Asus RS720Q-E6 RS12 User Manual

2U Rackmount Server

RS720Q-E6/RS12
RS724Q-E6/RS12

User Guide

ii

Copyright © 2011 ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this manual, including the products and software described in it, may be reproduced, transmitted,
transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language in any form or by any means,
except documentation kept by the purchaser for backup purposes, without the express written permission
of ASUSTeK COMPUTER INC. (“ASUS”).

ASUS provides this manual “as is” without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including but not

limited to the implied warranties or conditions of merchantability or tness for a particular purpose. In no
event shall ASUS, its directors, ofcers, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, special, incidental,
or consequential damages (including damages for loss of prots, loss of business, loss of use or data,

interruption of business and the like), even if ASUS has been advised of the possibility of such damages
arising from any defect or error in this manual or product.

Specications and information contained in this manual ae furnished for informational use only, and are

subject to change at any time without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ASUS.
ASUS assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this manual,
including the products and software described in it.

Product warranty or service will not be extended if: (1) the product is repaired, modied or altered, unless
such repair, modication of alteration is authorized in writing by ASUS; or (2) the serial number of the

product is defaced or missing.

Products and corporate names appearing in this manual may or may not be registered trademarks or

copyrights of their respective companies, and are used only for identication or explanation and to the
owners’ benet, without intent to infringe.

E6465

First Edition V1

March 2011

iii

Contents

Notices ........................................................................................................ vii

Safety information .................................................................................... viii

About this guide ......................................................................................... ix

Chapter 1: Product introduction

1.1 System package contents ........................................................... 1-2

1.2 Serial number label ...................................................................... 1-2

1.3 Systemspecications ................................................................. 1-3

1.4 Front panel features ..................................................................... 1-5

1.5 Rear panel features ...................................................................... 1-5

1.6 Internal features ........................................................................... 1-7

1.7 LED information ........................................................................... 1-8

1.7.1 Front panel LEDs ............................................................ 1-8

1.7.2 LAN (RJ-45) LEDs .......................................................... 1-9

1.7.3 HDD status LED .............................................................. 1-9

Chapter 2: Hardware setup

2.1 Chassis cover ............................................................................... 2-2

2.2 Central Processing Unit (CPU) ................................................... 2-4

2.2.1 Installing the CPU ........................................................... 2-4

2.2.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and airduct .......................... 2-7

2.3 System memory ........................................................................... 2-8

2.3.1 Overview ......................................................................... 2-8

2.3.2 Memory Congurations ................................................... 2-9

2.3.3 Installing a DIMM .......................................................... 2-10

2.3.4 Removing a DIMM ........................................................ 2-10

2.4 Hard disk drives ......................................................................... 2-11

2.5 Expansion slot ............................................................................ 2-13

2.5.1 Installing an expansion card to the riser card bracket ... 2-13

2.5.2 Conguring an expansion card ..................................... 2-14

2.6 Cable connections ..................................................................... 2-15

2.7 Removable/optional components ............................................. 2-16

2.7.1 System fans .................................................................. 2-16

2.7.2 Redundant power supply module ................................. 2-17

2.7.3 Installing ASMB4 series management board (optional) 2-19

2.7.4 Installing ASUS PIKE Riser Card (optional) .................. 2-20

iv

Contents

Chapter 3: Installation options

3.1 Installing friction rail kit items .................................................... 3-2

3.1.1 Attaching the xing latches to the server ........................ 3-2

3.1.2 Attaching the rack rails .................................................... 3-3

3.1.3 Mounting the server to the rack ...................................... 3-4

Chapter 4: Motherboard information

4.1 Motherboard layouts .................................................................... 4-2

4.2 Jumpers ........................................................................................ 4-5

4.3 Internal connectors .................................................................... 4-11

4.4 Internal LEDs .............................................................................. 4-19

Chapter 5: BIOS setup

5.1 Managing and updating your BIOS ............................................ 5-2

5.1.1 AFUDOS utility ................................................................ 5-2

5.1.2 ASUS CrashFree BIOS 3 utility ...................................... 5-4

5.2 BIOS setup program .................................................................... 5-5

5.2.1 BIOS menu screen .......................................................... 5-6

5.2.2 Menu bar ......................................................................... 5-6

5.2.3 Navigation keys ............................................................... 5-6

5.2.4 Menu items ..................................................................... 5-7

5.2.5 Sub-menu items .............................................................. 5-7

5.2.6 Conguration elds ......................................................... 5-7

5.2.7 Pop-up window ............................................................... 5-7

5.2.8 Scroll bar ......................................................................... 5-7

5.2.9 General help ................................................................... 5-7

5.3 Main menu .................................................................................... 5-8

5.3.1 System Time ................................................................... 5-8

5.3.2 System Date ................................................................... 5-8

5.3.3 SATA1–4 ......................................................................... 5-8

5.3.4 IDE Conguration .......................................................... 5-10

5.3.5 AHCI Conguration ........................................................5-11

5.3.6 System Information ....................................................... 5-12

5.4 Advanced menu ......................................................................... 5-13

5.4.1 CPU Conguration ........................................................ 5-13

5.4.2 Chipset Conguration ................................................... 5-17

v

Contents

5.4.3 Legacy Device Conguration ........................................ 5-21

5.4.4 USB Conguration ........................................................ 5-22

5.4.5 PCIPnP Conguration ................................................... 5-23

5.4.6 Power On conguration ................................................ 5-24

5.4.7 Event Log Conguration ............................................... 5-25

5.4.8 Hardware Monitor ......................................................... 5-26

5.4.9 I/O Virtualization ............................................................ 5-27

5.4.10 PCI Express Conguration ............................................ 5-27

5.4.11 ACPI Conguration ....................................................... 5-28

5.5 Server menu ............................................................................... 5-30

5.6 Boot menu .................................................................................. 5-32

5.6.1 Boot Device Priority ...................................................... 5-32

5.6.2 Hard Disk Drives; CDROM Drives ................................ 5-32

5.6.3 Boot Settings Conguration .......................................... 5-33

5.6.4 Security ......................................................................... 5-34

5.7 Exit menu .................................................................................... 5-36

Chapter6: RAIDconguration

6.1 Setting up RAID ............................................................................ 6-2

6.1.1 RAID denitions .............................................................. 6-2

6.1.2 Installing hard disk drives ................................................ 6-2

6.1.3 RAID controller selection ................................................ 6-3

6.1.4 Setting the RAID item in BIOS ........................................ 6-3

6.2 LSISoftwareRAIDCongurationUtility .................................... 6-4

6.2.1 Creating a RAID set ........................................................ 6-5

6.2.2 Adding or viewing a RAID conguration ........................6-11

6.2.3 Initializing the virtual drives ........................................... 6-12

6.2.4 Rebuilding failed drives ................................................. 6-16

6.2.5 Checking the drives for data consistency ..................... 6-18

6.2.6 Deleting a RAID conguration ....................................... 6-21

6.2.7 Selecting the boot drive from a RAID set ...................... 6-22

6.2.8 Enabling WriteCache .................................................... 6-23

6.3 Intel® Matrix Storage Manager Option ROM Utility ................. 6-24

6.3.1 Creating a RAID set ...................................................... 6-25

6.3.2 Creating a Recovery set ............................................... 6-26

6.3.3 Deleting a RAID set ...................................................... 6-28

vi

Contents

6.3.4 Resetting disks to Non-RAID ........................................ 6-29

6.3.5 Recovery Volume Options ............................................ 6-30

6.3.6 Exiting the Intel® Matrix Storage Manager .................... 6-31

6.3.7 Rebuilding the RAID ..................................................... 6-31

6.3.8 Setting the Boot array in the BIOS Setup Utility ............ 6-33

Chapter 7: Driver installation

7.1 RAID driver installation ............................................................... 7-2

7.1.1 Creating a RAID driver disk ............................................ 7-2

7.1.2 Installing the RAID controller driver ................................ 7-5

7.2 Intel® chipset device installation .............................................. 7-14

7.3 LAN driver installation ............................................................... 7-16

7.4 VGA driver installation............................................................... 7-19

7.5 Mellanox ConnectX QDR PCI Gen2 Channel Adapter driver

installation (For RS724Q-E6/RS12 only) .................................. 7-22

7.5.1 Windows operating system ........................................... 7-22

7.5.2 Red Hat® Enterprise Linux OS ...................................... 7-25

7.6 Management applications and utilities installation ................ 7-27

7.6.1 Running the support DVD ............................................. 7-27

7.6.2 Drivers menu ................................................................. 7-27

7.6.3 Utilities menu ................................................................ 7-28

7.6.4 Make disk menu ............................................................ 7-28

7.6.5 Contact information ....................................................... 7-28

vii

Notices

Federal Communications Commission Statement

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to the
following two conditions:

• This device may not cause harmful interference, and

• This device must accept any interference received including interference that
may cause undesired operation.

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class

B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed

to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential
installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions,
may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no
guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment
does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be
determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to
correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment to an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the
receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Canadian Department of Communications Statement

This digital apparatus does not exceed the Class A limits for radio noise emissions
from digital apparatus set out in the Radio Interference Regulations of the
Canadian Department of Communications.

This Class A digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

WARNING! The use of shielded cables for connection of the monitor to the

graphics card is required to assure compliance with FCC regulations. Changes

or modications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for

compliance could void the user’s authority to operate this equipment.

REACH Information

Complying with the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction

of Chemicals) regulatory framework, we publish the chemical substances in our
products at ASUS REACH website at http://csr.asus.com/english/REACH.htm.

viii

Safety information

Electrical Safety

• Before installing or removing signal cables, ensure that the power cables for

the system unit and all attached devices are unplugged.

• To prevent electrical shock hazard, disconnect the power cable from the

electrical outlet before relocating the system.

• When adding or removing any additional devices to or from the system, ensure

that the power cables for the devices are unplugged before the signal cables
are connected. If possible, disconnect all power cables from the existing
system before you add a device.

• If the power supply is broken, do not try to x it by yourself. Contact a qualied

service technician or your dealer.

Operation Safety

• Any mechanical operation on this server must be conducted by certied or

experienced engineers.

• Before operating the server, carefully read all the manuals included with the

server package.

• Before using the server, ensure all cables are correctly connected and the

power cables are not damaged. If any damage is detected, contact your dealer
as soon as possible.

• To avoid short circuits, keep paper clips, screws, and staples away from
connectors, slots, sockets and circuitry.

• Avoid dust, humidity, and temperature extremes. Place the server on a stable
surface.

Lithium-Ion Battery Warning

CAUTION! Danger of explosion if battery is incorrectly replaced. Replace

only with the same or equivalent type recommended by the manufacturer.
Dispose of used batteries according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

CD-ROM Drive Safety Warning

CLASS 1 LASER PRODUCT

Heavy System

CAUTION! This server system is heavy. Ask for assistance when moving or

carrying the system.

This product is equipped with a three-wire power cable and plug for the user’s
safety. Use the power cable with a properly grounded electrical outlet to avoid
electrical shock.

ix

About this guide

Audience

This user guide is intended for system integrators, and experienced users with at

least basic knowledge of conguring a server.

Contents

This guide contains the following parts:

1. Chapter 1: Product Introduction

This chapter describes the general features of the server, including sections

on front panel and rear panel specications.

2. Chapter 2: Hardware setup

This chapter lists the hardware setup procedures that you have to perform
when installing or removing system components.

3. Chapter 3: Installation options

This chapter describes how to install optional components into the barebone
server.

4. Chapter 4: Motherboard information

This chapter gives information about the motherboard that comes with the
server. This chapter includes the motherboard layout, jumper settings, and
connector locations.

5. Chapter 5: BIOS setup

This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup
menus and describes the BIOS parameters.

6. Chapter6:RAIDconguration

This chapter tells how to change system settings through the BIOS Setup
menus. Detailed descriptions of the BIOS parameters are also provided.

7 Chapter 7: Driver installation

This chapter provides instructions for installing the necessary drivers for
different system components.

DO NOT throw the motherboard in municipal waste. This product has been designed
to enable proper reuse of parts and recycling. This symbol of the crossed out wheeled
bin indicates that the product (electrical and electronic equipment) should not be
placed in municipal waste. Check local regulations for disposal of electronic products.

DO NOT throw the mercury-containing button cell battery in municipal waste.
This symbol of the crossed out wheeled bin indicates that the battery should not
be placed in municipal waste.

x

References

Refer to the following sources for additional information, and for product and
software updates.

1. ASUS Server Web-based Management (ASWM) user guide

This manual tells how to set up and use the proprietary ASUS server
management utility.

2. ASUS websites

The ASUS websites worldwide provide updated information for all ASUS
hardware and software products. Refer to the ASUS contact information.

Conventions

To ensure that you perform certain tasks properly, take note of the following
symbols used throughout this manual.

Typography

Bold text

Indicates a menu or an item to select.

Italics

Used to emphasize a word or a phrase.

<Key> Keys enclosed in the less-than and greater-than
sign means that you must press the enclosed key.

Example: <Enter> means that you must press
the Enter or Return key.

<Key1+Key2+Key3> If you must press two or more keys simultaneously,

the key names are linked with a plus sign (+).

Example: <Ctrl+Alt+Del>

Command

Means that you must type the command
exactly as shown, then supply the required
item or value enclosed in brackets.

Example: At the DOS prompt, type the
command line:

format A:/S

DANGER/WARNING: Information to prevent injury to yourself when

trying to complete a task.

CAUTION: Information to prevent damage to the components when

trying to complete a task.

NOTE: Tips and additional information to help you complete a task.

IMPORTANT: Instructions that you MUST follow to complete a task.

1-

ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12

This chapter describes the general
features of the chassis kit. It includes
sections on front panel and rear panel

specications.

Chapter 1

Product introduction

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-2

* ASUS System Web-based Management
** The Mellanox driver is included in the motherboard support DVD or in an individual driver disc,

depending on the shipping sequence. This is subjected to change without notice.

If any of the above items is damaged or missing, contact your retailer.

1.1 System package contents

Check your system package for the following items.

1.2 Serial number label

Before requesting support from the ASUS Technical Support team, you must

take note of the product’s serial number containing 14 characters such as

xxS0xxxxxxxxxx. See the gure below.
With the correct serial number of the product, ASUS Technical Support team

members can then offer a quicker and satisfying solution to your problems.

xxS0xxxxxxxxxx

RS720Q-E6/RS12

Model Name RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12
Chassis ASUS R21A 2U Rackmount Chassis

Motherboard 4 x ASUS Z8NH-D12 Server Board (RS720Q-E6/RS12)

4 x ASUS Z8PH-D12 SE/QDR Server Board (RS724Q-E6/RS12)

Component 1 x 1600W Power Supply

12 x Hot-Swap 3.5” HDD Trays (varies by territories)
4 x PCIe Riser Card (RE16R-R12B)
2 x Front I/O Board (FPB-R21A)
2 x Power Supply Power Distribution Board (PDB-R21A)
1 x Power Connection Board (PSB-R21A)
1 x Backplane Board (BP12LX-R21A)
2 x Midplane Board (MP8LX-R21-S)
4 x System Fans (80 x 38mm)

Accessories 1 x RS72xQ-E6/RS12 User’s Guide

1 x ASWM 2.0 User’s Guide
1 x RS72xQ-E6/RS12 Support CD (including ASWM*)
1 x Mellanox driver disc (RS724Q-E6/RS12 only**)
1 x Bag of Screws
2 x AC Power Cables

1 x Friction Rail Kit

Optional Items 8 x CPU Heatsinks (varies by territories)

ASMB4-iKVM Remote management card
PIKE Riser Card (RE16R-R12B-PIKE)

ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12 1-3

(continued on the next page)

1.3 Systemspecications

The ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12 is a 2U barebone server system featuring the ASUS
Z8NH-D12 server boards. The ASUS RS724Q-E6/RS12 is a 2U barebone server
system featuring the ASUS Z8PH-D12 SE/QDR server boards. The servers support

Intel® LGA1366 Xeon® series processors, plus other latest technologies through
the chipsets onboard.

Model Name RS720Q-E6/RS12 RS724Q-E6/RS12

Processor / System Bus

2 x Socket LGA1366 per Node
Six/Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® X5600 Series (95W)

Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® X5500 Series (95W)
Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® E5500/E5600 Series (80W)
Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® L5500/L5600 Series (60W/40W)

QPI 4.8 / 5.86 / 6.4 GT/s

Core Logic

- Intel® 5500 IOH

- Intel® ICH10R I/O Controller

- Intel® 5520 IOH

- Intel® ICH10R I/O Controller

- Mellanox ConnectX
MT25408 QDR 40Gbps

controller

ASUS Features

Smart Fan

√

ASWM2.0

√

Memory

Total Slots

12 DIMMs per Node (3-channel per CPU, 6 DIMMs per CPU)

Capacity

Maximum up to 96GB (RDIMM) per Node
Maximum up to 48GB (UDIMM) per Node

Memory Type

DDR3 1333 / 1066 Reg DIMM / Unbuffered DIMM with ECC

Memory Size

1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB (RDIMM)
1GB, 2GB and 4GB (UDIMM)

Expansion Slots

Total PCI/PCI-X/
PCI-E Slots

1 per Node

Slot Type and
Additional Slot

1 x PCI-E 2.0 x16 slot (x16 link) (Low prole / HL) per Node or

1 x PIKE Riser Card Slot for Storage Enhancement (Optional)

Storage

SATA Controller

I

ntel® ICH10R:

4 x SATA2 300MB/s ports

- Intel Matrix Storage (for Windows) supporting SW RAID 0, 1

& 5

- LSI MegaRAID (for Linux / Windows) supporting SW RAID 0

& 1

SAS Controller

Optional: (PIKE Riser Card is necessary)

- ASUS PIKE 1068E 8-port SAS RAID card

- ASUS PIKE 2008 8-port SAS2 6G RAID card

- ASUS PIKE 2008/IMR 8-port SAS2 6G RAID card

- ASUS PIKE 2108 8-port SAS2 6G HW RAID card

HDD Bays

I = internal
A or S will be
hot-swappable

3 x Hot-swap 3.5” HDD Bays per Node (Total 12 x 3.5” HDD in
2U)

Networking LAN

2 x Intel® 82574L + 1 x Mgmt

LAN per Node

2 x Intel® 82574L + 1 x Mgmt

LAN per Node

1 x Single Port Mellanox

ConnectX2 QDR
InniteBand with QSFP

interface per Node

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-4

*Specicationsaresubjecttochangewithoutnotice.

Model Name RS720Q-E6/RS12 RS724Q-E6/RS12

Graphic VGA

Aspeed AST2050 8MB

Onboard I/O

Per Node:

- 1 x External Serial Port

- 3 x RJ-45 ports
(1 for ASMB4-iKVM)

- 2 x USB 2.0 ports

- 1 x VGA port

- 1 x Internal A Type USB Port

Per Node:

- 1 x External Serial Port

- 3 x RJ-45 ports
(1 for ASMB4-iKVM)

- 2 x USB 2.0 ports

- 1 x VGA port

- 1 x Internal A Type USB Port

- 1 x QSFP Port for Inniband
QDR

OS Support

Windows® Server 2008 Enterprise 32 / 64-bit
Windows® Server 2003 R2 Enterprise 32 / 64-bit

RedHat® Enterprise Linux AS5.0 32 / 64-bit
SuSE® Linux Enterprise Server 10 32 / 64-bit
(Subject to change without any notice)

Anti-virus Software

Optional anti-virus CD Pack

Management
Solution

Out of Band
Remote
Hardware

Optional ASMB4-iKVM for KVM-over-IP support

Software

ASUS ASWM 2.0

®

Dimension (HH x WW x DD)

750mm x 444mm x 87mm (2U)

Net Weight Kg (CPU, DRAM &
HDD not inclu ded)

25 Kg

Power Supply

1+1 Redundant 1600W (80+ Platinum) Power Supply

Power Rating

Input:

1000W: 100–120Vac, 12–10A, 50–60Hz, Class 1
1200W: 120–140Vac, 12–10A, 50–60Hz, Class 1
1620W: 180–240Vac, 10.5–8A, 50–60Hz, Class 1

Environment

Operation temperature: 10°C–35°C
Non operation temperature: -40°C–70°C
Non operation humidity: 20%–90% ( Non-condensing)

ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12 1-5

1.4 Front panel features

Refer to section 1.7.1 Front panel LEDs for the LED descriptions.

Front panel
Node 2
Node 1

Front panel

Node 4
Node 3

HDD 1 (Node 1)

HDD 2 (Node 1)

HDD 3 (Node 1)

HDD 1 (Node 2) HDD 1 (Node 3) HDD 1 (Node 4)

HDD 2 (Node 2)

HDD 3 (Node 2)

HDD 2 (Node 3)

HDD 3 (Node 3)

HDD 2 (Node 4)

HDD 3 (Node 4)

1.5 Rear panel features

PSU 1

Node 3

Node 1

Node 4

Node 2

PSU 2

When installing only two nodes, install the nodes to node slot number 1 and 3 or
number 2 and 4.

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-6

* This port is for ASUS ASMB4-iKVM controller card only.

** This port allows connection with a QSFP cable to an InniBand switch.

Inniband(MQSFP1)indications

Activity LED Link LED Description

Off Off No device
Orange Green Device plugged in; Ready

Orange

Blinking

Green Device plugged in; Data transmitting

LINK LEDACT LED

VGA port

USB ports

Serial port

LAN port 3*

LAN port 1

InniBandport**

LAN port 2

RS724Q-E6/RS12

VGA port

USB ports

Serial port

LAN port 3*

LAN port 1

LAN port 2

RS720Q-E6/RS12

* This port is for ASUS ASMB4-iKVM controller card only.

ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12 1-7

1.6 Internal features

The barebone server includes the basic components as shown.

The barebone server does not include a oppy disk drive. Connect a USB oppy
disk drive to any of the USB ports on the front or rear panel if you need to use a
oppy disk.

*WARNING

HAZARDOUS MOVING PARTS

KEEP FINGERS AND OTHER BODY PARTS AWAY

1. Redundant power supply and power fan

2. ASUS Z8NH-D12 Server Boards (RS720Q-E6/RS12); Z8PH-D12 SE/QDR
Server Boards (RS724Q-E6/RS12)

3. System fans

4. SATA/SAS backplane (hidden)

5. Hot-swap HDD trays (SAS and SATA)

6. Front LED Boards

Turn off the system power and detach the power supply before removing or
replacing any system component.

1

6

35

6

2

4

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-8

1.7 LED information

1.7.1 Front panel LEDs

LED Icon

Display
status

Description

Power LED ON System power ON

Message
LED

OFF System is normal; no incoming event

ON

1. Without ASMB4-iKVM installed: CPU over-heated

2. With ASMB4-iKVM installed: a hardware monitor event is

indicated

Location
LED

OFF Normal status

ON

Location switch is pressed (Press the location switch again to
turn off)

LAN LEDs

OFF No LAN connection

Blinking LAN is transmitting or receiving data

ON LAN connection is present

Message LED

LAN2 LED

LAN1 LED

Power switch and LED Location switch and LED

Message LED

LAN2 LED

LAN1 LED

Power switch and LED Location switch and LED

ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12 1-9

1.7.3 HDD status LED

SATAII/SAS HDD LED Description

HDD Activity LED (Green)

OFF HDD not present

ON HDD present, no activity

Blinking

1. Read/write data from/into the SATAII/SAS HDD

2. Locating (blinking with the HDD status LED)

HDD Status LED (Red)

OFF HDD not present

ON HDD has failed and should be swapped immediately

Blinking

1. RAID rebuilding

2. Locating (blinking with the HDD activity LED)

1.7.2 LAN (RJ-45) LEDs

ACT/LINK LED SPEED LED

Status Description Status Description

OFF No link OFF 10 Mbps connection

GREEN Linked ORANGE 100 Mbps connection

BLINKING Data activity GREEN 1 Gbps connection

HDD Activity LED (Green)

HDD Status LED (Red)

SPEED LED

ACT/LINK LED
ACT/LINK LED

SPEED LED

Chapter 1: Product introduction1-10

ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12

2-

This chapter lists the hardware setup
procedures that you have to perform
when installing or removing system
components.

Chapter 2

Hardware setup

Chapter 2: Hardware setup2-2

2.1 Chassis cover

Removing the top cover

1. Loosen the six screws on the top and the two sides of the top cover, as

shown in the following gures.

2. Lift the rear end of the top cover,

and follow the direction of the arrow

in the right gure to slide the cover

toward the rear panel until it is
disengaged from the chassis.

2-3ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12

Removing the server node

1. Hold the server node lever and press the node latch.

2. Firmly pull the server node out of the server chassis.

When installing only two nodes, install the nodes to node slot number 1 and 3 or
number 2 and 4. Refer to section

1.5 Rear panel features

for details.

Chapter 2: Hardware setup2-4

2.2.1 Installing the CPU

To install a CPU:

1. Locate the CPU socket on the motherboard.

2.2 Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The motherboard comes with two surface mount LGA1366 sockets designed for

the Intel® Xeon® processor.

• Your boxed Intel® Xeon® LGA1366 processor package should come with

installation instructions for the CPU and heatsink. If the instructions in this
section do not match the CPU documentation, follow the latter.

• Upon purchase of the motherboard, ensure that the PnP cap is on
the socket and the socket contacts are not bent. Contact your retailer
immediately if the PnP cap is missing, or if you see any damage to the PnP
cap/socket contacts/motherboard components. ASUS will shoulder the cost
of repair only if the damage is shipment/transit-related.

• Keep the cap after installing the motherboard. ASUS will process Return

Merchandise Authorization (RMA) requests only if the motherboard comes
with the cap on the LGA1366 socket.

• The product warranty does not cover damage to the socket contacts
resulting from incorrect CPU installation/removal, or misplacement/loss/
incorrect removal of the PnP cap.

Before installing the CPU, ensure that the socket box is facing towards you and

the load lever is on your left.

2-5ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12

To prevent damage to the socket
pins, do not remove the PnP cap
unless you are installing a CPU.

2. Press the load lever with your thumb
(A), then move it to the left (B) until

it is released from the retention tab.

A

B

Load lever

Retention tab

3. Lift the load lever in the direction of
the arrow to a 135º angle.

4. Lift the load plate with your thumb

and forenger to a 100º angle.

Load plate

4

3

5. Remove the PnP cap from the CPU
socket.

PnP cap

Chapter 2: Hardware setup2-6

The CPU ts in only one correct

orientation. DO NOT force the
CPU into the socket to prevent
bending the connectors on the

socket and damaging the CPU!

6. Position the CPU over the socket,
ensuring that the gold triangle is on
the bottom-left corner of the socket,

and then t the socket alignment key

into the CPU notch.

Gold
triangle
mark

Alignment key

CPU notch

7. Apply some Thermal Interface
Material to the exposed area of
the CPU that the heatsink will be
in contact with, ensuring that it is
spread in an even thin layer.

Some heatsinks come with pre­applied thermal paste. If so, skip
this step.

To prevent contaminating the paste, DO NOT spread the paste with your nger

directly.

DO NOT eat the thermal Interface
Material. If it gets into your eyes or
touches your skin, ensure that you
wash it off immediately and seek
professional medical help.

8. Close the load plate (A), and then

push the load lever (B) until it snaps

into the retention tab.

A

B

2-7ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12

2. Twist each of the four screws with a Philips (cross) screwdriver just enough to
attach the heatsink to the motherboard. When the four screws are attached,

tighten them one by one to completely secure the heatsink.

2.2.2 Installing the CPU heatsink and airduct

To install the CPU heatsink:

1. Place the heatsink on top of the installed CPU, ensuring that the four
fasteners match the holes on the motherboard.

Tighten the four heatsink screws in a diagonal sequence.

A

B

B

A

Chapter 2: Hardware setup2-8

2.3 System memory

2.3.1 Overview

The motherboard comes with twelve (12) Double Data Rate 3 (DDR3) Dual Inline

Memory Modules (DIMM) sockets.

The gure illustrates the location of the DDR3 DIMM sockets:

2-9ASUS RS720Q-E6/RS12, RS724Q-E6/RS12

• Always install DIMMs with the same CAS latency. For optimum
compatibility, we recommend that you obtain memory modules from the

same vendor. Refer to the Qualied Vendors List on the ASUS web site.

• You may install varying memory sizes in Channel A, Channel B and
Channel C. The system maps the total size of the lower-sized channel for
the dual-channel or triple-channel conguration. Any excess memory from
the higher-sized channel is then mapped for single-channel operation.

• Due to the memory address limitation on 32-bit Windows OS, when you
install 4GB or more memory on the motherboard, the actual usable memory
for the OS can be about 3GB or less. For effective use of memory, we

recommend that you do any of the following:

- Use a maximum of 3GB system memory if you are using a 32-bit Windows
OS.

- Install a 64-bit Windows OS when you want to install 4GB or more on the

motherboard.
For more details, refer to the Microsoft® support site at

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929605/en-us.

• This motherboard does not support DIMMs made up of 512 Mb (64MB)

chips or less (Memory chip capacity counts in Megabit, 8 Megabit/Mb = 1

Megabyte/MB).

2.3.2 MemoryCongurations

You may install 1 GB, 2 GB, 4 GB, or 8GB registered / unbuffered ECC DDR3
DIMMs into the DIMM sockets using the memory congurations in this section.

Memory population table

CPU1Conguration

DIMM_A2 DIMM_A1 DIMM_B2 DIMM_B1 DIMM_C2 DIMM_C1

1 DIMMs

-- -- -- -- --

2 DIMMs

-- -- -- --

3 DIMMs

-- -- --

4 DIMMs

-- --

6 DIMMs

CPU2Conguration

DIMM_D2 DIMM_D1 DIMM_E2 DIMM_E1 DIMM_F2 DIMM_F1

1 DIMMs

-- -- -- -- --

2 DIMMs

-- -- -- --

3 DIMMs

-- -- --

4 DIMMs

-- --

6 DIMMs

Chapter 2: Hardware setup2-10

2.3.4 Removing a DIMM

1. Simultaneously press the
retaining clips outward to unlock
the DIMM.

2. Remove the DIMM from the

socket.

2.3.3 Installing a DIMM

3. Hold the DIMM by both of its
ends, then insert the DIMM
vertically into the socket. Apply
force to both ends of the DIMM
simultaneously until the retaining
clips snap back into place, and
the DIMM cannot be pushed
in any further to ensure proper
sitting of the DIMM.

Ensure to unplug the power supply before adding or removing DIMMs or other
system components. Failure to do so may cause severe damage to both the
motherboard and the components.

1. Unlock a DIMM socket by
pressing the retaining clips
outward.

2. Align a DIMM on the socket

such that the notch on the DIMM
matches the DIMM slot key on the
socket.

A DIMM is keyed with a notch so that it ts in only one direction. DO NOT force

a DIMM into a socket in the wrong direction to avoid damaging the DIMM.

Support the DIMM lightly with your ngers when pressing the retaining clips.
The DIMM might get damaged when it ips out with extra force.

Always insert the DIMM into the socket VERTICALLY to prevent DIMM notch

damage.

Locked Retaining Clip

3

3

1

2

1

Unlocked retaining clip

DIMM notch

DIMM slot key

1

1

2