RAID activation key , see page 80. 7 Observe the post-installation in structions described on page 34. RAID BBU Removing the RAID BBU 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Re[...]

  • Page 94

    3 System upgrade 84 4 Disconnect the battery cable from the mainboard (A) and detach it from its chassis holder (B) . 5 Remove the battery holder from the chassis. 6 Open the battery holder by pinching the top and bottom covers of the holder (A) , then detach the cable inside the battery pack (B) . 7 Remove the RAID BBU from the chassis. 8 Replace [...]

  • Page 95

    85 Installing the RAID BBU 1 Observe the ESD precautions an d pre-installation instructions described on page 33. 2 Remove the memory boards or me mory air baf fles from DIMM slots C and D. See “Cold Removal of Memory Board” on page 70 and “Removing a memory board air baffle” on page 42. 3 If a memory board is installed in memory board slot[...]

  • Page 96

    3 System upgrade 86 8 Engage the hooks on the back of the battery into the matching slots on the chassis. 9 Replace the memory boards and memory air baf fles. 10 Observe the post-installation ins tructions described on page 34.[...]

  • Page 97

    4 BIOS setup[...]

  • Page 98

    This chapter gives information about the system BIOS and discusses how to configure the system by changing the settings of the BIOS parameters.[...]

  • Page 99

    89 Intr oduction BIOS setup is a hardware configurat ion program built into the system's Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). Since most systems are already properly configured and optimized, th ere is no need to run this utility . BIOS setup loads the configuratio n values in a battery-backed nonvolatile memory called CMOS RAM. This memory area [...]

  • Page 100

    4 BIOS setup 90 System options menu During the boot process, the system will display the boot progress on the monitor . The SCSI BIOS scan is displayed followed by the BIOS splash screen. Press any key on the keyboard to access the System options menu. The System options menu, the BIOS version, copyright information and the following options are di[...]

  • Page 101

    91 Using the System options menu Continue Booting Select Continue Booting option to boo t from the device specified as first boot option by the Boot Manage r . The Continue B ooting option is selected by default, and will occur automatically if a preset timeout expires.[...]

  • Page 102

    4 BIOS setup 92 Boot Manager The Boot Manager option lets you set the device priority during system bootup. The server will attempt to b oot from the first device on the list. If the first device is not availa ble, it will continue down the list until it reaches an available device..[...]

  • Page 103

    93 Boot Maintenance Manager The Boot Maintenance Manager option includes a menu of choices that lets you configure the boot options and boot environment variables. The Boot Maintenance Manager include the following options: • Boot Options - Select this option to modify the system boot order and add or delete boot options. • Driver Options - Sel[...]

  • Page 104

    4 BIOS setup 94 BIOS Setup Utility Select BIOS Setup Utility option to configure the server BIOS settings. Refer to “Using the BIOS menus” on page 98 for more information.[...]

  • Page 105

    95 Error Manager Error Manager lets you view POST errors detected by the system.[...]

  • Page 106

    4 BIOS setup 96 BIOS setup The BIOS setup utility stores basic se ttings for your server . Y ou will need to run this utility under the following conditions: • When changing the system configuration • When a configuration error is dete cted by the system and you are prompted ("Run Setup" message) to make changes to the BIOS setup Note[...]

  • Page 107

    97 Note the following reminders when moving around the setup screen: •U s e t h e Left and Right arrow keys to move to the next page or to return to the previous screen. • Use the Up and Down arrow keys to select an item. • Use the + and - keys to select an option. Y ou can configure a parameter that is enclosed in square brackets. Grayed-out[...]

  • Page 108

    4 BIOS setup 98 Using the BIOS menus Main The Main menu displays basic and important information about the system. These information are necessary for troubleshooting and may be required when asking for tech nical support. These entries are for your reference only and are not user-configurable. The System Date and System T ime parameters lets you d[...]

  • Page 109

    99 System Date Sets the date fo llowing the month-day-year format. V alid values for weekday , month, day , and year are: Month: Jan, Feb, Mar , Apr , May , Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov , Dec Day: 1 to 31 Y ear: 1998 to 2099 System T ime Sets the time following the hour -minute- second format. V a lid values for hour , minute, and second are: Hour:[...]

  • Page 110

    4 BIOS setup 100 Processor The Processor menu displays CPU settings such as type, actual speed, cache size and other CPU related settings. Parameter Description Option Core Frequency Indicates th e processor clock speed. Bus Frequency Indicates the processor front side bus speed. Processor Retest When an error message associated with the processor [...]

  • Page 111

    101 Enhanced Intel SpeedStep T echnology When set to Auto, this feature allows the OS to reduce power consumption. When set to Disabled, the system operates at maximum CPU speed. Auto Disabled Execute Disable Bit When Enabled, the processor disables code execution when a worm attempts to insert a code in the buffer preventing damage and worm propag[...]

  • Page 112

    4 BIOS setup 102 Processor Information The screen below appears when you se lect the Processor #1, 2, 3, or 4 Information menu. The Processor # In formation submenu displays the CPU settings such as type, cache si ze, and other CPU related settings.[...]

  • Page 113

    103 Memory The Memory menu displays the tota l amount of memory installed, number of memory boards installe d, and the current memory configuration. Parameter Description T otal Memory Indicates the total amount of onboard memory . The memory size is automatically detected by BIOS during the POST . If you install additional mamory , the system auto[...]

  • Page 114

    4 BIOS setup 104 Configure Memory RAS and Performance The screen below appears when y ou select the Configure Memory RAS and Performance menu. This subme nu allows you to view memory configuration details and configure the memory boards in the server. Configure Memory RAS and Performance Press Enter to access the Configure Memory RAS and Performanc[...]

  • Page 115

    105 Patrol Scrub Enables or disables the hardware patrol scrub to clean co rrectable errors. Enabled Disabled Retest all System Memory If enabled, retest all memory in the system (including disabled DIMMs) and enables memory which passes the test. This option will reset to Disabled after the test is completed. Disabled Enabled Sparing Threshold Set[...]

  • Page 116

    4 BIOS setup 106 View Configuration Details The screen below appears when you select the View Configuration Details menu. This submenu allows you to view detailed information regarding the current memory configuration. Parameter Description Configuration Indicates the type of memory configuration set in Configure Memory RAS and Performance menu. Ma[...]

  • Page 117

    107 Configuration Possible Indicates whether the selected configuration is possible with the current installed memory . If No is displayed, you may need to install more memory to meet the requirements of the selected configuration. Sparing Indicates whether the selected configuration supports sparing. Hot Replace Indicates whether the selected conf[...]

  • Page 118

    4 BIOS setup 108 View and Configure Memory Boar d # The screen below appears when y ou select the View and Configure Memory Board # menu. This submenu allows you to view memory board status and configure the memory boards in the server. Parameter Description Option Board Status Indicates the memory board status. The possible status include: Not Ins[...]

  • Page 119

    109 Devices The Devices menu allows you to examine and set system parameters for built-in devices. Press Enter to enter the submenu screen of the parameters shown in the screen below. Reserve Rank for Spare Enables or disables the BIOS to set aside the largest memory rank to server as spare. Refer to “T o configure memory sparing” on page 168 f[...]

  • Page 120

    4 BIOS setup 110 IDE Controller The IDE Controller submenu lets you examine and set IDE controller- related parameters. Parameter Description Option Enable Serial ATA Enables or disables all channels of the Serial A T A controller . Enabled Disabled Primary Master Indicates the co ntroller that is set as primary master .[...]

  • Page 121

    111 Mass Storage The Mass Storage submenu displays the status of the mass storage controller Parameter Description Option Enable On-board SCSI Enables or disables the onboard SCSI controller . Note: This parameter is grayed out if ROMB is enabled. Enabled Disabled RAID Activation Key Indicates if the RAID activation key is installed or not. Install[...]

  • Page 122

    4 BIOS setup 112 LAN The LAN submenu displays the status of the local area network and lets you set the local area network parameters. Parameter Description Option Enable On-board NIC Enables or disables both channels of the embedded LAN. If Disabled, both channels of the embedded LAN are turned off and the device is inaccessible to the OS. Enabled[...]

  • Page 123

    113 Video The Video submenu allows you to en able or disable the onboard video controller.[...]

  • Page 124

    4 BIOS setup 114 USB The USB submenu allows you to enable or disable the onboard USB controller.[...]

  • Page 125

    115 Serial The Serial submenu lets you define the parameter se ttings for the system’ s serial port. Parameter Description Option COM1 Enable Enables or disa bles the onboard serial port (COM 1). Enabled Disabled Address Set the base I/O address for the COM 1 port. 3F8 2F8 3E8 2E8 IRQ Set the interrupt request line for the COM 1 port. 4 3[...]

  • Page 126

    4 BIOS setup 116 PCI The PCI submenu lets you enable or disable the ROM scan of a device installed in the selected PCI slot. It also enables or disables posting of a 16-bit legacy ROM from the plug-in fiber channel card.[...]

  • Page 127

    117 Server Management The Server Management Configuration submenu lets you specify the appropriate settings for the system’ s event handling function. The system event log enables you to record and monitor events that occur in the system (eg., system te mperature changes, fan stops, over- temperature, over-voltage, fan failures, etc.). Parameter [...]

  • Page 128

    4 BIOS setup 118 Console Redirection The Console Redirection submenu lets you examine and set the COM1 console redirection parameters for server management tasks over the serial port. Press Enter to access the COM1 Console Redirection submenu. WOL Resume from S5 Allows the system to be switched on by means of network signals. Enabled Disabled Reset[...]

  • Page 129

    119 FRU Information The FRU Information submenu lets yo u view the field replaceable unit parameters.[...]

  • Page 130

    4 BIOS setup 120 SEL Logging The SEL Logging submenu lets you examine and set the system event log options. T o clear the system even t log, enable the Clear Log option. The option executes as soon as Save, Restore & Exit is peformed, then resets to Disabled.[...]

  • Page 131

    121 FRB Information The FRB Information submenu lets you examine and set the fault resilient boot options.[...]

  • Page 132

    4 BIOS setup 122 Security The Security menu allows you to safeguard and protect the system from unauthorized use by se tting up access passwords. Parameter Description Option Administrator Password Prevents unauthorized access to the BIOS setup utility . Not Installed Installed User Password Secures the sy stem against unauthorized use. Once you se[...]

  • Page 133

    123 T o set a Administrator/User password 1 Use the up/down keys to highli ght a password parameter (Set Administrator Password or Set User Password) then press Enter . A password box will appear . 2 T ype a password then press Enter . The password may consist of up to seven alphanumeric characters (A-Z, a-z, 0-9). 3 Retype the password to verify t[...]

  • Page 134

    4 BIOS setup 124 Save, Restor e & Exit The Save, Restore & Exit menu displa ys the various options to quit from the BIOS setup. Highlight any of the exit options then press Enter . Parameter Description Save Changes and Exit Saves changes made and close the BIOS setup. Discard Changes and Exit Discards chan ges made and close the BIOS setup[...]

  • Page 135

    125 Upgrading the BIOS The upgrade utility allows you to upgrade the BIOS in the flash memory . T o prepare to upgrade th e BIOS, you need to record the current BIOS settings and download the BIOS image file to a temporary folder on your hard drive or a USB flash memory device. Recording the curr ent BIOS settings 1 Run BIOS setup. See “Entering [...]

  • Page 136

    4 BIOS setup 126[...]

  • Page 137

    5 T r oubleshooting[...]

  • Page 138

    This chapter provides possible solutions for specific problems. If you cannot correct the problem, contact your local Acer representative or authorized dealer for assistance.[...]

  • Page 139

    129 T r oubleshooting This chapter helps you identify an d solve problems that might occur while you are using the system. For any issue, first ensure that yo u are using the latest firmware and files. In addition to the server firmwa re and files, make sure to update any drivers used for components yo u have installed in your system, such as video[...]

  • Page 140

    5 T roubleshooting 130 First steps checklist • DC power available at the wall outlet? • Are the power supplies plugged in? Check the DC cable(s) on the back of the chassis and at the DC source. • Are all cables correctly connected and secured? • Is the processor fully seated in the socket on the mainboard? • Are all standoffs in the prope[...]

  • Page 141

    131 Hard ware diagnostic testing This section provides a more deta iled approach to identifying a hardware problem and locating its source. Caution! Before disconnecting any pe ripheral cables from the system, turn off the system and an y external peripheral devices. Failure to do so can cause perm anent damage to the system and/ or the peripheral [...]

  • Page 142

    5 T roubleshooting 132 Specific pr oblems and corrective actions The following contains specific proble ms that may arise during the use of your server . Possible soluti ons are listed for each problem. Power indicator does not light. Do the following: • Make sure the power button on the front panel is turned on. • Make sure the power cable is [...]

  • Page 143

    133 Server boot does not complete POST Do the following: • Make sure the VRMs are plugged in and the pins are not bent. • Make sure the CPU is properly seated. • Check the BIOS release notes to ensure the BIOS installed on the platform supports the stepping and the family of processors currently installed. • Make sure the memory boards ar e[...]

  • Page 144

    5 T roubleshooting 134 • If using SCSI drives, check that relevant switches and jumpers on the hard drive and backplan e board are set correctly . ODD (Optical disk drive) activity indicator does not light. Do the following: • Make sure the power and signal cables are properly installed. • Check that relevant switches and jumpers on the drive[...]

  • Page 145

    135 • If using SCSI drives, verify that ea ch SCSI ID numbers is unique on the SCSI bus. Refer to the driv e documentation for details on setting the SCSI ID for your drives. • If using IDE drives, verify that the master/slave settings are set correctly . Refer to the drive docu mentation for details on setting the master/slave settings. • If[...]

  • Page 146

    5 T roubleshooting 136 • Make sure you are using the correct and the current drivers. • Make sure the driver is loaded and the protocls are bound. No video but LED on the front panel indicates system is in r eset mode • Make sure the VRMs are plugged in and the pins are not bent. • Replace the failed VRM. Problems with the network Network s[...]

  • Page 147

    137 • The network files driver may be corrupt or deleted. Delete and reinstall the drivers. • Run the diagnostics. Network activity indicator does not light. Do the following: • Make sure the correct network drivers are loaded on the system. • Network might be idle. T ry accessing the server . Server hangs when the drivers are loaded. Chang[...]

  • Page 148

    5 T roubleshooting 138 • Are the brightness and contrast controls on the video monitor properly adjusted? • Is the video monitor signal cable properly installed? • Does this video monitor work correctly if plugged into a different system? • Is the onboard video controller enabled in the BIOS setup? • Remove all expansion cards and see if [...]

  • Page 149

    139 • Are the video monitor’ s signal and power cables properly connected. • Is the video monitor working correctly when plugged into a different system? System cooling fan do not rotate pr operly . If the system cooling fan is not operati ng properly , it is an indication of possible system component failure. Check the following: • Is the [...]

  • Page 150

    5 T roubleshooting 140[...]

  • Page 151

    Appendix A: Acer Altos R910 rack installation guide[...]

  • Page 152

    This appendix shows you how to set up the Altos R910 server in a rack mount configuration.[...]

  • Page 153

    143 Setting up the system rack Important! Observe the electrostatic discharge (ESD) precautions indicated on page 33 when perfo ming the follow ing procedures. Do not attempt the procedures desc ribed in the following sections unless you are a qua lified technician. Equipment rack precautions Follow the rack manufacturer's safety and installat[...]

  • Page 154

    Appendix A: Acer Altos R 910 rack installation guide 144 • Elevated operating ambient temperature The maximum operating temperature of the system is 35 °C (95°F). Careful consideration should be gi ven to installing the system in an environment compatible with the 35 °C (95°F) maximum ambient temperature. • Reduced airflow The amount of air[...]

  • Page 155

    145 System rack installation The Altos R910 server system should be mounted into a rack cabinet. A rack rail and CMA (cable management arm) kit is available for installing system to a rack cabinet. The figure below shows the Altos R910 server in a rack-mount position.[...]

  • Page 156

    Appendix A: Acer Altos R 910 rack installation guide 146 V ertical mounting hole patter n The four vertical rails of the sy stem rack contain mounting holes arranged in a manner shown in the figure below: The system occupies 4U in the ra ck. Count the U positions and hole numbers from the bottom up. The distance from the center of tw o holes with c[...]

  • Page 157

    147 Installing the system into the rack Caution! T o minimize the chances of injuries, make sure that two or more people help in installing the server . T o install the system into a four -post rack 1 Remove the inner rails from the mounting rails. (1) Extend the inner rail from the mounting rail until the rail release latch clicks. (2) Depress the[...]

  • Page 158

    Appendix A: Acer Altos R 910 rack installation guide 148 (3) Do the same thing to the other mounting rail. Caution! T o avoid personal injury , care should be taken when pressing the inner rail release latches and sliding the component into the rack. 2 Attach the inner rails to both sides of the server . Please use screws that came with the rack-mo[...]

  • Page 159

    149 3 Install the mounting rails to the rack posts. (1) Determine the vertical position in the rack. Refer to “Vertical mounting hole pattern” on page 146 for more information. (2) Align and insert the mounting rail into the rack posts’ mounting holes (A) . (3) Make certain the proper mounting holes on the rack post are selected. (4) Use two [...]

  • Page 160

    Appendix A: Acer Altos R 910 rack installation guide 150 (6) Fully extend the mounting rails on the rack.[...]

  • Page 161

    151 4 Install the server into the rack. Caution! T o avoid personal injury , ca re should be taken when pressing the inner rail release la tches and sliding the component into the rack. (1) Carefully align the inner rails attached to the server with the fully extended mounting rails on the rack. (2) Press the release latch on both sides of the serv[...]

  • Page 162

    Appendix A: Acer Altos R 910 rack installation guide 152 5 Attach the CMA (cable management arm) to the rear of the server . The CMA allows you to tie-wrap al l cables to and from the system. As you slide the system in and out of the rack, the CMA collapses and extends, keeping the cables untangled and attached to the system. (1) Insert the smaller[...]

  • Page 163

    153 (6) Connect the power , peripheral and networking cables into their appropriate ports. Refer to “Connecting periphera ls” on page 26 for detailed instructions. (7) Route all cables through the cable clips.[...]

  • Page 164

    Appendix A: Acer Altos R 910 rack installation guide 154[...]

  • Page 165

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options[...]

  • Page 166

    This chapter provides details on how to configure the system memory boards in either a redundant or non-redundant configuration. Recommended memory board and DIMM installation order and DDR2 DIMM population order tables are also included.[...]

  • Page 167

    157 Intr oduction The system supports installation of up to four memory boards to the mainboard. Memory boards connect to the mainboard through the x16 PCI Express slots or memory board slots A, B, C, and D (refer to “Mainboard” on page 17 for the lo cation of the memoy board slot). The memory board is equipped with four DIMM slots that support[...]

  • Page 168

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 158 Installation and population or der Memory boar d installation order The table below lists the suggested memory board installation order . DIMM module installation order The table below lists the suggested DIMM module installation for a memory board: Memory board slot Installation order Normal configurati[...]

  • Page 169

    159 DIMM module population order The tables below list the sugge sted DDR2 DIMM module population for normal configuration. Population with one memory board Population with two memory boards Population with four memory boards Memory board A Memory board B Memory board C Memory board D To t a l Memory 1A/1B 2A/2B 1A/1B 2A/2B 1A/1B 2A/2B 1A/1B 2A/2B [...]

  • Page 170

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 160 DIMM population with sparing The tables below list the suggest ed DDR2 DIMM module population for memory sparing configuration. Population with one memory board * Only 4GB of memory installed in DIMM 1A/1 B slots will be reserved as spare DIMMs, one rank from each dual-rank DIMM. Population with two memo[...]

  • Page 171

    161 Population with four memory boards * Only 4GB of memory installed in DIMM 1A/1B slots will be reserved as spare DIMMs, one rank from each dual-rank DIMM. DIMM population with mirroring The tables below list the sugge sted DDR2 DIMM module population for memory mirroring configuration. Population with two memory boards Memory board A Memory boar[...]

  • Page 172

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 162 Population with four memory boards DIMM population with RAID Population with four memory boards Memory board A Memory board B Memory board C Memory board D T otal Memory 1A/1B 2A/2B 1A/1B 2A/2B 1A/1B 2A/2B 1A/1B 2A/2B Physical memory Detected by OS 2 x 512 MB 2 x 512 MB (Mirror) 2 x 512 MB 2 x 512 MB (Mi[...]

  • Page 173

    163 Memory modes The server supports several memory features that allow flexibility in performance, redundancy , and ability to upgrade. The system BIOS can be configured as follows: • Maximum compatibility • Maximum performance •M e m o r y s p a r i n g • Memory RAID • Memory mirroring Only one of these memory modes can be selected at o[...]

  • Page 174

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 164 Maximum compatibility Maximum compatibility provides the most flexibility with DIMMs and memory boards. With this conf iguration mode, you can hot-add memory boards and allocate ranks to serve as spare on each memory board. This memory mode is one-way interleaved and has the lowest performance among the [...]

  • Page 175

    165 5S e l e c t View Configuration Details . Make sure Configuration Possible indicates Ye s . If the option indicates No , you may need to install more memory to meet the requirements of the selected configuration. 6P r e s s F10 to save changes and exit. 7P r e s s Y to confirm. The server reb oots to activate the changes.[...]

  • Page 176

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 166 Maximum performance Maximum performance is the defa ult memory configuration and provides the best performance. With four memory boards installed, the BIOS configures memory as four-way interleaved, across all memory boards. With less than four memo ry boards installed, the BIOS attempts to configure two[...]

  • Page 177

    167 4 Set the Desired Memory Configuration to either Max Performance . 5S e l e c t View Configuration Details . • Make sure Configuration Possible indicates Ye s . If the option indicates No , you may need to install more memory to meet the requirements of th e selected configuration. 6P r e s s F10 to save changes and exit. 7P r e s s Y to conf[...]

  • Page 178

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 168 Memory sparing Sparing allows for memory to be set aside to replace memory under use when a DIMM’ s correctable er ror count has reached a specified threshold. Spared memory configurations do not provide redundant copies of memory and the system cannot continue to operate when an uncorrectable error oc[...]

  • Page 179

    169 a During system bootup, enter the System Options Menu . See “System options menu” on page 90. b Use the up and down ar row keys to select BIOS Setup Utility , then press Enter . The BIOS main menu displays on the monitor . 2 Use the up and down arrow keys to select the Memory menu, then press Enter . The Memory menu appears. 3 Use the up an[...]

  • Page 180

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 170 Memory RAID If four memory boards with equal me mory capacity are installed on the server , the system can be confi gured for Memory RAID. Memory RAID mode acts similar to RAID level 4, wh ere data is written to three of the memory boards and the fourth is he ld in reserve for memory parity information. [...]

  • Page 181

    171 2 Use the up and down arrow keys to select the Memory menu, then press Enter . The Memory menu appears. 3 Use the up and down arrow keys to select Configure Memory RAS and Performance , then press Enter . The Configure Memory RAS and Performance menu appears. 4 Set the Desired Memory Configuration to RAID . 5S e l e c t View Configuration Detai[...]

  • Page 182

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 172 Memory mirr oring Memory mirror requires either two or four same size memory boards and provides redundancy at the cost of halving the effective memory size. The memory configuration allo ws for the hot-replacement of an existing board for a board containi ng an equal amount of memory or the hot-addition[...]

  • Page 183

    173 b Use the up and down ar row keys to select BIOS Setup Utility , then press Enter . The BIOS main menu displays on the monitor . 2 Use the up and down arrow keys to select the Memory menu, then press Enter . The Memory menu appears. 3 Use the up and down arrow keys to select Configure Memory RAS and Performance , then press Enter . The Configur[...]

  • Page 184

    Appendix B: Memory configuration options 174[...]

  • Page 185

    Appendix C: Integrated SCSI h a rd w a re R A I D configuration[...]

  • Page 186

    This appendix shows you how to create a RAID volume with integrated SCSI hardware RAID.[...]

  • Page 187

    177 Configuring the integrated SCSI har dwar e RAID This section briefly shows how to create RAID with integrated SCSI hardware RAID. Starting integrated SCSI hardwar e RAID configuration utility T o start Integrated SCSI Hardware RAID Configuration Utility , press <CTRL-G> when you see the RAID BIOS during POST . After POST finished, the Ada[...]

  • Page 188

    Appendix C: Integrated SCSI hardware RAID configuration 178 9 Click Ye s to initialize the new logical dr ives. The logical drives will be listed. 10 Click Home to go back to the configuration menu. 11 Now you can reboot the system and install the Operating System. Select Exit and click Ye s . 12 Press <Ctrl+Alt+Del> to reboot the system. Ass[...]

  • Page 189

    179 Index Numerics 5.25-inch drive installing 60 A ARMC/3 module installing 77 removing 77 B BIOS menus Devices 109 IDE Controller 110 LAN 112 Mass Storage 111 PCI 116 Serial 115 USB 114 Video 113 Main 98 Memory 103 Configure Memory RAS and Performance 104 View and Configure Memory Board # 108 Processor 100 Processor Information 102 Save, Restore &[...]

  • Page 190

    180 BMC module 77 center brace 41 cold-plug memory board 71 CPU 64 CPU air baffle 39 DIMMs 73 DVD drive 58 front bezel 36 HDD 46 hot-plug memory board 54 hot-plug PCI card 56 memory board air baffle 43 non-hot-plug PCI card 76 power supply 50 processor core VRM 68 RAID activation key 80 RAID BBU 85 system fan assembly 48 top cover 37 internal compo[...]

  • Page 191

    181 preinstallation requirements 25 specification BMC 5 chipset 3 graphic interface 5 I/O ports 5 Integrated Hardware RAID 4 media storage 4 memory subsystem 3 networking 5 OS 6 PCI I/O 5 power supply 6 processor 3 SCSI controller 4 serial ATA port 5 system fan 6 storage devices installing 5.25-inch drive 60 replacing DVD drive 58 system boards 17 [...]

  • Page 192

    182[...]