|
Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD: Dell PowerEdge 2400 Systems User's
Guide
Back to Contents Page
Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD: Dell™ PowerEdge™
2400 Systems User's Guide
Overview • Starting the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant CD • Navigating
the CD • Using the Setup Modes • Utility Partition • Video Drivers • Asset Tag Utility
The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD contains utilities, diagnostics,
documentation, drivers, and other items that can help you configure a PowerEdge 2400
system to best meet your needs. Most of the functions available on the Dell OpenManage
Server Assistant CD are also available on a bootable utility partition that is
installed on your hard-disk drive. This section describes how to use the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant CD. It also describes the utility partition and its
options and provides instructions for reinstalling the partition (if necessary).
The Dell OpenManage™ Server Assistant application program has two
modes of operation: a setup mode for configuring the PowerEdge 2400 server,
creating diskettes, and viewing information and documents, and a service mode
for creating diskettes and viewing information and documents.
In both setup mode and service mode, the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant
main page gives you the option to choose German, English, Spanish, French, or Japanese as
the language for the screen text, help text, messages, and online documentation. You can
choose a language at any time from the main screen.
Setup Mode
To access the utilities, drivers, and other items available on the Dell OpenManage
Server Assistant CD, insert the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD into your
CD-ROM drive, and turn on or reboot the system. The Dell OpenManage Server
Assistant main page appears.
If the CD does not boot, verify that the Boot Device Priority setting
in the System Setup program is set to CD-ROM Drive. See "Using the System Setup Program" for more information.
Service Mode
You can access the online system documents, system setup instructions, frequently asked
questions, and server product information on any desktop or server system that has
Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 (or later). When you insert the CD in a system that uses
the Microsoft Windows NT® operating system, the system automatically starts the browser
software and displays the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main page.
The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD utilizes a standard Web browser
interface. Navigating the CD is accomplished by clicking the mouse on the various icons
and text hyperlinks.
Click the Back icon to return to the previous page. Click the Exit icon
to exit the program. Exiting the program causes the system to reboot to the standard
operating-system boot partition.
If you purchase a system that does not have an operating system preinstalled by Dell,
or if you reinstall an operating system at a later date, you should use either the
Express Setup or Custom Setup option to configure your system.
Express Setup
Dell recommends Express Setup for most situations. The Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant CD guides you through the configuration process. If a
Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller host adapter is installed, the Dell redundant
arrays of independent disks (RAID) utility configures the drives. If the drive does not
have a utility partition, one is created. The program prompts you to select the operating
system used on the drive and creates appropriate diskette sets.
Custom Setup
Use Custom Setup if your system has special configuration
requirements.
The utility partition is a bootable partition on the hard-disk drive that provides some
of the functions available on the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD. Most of
the application programs found on the CD are contained in the utility partition. When
implemented, the partition boots and provides an executable environment for the
partition's utilities. When the utility partition is not booted, it is designated as a
non–MS-DOS® partition.
 |
NOTE: The utility partition provides only limited
MS-DOS functionality and cannot be used as a general-purpose MS-DOS partition. |
To start the utility partition, turn on or reboot the system. During the power-on
self-test (POST), the following message appears:
Press <F10> to enter Utility Mode
The utility partition provides a text-based interface from which you
invoke the partition's utilities. Menu options and the associated help are displayed in
the currently selected language (specified via a menu option). To select a menu option,
you can either use the arrow keys to highlight the option and press <Enter>, or type
the number of the menu option. To return to the previous menu, press <Esc> or select
the Back menu option. To exit the utility partition, press <Esc>
from the Main Menu. Exiting the utility from setup mode causes the system
to reboot to the standard operating-system boot partition.
Table 1 provides a sample list and explanation of the options
that appear on the utility partition menu even when the Dell OpenManage Server
Assistant CD is not in the CD-ROM drive. The options displayed on your system may
vary depending on the configuration.
|
NOTE: Although most options are available from
both the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD and the utility partition, some options or
features, such as those for accessing online documentation, are available only from the
CD. The Run Dell System Diagnostics option is only available from the
utility partition. |
Table 1. Utility Partition Main Menu
Options
| Option |
Description |
| Choose a Language: |
Deutsch, English, Español, Français, Japanese
|
Allows you to select the
language in which menus and messages are displayed. |
| Run System and
Configuration Utilities: |
Run System Setup Utility
|
Runs the SSU. |
Run Dell System Diagnostics
|
Runs the system hardware
diagnostics. |
Run RAID Configuration Utility
|
Runs the RAID controller
configuration utility if a RAID controller card is present on your system. |
| Create System
Setup Utility diskettes: |
Create Blank, Formatted diskette
|
Creates a blank, formatted
diskette. |
Create Utility and Diagnostics diskettes:
|
|
Create System Setup Utility diskettes
|
Creates a bootable diskette
for running the SSU. The SSU detects expansion cards and slots, enabling automatic
configuration. |
Create PERC2/SC Configuration Utility diskette
|
Creates a
bootable diskette for running the RAID controller configuration utility for the specified
Dell RAID host adapter card. The RAID configuration utility provides an alternative method
for configuring the card. |
Create PERC2 Configuration Utility diskette
|
Create Diagnostics diskettes
|
Creates a set of diskettes
from which the hardware diagnostics can be run. The first diskette in the set is bootable. |
Create Asset Tag diskette with CD-ROM
|
Creates a bootable diskette
with CD-ROM support from which utilities, such as the Asset Tag utility, can be run. |
| NOTES: The options displayed on your
system are dependent on your system configuration and may not include all of those listed
here. |
| For the full name of an abbreviation
or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary. |
Running the System Diagnostics
Before you run the diagnostics, insert a blank, formatted diskette in the diskette
drive so that the diagnostics programs can record critical messages and information as
necessary. Use the Create Blank, Formatted Diskette option to create a
formatted diskette.
You can run the system diagnostics from the utility partition or from a diskette, but
not from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD. From the Utility
Partition menu, select Run System Utilities and then select Run
Dell System Diagnostics. To run the diagnostics from a diskette, select Create
Diagnostics Diskette from the Utility Partition
menu.
The system hardware diagnostics are described in "Running the Dell
Diagnostics" in the Dell PowerEdge 2400 Systems Installation and Troubleshooting
Guide.
|
NOTES: The video display for the Microsoft Windows
NT Server 4.0 operating system must be set up with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels at
installation. Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 3
must be installed before you can use the updated video drivers for the ATI Rage video. |
You need to install the video drivers for the operating system you install on your
system unless they were installed by Dell.
Installing Video Drivers for Windows NT Server
4.0
|
NOTE: Video drivers must be reinstalled after
every installation of Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 3 (or later versions). |
First, create a drivers diskette by performing the following steps:
- Select Create Diskettes from the Dell OpenManage Server
Assistant menu.
- Continue down the menu hierarchy by selecting Create Operating System Support
Diskettes, Create Windows NT Server 4.0 Diskettes, and
Create SCSI and Video Controller Drivers Diskette.
- Create a diskette of small computer system interface (SCSI) and video drivers for
Windows NT 4.0.
Then install the video drivers by performing the following steps:
- Start Windows NT.
- Log in as the administrator or as a user with administrative privileges.
For information on system administration, see the reference documentation for Windows NT.
- Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control
Panel.
- Double-click the Display icon.
The Display Settings window appears.
- Select the Settings tab.
- Click Display Type and then click Change in the Adapter
box.
A list of available video drivers is displayed.
- Click Have Disk.
- Insert the video driver installation diskette into the diskette drive; then click OK
in the Install From Disk window.
- Make sure that ATI Rage IIc (the default) is selected in the video
driver list, and click Install.
The Installing Drivers dialog box appears.
- Click Yes to proceed.
After the files are copied from the diskette, Windows NT prompts you to restart your
system. Click OK and close all open windows.
- Remove the video drivers diskette from the diskette drive and restart Windows NT.
- Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control
Panel.
- Click the Display icon.
The Display Settings window appears.
- Set the desired resolution, number of colors, and refresh rate.
The Asset Tag utility allows you to enter an asset tag number for your system.
|
NOTE: The Asset Tag utility works only on systems
running MS-DOS. |
To create the Asset Tag utility diskette and boot the system, perform the following
steps:
- If you have not already done so, create a bootable Asset Tag utility diskette from the Dell
OpenManage Server Assistant CD using the Create Asset Tag diskette with
CD-ROM option.
- Insert the diskette into the diskette drive and reboot the system.
|
NOTE: The Asset Tag utility diskette contains
CD-ROM drivers that provide access to the CD-ROM drive when you boot from the diskette. |
After you boot the system with the Asset Tag utility diskette, you can use the Asset
Tag utility to enter an asset tag number that you or your organization assigns to the
system. You can also use the Asset Tag utility to reenter the system's service tag number
if that becomes necessary.
Assigning and Deleting an Asset Tag Number
An asset tag number can have up to ten characters; any combination of characters,
excluding spaces, is valid.
To assign or change an asset tag number, perform the following steps:
- Perform the steps in "Using the Asset Tag
Utility."
- Type
asset and a space
followed by the new number.
Press <Enter>.
For example, type the following command line and press <Enter>:
asset 1234567890
When you are prompted to verify the asset tag number, type y
and press <Enter>.
The system then displays the new or modified asset tag number and the service tag number.
To delete the asset tag number without assigning a new one, type asset /d and press <Enter>.
Table 2 lists the command-line options you can use with the Asset Tag utility. To use
one of these options, type asset
and a space followed by the option.
Table 2. Asset Tag Command-Line Options
| Asset Tag Option |
Description |
| /d |
Deletes the asset tag number |
| /? |
Displays the Asset Tag utility help screen |
Back to Contents Page
| 
