Chapter  5.  Solving  problems 
This  chapter  provides  basic  troubleshooting  information  to  help  you  solve  some 
common  problems  that  might  occur  while  you  are  setting  up  the  server. 
If  you  cannot  diagnose  and  correct  a  problem  by  using  the  information  in  this 
chapter,  see  Appendix  A,  “Getting  help  and  technical  assistance,”  on  page  95,  the 
Problem  Determination  and  Service  Guide  on  the  IBM  System  x  Documentation 
CD,  and  the  “Server  Support”  flowchart  in  the  front  of  this  document. 
Diagnostic  tools  overview 
The  following  tools  are  available  to  help  you  diagnose  and  solve  hardware-related 
problems: 
v  POST  beep  codes 
The  power-on  self-test  beep  codes  indicate  the  detection  of  a  problem. 
–  One  beep  indicates  successful  completion  of  POST,  with  no  errors. 
–  More  than  one  beep  indicates  that  POST  detected  a  problem.  Error  messages 
also  appear  during  startup  if  POST  detects  a  hardware-configuration  problem. 
See  “POST  beep  code  descriptions”  and  the  Problem  Determination  and 
Service  Guide  on  the  IBM  System  x  Documentation  CD  for  more  information.
v
  Troubleshooting  charts 
These  tables  list  problem  symptoms  and  actions  to  correct  the  problems.  See 
“Troubleshooting  tables”  on  page  77  for  more  information. 
v  Diagnostic  programs  and  error  messages 
The  system  diagnostic  programs  are  provided  on  the  IBM  Enhanced  Diagnostics 
CD.  These  diagnostic  programs  are  used  to  troubleshoot  problems  in  the  server. 
See  the  Problem  Determination  and  Service  Guide  on  the  IBM  System  x 
Documentation  CD  for  more  information  about  the  diagnostic  programs  and  error 
messages. 
v  Light  path  diagnostics 
Use  light  path  diagnostics  to  diagnose  system  errors  quickly.  See  “Light  path 
diagnostics”  on  page  90  for  more  information. 
v  IBM  Electronic  Service  Agent 
IBM  Electronic  Service  Agent  is  a  software  tool  that  monitors  the  server  for 
hardware  error  events  and  automatically  submits  electronic  service  requests  to 
the  IBM  Support  Center.  Also,  it  can  collect  and  transmit  system  configuration 
information  on  a  scheduled  basis  so  that  the  information  is  available  to  you  and 
your  support  representative.  It  uses  minimal  system  resources,  is  available  free 
of  charge,  and  can  be  downloaded  from  the  Web.  For  more  information  and  to 
download  Electronic  Service  Agent,  go  to  http://www.ibm.com/support/electronic/.
POST  beep  code  descriptions 
POST  emits  one  beep  to  signal  successful  completion.  If  POST  detects  a  problem 
during  startup,  other  beep  codes  might  occur.  Use  the  following  beep  code 
descriptions  to  help  diagnose  and  solve  problems  that  are  detected  during  startup. 
Note:  See  the  Problem  Determination  and  Service  Guide  on  the  IBM  System  x 
Documentation  CD  for  more  information  about  the  POST  beep  codes.
 
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