Skip to main content

Diagnostic tools

This section describes the available tools to assist you when diagnosing system errors.

Note
This documentation includes references to IBM web sites and information about obtaining service. IBM is Lenovo's preferred service provider for the System x products.

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 II

    The integrated management module II (IMM2) combines service processor functions, video controller, and remote presence and blue-screen capture features in a single chip. The IMM2 provides advanced service-processor control, monitoring, and alerting function. If an environmental condition exceeds a threshold or if a system component fails, the IMM2 lights LEDs to help you diagnose the problem, records the error in the IMM2 event log, and alerts you to the problem. Optionally, the IMM2 also provides a virtual presence capability for remote server management capabilities. The IMM2 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 IMM2, see Using the integrated management module II, Integrated management module II (IMM2) error messages, and the Integrated Management Module II User's Guide at Integrated Management Module II.

  • Dynamic System Analysis

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

    • DSA Portable

      DSA Portable collects and analyzes system information to aid in diagnosing server problems. DSA Portable runs on the server operating system and 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
      • 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 creates a DSA log, which is a chronologically ordered merge of the system-event log (as the IPMI event log), the integrated management module II (IMM2) event log (as the ASM event log), and the operating-system event logs. You can send the DSA log as a file to IBM Support (when requested by IBM Support) 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 https://support.lenovo.com/solutions/lnvo-dsa.

      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/output 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. ML2 network adapter
      2. IMM2 I2C bus
      3. Light path diagnostics panel
      4. Memory modules
      5. Microprocessors
      6. Optical devices (CD or DVD)
      7. SAS or SATA drives

      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
    Use this information as an overview of light path diagnostics.
  • Event logs
    Use this information as an overview of the event logs.
  • 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
    Lenovo Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) collects and analyzes system information to aid in diagnosing server problems.