Solving undetermined problems

Use this information to diagnose and resolve undetermined issues with the blade server.

Note: When you are diagnosing a problem in the blade server, you must determine whether the problem is in the blade server or in the BladeCenter unit.
  • If all of the blade servers have the same symptom, the problem is probably in the BladeCenter unit. For more information, see the documentation for your BladeCenter unit.
  • If the BladeCenter unit contains more than one blade server and only one of the blade servers has the problem, troubleshoot the blade server that has the problem.

If the diagnostic tests did not diagnose the failure or if the blade 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.

Damaged data in CMOS memory or damaged BIOS code can cause undetermined problems. To reset the CMOS data, remove and replace the battery to override the power-on password and clear the CMOS memory; see Removing the battery. If you suspect that the BIOS code is damaged, see Recovering from a BIOS update failure.

Check the LEDs on all the power supplies of the BladeCenter unit in which the blade server is installed. If the LEDs indicate that the power supplies are working correctly and reseating the blade server does not correct the problem, complete the following steps:
  1. Make sure that the control panel connector is correctly seated on the system board (see System-board connectors for the location of the connector).
  2. If no LEDs on the control panel are working, replace the bezel assembly; then, try to turn on the blade server from the management module (see the documentation for the BladeCenter unit and management module for more information).
  3. Turn off the blade server.
  4. Remove the blade server from the BladeCenter unit and remove the cover.
  5. Remove or disconnect the following devices, one at a time, until you find the failure. Reinstall, turn on, and reconfigure the blade server each time.
    • I/O expansion card.
    • Storage drives.
    • Memory modules. The minimum configuration requirement is 1 GB (two 512 MB DIMMs on the system board).

    The following minimum configuration is required for the blade server to start:

    • System board
    • One microprocessor
    • Two 512 MB DIMMs
    • A functioning BladeCenter unit
  6. Install and turn on the blade server. If the problem remains, suspect the following components in the following order:
    1. DIMM
    2. System board
    3. Microprocessor

If the problem is solved when you remove an I/O expansion card from the blade server but the problem recurs when you reinstall the same card, suspect the I/O expansion card; if the problem recurs when you replace the card with a different one, suspect the system board.

If you suspect a networking problem and the blade server passes all the system tests, suspect a network cabling problem that is external to the system.

Parent topic: Troubleshooting