Setup utility menu choices

The following choices are on the Setup utility main menu for the UEFI. Depending on the version of the System x Server Firmware (server firmware), some menu choices might differ slightly from these descriptions.

• System Information

  Select this choice to view information about the server. When you make changes through other choices in the Setup utility, some of those changes are reflected in the system information; you cannot change settings directly in the system information. This choice is on the full Setup utility menu only.

  • System Summary

    Select this choice to view configuration information, including the ID, speed, and cache size of the microprocessors, machine type and model of the server, the serial number, the system UUID, and the amount of installed memory. When you make configuration changes through other options in the Setup utility, the changes are reflected in the system summary; you cannot change settings directly in the system summary.

  • Product Data

    Select this choice to view the system-board identifier, the revision level or issue date of the firmware, the integrated management module and diagnostics code, and the version and date.

  This choice is on the full Setup utility menu only.

• System Settings

  Select this choice to view or change the server component settings.

  • Adapters and UEFI Drivers

    Select this choice to view information about the adapters and device drivers installed in the server that are compliant with UEFI 1.10 and UEFI 2.0.

  • Processors

    Select this choice to view or change the processor settings.

  • Memory

    Select this choice to view or change the memory settings. To configure memory mirroring, select System Settings → Memory → Memory Mode → Mirrored.

  • Devices and I/O Ports

    Select this choice to view or change assignments for devices and input/output (I/O) ports. You can configure the serial ports; configure remote console redirection; enable or disable integrated Ethernet controllers, the SAS/SATA adapter, SATA optical drive channels, and PCI slots; and view the system Ethernet MAC addresses. If you disable a device, it cannot be configured, and the operating system will not be able to detect it (this is equivalent to disconnecting the device).

  • Power

    Select this choice to view or change power capping to control consumption, processors, and performance states.

    • Active Energy Manager

      Select this choice to enable or disable power capping. If you enable power capping, the Active Energy Manager program will limit the maximum power that is consumed by the server.

      Note

      It is available only when System Settings → Processors → Processor Performance States is enabled.

    • Power/Performance Bias

      Select this choice to determine how the power management of the microprocessor is controlled. You can choose either Platform Controlled (system) or OS Controlled (operating system) to control the setting. Not all operating systems support this feature.

    • Platform Controlled Type

      Select this choice to determine how to balance between performance and power consumption. Choosing Maximum Performance will disable power management functions and allow the most aggressive use of turbo. Choosing Minimal Power will maximizes the use of power management features for least power consumption and disable turbo.

      Note

      It is available only when System Settings → Power → Power/Performance Bias → Platform Controlled is enabled.

    • Workload Configuration

      Select this choice to determine how to balance between I/O bandwidth and balanced workload. Choosing I/O sensitive will get higher I/O bandwidth while expansion cards are used. Choosing Balanced will allow enough frequency for workload while the microprocessor cores are idle.

  • Operating Modes

    Select this choice to view or change the operating profile (performance and power utilization). This choice specify a preset operating mode to configure the server for maximum power savings, maximum efficiency, and maximum performance.

    • Choose Operating Mode

      Select the operating mode based on your preference. Power savings and performance are also highly dependent on hardware and software running on the system. When a present mode is selected, the low-level settings are not changeable and will be grayed out.

    • Memory Speed

      Select the desired memory speed. Maximum performance mode maximizes performance. Balanced mode offers a balance between performance and power. Minimal power mode maximizes power savings.

    • Memory Power Management

      Select this choice to enable or disable power management on memory. If you choose Disabled, it will provide maximum performance but minimum power savings. If you choose Automatic, it is suitable for most applications.

    • Proc Performance States

      Select this choice to enable or disable processor performance states. Enabling processor performance states (Intel Speedstep Technology) saves power by reducing speed and voltage as the microprocessor utilized is reduced.

      Note

      Some operating systems must have the correct power profile selected to take advantage of this feature.

    • C1 Enhance Mode

      Select this choice to enable or disable C1E (C1 Enhanced) state. Enabling C1E (C1 Enhanced) state can save power by halting CPU cores that are idle.

      Note

      An operating system that supports C1E state must be installed to take advantage of this feature. Changing this setting will be effective after the next system reboot.

    • QPI Link Frequency

      Select this choice to determine the desired microprocessor QPI link frequency. Maximum performance mode maximizes performance. Balanced mode offers a balance between performance and power. Minimal power maximizes power savings.

    • Turbo Mode

      Select this choice to enable or disable turbo mode. Enabling turbo mode can boost the overall microprocessor performance when all microprocessor cores are not fully utilized. A microprocessor core can run above its rated frequency for a short period of time when it is in turbo mode.

    • CPU C-States

      Select this choice to enable or disable ACPI C2 Processor Power states. It will be effective after the next system reboot.

    • Package ACPI CState Limit

      Select this choice to determine the level of C-state. Selecting a higher C-state limit allows the microprocessors to consume less power when they are idle. If you experience problems with legacy operating systems, set the ACPI Cstate limit to C2.

    • Power/Performance Bias

      Select this choice to determine how the power management of the microprocessor is controlled. You can choose either Platform Controlled (system) or OS Controlled (operating system) to control the setting. Not all operating systems support this feature.

    • Platform Controlled Type

      Select this choice to determine how to balance between performance and power consumption. Choosing Maximum Performance will disable power management functions and allow the most aggressive use of turbo. Choosing Minimal Power will maximizes the use of power management features for least power consumption and disable turbo.

  • Legacy Support

    Select this choice to view or set legacy support.

    Note

    In the legacy mode, this system has limited ROM space for installed options. At most four network interface cards (NICs) are supported for legacy PXE boot. If more than four NICs are installed, legacy PXE boot will not be attempted on some of the NICs. To enable legacy PXE boot on the desired NIC connectors, prioritize the desired NIC connectors by changing the ROM execution Order or disable the NIC connectors that you do not use from the Enable/Disable Adapter Option ROM Support menu.

    • Force Legacy Video on Boot

      Select this choice to force INT video support, if the operating system does not support UEFI video output standards.

    • Rehook INT 19h

      Select this choice to enable or disable devices from taking control of the boot process. The default is Disable.

    • Legacy Thunk Support

      Select this choice to enable or disable UEFI to interact with PCI mass storage devices that are non-UEFI compliant.

    • Infinite Boot Retry

      Select this choice to enable or disable Infinitely retry the Legacy Boot order.

    • BBS Boot

      Select this choice to enable or disable legacy boot in BBS manner.

  • System Security

    Select this choice to view or configure Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support.

  • Integrated Management Module

    Select this choice to view or change the settings for the integrated management module.

    • Power Restore Policy

      Select this choice to view or enable the POST watchdog timer.

    • Commands on USB Interface Preference

      Select this choice to enable or disable the Ethernet over USB interface on IMM.

    • Network Configuration

      Select this choice to view the system management network interface port, the IMM MAC address, the current IMM IP address, and the host name; define the static IMM IP address, subnet mask, and gateway address; specify whether to use the static IP address or have DHCP assign the IMM IP address; save the network changes; and reset the IMM.

    • Reset IMM to Defaults

      Select this choice to view or reset IMM to the default settings.

    • Reset IMM

      Select this choice to reset the IMM settings.

  • Recovery

    Select this option to configure recovery settings.

  • Storage

    Select this option to see all the storage device settings.

  • Network

    Select this choice to view or configure the network device options, such as iSCSI, PXE, and network devices. There might be additional configuration choices for optional network devices that are compliant with UEFI 2.1 and later.

  • Driver Health

    Select this option to view the status of the controllers in the system as reported by their corresponding drivers.

• Date and Time

  Select this choice to set the date and time in the server, in 24-hour format (hour:minute:second).

  This choice is on the full Setup utility menu only.

• Start Options

  Select this choice to view or change the start options, including the startup sequence, keyboard NumLock state, PXE boot option, and PCI device boot priority. Changes in the startup options take effect when you start the server.

  The startup sequence specifies the order in which the server checks devices to find a boot record. The server starts from the first boot record that it finds. If the server has Wake on LAN hardware and software and the operating system supports Wake on LAN functions, you can specify a startup sequence for the Wake on LAN functions. For example, you can define a startup sequence that checks for a disc in the CD-RW/DVD drive, then checks the hard disk drive, and then checks a network adapter.

  This choice is on the full Setup utility menu only.

• Boot Manager

  Select this choice to view, add, delete, or change the device boot priority, boot from a file, select a one-time boot, or reset the boot order to the default setting.

• System Event Logs

  Select this choice to enter the System Event Manager, where you can view the POST event log and the system-event log. You can use the arrow keys to move between pages in the error log.

  The POST event log contains the three most recent error codes and messages that were generated during POST.

  The system-event log contains POST and system management interrupt (SMI) events and all events that are generated by the baseboard management controller that is embedded in the integrated management module (IMM).

  Important: If the system-error LED on the front of the server is lit but there are no other error indications, clear the system-event log. Also, after you complete a repair or correct an error, clear the system-event log to turn off the system-error LED on the front of the server.

  • POST Event Viewer

    Select this choice to enter the POST event viewer to view the POST event log.

  • System Event Log

    Select this choice to view the system event log.

  • Clear System Event Log

    Select this choice to clear the system event log.

• User Security

  Select this choice to set, change, or clear passwords. See Passwords for more information.

  This choice is on the full and limited Setup utility menu.

  • Power-on Password

    Select this choice to set or change a power-on password. See Power-on password for more information.

  • Administrator Password

    Select this choice to set or change an administrator password. An administrator password is intended to be used by a system administrator; it limits access to the full Setup utility menu. If an administrator password is set, the full Setup utility menu is available only if you type the administrator password at the password prompt. For more information, see Administrator password.

• Save Settings

  Select this choice to save the changes that you have made in the settings.

• Restore Settings

  Select this choice to cancel the changes that you have made in the settings and restore the previous settings.

• Load Default Settings

  Select this choice to cancel the changes that you have made in the settings and restore the factory settings.

• Exit Setup

  Select this choice to exit from the Setup utility. If you have not saved the changes that you have made in the settings, you are asked whether you want to save the changes or exit without saving them.