Reliability, availability, and serviceability

Three important computer design features are reliability, availability, and serviceability (RAS). The RAS features help to ensure the integrity of the data that is stored in the server, the availability of the server when you need it, and the ease with which you can diagnose and correct problems.

The server has the following RAS features:

vActive memory

vActivePCI-X (hot-plug) adapter slots

vAutomatic BIOS recovery (ABR)

vAutomatic error retry and recovery

vAutomatic restart after a power failure

vAvailability of microcode and diagnostic levels

vBackup basic input/output system (BIOS) switching under the control of the service processor

vBaseboard management controller (service processor)

vBuilt-in, menu-driven electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM) based setup, system configuration, and diagnostic programs

vBuilt-in monitoring for fan, power, temperature, voltage, and power-supply redundancy

vChipkillmemory protection

vError codes and messages

vError correcting code (ECC) L2 cache and system memory

vFault-resistant startup

vHot-swap hard disk drives

vIBM Director workgroup-hardware-management tool

vInformation and light path diagnostics LED panels

vOptional service processor adapter for remote system management

vParity checking on the small computer system interface (SCSI) bus and PCI buses

vPower managed and Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) compliant

vPower-on self-test (POST)

vPredictive Failure Analysis® (PFA) alerts

vRedundant Ethernet capabilities (requires optional Ethernet adapter) with failover support

vRedundant hot-swap capability

Cooling fans with speed-sensing capability

Power supplies

vRemind button to temporarily flash the Attention LED

vRemote system problem-determination support

vROM-based diagnostic programs

vStandby voltage for systems-management features and monitoring

vStartup (boot) from LAN using Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) protocol

vSystem auto-configuring from the configuration menu

vSystem error logging (POST and service processor when Remote Supervisor Adapter II SlimLine is installed)

vUpgradeable microcode for POST, BIOS, diagnostics, service processor, and read-only memory (ROM) resident code, locally or over the LAN

vVital product data (VPD) on microprocessors, system boards, power supplies, and SAS (hot-swap-drive) backplane

vWake on LAN® capability

Chapter 1. The System x3950 and System x3950 E server 7

Page 19
Image 19
IBM 71455DU manual Reliability, availability, and serviceability