Mac Pro
Apple Server
Diagnostics
User Guide
For Version 3X108
Apple Inc. K
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Contents
5 Chapter 1: Overview and Requirements
7 Overview of Server Diagnostics Congurations
9 Requirements
9 General Requirements
9 Storage Device Requirements
10 Local and Remote Requirements
10 NetBoot Server Requirements
11 Chapter 2: Setup and Installation
11 Setting Up a Storage Device for Server Diagnostics Installation
13 Installing Server Diagnostics EFI
14 Restoring Server Diagnostics EFI
14 Installing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X
16 Setting Up a NetBoot Server
18 Deleting the Server Diagnostics NetBoot Image
19 Chapter 3: Starting Up Server Diagnostics
19 Changing the Startup Disk
20 Changing the Startup Disk in System Preferences
20 Changing the Startup Disk Using the Command-Line Interface
21 Changing the Startup Disk Using Apple Remote Desktop
21 Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup
22 Disabling the Firmware Password
24 Chapter 4: Using Server Diagnostics
24 Setting Server Diagnostics to Host, Client, or Local Mode
25 Remotely Testing a Client Server
27 Testing the Local Server Using Server Diagnostics EFI
27 Testing the Local Server Using Server Diagnostics Mac OS X
28 Using Server Diagnostics EFI
29 Customizing Server Diagnostics EFI Test Settings
30 Clearing the Test Log
30 Viewing the Hardware Prole
30 Shutting Down or Restarting the Server
3
30 Viewing Saved Logs
31 Taking Screenshots
31 Using Server Diagnostics Mac OS X
32 Customizing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X Test Settings
33 Working with Test Groups
34 Viewing Logs
35 Setting Log Preferences
36 Shutting Down or Restarting the Server
36 Quitting Server Diagnostics Mac OS X While a Test Is Running
37 Appendix: Server Diagnostics Test Reference
37 Comparison of Available Tests
38 Server Diagnostics EFI Tests
38 Startup Tests
39 AirPort Tests
39 Ethernet Controller Tests
40 Hard Drive Tests
40 Memory Tests
43 Power Supply Tests
43 Processor Tests
43 Sensor Tests
43 SMC PID Sensor Tests
43 USB Tests
44 Server Diagnostics Mac OS X Tests
44 Startup Tests
44 AirPort Tests
45 Bluetooth Tests
45 Ethernet Controller Tests
46 Hard Drive Tests
47 Sensor Tests
47 SMC PID Sensor Tests
48 USB Tests
48 Video Controller Tests
4 Contents
Overview and Requirements
1
Apple Server Diagnostics tests your server for
hardware issues.
Apple Server Diagnostics, also referred to as Server Diagnostics, runs a customizable
set of tests to help you diagnose issues with the following components:
AirPort Â
Bluetooth Â
Boot ROM Â
Ethernet controller Â
Fan Â
Hard drive Â
Memory Â
Processor Â
Sensor Â
USB ports Â
Video controller Â
®
5
You can run Apple Server Diagnostics in Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which
is referred to as Server Diagnostics EFI, or in Mac OS X Server, which is referred to as
Server Diagnostics Mac OS X.
By running Server Diagnostics EFI, you can diagnose hardware issues that prevent
Mac OS X Server from successfully starting up. You can also run tests without
interference from Mac OS X Server.
However, Server Diagnostics Mac OS X provides an enhanced interface and has
more extensive sensor, hard drive, and video controller tests. For a comparison and
description of available tests, see “Server Diagnostics Test Reference” on page 37.
You can test the server by running Server Diagnostics on the server. You can also run
Server Diagnostics remotely on a computer with a network connection to the server.
Note: This guide describes how to use Apple Server Diagnostics version 3X108, which
is included on the Admin Tools disc (Mac OS X Server version 10.6 or later).
6 Chapter 1 Overview and Requirements
Overview of Server Diagnostics Congurations
You can install and run Server Diagnostics in a variety of ways, so choose the method
that best suits your needs. There are several options, each with advantages and
disadvantages:
Option Considerations
Use the preinstalled Server Diagnostics EFI Advantages:
 You can use Server Diagnostics EFI.
 You don’t need a portable storage device.
 No installation is necessary.
Disadvantages:
 You need physical access to the server.
 Damage to the startup volume may prevent
access to Server Diagnostics EFI.
 You can’t save logs or screenshots locally.
 You must restore Server Diagnostics if you
erase the volume it’s installed on.
Install Server Diagnostics EFI on a portable
storage device
Host a NetBoot server Advantages:
Advantages:
 You can use Server Diagnostics EFI.
 You can use the same portable storage device
to test multiple servers.
 You can save logs and screenshots locally.
Disadvantages:
 You need physical access to the server.
 You need a volume on the portable storage
device that has 100 MB of available space and
that doesn’t have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server
installed.
 The portable storage device must be physically
connected to the server.
 You can use Server Diagnostics EFI.
 You don’t need to install Server Diagnostics
on an internal volume on the server or on a
portable storage device.
 You can use a single Server Diagnostics install
image to test multiple servers.
Disadvantages:
 You need physical access to the server.
 You need a server to host NetBoot service and
the Server Diagnostics install image.
 The server must be on the same subnet as the
NetBoot server.
 You can’t save logs or screenshots locally.
Chapter 1 Overview and Requirements 7
Option Considerations
Start up the Server Diagnostics EFI located on the
Admin Tools disc
Advantages:
 You can use Server Diagnostics EFI.
 You can use the same disc to test multiple
servers.
Disadvantages:
 You need network access to the server.
 You can’t save logs locally.
Install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on a portable
storage device
Advantages:
 You can use Server Diagnostics Mac OS X.
 You can use a single portable storage device to
test multiple servers.
Disadvantages:
 You need an empty volume on the portable
storage device with 10 GB of available space.
 You must install Mac OS X Server on the empty
volume.
 The portable storage device must be physically
connected to the server.
Install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on an internal
volume
Advantages:
 You can use Server Diagnostics Mac OS X.
 You don’t need physical access to the server to
run Server Diagnostics Mac OS X remotely (if
you have Apple Remote Desktop).
Disadvantages:
 You need an empty volume on the server with
10 GB of available space.
 You must install Mac OS X Server on the empty
volume.
8 Chapter 1 Overview and Requirements
Requirements
Before you can run Server Diagnostics, you must meet general, storage device, and
local and remote requirements.
General Requirements
To run Server Diagnostics, you need the following:
A Mac Pro with Mac OS X Server v10.6 or later installed Â
The  Mac OS X Server Install DVD and Admin Tools disc included with the Mac Pro
(both discs should be version 10.6 or later)
Storage Device Requirements
Depending on whether you want to run Server Diagnostics EFI, Server Diagnostics
Mac OS X, or both, you need empty volumes on the server or on a portable
storage device.
To run Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, the storage device must use the GUID Partition
Table partition scheme. If you’re running only Server Diagnostics EFI on the storage
device, you don’t need to use the GUID Partition Table partition scheme.
You can run both versions of Server Diagnostics by having two empty volumes on the
same server or portable storage device. You need at least one of the following:
In order to You need
Run Server Diagnostics EFI A volume on the server that has at least 100 MB
of available space, but doesn’t have Mac OS X or
Mac OS X Server installed
Run Server Diagnostics Mac OS X An empty volume on the server with at least
10 GB of available space, which will be used for
a dedicated Mac OS X Server installation
Test multiple servers and run Server
Diagnostics EFI
Test multiple servers and run Server Diagnostics
Mac OS X
A USB 2.0 ash drive, or USB 2.0 or FireWire hard
drive with a volume that has at least 100 MB of
available space but doesn’t have Mac OS X or
Mac OS X Server installed
A USB 2.0 or FireWire hard drive that has an
empty volume with at least 10 GB of available
space
Chapter 1 Overview and Requirements 9
Local and Remote Requirements
To run Server Diagnostics locally on the server, you need to connect a keyboard,
mouse, and display.
To run Server Diagnostics remotely, you need the following:
A Macintosh computer with Mac OS X v10.6 or later installed. This computer is Â
referred to as the host computer.
A server with Mac OS X Server v10.6 or later installed. This server is referred to as Â
the client server.
A network connection with DHCP active or a direct Ethernet connection from the Â
host computer to the client server.
The client server must have Server Diagnostics installed on an internal volume or on Â
a connected portable storage device; or it must be able to run Server Diagnostics
from a NetBoot server.
The host computer must run Server Diagnostics Mac OS X. The client server can run Â
Server Diagnostics EFI or Server Diagnostics Mac OS X.
If the client server is running Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, you must be able to Â
log in to the root account. The root account gives a system administrator complete
access to the server.
NetBoot Server Requirements
To host Server Diagnostics EFI on a NetBoot server, your NetBoot server must:
Have Mac OS X Server v10.5 (10.5.8 or later recommended) or Mac OS X Server v10.6 Â
(10.6.4 or later recommended) installed.
Be on the same subnet as the server being tested. Â
Have 100 MB of hard disk space available for a Server Diagnostics NetBoot image. Â
10 Chapter 1 Overview and Requirements
Setup and Installation
2
Before you can run Server Diagnostics, you must set up your
testing environment and install Server Diagnostics.
Make sure you meet Server Diagnostics requirements before attempting setup
and installation. For information, see “Requirements” on page 9.
Server Diagnostics EFI is preinstalled on the server. The instructions in this chapter
show you how to install Server Diagnostics in a dierent location or set up
a NetBoot server.
Setting Up a Storage Device for Server Diagnostics Installation
To set up an internal volume or portable storage device for Server Diagnostics
installation, you need at least 100 MB of available space for Server Diagnostics EFI
or at least 10 GB of available space for Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, which requires
installing Mac OS X Server. These requirements are described in detail in “Storage
Device Requirements” on page 9.
If you’re installing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on a volume, the storage device should
use the GUID Partition Table partition map scheme.
To view the storage device’s partition map scheme, open Disk Utility and select the
storage device. Make sure you select the storage device and not a volume within the
storage device.
At the bottom of the Disk Utility window, Partition Map Scheme should be GUID
Partition Table.
To repartition an in-use storage device, run Disk Utility from the Mac OS X Install DVD
or the Mac OS X Server Install DVD or run Disk Utility while your server is connected to
another computer and is in target disk mode. These methods erase the contents of
your server’s hard disk and require you to reinstall and recongure Mac OS X Server.
11
WARNING: The following instructions could erase all data on your storage device.
Back up critical data before performing the following instructions.
To create and format empty storage device volumes:
1 Insert the Mac OS X Server Install DVD.
2 Restart the server and hold down the server’s Option key while it restarts.
3 When a list of startup disks appears, select Mac OS X Server Install Disc and click the
arrow button.
If it isn’t listed and you’re connecting to a computer over AirPort, select the AirPort
network in the pop-up menu under the startup disk list.
4 Select a language and click Next (right-arrow).
5 Choose Utilities > Disk Utility.
6 Select the storage device you want to set up.
Make sure you select a storage device, and not volumes within the storage device.
Volumes within a storage device are indented one level.
7 Click the Partition tab.
8 If the partition map scheme of the storage device isn’t GUID Partition Table and you’re
going to install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, choose something besides “Current” in
the Volume Scheme pop-up menu, then click Options, select GUID Partition Table, and
click OK.
Changing the volume scheme erases all data on the storage device.
9 Review the partition sizes and adjust them to meet Server Diagnostics storage
requirements.
To do this Do this
Display a partition’s size Click the partition and review the Size eld.
Set the size of the partition Edit the Size eld.
Create more partitions Select a partition and click the Add (+) button.
Delete partitions Select it and click the Delete (–) button.
Name a partition Select it and enter a name in the Name eld.
10 If you’re installing Server Diagnostics EFI on a volume, select the volume and choose
MS-DOS (FAT) from the Format pop-up menu.
12 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation
Because this name is used when selecting which
volume to start up Mac OS X from, choose a
name that identies the volume as being used
for Server Diagnostics.
If you’re installing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on a volume, select the volume and
choose Mac OS Extended (Journaled).
11 Click Partition.
12 Choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility, and then choose Mac OS X Installer > Quit
Mac OS X Installer.
After you nish setting up volumes, you can install Server Diagnostics EFI or Server
Diagnostics Mac OS X. For information, see the following topics:
“ Â Installing Server Diagnostics EFI” on page 13
“ Â Installing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X” on page 14
Installing Server Diagnostics EFI
Before you install Server Diagnostics EFI, make sure your storage device has a volume
that has at least 100 MB of available space and that is formatted as MS-DOS (FAT).
The volume will be erased, so make sure all important data on the volume is backed
up. For more information, see “Setting Up a Storage Device for Server Diagnostics
Installation” on page 11 .
To perform these instructions, you need the Admin Tools disc v10.6 or later included
with the server.
If you perform this task to install Server Diagnostics EFI on an internal volume on the
server, you need administrator access to the server. If you perform this task to install
Server Diagnostics EFI on a portable storage device, you can use any computer that
you have administrator access to.
If you want to connect a host computer directly to the server and the host computer
doesn’t provide DHCP service on the port used to connect to the server, you must
create a le on the server that assigns an IP address to the server. However, if the host
computer provides DHCP service, don’t create this le. For information about how to
nd out if a computer is providing DHCP service, see Network Services Administration at
www.apple.com/server/macosx/resources.
To install Server Diagnostics EFI:
1 Insert the Admin Tools disc.
2 On the server, open AppleServerDiagnosticsEFI.pkg (located in /Diagnostics/
on the disc).
3 Follow the onscreen instructions, and at the Select Destination step, choose a volume
that has at least 100 MB of available space and doesn’t have Mac OS X Server installed.
4 If you’re asked to authenticate, authenticate as a user with administrator privileges.
Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 13
5 If you want to connect a host computer directly to the server and the host computer
doesn’t provide DHCP service on the port used to directly connect to the server, do
the following:
a Open TextEdit (located in /Applications/).
b In a new le, enter an IP address that’s not in use by the host computer.
For example, enter:
12 3 .123 .12 3 .12 3
If TextEdit doesn’t open with a new blank le, choose File > New.
c Choose Format > Make Plain Text.
d Choose File > Save As.
e Name the le axd_set_ip_address, and then change the location of the le to the
volume with Server Diagnostics EFI installed.
f Select “If no extension is provided, use ‘.txt’,” and then click Save.
Restoring Server Diagnostics EFI
Server Diagnostics EFI is preinstalled on the startup volume. If you erase the startup
volume, you’ll erase Server Diagnostics EFI. If you install Server Diagnostics EFI instead
of restoring it, you can’t start up Server Diagnostics EFI by holding down the D key at
startup.
To restore Server Diagnostics EFI:
1 Insert the Admin Tools disc.
2 On the server, open AppleServerDiagnosticsHD.pkg (located in /Diagnostics/ on the
disc).
3 Follow the onscreen instructions, and at the Select Destination step, choose a volume
that has Mac OS X Server installed.
4 If you’re asked to authenticate, authenticate as a user with administrator privileges.
Installing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X
Before you install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, make sure that your storage device
uses the GUID Partition Table partition scheme and that it has an empty volume with
10 GB of available space. For more information, see “Setting Up a Storage Device for
Server Diagnostics Installation” on page 11 .
14 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation
If you perform this task to install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on an internal volume
on the server, you need administrator access to the server. If you perform this task
to install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on a portable storage device, you can use any
computer you have administrator access to.
Installing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X involves three steps:
Install Mac OS X Server with minimal options selected. Â
Copy Server Diagnostics Mac OS X from the  Admin Tools disc to /Applications/.
Congure Mac OS X Server. Â
By dedicating a minimal installation of Mac OS X Server for use with Server Diagnostics
Mac OS X, you reduce the risk of server processes interrupting Server Diagnostics
testing.
To install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X:
1 Insert the Mac OS X Server Install DVD.
2 Restart the server and hold down the server’s Option key while it restarts.
3 When a list of startup disks appears, select Mac OS X Server Install Disc and click the
arrow button.
If it isn’t listed and you’re connecting to a computer over AirPort, select the AirPort
network in the pop-up menu under the startup disk list.
4 Continue through the installer until you reach the step where you select the disk to
install Mac OS X Server on.
5 Select a volume that’s at least 10 GB.
If the volume isn’t empty, choose Utilities > Disk Utility. Select the volume. In the Erase
pane, click Erase. After the volume is erased, choose Disk Utility > Quit Disk Utility.
6 Click Customize, deselect all checkboxes, click OK, and then click Install.
When the Installer nishes installing Mac OS X Server, the computer restarts and the
Mac OS X Server setup assistant opens.
7 Continue through the setup assistant and enter information that’s requested.
In the Users and Groups step, select Congure Manually. Don’t enable services.
When you nish entering information in the setup assistant, the login window appears.
8 Log in with the user name “root” and the password of the user you created in the
setup assistant.
You must set up and run Server Diagnostics Mac OS X as root. Otherwise, you can’t test
the server you’ve installed Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on.
9 Insert the Admin Tools disc.
Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 15
10 Open a Finder window and drag the AppleServerDiagnostics.app le from
/Diagnostics/ on the Admin Tools disc to the /Applications/ folder on the server.
11 If you’re setting up a client server, open a Finder window, select the /Applications/
folder, choose New Folder from the Action (gear) pop-up menu, and name the folder
AppleServerDiagnosticsClient.
Client servers are remotely controlled by host computers.
12 Open System Preferences (located in /Applications/) and change the following options
in System Preferences panes.
System Preferences pane Recommended conguration
Accounts Select the System Administrator account,
and click Login Items. Click Add (+), select
AppleServerDiagnostics.app (typically located in
/Applications/), and click Add.
CDs & DVDs In all pop-up menus, choose Ignore.
Desktop & Screen Saver In the Screen Saver pane, drag the “Start screen
saver” slider to Never.
Energy Saver In the Sleep pane, drag both sliders to Never, and
deselect “Put hard disk(s) to sleep when possible.”
Exposé and Spaces In the Exposé pane, in all pop-up menus, choose
“–.” In the Spaces pane, deselect Enable Spaces.
Software Update In the Scheduled Check pane, deselect “Check for
updates.”
If you can’t change settings in System Preferences, click the lock button and
authenticate.
After installing the Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, you must log in as root to run Server
Diagnostics to test your own server. If you don’t log in as root, Server Diagnostics
Mac OS X enters host mode and waits for a connection to a client server to control.
Setting Up a NetBoot Server
Before you set up a NetBoot server, make sure you have an available server that meets
the requirements described in “NetBoot Server Requirements” on page 10 .
After you set up a NetBoot server, you install the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image.
Because the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image is a special image, you can’t use System
Image Utility to delete the image.
For information about deleting the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image, see “Deleting
the Server Diagnostics NetBoot Image” on page 18.
16 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation
To set up a NetBoot server:
1 Open Server Admin (located in /Applications/Server/).
2 If the server that will host NetBoot isn’t listed, do the following:
a Click the Add (+) button and choose Add Server.
b Enter the IP address of the server in the Address eld and enter the user name and
password of the server administrator in the User Name and Password elds.
c Click Connect.
3 Click the disclosure triangle for the server that will host NetBoot.
4 If NetBoot isn’t listed, select the server and click Settings; then, in the Services pane,
select NetBoot and click Save.
5 Select NetBoot, click Settings, and then click General.
6 In the “Enable NetBoot on at least one port” list, select the Enable checkboxes for the
interfaces that you want to serve the Server Diagnostics NetBoot images over.
If multiple network interfaces are listed, it’s likely that only one of the interfaces is on
the same subnet as your server.
If you’re not sure which interface is on the same subnet, open Network Utility (located
in /Applications/Utilities/) on your NetBoot server and your server. In the Info pane,
choose dierent network interfaces on the NetBoot server and your server and
compare the IP Address elds.
Usually, computers are on the same subnet if their IP addresses start with same
numbers (for example, they may both start with 192.168.2).
7 In the volume list, select the Images checkbox and Client Data checkbox for the
volume that will store the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image.
The volume must have at least 100 MB of available space.
8 Click Save.
9 In a Finder window, navigate to the Diagnostics folder on the Admin Tools disc, and
then open AppleServerDiagnosticsNetBoot.pkg.
10 Follow the onscreen instructions to install the Server Diagnostics NetBoot package.
11 In Server Admin, select NetBoot, and then click Images.
12 If the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image has the same index (listed in the Index
column) as another image, deselect the Enable checkbox for the conicting image.
Don’t change any default Server Diagnostics NetBoot image settings.
13 Click Start NetBoot.
Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 17
Deleting the Server Diagnostics NetBoot Image
You can’t use System Image Utility to delete the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image.
Instead, you must delete the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image in the NetBoot image
folder, which is located at:
/Volumes/volumename/Library/NetBoot/NetBootSP#
Replace volumename with the name of the volume that you’re installing the Server
Diagnostics NetBoot image onto. The number (#) varies, depending on whether you’re
using several NetBoot volumes.
If you’re using only one NetBoot volume, the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image is
located in NetBootSP0. If you’re using several NetBoot volumes, the Server Diagnostics
NetBoot image may be located in a dierent folder (for example, NetBootSP1,
NetBootSP4, or NetBootSP11).
To delete the Server Diagnostics NetBoot image:
Open a Finder window and delete AXD.nbi from the NetBoot image folder. m
18 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation
Starting Up Server Diagnostics
3
This chapter describes several methods that let you change
the startup disk to the volume with Server Diagnostics
installed.
Before you start up Server Diagnostics, make sure everything is properly installed and
congured. For information, see Chapter 2, “ Setup and Installation.”
Changing the Startup Disk
Server Diagnostics is usually installed on a dedicated volume to minimize the risk of
server processes interrupting the tests. Because of this, you must change the startup
disk to the volume with Server Diagnostics installed before you can use the tools.
To test a client server remotely, rst start up Server Diagnostics on the host computer
and then start up Server Diagnostics on the client server.
To start up Server Diagnostics, set the startup volume of the server to the volume or
disk image containing Server Diagnostics.
If Mac OS X Server starts up by default on your server, you can change the startup disk
in the Startup Disk pane of System Preferences. Otherwise, you can temporarily change
the startup disk by holding down a key while starting up the server:
Goal Hold down this key at server startup
Choose the Server Diagnostics volume before
starting up Mac OS X
Start up the preinstalled Server Diagnostics EFI D
Start up using the Server Diagnostics EFI disk
image from a NetBoot server
If you erase the volume Server Diagnostics EFI is installed on, you can’t use the D key
to run it.
19
Option
F1
If you insert the Admin Tools CD in another computer and run Remote Install Mac OS X
(located in /Applications/Utilities/ on the computer), you can hold down the Option
key and choose the Administration Tools volume before starting up Mac OS X to run
Server Diagnostics EFI from the disc.
The Startup Disk pane of System Preferences can start up Server Diagnostics Mac OS X,
but not Server Diagnostics EFI. You can press the Option key at startup to start up
Server Diagnostics Mac OS X or Server Diagnostics EFI.
The server becomes unavailable when you use Server Diagnostics. Before starting
tests, alert users that the server will be unavailable.
Changing the Startup Disk in System Preferences
If Mac OS X Server starts up by default on your server, you can use System Preferences
to change the startup disk. The list of startup volumes includes internal volumes and
connected portable storage device volumes.
When you change the startup disk in System Preferences, you can’t select a startup
disk with Server Diagnostics EFI installed. To change the startup disk to the volume
with Server Diagnostics EFI installed, change the startup disk at startup. For
information, see “Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup” on page 21.
To change the startup disk in System Preferences:
1 Open System Preferences on the server, and then select Startup Disk.
2 If the lock icon is locked, click it and then authenticate as a system administrator.
3 Select the startup disk with the Server Diagnostics and click Restart.
When you’re done using Server Diagnostics, change the startup disk back to the
volume you were using previously.
Changing the Startup Disk Using the Command-Line Interface
If Mac OS X Server starts up by default on your server, you can use the command-line
interface to change its startup disk. You can use the command-line interface to start
up from internal volumes and connected portable storage device volumes.
You can also change the startup disk of a remote server using the command-line
interface. Remote login must be enabled on the remote server (enabled by default).
You can enable remote login in the Sharing pane of System Preferences.
When you change the startup disk using the command-line interface, you can’t select
a startup disk with Server Diagnostics EFI installed. To change the startup disk to the
volume with Server Diagnostics EFI installed, change the startup disk at startup. For
more information, see “Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup” on page 21.
20 Chapter 3 Starting Up Server Diagnostics
You must be able to authenticate as the root account to change the startup disk using
the command-line interface.
Note: The Terminal commands described in this task are case-sensitive, and must be
entered as shown.
To change the startup disk using the command-line interface:
1 Open Terminal (located in /Applications/Utilities/).
2 If you want to connect to a remote server, enter the following in the Terminal window,
and authenticate when requested:
ssh username@serveraddress
Replace username with the short name of a user who can authenticate as the root
account on the server. Replace serveraddress with the URL, IP address, or host name of
the server.
3 Enter the following, and then authenticate as the root account:
sudo bless -folder "/Volumes/volumename/System/Library/CoreServices"
-setBoot
Replace volumename with the name of the volume you want to start up from.
When you’re done using Server Diagnostics, change the startup disk back to the
volume you were using previously.
Changing the Startup Disk Using Apple Remote Desktop
If you have Apple Remote Desktop, you can change the startup disk of remote
computers to an internal volume or connected portable storage device volume.
For information about using Apple Remote Desktop to set a computer’s
startup disk, see the Apple Remote Desktop Administrator Guide, located at
www.apple.com/remotedesktop.
Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup
If your server has trouble starting up Mac OS X Server or doesn’t have Mac OS X Server
installed, you can temporarily change the startup disk by holding down a key while
the server is starting up. This requires that you have a keyboard and mouse attached
to the server and that you can restart the server.
If a rmware password is set, you can’t temporarily change the startup disk by holding
down the D or F1 key. You can do it by holding down the Option key, but you must
authenticate with the rmware password.
For information about disabling the rmware password, see “Disabling the Firmware
Password” on page 22.
Chapter 3 Starting Up Server Diagnostics 21
To temporarily change the startup disk at startup:
1 Restart the server.
2 While the server is restarting, hold down the Option key until a list of volumes appears.
If you’re asked to authenticate, enter the rmware password and click the Continue
(right-arrow) button.
If you haven’t erased the preinstalled Mac OS X Server volume with Server Diagnostics
EFI, you can start up Server Diagnostics EFI by holding down the D key instead of the
Option key.
To start up Server Diagnostics EFI from a NetBoot image hosted on a NetBoot server,
hold down the F1 key instead of the Option key.
Each alternative starts up Server Diagnostics EFI and bypasses the list of volumes
described in the next step.
3 If you displayed the list of volumes instead of immediately starting up Server
Diagnostics, select the volume with Server Diagnostics, and then click the arrow
button to start up.
The Server Diagnostics EFI volume is listed as EFI Boot. If you’ve inserted the Admin
Tools disc in another computer with Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server v10.6 or later
installed and you run Remote Install Mac OS X, the Server Diagnostics EFI volume is
listed as Administration Tools.
After you nish using Server Diagnostics EFI and restart the server, it starts up from the
default startup volume.
Disabling the Firmware Password
If a rmware password is enabled, you can’t temporarily change the startup volume by
pressing and holding F1 or D at startup.
If a rmware password is enabled and you try to temporarily change the startup
volume by holding down the Option key at startup, you must authenticate.
To disable the rmware password:
1 Insert the Mac OS X Server Install DVD.
2 Restart the server and hold down the server’s Option key while it restarts.
3 When a list of startup disks appears, select Mac OS X Server Install Disc and click the
arrow button.
If the disk isn’t listed and you’re connecting to a computer over AirPort, select the
AirPort network in the pop-up menu under the startup disk list.
22 Chapter 3 Starting Up Server Diagnostics
4 After selecting a language, choose Utilities > Firmware Password Utility.
5 In Firmware Password Utility, click Change.
6 Deselect “Require password to change rmware settings,” and click OK, then
authenticate when asked.
7 Choose Firmware Password Utility > Quit Firmware Password Utility.
8 Choose Mac OS X Installer > Quit Mac OS X Installer.
9 Click Startup Disk, select the startup disk with Mac OS X Server installed, and then
click Restart.
Chapter 3 Starting Up Server Diagnostics 23
Using Server Diagnostics
4
Server Diagnostics Mac OS X and Server Diagnostics EFI have
dierent interfaces and functionality. This chapter describes
how to use both sets of Server Diagnostics.
Before you can use Server Diagnostics, make sure you’ve properly started up the tools.
For information, see Chapter 3, “ Starting Up Server Diagnostics.”
Setting Server Diagnostics to Host, Client, or Local Mode
Server Diagnostics can start up in any of three modes, depending on whether:
You’re opening Server Diagnostics EFI or Server Diagnostics Mac OS X Â
Any of the computers on the same subnet are host computers Â
A host computer is directly connected Â
You’re logged in as root Â
You’re running Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on a computer that isn’t a Mac Pro with Â
Mac OS X Server installed
24
The following table describes the three modes:
Mode Description Automatically enters mode if
Host The computer searches for
servers that are on the same
subnet and start Server
Diagnostics in remote mode.
When one is found, the host
computer controls Server
Diagnostics on the client server.
Client The server can be controlled by
a host computer.
Local The server runs all tests locally. You’re running Server
You run Server Diagnostics
Mac OS X and:
 The computer isn’t a Mac
Pro with Mac OS X Server
installed
 You’re not logged in as root
You’re running Server
Diagnostics EFI and a host
computer is on the same subnet
or is directly connected.
Diagnostics EFI and a host
computer isn’t on the same
subnet and isn’t directly
connected.
If you’re logged in as root on the server and you run Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, you
can choose which mode to enter.
Remotely Testing a Client Server
To test a client server, you rst start up Server Diagnostics on the host computer, set it
to connect to the client server, start up the Server Diagnostics on the client server and
then set the client server to be a client of the host computer.
The host computer must run Server Diagnostics Mac OS X. The client server can run
Server Diagnostics Mac OS X or Server Diagnostics EFI. The available tests are based on
which Server Diagnostics the client server is running.
When you start up Server Diagnostics EFI, the server looks for a host computer. If it
nds a host computer, the server enters client mode. If it doesn’t nd a host computer,
the server enters local mode.
When you start up Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, the server becomes a host computer
if either of the following are true:
You logged in to Mac OS X with an account that isn’t root. Â
You’re running Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on a computer that isn’t a Mac Pro with Â
Mac OS X Server installed.
If Server Diagnostics Mac OS X doesn’t automatically become a host computer, it asks
if it should connect to a client server, be a client of a host computer, or run tests locally.
Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics 25
To remotely test a client server:
1 On the host computer, open Server Diagnostics Mac OS X (typically located in
/Applications/).
2 Choose from the following:
If the host computer is a Mac Pro with Mac OS X Server installed and you’re logged Â
in as root, when Server Diagnostics Mac OS X opens, a dialog asks you to choose
which mode to enter. Choose “Connect to remote server” and click OK.
If your computer isn’t a Mac Pro with Mac OS X Server installed, the dialog doesn’t Â
appear, and Server Diagnostics Mac OS X automatically enters host mode.
3 On the client server, change the startup disk to a volume with Server Diagnostics
and restart it.
You can also temporarily change the startup disk to be a volume with Server
Diagnostics on it or to a Server Diagnostics NetBoot disk image when you start
up the server.
For information about how to change or temporarily change the startup volume, see
Chapter 3, “ Starting Up Server Diagnostics.”
4 If you’re starting up Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, log in as root.
5 If Server Diagnostics Mac OS X doesn’t open automatically, open the Apple Server
Diagnostics application (typically located in /Applications/), choose “Client of a remote
host,” and then click OK.
If you’re starting up Server Diagnostics EFI, the server enters client mode.
6 Verify that the host computer and client server have established a successful
connection by reviewing the following:
The IP address eld in the Server Diagnostics window on the host computer should Â
match the IP address assigned to the client server.
The name of the Server Diagnostics window on the host computer is “Apple Server Â
Diagnostics remote log,” not “Apple Server Diagnostics local log.”
The log area of the client server uses more of the Server Diagnostics window. Â
Shut Down, Restart, and a few other buttons are removed.
26 Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics
Testing the Local Server Using Server Diagnostics EFI
To test the local server, make sure none of the computers on the same subnet as the
server is running Server Diagnostics Mac OS X in host mode. If a computer on the
same subnet is running Server Diagnostics Mac OS X tools in host mode, the server
automatically enters client mode.
To test the local server using Server Diagnostics EFI:
Restart the server and hold down the Option or F1 key to start up the volume or m
NetBoot disk image with Server Diagnostics EFI.
For information about how to temporarily change the startup volume while starting
the computer, see Chapter 3, “ Starting Up Server Diagnostics.”
When Server Diagnostics EFI starts up and doesn’t nd a host computer, it enters
local mode.
Testing the Local Server Using Server Diagnostics Mac OS X
To test the local server, you must log in as root. If you don’t log in as root, Server
Diagnostics Mac OS X enters host mode.
To test the local server using Server Diagnostics Mac OS X:
1 Change the startup disk of the server to a volume with Server Diagnostics Mac OS X,
restart it, and log in as root.
2 If Server Diagnostics Mac OS X doesn’t open automatically, open it (typically located in
/Applications/).
3 When Server Diagnostics Mac OS X opens, choose “Local” from the dialog that appears
and click OK.
Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics 27
Using Server Diagnostics EFI
Detailed status
Test controls
Test Selections list
Test
Test category
Test log
Select All and
Deselect All buttons
In Server Diagnostics EFI, the test controls and test selections are split across two
panes. Regardless of which pane you’re looking at, you can do the following:
View the test log, test settings, and status Â
Start tests Â
Clear the test log Â
Restart the server Â
Shut down the server Â
For more information about Server Diagnostics EFI, see the following sections.
28 Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics
Customizing Server Diagnostics EFI Test Settings
You can customize Server Diagnostics test settings by choosing which tests are run,
whether to loop tests, and whether to stop or continue testing when an error occurs.
To customize Server Diagnostics EFI test settings:
1 In Server Diagnostics EFI, select the test settings you want.
To do this Do this
Choose which tests are run Do any of the following:
 To select a test, select the checkbox next to
the test.
 To select a specic test within a category of
tests, click the disclosure triangle next to the
category, and then select individual tests.
 To select all tests, click Select All.
 To remove all tests, click Deselect All.
Loop all selected tests Do one of the following:
 To loop selected tests a specic number of
times, select “Loop # times” and replace # with
the number of times to loop.
 To run tests once, select “Loop # times” and
replace # with the number 1.
 To loop tests for a specic amount of time,
select “Loop for # hours and # minutes” and
replace # with number of hours and minutes
to loop. When the specied time is reached,
the current loop must complete before the
tests stop. For example, if one loop of your
test set takes 2 hours to complete and your
specied time is 3 hours, Server Diagnostics
stops testing in 4 hours. (Instead of stopping
at 3, it waits for the current test set loop to
complete before stopping.)
Change what to do when an error occurs In the On Error pop-up menu, do one of the
following:
 To stop testing when the rst error occurs,
choose Stop.
 To continue testing when errors occur, choose
Continue.
2 To run the test, click Test.
Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics 29
Clearing the Test Log
The test log contains all test messages that have occurred during the current
Server Diagnostics session. If you quit Server Diagnostics, the log is cleared.
To clear the test log without quitting Server Diagnostics, click Clear Test Data.
Viewing the Hardware Prole
The hardware prole lists all hardware components in the server.
You can view the hardware prole by choosing Hardware Prole > Display
Hardware Prole.
Shutting Down or Restarting the Server
You can shut down or restart the server in Server Diagnostics EFI.
To shut down or restart the server:
Click Shut Down or Restart. m
Viewing Saved Logs
When you start up Server Diagnostics EFI from a volume in MS-DOS (FAT) format,
it creates a log of its test results in the /AppleServerDiagnosticsLogs/ folder of the
volume with Server Diagnostics EFI installed.
This log is updated as tests complete. If the server crashes during tests, review the
log to see which test it crashed on.
If you run the preinstalled Server Diagnostics EFI or Server Diagnostics EFI from the
Admin Tools disc, or a NetBoot disc image, logs aren’t saved.
The logs are named AppleServerDiagnostics_date_time_serialnumber.txt.
The date and time indicate when Server Diagnostics EFI started up. The time is in
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), using a 24-hour format.
The values use this format:
Value Format Example
date DDMonYear 15Jul2009
time HH_MM_SS 19_23_46
serialnumber ########### AB12345CD6E
30 Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics
Taking Screenshots
Local or client IP address Log status
Currently viewed log
Detailed status
Test controls
Test Selections list
Test category
Test log
Select All and
Deselect All buttons
You can take screenshots of Server Diagnostics EFI, which are saved as BMP les in the
root folder of the volume with Server Diagnostics EFI installed.
If you run Server Diagnostics EFI from the Admin Tools disc, a NetBoot disc image, or
a volume that isn’t in MS-DOS (FAT) format, you can’t take screenshots.
To take a screenshot:
In Server Diagnostics EFI, press Command-Shift-3. m
After you press Command-Shift-3, the system pauses for a few seconds and then takes
the screenshot.
Using Server Diagnostics Mac OS X
Server Diagnostics Mac OS X changes based on whether you’re running it locally, as a
client, or as a host. In client mode, you can’t change test settings, select dierent tests,
or shut down or restart the server. Therefore, the test log uses most of the window.
In local and host mode, you can access all Server Diagnostics Mac OS X features in the
main window.
Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics 31
For more information about using Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, see the following
sections.
Customizing Server Diagnostics Mac OS X Test Settings
You can customize Server Diagnostics test settings in several ways by choosing which
tests are run, whether to loop tests, and whether to stop or continue testing when an
error occurs.
To customize Server Diagnostics Mac OS X test settings:
1 In Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, select the test settings you want.
To do this Do this
Choose which tests are run In the Test Selections list, do the following:
 To select a test, select the checkbox next to
the test.
 To select a specic test within a category of
tests, click the disclosure triangle next to the
category, and then select individual tests.
 To select all tests, click the Select All (+) button.
 To remove all tests, click the Deselect All (–)
button.
Loop all selected tests Select “Loop tests by,” and then do the following:
 To loop selected tests a specic number of
times, select Count and enter a number of
times to loop.
 To loop selected tests for a specic amount
of time, select Time and enter the number of
hours and minutes to loop. When the specied
time is reached, the current loop must
complete before the tests stop. For example,
if one loop of your test set takes 2 hours to
complete and your specied time is 3 hours,
Server Diagnostics Mac OS X stops testing in
4 hours. (Instead of stopping at 3, it waits for
the current test set loop to complete before
stopping.)
Change what to do when an error occurs In the On Error pop-up menu, do the following:
 To stop testing when the rst error occurs,
choose Stop.
 To continue testing when errors occur, choose
Continue.
2 To save your customized test settings for future use, in the Test Group pop-up menu,
choose Save Current Group, enter a name for the group, and click OK.
For more information, see “Working with Test Groups” on page 33.
3 To run the test, click Start Testing.
When the test completes, a PASSED or FAILED message appears on screen.
4 Click anywhere to close the message.
32 Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics
Working with Test Groups
You can create test groups based on your customized test settings. These are similar
to templates because they allow you to reuse your test settings without having to
change each setting individually. After choosing a test group, you can still change
its settings.
There are several test groups included with Server Diagnostics Mac OS X. These test
groups stop when an error occurs, and they aren’t looped.
Test group Test selections
Default All memory, fan, hard drive, sensor, SMC PID
sensor, and power supply tests. Ethernet
MAC address verication and ROM checksum
verication.
Quick Test All sensor tests.
You can also export a test group to a le. By exporting a test group, you can use that
le to re-create that test group on other Server Diagnostics installations. For example,
if you install Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on several servers, you can copy the test
group le to each of them, making identical tests available without having to manually
create a new test group.
To work with test groups:
In Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, choose the options you want. m
To do this Do this
Use a test group In the Test Group pop-up menu, choose a test
group.
Create a new test group In the Test Group pop-up menu, choose Save
Current Group. Enter a name for the group and
click OK.
Delete a test group In the Test Group pop-up menu, choose a test
group. Choose Edit > Delete Test Group.
You can’t delete the Default or Quick Test test
groups.
Export a test group Choose File > Export Test Group, choose a
location, name the test group, and click Save.
Import a test group Choose File > Open, select an .axdcong le, and
click Open.
Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics 33
Viewing Logs
You can view the following types of logs in Server Diagnostics Mac OS X:
Log type Description
Test All messages from tests run in the current Server
Diagnostics Mac OS X session.
Hardware Info Listing and description of all installed hardware.
When you view logs in Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, a colored circle next to the log
name indicates whether the log is able to be loaded.
Color Status
No circle You haven’t loaded the log during this Server
Diagnostics session, or the log hasn’t been
created yet.
Yellow The log didn’t load. This usually occurs when
there isn’t any data in the log.
Green The log loaded.
To view logs:
1 Open Server Diagnostics Mac OS X.
2 If tests are running, wait for them to complete or stop them.
If tests are running, you can view only the test log.
3 Do any the following:
To do this Do this
View logs in the current or chosen volume Choose a log from the “View log” pop-up menu.
Search for specic text within the log Enter text in the search eld. When you press
Clear logs Choose Logs > Clear current Log, or choose Logs
Refresh logs Choose Logs > Refresh Current Log.
34 Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics
Return, matching text is highlighted in the log
area.
> Clear All Logs.
The name of the currently viewed log replaces
current.
Setting Log Preferences
You can set up log preferences so the Server Diagnostics test logs are saved to a le at
a location you choose. Server Diagnostics test logs are created when you start a Server
Diagnostics session.
When Server Diagnostics Mac OS X saves a log, it overwrites any log of the same name.
Log preferences can customize the name of the log le so that the log les aren’t
overwritten.
If you don’t use any naming options, the log is saved as:
AppleServerDiagnostics_serialnumber_mode_autosave_log.txt
If you’re testing locally, mode is replaced by “local.” If you’re testing remotely, mode is
replaced by “remote.”
If you use all naming options, the log is saved as:
AppleServerDiagnostics_serialnumber_mode_autosave_log_date_ethernetMACaddress
uniquename.txt
The appended values use this format:
Value Format Example
date DD_Mon_Year 15_Jul_2010
ethernetMACaddress ##_##_##_##_##_## 01_23_45_67_89_ab
uniquename - # - 1
The unique name is appended only if a le with the same name exists.
A log for the local server with all naming options enabled (using the example values)
is saved as:
AppleServerDiagnostics_AB12345CD6E_local_autosave_log_15_
Jul_2010_01_23_45_67_89_ab - 1.txt
Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics 35
To set log preferences:
1 In Server Diagnostics Mac OS X, choose AppleServerDiagnostics > Preferences.
2 To automatically save test logs, select “Auto-save test log.”
If you don’t select this option, you can’t perform the steps that follow.
3 To choose the location of the automatically saved log, click “Choose auto-save
location,” select a location, and then click Open.
4 Congure the test log naming options.
To do this Do this
Ensure newly created log les don’t overwrite old
log les
Append the Ethernet address of the server that’s
being tested
Append the run time and date of the session’s
rst tests
Select “Use unique name.”
Select “Append Ethernet Address.”
Select “Append time and date.”
Shutting Down or Restarting the Server
If you’re running Server Diagnostics Mac OS X on the local server or on a host
computer, you can shut down or restart the server by clicking Shut Down or Restart.
If the server is in client mode, you can’t shut down or restart the server locally.
Quitting Server Diagnostics Mac OS X While a Test Is Running
If you try to quit Server Diagnostics Mac OS X while a test is running, you can’t print
or save logs from the current Server Diagnostics session. Make sure you print or save
critical logs before quitting.
Instead of quitting in the middle of a test, you can stop the current test, print or save
logs, and then quit.
36 Chapter 4 Using Server Diagnostics
Server Diagnostics Test Reference
This reference describes the tests available in Server
Diagnostics and gives estimates for how long the tests
take to complete.
The types of tests available depend on if you’re using Server Diagnostics EFI or Server
Diagnostics Mac OS X, and on your server model and conguration.
Comparison of Available Tests
The following table compares the tests available by component, depending on
if you’re using Server Diagnostics EFI or Server Diagnostics Mac OS X. For more
information about the specic tests available for each component, see “Server
Diagnostics EFI Tests” on page 38 and “Server Diagnostics Mac OS X Tests” on page 44.
Appendix
A % indicates that a test is available:
Component tested Available in Server
Diagnostics EFI
AirPort % % Dierent tests are
Bluetooth %
Ethernet controller % % Dierent tests are
37
Available in Server
Diagnostics Mac OS X
Notes
available depending
on the tool.
available depending
on the tool.
Component tested Available in Server
Diagnostics EFI
Hard drive % % Dierent tests are
Memory (simple) % This tests all memory
Memory (multicore) % This tests all memory
Memory (extended) % Tests all memory.
Power supply %
Processor %
Sensor % % Server Diagnostics
SMC PID sensor % %
USB port % %
Video controller %
Available in Server
Diagnostics Mac OS X
Notes
available, depending on
the tool and whether
solid state drives are
installed.
using a single CPU core.
using all available CPU
cores.
Mac OS X has an
additional sensor test.
Server Diagnostics EFI Tests
These tests are available if your server is running Server Diagnostics EFI.
Startup Tests
These tests run when you start up Server Diagnostics EFI.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Hardware Existence 1 second Compares a table of sensors and
Boot ROM Checksum 1 second Veries the Boot ROM
Boot ROM FW GUID MAC Addr
Checksum
38 Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference
1 second Veries the Boot ROM FireWire
fans with what’s connected to
the logic board. If a sensor or
fan isn’t found, an error occurs.
All sensors and hard drives
found can be individually tested
using sensor and hard drive
tests.
checksum.
GUID MAC address checksum.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Boot ROM Headers and Data
Checksum
Verify BOF Flash with CRC 1 second Veries that the low and high
SMBIOS Self-Test 1 second Checks the SMBIOS tables for
15 seconds Veries headers and data
checksum for all rmware
volume regions throughout
the Boot ROM.
limits for testing sensors are
correctly set.
32-bit errors (type 18) and 64-
bit errors (type 33). Also veries
that the mapped-in DIMM size
is appropriate for the slot it’s
inserted into. If there’s a size
mismatch, an error occurs.
When the server tests memory
at startup, it maps out bad
memory. This mapped-out
memory is hidden from the
system and diagnostics so the
non-SMBIOS memory tests don’t
test it. The SMBIOS test reports
these mapped-out DIMMS.
AirPort Tests
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
PCI-E LinkWidth Verication 1 second Veries PCI link width is as
expected.
Ethernet Controller Tests
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
MAC Address Verication 1 second Veries MAC address isn’t all FFs
or 00s.
Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference 39
Hard Drive Tests
When Server Diagnostics EFI starts, it performs a hardware existence test. Hard drives
found during this test can be tested individually using hard drive tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Full Read 3 hours for a 1 TB drive Performs a DMA full-read scan
at 1250 RPM. This checks the
entire hard drive for slow-read
failures.
This test is available for hard
drives, but not solid-state drives.
Abbreviated Read 2 minutes Performs a DMA scan at 1250
RPM. This checks the rst 10 GB
of the hard drive for slow-read
failures.
This test is available for hard
drives, but not solid-state drives.
Check SMART Status 1 second Check the SMART status of
a hard drive.
This test is available for hard
drives, but not solid-state drives.
Memory Tests
Simple Memory Tests
In Server Diagnostics EFI, memory tests (simple, multicore, and extended) are grouped
under Memory tests.
Note: The time required to complete memory tests correlates to the amount of
memory being tested. These estimates are based on testing 8 GB of memory.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Address as Data 15 seconds Tests memory using the
Patterns 40 seconds Tests memory using dierent
Marching Ones and Zeros 30 seconds Tests memory by walking 1s and
Knaizuk Hartmann 20 seconds Tests memory using this
MOD3 1 minute Tests memory using this
March U 3 minutes Tests memory using Van de
40 Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference
memory address as data.
data patterns.
0s up and down memory.
algorithm.
algorithm.
Goor’s March U algorithm.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Random 45 seconds Uses pseudo-random values.
Block Checkerboard 32 15 seconds Alternates 32-bit words with all
1s and all 0s, and then with all
0s and all 1s.
Bit Checkerboard 32 15 seconds Alternates bits with all 1s and
all 0s, and then with all 0s and
all 1s.
Sequential Byte Block 32 32 minutes Fills bytes sequentially with
patterns starting at 0x00 and
ending at 0xFF.
Walking One 32 15 minutes Walks 1s up and down memory.
Walking Zero 32 15 minutes Walks 0s up and down memory.
Walking Spread Bit 32 15 minutes Walks 0b01 up and then walks
0b10 down memory.
Walking Bit Flip 32 15 minutes Alternates words with walking
1 and walking 0, and then
alternates with walking 0 and
walking 1.
Multicore Memory Tests
In Server Diagnostics EFI, all memory tests (simple, multicore, and extended) are
grouped under Memory tests.
Note: The time required to complete memory tests correlates to the amount of
memory being tested. These estimates are based on testing 8 GB of memory.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
MP Block Checkerboard 10 seconds Alternates 32-bit words with all
1s and all 0s, and then with all
0s and all 1s.
MP Bit Checkerboard 10 seconds Alternates bits with all 1s and
all 0s, and then with all 0s and
all 1s.
MP Sequential Byte Block 16 minutes Fills bytes sequentially with
patterns starting at 0x00 and
ending at 0xFF.
MP Walking One 7 minutes Walks 1s up and down memory.
MP Walking Zero 7 minutes Walks 0s up and down memory.
MP Walking Spread Bit 7 minutes Walks 0b01 up and then walks
0b10 down memory.
Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference 41
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
MP Walking Bit Flip 7 minutes Alternates words with walking
1 and walking 0, and then
alternates words with walking 0
and walking 1.
Check Hardware Errors 2 seconds Tests specic registers for
memory related errors. Running
this test at the end of memory
testing may help catch memory
errors generated during other
memory tests.
Extended Memory Tests
Extended memory tests test all available memory.
In Server Diagnostics EFI, memory tests (simple, multicore, and extended) are grouped
under Memory tests.
The availability of extended memory tests depends on the server model you test.
Note: The time required to complete memory tests correlates to the amount of
memory being tested. These estimates are based on testing 8 GB of memory.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Extended Memory Test P00F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 0.
This fails if an error occurs.
Extended Memory Test P01F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 1.
This fails if an error occurs.
Extended Memory Test P02F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 2.
This fails if an error occurs.
Extended Memory Test P03F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 3.
This fails if an error occurs.
Extended Memory Test P04F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 4.
This fails if an error occurs.
Extended Memory Test P05F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 5.
This fails if an error occurs.
Extended Memory Test P06F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 6.
This fails if an error occurs.
Extended Memory Test P07F 10 seconds Tests memory using pattern 7.
This fails if an error occurs.
42 Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference
Power Supply Tests
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Good 1 second Checks if the power supply’s
good bit is set. If it’s not set, this
could indicate that the power
supply isn’t seated well or is bad,
or that there’s no AC connected.
Processor Tests
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
L1 Cache Test 3 seconds Veries that the L1 cache is
good on all processor cores.
Sensor Tests
When Server Diagnostics EFI starts, it performs a hardware existence test. Sensors
found during this test can be tested individually using sensor tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Sensor Reads 1 second Veries that the sensor reads are
within the preset sensor limits.
SMC PID Sensor Tests
The System Management Controller (SMC) monitors the Proportional Integral
Derivative (PID) controller which controls several important temperature sensors.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
SMC PID Sensor 1 second Veries that the sensor reads
controlled by the PID are within
the preset sensor limits.
USB Tests
Connect USB devices before running USB tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Presence 1 second Veries that a USB device is
connected.
Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference 43
Server Diagnostics Mac OS X Tests
These tests are available if your server is running Server Diagnostics Mac OS X.
Startup Tests
These tests run when you start up Server Diagnostics Mac OS X.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Hardware Existence 1 second Compares a table of sensors and
fans with what’s connected to
the logic board. If a sensor or
fan isn’t found, an error occurs.
Sensors, and hard drives found
can be individually tested using
sensor, hard drive tests.
SMBIOS Self-Test 1 second Checks the SMBIOS tables for
32-bit errors (type 18) and 64-
bit errors (type 33). Also veries
that the mapped-in DIMM size
is appropriate for the slot it’s
inserted into. If there’s a size
mismatch, an error occurs.
When the server tests memory
at startup, it maps out bad
memory. The SMBIOS test
reports these mapped-out
DIMMS.
AirPort Tests
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
AirPort MAC Address Verication 1 second Veries MAC address isn’t all FFs
AirPort Power Cycle 5 seconds Veries AirPort by performing
44 Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference
or 00s.
a wireless scan after turning
AirPort power o, then turning
AirPort power on.
Bluetooth Tests
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Bluetooth USB Interface 1 second Veries USB interface between
host and Bluetooth.
MAC Address Verication 1 second Veries MAC address isn’t all FFs
or 00s.
Bluetooth Power Cycle 10 seconds Veries USB interface between
host and Bluetooth after turning
Bluetooth power o and then
turning Bluetooth power on.
Ethernet Controller Tests
Data loop tests can add to network trac. Consider disconnecting from the network
before running data loop tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
MAC Address Verication 1 second Veries MAC address isn’t all FFs
or 00s.
MAC Loopback 25 seconds Veries that there’s no data
mismatch between sent and
received data while looping
within the MAC (a sublayer of
the datalink layer in the ISO
network reference model).
PHY 1000 Loopback 25 seconds per port Veries that there’s no data
mismatch between sent and
received data while looping
within the physical transport
medium (PHY) at 1000 Mbps.
PHY Jumbo Packet Loopback 25 seconds per port Veries that there’s no data
mismatch between sent and
received jumbo packet data
while looping within the
physical transport medium
(PHY) at the the highest
supported speed.
Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference 45
Hard Drive Tests
When Server Diagnostics Mac OS X starts, it performs a hardware existence test.
Hard drives and solid-state drives found during this test can be tested individually
using hard drive tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Threaded Surface Scan 3 hours for a 1 TB drive Scans the entire surface of
a hard drive.
This test is available for hard
drives, but not solid-state drives.
Threaded Surface Short Scan 2 minutes Scans the rst 10 GB of a hard
drive.
This test is available for hard
drives, but not solid-state drives.
Check SMART Status 1 second Checks the SMART status of
a hard drive.
This test is available for hard
drives, but not solid-state drives.
Short Random Multi-block 5 minutes Performs a threaded, random
multi-block read of random
ranges of the target hard drive.
This isn’t a full surface scan,
but it causes rapid seeking and
reading of hard drive blocks. If
a block can’t be read, an error
occurs.
This test is available for hard
drives, but not solid-state drives.
SSD Threaded Media Scan Not available Scan’s the entire accessible area
of a solid-state drive.
This test is available for solidstate drives, but not hard drives.
SSD New Drive SMART Data Not available Checks the SMART status of a
solid-state drive.
This test is available for solidstate drives, but not hard drives.
46 Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference
Sensor Tests
When Server Diagnostics Mac OS X starts, it performs a hardware existence test.
Sensors found during this test can be tested individually using sensor tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Sensor Reads 1 second Veries that the sensor reads are
within the preset sensor limits.
SMC PID Sensor Tests
The System Management Controller (SMC) monitors the Proportional Integral
Derivative (PID) controller which controls several important temperature sensors.
SMC sensors can be tested individually using these tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
SMC PID Sensor 1 second Checks the SMC PID sensor
warning counter for erratic
behavior.
Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference 47
USB Tests
Connect USB devices before running USB tests.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
Presence 1 second Veries that a USB device is
connected.
Video Controller Tests
To run these tests, a display that supports 1024 by 768 or higher resolution must be
attached to graphics cards being tested. The displays can’t be in sleep mode. For
example, if you have two graphics cards, they both need a display attached and both
displays must not be in sleep mode.
Tes t Estimated completion time Description
OpenGL Point 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 2D point test.
OpenGL Line 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 2D line test.
OpenGL Triangle 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 2D triangle test.
OpenGL Quad 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 2D quadrilateral test.
OpenGL Quad with Texture 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 2D textured quadrilateral test.
OpenGL Rectangle 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 2D rectangle test.
OpenGL Cube 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 3D cube test.
OpenGL Cube with Fog 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 3D cube with fog test.
OpenGL Wireframe 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 3D wireframe test.
OpenGL Solid Red Model 10 seconds Veries video controller using
a 3D solid red model test.
OpenGL Solid Red Model with
Fog
Fragment Instruction 1 minute Tests every instruction of the
Vertex Instruction 40 seconds Tests every instruction of the
10 seconds Veries video controller using a
3D solid red model with fog test.
ARB fragment program.
ARB vertex program.
48 Appendix Server Diagnostics Test Reference
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