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General problem determination procedures

Use the information in this section to resolve problems if the event log does not contain specific errors or the server is inoperative.

If you are not sure about the cause of a problem and the power supplies are working correctly, complete the following steps to attempt to resolve the problem:

  1. Power off the server.

  2. Make sure that the server is cabled correctly.

  3. Remove or disconnect the following devices if applicable, one at a time, until you find the failure. Power on and configure the server each time you remove or disconnect a device.

    • Any external devices.

    • Surge-suppressor device (on the server).

    • Printer, mouse, and non-Lenovo devices.

    • Each adapter.

    • Hard disk drives.

    • Memory modules until you reach the minimal configuration for debugging that is supported for the server.

      To determine the minimal configuration for your server, see Minimal configuration for debugging in Technical specifications:

  4. Power on the server.

If the problem is solved when you remove an adapter from the server, but the problem recurs when you install the same adapter again, suspect the adapter. If the problem recurs when you replace the adapter with a different one, try a different PCIe slot.

If the problem appears to be a networking problem and the server passes all system tests, suspect a network cabling problem that is external to the server.

  • Resolving suspected power problems
    Power problems can be difficult to solve. For example, a short circuit can exist anywhere on any of the power distribution buses. Usually, a short circuit will cause the power subsystem to shut down because of an overcurrent condition.
  • Resolving suspected Ethernet controller problems
    The method that you use to test the Ethernet controller depends on which operating system you are using. See the operating-system documentation for information about Ethernet controllers, and see the Ethernet controller device-driver readme file.