Dell PowerEdge 4200 Series User Manual

Also see for PowerEdge 4200 Series: Rack installation Rack installation Installation guide Installation and troubleshooting guide Service manual

Contents

Dell PowerEdge 4200 Series User Manual Manual pdf 66 page image

5-2 Dell PowerEdge 4200 Systems User’s Guideboth utilities, you can set the options through eitherutility.NOTE: In most cases, your system operates according tothe most recent changes, regardless of which utility youuse to make the changes. However, some software writtenfor EISA systems may require that the changes be savedto the EISA configuration memory to operate properly.When to Run the EISA Configu-ration UtilityWhenever a trained service technician adds, removes, orrepositions ISA or EISA expansion cards, you must run theEISA Configuration Utility to specify in which expansionslot the card is installed and to ensure that no two cardsattempt to use the same resources (such as IRQ lines). Youshould also use the utility after adding or removingmemory.When you use the utility with ISA expansion cards, runthe program before adding, removing, or repositioningany cards. The EISA Configuration Utility can identifyand resolve any resource conflicts, as well as indicate theproper jumper and switch settings for each expansioncard to avoid such conflicts. Running the program firsthelps you determine how to configure the expansion cardbefore it is installed in your computer.When you use the utility with EISA expansion cards, youshould normally run the program after adding, removing,or repositioning a card. However, some cards have ROMor a device driver that examines the configuration infor-mation stored in NVRAM; these cards require that yourun the program before the card is installed. Each config-uration file for an EISA expansion card has anidentification number the utility reads before configuringthe card. EISA expansion cards have no jumpers orswitches that must be set before the card is installed.When you use the utility with PCI expansion cards, youshould run the program after adding a PCI expansion cardso the EISA Configuration Utility will have a currentrecord of assigned resources.NOTE: If your system detects a card configuration prob-lem during operation, you will receive a warningmessage directing you to run the EISA ConfigurationUtility to correct the problem.How to Run the EISA Configura-tion UtilityThe EISA Configuration Utility is included on the DellServer Assistant CD shipped with your system. This CDincludes an EISA Configuration Utility directory thatcontains the main program plus a directory of .cfg filesfor many—but not all—ISA expansion cards.You can run the EISA Configuration Utility directly fromthe CD or from a diskette that you create using the CD’smain menu. Dell recommends that you run the EISAConfiguration Utility from a diskette because the utilityis not compatible with all operating systems. Also, usinga diskette to run the utility allows you to copy any systemconfiguration changes to the diskette for safekeeping. SeeChapter 2, “Using the Dell Server Assistant CD,” forinstructions on creating an EISA Configuration Utilitydiskette.When you buy an EISA expansion card, you receive aconfiguration diskette containing the card’s .cfg file.Copy this .cfg file to your EISA Configuration Utilitydiskette. The EISA Configuration Utility uses the infor-mation in this file to configure the new card.When you buy an ISA expansion card, copy the appropri-ate .cfg file (contained in the .cfg directory on the diskette)to your EISA Configuration Utility diskette. If the .cfgdirectory does not contain a configuration file for your ISAexpansion card, use the generic ISA card configurationfile, which is included in the .cfg directory on the CD.Instructions for using the generic .cfg file are included in“Adding an Expansion Card” found later in this chapter.PCI expansion cards do not require a configuration file.The PCI configuration utility in ROM automatically usesthe information maintained by the EISA ConfigurationUtility to assign resources for PCI expansion cards.CAUTION: You must use the EISA ConfigurationUtility when a trained service technician addsEISA or ISA expansion cards to your computer.For an ISA card, use the specific configuration filefor your expansion card, if one is available, ratherthan the generic ISA card configuration file. Thegeneric ISA card configuration file cannot be usedto identify potential resource conflicts or properjumper and switch settings.