Chapter 1. Start Here; Diagnosing A Problem - IBM System x3550 M3 Type 4254 Problem Determination And Service Manual

Chapter 1. Start here

You can solve many problems without outside assistance by following the
troubleshooting procedures in this Problem Determination and Service Guide and
on the IBM Web site. This document describes the diagnostic tests that you can
perform, troubleshooting procedures, and explanations of error messages and error
codes. The documentation that comes with your operating system and software
also contains troubleshooting information.

Diagnosing a problem

Before you contact IBM or an approved warranty service provider, follow these
procedures in the order in which they are presented to diagnose a problem with
your server:
1. Determine what has changed.
2. View the light path diagnostics LEDs and event logs.
3. Run IBM Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) and collect system data.
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Determine whether any of the following items were added, removed, replaced,
or updated before the problem occurred:
v Hardware components
v Device drivers and firmware
v System software
v IBM System x Server Firmware (server firmware)
v System input power or network connections
If possible, return the server to the condition it was in before the problem
occurred.
The server is designed for ease of diagnosis of hardware and software
problems.
v Light path diagnostics LEDs: See "Light path diagnostics" on page 101 for
information about light path diagnostics LEDs that are lit and actions that you
should take.
v Event logs: See"System event log" on page 38 for information about
notification events and diagnosis.
v Software or operating-system error codes: See the documentation for the
software or operating system for information about a specific error code. See
the manufacturer's Web site for documentation.
Run Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) to collect information about the hardware,
firmware, software, and operating system. Have this information available when
you contact IBM or an approved warranty service provider. For instructions for
running the DSA program, see the Dynamic System Analysis Installation and
User's Guide.
To download the latest version of DSA code and the Dynamic System Analysis
Installation and User's Guide, go to http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/
supportsite.wss/docdisplay?brandind=5000008&lndocid=SERV-DSA or complete
the following steps.
Note: Changes are made periodically to the IBM Web site. The actual
procedure might vary slightly from what is described in this document.
a. Go to http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/.
b. Under IBM Systems support, click System x.
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