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System Overview

Dell™ PowerEdge™ 6600 Systems User's Guide

  System Orientation

  Front-Bezel Indicators

  Front-Panel Indicators and Features

  Back-Panel Indicators and Features

  System Features

  Supported Operating Systems

  Power Protection Devices

  Other Documents You May Need

  Obtaining Technical Assistance

Your system is a high-performance enterprise server offering new levels of performance and scalability with up to four Intel® Xeon™ microprocessors and 16 GB of system memory, as well as hot-pluggable hard drives, expansion slots, power supplies, and system fans.

This section describes the major hardware and software features of your system and provides information about the indicators on the system's front and back panels. It also provides information about other documents you may need when setting up your system and how to obtain technical assistance.

System Orientation

Figure 1-1 shows the rack and tower versions of your system. The illustrations in this document are based on the tower version with the system laying on its right side.

Figure 1-1. System Orientation

Front-Bezel Indicators

The system's front bezel has an indictor that shows the system status when the bezel is installed (see Figure 1-2). The status indicator signals that the system is operating normally or that it is being identified by the systems management software. The caution indicator signals problems with power supplies, system fans, power-supply fans, system temperature, hard drives, or expansion cards. The back-panel system status indicator functions the same way as the front-bezel indicator. Table 1-1 lists the system's status indicator codes and conditions.

Figure 1-2. System Status Indicators

Table 1-1. System-Status Indicator Codes

Bezel Indicators		Back-Panel Indicator	Indicator Code
Status	Caution
Off	Off	Off	No power is available to the system, or the system is not powered on.1
On	Off	Blue	The system is operating normally.
Off	Blinking	Amber blinking	The system has detected an error and requires attention.1
Blinking	Off	Blue blinking	The system is identifying itself. NOTE: Systems management software causes the status indicator to blink to identify a particular system. For more information, see your systems management software documentation.
1 See your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for more information.

Front-Panel Indicators and Features

Additional indicators are located behind the front bezel for system power and hard drives. The CD and diskette drives have green activity indicators. The front-panel LCD provides status information using an alphanumeric character display (see "LCD Status Messages"). See Figure 1-3 for the front-panel indicators and features.

Figure 1-3. Front-Panel Indicators and Features

The power button is used to turn the power supplies on and off, while the NMI button is used for debugging (see your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide for more information).

NOTE: If you turn off the system using the power button and the system is running an ACPI-compliant operating system (such as Microsoft® Windows® 2000), the system performs a graceful shutdown before the power is turned off. If the system is not running an ACPI-compliant operating system, the power is turned off immediately after the power button is pressed.

LCD Status Messages

The system's front-bezel indicator shows whether the system is operating correctly or whether it needs attention (see Figure 1-2). When the front-bezel indicator denotes an error condition, open the bezel for more information provided on the LCD.

The LCD displays two lines of five alphanumeric characters. The display codes are presented in two color combinations:

• White characters on a blue background — Information only; no action is required.
  
  
• Amber characters on a black background — The system needs attention.
  
  

For more information about LCD codes, see your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.

SCSI Hard-Drive Indicator Codes

Each hard-drive carrier has two indicators that provide information on the status of the SCSI hard drive: a busy indicator and a status indicator (see Figure 1-4 and Table 1-2).

Figure 1-4. SCSI Hard-Drive Indicators

The drive busy indicator lights when data is transferred to or from the hard drive. The drive status indicator lights when the hard drive is active on the SCSI bus.

Table 1-2 lists the drive status indicator codes. Different codes are displayed as drive events occur in the system. For example, in the event of a hard-drive failure, the "drive failed" code appears. After the drive is selected for removal, the "drive being prepared for removal" code appears, followed by the "drive ready for insertion or removal" code. After the replacement drive is installed, the "drive being prepared for operation" code appears, followed by the "drive online" code.

Table 1-2. SCSI Hard-Drive Status Indicator Codes

Condition	Indicator
Drive bay empty, ready for insertion or removal	Off
Drive being prepared for operation, drive online	Steady green
Identify drive	Blinks green four times per second
Drive being prepared for removal	Blinks green twice per second at equal intervals
Drive rebuilding	Blinks green twice per second at unequal intervals
Drive failed	Blinks amber four times per second
Predicted failure for the drive	Blinks green, then amber, and then off, repeating this sequence every two seconds
NOTE: The drive busy indicator signifies whether the hard drive is active on the SCSI bus. This indicator is controlled by the hard drive.

Back-Panel Indicators and Features

Figure 1-5 shows the back-panel indicators and features of the system.

NOTE: The back-panel system status indicator has the same functionality as the bezel indicator. When the system is operating normally, the back-panel indicator is blue. When the system needs attention, the amber indicator blinks.

Figure 1-5. Back-Panel Indicators and Features

Power-Supply Indicator Codes

Each hot-pluggable power supply has three indicators that provide information on power status, faults, and the presence of power. Figure 1-6 shows the location of the indicators. Table 1-3 lists the conditions for each indicator.

Figure 1-6. Power-Supply Indicators

Table 1-3. Power-Supply Indicator Codes

Indicator	Condition
Power-on	Green indicates that the power supply is operational.
Fault	Red indicates a problem with the power supply (for example, a fan failure or voltage error).
AC present	Green indicates that power is present at the power supply and that the system is connected to a power source.

NIC Indicator Codes

Each NIC has an indicator that provides information on network activity and link status. Figure 1-7 shows the location of the indicators. Table 1-4 lists the conditions for the indicators.

Figure 1-7. NIC Indicators

Table 1-4. NIC Indicator Codes

Indicator	Condition
Off	The NIC is not connected to the network.
Green	The NIC is connected to a valid link partner.
Amber blinking	Network data is being sent or received.

Expansion-Slot Indicator Codes

Expansion slots 1 through 11 are hot-pluggable. Each expansion slot has a light pipe, visible through the back-panel vents, that indicates the status of the expansion card. Table 1-5 lists the conditions for the indicators.

Table 1-5. Expansion-Slot Indicator Codes

Indicator	Condition
Off	Expansion-slot power is off. No action is required.
Green	Expansion-slot power is on. No action is required.
Green blinking fast	The expansion slot is being identified by an application program or driver. No action is required.
Amber blinking slow	The expansion card is faulty or improperly installed, causing a problem with power supply to the card.
Amber blinks twice, pauses, and then repeats the sequence	An expansion card with a slower operating speed was hot-plugged. If you are replacing an expansion card with a card that has a slower operating speed, you must power down the system before installing the replacement card.

System Features

Your system offers the following features:

• Up to four Intel Xeon microprocessors with an internal operating speed of at least 1.40 GHz; an L2 cache of 256 KB and an L3 cache of 512 KB or 1 MB (L2 and L3 cache size is dependant on microprocessor speed); and a front-side (external) bus speed of 400 MHz.
  
  
• Support for SMP, which is available on systems with at least two microprocessors. SMP greatly improves overall system performance by dividing microprocessor operations between independent microprocessors. To take advantage of this feature, you must use an operating system that supports multiprocessing.
  
  

NOTE: If you decide to upgrade your system by installing an additional microprocessor, you must order the microprocessor upgrade kits from the company where you purchased your system. Not all versions of the Intel Xeon microprocessor will work properly as additional microprocessors. The upgrade kit contains the correct version of the microprocessor as well as the instructions for performing the upgrade. All microprocessors must have the same internal operating frequency and cache size.

• A minimum of 512 MB of system memory, upgradable to a maximum of 16 GB by installing combinations of DDR SDRAM memory modules in the 16 memory module sockets. The memory module sockets are located on two riser cards with eight sockets per card.
  
  

NOTE: All memory modules in a single memory bank must be the same size and type.

The system also features redundant memory, which provides your system with a failover memory bank when a memory bank fails, and a memory mirror, which splits the four memory banks into a mirrored set.

NOTE: The failover memory bank is supported if three or four identical memory banks (12 or 16 memory modules) are installed on your system. Memory mirror is supported if four identical banks (16 memory modules) are installed on your system. Both features must be enabled or disabled in the BIOS setup and you cannot enable both features simultaneously. For more information, see "Using the System Setup Program."

• Support for up to twelve 1-inch, internal, hot-pluggable Ultra3 SCSI hard drives (eight drives in the hard-drive bay and an optional four drives in the peripheral bay).
  
  
• Support for an optional internal tape-backup device (full-height or half-height) in the peripheral bay.
  
  
• A single, 1.44-MB, 3.5-inch diskette drive.
  
  
• A 24X IDE CD or DVD drive.
  
  
• Three hot-pluggable, 600-W power supplies in a 2 + 1 redundant configuration.
  
  
• A redundant power module that enables a redundant power line solution. Two power inputs are available as inputs to the module. The system can operate from either of these inputs and automatically switches from a failing power source to a good power source in the event of a failure or disturbance of a power circuit. A power pass-through module can be used in place of the redundant power module if redundant power is not required.
  
  
• Six redundant, hot-pluggable system cooling fans.
  
  
• An intrusion switch that signals the appropriate systems management software if the top cover is opened.
  
  
• Eleven hot-pluggable expansion slots (10 full-length, 64-bit, 100-MHz PCI or PCI-X slots and one full-length, 32-bit, 33-MHz PCI slot).
  
  
• An integrated VGA-compatible video subsystem with an ATI RAGE XL video controller. This video subsystem contains 8 MB of SDRAM video memory (nonupgradable). The maximum resolution is 1600 x 1200 with 256 colors.
  
  
• An integrated, single-channel Ultra3 SCSI controller for internal SCSI hard drives or tape drives.
  
  
• An optional dual- or quad-channel RAID controller card for connection to both internal and external storage.
  
  
• Optional remote access card that provides remote management capabilities for your system. The remote access card allows you to manage and monitor your system through a modem or network connection, even when the system itself is down.
  
  
• Two integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps NICs, which provide an Ethernet interface.
  
  
• Embedded systems management circuitry that monitors operation of the system fans as well as critical system voltages and temperatures. The systems management circuitry works in conjunction with your systems management software.
  
  
• Back-panel connectors include mouse, keyboard, serial, video, two USB, external SCSI (optional), and two NIC connectors.
  
  

For more information about specific features, see "Technical Specifications."

Software Features

The following software is included with your system:

• A System Setup program for quickly viewing and changing system configuration information. For more information on this program, see "Using the System Setup Program."
  
  
• Enhanced security features, including a system password and a setup password, available through the System Setup program.
  
  
• System diagnostics for evaluating system components and devices. For information on using the system diagnostics, see "Running the System Diagnostics" in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.
  
  
• Video drivers for displaying application programs in high-resolution modes.
  
  
• SCSI device drivers that allow the operating system to communicate with devices attached to the integrated SCSI subsystem. For more information on these drivers, see "Installing and Configuring SCSI Drivers."
  
  
• Systems management software and documentation CDs.
  
  

Supported Operating Systems

Your system supports the following operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows NT® Server 4.0
  
  
• Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server
  
  
• Windows NT Server 4.0, Enterprise Edition
  
  
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Advanced Server
  
  
• Red Hat Linux 7.2 or later
  
  
• Novell® NetWare® 6.0
  
  

Power Protection Devices

A number of devices are available to protect your system from the effects of power problems such as power surges, transients, and power failures. The following subsections describe some of these devices.

Surge Protectors

Surge protectors are available in a variety of types and usually provide a level of protection commensurate with the cost of the device. Surge protectors prevent overvoltage spikes, such as those that may occur during an electrical storm, from entering the system through the electrical outlet. Surge protectors do not offer protection against brownouts, which occur when the voltage drops more than 20 percent below the normal power line voltage level.

Line Conditioners

Line conditioners go beyond the overvoltage protection of surge protectors. Line conditioners keep a system's power source voltage at a fairly constant level and provide protection from brownouts of short duration. Because of this added protection, line conditioners cost more than surge protectors—up to several hundred dollars. However, these devices cannot protect against a complete loss of power.

Uninterruptible Power Supplies

UPS systems offer the most complete protection against variations in power because they use battery power to keep the system running when power is unavailable or unusable. The battery is charged by the AC power while it is available so that once power is lost, the battery can provide power to the system for a limited amount of time—from 15 minutes to an hour or so—depending on the UPS system.

UPS systems range in price from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, with the more expensive units allowing you to run larger systems for a longer period of time when power is lost. UPS systems that provide only 5 minutes of battery power let you conduct an orderly shutdown of the system but are not intended to provide continued operation. Surge protectors should be used with all UPS systems, and the UPS system should be UL safety approved.

Other Documents You May Need

Besides this User's Guide, the following documentation is included with your system:

• The Setting Up Your System sheet provides general instructions for setting up your system.
  
  
• The System Information document provides important safety and regulatory information. Warranty information might be included within this document or as a separate document.
  
  
• The Rack Installation Guide describes how to unpack, set up, and install your system in a rack.
  
  
• The Installation and Troubleshooting Guide describes how to install, troubleshoot, and upgrade your system.
  
  
• The systems management software documentation describes the features, requirements, installation, and basic operation of the systems management software. Refer to the software's online help for information about the alert messages issued by the software.
  
  
• Operating system documentation is included if your operating system was preinstalled. This documentation describes how to install, configure, and use the operating system software.
  
  
• Documentation is included with any options you purchased separately from the system. This documentation includes information that you need to configure and install these options in your system.
  
  

You may also have the following documents.

• Documentation updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system or software.
  
  

NOTE: Always read these updates before consulting any other documentation because the updates often contain information that supersedes information in the other documents.

• Technical information files—sometimes called "readme" files—may be installed on the hard drive to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to the system or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or technicians.
  
  

Obtaining Technical Assistance

If at any time you do not understand a procedure described in this guide or if your system does not perform as expected, there are a number of tools are provided to assist you. For more information on these help tools, see "Getting Help" in your Installation and Troubleshooting Guide.

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