Dell PowerEdge T420 User Manual
Dell PowerEdge T420 Systems
Owner's Manual
Regulatory Model: E20S Series
Regulatory Type: E20S001
Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the
problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
© 2013 Dell Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell™, the Dell logo, Dell Boomi™, Dell Precision™ , OptiPlex™, Latitude™, PowerEdge™, PowerVault™,
PowerConnect™, OpenManage™, EqualLogic™, Compellent™, KACE™, FlexAddress™, Force10™, Venue™ and Vostro™ are trademarks
of Dell Inc. Intel®, Pentium®, Xeon®, Core® and Celeron® are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.
AMD® is a registered trademark and AMD Opteron™, AMD Phenom™ and AMD Sempron™ are trademarks of Advanced Micro
Devices, Inc. Microsoft®, Windows®, Windows Server®, Internet Explorer®, MS-DOS®, Windows Vista® and Active Directory® are
either trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Red Hat® and Red
Hat® Enterprise Linux® are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Novell® and SUSE® are
registered trademarks of Novell Inc. in the United States and other countries. Oracle® is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation
and/or its affiliates. Citrix®, Xen®, XenServer® and XenMotion® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in
the United States and/or other countries. VMware®, vMotion®, vCenter®, vCenter SRM™ and vSphere® are registered trademarks or
trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States or other countries. IBM® is a registered trademark of International Business Machines
Corporation.
2013 - 11
Rev. A05
Contents
1 About Your System......................................................................................................................8
Front-Panel Features And Indicators—Tower Mode...............................................................................................8
Front-Panel Features And Indicators—Rack Mode...............................................................................................12
LCD Panel Features.................................................................................................................................................14
Home Screen....................................................................................................................................................14
Setup Menu......................................................................................................................................................15
View Menu....................................................................................................................................................... 15
Diagnostic Indicators..............................................................................................................................................15
Hard-Drive Indicator Patterns................................................................................................................................ 17
Back-Panel Features And Indicators..................................................................................................................... 18
NIC Indicator Codes................................................................................................................................................20
Power Indicator Codes For Redundant Power Supply...........................................................................................20
Power Indicator Codes For Non-Redundant Power Supply...................................................................................21
Other Information You May Need...........................................................................................................................22
2 Using The System Setup And Boot Manager.......................................................................23
Choosing The System Boot Mode.......................................................................................................................... 23
Entering System Setup............................................................................................................................................24
Responding To Error Messages.......................................................................................................................24
Using The System Setup Navigation Keys.......................................................................................................24
System Setup Options.............................................................................................................................................24
System Setup Main Screen..............................................................................................................................24
System BIOS Screen........................................................................................................................................25
System Information Screen..............................................................................................................................25
Memory Settings Screen................................................................................................................................. 26
Processor Settings Screen.............................................................................................................................. 26
SATA Settings Screen......................................................................................................................................27
Boot Settings Screen....................................................................................................................................... 28
Integrated Devices Screen.............................................................................................................................. 28
Serial Communications Screen........................................................................................................................29
System Profile Settings Screen........................................................................................................................30
System Security Screen...................................................................................................................................31
Miscellaneous Settings....................................................................................................................................31
System And Setup Password Features.................................................................................................................. 32
Assigning A System And/Or Setup Password..................................................................................................32
Deleting Or Changing An Existing System And/Or Setup Password................................................................33
Using Your System Password To Secure Your System....................................................................................33
Operating With A Setup Password Enabled.................................................................................................... 33
Entering The UEFI Boot Manager...........................................................................................................................34
Using The Boot Manager Navigation Keys......................................................................................................34
3
Boot Manager Screen......................................................................................................................................35
UEFI Boot Menu............................................................................................................................................... 35
Embedded System Management............................................................................................................................35
iDRAC Settings Utility..............................................................................................................................................35
Entering The iDRAC Settings Utility..................................................................................................................36
Changing The Thermal Settings.......................................................................................................................36
3 Installing System Components................................................................................................37
Recommended Tools.............................................................................................................................................. 37
Front Bezel (Optional)............................................................................................................................................. 37
Installing The Front Bezel.................................................................................................................................37
Removing The Front Bezel................................................................................................................................38
System Feet—Tower Mode....................................................................................................................................38
Removing The System Feet..............................................................................................................................38
Installing The System Feet............................................................................................................................... 39
Wheel Assembly (Optional)—Tower Mode............................................................................................................39
Removing The Wheel Assembly.......................................................................................................................39
Installing The Wheel Assembly........................................................................................................................40
Opening And Closing The System...........................................................................................................................41
Opening The System........................................................................................................................................ 41
Closing The System..........................................................................................................................................42
Inside The System...................................................................................................................................................42
Optical Drives And Tape Drives (Optional).............................................................................................................44
Removing The Optical Drive Or Tape Drive......................................................................................................45
Installing The Optical Drive Or Tape Drive.......................................................................................................47
Cooling Shroud....................................................................................................................................................... 48
Removing The Cooling Shroud.........................................................................................................................48
Installing The Cooling Shroud.......................................................................................................................... 49
Hard Drives—Hot-Swappable ...............................................................................................................................50
Removing a Hot-Swap Hard Drive....................................................................................................................50
Installing A Hot-Swap Hard Drive.................................................................................................................... 51
Removing A 2.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank............................................................................................................51
Installing A 2.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank............................................................................................................. 52
Removing A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank............................................................................................................52
Installing A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank............................................................................................................. 52
Removing A 2.5 Inch Hard Drive From A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Adapter............................................................53
Installing A 2.5 Inch Hard Drive Into A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Adapter...............................................................53
Removing A Hard Drive Or A Hard-Drive Adapter From A Hard-Drive Carrier................................................ 53
Installing A Hard Drive Or A Hard-Drive Adapter Into A Hard-Drive Carrier...................................................55
Hard Drives—Cabled..............................................................................................................................................55
Removing The Internal Hard-Drive Bay........................................................................................................... 56
Installing The Internal Hard-Drive Bay.............................................................................................................57
Removing A Cabled Hard Drive........................................................................................................................57
Installing A Cabled Hard Drive.........................................................................................................................58
4
Hard-Drive Backplane............................................................................................................................................ 59
Removing The Hard-Drive Backplane .............................................................................................................59
Installing The Hard-Drive Backplane...............................................................................................................65
Four-Slot Hard-Drive Blank.....................................................................................................................................66
Removing A Four-Slot Hard-Drive Blank..........................................................................................................66
Installing A Four-Slot Hard-Drive Blank...........................................................................................................67
System Memory......................................................................................................................................................67
General Memory Module Installation Guidelines............................................................................................ 69
Mode-Specific Guidelines................................................................................................................................69
Sample Memory Configurations.......................................................................................................................70
Removing Memory Modules............................................................................................................................ 71
Installing Memory Modules............................................................................................................................. 73
Cooling Fans............................................................................................................................................................74
Removing The Internal Cooling Fan................................................................................................................. 74
Installing The Internal Cooling Fan...................................................................................................................76
Removing The External Cooling Fan ................................................................................................................76
Installing The External Cooling Fan..................................................................................................................78
Internal USB Memory Key (Optional)..................................................................................................................... 78
Replacing The Internal USB Key......................................................................................................................78
PCIe Card Holder (Optional)....................................................................................................................................79
Removing The PCIe Card Holder......................................................................................................................79
Installing The PCIe Card Holder.......................................................................................................................80
Expansion Cards..................................................................................................................................................... 81
Expansion Card Installation Guidelines............................................................................................................81
GPU Card Installation Guidelines.....................................................................................................................81
Removing An Expansion Card.......................................................................................................................... 82
Installing An Expansion Card........................................................................................................................... 83
Removing A GPU Card......................................................................................................................................84
Installing A GPU Card.......................................................................................................................................85
iDRAC Ports Card....................................................................................................................................................86
Removing The iDRAC Ports Card......................................................................................................................86
Installing The iDRAC Ports Card.......................................................................................................................87
Replacing An SD vFlash Card...........................................................................................................................88
Internal Dual SD Module........................................................................................................................................ 88
Removing An Internal Dual SD Module............................................................................................................88
Installing An Internal Dual SD Module.............................................................................................................89
Internal SD Card..................................................................................................................................................... 89
Removing An Internal SD Card.........................................................................................................................90
Installing An Internal SD Card..........................................................................................................................90
Processors..............................................................................................................................................................90
Removing A Processor.....................................................................................................................................91
Installing A Processor......................................................................................................................................93
Redundant AC Power Supply..................................................................................................................................94
Removing A Redundant AC Power Supply.......................................................................................................95
5
Installing A Redundant AC Power Supply........................................................................................................95
Removing The Power Supply Blank................................................................................................................. 96
Installing The Power Supply Blank.................................................................................................................. 96
Replacing The Power Supply Divider...............................................................................................................96
Non-Redundant AC Power Supply..........................................................................................................................97
Removing A Non-Redundant AC Power Supply...............................................................................................98
Installing A Non-Redundant AC Power Supply................................................................................................99
Power Distribution Board And Power Interposer Board......................................................................................100
Removing The Power Interposer Board.........................................................................................................100
Installing The Power Interposer Board..........................................................................................................102
Replacing The Power Distribution Board.......................................................................................................102
System Battery..................................................................................................................................................... 102
Replacing The System Battery.......................................................................................................................102
Control-Panel Assembly....................................................................................................................................... 103
Removing The Control-Panel Assembly.........................................................................................................104
Installing The Control-Panel Assembly..........................................................................................................106
Removing The Control Panel..........................................................................................................................106
Installing The Control Panel........................................................................................................................... 108
Removing The Control-Panel Board For Systems With LCD Modules...........................................................108
Installing The Control-Panel Board For Systems With LCD Modules............................................................109
Removing The Control-Panel Board For Systems With Diagnostic Indicators..............................................110
Installing The Control-Panel Board For Systems With Diagnostic Indicators...............................................110
Removing The LCD Module............................................................................................................................111
Installing The LCD Module............................................................................................................................. 112
Removing The VGA Module—Rack Mode.....................................................................................................112
Installing The VGA Module—Rack Mode......................................................................................................113
System Board........................................................................................................................................................113
Removing The System Board.........................................................................................................................113
Installing The System Board.......................................................................................................................... 115
4 Converting The System From Tower Mode To Rack Mode............................................. 117
Safety Instructions................................................................................................................................................117
Preparing A System For Conversion From Tower Mode To Rack Mode..............................................................117
Rack Installation................................................................................................................................................... 119
5 Troubleshooting Your System...............................................................................................120
Safety First—For You And Your System............................................................................................................... 120
Troubleshooting System Startup Failure.............................................................................................................. 120
Troubleshooting External Connections.................................................................................................................120
Troubleshooting The Video Subsystem................................................................................................................120
Troubleshooting A USB Device............................................................................................................................ 120
Troubleshooting A Serial I/O Device.................................................................................................................... 121
Troubleshooting A NIC..........................................................................................................................................121
Troubleshooting A Wet System............................................................................................................................121
6
Troubleshooting A Damaged System................................................................................................................... 122
Troubleshooting The System Battery................................................................................................................... 122
Troubleshooting A Non-Redundant Power Supply...............................................................................................123
Troubleshooting Redundant Power Supplies.......................................................................................................123
Troubleshooting Cooling Problems.......................................................................................................................123
Troubleshooting Cooling Fans.............................................................................................................................. 124
Troubleshooting System Memory.........................................................................................................................124
Troubleshooting An Internal USB Key..................................................................................................................125
Troubleshooting An SD Card................................................................................................................................ 125
Troubleshooting An Optical Or Tape Drive...........................................................................................................126
Troubleshooting A Hard Drive.............................................................................................................................. 126
Troubleshooting Expansion Cards........................................................................................................................126
Troubleshooting Processor.................................................................................................................................. 127
6 Using System Diagnostics.....................................................................................................128
Dell Online Diagnostics.........................................................................................................................................128
Dell Embedded System Diagnostics.....................................................................................................................128
When To Use The Embedded System Diagnostics........................................................................................128
Running The Embedded System Diagnostics.................................................................................................128
System Diagnostic Controls........................................................................................................................... 129
7 Jumpers And Connectors......................................................................................................130
System Board Jumper Settings............................................................................................................................130
System Board Jumpers And Connectors............................................................................................................. 131
Disabling A Forgotten Password.......................................................................................................................... 132
8 Technical Specifications....................................................................................................... 134
9 System Messages...................................................................................................................139
LCD Messages......................................................................................................................................................139
Viewing LCD Messages................................................................................................................................. 139
Removing LCD Messages...............................................................................................................................139
System Error Messages........................................................................................................................................139
Warning Messages...............................................................................................................................................154
Diagnostic Messages...........................................................................................................................................154
Alert Messages.....................................................................................................................................................154
10 Getting Help............................................................................................................................155
Contacting Dell..................................................................................................................................................... 155
7
About Your System
Front-Panel Features And Indicators—Tower Mode
1
Figure 1. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—2.5 Inch Hot-Swappable Hard-Drive Chassis
8
Figure 2. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—3.5 Inch Hot-Swappable Hard-Drive Chassis
Item Indicator, Button, or
Icon Description
Connector
1 Tape drive (optional) One optional 5.25 inch tape drive.
NOTE: If your system is installed with a double-width
GPU card, the system supports only one 5.25 inch
removable media storage device.
2 Optical drive 2 (optional) Up to two optional SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW
3 Optical drive 1 (optional)
drive.
NOTE: If your system is installed with a double-width
GPU card, the system supports only one 5.25 inch
removable media storage device.
4 Power-on indicator, power
button
The power-on indicator lights when the system power is
on. The power button controls the power supply output to
the system.
9
Item Indicator, Button, or
Connector
Icon Description
NOTE: On Advanced Configuration and Power
Interface (ACPI)-compliant operating systems,
turning off the system using the power button
causes the system to perform a graceful shutdown
before power to the system is turned off.
5 NMI button
6 System identification button The identification buttons on the front and back panels of
7 LCD menu buttons Allow you to navigate the control panel LCD menu.
8 Information tag A slide-out label panel which allows you to record system
9 LCD panel Displays system ID, status information, and system error
Used to troubleshoot software and device driver errors
when running certain operating systems. This button can
be pressed using the end of a paper clip.
Use this button only if directed to do so by qualified
support personnel or by the operating system
documentation.
the system can be used to locate a particular system
within a rack. When one of these buttons is pressed, the
LCD panel on the front and the system status indicator on
the back flash until one of the buttons is pressed again.
Press to toggle the system ID on and off.
If the system stops responding during POST, press and
hold the system ID button for more than five seconds to
enter BIOS progress mode.
To reset integrated Dell Remote Access Controller
(iDRAC) (if not disabled in F2 iDRAC setup), press and hold
for more than 15 seconds.
information such as Service Tag, NIC, MAC address, and
so on.
messages. The LCD lights blue during normal system
operation. The LCD lights amber when the system needs
attention, and displays an error code followed by
descriptive text.
NOTE: If the system is connected to a power source
and an error is detected, the LCD lights amber
regardless of whether the system is turned on or off.
10 USB connectors (2) Allow you to connect USB devices to the system. The
ports are USB 2.0-compliant.
11 Hard drives
10
Your system supports one of the following configurations:
• Up to eight 3.5 inch hot-swappable hard drives
• Up to eight 2.5 inch hot-swappable hard drives
installed in the 3.5 inch hard-drive carriers
• Up to sixteen 2.5 inch hot-swappable hard drives
Figure 3. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—3.5 Inch Cabled Hard-Drive Chassis
NOTE: Cabled hard-drive systems are not rackable.
Item Indicator, Button, or
Icon Description
Connector
1 Tape drive (optional) One optional 5.25 inch tape drive.
2 Optical drive (optional) One optional SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW drive.
3 Power-on indicator, power
button
The power-on indicator lights when the system power is
on. The power button controls the power supply output to
the system.
NOTE: On ACPI-compliant operating systems, turning
off the system using the power button causes the
system to perform a graceful shutdown before
power to the system is turned off.
4 NMI button
Used to troubleshoot software and device driver errors
when running certain operating systems. This button can
be pressed using the end of a paper clip.
11
Item Indicator, Button, or
Connector
5 System identification button The identification buttons on the front and back panels of
6 Information tag A slide-out label panel which allows you to record system
7 Diagnostic indicators The diagnostic indicators light up to display error status.
8 USB connectors (2) Allow you to connect USB devices to the system. The
Icon Description
Use this button only if directed to do so by qualified
support personnel or by the operating system
documentation.
the system can be used to locate a particular system
within a rack. When one of these buttons is pressed, the
LCD panel on the front chassis and the system status
indicator on the back chassis flash until one of the buttons
is pressed again.
Press to toggle the system ID on and off.
If the system stops responding during POST, press and
hold the system ID button for more than five seconds to
enter BIOS progress mode.
To reset iDRAC (if not disabled in F2 iDRAC setup), press
and hold for more than 15 seconds.
information such as Service Tag, NIC, MAC address, and
so on.
ports are USB 2.0-compliant.
Front-Panel Features And Indicators—Rack Mode
Figure 4. Front-Panel Features and Indicators
NOTE: Only systems with hot-swappable hard drives are rackable.
Item
Indicator, Button, or
Connector
Icon Description
1 Power-on indicator, power
button
12
The power-on indicator lights when the system power is
on. The power button controls the power supply output to
the system.
Item Indicator, Button, or
Connector
Icon Description
NOTE: On ACPI-compliant operating systems, turning
off the system using the power button causes the
system to perform a graceful shutdown before
power to the system is turned off.
2 NMI button
3 System identification button The identification buttons on the front and back panels
4 LCD menu buttons Allow you to navigate the control panel LCD menu.
5 Information tag A slide-out label panel which allows you to record system
6 LCD panel Displays system ID, status information, and system error
Used to troubleshoot software and device driver errors
when running certain operating systems. This button can
be pressed using the end of a paper clip.
Use this button only if directed to do so by qualified
support personnel or by the operating system
documentation.
can be used to locate a particular system within a rack.
When one of these buttons is pressed, the LCD panel on
the front and the system status indicator on the back flash
until one of the buttons is pressed again.
Press to toggle the system ID on and off.
If the system stops responding during POST, press and
hold the system ID button for more than five seconds to
enter BIOS progress mode.
To reset iDRAC (if not disabled in F2 iDRAC setup) press
and hold for more than 15 seconds.
information such as Service Tag, NIC, MAC address, and
so on.
messages. The LCD lights blue during normal system
operation. The LCD lights amber when the system needs
attention, and the LCD panel displays an error code
followed by descriptive text.
NOTE: If the system is connected to a power source
and an error is detected, the LCD lights amber
regardless of whether the system is turned on or off.
7 Video connector Allows you to connect a VGA display to the system.
8 USB connectors (2) Allow you to connect USB devices to the system. The
ports are USB 2.0-compliant.
9 Optical drive 1 (optional) Up to two optional SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW
10 Optical drive 2 (optional)
11 Tape drive (optional) One 5.25 inch optional tape drive.
drive.
NOTE: If your system is installed with a double-width
GPU card, the system supports only one 5.25 inch
removable media storage device.
13
Item Indicator, Button, or
Connector
Icon Description
NOTE: If your system is installed with a double-width
GPU card, the system supports only one 5.25 inch
removable media storage device.
12 Hard drives
Your system supports one of the following configurations:
• Up to eight 3.5 inch hot-swappable hard drives.
• Up to eight 2.5 inch hot-swappable hard drives
installed in 3.5 inch hard-drive carriers.
• Up to sixteen 2.5 inch hot-swappable hard drives.
LCD Panel Features
NOTE: The LCD panel is supported only on systems with hot-swappable hard drives.
The system's LCD panel provides system information and status and error messages to indicate when the system is
operating correctly or when the system needs attention. See System Error Messages for information about specific
error codes.
• The LCD backlight lights blue during normal operating conditions and lights amber to indicate an error condition.
• The LCD backlight is off when the system is in standby mode and can be turned on by pressing either the Select,
Left, or Right indicator button on the LCD panel.
• The LCD backlight remains off if LCD messaging is turned off through the iDRAC utility, the LCD panel, or other tools.
Figure 5. LCD Panel Features
Item Button Description
1 Left Moves the cursor back in one-step increments.
2 Select Selects the menu item highlighted by the cursor.
3 Right Moves the cursor forward in one-step increments.
During message scrolling:
• Press once to increase scrolling speed.
• Press again to stop.
• Press again to return to default scrolling speed.
• Press again to repeat the cycle.
Home Screen
The Home screen displays user-configurable information about the system. This screen is displayed during normal
system operation when there are no status messages or errors. When the system is in standby mode, the LCD backlight
14
turns off after five minutes of inactivity if there are no error messages. Press one of the three navigation buttons (Select,
Left, or Right) to view the Home screen.
To navigate to the Home screen from another menu, continue to select the up arrow until the Home icon is
displayed, and then select the Home icon.
From the Home screen, press the Select button to enter the main menu.
Setup Menu
NOTE: When you select an option in the Setup menu, you must confirm the option before proceeding to the next
action.
Option Description
iDRAC Select DHCP or Static IP to configure the network mode. If Static IP is selected, the available
fields are IP, Subnet (Sub), and Gateway (Gtw). Select Setup DNS to enable DNS and to view
domain addresses. Two separate DNS entries are available.
Set error Select SEL to display LCD error messages in a format that matches the IPMI description in the
SEL. This is useful when trying to match an LCD message with an SEL entry.
Select Simple to display LCD error messages in a simplified user-friendly description. See
System Error Messages for a list of messages in this format.
Set home Select the default information to be displayed on the LCD Home screen. See View Menu to see
the options and option items that can be set as the default on the Home screen.
View Menu
NOTE: When you select an option in the View menu, you must confirm the option before proceeding to the next
action.
Option
iDRAC IP Displays the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses for the iDRAC7. Addresses include DNS (Primary and
MAC Displays the MAC addresses for iDRAC, iSCSI, or Network devices.
Name Displays the name of the Host, Model, or User String for the system
Number Displays the Asset tag or the Service tag for the system.
Power Displays the power output of the system in BTU/hr or Watts. The display format can be
Temperature Displays the temperature of the system in Celsius or Fahrenheit. The display format can be
Description
Secondary), Gateway, IP, and Subnet (IPv6 does not have Subnet).
configured in the Set home submenu of the Setup menu.
configured in the Set home submenu of the Setup menu.
Diagnostic Indicators
NOTE: Systems with cabled hard drives support diagnostic indicators.
The diagnostic indicators on the system front panel display error status during system startup.
NOTE: No diagnostic indicators are lit when the system is switched off. To start the system, plug it into a working
power source and press the power button.
The following section describes system conditions and possible corrective actions associated with these indicators:
15
Health Indicator
Condition Corrective Action
If the system is on,
and in good health,
the indicator lights
solid blue.
The indicator blinks
amber if the system
is on or in standby,
and any error exists
(for example, a failed
fan or hard drive)
None required.
See the System Event Log or system messages for the specific issue.
Invalid memory configurations can cause the system to halt at
startup without any video output. See Getting Help.
Hard-drive Indicator
Condition Corrective Action
The indicator lights
green to indicate
hard-drive activity.
None required.
Electrical Indicator
Condition Corrective Action
The indicator blinks
amber if the system
experiences an
electrical error (for
example, voltage out
of range, or a failed
power supply or
voltage regulator).
See the System Event Log or system messages for the specific issue.
If it is due to a problem with the power supply, check the LED on the
power supply. Re-seat the power supply by removing and reinstalling
it. If the problem persists, see Getting Help.
Temperature Indicator
Condition Corrective Action
The indicator blinks
amber if the system
experiences a
thermal error (for
example, a
temperature out of
range or fan failure).
Ensure that none of the following conditions exist:
• A cooling fan is removed or has failed.
• System cover, cooling shroud, EMI filler panel, memory-module
blank, or back-filler bracket is removed.
• Ambient temperature is too high.
• External airflow is obstructed.
See Getting Help.
16
Memory Indicator
Condition Corrective Action
The indicator blinks
amber if a memory
error occurs.
See the system event log or system messages for the location of the
failed memory. Reinstall the memory device. If the problem persists,
see Getting Help.
PCIe Indicator
Condition Corrective Action
The indicator blinks
amber if a PCIe card
experiences an
error.
Restart the system. Update any required drivers for the PCIe card.
Re-install the card. If the problem persists, see Getting Help.
Hard-Drive Indicator Patterns
Figure 6. Hard-Drive Indicators
1. hard-drive activity indicator (green) 2. hard-drive status indicator (green and amber)
NOTE: If the hard drive is in Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) mode, the status indicator (on the right
side) does not function and remains off.
Drive-Status
Condition
Indicator Pattern
(RAID Only)
Blinks green two
times per second
Off Drive ready for insertion or removal
Blinks green, amber,
and off
Identifying drive or preparing for removal
NOTE: The drive status indicator remains off until all hard drives are initialized after the
system is turned on. Drives are not ready for insertion or removal during this time.
Predicted drive failure
17
Drive-Status
Indicator Pattern
(RAID Only)
Condition
Blinks amber four
times per second
Blinks green slowly Drive rebuilding
Steady green Drive online
Blinks green three
seconds, amber three
seconds, and off six
seconds
Drive failed
Rebuild aborted
Back-Panel Features And Indicators
Figure 7. Back-Panel Features and Indicators
18
Item Indicator, Button, or
Connector
Icon Description
1 Power supplies (PSU1 and
PSU2)
2 PCIe expansion card slots (6) Allows you to connect up to six full-height PCI expansion
3 vFlash media card slot Allows you to insert a vFlash media card.
4 iDRAC7 Enterprise port
5 System identification button The identification buttons on the front and back panels
6 System identification
connector
Redundant power
supply
Non-redundant
power supply
cards.
Dedicated management port.
NOTE: The port is available for use only if the
iDRAC7 Enterprise license is installed on your
system.
can be used to locate a particular system within a rack.
When one of these buttons is pressed, the LCD panel on
the front and the system status indicator on the back
flash until one of the buttons is pressed again.
Press to toggle the system ID on and off.
If the system stops responding during POST, press and
hold the system ID button for more than five seconds to
enter the BIOS progress mode.
To reset iDRAC (if not disabled in F2 iDRAC setup), press
and hold for more than 15 seconds.
Allows you to connect the optional system status
indicator assembly through the optional cable
management arm.
Up to two 495 W, 750 W, or
1100 W redundant AC power
supplies.
One 550 W non-redundant AC
power supply.
NOTE: Non-redundant
power supply is supported
in systems with cabled
hard drives and systems
with an x8 backplane.
7 USB connectors (6) Allows you to connect USB devices to the system. The
ports are USB 2.0-compliant.
8 Ethernet connectors (2) Two integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps NIC connectors.
9 Video connector Allows you to connect a VGA display to the system.
10 Serial connector Allows you to connect a serial device to the system.
11 External cooling-fan power
cable slot
Slot for routing the power cable of the optional external
cooling fan into the chassis.
19
NIC Indicator Codes
Figure 8. NIC Indicator
1. link indicator 2. activity indicator
Indicator Indicator Code
Link and activity
indicators are off
Link indicator is
green
Link indicator is
amber
Activity indicator is
blinking green
The NIC is not connected to the network.
The NIC is connected to a valid network at its maximum port speed (1 Gbps or 10 Gbps).
The NIC is connected to a valid network at less than its maximum port speed.
Network data is being sent or received.
Power Indicator Codes For Redundant Power Supply
Each redundant AC power supply has an illuminated translucent handle to show whether power is present or whether a
power fault has occurred.
Figure 9. Redundant AC Power Supply Status Indicator
AC power supply status handle
1.
Power Indicator
Condition
Pattern
Not lit Power is not connected.
Green A valid power source is connected to the power supply and the power supply is operational.
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Power Indicator
Condition
Pattern
Flashing amber Indicates a problem with the power supply.
CAUTION: When correcting a power supply mismatch, replace only the power supply
with the flashing indicator. Swapping the opposite power supply to make a matched pair
can result in an error condition and unexpected system shutdown. To change from a High
Output configuration to a Low Output configuration or vice versa, you must power down
the system.
CAUTION: AC power supplies support both 220 V and 110 V input voltages. When two
identical power supplies receive different input voltages, they can output different
wattages, and trigger a mismatch.
CAUTION: If two power supplies are used, they must be of the same type and have the
same maximum output power.
Flashing green When hot-adding a power supply, this indicates that the power supply is mismatched with the
other power supply (in terms of efficiency, feature set, health status, and supported voltage).
Replace the power supply that has the flashing indicator with a power supply that matches the
capacity of the other installed power supply.
Power Indicator Codes For Non-Redundant Power Supply
Press the self-diagnostic button to perform a quick health check on the non-redundant power supply of the system.
Diagnostic
Condition
Indicator Pattern
Not lit Power is not connected or power supply is faulty.
Green A valid power source is connected to the power supply and the power supply is operational.
Figure 10. Non-Redundant AC Power Supply Status Indicator and Self-Diagnostic Button
1.
self-diagnostic button 2. AC power supply status indicator
21
Other Information You May Need
WARNING: See the safety and regulatory information that shipped with your system. Warranty information may be
included within this document or as a separate document.
• The
Getting Started Guide
document is available online at www.dell.com/support/manuals.
• The rack documentation included with your rack solution describes how to install your system into a rack, if
required.
• Any media that ships with your system that provides documentation and tools for configuring and managing your
system, including those pertaining to the operating system, system management software, system updates, and
system components that you purchased with your system.
• For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this document, see the Glossary at www.dell.com/support/
manuals.
NOTE: Always check for updates on www.dell.com/support/manuals and read the updates first because they
often supersede information in other documents.
provides an overview of setting up your system, and technical specifications. This
22
Using The System Setup And Boot Manager
System Setup enables you to manage your system hardware and specify BIOS-level options.
The following keystrokes provide access to system features during startup:
2
Keystroke
<F2>
<F10>
<F11>
<F12>
From the System Setup, you can:
• Change the NVRAM settings after you add or remove hardware
• View the system hardware configuration
• Enable or disable integrated devices
• Set performance and power management thresholds
• Manage system security
Description
Enters the System Setup.
Enters System Services, which opens the Dell Lifecycle
Controller 2 (LC2). The Dell LC2 supports systems
management features such as operating system
deployment, hardware diagnostics, firmware updates, and
platform configuration, using a graphical user interface.
The exact LC2 feature set is determined by the iDRAC
license purchased. For more information, see the Dell LC2
documentation.
Enters the BIOS Boot Manager or the Unified Extensible
Firmware Interface (UEFI) Boot Manager, depending on
the system's boot configuration
.
Starts Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) boot.
You can access the System Setup using the:
• Standard graphical browser, which is enabled by default
• Text browser, which is enabled using Console Redirection
To enable Console Redirection, in System Setup, select System BIOS → Serial Communication screen → Serial
Communication, select On with Console Redirection.
NOTE: By default, help text for the selected field is displayed in the graphical browser. To view the help text in the
text browser, press <F1>.
Choosing The System Boot Mode
System Setup enables you to specify the boot mode for installing your operating system:
• BIOS boot mode (the default) is the standard BIOS-level boot interface.
• UEFI boot mode is an enhanced 64-bit boot interface based on Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)
specifications that overlays the system BIOS.
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You must select the boot mode in the Boot Mode field of the Boot Settings screen of System Setup. Once you specify the
boot mode, the system boots in the specified boot mode and you then proceed to install your operating system from that
mode. Thereafter, you must boot the system in the same boot mode (BIOS or UEFI) to access the installed operating
system. Trying to boot the operating system from the other boot mode will cause the system to halt at startup.
NOTE: Operating systems must be UEFI-compatible to be installed from the UEFI boot mode. DOS and 32-bit
operating systems do not support UEFI and can only be installed from the BIOS boot mode.
NOTE: For the latest information on supported operating systems, go to dell.com/ossupport.
Entering System Setup
1. Turn on or restart your system.
2. Press <F2> immediately after you see the following message:
<F2> = System Setup
If your operating system begins to load before you press <F2>, allow the system to finish booting, and then restart
your system and try again.
Responding To Error Messages
If an error message is displayed while the system is booting, make a note of the message. For more information, see
System Error Messages.
NOTE: After installing a memory upgrade, it is normal for your system to display a message the first time you start
your system.
Using The System Setup Navigation Keys
Keys Action
Up arrow Moves to the previous field.
Down arrow Moves to the next field.
<Enter> Allows you to type in a value in the selected field (if applicable) or follow the link in the field.
Spacebar Expands or collapses a drop-down menu, if applicable.
<Tab> Moves to the next focus area.
NOTE: For the standard graphics browser only.
<Esc> Moves to the previous page till you view the main screen. Pressing <Esc> in the main screen
displays a message that prompts you to save any unsaved changes and restarts the system.
<F1> Displays the System Setup help file.
NOTE: For most of the options, any changes that you make are recorded but do not take
effect until you restart the system.
System Setup Options
System Setup Main Screen
NOTE: Press <Alt><F> to reset the BIOS or UEFI settings to their default settings.
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Menu Item Description
System BIOS This option is used to view and configure BIOS settings.
iDRAC Settings This option is used to view and configure iDRAC settings.
Device Settings This option is used to view and configure device settings.
System BIOS Screen
NOTE: The options for System Setup change based on the system configuration.
NOTE: System Setup defaults are listed under their respective options in the following sections, where applicable.
Menu Item Description
System Information Displays information about the system such as the system model name, BIOS version, Service
Tag, and so on.
Memory Settings Displays information and options related to installed memory.
Processor Settings Displays information and options related to the processor such as speed, cache size, and so
on.
SATA Settings Displays options to enable or disable the integrated SATA controller and ports.
Boot Settings Displays options to specify the boot mode (BIOS or UEFI). Enables you to modify UEFI and BIOS
boot settings.
Integrated Devices Displays options to enable or disable integrated device controllers and ports, and to specify
related features and options.
Serial Communication Displays options to enable or disable the serial ports and specify related features and options.
System Profile
Settings
System Security Displays options to configure the system security settings like, system password, setup
Miscellaneous
Settings
Displays options to change the processor power management settings, memory frequency,
and so on.
password, TPM security, and so on. It also enables or disables support for local BIOS update,
the power and NMI buttons on the system.
Displays options to change the system date, time, and so on.
System Information Screen
Menu Item
System Model Name Displays the system model name.
System BIOS Version Displays the BIOS version installed on the system.
System Service Tag Displays the system Service Tag.
System Manufacturer Displays the name of system manufacturer.
System Manufacturer
Contact Information
Description
Displays the contact information of the system manufacturer.
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Memory Settings Screen
Menu Item Description
System Memory Size Displays the amount of memory installed in the system.
System Memory Type Displays the type of memory installed in the system.
System Memory
Speed
System Memory
Voltage
Video Memory Displays the amount of video memory.
System Memory
Testing
Memory Operating
Mode
Node Interleaving If this field is Enabled, memory interleaving is supported if a symmetric memory configuration is
Displays the system memory speed.
Displays the system memory voltage.
Specifies whether system memory tests are run during system boot. Options are Enabled and
Disabled. By default, the System Memory Testing option is set to Disabled.
Specifies the memory operating mode. The options available depending on the memory
configuration of your system are Optimizer Mode, Advanced ECC Mode, Mirror Mode, Spare
Mode, Spare with Advanced ECC Mode, Dell Fault Resilient Mode. By default, the Memory
Operating Mode option is set to Optimizer Mode.
NOTE: The Memory Operating Mode can have different defaults and available options
based on the memory configuration.
NOTE: The Dell Fault Resilient Mode establishes an area of memory that is fault resilient.
This mode can be used by an operating system that supports the feature to load critical
applications or enables the operating system kernel to maximize system availability.
installed. If Disabled, the system supports Non-Uniform Memory architecture (NUMA)
(asymmetric) memory configurations. By default, Node Interleaving option is set to Disabled.
Processor Settings Screen
Menu Item
Logical Processor Allows you to enable or disable logical processors and display the number of logical
QPI Speed Allows you to set the QuickPath Interconnect data rate settings. By default, the QPI Speed
Alternate RTID
(Requestor
Transaction ID)
Setting
Virtualization
Technology
26
Description
processors. If the Logical Processor option is set to Enabled, the BIOS displays all the logical
processors. If this option is set to Disabled, the BIOS only displays one logical processor per
core. By default, the Logical Processor option is set to Enabled.
option is set to Maximum data rate.
NOTE: The QPI speed option displays only when both the processors are installed.
Allows you to allocate more RTIDs to the remote socket increasing cache performance
between the sockets or work in normal mode for NUMA. By default, the Alternate RTID
(Requestor Transaction ID) Setting is set to Disabled.
Allows you to enable or disable the additional hardware capabilities provided for virtualization.
By default, the Virtualization Technology option is set to Enabled.
Menu Item Description
Adjacent Cache Line
Prefetch
Hardware Prefetcher Allows you to enable or disable hardware prefetcher. By default, the Hardware Prefetcher
DCU Streamer
Prefetcher
DCU IP Prefetcher Allows you to enable or disable Data Cache Unit IP prefetcher. By default, the DCU IP
Execute Disable Allows you enable or disable execute disable memory protection technology. By default, the
Logical Processor
Idling
Number of Cores per
Processor
Processor 64-bit
Support
Processor Core
Speed
Processor Bus Speed Displays the bus speed of the processors.
Allows you to optimize the system for applications that require high utilization of sequential
memory access. By default, the Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch option is set to Enabled. You can
disable this option for applications that require high utilization of random memory access.
option is set to Enabled.
Allows you to enable or disable Data Cache Unit streamer prefetcher. By default, the DCU
Streamer Prefetcher option is set to Enabled.
Prefetcher option is set to Enabled.
Execute Disable option is set to Enabled.
Allows you to enable or disable the OS capability to put logical processors in the idling state in
order to reduce power consumption. By default, the option is set to Disabled.
Allows you to control the number of enabled cores in each processor. By default, the Number
of Cores per Processor option is set to All.
Specifies if the processor(s) support 64-bit extensions.
Displays the maximum core frequency of the processor.
NOTE: The processor bus speed option displays only when both the processors are
installed.
Processor 1
Family-ModelStepping
Brand Displays the brand name reported by the processor.
Level 2 Cache Displays the total L2 cache.
Level 3 Cache Displays the total L3 cache.
Number of Cores Displays the number of cores per processor.
NOTE: The following settings are displayed for each processor installed in the system.
Displays the family, model and stepping of the processor as defined by Intel.
SATA Settings Screen
Menu Item
Embedded SATA Allows the embedded SATA to be set to Off, ATA, AHCI, or RAID modes. By default, the
Port A Auto enables BIOS support for the device attached to SATA port A. Off disables BIOS support
Port B Auto enables BIOS support for the device attached to SATA port B. Off disables BIOS support
Description
Embedded SATA option is set to AHCI.
for the device. By default, Port A is set to Auto.
for the device. By default, Port B is set to Auto.
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Menu Item Description
Port C Auto enables BIOS support for the device attached to SATA port C. Off disables BIOS support
for the device. By default, Port C is set to Auto.
Port D Auto enables BIOS support for the device attached to SATA port D. Off disables BIOS support
for the device. By default, Port D is set to Auto.
Port E Auto enables BIOS support for the device attached to SATA port E. Off disables BIOS support
for the device. By default, Port E is set to Auto.
Port F Auto enables BIOS support for the device attached to SATA port F. Off disables BIOS support
for the device. By default, Port F is set to Auto.
Boot Settings Screen
Menu Item
Boot Mode Allows you to set the boot mode of the system.
Boot Sequence Retry Allows you to enable or disable the boot sequence retry feature. If this field is enabled and the
BIOS Boot Settings Allows you to enable or disable BIOS Boot options.
UEFI Boot Settings Allows you to enable or disable UEFI Boot options. The Boot options include IPv4 PXE and IPv6
One-Time Boot Allows you to enable or disable a one-time boot from a selected device.
Description
CAUTION: Switching the boot mode may prevent the system from booting if the operating
system is not installed in the same boot mode.
If the operating system supports UEFI, you can set this option to UEFI. Setting this field to BIOS
allows compatibility with non-UEFI operating systems. By default, the Boot Mode option is set
to BIOS.
NOTE: Setting this field to UEFI disables BIOS Boot Settings menu. Setting this field to
BIOS disables the UEFI Boot Settings menu.
system fails to boot, the system reattempts the boot sequence after 30 seconds. By default, the
Boot Sequence Retry option is set to Disabled.
NOTE: This option is enabled only if the boot mode is BIOS.
PXE. By default, the UEFI PXE boot protocol is set to IPv4.
NOTE: This option is enabled only if the boot mode is UEFI.
Integrated Devices Screen
Menu Item
User Accessible USB
Ports
Internal USB Port Allows you to enable or disable the internal USB port. By default, the Internal USB Port option
Internal SD Card Port Enables or disables the system’s internal SD card port. By default, Internal SD Card Port option
28
Description
Allows you enable or disable the user accessible USB ports. Selecting Only Back Ports On
disables the front USB ports and selecting All Ports Off disables both front and back USB ports.
By default, the User Accessible USB Ports option is set to All Ports On.
is set to On.
is set to On.
Menu Item Description
NOTE: This option is displayed only if IDSDM is installed on the system board.
Internal SD Card
Redundancy
Embedded NIC1 and
NIC2
OS Watchdog Timer Allows you to enable or disable the OS watchdog timer. When this field is enabled, the
Embedded Video
Controller
SR-IOV Global Enable Allows you to enable or disable the BIOS configuration of Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-
Memory Mapped I/O
above 4GB
Slot Disablement Allows you to enable or disable available PCIe slots on your system. The Slot Disablement
If set to Mirror mode, data is written on both SD cards. If any one of the SD card fails, data is
written to the active SD card. Data from this card is copied to the replacement SD card at the
next boot. By default, Internal SD Card Redundancy option is set to Mirror.
NOTE: This option is displayed only if IDSDM is installed on the system board.
Allows you to enable or disable the integrated network cards 1 and 2. By default, the
Embedded NIC1 and NIC2 option is set to Enabled.
operating system initializes the timer and the OS watchdog timer helps in recovering the
operating system. By default, the OS Watchdog Timer option is set to Disabled.
Allows you to enable or disable the Embedded Video Controller. By default, the embedded
video controller is Enabled.
IOV) devices. By default, the SR-IOV Global Enable option is set to Disabled.
Allows you to enable support for PCIe devices that require large amounts of memory. By
default, the option is set to Enabled.
feature controls the configuration of PCIe cards installed in the specified slot.
CAUTION: Slot disablement must be used only when the installed peripheral card is
preventing booting into the Operating System or causing delays in system startup. If the
slot is disabled, both the Option ROM and UEFI driver are disabled.
Serial Communications Screen
Menu Item
Serial Communication Allows you to select serial communication devices (Serial Device 1 and Serial Device 2) in the
Serial Port Address Allows you to set the port address for serial devices. By default, the Serial Port Address option
External Serial
Connector
Failsafe Baud Rate Displays the failsafe baud rate for console redirection. The BIOS attempts to determine the
Description
BIOS. BIOS console redirection can also be enabled and the port address used can be
specified. By default, Serial Communication option is set to On without Console Redirection.
is set to Serial Device 1=COM2, Serial Device 2=COM1.
NOTE: Only Serial Device 2 can be used for Serial Over LAN (SOL). To use console
redirection by SOL, configure the same port address for console redirection and the serial
device.
Allows you to associate the external serial connector to serial device 1, serial device 2, or
remote access device. By default, the External Serial Connector option is set to Serial Device1.
NOTE: Only Serial Device 2 can be used for SOL. To use console redirection by SOL,
configure the same port address for console redirection and the serial device.
baud rate automatically. This failsafe baud rate is used only if the attempt fails and the value
must not be changed. By default, the Failsafe Baud Rate option is set to 11520.
29
Menu Item Description
Remote Terminal
Type
Redirection After
Boot
Allows you to set the remote console terminal type. By default, the Remote Terminal Type
option is set to VT 100/VT 220.
Allows you to enable or disable to the BIOS console redirection when the operating system is
loaded. By default, the Redirection After Boot option is set to Enabled.
System Profile Settings Screen
Menu Item Description
System Profile Allows you to set the system profile. If you set the System Profile option to a mode other than
Custom, the BIOS automatically sets the rest of the options. You can only change the rest of the
options if the mode is set to Custom. By default, the System Profile option is set to Performance
Per Watt Optimized (DAPC). DAPC is Dell Active Power Controller.
NOTE: The following parameters are available only when the System Profile is set to
Custom.
CPU Power
Management
Memory Frequency Allows you to set the memory frequency. By default, the Memory Frequency option is set to
Turbo Boost Allows you to enable or disable the processor to operate in turbo boost mode. By default, the
Allows you to set the CPU power management. By default, the CPU Power Management option
is set to System DBPM (DAPC). DBPM is Demand-Based Power Management.
Maximum Performance.
Turbo Boost option is set to Enabled.
C1E Allows you to enable or disable the processor to switch to a minimum performance state when
it is idle. By default, the C1E option is set to Enabled.
C States Allows you to enable or disable the processor to operate in all available power states. By
default, the C States option is set to Enabled.
Monitor/Mwait Allows you to enable Monitor/Mwait instructions in the processor. By default, the Monitor/
Mwait option is set to Enabled for all system profiles, except Custom.
NOTE: This option can be disabled only if the C States option in Custom mode is disabled.
NOTE: When C States is enabled in Custom mode, changing the Monitor/Mwait setting
does not impact system power/performance.
Memory Patrol Scrub Allows you to set the memory patrol scrub frequency. By default, the Memory Patrol Scrub
option is set to Standard.
Memory Refresh Rate Allows you to set the memory refresh rate. By default, the Memory Refresh Rate option is set to
1x.
Memory Operating
Voltage
Collaborative CPU
Performance Control
Allows you to set the DIMM voltage selection. When set to Auto, the system automatically sets
the system voltage to the optimal setting based on the DIMM capacity and the number of
DIMMs installed. By default, the Memory Operating Voltage option is set to Auto.
When set to enabled, the CPU power management is controlled by the OS DBPM and the
System DBPM (DAPC). By default, the option is set to Disabled
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