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Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD: Dell™ PowerEdge™ 6400 Systems User's Guide

Overview Utility Partition
Starting the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD Video Drivers
Navigating the CD Asset Tag Utility
Using the Setup Modes

Overview

The Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD contains utilities, diagnostics, documentation, drivers, and other items that can help you configure a PowerEdge 6400 system to best meet your needs. Some 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).

Starting the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD

The Dell OpenManage™ Server Assistant application program has two modes of operation: a setup mode for setting up and configuring the PowerEdge 6400 system, 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 one of the supported languages as the language for the screen text and online documentation. You can choose a language at any time from the main screen.

Setup Mode

To set up your system, as well as 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 is set to CD-ROM Drive in the System Setup program.

Service Mode

You can access the online system documents, system setup instructions, frequently asked questions, and server product information on any 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.

Navigating the CD

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.

Using the Setup Modes

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 operating system setup and 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 leads you through a step-by-step process to install the operating system.

To start Express Setup, perform the following steps:

  1. Click the SETUP icon at the top of the screen.
  1. Click Express Setup.

After you start Express Setup, follow the directions on the screen to complete the installation and configuration process. The Express Setup mode takes you through the following tasks:

Custom Setup

Use Custom Setup if your system has special configuration requirements.

To start Custom Setup, perform the following steps:

  1. Click the SETUP icon at the top of the screen.
  1. Click Custom Setup. Follow the directions on the screen to complete the installation and configuration process.

Utility Partition

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.

Table 1. Utility Partition Main Menu Options 

Option Description
Choose a Language:

German, English, Spanish, French 

Allows you to select the language in which menus and messages are displayed.
Run System and Configuration Utilities:

Run Resource Configuration Utility

 Runs the RCU.

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 Diskettes:

Create Blank, Formatted diskette

 Creates a blank, formatted diskette.

Create Utility and Diagnostics diskettes:

Create Resource Configuration Utility diskette

 Creates a bootable diskette for running the RCU. The RCU 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

 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 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

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 set of diskettes, select Create Diagnostics Diskettes from the Utility Partition menu.

The system hardware diagnostics are described in "Running the Dell Diagnostics" in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.

Video Drivers

NOTE: 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 4 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). Use this procedure only if you do not use Express Setup to install your operating system.

To create a drivers diskette, perform the following steps:

  1. Select Create Diskettes from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant setup page.
  1. Select the system for which to create the drivers diskette.
  1. Create the video controller drivers diskette for Windows NT 4.0.

To install the video drivers, perform the following steps:

  1. Start Windows NT.
  1. Log in as the administrator or as a user with administrative privileges.

    For information on system administration, see the reference documentation for Windows NT.
  1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
  1. Double-click the Display icon.

    The Display Settings window appears.
  1. Select the Settings tab.
  1. Click Display Type and then click Change in the Adapter box.

    A list of available video drivers appears.
  1. Click Have Disk.
  1. Insert the video drivers installation diskette into the diskette drive.
  1. In the Copy Manufacturer's Files From field, type a:\ati.
  1. Click OK.
  1. Make sure that ATI Technologies Inc. 3D Rage IIc is selected in the video drivers list, and click Install.

    The Installing Drivers dialog box appears.
  1. 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.
  1. Remove the video drivers diskette from the diskette drive and restart Windows NT.
  1. Click the Start button, point to Settings, and click Control Panel.
  1. Click the Display icon.

    The Display Settings window appears.
  1. Set the desired resolution, number of colors, and refresh rate.

Asset Tag Utility

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.

Using the Asset Tag Utility

To create the Asset Tag utility diskette and boot the system, perform the following steps:

  1. If you have not already done so, create a bootable Asset Tag Utilities with CD-ROM diskette from the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD using the Create Diskettes option under Setup.
  1. 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:

  1. Perform the steps in "Using the Asset Tag Utility."

  1. Type asset and a space followed by the new number.

    For example, type the following command:

    asset 1234567890
  1. Press <Enter>.
  1. 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

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