Memory problems

Use this information to diagnose and resolve memory problems with the blade server.

IBM continually updates the support website with tips and techniques that you can use to resolve any problems that you might be having with the BladeCenter HX5 blade server. Go to the BladeCenter support search website and search for the terms http://www.ibm.com/search/csass/search?sn=mh&q=7872%20retain%20tip%20memory&lang=en&cc=us&en=utf to see if any service bulletins have been generated.

Follow the suggested actions in the order in which they are listed in the Action column until the problem is solved.

  • See Parts listing - BladeCenter HX5 to determine which components are CRUs and which components are FRUs.
  • If an action step is preceded by "(Trained service technician only)," that step must be performed only by a trained service technician.
Symptom Action
The amount of system memory that is displayed is less than the amount of installed physical memory.
  1. Make sure that:
    • You have installed the correct type of memory (see Installing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5).
    • If you changed the memory, you updated the memory configuration in the Setup utility (see Using the Setup utility).
    • All banks of memory are enabled. The blade server might have automatically disabled a memory bank when it detected a problem, or a memory bank might have been manually disabled (see Using the Setup utility).
  2. Check the IMM event log for a memory error (see Viewing event logs through the Setup utility or Viewing event logs without restarting the blade server):
  3. Reseat the DIMM (see Removing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5, Installing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5).
  4. Replace the following components one at a time, in the order shown, restarting the blade server each time:
    1. DIMM (see Removing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5 and Installing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5).
    2. (Trained service technician only) System-board assembly (see Removing the system-board assembly - BladeCenter HX5 and Installing the system-board assembly - BladeCenter HX5).
Multiple rows of DIMMs in a branch are identified as failing.
  1. Make sure that the DIMMs are installed in the proper sequence (see Installing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5).
  2. Reseat the DIMMs and restart the server (see Removing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5 and Installing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5).
  3. Remove each DIMM one at a time, restarting the server after removing each DIMM until the error is corrected(see Removing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5).
  4. Replace the failed DIMM; then, reinstall the DIMMs to their original connectors and restart the server (see Installing a DIMM - BladeCenter HX5).
  5. (Trained service technician only) Replace the system board (see Removing the system-board assembly - BladeCenter HX5 and Installing the system-board assembly - BladeCenter HX5).