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Using the Dell™ Server Assistant CD
This section describes the bootable Dell
Server Assistant CD and tells you how to use the utilities, diagnostics, documentation,
drivers, and other items included on the CD. Most of the functions available on the Dell
Server Assistant CD are also available using a bootable utility partition that is
installed on your hard-disk drive. This section describes the utility partition and
provides instructions for reinstalling the partition (if necessary) and information about
using the utility partition menu.
The system must be running to insert the
Dell Server Assistant CD. To boot from the CD, insert it into the PowerEdge™ 6300
system's CD-ROM drive and press <Ctrl><Alt><Del>. When the system boots,
the CD main menu appears.
If the CD does not boot, check the
following settings:
- In the S ystem S
etup program, the Secondary SCSI category must be set to On and the Boot Sequence category
must be set to Diskette First (both of these settings are the
defaults for their respective categories). See Using the System
Setup Program, for more information.
- In the SCSI Select utility, the BIOS Support For
Bootable CD-ROM category must be set to Enabled. See Installing and
Configuring SCSI Drivers, for more information.
Selections can be made from the CD menus
using either a keyboard or a mouse. Associated help information is displayed in the help
box at the bottom of the screen in the currently selected language (specified via a menu
option).
Click Back to return to the previous
menu. Click Exit (or press <Alt><x>) to exit the program. Exiting the program
causes the system to reboot to the standard operating-system boot partition.
The Dell Server Assistant main menu
includes the following categories, each of which has one or more options. The subsections
that follow describe the options within each menu category. (The options displayed on your
system may vary depending on the configuration.)
Choose Language
- Deutsch
- English
- Español
- Français
Configure the System
- Run the Resource Configuration Utility
- Configure the RAID Subsystem
Run System Utilities
Create Diskettes
- Create Blank Formatted Diskette
- Create Utility Diskettes
- Create Resource Configuration Utility Diskette
- Create RAID Configuration Utility Diskette
- Create Diagnostics Diskette
- Create Operating System Support Diskettes
- Create Windows NT Server 4.0 Diskettes
- Create Driver Diskettes
- Create RAID Driver Diskette
- Create NetWare 4.11 Diskettes
- Create Driver Diskette
- Create Adaptec EZ-SCSI Diskette
When the system boots, you are given the
option of choosing one of the following languages for the menus, help screens, messages,
and online documentation:
- Deutsch
- English
- Español
- Français
After you choose a language, the main
menu appears in the chosen language.
The options within the Configure the
System category enable you to do the following:
- Configure the system's PCI devices, using the Resource Configuration
Utility (RCU)
- Configure a redundant array of inexpensive disks (RAID) subsystem, if one
is installed on your system
The following subsections describe these
options:
From the Configure the System screen,
you can run the RCU, which enables you to view or modify your system's configuration
information. The RCU tells the system what expansion cards
are installed and which expansion slots they occupy. With this information, the system
automatically configures PCI expansion cards.
See Using the
Resource Configuration Utility, for more information.
This option is available only when a
Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller is installed in the system. The system checks
for the presence of the PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller, and if one is present, this
option is visible and functional. The system reboots automatically if you change the RAID
configuration. See your PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller documentation for more
information.
The Run System Utilities category allows
you to create the utility partition on the hard-disk drive of your system. The following
subsection describes this option.
 |
NOTE: The Run System
Utilities category under the utility partition contains the Run System Diagnostics option.
The system diagnostics must be run from the utility partition or from a diskette. See Utility Partition for more information. |
The utility partition is a bootable
partition on the hard-disk drive that provides most of the functions that are available on
the Dell Server Assistant CD. Dell has installed the utility partition on your
hard-disk drive; however, reinstalling the utility partition and/or its contents may be
necessary if the version installed by Dell becomes damaged or is removed from the
hard-disk drive.
Reinstall the utility partition and/or
its contents using the Dell Server Assistant CD as follows:
1. Close any open application s .
2. Insert the Dell Server Assistant
CD into the CD-ROM drive, and reboot the system by pressing
<Ctrl><Alt><Del>.
If the system does not boot from the CD,
see the Dell Server Assistant documentation or see "Booting From the CD" found
earlier in this chapter.
3. From the Dell Server Assistant main
menu, select Run System Utilities and then select Create Utility Partition.
4. Click OK on the Welcome screen.
The installation program surveys your
system to determine the appropriate method and location for the utility partition
installation.
During this examination of your system,
messages may be displayed, depending on your system configuration. If a utility partition
already exists on your system, you are prompted to specify if you want to overwrite the
existing partition; click OK to continue or Cancel to return to the utility partition
menu. If other messages are displayed, note the information; then click OK.
If your system meets all of the
requirements, the utility partition is installed and a message is displayed indicating
that the installation was successful.
5. Click OK to return to the Run
System Utilities menu.
6. Remove the Dell Server Assistant
CD from the CD-ROM drive, and click Exit in the Run System Utilities menu.
7. Click OK when you are prompted to
confirm that you want to exit the Dell Server Assistant program, and reboot your system;
then click OK again.
You can now access the utility partition
by pressing <F10> when prompted during the power-on
self-test (POST) .
For more information about the utility
partition, see "Utility Partition" found later in this chapter.
You can access the online system
documents, as well as other information, on any desktop or server system that has a
browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator. When you put the CD in
a system running the Microsoft Windows® 95 operating system or Microsoft Windows NT, the
system automatically starts the browser software and displays the documentation welcome
page.
From the browser, you can select the
Library option to access all available online documents in .pdf format. Adobe Acrobat
Reader must be used to view or print the online documents and can be installed from the
CD. When you select one of the online manuals, the Adobe Acrobat Reader launches, and you
can view or print the online manual.
The Create Diskettes category allows you
to create blank formatted diskettes as well as diskettes of system utilities and operating
system-specific drivers. The following subsections describe the options available in this
category.
This option allows you to create blank
formatted diskettes.
This option allows you to create
bootable utility diskettes for running the RCU and the PowerEdge Expandable RAID
Controller configuration utility. The following subsections describe the choices available
with this option.
Create Resource Configuration Utility Diskette
This option allows you to create a
bootable system configuration utility diskette (or diskettes). Dell recommends running the
RCU from a diskette so you can copy your configuration information to the diskette any
time you change system configuration parameters.
Create RAID Configuration Utility Diskette
This option allows you to copy the
configuration utility for the optional PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller from the CD to
a bootable diskette.
Create Diagnostics Diskette
This option allows you to create a
bootable diagnostics diskette.
This option allows you to create a
diskette that contains the software drivers for a specific operating system. You can
create a diskette of drivers for one of the following supported operating systems:
- Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0
- Novell NetWare 4.11
The following drivers are available on
the CD:
- SCSI drivers
- RAID drivers (for the optional PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller)
- Network interface controller (NIC) drivers
The following subsections describe the
choices available with this option.
Create Windows NT Server 4.0 Diskettes
The following are available for the
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 operating system. You must create a separate diskette for
each option.
- Create Driver Diskette -- This option allows you to create a diskette
that contains SCSI and NIC drivers for Windows NT Server 4.0. You must create a driver
diskette in order to install the drivers for the correct operation of this system.
- Create RAID Driver Diskette -- This option allows you to create a
diskette that contains drivers for the optional PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller for
Windows NT Server 4.0.
Create NetWare 4.11 Diskettes
This option allows you to create a
driver diskette and an Adaptec EZ-SCSI configuration utility diskette for use with the
Novell NetWare 4.11 operating system. The f ollowing choices are available with this option:
- Create Driver Diskette -- This option allows you to create a diskette
that contains SCSI and NIC drivers as well as drivers for the optional PowerEdge
Expandable RAID Controller for Novell NetWare 4.11.
- Create Adaptec EZ-SCSI Diskette -- This option allows you to create a
diskette that contains the configuration utility for Adaptec SCSI controllers. The
configuration utility works with the optional Adaptec AHA-2940U2W and the built-in Adaptec
78xx series SCSI controllers when used with Novell NetWare 4.11. This diskette also
contains MS-DOS® drivers for CD-ROM drive access, which are needed to install NetWare
from an MS-DOS environment.
The utility partition is a bootable
partition on the hard-disk drive that provides some of the functions available on the Dell
Server Assistant CD. Most of the applications found on the CD are contained in the utility
partition, occupying approximately 10 MB of space on the system's hard-disk drive. When
implemented, the partition boots and provides an executable environment for the
partition's utilities. When the partition is not implemented, it is designated as a
non-MS-DOS partition.
| NOTE: The utility partition provides only limited MS-DOS
functionality and cannot be used as a general-purpose MS-DOS partition. |
To start the utility partition, press
the <F10> key during POST.
Like the Dell Server Assistant CD,
the utility partition provides a menu-driven interface from which you invoke the
partition's utilities. Selections can be made using either a keyboard or a mouse. Menu
options and the associated help are displayed in the currently selected language
(specified via a menu option).
As you move your cursor over an option
in a menu, information about that option is displayed at the bottom of the screen.
Click Back to return to the previous
menu. Click Exit (or press <Alt><x>) to exit the utility partition. Exiting
the utility causes the system to reboot to the standard operating-system boot partition.
Table 1 provides a sample list and
explanation of the options on the utility partition menu even when the Dell Server
Assistant CD is not in the CD-ROM drive. The options displayed on your system may vary
depending on the configuration.
|
NOTE: Although most options
are available from both the Dell Server Assistant CD and the utility partition, some
options, such as accessing online documentation, are available only from the CD. The Run
System Diagnostics option is only available from the utility partition. |
| Table 1.
Utility Partition Menu Options |
Option |
Description |
| Choose a
Language: |
Deutsch,
English, Español, Français |
Allows the user
to select the language in which to display menus and messages. |
| Configure the
System: |
Run Resource
Configuration Utility |
Runs the RCU. |
Configure RAID
Subsystem |
Runs the Dell
PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller configuration utility if the controller card is
present on your system. |
| Run System
Utilities: |
Run System
Diagnostics |
Runs the system
hardware diagnostics. |
Upgrade Utility
Partition |
Allows the user
to upgrade the utility partition (for example, adding, removing, or changing features
installed on the partition). |
| Create Diskettes: |
Create Blank
Formatted Diskette |
Creates a blank,
formatted diskette. |
|
NOTE: For the full name of
an abbreviation or acronym used in this table, see the Glossary. |
|
| Create Utility
Diskettes: |
Create RAID
Configuration Utility Diskette |
Creates a
bootable diskette for running the Dell PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller configuration
utility (if the controller card is present on your system). The RAID configuration utility
provides an alternative method for configuring the card. |
Create
Diagnostics Diskette |
Creates a
bootable diskette from which the hardware diagnostics can be run. |
Create System
utility Diskette |
Creates a
bootable diskette from which utilities, such as the Asset Tag utility, can be run. |
NOTE: The options displayed on your system are dependent on your system
configuration and may not include all of those listed here.
The system diagnostics can be run from
the utility partition or from a diskette, but not from the Dell Server Assistant CD.
From the Utility Partition menu, select Run System Utilities and then select Run System
Diagnostics. To run the diagnostics from a diskette, select Create Diagnostics Diskette
from the Utility Partition menu.
Before running the diagnostics, you
should make a blank diskette and insert it in the diskette drive so the diagnostics
programs can record critical messages and information as necessary. Use the Create Blank
Formatted Diskette option to create a formatted diskette. The system hardware diagnostics
are described in "Running the System Diagnostics," of the Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide.
|
NOTES: The ATI video for the
Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0 operating system must be set up with a resolution of 640 x
480 at installation |
Windows NT Server 4.0 Service Pack 3 must be
installed to use the updated drivers for ATI video.
You need to install the video drivers for
the operating system you install on your
PowerEdge 6300 system, unless they were installed by Dell. Use the following procedure to
install the video drivers for Windows NT Server 4.0. The Novell NetWare operating system
provides a textual interface and does not require video drivers.
|
NOTE: Video drivers must be
reinstalled after every installation of Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack 3. |
Select the Create Diskettes category from
the Dell Server Assistant main menu, and create a diskette of
software drivers for Windows NT 4.0. After you make the diskette of the drivers, use the
following procedure to install the video drivers:
1. Start Windows NT.
2. Log in as the administrator or as a
user with administrative privileges.
For information on system administration,
see the reference documentation for Windows NT.
3. Click the Start button, point to
Settings, and click Control Panel.
4. Double-click the Display icon.
The Display Settings window appears.
5. Select the Settings tab.
6. Click Display Type, and then click
Change in the Adapter box.
A list of available video drivers is
displayed.
7. Click Have Disk.
8. Insert the ATI Installation Disk
into the diskette drive; then click OK in the Install From Disk window.
9. Make sure that ATI Technologies
Inc. 3D Rage Pro (the default) is selected in the video driver list, and click Install.
The Installing Drivers dialog box appears.
10. Click Yes to proceed.
After the files are copied from the
diskette, Windows NT prompts you to restart your system. Click OK and close all open
windows.
11. Remove the video drivers diskette
from the diskette drive, and restart Windows NT.
When you restart Windows NT, you can change
the display resolution and color depth.
12. Open the Program Manager, access
the Control Panel, and select the Display icon.
The Display Settings window appears.
13. Select the desired resolution,
number of colors, and refresh rate.
The Asset Tag utility allows you to enter
an asset tag number for your system . The default System
Setup screen (see Figure 1) does not show the asset tag number
unless you enter one using this utility.
|
NOTE: The Asset Tag utility
works only on systems running MS-DOS . |
Use the following procedure to create a
system utility diskette and boot the system:
1. If you have not already done so,
create a bootable system utility diskette from the CD using the Create Resource
Configuration Utility Diskette option discussed earlier in this chapter.
2. Insert the diskette into drive A,
and reboot the system.
|
NOTE: The Asset Tag utility
diskette contains CD-ROM drivers that provide access to the CD-ROM drive when you boot
from the diskette. |
After you boot the system with the system
utility diskette, you can use the Asset Tag utility to enter an asset tag number that you
or your organization assign to the system . You can also use
the Asset Tag utility to reenter the system's service tag
number if that becomes necessary.
You can view the asset tag number using the
System Setup program as described in Using the System Setup Program,
An asset tag number can have up to ten
characters; any combination of characters, excluding spaces, is valid. To assign or change
an asset tag number, type asset and a space followed by the new number; then press
<Enter>. For example, type the following command line and press <Enter>:
asset 1234567890
When prompted to verify the asset tag
number, type y and press <Enter>. The system then displays
the new or modified asset tag number and the service tag number.
To delete the asset tag number without
assigning a new one, type asset /d and press <Enter>.
Table 2 lists the command-line options you can use with the Asset
Tag utility. To use one of these options, type asset and a space followed by the option.
| Table 2. Asset Tag Command-Line Options |
Asset Tag Option |
Description |
| /d |
Deletes the asset
tag number |
| /? |
Displays the
Asset Tag utility help screen |
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