Serviceability Features; Section 6.6, "Serviceability Features - IBM p5 590 System Handbook

Blind-swap adapters mount PCI I/O cards in a carrier that can be slid into the rear
of the I/O drawer. The carrier is designed so that the card is guided into place on
a set of rails and seated in the slot, completing the electrical connection, by
simply shifting an attached lever. This capability allows the PCI adapters to be
concurrently replaced without having to put the I/O drawer into a service position.
This technology has been incorporated in selected IBM Sserver p5 servers and
I/O drawers.
The hot-plug LEDs outside the I/O drawer indicate whether an adapter can be
plugged into or removed from the system. The hot-plug PCI adapters are
secured with retainer clips on top of the slots; therefore, you do not need a
screwdriver to add or remove a card, and there is no screw that can be dropped
inside the drawer. In the case of exchanging an PCI adapter from the blind-swap
hot-plug cassette, a screwdriver is needed to remove or replace it from the
cassette.
The function of hot-plug is not only provided by the PCI-X slot, but also by the
function of the adapter. Most adapters are hot-plug, but some are not. Be aware
that some adapters must not be removed when the system is running, such as
the adapter with the operating system disks connected to it or the adapter that
provides the system console.

6.6 Serviceability features

The service strategy for the IBM Sserver p5 families evolves from, and
improves upon, the service architecture deployed on IBM pSeries servers. The
service team has enhanced the base service capability and continues to
implement a strategy that incorporates best-of-breed service characteristics from
various IBM Sserver systems including the xSeries®, iSeries, pSeries, and
zSeries systems.
The service goal is to provide the most efficient service environment by
designing a system package that incorporates:
Easy access to service components
On demand service education
An automated or guided repair strategy using common service interfaces for a
converged service approach across multiple IBM server platforms.
The aim is to deliver faster and more accurate repair while reducing the
possibility for human error.
Chapter 6. Reliability, availability, and serviceability
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