Before you contact IBM or an approved
warranty service provider,
follow these procedures in the order in which they are presented to
diagnose a problem with your server.
- Return the server to the condition it was in before
the problem occurred.
If any hardware, software, or firmware was changed before
the problem occurred, if possible, reverse those changes. This might
include any of the following items:
- Hardware components
- Device drivers and firmware
- System software
- UEFI firmware
- System input power or network connections
- View the light path diagnostics LEDs and event logs.
The server is designed for ease
of diagnosis of hardware and software problems.
- Light path diagnostics LEDs: See Light path diagnostics for information about using light
path diagnostics LEDs.
- Event logs: See Event logs for information about notification
events and diagnosis.
- Software or operating-system error codes: See the documentation
for the software or operating system for information about a specific
error code. See the manufacturer's website for documentation.
- Run IBM Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) and collect system
data.
Run Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) to collect information about
the hardware, firmware, software, and operating system. Have this
information available when you
contact IBM or
an approved warranty service provider. For instructions for running DSA, see the
Dynamic
System Analysis Installation and User's Guide.
To
download the latest version of DSA code and the Dynamic System
Analysis Installation and User's Guide, go to the IBM Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) website.
- Check for and apply code updates.
Fixes or workarounds for many problems might be available in
updated UEFI firmware, device firmware, or device drivers. To display
a list of available updates for the server,
go to
the Fix Central website.
Attention: Installing the wrong firmware or device-driver update
might cause the server to malfunction.
Before you install a firmware or device-driver update, read any readme
and change history files that are provided with the downloaded update.
These files contain important information about the update and the
procedure for installing the update, including any special procedure
for updating from an early firmware or device-driver version to the
latest version.
Important: Some cluster solutions
require specific code levels or coordinated code updates. If the device
is part of a cluster solution, verify that the latest level of code
is supported for the cluster solution before you update the code.
- Install UpdateXpress system updates.
You can install code updates that are packaged as an UpdateXpress
System Pack or UpdateXpress CD image. An UpdateXpress System Pack
contains an integration-tested bundle of online firmware and device-driver
updates for your server. In addition,
you can use IBM ToolsCenter Bootable Media Creator to create bootable
media that is suitable for applying firmware updates and running preboot
diagnostics. For more information about UpdateXpress System Packs,
see
the IBM UpdateXpress websiteand Updating the firmware. For more information about
the Bootable Media Creator, see
the IBM Bootable Media Creator website.
Be sure to separately install any listed
critical updates that have release dates that are later than the release
date of the UpdateXpress System Pack or UpdateXpress image (see step #kh9_t_diagprob/instmanupdates).
- Install manual system updates.
- Determine the existing code levels.
In DSA, click Firmware/VPD to
view system firmware levels, or click Software to view operating-system
levels.
- Download and install updates of code that is not at the latest
level.
To display a list of available updates for the server, go to the Fix Central website.
When you click an update, an information
page is displayed, including a list of the problems that the update
fixes. Review this list for your specific problem; however, even if
your problem is not listed, installing the update might solve the
problem.
- Check for and correct an incorrect configuration.
If the server is incorrectly
configured, a system function can fail to work when you enable it;
if you make an incorrect change to the server
configuration, a system function that has been enabled can stop working.
- Make sure that all installed hardware and software
are supported.
See
the IBM ServerProven website to verify
that the server supports the installed
operating system, optional devices, and software levels. If any hardware
or software component is not supported, uninstall it to determine
whether it is causing the problem. You must remove nonsupported hardware
before you
contact IBM or an approved warranty
service provider for support.
- Make sure that the server, operating system, and
software are installed and configured correctly.
Many configuration problems are caused by loose power or signal
cables or incorrectly seated adapters. You might be able to solve
the problem by turning off the server,
reconnecting cables, reseating adapters, and turning the server back on. For information about performing
the checkout procedure, see
About the checkout procedure. For information about configuring
the server, see
Configuration information and instructions.
- See controller and management software documentation.
If the problem is associated with a specific function (for example,
if a RAID hard disk drive is marked offline in the RAID array), see
the documentation for the associated controller and management or
controlling software to verify that the controller is correctly configured.
Problem
determination information is available for many devices such as RAID
and network adapters.
For problems with operating
systems or IBM software or devices, go to the Lenovo Support Portal.
- Check for troubleshooting procedures
and RETAIN tips.
Troubleshooting procedures and RETAIN tips document known problems
and suggested solutions. To search for troubleshooting procedures
and RETAIN tips, go to
the Lenovo Support Portal.
- Use the troubleshooting tables.
See
Troubleshooting tables to find a solution to a problem
that has identifiable symptoms.
A single problem might cause multiple
symptoms. Follow the troubleshooting procedure for the most obvious
symptom. If that procedure does not diagnose the problem, use the
procedure for another symptom, if possible.
If the problem remains, contact IBM or an approved warranty service provider
for assistance with additional problem determination and possible
hardware replacement. To open an online service request, go to the "Service requests and PMRs" website. Be prepared to provide information about any error
codes and collected data.