Solving Undetermined Problems - IBM x3400 7975 Problem Determination And Service Manual

Solving undetermined problems

If the diagnostic tests did not diagnose the failure or if the server is inoperative, use
the information in this section.
If you suspect that a software problem is causing failures (continuous or
intermittent), see "Software problems" on page 53.
Damaged data in CMOS memory or damaged BIOS code can cause undetermined
problems. To reset the CMOS data, use the clear CMOS switch to clear the CMOS
memory; see "System-board switches" on page 15. If you suspect that the BIOS
code is damaged, see "Recovering from a BIOS update failure" on page 72.
Check the LEDs on all the power supplies. If the LEDs indicate that the power
supplies are working correctly, complete the following steps:
1. Turn off the server.
2. Make sure that the server is cabled correctly.
3. Remove or disconnect the following devices, one at a time, until you find the
The following minimum configuration is required for the server to start:
v One microprocessor
v Two 512 MB DIMM on the system board
v One power supply
v Power cord
v Power backplane
v ServeRAID SAS adapter
v System board
4. Turn on the server. If the problem remains, suspect the following components in
If the problem is solved when you remove an adapter from the server but the
problem recurs when you reinstall the same adapter, suspect the adapter; if the
problem recurs when you replace the adapter with a different one, suspect the
system board.
If you suspect a networking problem and the server passes all the system tests,
suspect a network cabling problem that is external to the server.
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System x3400 Types 7973, 7974, 7975, and 7976: Problem Determination and Service Guide
failure. Turn on the server and reconfigure it each time.
v Any external devices.
v Surge-suppressor device (on the server).
v Modem, printer, mouse, and non-IBM devices.
v Each adapter.
v Hard disk drives.
v Memory modules. The minimum configuration requirement is two 512 MB
DIMM on the system board.
v Service processor.
the following order:
a. Memory module
b. Microprocessor
c. Power backplane
d. System board