Chapter 3. Diagnostics; Diagnostic Tools - IBM x3250 M3 Problem Determination And Service Manual

Chapter 3. Diagnostics

This chapter describes the diagnostic tools that are available to help you solve
problems that might occur in the server.
If you cannot locate and correct a problem by using the information in this chapter,
see Appendix A, "Getting help and technical assistance," on page 219 for more
information.

Diagnostic tools

The following tools are available to help you diagnose and solve hardware-related
problems:
v POST error messages and error logs
v Troubleshooting tables
v Dynamic System Analysis (DSA) Preboot diagnostic programs
v Server LEDs
v IBM Electronic Service Agent
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2011
The power-on self-test (POST) generates messages to indicate successful test
completion or the detection of a problem. See "POST" on page 24, "Event logs"
on page 22, and "POST error codes" on page 24 for more information.
These tables list problem symptoms and actions to correct the problems. See
"Troubleshooting tables" on page 57 for more information.
The DSA Preboot diagnostic programs provide problem isolation, configuration
analysis, and error log collection. The diagnostic programs are the primary
method of testing the major components of the server and are stored in
integrated USB memory. The diagnostic programs collect the following
information about the server:
– System configuration
– Network interfaces and settings
– Installed hardware
– Service processor status and configuration
– Vital product data, firmware, and UEFI configuration
– Hard disk drive health
– RAID controller configuration
– Controller and service processor event logs, including the following
information:
- System error logs
- Temperature, voltage, and fan speed information
- Self-monitoring Analysis, and Reporting Technology (SMART) data
- Machine check registers
- USB information
- Monitor configuration information
- PCI slot information
The diagnostic programs create a merged log that includes events from all
collected logs. The information is collected into a file that you can send to IBM
service and support. Additionally, you can view the server information locally
through a generated text report file. You can also copy the log to removable
media and view the log from a Web browser. See "Running the diagnostic
programs" on page 78 for more information.
Use the LEDs on the server to diagnose system errors quickly. See
"System-board LEDs" on page 18 for more information.
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