Dell R 420 Manual

							ItemIndicator, Button, or 
ConnectorIconDescriptionWhen 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.
4USB connectors (2)Allows you to connect USB devices to the system. The 
ports are USB 2.0-compliant.5Optical drive (optional)One optional ultra slim SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-
RW drive.6LCD menu buttonsAllows you to navigate the control panel LCD menu.7LCD 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.
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.9Video connectorAllows you to connect a VGA display to the system.10Hard drivesUp to eight 2.5 inch hard drives, or SSDs.
Figure 3. Front-Panel Features and Indicators—Four 3.5 Inch Cabled 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.11 
						

							ItemIndicator, Button, or 
ConnectorIconDescriptionNOTE: 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 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 the 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.5Diagnostic indicatorsThe diagnostic indicators light up to display error status.6USB connectors (2)Allows you to connect USB devices to the system. The 
ports are USB 2.0-compliant.7Information 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.8Optical drive (optional)One optional slim SATA DVD-ROM drive or DVD+/-RW  drive.9Hard drivesUp to four 3.5 inch cabled hard drives.
LCD Panel Features
NOTE: The LCD Panel feature is not available in a cabled hard-drive system.
The system's LCD panel provides system information and status and error messages to indicate when the system is  operating correctly or when the system needs attention. See System Error Messages for information about specific 
error codes.
•The LCD backlight lights blue during normal operating conditions and lights amber to indicate an error condition.
•The LCD backlight is off when the system is in standby mode and can be turned on by pressing either the Select,  Left, or Right button on the LCD panel.
•The LCD backlight remains off if LCD messaging is turned off through the iDRAC utility, the LCD panel, or other tools.
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							Figure 4. LCD Panel Features
ItemButtonDescription1LeftMoves the cursor back in one-step 
increments.2SelectSelects the menu item highlighted by 
the cursor.3RightMoves the cursor forward in one-step 
increments.
During message scrolling:
•Press once to increase scrolling 
speed
•Press again to stop
•Press again to return to default  scrolling speed
•Press again to repeat the cycle
Home Screen
The Home screen displays user-configurable information about the system. This screen is displayed during normal 
system operation when there are no status messages or errors. When the system is in standby mode, the LCD backlight 
turns off after five minutes of inactivity if there are no error messages. Press one of the three navigation buttons (Select, 
Left, or Right) to view the Home screen.
To navigate to the Home screen from another menu, continue to select the up arrow  until the Home icon  is 
displayed, and then select the Home icon.
From the Home screen, press the Select button to enter the main menu.
Setup Menu
NOTE: When you select an option in the Setup menu, you must confirm the option before proceeding to the next 
action.
OptionDescriptioniDRACSelect DHCP or Static IP to configure the network mode. If Static IP is selected, the available 
fields are 
IP, Subnet (Sub), and Gateway (Gtw). Select Setup DNS to enable DNS and to view 
domain addresses. Two separate DNS entries are available.
Set errorSelect SEL to display LCD error messages in a format that matches the IPMI description in the 
SEL. This is useful when trying to match an LCD message with an SEL entry.13 
						

							OptionDescriptionSelect Simple to display LCD error messages in a simplified user-friendly description. See 
System Error Messages for a list of messages in this format.Set homeSelect the default information to be displayed on the LCD Home screen. See View Menu to see 
the options and option items that can be set as the default on the Home screen.
View Menu
NOTE: When you select an option in the View menu, you must confirm the option before proceeding to the next 
action.
OptionDescriptioniDRAC IPDisplays the IPv4 or IPv6 addresses for the iDRAC7. Addresses include DNS (Primary and 
Secondary), Gateway, IP, and Subnet (IPv6 does not have Subnet).
MACDisplays the MAC addresses for iDRAC, iSCSI, or Network devices.NameDisplays the name of the Host, Model, or User String for the systemNumberDisplays the Asset tag or the Service tag for the system.PowerDisplays the power output of the system in BTU/hr or Watts. The display format can be  configured in the 
Set home submenu of the Setup menu.
TemperatureDisplays the temperature of the system in Celsius or Fahrenheit. The display format can be configured in the 
Set home submenu of the Setup menu.
Diagnostic Indicators
The diagnostic indicators on the system front panel display error status during system startup.
NOTE: No diagnostic indicators are lit when the system is switched off. To start the system, plug it into a working 
power source and press the power button.
The following section describes system conditions and possible corrective actions associated with these indicators:
Health indicatorConditionCorrective ActionIf the system is on, 
and in good health, 
the indicator lights 
solid blue.None required.The indicator blinks 
amber if the system 
is on or in standby, 
and any error exists 
(for example, a failed 
fan or hard drive)See the System Event Log or system messages for the specific issue.
Invalid memory configurations can cause the system to halt at 
startup without any video output. See 
Getting Help.
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							Hard-drive indicatorConditionCorrective ActionThe indicator lights 
green to indicate 
hard-drive activity..None required.Electrical indicatorConditionCorrective ActionThe indicator blinks 
amber if the system 
experiences an 
electrical error (for 
example, voltage out 
of range, or a failed 
power supply or 
voltage regulator).See the System Event Log or system messages for the specific issue. 
If it is due to a problem with the power supply, check the LED on the 
power supply. Re-seat the power supply by removing and reinstalling  it. If the problem persists, see 
Getting Help.
Temperature indicatorConditionCorrective ActionThe indicator blinks 
amber if the system 
experiences a 
thermal error (for 
example, a 
temperature out of 
range or fan failure).Ensure that none of the following conditions exist:
•A cooling fan is removed or has failed.
•System cover, cooling shroud, EMI filler panel, memory-module 
blank, or back-filler bracket is removed.
•Ambient temperature is too high.
•External airflow is obstructed.
See Getting Help.
Memory indicatorConditionCorrective ActionThe indicator blinks 
amber if a memory 
error occurs.See the system event log or system messages for the location of the  failed memory. Reinstall the memory device. If the problem persists, 
see 
Getting Help.
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							PCIe indicatorConditionCorrective ActionThe indicator blinks 
amber if a PCIe card 
experiences an 
error.Restart the system. Update any required drivers for the PCIe card. 
Re-install the card. If the problem persists, see 
Getting Help.
Hard-Drive Indicator Patterns
Figure 5. Hard-Drive Indicators
1.hard-drive activity indicator (green)
2.hard-drive status indicator (green and amber)
NOTE: If the hard drive is in Advanced Host Controller Interface (AHCI) mode, the status indicator (on the right side) 
does not function and remains off.
Drive-Status 
Indicator Pattern 
(RAID Only)ConditionBlinks green two 
times per secondIdentifying drive or preparing for removalOffDrive ready for insertion or removal
NOTE: The drive status indicator remains off until all hard drives are initialized after the 
system is turned on. Drives are not ready for insertion or removal during this time.
Blinks green, amber, 
and offPredicted drive failureBlinks amber four 
times per secondDrive failedBlinks green slowlyDrive rebuildingSteady greenDrive online16 
						

							Drive-Status 
Indicator Pattern 
(RAID Only)ConditionBlinks green three 
seconds, amber three 
seconds, and off six 
secondsRebuild aborted
Back-Panel Features And Indicators
Figure 6. Back-Panel Features and Indicators
ItemIndicator, Button, or 
ConnectorIconDescription1PCIe expansion card slot 1Allows you to connect one low-profile PCI Express 
expansion card.2vFlash card slotAllows you to connect the vFlash card.3iDRAC port (optional)Dedicated management port on the iDRAC Ports card.4Serial connectorAllows you to connect a serial device to the system.5PCIe expansion card slot 2Allows you to connect a full-height PCI Express expansion  card.6Video connectorAllows you to connect a VGA display to the system.7Ethernet connectors (2)Integrated 10/100/1000 Mbps NIC connector.8USB connectors (2)Allows you to connect USB devices to the system. The ports are USB 2.0-compliant.9System identification 
connectorConnects the optional system status indicator assembly  through the optional cable management arm.10System 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 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.
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							ItemIndicator, Button, or 
ConnectorIconDescriptionTo reset the iDRAC (if not disabled in F2 iDRAC setup) 
press and hold the button for more than 15 seconds.11Power supply (PSU1)350 W and 550 W
NOTE: For non-redundant power supply units, there is 
only one power supply socket.
12Power supply (PSU2)
NIC Indicator Codes
Figure 7. NIC Indicator
1.link indicator
2.activity indicator
IndicatorIndicator CodeLink and activity 
indicators are offThe NIC is not connected to the network.Link indicator is 
greenThe NIC is connected to a valid network at its maximum port speed (1 Gbps or 10 Gbps).Link indicator is 
amberThe NIC is connected to a valid network at less than its maximum port speed.Activity indicator is 
blinking greenNetwork data is being sent or received.
Power Indicator Codes
Each power supply has an illuminated translucent handle that serves as an indicator to show whether power is present 
or whether a power fault has occurred.
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							Figure 8. Power Supply Status Indicator
1.power supply status indicator/handle
Power Indicator 
PatternConditionNot litPower is not connected.GreenThe handle indicator lights green indicating that a valid power source is connected to the  power supply and that the power supply is operational.Flashing amberIndicates a problem with the power supply.
CAUTION: When correcting a power supply mismatch, replace only the power supply with 
the flashing indicator. Swapping the opposite power supply to make a matched pair can 
result in an error condition and unexpected system shutdown. To change from a High 
Output configuration to a Low Output configuration or vice versa, you must power down 
the system.
CAUTION: AC power supplies support both 220 V and 110 V input voltages. When two 
identical power supplies receive different input voltages, they can output different 
wattages, and trigger a mismatch.
CAUTION: If two power supplies are used, they must be of the same type and have the 
same maximum output power.
Flashing greenWhen hot-adding a power supply, this indicates that the power supply is mismatched with the  other power supply (in terms of efficiency, feature set, health status, and supported voltage). 
Replace the power supply that has the flashing indicator with a power supply that matches the  capacity of the other installed power supply.
Other Information You May Need
WARNING: See the safety and regulatory information that shipped with your system. Warranty information may be 
included within this document or as a separate document.
•The Getting Started Guide provides an overview of setting up your system, and technical specifications. This 
document is available online at www.dell.com/support/manuals.
•The rack documentation included with your rack solution describes how to install your system into a rack, if 
required.
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							•Any media that ships with your system that provides documentation and tools for configuring and managing your system, including those pertaining to the operating system, system management software, system updates, and 
system components that you purchased with your system.
•For the full name of an abbreviation or acronym used in this document, see the Glossary at www.dell.com/support/
manuals.
NOTE: Always check for updates on www.dell.com/support/manuals and read the updates first because they often 
supersede information in other documents.
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