Dell PowerEdge 2900 Technical manual

Dell™ PowerEdge™

2900 Systems

Information Update

Notes, Notices, and Cautions

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use

of your computer.

NOTICE: A NOTICE indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data

and tells you how to avoid the problem.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury,

or death.

____________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.

Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.

is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, and PowerEdge are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Intel

and Xeon are registered trademarks of Intel Corporation; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Server

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.;

SUSE is a registered trademark of Novell Inc.

Other trademarks and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming

the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and

trade names other than its own.

May 2009 P/N YC469 Rev. A06

Contents 3

Contents

PowerEdge 2900 III – New System Features . . . . . . . 5

New Performance Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

New I/O and Storage Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

New Security Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Optional Internal USB Memory Key . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Installing the Optional Internal USB

Memory Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Processor Upgrades – PowerEdge 2900 II

and PowerEdge 2900 III Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

System Board Replacement – Safeguarding

Encrypted Data. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

System Message Update. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

LCD Status Messages Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

System Setup Program Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Memory Screen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

CPU Information Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Integrated Devices Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

System Security Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Serial Communication Screen . . . . . . . . . . . 22

4Contents

Operating System Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Enumeration of NICs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

SATA Optical Drive Support on RHEL3

and SLES9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

RHEL – Incorrect Processor Information . . . . . . 23

System Support for Microsoft Windows 2000 . . . 23

Hardware Owner’s Manual Updates . . . . . . . . . . 24

Installing the Processor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

System Diagnostics Custom Test Options . . . . . 24

System Board Replacement Update

(Service-Only Procedure) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

InformationUpdate 5

This document provides updated information for your system

on the following topics:

• New system features for

PowerEdge™ 2900 III systems

• Internal USB memory key for

PowerEdge 2900 III systems

• Processor upgrades for

PowerEdge 2900 II and PowerEdge 2900 III

systems

• System board replacement – safeguarding encrypted data

• System message update for

PowerEdge 2900 III system

• LCD status message update for

PowerEdge 2900 III systems

• System Setup program update for

PowerEdge 2900 III systems

• Operating system information

•

Hardware Owner’s Manual

updates

• System board replacement (service-only procedure)

PowerEdge 2900 III – New System Features

New Performance Features

• Two dual-core or quad-core Intel

Xeon

processors.

New I/O and Storage Features

• Optional Intel quad-port Gigabit Ethernet NIC, capable of supporting

10-Mbps, 100-Mbps, and 1000-Mbps data rates, and iSCSI remote boot.

• Support for 10 Gb Ethernet cards.

• One internal USB 2.0-compliant connector supporting an optional

bootable USB flash drive or USB memory key.

• Support for optional SAS 6i/R and PERC 6/i adapters.

New Security Features

• Trusted Program Module (TPM) support for improved security.

• Optional support for iSCSI boot.

6Information Update

Optional Internal USB Memory Key

The PowerEdge 2900 III system provides an internal USB connector located

on the system board for use with a USB flash memory key (see Figure 1-1).

The USB memory key can be used as a boot device, security key, or mass

storage device. To use the internal USB connector, the Internal USB Port

option must be enabled in the Integrated Devices screen of the System Setup

program. See "Integrated Devices Screen" on page 20.

Figure 1-1. Internal USB Connector Location

1 system board 2 internal USB connector location

1 2

InformationUpdate 7

To boot from the USB memory key, you must configure the USB memory

key with a boot image and then specify the USB memory key in the boot

sequence in the System Setup program. See “

Using the System Setup

Program” in the

Hardware Owner’s Manual

. For information on creating

a bootable file on the USB memory key, see the user documentation that

accompanied the USB memory key.

NOTE: USB keys that contain multiple LUNs (Logical Unit Numbers) must

be formatted using the format utility provided by the key manufacturer.

NOTICE: To avoid interference with components inside the system, the USB key

must conform to the following maximum dimensions: 12.7mm thick (0.5”) x 30.48mm

width (1.2”) x 71.12mm length (2.8”).

Installing the Optional Internal USB Memory Key

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system

cover and access any of the components inside the system. See your Product

Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions, working

inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge.

Turn off the system, including any attached peripherals, and disconnect

the system from its electrical outlet.

Open the system. See “Opening the System” in the

Hardware Owner’s

Manual

Locate the USB connector on the system board, and insert the USB

memory key into the USB connector. See Figure 1-2.

8Information Update

Figure 1-2. Installing an Internal USB Key

Close the system. See “Closing the System” in the

Hardware Owner’s

Manual

Reconnect the system to power and restart the system.

Enter the System Setup program and verify that the USB key has been

detected by the system. See “Using the System Setup Program”

in the

Hardware Owner’s Manual

1 USB memory key 2 internal USB connector

InformationUpdate 9

Processor Upgrades – PowerEdge 2900 II

and PowerEdge 2900 III Systems

• If the front of your system chassis is labeled with a “II”, your system is

upgradeable to the 5100 series of dual-core Intel Xeon processors and

the 5300 series of quad-core Intel Xeon processors.

• If the front of your system chassis is labeled with a “III”, your system is

upgradeable to the 5100 and 5200 series of dual-core Intel Xeon processors

and the 5300 and 5400 series of quad-core Intel Xeon processors.

See support.dell.com for information on the latest processor upgrade options

for your system.

System Board Replacement –

Safeguarding Encrypted Data

On PowerEdge 2900 III systems using Windows Server®2008, you can use

encryption programs, such as the BitLocker utility, to secure the contents

of the hard drive.

If you are using the TPM with an encryption program, you are prompted to

create a recovery key during system setup. Be sure to store this recovery key.

If you replace the system board, you must supply the recovery key when you

restart your system before you can access the encrypted files on your hard

drive(s).

10 Information Update

System Message Update

Table 1-1 lists new system messages for the PowerEdge 2900 III system

and the probable cause and corrective action if the message appears.

CAUTION: Only trained service technicians are authorized to remove the system

cover and access any of the components inside the system. See your Product

Information Guide for complete information about safety precautions,

working inside the computer, and protecting against electrostatic discharge

Table 1-1. System Messages

Message Causes Corrective Actions

Alert! Node

Interleaving

disabled! Memory

configuration does

not support Node

Interleaving.

The memory configuration

does not support node

interleaving, or the

configuration has changed

(for example, a failed

DIMM) so that node

interleaving cannot be

supported. The system

runs but with reduced

functionality.

Ensure that the memory

modules are installed in a

configuration that supports

node interleaving. Check

other system messages

for additional information

for possible causes.

For memory configuration

information, see

“General Memory Module

Installation Guidelines”

in the Hardware Owner’s

Manual. If the problem

persists, see

“Troubleshooting System

Memory” in the Hardware

Owner’s Manual.

!!*** Error: Remote

Access Controller

initialization

failure *** RAC

virtual USB devices

may not be

available...

Remote Access Controller

initialization failure

Ensure that the Remote

Access Controller is

properly installed. See

“Installing a RAC Card”

in the Hardware Owner’s

Manual.

Invalid PCIe

card found in the

Internal_Storage

slot!

The system halted because

an invalid PCIe expansion

card is installed in the

dedicated storage controller

slot.

Remove the PCIe expansion

card and install the internal

SAS controller in the

dedicated slot.

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