® Dell® PowerEdge® 6300 Systems USER’S GUIDE www.dell.
____________________ Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 1998 Dell Computer Corporation. All rights reserved. Reproduction in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Computer Corporation is strictly forbidden.
Preface About This Guide This guide is intended for anyone who uses the Dell PowerEdge 6300 computer systems. The guide can be used by both first-time and experienced computer users who want to learn about the features and operation of the systems or who want to upgrade their systems.
• • Appendix E, “Warranties and Return Policy,” describes the warranties for Dell PowerEdge 6300 systems and the “Total Satisfaction” Return Policy. The Glossary provides definitions of terms, acronyms, and abbreviations used in this guide. Warranty and Return Policy Information Dell Computer Corporation (“Dell”) manufactures its hardware products from parts and components that are new or equivalent to new in accordance with industrystandard practices.
Notational Conventions The following subsections list notational conventions used in this document. Warnings, Cautions, and Notes Throughout this guide, there may be blocks of text printed in bold type within boxes or in italic type. These blocks are warnings, cautions, and notes, and they are used as follows: WARNING: A WARNING indicates the potential for bodily harm and tells you how to avoid the problem.
• Command lines consist of a command and may include one or more of the command’s possible parameters. Command lines are presented in the Courier New font. Example: del c:\myfile.doc • Screen text is text that appears on the screen of your monitor or display. It can be a system message, for example, or it can be text that you are instructed to type as part of a command (referred to as a command line). Screen text is presented in the Courier New font.
CHAPTER 1 Introduction The Dell® PowerEdge® 6300, which has an Intel® Pentium ® II Xeon™ processor is a feature-rich, enterprise class server that offers the highest performance, availability, scalability, manageability, and investment protection features. The PowerEdge 6300 provides a robust, reliable, rack-optimized platform on which large corporate customers can deploy their mission critical applications.
microprocessor for use as an additional microprocessor, as well as instructions for performing the upgrade. The additional microprocessors must have the same internal operating frequency as the initial microprocessors. • • • • A minimum of 128 MB of system memory, upgradable to a maximum of 4 GB by installing combinations of 32-, 128-, and 256-MB buffered extended-data out (EDO) dual in-line memory modules (DIMMs) in the 16 DIMM sockets on the memory board.
• • • Server management circuitry that monitors operation of the system fans as well as critical system voltages and temperatures. The server management circuitry works in conjunction with the HP OpenView Network Node Manager Special Edition (NNM Special Edition) and the Dell OpenManage™ Hardware Instrumentation Package (HIP) software package. System board support for the Dell OpenManage Remote Assistant when the optional Dell Remote Assistant Card version 2.
Front Panel The following controls and indicators are behind the external drive door on the system’s front panel: • • The power button controls the output power delivered to the system board from the power supply. The green power indicator in the center of the power button lights up when the power supply is turned on and the system is receiving direct current (DC) power.
diskette drive power indicator CD-ROM drive power button keylock power supply status indicator fan/temperature status indicator Figure 1-1. Front Panel hard-disk drive online indicator hard-disk drive activity indicator hard-disk drive failure indicator Figure 1-2.
Connecting External Devices You can connect various external devices, such as a mouse and printer, to the I/O ports and connectors on the system’s back panel. The system BIOS detects the presence of external devices when you boot or reboot your system. When connecting external devices to your system, follow these guidelines: • Check the documentation that accompanied the device for specific installation and configuration instructions.
CHAPTER 2 Using the Dell Server Assistant CD This chapter describes the bootable Dell Server Assistant CD and tells you how to use the utilities, diagnostics, documentation, drivers, and other items included on the CD. Most of the functions available on the Dell Server Assistant CD are also available using a bootable utility partition that is installed on your hard-disk drive.
CD Main Menu The Dell Server Assistant main menu includes the following categories, each of which has one or more options. The subsections that follow describe the options within each menu category. (The options displayed on your system may vary depending on the configuration.
Choose Language When the system boots, you are given the option of choosing one of the following languages for the menus, help screens, messages, and online documentation: • • • • Deutsch English Español Français After you choose a language, the main menu appears in the chosen language.
Create Utility Partition The utility partition is a bootable partition on the hard-disk drive that provides most of the functions that are available on the Dell Server Assistant CD. Dell has installed the utility partition on your hard-disk drive; however, reinstalling the utility partition and/or its contents may be necessary if the version installed by Dell becomes damaged or is removed from the hard-disk drive.
Using the Online Documents You can access the online system documents, as well as other information, on any desktop or server system that has a browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. When you put the CD in a system running the Microsoft Windows® 95 operating system or Microsoft Windows NT, the system automatically starts the browser software and displays the documentation welcome page.
The following drivers are available on the CD: • • • SCSI drivers RAID drivers (for the optional PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller) Network interface controller (NIC) drivers The following subsections describe the choices available with this option. Create Windows NT Server 4.0 Diskettes The following are available for the Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 operating system. You must create a separate diskette for each option.
keyboard or a mouse. Menu options and the associated help are displayed in the currently selected language (specified via a menu option). As you move your cursor over an option in a menu, information about that option is displayed at the bottom of the screen. Click Back to return to the previous menu. Click Exit (or press ) to exit the utility partition. Exiting the utility causes the system to reboot to the standard operating-system boot partition.
Table 2-1. Utility Partition Menu Options (continued) Option Description Create Utility Diskettes: Create RAID Configuration Utility Diskette Creates a bootable diskette for running the Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller configuration utility (if the controller card is present on your system). The RAID configuration utility provides an alternative method for configuring the card. Create Diagnostics Diskette Creates a bootable diskette from which the hardware diagnostics can be run.
Installing Video Drivers for Windows NT 4.0 NOTE: Video drivers must be reinstalled after every installation of Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3. Select the Create Diskettes category from the Dell Server Assistant main menu, and create a diskette of software drivers for Windows NT 4.0. After you make the diskette of the drivers, use the following procedure to install the video drivers: 1. Start Windows NT. 2. Log in as the administrator or as a user with administrative privileges.
Asset Tag Utility The Asset Tag utility allows you to enter an asset tag number for your system. The default System Setup screen (see Figure 4-1) does not show the asset tag number unless you enter one using this utility. NOTE: The Asset Tag utility works only on systems running MS-DOS. Using the Asset Tag Utility Use the following procedure to create a system utility diskette and boot the system: 1.
CHAPTER 3 Installing and Configuring SCSI Drivers This chapter describes how to install and configure the Dell small computer system interface (SCSI) device drivers included with your Dell PowerEdge 6300 computer system. These device drivers are designed to work with the dual Adaptec AIC-7890 low voltage differential (LVD) Ultra2/ Wide SCSI-3 controllers and the Adaptec AIC-7860 Ultra/Narrow SCSI-3 controller on the system board.
SCSI device drivers are provided for the following operating systems: • • Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 Novell NetWare 4.11 See Chapter 2, “Using the Dell Server Assistant CD,” for instructions on creating a diskette of drivers for your operating system. For instructions on configuring the SCSI device drivers, see the appropriate sections in this chapter. Installing SCSI Drivers for a Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller in Windows NT 4.
3. Insert the Novell NetWare 4.11 CD or the Dell IntranetWare Support CD into the CD-ROM drive and change to the CD-ROM drive letter. 4. Run install.bat from the CD. NetWare 4.11 detects the Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller (identified as “MegaRAID” in the system message). 5. Insert the RAID driver diskette created for NetWare 4.11 that you created from the Dell Server Assistant CD and press . NOTE: Do not use the drivers provided on the NetWare CD. 6.
. Table 3-1.
SCSI Bus Interface Definitions The basic host adapter settings are the SCSISelect settings most likely to require modification: • • • Host Adapter SCSI ID — This option sets the host adapter’s SCSI ID. The default setting is SCSI ID 7, which allows the host adapter to support narrow SCSI devices in addition to wide SCSI devices. Dell recommends that you leave the host adapter set to SCSI ID 7.
Normally, you should leave the Initiate Sync Negotiation enabled, because most SCSI devices support synchronous negotiation and because it allows for faster data transfer. NOTE: Some older SCSI-1 devices do not support sync negotiation. This may cause your computer to operate erratically or hang if Initiate Sync Negotiation is set to Yes. Set Initiate Sync Negotiation to No for these devices.
• • BIOS Multiple LUN Support — This option provides support for peripherals that contain multiple SCSI devices, such as RAID subsystems and CD-ROM changers. Include in BIOS Scan — This option enables you to set whether the system BIOS scans this device during system start-up. The default is Yes. Advanced Host Adapter Settings The advanced host adapter settings should not be changed unless absolutely necessary. These values are set by Dell, and changing them may cause conflicts with the SCSI devices.
extended translation, the partition size you choose must be a multiple of 8 MB. If you request a size that is not a multiple of 8 MB, fdisk rounds up to the nearest whole multiple of 8 MB. • • • • • Display Message During BIOS Initialization — This option determines whether the Press for SCSISelect (TM) Utility. message appears on your screen during system start-up. The default is Enabled.
• . • Format Disk — This option runs a utility that allows you to perform a low-level format on a hard-disk drive. Most SCSI hard-disk drives are formatted at the factory and do not need to be formatted again. The Adaptec Format Disk utility is compatible with the vast majority of SCSI hard-disk drives. CAUTION: The Format Disk option destroys all data on the hard-disk drive. Verify Disk Media — This option runs a utility that allows you to scan the media of a hard-disk drive for defects.
Using Windows NT 4.0 to Install the Driver To install the SCSI drivers, use the following procedure: 1. Create the Windows NT 4.0 driver diskette from the Dell Server Assistant CD. 2. Restart Windows NT Setup. Windows NT copies files to your system and automatically reboots your system. At the first blue screen after reboot, Windows NT Setup will display the following message: Setup is inspecting your computer’s hardware configuration... 3. Press .
Removing a Host Adapter Removing a PCI expansion-card SCSI controller is as simple as physically removing it from its slot when your computer is shut down. Windows NT boots and functions properly in this configuration, but a warning message is generated every time you boot Windows NT. CAUTION: If you have removed a host adapter but still have other host adapters of the same type installed in your computer, do not use Windows NT Setup to remove the device driver.
Swapping a Host Adapter The procedure for swapping one type of host adapter for another is similar to the procedure for adding a host adapter, except that you make all software configuration changes while Windows NT is running—before you make the hardware changes. 1. Install the driver for the new host adapter by following the steps in “Installation for Windows NT” found earlier in this section. It is not essential to remove the device driver for the host adapter you are replacing.
Installation for Novell NetWare 4.11 This section provides the following information about installing the Dell SCSI drivers for NetWare 4.11: • • • • • • Installing the EZ-SCSI utility Installing the Novell NetWare 4.11 operating system Installing and updating the Dell SCSI driver for NetWare 4.11 Automatic driver loading using startup.ncf and autoexec.
In addition, the scsi subdirectory on your NetWare 4.11 drivers diskette contains the following files: • • • • aic78u2.ddi — A driver definition information file for the 78xx Ultra2 SCSI series host adapters that provides setup information to NetWare during installation; NetWare can then prompt you with parameters to be configured for the device driver during the installation process. aha2940.ddi — A driver definition information file for the AHA-2940U2W host adapter. aspicd.
6. Follow the instructions that appear on the screen. Press at every screen to accept the EZ-SCSI default values. If you accept all the default values, the EZ-SCSI utility copies the files from the diskette to the c:\scsi directory. The EZ-SCSI utility creates this directory if the directory does not already exist. The EZ-SCSI utility also adds command lines to your system’s configuration files (autoexec.bat and config.
Creating the Netware 4.11 Driver Updates Diskette To create a driver diskette from the Dell Server Assistant CD for driver installation purposes, perform the following steps: 1. Insert the Dell Server Assistant CD into the server’s CD-ROM drive and restart the system. 2. When the Dell Server Assistant main menu appears, select Create Diskettes and press . 3. Select Create Operating Systems Support Diskettes and press . 4. Select the icon for your NetWare version and press . 5.
b. From the menu that appears, select Run System Utilities. c. From the Run System Utilities menu, select Create Utility Partition. d. At the Welcome... screen, select OK and press . e. At the message Installation completed successfully, select OK and press . f. Select Exit and press . g. At the Exit Confirmation dialog box, remove the Dell Server Assistant CD, insert the Dell IntranetWare Support CD, select OK, and press to reboot the server. 2.
Installing NetWare 4.11 This section describes how to install the aic78u2.ham and aha2940.ham drivers at the same time you install NetWare 4.11. If NetWare 4.11 is already installed and you wish to install or update the aic78u2.ham and aha2940.ham drivers, refer to the NetWare User’s Guide for installation instructions. Also, refer to the NetWare User’s Guide for information about partitioning, creating a server name, and checking the IPX network number.
NOTE: Specific help text for each driver appears in the middle of the screen as you scroll down the list. The Loaded Drivers window below the list of available drivers displays the names of drivers that are loaded and operational. For a new installation, this list is initially empty. For a selective installation, the list shows the drivers already running. The system prompts you for a slot number for the device. 13. Press to switch to the console prompt, type load a:\aic78u2.
26. Enter the appropriate values for the configuration parameters, including the slot number for the network adapter, pressing after each entry. 27. Repeat steps 19 through 26 for each network adapter in your system. 28. Select Continue the Installation to create disk partitions and system volumes, and to specify volume names follow the procedures listed in the NetWare User’s Guide. 29. When prompted to edit the startup.ncf file, find the entry load sgscsi.cdm and replace the entry with load scsihd.
6. Read the File Copy Status screen, which contains information on the IntranetWare version 4.0A Support Pack, and press to continue. The program copies files to your hard-disk drive. 7. At the message IntranetWare Support Package installation is complete!, press . 8. At the message NetWare v4.1x CLIB Update is complete!, press . A screen appears listing several instructions that you must follow. The next few steps cover these instructions. 9.
To install the IntranetWare Support Pack 4.0A complete these steps: 1. Place the Support Pack file onto a workstation that is attached to the PowerEdge server. 2. Copy the support pack file to a volume on the server. 3. Expand the file by typing iwsp4a.exe and press . 4. Follow the directions listed in the iwsp4a.txt file included with the support pack. When Support Pack 4.0A has been applied, you can install SMP on your system. Installing SMP Support To add SMP support to your NetWare 4.
NOTE: To load the driver from your hard-disk drive, the aic78u2.ham driver and nwaspi.cdm module must be copied from your NetWare 4.11 driver diskette to a directory on your hard-disk drive (usually, the server's start-up directory [for example, c:\nwserver]). The syntax to load the aic78u2.ham driver follows: load [pathname]\aic78u2.ham [options] slot=x For example, the command line to load the driver from the c:\nwserver directory with the verbose= option on and a slot number of 10002 follows: load c:\nws
Table 3-2. Drive Status Items Menu Option Default Value Volume Segments on Drive1 Select for a list Read After Write Verify1 Hardware Level Drive Light Status1 Not supported Driver Operating Status1 Active Removable Drive Mount Status2 Mounted Removable Drive Lock Status2 Not Locked 1 Valid for both removable and nonremovable SCSI drives 2 Valid for removable media only Verify Status The Read After Write Verify option (menu option 2) is set to Hardware Level by default.
Lock Status If your removable-media device supports the lock/unlock feature, you can lock the media (using menu option 6). The media must be in the Not Locked state before you can eject it. If the media is locked, it cannot be ejected when you press the eject button. Using Drives Tested and Approved for NetWare To be fully certified as NetWare “Yes, Tested and Approved,” a drive and host adapter must both pass a qualification process that takes place before you see the product.
2. Load nwaspi.cdm by entering the following command line: load [pathname] nwaspi.cdm NOTE: If nwaspi.cdm does not work, unload it and load it again. The first load initializes the host adapter; unloading and reloading allows the initialization to complete. 3. Load cdrom.nlm as follows: load [pathname] cdrom.nlm 4. Enter the following line at the prompt, and then note the number and name of the CD that appears: cd device list 5.
Specific error codes, such as those in the following subsections, appear only if you have installed the host adapters and drivers that generate them: Non–Host-Adapter Specific Error Codes The following error codes alert you to error conditions caused by factors not related to the host adapter: 000 Failed ParseDriverParameters call A call to NetWare’s ParseDriverParameters routine has failed. The command-line contains errors, or you pressed at the port or slot prompt.
206 Invalid ‘fixed_disk’ setting, use ‘off’ You can only enter off for this option (fixed_disk=off). 208 SCSI present but not enabled/configured for PCI A host adapter is present, but its bus or device entry has not been enabled.
CHAPTER 4 Using the System Setup Program Each time you turn on or reboot your computer system, the system compares the hardware installed in the system to the hardware listed in the system configuration information stored in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM) on the system board. If the system detects a discrepancy, it generates error messages that identify the incorrect configuration settings. The system then prompts you to enter the System Setup program to correct the setting.
Entering the System Setup Program Enter the System Setup program as follows: 1. Turn on your system. If your system is already on, shut it down and then turn it on again. 2. Press immediately after you see the following message: Press for System Setup If you wait too long and your operating system begins to load into memory, let the system complete the load operation; then shut down the system and try again.
• Key functions The line of boxes across the bottom of both screens lists keys and their functions within the System Setup program. Using the System Setup Program Table 4-1 lists the keys you use to view or change information on the System Setup screens and to exit the program. Table 4-1. System-Setup Navigation Keys Keys Action or Moves to the next field. Moves to the previous field. or or or Cycles through the options in a field. In many fields, you can also type the appropriate value.
configuration options Page 1 of 2 title box help Dell Computer Corporation (www.dell.com) BIOS Version: XXX System PowerEdge® 6300/400 Setup Date:Wed Apr 8, 1998 This category sets the time in Diskette Drive A: 3.5 inch, 1.44 MB 24-hour format (hours:minutes: Diskette Drive B: Not Installed seconds) for the internal clock/calendar. Cache: On To change the value in a field, Num Lock: On enter a number or use the leftSpeaker: On or right-arrow key. Processor 1: Revision B0 Changes take effect immediately.
System Setup Options The following subsections explain in detail each of the options on the System Setup screens: Time Time resets the time on the computer’s internal clock. Time is kept in a 24-hour format (hours:minutes:seconds). To change the time, press the right-arrow key to increase the number in the highlighted field or press the leftarrow key to decrease the number. If you prefer, you can type numbers in each of the appropriate fields. Date Date resets the date on the computer’s internal calendar.
Num Lock Num Lock determines whether your system boots with the Num Lock mode activated on 101- or 102-key keyboards (it does not apply to 84-key keyboards). When Num Lock mode is activated, the rightmost bank of keys on your keyboard provides the mathematical and numeric functions shown at the tops of the keys. When Num Lock mode is turned off, these keys provide cursor-control functions according to the label on the bottom of each key.
Hard Disk Only Selecting Hard Disk Only causes the system to attempt to boot first from the harddisk drive and then from the Plug and Play network adapters in the order found. Scan Sequence This option determines the order in which PCI devices are scanned by the system, and it allows you to select the built-in SCSI controller or an optional PCI expansioncard SCSI controller as the boot device.
Setup Password Setup Password lets you restrict access to your computer’s System Setup program in the same way that you restrict access to your system with the system password feature. The settings are: • • • Not Enabled (the default) Enabled Disabled by Jumper (jumper removed) NOTE: Read “Using the Setup Password Feature” found later in this chapter for instructions on assigning a setup password and using or changing an existing setup password.
Parallel Mode Parallel Mode controls whether the system’s built-in parallel port acts as an AT-compatible (unidirectional) or PS/2-compatible (bidirectional) port. Set Parallel Mode according to the type of peripheral device connected to the parallel port. To determine the correct mode to use, see the documentation that came with the device. Diskette Diskette controls the operation of the system’s built-in diskette drive controller.
which is included with your software support utilities, to enter an asset tag number up to ten characters long into NVRAM. See “Asset Tag Utility” in Chapter 2 for information on loading the Asset Tag utility. Using the System Password Feature CAUTION: The password features provide a basic level of security for the data on your system. However, they are not foolproof.
For instructions on changing the setting for Password Status, see “Password Status” found earlier in this chapter. 2. Highlight System Password, and then press the left- or right-arrow key. The heading changes to Enter Password, followed by an empty seven-character field in square brackets. 3. Type your new system password. You can use up to seven characters in your password. As you press each character key (or the spacebar key for a blank space), a placeholder appears in the field.
Type the password and press . After you type the correct system password and press , your system boots and you can use the keyboard and/or mouse to operate your system as usual. NOTE: If you have assigned a setup password (see “Using the Setup Password Feature” found later in this chapter), the system accepts your setup password as an alternate system password. If a wrong or incomplete system password is entered, the following message appears on the screen: ** Incorrect password.
5. Confirm that Not Enabled is displayed for the System Password category of the System Setup program. If Not Enabled appears in the System Password category, the system password has been deleted. If you want to assign a new password, continue to step 6. If Not Enabled is not displayed for the System Password category, press the key combination to reboot the system, and then repeat steps 3 through 5. 6.
Operating With a Setup Password Enabled If Setup Password is set to Enabled, you must enter the correct setup password before you can modify the majority of the System Setup options. When you start the System Setup program, Page 2 of the System Setup screens appears with Setup Password highlighted, prompting you to type the password.
that situation, do not refer to “System Beep Codes” and “System Messages.” Instead, follow the instructions in “Performing a Memory Upgrade” in Chapter 8 of the Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.) If you are given an option of pressing either to continue or to run the System Setup program, press the key.
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CHAPTER 5 Using the Resource Configuration Utility The Resource Configuration Utility (RCU) is used to tell the system what expansion cards are installed and which expansion slots they occupy. With this information, the system automatically configures Plug and Play expansion cards and PCI expansion cards. Before your system was shipped from Dell, a technician used the RCU to enter the correct information for the expansion cards initially installed in your computer.
allows you to copy any system configuration changes to the diskette for safekeeping. See Chapter 2, “Using the Dell Server Assistant CD,” for instructions on creating an RCU diskette. PCI expansion cards do not require a configuration file. The PCI configuration utility in read-only memory (ROM) automatically uses the information maintained by the RCU to assign resources for PCI expansion cards.
Follow these steps the first time you use the RCU. To run the program from a diskette, insert into drive A the RCU diskette that you created from the Dell Server Assistant CD. Then either turn on your computer or reboot it by pressing . 1. To run the program from your hard-disk drive, switch to the c:\rcu subdirectory, type sd at the operating system prompt, and press . To run the program from the Dell Server Assistant CD, restart the system from the CD.
When you select Configure Computer, the following menu appears on the screen: Steps in configuring your computer Step 1: Important Resource Configuration Information Step 2: Add or remove boards Step 3: View or edit details Step 4: Examine switches or print report Step 5: Save and exit Step 1: Important Resource Configuration Information The Step 1: Important Resource Configuration Information option uses seven information screens to explain the configuration process.
NOTES: Several system board categories allow you to edit such resources as memory address, I/O ports, interrupt requests (IRQ), and direct memory access (DMA) channels. It may be necessary to edit these resources to resolve a configuration conflict. To view the resource screen for any device, highlight the option and press . The edit resources feature is intended for users who are technically knowledgeable.
Step 4: Examine Switches or Print Report The Step 3: Examine Switches or Print Report option lists the required switch and jumper settings for each expansion card in your computer. To view the settings, highlight the card and press . Press to make a copy of or print the settings. If your computer is attached to a printer, you can print out the information or copy it to a file.
Lock/Unlock Boards When you lock an expansion card, the RCU cannot change the resources allocated to that card. Unlocking the card allows the system to change the resources automatically as new cards are added. The default for the Lock/Unlock Boards category is Unlocked. Dell recommends that you keep your cards unlocked so that the RCU can do its job properly. NOTE: If changes are made to the hardware or System Setup configuration, locks may not be maintained.
Resolving Resource Conflicts The RCU automatically resolves resource conflicts between two PCI expansion cards. It is extremely unusual for the RCU to fail in resolving a resource conflict between two PCI expansion cards. If the RCU fails to resolve the conflict, see Chapter 11, “Getting Help,” in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for information on obtaining technical assistance. If the Set Verification Mode menu category is set to Automatic, the RCU tries to resolve the conflict.
APPENDIX A Technical Specifications Table A-1. Technical Specifications Microprocessor Microprocessor types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . one to four Intel® Pentium® II Xeon™ processors with an internal operating frequency of 400 MHz and an external operating frequency of 100 MHz Internal cache . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512-KB to 2-MB L2 cache Math coprocessor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . internal to microprocessor Expansion Bus Bus type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table A-1. Technical Specifications (continued) Drives Diskette drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . one 3.5-inch, 1.44-MB diskette drive included with standard system Tape drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 GB and higher (optional) SCSI hard-disk drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . formatted capacities ranging from 4 GB to 18 GB SCSI devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Table A-1. Technical Specifications (continued) Power AC power supply: Wattage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320 W per supply Voltage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 V at 60 Hz/230 V at 50 Hz System battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CR2032 3.0-V lithium coin cell Physical Height (with support feet) . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.5 cm (17.5 inches) Width . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.5 cm (12.0 inches) Depth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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APPENDIX B I/O Ports and Connectors This appendix provides specific information about the input/output (I/O) ports and connectors on the back panel of the computer system. I/O Ports and Connectors The I/O ports and connectors on the back panel of the system are the gateways through which the computer system communicates with external devices, such as a keyboard, mouse, printer, and monitor. Figure B-1 identifies the I/O ports and connectors for your system.
mouse connector (MOUSE) keyboard connector (KYBD) server-management bus connector (XSMB_OUT) server-management bus connector (XSMB_IN) serial port 1 connector (SERIAL1) parallel port connector (PARALLEL) serial port 2 connector (SERIAL2) video connector (JVGA) Figure B-1. I/O Ports and Connectors Adding an Expansion Card Containing Serial or Parallel Ports The system has an autoconfiguration capability for the serial ports.
Both the new and the remapped COM ports share the same interrupt request (IRQ) setting, as follows: COM1, COM3: IRQ4 (shared setting) COM2, COM4: IRQ3 (shared setting) These COM ports have the following I/O address settings: COM1: 3F8h COM2: 2F8h COM3: 3E8h COM4: 2E8h For example, if you add an internal modem card with a port configured as COM1, the system then sees logical COM1 as the address on the modem card.
6—9 1—5 shell Figure B-2. Pin Numbers for the Serial Port Connectors Table B-1.
13 — 1 25 — 14 shell Figure B-3. Pin Numbers for the Parallel Port Connector Table B-2.
Keyboard and Mouse Connectors The system uses a Personal System/2 (PS/2)-style keyboard and supports a PS/2compatible mouse. Cables from both devices attach to 6-pin, miniature Deutsche Industrie Norm (DIN) connectors on the back panel of your system. The keyboard connector is on the left; the mouse connector is on the right.
Mouse Connector If you reconfigure your hardware, you may need pin number and signal information for the mouse connector. Figure B-5 illustrates the pin numbers for the mouse connector, and Table B-4 lists and defines the pin assignments and interface signals for the mouse connector. shell 3 5 1 2 6 4 Figure B-5. Pin Numbers for the Mouse Connector Table B-4.
6 10 5—1 15 — 11 shell Figure B-6. Pin Numbers for the Video Connector Table B-5.
APPENDIX C Maintaining the System Proper use of preventive maintenance procedures can keep the system in top operating condition and minimize the need for costly, time-consuming service procedures. This appendix contains maintenance procedures that you should perform regularly. Data Preservation Everyone inadvertently deletes files at one time or another. Also, hard-disk drives can fail after extended use, so it is not a question of whether you will eventually lose data, but when.
As a last resort, you can back up a hard-disk drive’s contents on diskettes, a method that is both time-consuming and prone to human error. Also, backing up a full 4-GB hard-disk drive requires approximately 277 diskettes (when using 1.44-MB diskettes), 334 diskettes (when using 1.2-MB diskettes), or 139 diskettes (when using 2.88-MB diskettes).
Recommended Tools and Accessories Dell recommends that you use the following tools and accessories when you clean the system: • • • • • A wrist grounding strap — The proper use of a wrist grounding strap reduces the effect of electrostatic discharge (ESD), which can damage certain system components.
Cleaning Drives You can clean the heads of your diskette drives by using a commercially available diskette-drive head-cleaning kit. These kits include diskettes pretreated with a chemical solution to nonabrasively remove contaminants that accumulate on the drive heads during normal operation. If the kit does not contain instructions, insert one of the pretreated diskettes into a diskette drive and turn on the system. After 20 or 30 seconds, remove the diskette from the drive.
• • If the system has been exposed to abnormally cold temperatures, allow a twohour warm-up period to bring it up to normal operating temperature before turning it on. Failure to do so may cause damage to internal components, particularly the hard-disk drive. If intermittent system failures are noticed, try reseating any socketed chips, which might have become loose due to temperature fluctuations. Humidity High-humidity conditions can cause moisture migration and penetration into the system.
Corrosion The oil from a person’s fingers or prolonged exposure to high temperature or humidity can corrode the gold-plated edge connectors and pin connectors on various devices in the system. This corrosion on system connectors is a gradual process that can eventually lead to intermittent failures of electrical circuits. To prevent corrosion, you should avoid touching contacts on boards and cards.
To reduce the possibility of EMI and RFI, follow these guidelines: • • • • Operate the system only with the system cover installed. Ensure that all expansion slots are covered either by a card-mounting bracket or by a metal filler bracket and that all drive bays have a drive and/or a metal insert installed. These brackets and metal inserts are available from Dell. Ensure that the screws on all peripheral cable connectors are securely fastened to their corresponding connectors on the back of the system.
Each Dell system, when operating, is designed to withstand 0.25 G (half-sine wave) at a sweep of 3 to 200 hertz (Hz) for 15 minutes. In storage, the system can withstand 0.5 G at 3 to 200 Hz for 15 minutes. Power Source Interruptions Systems are especially sensitive to variations in voltage supplied by the AC power source. Over-voltage, undervoltage, and transients (or spikes) can erase data from memory or even cause components to fail.
Surge Protectors Surge protectors are available in a variety of types and usually provide a level of protection commensurate with the cost of the device. Surge protectors prevent voltage spikes, such as those caused during an electrical storm, from entering a system through the AC power source. Surge protectors, however, do not offer protection against brownouts, which occur when the voltage drops more than 20 percent below the normal AC line voltage level.
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APPENDIX D Regulatory Notices FCC Notices (U.S. Only) Most Dell computer systems are classified by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as Class B digital devices. However, the inclusion of certain options changes the rating of some configurations to Class A. To determine which classification applies to your computer system, examine all FCC registration labels located on the back panel of your computer, on card-mounting brackets, and on the cards themselves.
against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference, in which case you will be required to correct the interference at your own expense. Class B This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual, may cause interference with radio and television reception.
IC Notice (Canada Only) Most Dell computer systems (and other Dell digital apparatus) are classified by the Industry Canada (IC) Interference-Causing Equipment Standard #3 (ICES-003) as Class B digital devices. To determine which classification (Class A or B) applies to your computer system (or other Dell digital apparatus), examine all registration labels located on the bottom or the back panel of your computer (or other digital apparatus).
CE Notice Marking by the symbol indicates compliance of this Dell system to the EMC (Electromagnetic Compatibility) directive and the LV (Low Voltage) directive of the European Community. Such marking is indicative that this Dell system meets or exceeds the following technical standards: • EN 55022 — “Limits and Methods of Measurement of Radio Interference Characteristics of Information Technology Equipment.” NOTE: EN 55022 emissions requirements provide for two classifications—Class A and Class B.
Once you have determined your system’s VCCI classification, read the appropriate VCCI notice. Note that VCCI regulations provide that changes or modifications not expressly approved by Dell Computer Corporation could void your authority to operate this equipment. Class A ITE This is a Class A product based on the standard of the Voluntary Control Council for Interference for information technology equipment. If this equipment is used in a domestic environment, radio disturbance may arise.
Polish Center for Testing and Certification Notice The equipment should draw power from a socket with an attached protection circuit (a three-prong socket). All equipment that works together (computer, monitor, printer, and so on) should have the same power supply source. The phasing conductor of the room’s electrical installation should have a reserve short-circuit protection device in the form of a fuse with a nominal value no larger than 10 amperes (A).
• • NOM 024 Information (Mexico Only) The following informa
Información para NOM 024 (únicamente para México) La información siguiente se proporciona en el dispositivo o en los dispositivos descritos en este documento, en cumplimiento con los requisitos de la Norma Oficial Mexicana (NOM 024): Exportador: Dell Computer Corporation One Dell Way Round Rock, TX 78682 Importador: Dell Computer de México, S.A. de C.V. Rio Lerma No. 302 - 4° Piso Col. Cuauhtemoc 16500 México, D.F. Embarcar a: Dell Computer de México, S.A. de C.V.
APPENDIX E Warranties and Return Policy Limited Three-Year Warranty (U.S. Only) Dell Computer Corporation (“Dell”) manufactures its hardware products from parts and components that are new or equivalent to new in accordance with industrystandard practices. Dell warrants that the hardware products it manufactures will be free from defects in materials and workmanship. The warranty term is three years beginning on the date of invoice, as described in the following text.
NOTE: Before you ship the product(s) to Dell, back up the data on the hard-disk drive(s) and any other storage device(s) in the product(s). Remove any removable media, such as diskettes, CDs, or PC Cards. Dell does not accept liability for lost data or software. Dell owns all parts removed from repaired products. Dell uses new and reconditioned parts made by various manufacturers in performing warranty repairs and building replacement products.
DAMAGES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY LIABILITY FOR PRODUCTS NOT BEING AVAILABLE FOR USE OR FOR LOST DATA OR SOFTWARE. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE PRECEDING EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. These provisions apply to Dell’s U.S. limited three-year warranty only. For provisions of any service contract covering your system, refer to the separate service contract that you will receive.
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Glossary The following list defines or identifies technical terms, abbreviations, and acronyms used in Dell user documents. NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, these definitions may not apply to operating systems other than MS-DOS ® or Microsoft ® Windows®. A Abbreviation for ampere(s). AC Abbreviation for alternating current. adapter card An expansion card that plugs into an expansion-card connector on the computer’s system board.
autoexec.bat and config.sys for MS-DOS or win.ini and system.ini for Windows. base memory Synonym for conventional memory. See also conventional memory. Miscellaneous functions, such as system messages bit The smallest unit of information interpreted by your computer. BASIC Acronym for Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code, a programming language. MS-DOS includes a version of BASIC. block A typical unit of disk storage consisting of a small number of sectors.
various peripheral devices connected to the computer. Your computer also contains an address bus and a data bus for communications between the microprocessor and RAM. CMOS Acronym for complementary metal-oxide semiconductor. In computers, CMOS memory chips are often used for NVRAM storage. byte Eight contiguous bits of information, the basic data unit used by your computer. COMn The MS-DOS device names for the first through fourth serial ports on your computer are COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4.
handles numeric processing. A graphics coprocessor handles video rendering. The Intel® Pentium® microprocessor includes a built-in math coprocessor. DIMM cpi Abbreviation for characters per inch. DIN Acronym for Deutsche Industrie Norm. CPU Abbreviation for central processing unit. See also microprocessor. DIP Acronym for dual in-line package. A circuit board, such as a system board or expansion card, may contain DIP switches for configuring the circuit board.
display adapter See video adapter. DMA Abbreviation for direct memory access. A DMA channel allows certain types of data transfer between RAM and a device to bypass the microprocessor. DOC Abbreviation for Department of Communications (in Canada). dpi Abbreviation for dots per inch. DPMS Abbreviation for Display Power Management Signaling.
system resources from a corresponding EISA configuration file. devices, such as a network card or an internal modem. EMC Abbreviation for Electromagnetic Compatibility. expansion-card connector A connector on the computer’s system board for plugging in an expansion card. EMI Abbreviation for electromagnetic interference. extended memory RAM above 1 MB. Most software that can use it, such as Windows, requires that extended memory be under the control of an XMM.
ft Abbreviation for feet. FTP Abbreviation for File Transfer Protocol. g Abbreviation for gram(s). G Abbreviation for gravities. GB Abbreviation for gigabyte(s). A gigabyte equals 1,024 megabytes or 1,073,741,824 bytes. graphics coprocessor See coprocessor. graphics mode See video mode. guarding A type of data redundancy that uses a set of physical drives to store data and a single, additional drive to store parity data. Using guarding, the user’s data is protected from the loss of a single drive.
interlacing A technique for increasing video resolution by only updating alternate horizontal lines on the screen. Because interlacing can result in noticeable screen flicker, most users prefer noninterlaced video adapter resolutions. internal microprocessor cache An instruction and data cache built in to the microprocessor. The Pentium microprocessor, for example, includes a 16-KB internal cache, which is set up as an 8-KB read-only instruction cache and an 8-KB read/write data cache.
LIM Acronym for Lotus/Intel/Microsoft. LIM usually refers to version 4.0 of the EMS. LN Abbreviation for load number. local bus On a computer with local-bus expansion capability, certain peripheral devices (such as the video adapter circuitry) can be designed to run much faster than they would with a traditional expansion bus. Some local-bus designs allow peripherals to run at the same speed and with the same width data path as the computer’s microprocessor.
mm Abbreviation for millimeter(s). MMX The microprocessors for this system include media enhancement technology which is designed to handle complex multimedia and communications software. mouse A pointing device that controls the movement of the cursor on a screen. Mouse-aware software allows you to activate commands by clicking a mouse button while pointing at objects displayed on the screen. ms Abbreviation for millisecond(s). MS-DOS Abbreviation for Microsoft Disk Operating System.
three logical drive assignments, as shown in the following table. Partitioning the Hard-Disk Drive Physical Partitions and Sizes Partition 1 120 MB Partition 2 80 MB Logical Drive Assignments and Sizes Drive C 120 MB Drive D 50 MB Drive E 30 MB After partitioning the hard-disk drive, you must format each logical drive with the format command. PC Card Slightly larger than a credit card, a PC Card is a removable I/O card—such as a modem, LAN, SRAM, or flash memory card—that adheres to the PCMCIA standards.
QIC Abbreviation for quarter-inch cartridge. RAM Acronym for random-access memory. The computer’s primary temporary storage area for program instructions and data. Each location in RAM is identified by a number called a memory address. Any information stored in RAM is lost when you turn off your computer. RAID Acronym for redundant array of inexpensive disks. This phrase was introduced by David Patterson, Garth Gibson, and Randy Katz at the University of California at Berkeley in 1987.
• • It resides on a physically writeprotected diskette. It is located on a network in a directory to which the system administrator has assigned readonly rights to you. real mode An operating mode supported by 80286 or higher microprocessors, real mode imitates the architecture of an 8086 microprocessor. Designed to run in real mode, MS-DOS (unassisted by additional software techniques) can address only 640 KB of conventional memory.
starts over with the first physical drive. By carefully selecting the size of the data block, the chance that the information needed can be read from or written to multiple physical drives at once is increased, greatly increasing the performance of the composite drive. See also block, block size, and RAID. SVGA Abbreviation for super video graphics array. See also VGA. switch See parameter.
tpi Abbreviation for tracks per inch. TSR Abbreviation for terminate-and-stayresident. A TSR program runs “in the background.” Most TSR programs implement a predefined key combination (sometimes referred to as a “hot key”) that allows you to activate the TSR program’s interface while running another MS-DOS program. When you finish using the TSR program, you can return to the other application program and leave the TSR program resident in memory for later use.
VGA feature connector On some systems with a built-in VGA video adapter, a VGA feature connector allows you to add an enhancement adapter, such as a video accelerator, to your computer. A VGA feature connector can also be called a VGA pass-through connector. video adapter The logical circuitry that provides—in combination with the monitor or display— your computer’s video capabilities. A video adapter may support more or fewer features than a specific monitor offers.
drive. To guard against virus programs, you should do the following: • • Periodically run a virus-checking utility on your computer’s hard-disk drive Always run a virus-checking utility on any diskettes (including commercially sold software) before using them VL-Bus™ An abbreviation for VESA® local bus. A standard for local bus implementation developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association. VLSI Abbreviation for very–large-scale integration. Vpp Abbreviation for peak-point voltage.
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