Apple XSERVE Diagnostics Users Guide

Xserve

Apple Xserve Diagnostics User’s Guide

For Version 3X102

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Chapter 1 4 Overview and Requirements

Overview of AXD Configurations

Requirements

Chapter 2 8 Setup and Installation

Setting Up a NetBoot Server

Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation

Installing AXD EFI Tools

Installing AXD Mac OS X Tools

Chapter 3 14 Loading AXD Tools

Changing the Startup Disk in System Preferences

Changing the Startup Disk Using the Command-Line Interface

Changing the Startup Disk Using Apple Remote Desktop

Changing the Startup Disk Temporarily at Startup

Loading an AXD EFI Tools NetBoot Image Using the Xserve’s Front Panel

Disabling the Firmware Password

Chapter 4 20 Using AXD Tools

Setting AXD to Host, Client, or Local Mode

Using AXD EFI Tools

Using AXD Mac OS X Tools

Appendix 29 AXD Tools Test Reference

Comparison of Available Tests

AXD EFI Tools Tests

AXD Mac OS X Tests

Overview and Requirements

Apple Xserve Diagnostics tests your Intel-based Xserve for hardware issues.

Apple Xserve Diagnostics (AXD) runs a customizable set of tests to help you diagnose issues with the following:

Boot ROM

Ethernet controller

Fan

Hard drive

Memory

Power supply

Processor

Sensor

USB ports

Video controller

You can run AXD in Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), which is referred to as

tools

, or in Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server, which is referred to as

By running AXD EFI tools, you can diagnose hardware issues that prevent Mac OS X Server from successfully loading. You can also run tests without interference from Mac OS X Server and test more than 2.5 gigabytes (GB) of memory. However, AXD Mac OS X tools provides an enhanced interface and has more extensive sensor, fan, hard drive, and video controller tests. For a detailed comparison and description of all available tests, see the appendix, “AXD Tools Test Reference” on page 29.

You can test the Xserve itself by running AXD tools on it. You can also run it on a computer that has a network connection to the Xserve and remotely control the Xserve.

AXD Mac OS X tools

AXD EFI

Note:

This guide describes how to use AXD version 3X102. If you’re using a different version of AXD, the instructions in this guide might not work. AXD version 3X102 is included in Mac OS X Server Administration Tools version 10.4.10 and later. You can find out which version of AXD tools you’re running by opening AXD Mac OS X tools and choosing AXD > About Apple Xserve Diagnostics.

Overview of AXD Configurations

You can install and run AXD in a variety of ways, so it’s important that you choose the method that best suits your needs.

There are several AXD configuration options with distinct considerations:

Option Considerations

Host a NetBoot server Advantages:

Don’t need to install AXD on an internal volume on the Xserve or

on a portable storage device Can test multiple Xserves using the same AXD install image

Allows you to use AXD EFI tools

You can load AXD tools without an input device connected to the

Xserve (if you have access to the Xserve’s front panel)

Disadvantages:

Requires a server to host NetBoot service and the AXD install

image Xserve must be on the same subnet as the NetBoot server

Install AXD EFI tools on an internal volume

Install AXD EFI tools on a portable storage device

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD EFI tools Don’t need physical access to Xserve to run AXD remotely

Disadvantages:

Requires a volume on the Xserve that has 15 megabytes (MB) free

and that doesn’t have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD EFI tools

You can use the same portable storage device to test multiple

Xserves

Disadvantages:

Requires a volume on the Xserve that has 15 MB free and that

doesn’t have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed Portable storage device must be physically connected to the

Xserve

Chapter 1

Overview and Requirements

Option Considerations

Install AXD Mac OS X tools on an internal volume

Install AXD Mac OS X tools on a portable storage device

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD Mac OS X tools

Don’t need physical access to Xserve to run AXD remotely (if you

have Apple Remote Desktop)

Disadvantages:

Requires an empty volume on the Xserve with 6 GB free

Must install Mac OS X Server on the empty volume

Advantages:

Allows you to use AXD Mac OS X tools You can use the same portable storage device to test multiple

Xserves

Disadvantages:

Requires an empty volume on the portable storage device with

6 GB free Must install Mac OS X Server on the empty volume

Portable storage device must be physically connected to the

Xserve

Requirements

Before you can run AXD, you must meet general, storage device, and local and remote requirements.

If you want to host AXD on a NetBoot server, additional requirements must be met by the NetBoot server.

General Requirements

To run AXD, you must have the following:

An Intel-based Xserve with Mac OS X Server version 10.4.10 or later installed

The Mac OS X Server Install discs and Administration Tools disc included with Mac OS X Server version 10.4.10 or later

Storage Device Requirements

Depending on whether you want to run AXD EFI tools, AXD Mac OS X tools, or both, you need empty volumes either on the Xserve or on a portable storage device.

If you want to run AXD Mac OS X tools, the storage device must use the GUID Partition Table partition scheme. If you’re running only AXD EFI tools on the storage device, you don’t need to use the GUID Partition Table partition scheme.

6 Chapter 1

Overview and Requirements

You can run both AXD tools by having two empty volumes on the same Xserve or portable storage device. You need at least one of the following:

Goal Requirement

Run AXD EFI tools A volume on the Xserve that has at least 15 MB free, but doesn’t

have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed

Run AXD Mac OS X tools An empty volume on the Xserve with at least 6 GB free

Test multiple Xserves and run AXD EFI tools

Test multiple Xserves and run AXD Mac OS X tools

A USB drive or other portable storage device with a volume that has at least 15 MB free, but doesn’t have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed

A USB drive or other portable storage device that has an empty volume with at least 6 GB free

Local and Remote Requirements

To run AXD on your local Xserve, you’ll need to attach a keyboard, mouse, and display.

To run AXD remotely, you must have the following:

A Macintosh computer with Mac OS X version 10.4.4 or later installed. Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later is recommended. This computer is referred to as the

computer

A network connection or a direct Ethernet connection from the host computer to the Xserve. The Xserve is referred to as the

If the client Xserve is going to run AXD EFI tools and use a network connection, the

client Xserve

network connection must use a built-in Ethernet port, and not an Ethernet adapter card.

The Xserve must have AXD installed either on an internal volume or on a connected portable storage device; or it must be able to run AXD from a NetBoot server.

The host computer must run AXD Mac OS X tools. The client Xserve can run AXD EFI tools or AXD Mac OS X tools.

If the client Xserve is running AXD Mac OS X tools, you must be able to log in as the

root

account. The root account is a system administrator who has complete access to

the Xserve.

host

If you want to run AXD entirely remotely (for situations where the Xserve is physically inaccessible or if you want to save AXD EFI tools test results), in addition to meeting the network requirements, the Xserve must be able to load Mac OS X Server.

NetBoot Server Requirements

To host a NetBoot server, your NetBoot server must:

Have Mac OS X Server version 10.4.4 or later installed. Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later is recommended.

Be on the same subnet as the Xserve being tested.

Have 15 MB of hard drive space available for an AXD NetBoot image.

Chapter 1

Overview and Requirements

Setup and Installation

Before you can run AXD, you must set up your testing environment and install AXD.

Make sure you meet AXD requirements before attempting setup and installation. For more information, see “Requirements” on page 6.

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 7.

After you set up a NetBoot server, you install the AXD NetBoot image. Because the AXD NetBoot image is a special image, you can’t use System Image Utility to delete the image.

For information about deleting the AXD NetBoot image, see the next section, “Deleting the AXD NetBoot Image.”

To set up a NetBoot server:

Open Server Admin (located in /Applications/Server).

If the server that will host NetBoot isn’t listed, click Add Server in the toolbar. Enter the IP address of the server in the Address field, enter the user name and password of the server administrator in the User Name and Password fields, and then click Connect.

Click the disclosure triangle for the server that will host NetBoot.

4 Select NetBoot, click Settings, and then click General.

5 In the network interface list, select the Enable checkboxes for the interfaces that you

want to serve the AXD 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 Xserve. 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 Xserve. In the Info pane, choose different network interfaces on the NetBoot server and your Xserve and compare the IP Address fields. Usually, computers are on

the same subnet if their IP addresses start with same few numbers (for example, they both start with 192.168.2).

6 In the volume list, select the Images and Client Data checkboxes for the volume that

will store the AXD NetBoot image.

The volume must have at least 15 MB free.

7 Click Save.

8 In the Finder, navigate to the AppleXserveDiagnostics folder in your Mac OS X Server

Administration Tools disc, and then open AppleXserveDiagnosticsNetBoot.pkg.

9 Follow the onscreen instructions to install the AXD NetBoot package.

10 In Server Admin, select NetBoot, and then click Images.

11 If the AXD NetBoot image has the same index (listed in the Index column) as another

image, deselect the Enable checkbox for the conflicting image.

12 Click the Start Service button in the toolbar.

Deleting the AXD NetBoot Image

You can’t use System Image Utility to delete the AXD NetBoot image. Instead, you must delete the AXD 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 AXD NetBoot image onto. The number (#) varies depending on if you’re using several NetBoot volumes. If you’re using only one NetBoot volume, the AXD NetBoot image is located in NetBootSP0. If you’re using several NetBoot volumes, the AXD NetBoot image can be located in another folder (for example, NetBootSP1, NetBootSP4, or NetBootSP11).

To delete the AXD NetBoot image:

m Open the Finder and delete AXD.nbi from the NetBoot image folder.

Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation

To set up an internal volume or portable storage device for AXD tool installation, you must have at least 15 MB of available space for AXD EFI tools or at least 6 GB of storage capacity for AXD Mac OS X tools. These requirements are described in detail in “Storage Device Requirements” on page 6.

If you’re installing AXD Mac OS X tools on one of the volumes, the storage device should use the GUID Partition Table partition scheme. To view the storage device’s partition 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 Scheme should say GUID Partition Table.

Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 9

Note: Some portable storage devices aren’t fast enough to use as startup volumes. If you insert your portable storage device and a dialog appears asking you to eject a CDROM, this signifies that your drive isn’t fast enough. If your drive isn’t fast enough to use as a startup volume, it can’t be used for AXD tools.

You can’t use these instructions on any storage devices that are currently in use. If you want to create empty volumes on the storage device that’s currently running Mac OS X Server, you’ll need to load Disk Utility from the Mac OS X installation disc or load Disk Utility while your Xserve is connected to another computer and is in target disk mode. Both of these methods erase the contents of your Xserve’s hard drive and require you to reinstall and reconfigure Mac OS X Server.

WARNING: The following instructions will erase all data on your storage device. Back

up critical data before performing the following instructions.

To create empty storage device volumes and correctly format them:

1 Open Disk Utility (located in /Applications/Utilities).

Make sure you open Disk Utility on a computer with Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server version 10.4.10 or later installed.

2 Select the storage device that 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.

3 Click the Partition tab.

4 Review the partition sizes and adjust them to meet AXD tools storage requirements.

To do this Do this

Display a partition’s size Click the partition and review the Size field.

Set the size of the partition Edit the Size field.

Prevent a partition from being automatically adjusted when you edit other partitions

Create more partitions Click Split.

Delete partitions Click Delete.

Name a partition Select it and enter a name in the Name field. Because this name is

5 If you’re going to install AXD Mac OS X tools on a volume in the storage device, click

Options, select GUID Partition Table, and click OK.

6 Click Partition.

10 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation

Click the lock icon in the partition.

used when selecting which volume to start up Mac OS X in, choose a name that identifies the volume as being used for AXD tools.

Installing AXD EFI Tools

Before you install AXD EFI tools, make sure that your storage device has a volume that has at least 15 MB available, but doesn’t have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed. For more information, see “Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation” on page 9.

To perform these instructions, you’ll need the Mac OS X Server Administration Tools disc included with Mac OS X Server version 10.4.10 or later. You can also download the latest Mac OS X Server Administration Tools disc image from www.apple.com/support/.

If you’re performing this task to install AXD EFI tools on an internal volume on the Xserve, you’ll need administrator access to the Xserve. If you’re performing this task to install AXD EFI tools 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 Xserve, and the host computer doesn’t provide DHCP service on the port used to directly connect to the Xserve, you’ll need to create a file on the Xserve that assigns an IP address to the Xserve. However, if the host computer provides DHCP service, don’t make this file. For information about how to find out if a computer is providing DHCP service, see Network Services Administration, at:

www.apple.com/server/documentation

To install AXD EFI tools:

1 Insert the Mac OS X Server Administration Tools disc.

If you have a disc image of the Mac OS X Server Administration Tools disc, double-click the .dmg file to mount the disc image.

2 Open AppleXserveDiagnosticsEFI.pkg (located on the disc, at /AppleXserveDiagnostics).

3 Follow the onscreen instructions, and at the Select Destination step, choose a volume

with at least 15 MB of space available, and that doesn’t have Mac OS X or Mac OS X Server installed.

4 If you’re prompted to authenticate, authenticate as a user with admin privileges.

5 If you want to connect a host computer directly to the Xserve and the host computer

doesn’t provide DHCP service on the port used to directly connect to the Xserve, do the following:

a Open TextEdit (located in /Applications).

b In the body of a new file, 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 file, choose File > New.

c Choose Format > Make Plain Text.

Chapter 2 Setup and Installation 11

d Choose File > Save As.

e Name the file axd_set_ip_address, and then change the location of the file to the

volume with AXD EFI tools installed.

f Select “If no extension is provided, use ‘.txt’,” and then click Save.

Installing AXD Mac OS X Tools

Before you install AXD Mac OS X tools, make sure that your storage device uses the GUID Partition Table partition scheme and that it has an empty volume with 6 GB of available space. For more information, see “Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation” on page 9.

If you’re performing this task to install AXD Mac OS X tools on an internal volume on the Xserve, you’ll need admin access to the Xserve. If you’re performing this task to install AXD Mac OS X tools on a portable storage device, you can use any computer that you have admin access to.

Installing AXD Mac OS X tools involves three major steps:

Â Install Mac OS X Server with minimal options selected

Â Copy AXD Mac OS X tools from the Mac OS X Server Administration Tools disc to

/Applications

Â Configure Mac OS X Server

By dedicating a minimal installation of Mac OS X Server for use with AXD Mac OS X tools, you reduce the risk of server processes interrupting AXD testing.

To install AXD Mac OS X tools:

1 Insert the Mac OS X Server Install disc.

2 Open the Install Mac OS X Server application, click Restart, and authenticate, if

requested.

The computer restarts and loads the Mac OS X Server Installer.

3 Continue through the Installer until you reach the Select Destination step.

4 Select a volume that’s at least 6 GB. If the volume isn’t empty, click Options, select

“Erase and Install,” and then click OK. Click Continue.

5 In Installation Type, click Customize, deselect all checkboxes, and then click Install.

If the volume is very close to 6 GB in size, the Installer might automatically load the Customize list.

12 Chapter 2 Setup and Installation

+ 26 hidden pages

Apple XSERVE Diagnostics Users Guide

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Contents

Overview and Requirements

Overview of AXD Configurations

Requirements

General Requirements

Storage Device Requirements

Local and Remote Requirements

NetBoot Server Requirements

Setup and Installation

Setting Up a NetBoot Server

Deleting the AXD NetBoot Image

Setting Up a Storage Device for AXD Tool Installation

Installing AXD EFI Tools