5-2 Dell PowerEdge 6100/200 System User’s Guide
making system setup program changes that allocate sys-
tem resources. In addition, some software written for
EISA systems may require that the changes be saved to
the EISA configuration memory for proper operation.
H
ow to Run the System
Configuration Utility
The system configuration utility is included on the Dell
Server Assistant CD shipped with your system. You can
run the system configuration utility from a diskette that
you create using the CD’s main menu or from a hard-disk
drive. Dell recommends that you run the system configu-
ration utility from a diskette because it is not compatible
with all operating systems. Also, using a diskette to run
the utility allows you to copy any system configuration
changes to the diskette for safekeeping. See Chapter 2,
“Using the Dell Server Assistant CD,” for instructions on
creating an system configuration utility diskette.
When you buy an EISA expansion card, you receive a
configuration diskette containing the card’s configuration
file with the filename extension .cfg. Copy this .cfg file to
your system configuration utility diskette. The system
configuration utility uses the information in this file to
configure the new card.
When you buy an ISA expansion card, copy the appropri-
ate .cfg file to your system configuration utility diskette.
PCI expansion cards do not require a configuration file.
The PCI configuration utility in read-only memory
(ROM) automatically uses the information maintained by
the system configuration utility to assign resources for
PCI expansion cards.
W
hen to Run the System
Configuration Utility
Whenever a trained service technician adds, removes, or
repositions ISA or EISA expansion cards, you must run
the system configuration utility to specify which expan-
sion slot the card is installed in and to ensure that no two
cards attempt to use the same resources (such as interrupt
request [IRQ] lines).
When you use the utility with ISA expansion cards, run
the program before adding, removing, or repositioning
any cards. The system configuration utility can identify
and resolve any resource conflicts, as well as indicate the
proper jumper and switch settings for each expansion
card to avoid such conflicts. Running the program first
helps you determine how to configure the expansion card
before it is installed in your computer.
When you use the utility with EISA expansion cards, you
should normally run the program after adding, removing,
or repositioning the card. However, some cards have
ROM or a device driver that examines the configuration
information stored in NVRAM; these cards require that
you run the program before the card is installed. Each
configuration file for an EISA expansion card has an
identification number the utility reads before configuring
the card. EISA expansion cards have no jumpers or
switches that must be set before the card is installed.
When you use the utility with PCI expansion cards, you
should run the program after adding a PCI expansion
card so the system configuration utility will have a cur-
rent record of assigned resources.
NOTE: If your system detects a card configuration prob-
lem during operation, you receive a warning message
directing you to run the system configuration utility to
correct the problem.
Making Selections in the System Con-
figuration Utility
The system configuration utility uses menus to guide you
through the configuration process. The menus and their
options are accessed through keyboard commands.
To make a menu selection, use the up- or down-arrow key
to highlight the desired option, and then press <Enter>.
To scroll up or down a screen, press the <Page Up> or
<Page Down> key, respectively.
CAUTION: You must use the system configura-
tion utility when a trained service technician adds
EISA or ISA expansion cards to your computer.
For an ISA card, use the specific configuration file
for your expansion card, if one is available, rather
than the generic ISA card configuration file. The
generic ISA card configuration file cannot be used
to identify potential resource conflicts or proper
jumper and switch settings.
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