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Checkout procedure

The checkout procedure is the sequence of tasks that you should follow to diagnose a problem in the blade server.

Before you perform the checkout procedure for diagnosing hardware problems, review the following information:

  • Read Safety and Installation guidelines.
  • IBM Dynamic Systems Analysis (DSA) provides the primary method of testing the major components of the server, such as the microprocessor board, Ethernet controller, keyboard, mouse (pointing device), serial ports, and hard disk drives. You can also use it to test some external devices. If you are not sure whether a problem is caused by the hardware of by the software, you can use DSA to confirm that the hardware is working correctly.
  • When you run DSA, a single problem might cause more than one error message. When this happens, correct the cause of the first error message. The other error messages usually will not occur the next time you run DSA.

    Exception: If multiple error codes or light path diagnostics LEDs indicate a microprocessor error, the error might be in a microprocessor or in a microprocessor socket.

  • If the blade server is halted and a POST error code is displayed, see POST error codes. If the blade server is halted and no error message is displayed, see Troubleshooting tables and Solving undetermined problems.
  • For intermittent problems, check the error log; see Event logs and IBM Dynamic System Analysis.
  • If no LEDs are lit on the blade server front panel, verify the blade server status and errors in the advanced management module web interface; also see Solving undetermined problems.
  • If device errors occur, see Troubleshooting tables.

To perform the checkout procedure, complete the following steps:

  1. If the blade server is running, turn off the blade server.
  2. Turn on the blade server. Make sure that the blade server has control of the video (the LED on the keyboard/video/mouse button is lit). If the blade server does not start, see Troubleshooting tables.
  3. Record any POST error messages that are displayed on the monitor. If an error is displayed, look up the first error in the POST error codes.
  4. Check the control panel blade-error LED; if it is lit, check the light path diagnostics LEDs (see Light path diagnostics).
  5. Check for the following results:
    • Successful completion of POST, indicated by beginning the startup of the operating system.
    • Successful completion of startup, indicated by a readable display of the operating-system desktop.