Diagnostic Tools Overview; Post Error Logs - IBM 84885BU Maintenance And Troubleshooting Manual

Diagnostic tools overview

The following tools are available to help you diagnose and solve hardware-related
problems:
v POST error logs
v Diagnostic programs and error messages
v System board error LEDs
v Ethernet controller troubleshooting

POST error logs

When you turn on the server, it performs a series of tests to check the operation of
server components and some of the options installed in the server. This series of
tests is called the power-on self-test, or POST.
If POST finishes without detecting any problems, a single beep sounds, and the first
screen of the operating system or application program appears.
If POST detects a problem, more than one beep sounds, an error message appears
on the screen, or both (see "Beep symptoms" on page 97 and "POST error codes"
on page 99).
Note: A single problem might cause several error messages. When this occurs,
The POST error log contains the three most recent error codes and messages that
the system generated during POST.
The system-error log contains all messages that were issued during POST and all
system status messages from the service processor.
Note: The system-error log is available only with the Remote Supervisor Adapter II.
The power-on self-test (POST) generates beep codes and messages to indicate
successful test completion or the detection of a problem.
The POST error log contains the three most recent error codes and messages
that the server has generated during POST.
The system-error log contains all the error messages that were issued during
POST.
Note: The system-error log is available only with the Remote Supervisor Adapter
II.
See "POST error logs" for more information.
The server diagnostic programs are the primary method of testing the major
components of the server (see "Diagnostic programs, error codes, and
messages" on page 14).
These LEDs can help to pinpoint the source of a hardware problem (see "System
board error LEDs" on page 17).
This section provides information about Ethernet problems (see "Troubleshooting
the Ethernet controller" on page 21).
work to correct the cause of the first error message. After you correct the
cause of the first error message, the other error messages usually will not
occur the next time you run the test.
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Chapter 3. Diagnostics