AlphaServer ES45 Service Guide

This document is the Compaq AlphaServer ES45 Service Guide (Order Number: EK-ES450-SV. A01), intended for service providers and self-maintenance customers responsible for ES45 systems.

The guide provides comprehensive information for understanding, troubleshooting, configuring, and maintaining the AlphaServer ES45.

Key areas covered include:

1. System Overview: Describes the ES45's architecture, enclosures (tower, pedestal, cabinet), and major components such as CPUs (Alpha EV68), memory (DIMMs, MMBs), PCI backplane, power supplies, fans, I/O ports, control panel, and storage options (CD-ROM, floppy, hard drives).

2. Troubleshooting:

   • Offers diagnostic tables for common problems (power, console access, booting, operating system errors).
   • Details power-up diagnostics performed by the Remote Management Console (RMC), Serial ROM (SROM), and SRM console, including associated error messages and beep codes.
   • Introduces service tools and utilities like Compaq Analyze (for error log analysis), Compaq Crash Analysis Tool (CCAT), Revision and Configuration Management Tool (RCM), and Q-Vet (Qualification Verifier Exerciser Tool) for installation verification.
   • Explains how to use various SRM Console Diagnostic commands (e.g., buildfru, exer, info, memtest, nettest, show error, show fru, show_status, sys_exer, test) to diagnose issues and view system status.

3. System Configuration and Setup:

   • Guides users on configuring and setting up ES45 systems.
   • Covers selecting display devices for the console, setting custom control panel messages, and displaying hardware configurations.
   • Explains how to set and manage SRM environment variables for automatic booting, default boot devices, and SRM security (passwords, secure mode).
   • Provides specific configuration rules for CPUs and memory DIMMs, and details the PCI slot configurations.

4. Remote Management Console (RMC):

   • Offers a detailed overview of the RMC's role in remote monitoring and low-level system manipulation (reset, power on/off, halt).
   • Explains RMC operating modes (Through, Snoop, Soft Bypass, Firm Bypass) and how to connect to its command-line interface (CLI).
   • Covers configuring remote dial-in and dial-out alerts for system notifications.
   • Includes troubleshooting tips specific to RMC functionality and procedures for updating RMC firmware or resetting it to factory defaults.

5. FRU Removal and Replacement:

   • Provides step-by-step procedures for safely removing and replacing Field Replaceable Units (FRUs).
   • Includes a comprehensive list of FRU part numbers and descriptions.
   • Covers general safety warnings for handling internal components.
   • Details the replacement of major FRUs such as enclosure panels, CPUs, memory DIMMs, power supplies, fans, hard disk drives, PCI cards, the operator control panel (OCP), removable media drives, I/O connector assembly, PCI backplane, and power harness.
   • Emphasizes clearing error logs after FRU replacements.

6. Appendices: Contains detailed reference information for SRM console commands, jumper and switch settings on the motherboard and PCI board, Dual-Port RAM (DPR) address layouts, internal processor and chipset registers, and methods for isolating failing DIMMs.