User Guide

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Preface

Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2550 Systems User's Guide

About This Guide

This guide is intended for anyone who uses the Dell™ PowerEdge™ 2550 systems. The guide can be used by both first-time and experienced computer users who want to learn about the features and operation of the systems or who want to upgrade their systems. The sections are summarized as follows:

• "Introduction" — Overview of system features, description of indicators on the front panel, and general discussion of connecting external devices to the system's back panel
  
  
• "Using the Dell OpenManage Server Assistant CD" — Instructions on using the utilities, diagnostics, and online documentation and on installing video drivers for the operating system
  
  
• "Installing and Configuring SCSI Drivers" — Requirements for small computer system interface (SCSI) device drivers (if any) for a particular system configurations and operating systems
  
  
• "Using the System Setup Program" — Configuration changes to the system and password features
  
  
• "Installing SCSI Hard-Disk Drives" — Overview of removing and replacing SCSI hard-disk drives
  
  
• "Technical Specifications"— Technical specifications of PowerEdge 2550 systems
  
  
• "I/O Ports and Connectors" — Ports and connectors on the back panel of PowerEdge 2550 systems
  
  
• "Glossary" — Definitions of terms, acronyms, and abbreviations used in this guide
  
  

Other Documents You May Need

In addition to this User's Guide, the following documentation is included with your system:

• The Installation and Troubleshooting Guide provides instructions for installing system hardware and includes troubleshooting and diagnostic procedures for testing your system.
  
  
• The Dell OpenManage Server Agent documentation describes the server management software, including the alert messages issued by the software.
  
  

You may also have one or more of the following documents:

• Operating system documentation is included with the system if you ordered the operating system software from Dell. This documentation describes how to install (if necessary), configure, and use the operating system software.
  
  
• The Dell PowerEdge 2550 rack installation documentation provides detailed instructions for installing the system in a rack.
  
  
• Documentation is included with any options you purchase separately from the system. This documentation includes information that you need to configure and install these options in your Dell system.
  
  
• Technical information files—sometimes called "readme" files—may be installed on the hard-disk drive to provide last-minute updates about technical changes to the system or advanced technical reference material intended for experienced users or technicians.
  
  
• Documentation updates are sometimes included with the system to describe changes to the system or software. Always read these updates before consulting any other documentation because the updates often contain information that supersedes the information in the other documents.
  
  

Typographical Conventions

The following list defines (where appropriate) and illustrates typographical conventions used as visual cues for specific elements of text throughout this document:

• Interface components are window titles, button and icon names, menu names and selections, and other options that appear on the monitor screen or display. They are presented in bold.
  
  

Example: Click OK.

• Keycaps are labels that appear on the keys on a keyboard. They are enclosed in angle brackets.
  
  

Example: <Enter>

• Key combinations are series of keys to be pressed simultaneously (unless otherwise indicated) to perform a single function.
  
  

Example: <Ctrl><Alt><Enter>

• Commands presented in lowercase bold are for reference purposes only and are not intended to be typed when referenced.
  
  

Example: "Use the format command to. . . ."

In contrast, commands presented in the Courier New font are part of an instruction and intended to be typed.

Example: "Type format a: to format the diskette in drive A."

• Filenames and directory names are presented in lowercase bold.
  
  

Examples: autoexec.bat and c:\windows

• Syntax lines consist of a command and all its possible parameters. Commands are presented in lowercase bold; variable parameters (those for which you substitute a value) are presented in lowercase italics; constant parameters are presented in lowercase bold. The brackets indicate items that are optional.
  
  

Example: del [drive:] [path] filename [/p]

• Command lines consist of a command and may include one or more of the command's possible parameters. Command lines are presented in the Courier New font.
  
  

Example: del c:\myfile.doc

• Screen text is a message or text that you are instructed to type as part of a command (referred to as a command line). Screen text is presented in the Courier New font.
  
  

Example: The following message appears on your screen:

No boot device available

Example: "Type md c:\programs and press <Enter>."

• Variables are placeholders for which you substitute a value. They are presented in italics.
  
  

Example: DIMM_x (where x represents the DIMM socket designation).

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