Diagnostic tools 56
USB support and functionality
USB support
HP provides both standard USB 2.0 support and legacy USB 2.0 support. Standard support is provided by
the OS through the appropriate USB device drivers. Before the OS loads, HP provides support for USB
devices through legacy USB support, which is enabled by default in the system ROM.
Legacy USB support provides USB functionality in environments where USB support is not available normally.
Specifically, HP provides legacy USB functionality for the following:
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POST
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RBSU
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Diagnostics
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DOS
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Operating environments which do not provide native USB support
Internal USB functionality
An internal USB connector is available for use with security key devices and USB drive keys. This solution
provides for use of a permanent USB key installed in the internal connector, avoiding issues of clearance on
the front of the rack and physical access to secure data.
External USB functionality
HP provides external USB support to enable local connection of USB devices for server administration,
configuration, and diagnostic procedures.
For additional security, external USB functionality can be disabled through RBSU.
Automatic Server Recovery
ASR is a feature that causes the system to restart when a catastrophic operating system error occurs, such as
a blue screen, ABEND (does not apply to HP ProLiant DL980 Servers), or panic. A system fail-safe timer, the
ASR timer, starts when the System Management driver, also known as the Health Driver, is loaded. When the
operating system is functioning properly, the system periodically resets the timer. However, when the
operating system fails, the timer expires and restarts the server.
ASR increases server availability by restarting the server within a specified time after a system hang. At the
same time, the HP SIM console notifies you by sending a message to a designated pager number that ASR
has restarted the system. You can disable ASR from the System Management Homepage or through RBSU.