Overview - American Megatrends Express 788 Hardware Manual

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Overview

The American Megatrends
Access Companion provides additional server management
capabilities. You can use MegaRAC™ Express to manage
and monitor non-storage components in your servers
through an external modem, direct serial connection, or the
onboard network adapter, even when your network is
down.
MegaRAC™ Express offers a hardware and software
solution through the Dead Server Management (DSM)
function. A major feature of MegaRAC™ Express is the
ability to manage a "dead" server and get the server up and
running as quickly as possible. MegaRAC™ Express
provides alert notification when the server is down and
gives full access to the dead server. In addition,
MegaRAC™ Express logs the probable cause of the server
crash and saves the current error display.
The MegaRAC™ Express is a PCI card, with its own
processor and memory. The card is powered by the bus
when the server has power or through an external power
adapter (6V 2.5 AMP DC Power Adapter Optional).
MegaRAC™ Express is used by the software modules,
such as the on-board intelligent firmware. In addition,
MegaRAC™ Express comes with a user interface
program. The user interface is known as the MegaRAC™
Express Management Console. The firmware is based on a
multitasking RTOS. The primary tasks of the firmware are:
•
initialize the hardware at startup
•
run a quick self test
•
provide services to the user interface application
The MegaRAC™ Express card can alert you before a
probable server crash. Its processor can sense voltages,
temperatures, and fan speeds from the surrounding
environment, and the MegaRAC™ Express contains its
own firmware. The basic input/output system (BIOS)
supports MegaRAC™ Express initialization and the
drivers that interface with the operating systems.
®
MegaRAC™ Express Remote
Chapter 1 Overview
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