IBM 865951Y - Netfinity 5000 - 51Y, Hardware Maintenance Manual

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Diagnostic tools
Server problems can be caused by the hardware, the
software, or a user error. An example of a user error is
pressing the wrong key on the keyboard.
You can check the hardware by using the diagnostic test
programs and the information in this section.
Note
When you run the diagnostic test programs, a single
problem can cause several error messages to occur.
When this happens, work to correct the cause of the
first error message. After the cause is corrected, the
other error messages probably will not occur the next
time you run the tests.
If the hardware is OK and you have not made an error,
you might have a software problem. If you suspect that
you have a software problem, refer to the information that
comes with that software package.
Diagnostic tools overview
The following tools are available to help identify and
resolve hardware-related problems:
Ÿ
LEDs on the system board and power supplies
Ÿ
Diagnostic test programs
Ÿ
Power-on self-test (POST)
Ÿ
POST beep codes
Ÿ
Error messages
Ÿ
Troubleshooting charts
Ÿ
Option diskettes
Diagnostic LEDs:
When a system error occurs, the
relevant LEDs on the system board are lighted to identify
where the errors are (see “System board LEDs” on
page 142). When you see the System Error LED
illuminated on the operator LED (status) panel on the front
of the server, check the LEDs on the power supplies and
at any Ethernet adapters, then open the cover and see
which LEDs are illuminated on the system board.
Diagnostic test programs:
The server
diagnostics test programs are stored in nonvolatile
random-access memory (NVRAM) on the system board.
These programs are the primary method of testing the
system board, memory, and other standard features of the
Netfinity 5000. You can also use them to test some
external devices.
Also, if you cannot determine whether a problem is caused
by the hardware or by the software, you can run the test
programs to confirm that the hardware is working properly.
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Netfinity Server HMM