Reliability, Availability, And Serviceability - IBM Netfinity 7100 User's Reference Manual

Reliability, availability, and serviceability

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IBM® Netfinity® 7100 User's Reference
• Integrated network environment support
Your server comes with an Ethernet controller on the system board. This
Ethernet controller has an interface for connecting to 10-Mbps or 100-Mbps
networks. The server automatically selects between 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TX.
The controller provides full-duplex (FDX) capability, which enables
simultaneous transmission and reception of data on the Ethernet local area
network (LAN).
• Redundant network-interface card
The addition of an optional, redundant network interface card (NIC) provides a
failover capability to a redundant Ethernet connection. If a problem occurs with
the primary Ethernet connection, all Ethernet traffic associated with this primary
connection is automatically switched to the redundant NIC. This switching
occurs without data loss and without user intervention.
• IBM ServerGuide CDs
The ServerGuide CDs included with your Netfinity server provide programs to
help you set up your server and install the network operating system (NOS).
The ServerGuide program detects the hardware options that are installed, and
provides the correct configuration programs and device drivers. In addition, the
ServerGuide CDs include a variety of application programs for your server.
For more information about the ServerGuide CDs, see "Chapter 4. Using the
ServerGuide CDs," on page 21.
Three of the most important features in server design are reliability, availability, and
serviceability (RAS). These factors help to ensure the integrity of the data stored on
your server; that your server is available when you want to use it; and that should a
failure occur, you can easily diagnose and repair the failure with minimal
inconvenience.
The following is an abbreviated list of the RAS features that your server supports.
• Menu-driven setup, system configuration, SCSISelect configuration, and
diagnostic programs
• Power-on self-test (POST)
• Integrated Netfinity Advanced System Management Processor
• Predictive Failure Analysis™ (PFA) alerts
• Remote system problem-determination support
• Power and temperature monitoring
• Power-supply redundancy monitoring
• Fault-resistant startup
• Hot-swap drive bays
• Error codes and messages
• System error logging
• Upgradable BIOS, diagnostics, and Netfinity Advanced System Management
Processor code
• Automatic restart after a power failure
• Parity checking on the SCSI bus and the PCI bus
• Error correcting code (ECC) memory
• Hot-swap power supply
• Hot-swap cooling
• Redundant Ethernet capabilities (with optional adapter)
• Vital Product Data (VPD) on processors, processor board, I/O board, power
supplies, hard disk drive backplane, power backplane, and VRMs.