Apple xserve cluster node User Manual

							6 - Xserve Troubleshooting
 General Information
Power Supply VeriÞcation
To power on, the serverÕs logic board requires a ÒtrickleÓ power of +5V. If the system fails to 
power on, Þrst reset the PMU. Then follow the procedure outlined below to determine 
whether the problem is related to the power supply.
Note: To verify the power supply, you need a volt meter. When connecting the volt meter 
leads to speciÞc pins, make sure the power supply remains securely plugged into its 
connector on the logic board.
The following Þgure shows the pins and voltage on the serverÕs power supply connector, 
as viewed from above when it is connected to the logic board.
 
1. Plug a known-good power cord into the server. Do not turn on the server.
2. Connect the black lead of the volt meter to pin 14 of the power supply connector; 
connect the red lead of the volt meter to pin 1. The volt meter should measure 
approximately +12V.
If you do not get a reading of +12V, recheck the volt meter connections and measure 
the voltage again. If voltage is still not present, replace the power supply.
If you do measure +12V on pin 1, the power supply is likely OK. Go to the next step 
for further verification.
3. Start up the server by pressing the power button on the front panel.
If the server starts up normally, the power supply is OK. If the server does not start 
up normally, go to the next step.
Pin 1 	 +12VDC
Pin 2  	 GND
Pin 3	 +12VDC
Pin 4	 +5VDC
Pin 5	 +5VDC
Pin 6	 +5VDC
Pin 7	 +3.3VDC
Pin 8	 +3.3VDC
Pin 9	 +3.3VDC
Pin 10	 -12VDC
Pin 11	 Power On
Pin 12	 +5VSB+12VDC	 Pin 13
GND	 Pin 14
GND	 Pin 15
GND	 Pin 16
GND	 Pin 17
GND  Pin 18
GND	 Pin 19
GND	 Pin 20
GND	 Pin 21
GND  Pin 22
GND	 Pin 23
GND	 Pin 24 
						

							Xserve Troubleshooting - 7
 General Information4. Check to see if the power supply fan is spinning.
If it is not, replace the power supply. If it is spinning, go to the next step.
5. Connect the black lead of the volt meter to pin 14 of the power supply connector; 
connect the red lead to pin 9. The volt meter should measure approximately +3.3V.
If you do not get a reading of +3.3V, recheck the volt meter connections and measure 
the voltage again. If voltage is still not present, replace the power supply.
If you do measure +3.3V on pin 9, the power supply is likely OK. Go to the next step 
for further verification.
6. Connect the black lead of the volt meter to pin 14 of the power supply connector; 
connect the red lead to pin 4. The volt meter should measure approximately +5V.
If you do not get a reading of +5V, recheck the volt meter connections and measure 
the voltage again. If voltage is still not present, replace the power supply.
If you do measure +5V on pin 4, the power supply is likely OK. Go to the next step for 
further verification.
7. Connect the black lead of the volt meter to pin 14 of the power supply connector; 
connect the red lead to pin 3. The volt meter should measure approximately +12V.
If you do not get a reading of +12V, recheck the volt meter connections and measure 
the voltage again. If voltage is still not present, replace the power supply.
If you do measure +12V on pin 3, the power supply is OK and the testing is complete. 
You have verified that the power supply is not the cause of the Òno apparent powerÓ 
symptom.
RAM and Processor VeriÞcation: Power-On Self Test
A power-on self test in the serverÕs ROM automatically runs whenever the server is started 
up after being fully shut down (the test does not run if the server is only restarted). If the 
test detects a problem, you will not see a normal sequence of system activity lights on the 
front panel during startup. Instead, the lights will ßash in the following ways:
¥2 Flashes: No RAM is installed or detected.
¥3 Flashes: Incompatible RAM types are installed.
¥4 Flashes: No RAM banks passed memory testing. 
¥5 Flashes: No good boot images are detected in the boot ROM (and/or there is a bad 
sys config block).
¥6 Flashes: The processor is not usable. 
						

							8 - Xserve Troubleshooting
 General Information
Xserve (Slot Load and Cluster Node): Entering Firmware Boot 
Commands From the Front Panel
You can use the system identiÞer button on the Xserve (Slot Load) and Xserve (Cluster 
Node) serverÕs front panel to initiate a limited number of Þrmware commands to the 
system without connecting a keyboard or monitor to the server. The commands are listed 
below; you enter each command with a combination of the system identiÞer button and a 
speciÞc light on the front panel.
Follow these steps to initiate a command from the front panel.
1. With the power off, hold in the system identiÞer button while you press the power 
button.
2. Continue holding in the system identiÞer button until the top row of blue lights blinks 
sequentially.
3. Release the system identiÞer button. The rightmost light in the bottom row turns on. 
Press the button to light the next light in the bottom row, moving from right to left. 
Press the button again to change lights.
The lights in the bottom row indicate (from right to left):
¥ Light 1 (far right): Start up from the system disc (also ejects any disc in the optical 
drive)
¥ Light 2: Start up from a network server (NetBoot)
¥ Light 3: Start up from the internal drive (leftmost drive if more than one)
¥ Light 4: Bypass the current startup disk and start up from any other available startup 
disk
¥ Light 5: Begin target disk mode (all drives, including the optical drive, will show up)
¥ Light 6: Restore the systemÕs default settings (reset NVRAM)
¥ Light 7: Enter Open Firmware (via the serial port if no monitor and keyboard are 
connected)
4. When the light for the action you want is on, hold in the system identiÞer button for at 
least 2 seconds, until all lights in the top row are on.
5. Release the button.
Diagnostic Tools
Xserve includes built-in sensors that detect and report on hard drives, internal temper-
ature, blower status or failure, and power status or failure. You can monitor the serverÕs 
operation via these sensors and four diagnostic tools: indicator lights on the front of the 
server, remote monitoring software, Apple Hardware Test, or Apple Service Diagnostic. 
						

							Xserve Troubleshooting - 9
 General Information
Status Lights
The serverÕs status lights are shown in the Þgure and table below. While the illustration is 
based on the original Xserve, the callouts for the status lights are accurate for all models.
Table 1: Status Lights
Indicator Color Description
Power White On and OK
Security lock Yellow Lock is engaged
System identiÞer Yellow Indicates a hardware error in the server or 
that someone has toggled it on; check the 
server monitoring application for more 
information
Ethernet
(lower LED is 
built-in; upper LED 
is network card)Green
No lightLink
No connection
System activity Blue Two rows of eight LEDs; in server with one 
processor, rows of lights work in tandem; in 
dual-processor server, rows operate 
independently for each processor
Drive module
(upper LED)Green
Yellow
RedPowered and running
Warning condition; replace drive
Problem or failure; replace drive
Drive module
(lower LED)No light
Blinking blueDrive can be removed
Disk activity; do not remove drive
Drive Module Status Light
Drive Module Activity Light System Identifier
Button/Light
Enclosure Lock
Power Button /LightEthernet Card Link Light 
[not available on 
Xserve (Cluster Node)]
System 
Activity Lights
Built-In 
Ethernet
Link Light

 
						

							10 - Xserve Troubleshooting
 General Information
Remote Monitoring
Server Monitor is an application installed with Xserve system software that helps you 
monitor the following information about the server:
¥ installed operating system
¥ drive status and activity
¥ power supply operation
¥ enclosure and processor temperature
¥ blower operation
¥ security
¥ network operation
You can also use Server Monitor to get logs of activity and Apple System ProÞler reports 
on remote servers.
Apple Hardware Test
Apple Hardware Test is a diagnostic tool for detecting problems with Apple internal 
hardware components such as logic board, memory, video RAM, and drives. The test 
does not check externally connected hardware components such as USB or FireWire 
devices; it also does not check non-Apple devices such as third-party PCI cards.
If Apple Hardware Test detects a problem with a computer, it displays an error code, which 
is deÞned in the products Error Code List. Consult the list for appropriate repair 
procedures associated with the code.           
						

							Xserve Troubleshooting - 11
 General InformationAll Error Code Lists are included in the Service Diagnostics Matrix, Knowledge Base 
article 112125. You can also access this matrix by clicking the Service Diagnostics rollover 
link under any of the product areas on the Service Source home page.
Apple Service Diagnostic
Apple Service Diagnostic replaces MacTest Pro for Xserve. It tests memory, logic board 
and components, hard drives, Ethernet cards, and video cards, and complements both 
Apple Hardware Test and Server Monitor. In addition, it offers the following advantages:
¥ many choices for selecting tests
¥ a looping function where tests can be run once, a specified number of times, or a 
specified length of time. The looping function is valuable for detecting intermittent 
problems that take a long time to generate a failure.
¥ detailed information about errors
Apple Service Diagnostic can be dowloaded from the Disc Images rollover link on the 
Service Source home page. 
						

							12 - Xserve Troubleshooting
Startup Symptom Charts
Symptom Charts
How to Use the Symptom Charts
The Symptom Charts included in this chapter will help you diagnose speciÞc symptoms 
related to the product. Because cures are listed on the charts in the order of most likely 
solution, try the cures in the order presented. Verify whether or not the product continues 
to exhibit the symptom. If the symptom persists, try the next cure. 
Note:  If a cure instructs you to replace a module, reinstall the original module before you 
proceed to the next cure.
Startup
System is completely dead (no blower movement and power LED is not lit)
1. Verify that the system ID button on the back of the logic board aligns with the 
opening in the chassis back panel. If it does not, realign the logic board.
2. Verify the power outlet is good.
3. Reseat the ATA controller board.
4. Replace the power cord. 
5. Disconnect external devices, including the monitor, and start up the server.
6. Remove internal PCI and AGP cards and start up the server.
7. Verify that the power supply is properly connected to the logic board and drive 
interconnect board.
8. Verify the front panel board cable is properly connected at both ends.
9. Reseat the front panel board.
10. Verify all cable connections to the drive interconnect board.
11. Replace the power supply.
12. Replace the ATA controller board.
13. Replace the front panel board cable.
14. Replace the front panel board.
15. Replace the drive interconnect board. 
						

							Xserve Troubleshooting - 13
Startup Symptom Charts16. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.
Memory error message appears on the screen
1. Reseat the DIMMs. 
2. Verify that the correct SDRAM DIMMs are installed. 
3. Run Apple Hardware Test. If the test Þnds bad memory, replace the DIMMs one at a 
time and test until all bad DIMMs are replaced with known-good modules.
Flashing question mark appears on the screen
1. Reseat the drive module in the Þrst drive bay.
2. Start up from the system restore CD and check to see if the hard drive shows up on 
the desktop. If it does, go to step 3. If it does not, go to step 5.
3. Run Disk Utility. Update the driver and restart the server.
4. Reinstall system software using the system restore CD that came with the server.
5. Replace the drive module in the Þrst drive bay.
6. Replace the ATA controller board.
Server begins to power up, the blowers and hard drive are spinning, the 
power LED is lit, but there are no activity lights or video
1. Verify that the system ID button on the back of the logic board aligns with the 
opening in the chassis back panel. If it does not, realign the logic board.
2. Reset the logic board. Refer to ÒResetting the PMU on the Logic BoardÓ in this 
chapter.
3. Reseat the processor module.
4. Verify all PCI and AGP cards are seated properly.
5. Replace the processor module.
6. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.
Server begins to power up, but wonÕt boot, and top row of activity LEDs 
continue to light in sequence left to right and then right to left
1. Verify that the system ID button on the back of the logic board aligns with the 
opening in the chassis back panel. If it does not, realign the logic board.
2. Reset the logic board. Refer to ÒResetting the PMU on the Logic BoardÓ in this 
chapter.
3. Xserve (Slot Load and Cluster Node): Remove the front bezel and make sure the front 
system IDbutton  is not stuck. Reseat the button if necessary. 
						

							14 - Xserve Troubleshooting
Startup Symptom Charts 4. Reseat the front panel board and cable connectors.
5. Replace the front panel board.
6. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.
System shuts down intermittently
1. Verify that the system ID button on the back of the logic board aligns with the 
opening in the chassis back panel. If it does not, realign the logic board.
2. Make sure the power cord is plugged in Þrmly.
3. Check that the power source is turned on and the correct voltage is present.
4. Make sure the air vents are clear. 
5. Replace the power cord.
6. Check that the blower cables are connected and the blowers are operational. 
7. Check that the heatsink is properly attached to the processor.
8. Reset the logic board. Refer to ÒResetting the PMU on the Logic BoardÓ in this 
chapter.
9. Replace the power supply.
10. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.
System shuts down almost immediately after startup
1. Reset the logic board. Refer to ÒResetting the PMU on the Logic BoardÓ in this 
chapter.
2. Replace the processor module.
3. Replace the power supply.
4. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis. 
						

							Xserve Troubleshooting - 15
Error Lights Symptom Charts
Error Lights
Note: Error lights ßash before system software loads.
Server activity lights ßash two times at startup
Two ßashes mean that no RAM is installed or detected.
1. If no DIMM is present, install a known-good DIMM in the top slot and try again. 
2. Reseat the DIMMs.
3. Run Apple Hardware Test. If the test Þnds bad memory, replace the DIMMs one at a 
time and test until all bad DIMMs are replaced with known-good modules.
4. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.
Server activity lights ßash three times at startup
Three ßashes mean that incompatible RAM types may be installed. Verify that the correct 
SDRAM DIMMs are installed. 
1. Run Apple Hardware Test. If the test Þnds bad memory, replace the DIMMs one at a 
time and test until all bad DIMMs are replaced with known-good modules.
2. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.
Server activity lights ßash four times at startup
Four ßashes mean that no RAM banks passed memory testing.
1. Run Apple Hardware Test. If the test Þnds bad memory, replace the DIMMs one at a 
time and test until all bad DIMMs are replaced with known-good modules.
2. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.
Server activity lights ßash Þve or six times at startup
Five or six ßashes mean that the ROM is probably bad and cannot be Þxed. 
1. Reseat the processor module.
2. Replace the processor module.
3. Replace the logic board. Note: When installing the new logic board, make sure the 
ports and ID button on the back of the board align with the openings in the chassis.