Dell R 420 Manual

							Dell PowerEdge R420 Systems
Owner's Manual
Regulatory Model: E18S SeriesRegulatory Type: E18S001 
						

							Notes, Cautions, and Warnings
NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the 
problem.
WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.
© 2013 Dell Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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2013 - 11
Rev. A04 
						

							Contents
1 About Your System......................................................................................................................9
Front-Panel Features And Indicators.......................................................................................................................9
LCD Panel Features................................................................................................................................\
.................12
Home Screen................................................................................................................................\
....................13
Setup Menu................................................................................................................................\
......................13
View Menu................................................................................................................................\
.......................14
Diagnostic Indicators................................................................................................................................\
..............14
Hard-Drive Indicator Patterns................................................................................................................................16
Back-Panel Features And Indicators.....................................................................................................................17
NIC Indicator Codes................................................................................................................................\
................18
Power Indicator Codes................................................................................................................................\
...........18
Other Information You May Need...........................................................................................................................19
2 Using The System Setup And Boot Manager.......................................................................21
Choosing The System Boot Mode..........................................................................................................................21
Entering System Setup................................................................................................................................\
............22
Responding To Error Messages.......................................................................................................................22
Using The System Setup Navigation Keys.......................................................................................................22
System Setup Options................................................................................................................................\
.............23
System Setup Main Screen..............................................................................................................................23
System BIOS Screen................................................................................................................................\
........23
System Information Screen..............................................................................................................................23
Memory Settings Screen................................................................................................................................\
.24
Processor Settings Screen..............................................................................................................................24
SATA Settings Screen................................................................................................................................\
......26
Boot Settings Screen................................................................................................................................\
.......26
Integrated Devices Screen..............................................................................................................................27
Serial Communications Screen........................................................................................................................28
System Profile Settings Screen........................................................................................................................28
System Security Screen................................................................................................................................\
...29
Miscellaneous Settings................................................................................................................................\
....30
System And Setup Password Features..................................................................................................................30
Assigning A System And/Or Setup Password..................................................................................................31
Deleting Or Changing An Existing Setup Password.........................................................................................32
Using Your System Password To Secure Your System....................................................................................32
Operating With A Setup Password Enabled....................................................................................................32
Entering The UEFI Boot Manager...........................................................................................................................33
Using The Boot Manager Navigation Keys......................................................................................................33 
						

							Boot Manager Screen................................................................................................................................\
......34
UEFI Boot Menu................................................................................................................................\
...............34
Embedded System Management............................................................................................................................34
iDRAC Settings Utility................................................................................................................................\
..............34
Entering The iDRAC Settings Utility..................................................................................................................35
Changing The Thermal Settings.......................................................................................................................35
3 Installing System Components................................................................................................37
Recommended Tools................................................................................................................................\
..............37
Front Bezel (Optional)................................................................................................................................\
.............37
Installing The Front Bezel................................................................................................................................\
.37
Removing The Front Bezel................................................................................................................................38
Opening And Closing The System...........................................................................................................................38
Opening The System................................................................................................................................\
........38
Closing The System................................................................................................................................\
..........39
Inside The System................................................................................................................................\
...................39
Cooling Shroud................................................................................................................................\
.......................42
Removing The Cooling Shroud.........................................................................................................................42
Installing The Cooling Shroud..........................................................................................................................43
System Memory................................................................................................................................\
......................43
General Memory Module Installation Guidelines............................................................................................45
Mode-Specific Guidelines................................................................................................................................45
Sample Memory Configurations.......................................................................................................................46
Removing Memory Modules............................................................................................................................48
Installing Memory Modules.............................................................................................................................49
Hard Drives................................................................................................................................\
.............................50
Removing A 2.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank............................................................................................................51
Installing A 2.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank.............................................................................................................51
Removing A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank............................................................................................................52
Installing A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Blank.............................................................................................................52
Removing A Hot-Swap Hard Drive...................................................................................................................52
Installing A Hot-Swap Hard Drive....................................................................................................................53
Removing A Cabled Hard Drive........................................................................................................................54
Installing A Cabled Hard Drive.........................................................................................................................55
Removing A 2.5 Inch Hard Drive From A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Adapter............................................................55
Installing A 2.5 Inch Hard Drive Into A 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive Adapter...............................................................56
Removing A Hard Drive Or A Hard-Drive Adapter From A Hard-Drive Carrier................................................56
Installing A Hard Drive Or A Hard-Drive Adapter Into A Hard-Drive Carrier...................................................59
Optical Drive (Optional)................................................................................................................................\
...........60
Removing The Optical Drive In Hot-Swappable Hard-Drive Systems.............................................................60
Installing The Optical Drive In Hot-Swappable Hard-Drive Systems...............................................................61
Removing The Optical Drive In Cabled Hard-Drive Systems...........................................................................61 
						

							Installing The Optical Drive In Cabled Hard-Drive Systems.............................................................................62
Cooling Fans................................................................................................................................\
............................63
Removing A Cooling Fan................................................................................................................................\
...63
Installing A Cooling Fan................................................................................................................................\
....64
Internal USB Memory Key (Optional).....................................................................................................................65
Replacing The Internal USB Key......................................................................................................................65
Expansion Cards And Expansion-Card Risers........................................................................................................65
Expansion Card Installation Guidelines............................................................................................................66
Removing An Expansion Card..........................................................................................................................67
Installing An Expansion Card...........................................................................................................................68
Removing Expansion-Card Risers 1 And 2.......................................................................................................69
Installing Expansion-Card Risers 1 And 2........................................................................................................70
iDRAC Ports Card (Optional)................................................................................................................................\
...70
Removing The iDRAC Ports Card......................................................................................................................71
Installing The iDRAC Ports Card.......................................................................................................................72
SD vFlash Card................................................................................................................................\
........................72
Replacing An SD vFlash Card...........................................................................................................................72
Internal Dual SD Module................................................................................................................................\
........73
Removing The Internal Dual SD Module..........................................................................................................73
Installing The Internal Dual SD Module...........................................................................................................74
Internal SD Card................................................................................................................................\
.....................75
Removing An Internal SD Card.........................................................................................................................75
Installing An Internal SD Card..........................................................................................................................75
Integrated Storage Controller Card........................................................................................................................75
Removing The Integrated Storage Controller Card..........................................................................................76
Installing The Integrated Storage Controller Card...........................................................................................77
Processors................................................................................................................................\
..............................77
Removing A Processor................................................................................................................................\
.....77
Installing A Processor................................................................................................................................\
......79
Power Supplies................................................................................................................................\
.......................80
Hot Spare Feature................................................................................................................................\
............81
Removing A Redundant Power Supply.............................................................................................................81
Installing A Redundant Power Supply..............................................................................................................82
Removing A Non-Redundant Power Supply....................................................................................................82
Installing A Non-Redundant Power Supply......................................................................................................83
Removing The Power Supply Blank.................................................................................................................84
Installing The Power Supply Blank..................................................................................................................84
System Battery................................................................................................................................\
.......................84
Replacing The System Battery.........................................................................................................................84
Hard-Drive Backplane................................................................................................................................\
............85
Removing The Hard-Drive Backplane..............................................................................................................86
Installing The Hard-Drive Backplane...............................................................................................................90 
						

							Control Panel Assembly................................................................................................................................\
..........90
Removing The Control Panel............................................................................................................................91
Installing The Control Panel.............................................................................................................................92
Removing The Control-Panel Module..............................................................................................................93
Installing The Control-Panel Module...............................................................................................................96
VGA Module................................................................................................................................\
............................97
Removing The VGA Module.............................................................................................................................97
Installing The VGA Module...............................................................................................................................98
Power Distribution Board Shroud...........................................................................................................................98
Removing The Power Distribution Board Shroud............................................................................................98
Installing The Power Distribution Board Shroud.............................................................................................99
Power Distribution Board................................................................................................................................\
.....100
Removing The Power Distribution Board.......................................................................................................100
Installing The Power Distribution Board........................................................................................................101
System Board................................................................................................................................\
........................101
Removing The System Board.........................................................................................................................101
Installing The System Board..........................................................................................................................102
4 Troubleshooting Your System...............................................................................................105
Safety First—For You And Your System...............................................................................................................105
Troubleshooting System Startup Failure..............................................................................................................105
Troubleshooting External Connections.................................................................................................................105
Troubleshooting The Video Subsystem................................................................................................................105
Troubleshooting A USB Device............................................................................................................................105
Troubleshooting A Serial I/O Device....................................................................................................................106
Troubleshooting A NIC................................................................................................................................\
..........106
Troubleshooting A Wet System............................................................................................................................107
Troubleshooting A Damaged System...................................................................................................................107
Troubleshooting The System Battery...................................................................................................................108
Troubleshooting Power Supplies..........................................................................................................................108
Troubleshooting Cooling Problems.......................................................................................................................108
Troubleshooting Cooling Fans..............................................................................................................................109
Troubleshooting System Memory.........................................................................................................................109
Troubleshooting An Internal USB Key..................................................................................................................110
Troubleshooting An SD Card................................................................................................................................110
Troubleshooting An Optical Drive.........................................................................................................................111
Troubleshooting A Tape Backup Unit...................................................................................................................111
Troubleshooting A Hard Drive..............................................................................................................................112
Troubleshooting A Storage Controller..................................................................................................................112
Troubleshooting Expansion Cards........................................................................................................................113
Troubleshooting Processors................................................................................................................................\
.114 
						

							5 Using System Diagnostics.....................................................................................................115
Dell Online Diagnostics................................................................................................................................\
.........115
Dell Embedded System Diagnostics.....................................................................................................................115
When To Use The Embedded System Diagnostics........................................................................................115
Running The Embedded System Diagnostics.................................................................................................115
System Diagnostic Controls...........................................................................................................................116
6 Jumpers And Connectors......................................................................................................117
System Board Jumper Settings............................................................................................................................117
System Board Connectors................................................................................................................................\
....118
Disabling A Forgotten Password..........................................................................................................................119
7 Technical Specifications.......................................................................................................121
8 System Messages...................................................................................................................127
LCD Messages................................................................................................................................\
......................127
Viewing LCD Messages................................................................................................................................\
.127
Removing LCD Messages...............................................................................................................................127
System Error Messages................................................................................................................................\
........127
Warning Messages................................................................................................................................\
...............143
Diagnostic Messages................................................................................................................................\
...........143
Alert Messages................................................................................................................................\
.....................143
9 Getting Help..............................................................................................................................145
Contacting Dell................................................................................................................................\
.....................145 
						

							8 
						

							1
About Your System
Front-Panel Features And Indicators
Figure 1. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—Four 3.5 Inch Hard-Drive System
ItemIndicator, Button, or 
ConnectorIconDescription1Power-on indicator, power 
buttonThe power-on indicator lights when the system power is 
on. The power button controls the power supply output to 
the system.
NOTE: On ACPI-compliant operating systems, turning 
off the system using the power button causes the 
system to perform a graceful shutdown before power 
to the system is turned off.
2NMI buttonUsed to troubleshoot software and device driver errors 
when running certain operating systems. This button can  be pressed using the end of a paper clip.
Use this button only if directed to do so by qualified 
support personnel or by the operating system's 
documentation.
3System identification buttonThe identification buttons on the front and back panels 
can be used to locate a particular system within a rack. 
When one of these buttons is pressed, the LCD panel on 
the front and the system status indicator on the back  flashes until one of the buttons is pressed again.
Press to toggle the system ID on and off.
If the system stops responding during POST, press and 
hold the system ID button for more than five seconds to 
enter BIOS progress mode.
To reset iDRAC (if not disabled in F2 iDRAC setup) press 
and hold the button for more than 15 seconds.
4Video connectorAllows you to connect a VGA display to the system.5LCD menu buttonsAllows you to navigate the control panel LCD menu.9 
						

							ItemIndicator, Button, or 
ConnectorIconDescription6LCD panelDisplays system ID, status information, and system error 
messages. The LCD lights blue during normal system 
operation. The LCD lights amber when the system needs  attention, and the LCD panel displays an error code 
followed by descriptive text.
NOTE: If the system is connected to a power source 
and an error is detected, the LCD lights amber 
regardless of whether the system is turned on or off.
7USB connectors (2)Allows you to connect USB devices to the system. The  ports are USB 2.0-compliant.8Information tagA slide-out label panel which allows you to record system 
information such as Service Tag, NIC, MAC address, and 
so on as per your need.9Optical drive (optional)One optional slim SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW  drive.10Hard drivesUp to four 3.5 inch or 2.5 inch hot-swappable hard drives, 
or SSDs.
Figure 2. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—Eight 2.5 Inch Hard-Drive System
ItemIndicator, Button, or 
ConnectorIconDescription1Power-on indicator, power 
buttonThe power-on indicator lights when the system power is 
on. The power button controls the power supply output to 
the system.
NOTE: On ACPI-compliant operating systems, turning 
off the system using the power button causes the 
system to perform a graceful shutdown before power 
to the system is turned off.
2NMI buttonUsed to troubleshoot software and device driver errors 
when running certain operating systems. This button can  be pressed using the end of a paper clip.
Use this button only if directed to do so by qualified 
support personnel or by the operating system's 
documentation.
3System identification buttonThe identification buttons on the front and back panels 
can be used to locate a particular system within a rack. 10