Back to Contents Page

Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD

Dell™ PowerEdge™ 1600SC Systems User's Guide

  Starting the Server Assistant CD

  Using the Server Setup Program

  Updating Drivers and Utilities

  Using the Utility Partition

The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD contains utilities, diagnostics, and drivers to help you configure your system. You begin operating system installation with this CD if your operating system is not preinstalled on your system. A bootable utility partition on the system's hard drive contains some of the same functionality as the Server Assistant CD.

Starting the Server Assistant CD

To configure your system and install your operating system, insert the Server Assistant CD, and turn on or reboot the system. The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main screen appears.

The Server Assistant CD uses a standard Web browser interface. You can navigate the CD by using the mouse to click various icons and text links.

Click the Exit icon to exit Server Assistant. If you exit Server Assistant while in the Server Setup program, the system reboots to the standard operating system boot partition.

If the CD does not boot, verify that the CD drive is specified first in the Boot Sequence option in the System Setup program (see "Using the System Setup Program").

Using the Server Setup Program

If the operating system is not preinstalled or if you install an operating system at a later date, use the Server Setup program on the Server Assistant CD to configure your system and install your operating system.

NOTE: Use the Server Assistant CD only if your operating system is not preinstalled on your system. Locate the operating system's Installation Instructions document and follow the instructions to complete the installation process.

The Server Setup program guides you through tasks such as the following:

• Setting the system date and time
  
  
• Configuring your RAID controller (if applicable)
  
  
• Selecting and installing your operating system; specifying operating system-specific information
  
  
• Configuring hard drives
  
  
• Viewing an installation summary
  
  

NOTE: You must have your operating system media available to install your operating system.

To start the Server Setup program, click Server Setup on the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main screen. Follow the instructions on the screen.

Updating Drivers and Utilities

You can update drivers and utilities on any system that has Microsoft® Internet Explorer 4.0 or later or Netscape Navigator 6.0 or later installed. When you insert the CD in a system that uses a Microsoft Windows®-based operating system, the system automatically starts the browser and displays the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main screen.

To update drivers and utilities, perform the following steps:

1. From the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant main screen, select the option for updating drivers and utilities.
   
   
2. Select the system model number from the drop-down menu.
   
   
3. Select the type of drivers or utilities that you want to update.
   
   
4. Click Continue.
   
   
5. Select each driver or utility that you want to update.
   
   

You are prompted to either run the program or provide for a location to save the files.

6. Run the program or specify the location to save the files.
   
   

Using the Utility Partition

The utility partition is a bootable partition on the hard drive that contains system configuration and diagnostic utilities. When you start the utility partition, it boots and provides an executable environment for the partition's utilities.

To start the utility partition, turn on or reboot the system. During POST, press <F10> when the following message appears:

<F10> = Utility Mode

NOTE: The utility partition provides only limited MS-DOS® functionality and cannot be used as a general-purpose MS-DOS partition.

The utility partition provides a text-based interface from which you can run the partition's utilities. To select a menu option, use either the arrow keys to highlight the option and press <Enter> or type the number of the menu option. To exit the utility partition, press <Esc> from the Utility Partition main menu.

Table 2-1 provides a sample list and explanation of the options that appear on the utility partition menu. These options are available even when the Server Assistant CD is not in the CD drive.

Table 2-1. Utility Partition Main Menu Options

Back to Contents Page