Server Troubleshooting Guide

We make every effort to resolve system errors during our server build, test and burn-in process, however on occasion parts can become loose, fail during or shortly after shipping.

Here are the most common failures and troubleshooting steps.

Memory Errors:

Problem: During the server boot up, my server shows DIMM B4 has an error

Troubleshooting Option 1 (Reseat method)

Power off the server
Unclip the module in slot B4 from the RAM slot
Reseat the module into the same slot by pressing down evenly with each thumb on each top edge of the RAM module. Both clips should click into place. If not, push down again on the side that did not fully seat.
Power up the server to check if the error returns

Resolution: If the error still appears in the same slot then proceed to the next method to swap modules.

Troubleshooting Option 2 (Swap method)

Power off the server
Unclip the defective module from the B4 RAM slot and swap the module with a RAM module from a different slot.
Install defective module into the slot where you removed a working module.
Install a working module into the slot where the defective module was originally installed.
NOTE: Do not install the modules into unused slots as that may cause additional errors.
This method will help determine if the slot if defective or if the error follows the module.
Power up the server to check if the error occurs at the new location for the original defective RAM module.

Resolution:

If the error appears in the new RAM slot, then the module is defective. Please contact us by phone or email for an RMA.
If the error remains with the same slot as before, B4 in this example, then, there could be some dust or dirt in the memory slot or the RAM slot is defective which will require replacing the server or systemboard.
To clean the memory slot, you may use some compressed air to blow out the affected slot. Point the air nozzle at a 45 degree angle into the RAM slot from each direction to clear any potential dust or dirt in the slot.
If the error does not appear then most likely the RAM needed to be reseated, however, monitor the server over the coming days. On occasion, the error can reappear, either for the RAM module or original RAM slot.
In rare cases, RAM errors can be caused by an improperly seated processor loosened during a hard impact in shipping. If you're receiving errors for multiple RAM slots. First reseat the RAM, then check with us about reseating the processors if the errors are still occurring.

RAID or SAS Controller Errors
If you receive one of the following errors on a Dell Server, most common on a Dell 12th Generation Server (PowerEdge R420, R520, R620, R720)

Invalid PCI-E card
No controller detected at baseport
No raid controller shown in System Device List

Then, the RAID controller either loosened up during some rough shipping or the RAID controller clips (in 12th Gen Servers (R420, R520, R620, R720) have broken. This is due to poor design by Dell. We do our best to replace any weak or broken clips, however are not able to predict failure due to shipping.

Assuming the server will no longer be moving around, you can re-seat the RAID controller even though the clips are broken. We can send you a set of replacement clips, however it will require a small operation by lifting up the systemboard. Please view the video at this link.

Hard Disk or SSD Errors

Our RMA rate for drives (SSD and HDD) is extremely low, typically below 1%. However on occasion hard drives and SSDs can fail. If you just received the server and having a drive error, please reseat the drive or move the drive to a different hard drive bay. This is to confirm that no other hardware is defective before we issue a replacement drive.

If a drive is defective or goes bad while in production, it will typically blink amber.

I installed my own drives and they are all blinking amber

On occasion, customers purchase and install their own drives for various reasons including price or loyalty to a particular brand or model. Unfortunately, not all drives are compatible with servers and their components. For example, drives from your old laptops do not have the firmware to properly work with Dell or HP RAID controllers. They could work, however will show errors or fail within a short time.

I installed drives from my old server, however I'm not able to add them to a virtual disk or RAID array.

If you're installing drives in your server from another RAID capable server and you're not able to add those drives to a new virtual disk, check to make sure that there are no "foreign" configurations on the drive. Dell and HP RAID controllers have an option to clear foreign configurations so you can add drives to a new virtual disk. Just make sure you don't need to keep the data from the drive(s) before clearing the configuration

No Display Output from Server We’ve noticed more and more customers reporting an issue where everything seems to be running fine with the server when booting: fans spinning, lights blinking, etc. But alas, nothing is displaying on the monitor. Before you remove your server’s access panel and start fiddling with cables, reseating processors and RAM, it’s essential to confirm that the issue is not caused by the monitor – or the video connection to the monitor – which may be incompatible with your Dell server. HDMI, Display port or DVI to VGA adapters will not work with the majority of servers.

Connect the server using a 15 pin VGA cable to a VGA native LCD monitor that is less than 24 inches. Fortunately, many of these smaller VGA monitors are inexpensive on the secondary market. As many of our customers have already discovered, the display shows the system booting and everything is functioning.
You may view the full article here

UEFI and BIOS/Legacy Boot

The Dell and HP Servers and desktop computers that we sell can run in either BIOS/Legacy Mode or UEFI Mode. If you have installed your operating system with the system in BIOS/Legacy mode, then want to switch to UEFI mode, you will need to re-install the operating system using a UEFI configured bootable media and set the system BIOS settings to UEFI Mode. It is not possible to install the OS in one mode and switch to the other without re-installing the OS. Most optical drives and DVD discs will boot in either UEFI or Legacy mode without reformatting the install media. If you're using a USB flash drive to install the operating system, then it will need to be configured for the boot mode you plan to use. We use the free Rufus.ie application to create bootable USB flash drives from ISO files. There are options for before creating the bootable media to set the Partition scheme to GPT or MBR and UEFI or BIOS. Typically, GPT partitioning is paired with UEFI boot mode and MBR (master boot record/legacy formatting) is paired with BIOS boot mode.

UEFI and GPT allow for bootable partitions larger than 2TB, however Dell 12th Gen and HP 8th Gen server RAID/SAS controllers will not boot to partitions larger than 2TB. The Dell 13th Gen and HP 9th Gen servers will allow for bootable partitions larger than 2TB.

SAS/RAID Controller Throughput 6Gbps and 12Gbps

Dell 12th Generation servers such as R620, R720 and HP 8th Generation such as DL360p G8 and DL380p G8... have a maximum hard drive throughput of 6Gbps.

We sell and allow configuration of 12Gbps drives in the above generations of servers due to market availability of the drives. PLEASE NOTE, the 12Gbps drives will only run at a maximum of 6Gbps in the Dell 12th Generation and HP 8th Generation of servers.

Dell 13th Generation and newer servers with a RAID controller such as those used in R630 and R730 as well as HP 9th Generation and newer models such as DL360 G9 and DL380 G9 will run at a throughput of 12Gbps for 12Gbps drives without any issues.

RAID and Non-RAID Controller Options and Capabilities

If your server includes one of the following hard drive controllers, then there may or may not be RAID configuration settings.

Manufacturer	Controller Model	Capability	Server Compatibility	Throughput
Dell	H310 Mini and/or H310 PCI-e	RAID 0,1,10 or low performance pass-through	R220, R320 PCI-e Only, R420, R520, R620, R720, R820 & R920 (PCI-e Only)	6gb/s
Dell	H710/H710p Mini and H710/H710p PCI-e	RAID 0,1,5,6,10,50,60	R320, R420, R520, R620, R720, R820 & R920 (PCI-e Only)	6gb/s
Dell	H810 PCI-e	RAID 0,1,5,6,10,50,60 (for EXTERNAL SAS Hard drive arrays such as PowerVault MD1200)	R320, R420, R520, R620, R720, R820 & R920	6gb/s
Dell	H330 Mini and/or H330 PCI-e	RAID 0,1,10 or low performance pass-through	R230 & R330 (PCI-e Only), R430, R530, R630, R730, R830 & R930(PCI-e Only)	12gb/s
Dell	HBA330 Mini and/or PCI-e	No RAID, pass-through ONLY	R230 & R330 (PCI-e Only), R430, R530, R630, R730, R830 & R930(PCI-e Only)	12gb/s
Dell	H730/H730p Mini and/or PCI-e	RAID 0,1,5,6,10,50,60 OR can be switched to passthrough mode as non-RAID	R230 + R330 + R240 + R340 + R440 (PCI-e Only), R430, R530, R630, R730, R830 + R930 R540, (PCI-e Only), R640, R740, R840 & R940 (PCI-e Only)	12gb/s
For more details on Dell RAID controllers, click here
HP	P420i/P420	RAID 0,1,5,6,10,50,60	DL160 G8, DL360 G8, DL380 G8, DL580 G8 and more	6gb/s
HP	H240ar/H240 PCI-e	RAID 0,1,10 or passthrough	DL160 G9, DL360 G9, DL380 G9, DL580 G9 and more	12gb/s
HP	P440ar/P440 PCI-e 1GB, 2GB, 4GB	RAID 0,1,5,6,10,50,60 OR can be switched to passthrough mode as NON-RAID	DL160 G9, DL360 G9, DL380 G9, DL580 G9 and more	12gb/s
HP	P840ar/P840 PCI-e 1GB, 2GB, 4GB	RAID 0,1,5,6,10,50,60 OR can be switched to passthrough mode as NON-RAID	DL160 G9, DL360 G9, DL380 G9, DL580 G9 and more	12gb/s
HP			DL160 G10, DL360 G10, DL380 G10, DL580 G10 and more
HP			DL160 G10, DL360 G10, DL380 G10, DL580 G10 and more
For more details on HP RAID Controllers, click here