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Diagnostic tools

The following tools are available to help you diagnose and solve hardware-related problems.

  • Light path diagnostics

    Use light path diagnostics to diagnose system errors quickly. See Light path diagnostics for more information.

  • Event logs

    The event logs list the error codes and messages that are generated when an error is detected for the subsystems IMM2, POST, DSA, and the server baseboard management controller. See Event logs for more information.

  • Integrated Management Module (IMM)

    The Integrated Management Module (IMM) combines service processor functions, video controller, and remote presence and blue-screen capture features in a single chip. The IMM provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and alerting function. If an environmental condition exceeds a threshold or if a system component fails, the IMM lights LEDs to help you diagnose the problem, records the error in the IMM event log, and alerts you to the problem. Optionally, the IMM also provides a virtual presence capability for remote server management capabilities. The IMM provides remote server management through the following industry-standard interfaces:

    • Intelligent Platform Management Protocol (IPMI) version 2.0
    • Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) version 3
    • Common Information Model (CIM)
    • Web browser

    For more information about the Integrated Management Module (IMM), see Using the integrated management module II, Integrated Management Module II (IMM2) error messages, and the Integrated Management Module User's Guide at the User's Guide for Integrated Management Module II.

  • IBM Dynamic System Analysis

    Two editions of IBM Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) are available for diagnosing problems, DSA Portable and DSA Preboot:

    • DSA Portable

      DSA Portable collect and analyze system information to aid in diagnosing server problems. DSA Portable runs on the server's operating system and collect the following information about the server:

      • Drive health information
      • Event logs for ServeRAID controllers and service processors
      • Installed hardware, including PCI and USB information
      • Installed applications and hot fixes
      • Kernel modules
      • Light path diagnostics status
      • Microprocessor, input/out hub, and UEFI error logs
      • Network interfaces and settings
      • RAID controller configuration
      • Service processor (integrated management module) status and configuration
      • System configuration
      • Vital product data, firmware, and UEFI configuration
      DSA Portable create a DSA log, which is a chronologically ordered merge of the system-event log (as the IPMI event log), the integrated management module (IMM) chassis-event log (as the ASM event log), and the operating-system event logs. You can send the DSA log as a file to IBM service (when requested by service) or view the information as a text file or HTML file.
      Note
      Use the latest available version of DSA to make sure you are using the most recent configuration data. For documentation and download information for DSA, see the Lenovo Systems Management Solutions website.

      For additional information, see Dynamic System Analysis and DSA diagnostic test results.

    • DSA Preboot

      DSA Preboot diagnostic program is stored in the integrated USB memory on the server. DSA Preboot collects and analyzes system information to aid in diagnosing server problems, as well as offering a rich set of diagnostic tests of the major components of the server. DSA Preboot collects the following information about the server:

      • Drive health information
      • Event logs for ServeRAID controllers and service processors
      • Installed hardware, including PCI and USB information
      • Light path diagnostics status
      • Microprocessor, input/out hub, and UEFI error logs
      • Network interfaces and settings
      • RAID controller configuration
      • Service processor (integrated management module) status and configuration
      • System configuration
      • Vital product data, firmware, and UEFI configuration

      DSA Preboot also provides diagnostics for the following system components (when they are installed):

      1. Network adapter
      2. IMM 12C bus
      3. Lightpath diagnostics panel
      4. Memory modules
      5. Microprocessors
      6. Optical devices (CD or DVD)
      7. SAS or SATA drives
      8. Tape drives (SCSI)

      See Running the DSA Preboot diagnostic programs for more information on running the DSA Preboot program on the server.

  • Troubleshooting by symptom

    These tables list problem symptoms and actions to correct the problems. See Troubleshooting by symptom for more information.

  • Light path diagnostics
    Light path diagnostics is a system of LEDs on various external and internal components of the server that leads you to the failed component. When an error occurs, LEDs are lit along the path of the front panel, the light path diagnostics panel, then on the failed component. By viewing the LEDs in a particular order, you can often identify the source of the error.
  • Power-supply LEDs
    This section describes the power-supply LEDs on the rear of the server and the suggested actions to correct the detected problems.
  • Event logs
    Error codes and messages are displayed in POST event log, system-event log, integrated management module (IMM2) event log, and DSA event log.
  • POST
    When you turn on the server, it performs a series of tests to check the operation of the server components and some optional devices in the server. This series of tests is called the power-on self-test, or POST.
  • Dynamic System Analysis
    Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) collects and analyzes system information to aid in diagnosing server problems.