Dell™ Online Diagnostics Version 2.16 User Guide
Introduction
Dell™ Online Diagnostics is a suite of standalone diagnostic programs or test modules that allow diagnostic tests to be run on Dell systems in a production environment and help maximize the uptime of Dell systems. Online Diagnostics enables you to perform diagnostic tests on chassis and storage components such as hard drives, physical memory, and network interface cards (NICs). Diagnostic tests can be run on the hardware found by Online Diagnostics on the system using either the Graphical User Interface (GUI) or the Command Line Interface (CLI).
Notes and Cautions
[Note]: Indicates important information that helps you make better use of your computer.
[Caution]: Indicates that if you do not follow the instructions, you could damage hardware or cause data loss.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. © 2010 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of these materials in any form whatsoever without Dell Inc.'s written permission is strictly forbidden.
Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, PowerVault, and OpenManage are trademarks of Dell Inc.; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Server are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; Intel is a trademark of Intel Corporation in the United States and other countries; Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. in the United States and other countries; SUSE is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc.; VMware is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions; Broadcom is a registered trademark of Broadcom; Other trademarks and product names may be used in this document to refer to the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and product names of other companies.
July 2010
Appendix A-1. Other Device Information for Storage Diagnostic Programs
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| "Total Moves" | Total number of moves by the autoloader. |
| "Drive Loads" | Number of times cartridges are loaded into drives from tape cartridges and mailslots. |
| "Mailslot Exports" | Number of times cartridges are exported from the system. |
| "Mailslot Imports" | Number of times cartridges are imported into the system. |
| "Magazine Moves" | Number of moves between magazines. |
| "Magazine Loads" | Number of times magazines are loaded into drives. |
| "Servo Hard Error" | Number of unrecoverable errors. |
| "Drive Soft Error" | Number of high-level unrecoverable errors reported for each field for this component. |
| "Rotation Recovery" Action | Number of recovery actions required in the axis for performing operations. |
| "System Moves" | Total number of system moves, including every point-to-point move (regardless of slot). |
| "System Pick Retries" | Total number of pick retries (regardless of slot). |
| "System Put Retries" | Total number of put retries (regardless of slot). |
| "Element Total Puts" | Total number of times cartridges were put into element locations. |
| "Element Total Picks" | Total number of times cartridges were picked from element locations. |
| "Element Total Put" Retries | Total number of put retries by element address. |
| "Element Total Pick" Retries | Total number of pick retries from element address. |
| "Firmware" | Firmware version on the tape device. |
| "Last Clean" | Hours since the last cleaning. |
| "Clean Required" | Set to "Yes" if there is a condition that requires cleaning. |
| "Replace Cleaning Tape" | Set to "Yes" if the cleaning tape needs to be replaced. |
| "Number of Drive Cleans" | Number of drive cleaning cycles. |
| "Number of Tape Cleans" | Number of cleans for each tape cartridge. |
| "Power On Hours (POH)" | Length of time the tape drive has been powered on. |
| "Tape Motion Hours/Cylinder on Hours (COH)" | Length of time the tape drive has been used for backup and restore. |
| "Load Count" | Number of times tape cartridges are loaded. Some drives increment this value when a tape cartridge is inserted, while others increment it when the tape drive is unloaded. |
| "Number of Cleans" | Number of cleans for each tape cartridge. |
| "Time in COH when Incompatible media was last loaded." | Timestamp in COH. |
| "Time in POH when the Over temperature condition occurred - returns zeros" | Timestamp in POH. |
| "Time in POH when the Power issue condition occurred" | Timestamp in POH. |
| "Total Number of Cleaning" | Total number of cleanings using a cleaning tape. |
| "Time since last cleaning" | Timestamp in hours. |
| "Time in COH of last emergency eject" | Timestamp in COH. |
| "Media Type: total time in COH" | Total COH for the specified media type. |
| "Sense codes" (List of the last four sense codes) | Lists individual codes and parameters. For example, "Sense Key", "Additional Sense Code", and "Additional Sense Code Qualifier". |
| "Lifetime Meters of Tape Processed" | Cumulative physical length of tape written during its lifetime. |
| "Time in MMH since Last Successful Cleaning" | Media motion (head) hours since the last successful cleaning operation. |
| "Time in MMH since Second Last Successful Cleaning" | Media motion (head) hours since the second to last successful cleaning operation. |
| "Time in MMH since Third Last Successful Cleaning" | Media motion (head) hours since the third to last successful cleaning operation. |
| "Power On Hours when Force Reset and/or Emergency Eject occurred" | Lifetime power-on hours when the operator initiated a force reset and/or an emergency eject occurred. |
| "MediaType" | Type of media loaded when the command terminated with a "Check Condition" status other than 00h. |
| "DensityCode" | Density code of the media loaded when the command terminated with a "Check Condition" status other than 00h. |
| MMHShort | Media motion hours when the command terminated with a "Check Condition" status. |
| "Repeat Bit" | 0 - Indicates that sense key and additional sense code information appeared once in the parameter list. 1 - Indicates that sense key and sense code information appeared multiple times consecutively in the parameter list. |
| "Firmware Version" | Firmware version when the command terminated with a "Check Condition" status. |
| "MMH Since Last Clean" | Media motion hours since the last successful cleaning operation when the command terminated with a "Check Condition" status. |
| Opcode | Opcode when the command terminated with a "Check Condition" status. |
| "Medium ID Number" (Media ID Number) | If media is present when the command terminated with a "Check Condition" status, the "Medium ID Number" will contain: 1. Barcode field value 2. Media serial number 3. Vendor-specific value. If media is not present, the "Medium ID Number" will contain 20h. |
Supported Devices
This section lists the devices that can be tested using Dell™ Online Diagnostics.
Diagnostics for Tape Drives, Autoloaders, and Tape Libraries
[Note]: Install Dell-approved device drivers to run diagnostic tests on tape drives, autoloaders, and tape libraries. Refer to the instructions that accompany the device. The latest device drivers are available on the Dell support site at support.dell.com.
[Note]: Diagnostic tests for SATA hard drives and controllers are not available on Linux operating systems.
For a list of devices supported by Online Diagnostics, refer to "Supported Devices" in the README file.
Diagnostics for RAID Controllers, SAS Controllers, SCSI Controllers, and Hard Drives
[Note]: For a list of firmware requirements for each controller, refer to "Supported RAID Controller Diagnostic Relevance."
[Note]: Refer to the Online Help for Dell Online Diagnostics for details on controller-specific tests (for example, battery tests for PERC 4e/DC, PERC 5/i, and PERC 6/i).
This section lists tests supported on systems running Microsoft® Windows®, Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®, SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server, or VMware® ESX. Online Diagnostics supports diagnostics for the following RAID, SAS, and SCSI controllers, and for hard drives connected to RAID, SCSI, and IDE controllers, depending on the installed operating system.
[Note]: Online Diagnostics does not run diagnostic tests on IDE controllers.
[Note]: Online Diagnostics lists and displays diagnostic tests for hard drives connected to SAS 5/iR (adapter and integrated), SAS 5/i integrated, and SAS 6/iR, S100, S300, H200 (adapter, integrated, and modular) controllers. However, diagnostic tests for these controllers themselves are not available.
Diagnostics Supported on Systems Running Microsoft Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and VMware ESX
On systems running Windows, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and VMware ESX, Online Diagnostics supports diagnostics for the following controllers and hard drives connected to these controllers:
[Note]: Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 and later versions do not support the PERC 320/DC controller.
[Note]: Linux operating systems do not support CERC ATA 100/4 CH. It is supported only on Windows operating systems.
[Note]: SAS 5/E adapters and SAS 6Gbps HBAs support diagnostic tests only on connected tape drives.
For a list of devices supported by Online Diagnostics, refer to "Supported Devices" in the README file.
Supported RAID Controller Diagnostic Relevance
Dell Online Diagnostics requires Dell-approved device drivers and firmware to run diagnostic tests on RAID controllers, SCSI controllers, and connected hard drives. System administrators responsible for running diagnostics on storage devices with the most recently installed operating system need a complete table of values to display elements compatible with specific storage controllers. In turn, each version of a storage controller supports a specific array of elements, including:
- Array Manager version, Storage Management services, or RAID Storage Manager
- Dell systems
- Firmware version numbers required by specific managers
For a list of firmware, BIOS, and driver versions for supported RAID controllers, refer to the "OpenManage 6.3 Dell System Software Support Matrix." To access the Dell System Software Support Matrix, go to the Dell support site at support.dell.com/manuals, click "Software" → "Systems Management" → "Dell OpenManage Releases" (Dell OpenManage versions).
Diagnostics for Fibre Channel Controllers
For a list of devices supported by Online Diagnostics, refer to "Supported Devices" in the README file.
Using GUI
You can access Dell™ Online Diagnostics in two ways: from the Graphical User Interface (GUI) and from the Command Line Interface (CLI). This section describes both interfaces.
Using GUI
When Online Diagnostics is launched in GUI mode, a flashing screen indicates the progress of device discovery until enumeration is complete. The flashing screen also provides important information about running Online Diagnostics. Devices are discovered or enumerated only when the application is launched. If you change your system hardware, restart the application to re-enumerate the devices on your system.
[Caution]: Connecting or disconnecting USB or CD/DVD devices from a Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® system or SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server may cause the system to hang while enumeration is in progress.
[Note]: If the system fails to discover USB controllers, ensure that USB controllers are enabled in the BIOS and that USB controller support is set to "ON with BIOS support" in the BIOS setup menu.
[Note]: VMware® ESX does not support GUI mode. CLI mode is supported only.
Menu Options
The "File" menu provides the following options:
- "Exit": Use this option to exit the application.
- "Save Configuration": Use this option to save configuration details of the devices detected by Online Diagnostics. Configuration details can be saved to config.html, which is included in the archive file. You can specify any name for this archive file, for example, config.zip. This option is available only when Online Diagnostics is not running any tests. If you encounter any system or device problems, you can save the configuration details and provide them when contacting technical support.
[Note]: The "Save Configuration" option is available only in the GUI version of Online Diagnostics. - "Save Results": Use this option to save the details of test results. Test results are saved to an HTML file (results.html), which is included in the archive file. You can specify any name for this archive file, for example, results.zip. This option is available only after all running tests are completed. You can save the result details and send the file to technical support when contacting technical support for any system or device problems.
[Note]: The "Save Results" option is available only in the GUI version of Online Diagnostics.
The "Help" menu provides the following menu options:
- "User Guide": This option allows you to view the "Dell Online Diagnostics User Guide," which is provided in HTML format.
- "About": This option provides version information for Dell Online Diagnostics running on the system.
Diagnostic Interface
The Online Diagnostics GUI is divided into two parts:
- Diagnostic Selection
- Diagnostic Information
Diagnostic Selection
Use this section to select and organize how devices and tests are displayed.
Selection Options
Use this list box to organize how tests and detected devices are displayed. You can select any of the three options from this list box.
- "Group by connection": Use this option to organize the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane display as a tree structure, with connections as nodes, and corresponding devices and tests listed under them.
- "Group by device": Use this option to organize the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane display as a tree structure, with devices as nodes, and corresponding tests for each device listed under them. If a device is grayed out, it means that the device has no corresponding tests. However, you can still view the configuration information for that device.
- "Group by test": Use this option to organize the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane display as a tree structure, with tests as nodes, and corresponding devices listed under them.
The following table describes the icons in the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane.
| Icon | Description |
|---|---|
| [Device] | Represents a device. |
| [Device Warning] | Represents a device with a minor error or warning. |
| [Test] | Represents a test. |
| [Test Warning] | Represents a test with a minor error or warning. Test warning information is displayed when you hover the mouse over it. |
"Select All": Click this button to select all devices and tests displayed in the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane.
"Remove All": Click this button to remove all devices and tests displayed in the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane.
Selecting Tests to Run
Use this section to select devices and tests to be performed. This section is organized according to the option you selected in the "Selection Options" list box.
If displayed grouped by device:
- Select the check box next to a device to select all tests listed for that device.
- You can also expand the device node and select individual tests to run.
If displayed grouped by test:
- Select the check box next to a test to select all devices listed for that test.
- You can also expand the test node and select individual devices on which to run the test.
[Note]: You can select devices in the "Diagnostic Information" section and view the corresponding configuration details highlighted in the Configuration tab.
Diagnostic Information
Use this section to view system configuration and status information. Additionally, you can run the selected tests and view the results of these tests.
Configuration
Use this tab to view the status of detected devices and their configuration information. To view a device's configuration information, select the device from the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane. The configuration information for the selected device is highlighted on this page and listed under the following headings:
- "Device Name": The name of the device.
- "Device Attribute": Lists the device attributes. The following are device attributes:
- "Status": Specifies the operational status of the device.
- "Description": Specifies a concise description.
- "Class": Specifies the classification to which the device belongs. For example, the device COM1 belongs to the serial port classification.
- "Location": Specifies the location of the device in the system. For example, the system board.
- "Additional Information": Specifies any additional information. For example, if the device is embedded on the system board, the value "Embedded" is displayed for this field.
- "Value": Specifies the value for each attribute of the device.
"Additional Device Information": Provides additional information for the device (if available) under the "Configuration" tab. If other devices are available, an information icon [Info] is displayed next to the device name in the "Configuration" tab. Double-click the line to view additional information for that device. For details, refer to "Appendix".
Selected Tests
Use this tab to run the tests you selected in the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane. This tab contains the following sections:
- "Diagnostic Tests Selected": This list box displays all the tests selected in the "Select Test(s) to Run" pane.
- "Diagnostic Options": This section of the "Tests Selected" tab is used to run the selected tests. This section contains the following controls.
- "Run Tests": Starts the selected tests. Multiple tests can be run at once.
Using Command Line Interface
To run the application in CLI mode, run pediags from x:\<installation_directory>\oldiags\bin, where x is the installation directory. On Windows operating systems, you can also click "Start" → "Programs" → "Online Diagnostics 2.x.y" → "Online Diagnostics CLI" to run the application in CLI mode.
[Caution]: Connecting or removing USB or CD/DVD devices from a Red Hat Enterprise Linux system, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, or VMware ESX may cause the system to hang while enumeration is in progress.
Key CLI Commands
The following commands perform the functions of Online Diagnostics:
pediags --help: Displays brief text help about CLI commands.pediags --show all: Lists all device classes and available tests.pediags <device_class> --help: Displays text help for the specified <DEVICECLASS>. For example, the commandpediags modem --helpdisplays help for listed modem devices and related tests. <device_class> refers to the device's package name, such as network and cddvd.pediags <device_class> --show [device|test|all] [<index_options>] [<detail_options>] [fmt=lst|tbl|xml]: Displays a list of device classes, tests, or both. The default option is all. This option displays device classes and tests. You can specify index options and choose the format in which to display the output. Parameters should follow the specific order listed above, and format options must always be the last parameter. For example, the commandpediags network --show test test-index=1,2,3 fmt=tbldisplays tests with index numbers 1, 2, and 3 in table format. If you type the commandpediags network --show device device-index=1,2,3 fmt=tbl, the command displays device classes with index numbers 1, 2, and 3 in table format.pediags <device_class> --show device details=true: Displays additional device information (if available). Thedetails=trueoption is used only with "--show device". For example, to view additional device information for SCSI devices, enterpediags Scsidevdiag --show device details=true.pediags <device_class> --run [<index_options>] [<test_settings>] [fmt=lst|tbl|xml]: Runs tests on the selected device class. You can specify index options and test settings, and choose the format in which to display the results. Parameters should follow their specific order listed above, and format options must always be the last parameter. In the <test_settings> parameter, you can specify quicktest as true or false. You can also specify the number of passes for the selected tests. For example, the commandpediags network --run test-index=1,2,3 quicktest=true passes=6 fmt=tblruns tests with index numbers 1, 2, and 3 in the network device class six times, and displays the results in table format.pediags <device_class> --run time=X(where X is the number of minutes you want the test to run): This command allows you to run diagnostic tests for a specified period. For example,pediags scsidevdiag --run device-index=1 test-index=1 time=30runs test index 1 on SCSI device index 1 for 30 minutes. The test stops executing after 72 hours or after 999 passes (whichever comes first).
[Note]: The "passes" parameter has a runtime limit of 3 days (72 hours). The minimum number of passes supported is 1, and the maximum is 999.
[Note]: Always specify the "time" parameter in minutes and enter the "time" parameter after the --run parameter.
[Note]: Running pediags commands concurrently on a device class from two different consoles may display the information: System resources may have already been used by another diagnostics instance.
Using Ctrl+C to Abort Online Diagnostics in CLI Mode
Using Ctrl+C with the --show command does not cause the operation to abort. When running tests, you can use Ctrl+C to stop the test at any point in the execution sequence. There may be no output available, and the test may exit with blank information. This can happen if the pediags command execution is interrupted, even before the diagnostic test starts. If an already started test is aborted, and the specific test supports the abort function, the test may be aborted by generating a "Test was aborted by the user" result event. Tests that do not support the abort function typically run to completion.
Scripting with CLI
The Online Diagnostics CLI allows administrators to write batch programs or scripts that can be executed by the operating system. For enterprises with multiple systems, administrators can write scripts to run diagnostic tests on system components to determine their health.
In many cases, the CLI makes it possible for users with very specific tasks to quickly retrieve system information. You can redirect diagnostic output to a file using your operating system's redirection capabilities.
Exit codes described in the following table can also be used when writing scripts:
- 0: Test has a pass result.
- 1: Test has a warning result.
- 2: Test has a fail result.
- 3: Application failed due to dependency issues or runtime issues.
Exit codes 0, 1, and 2 apply only to test execution (whether multiple passes or a single pass). The exit code is the total status of all executed tests. For example, in 20 tests, if one test has a warning result and another test has a fail result, and all other tests are successful, the final exit code is 2. The exit code for a failed result has a higher priority than the exit code for a warning result.
Scheduled Diagnostics
Using the task scheduling feature of your operating system, you can schedule Online Diagnostics to run diagnostic tests on your system.
Introduction
Dell™ Online Diagnostics is a suite of standalone diagnostic programs or test modules that allow diagnostic tests to be run on Dell systems in a production environment and help maximize the uptime of Dell systems. Online Diagnostics enables you to perform diagnostic tests on chassis and storage components such as hard drives, physical memory, and network interface cards (NICs). Diagnostic tests can be run on the hardware found by Online Diagnostics on the system using either the Graphical User Interface (GUI) or the Command Line Interface (CLI).
New Features in this Release
This version of Online Diagnostics supports the following:
- Dell™ PowerEdge™ C1100, PowerEdge C1100 MLK, PowerEdge C2100, PowerEdge C6100, PowerEdge C6100 MLK, PowerEdge R715, PowerEdge M710HD, and PowerEdge M610x
- Dell™ PowerVault™ NX300 Network Attached Storage
- New network interface cards for blade servers
- Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® 5.5
- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1
- VMware® ESX 4.0 Update 1
- Fibre Channel controllers
Supported Operating Systems
For supported operating systems, refer to the README file for Online Diagnostics. To obtain the README file, go to the Dell support site at support.dell.com/manuals, click "Software" → "Systems Management" → "Dell Online Diagnostics" (Dell Online Diagnostics).
Online Diagnostics Supported Devices
Online Diagnostics provides diagnostics for the following hardware devices:
- CD drives
- DVD drives
- CD-RW/DVD combination drives
- Floppy drives
- Hard drives
- NICs
- Internal modems
- SCSI controllers
- RAID controllers
- Fibre Channel controllers
- Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC 4 and DRAC 5)
- USB controllers
- SAS controllers
For more information, refer to "Diagnostics for RAID Controllers, SAS Controllers, SCSI Controllers, and Hard Drives."
- Serial ports
- Tape drives
- Tape autoloaders and tape libraries
[Note]: Diagnostic tests for tape autoloaders and tape libraries are not available on Microsoft® Windows Server® 2008 operating systems.
- DIMMs
- External storage cabinets
Diagnostic Features
Online Diagnostics provides the following features:
- "Discovering Devices": This feature allows Online Diagnostics to enumerate and discover all detectable devices on Dell systems. Enumeration is performed when the application is launched. If system hardware has changed, restart the application to re-enumerate the devices on your system.
- "Device and Test Selection": This feature allows you to select the devices on which you want to run diagnostic tests, and the tests to run on the selected devices. Refer to "Running Diagnostic Tests."
- "Diagnostic Test Review": This feature allows you to review the selected diagnostic tests that you want to run. Refer to "Running Diagnostic Tests."
- "Diagnostic Test Status": This feature allows you to view the status of running diagnostic tests. Refer to "Running Diagnostic Tests."
- "Diagnostic Test Results": This feature allows you to view the results of diagnostic tests. Refer to "Running Diagnostic Tests."
- "Help": This feature allows you to view help information for various diagnostic tests and devices. To view the description of a device or diagnostic test, select the device or test and choose the "Help" tab in the GUI, or run the
pediags -helpcommand in the CLI. - "Quick Test": This feature allows you to run tests using a faster algorithm. Refer to "Configuring Diagnostic Execution Settings."
- "Saving Configuration and Results": This feature allows you to save system configuration and test results. Refer to "Using Dell Online Diagnostics."
- "Number of Passes": This feature allows you to run selected tests a specified number of times. The minimum is 1, and the maximum is 20.
[Note]: In CLI mode, Online Diagnostics allows a maximum of 999 passes. - "Run Time": This feature allows you to specify the duration (in minutes) for which diagnostic tests should run. This feature is available only in the CLI version of Online Diagnostics.
[Note]: Tests stop executing after 72 hours or after 999 passes (whichever comes first). - "Auto Logging": Online Diagnostics saves diagnostic test results to an automatically generated file (result.xml) in XML format. This file can be found in the x:\<installation_directory>\dell\diagnostics\log directory on Microsoft Windows operating systems (where x: is the system drive), and in /var/log/dell/diagnostics/log on Linux operating systems. The log file has a maximum capacity of 512 KB. When the log file exceeds its limit, Online Diagnostics deletes log entries in a first-in, first-out (FIFO) manner. Online Diagnostics also saves hardware configuration to an automatically generated file (config.xml) in the same location as result.xml.
Setting Up Dell Online Diagnostics
This section describes the process of setting up Dell™ Online Diagnostics.
Before You Begin
- Review the setup requirements and ensure that your system meets or exceeds the minimum requirements.
- Review the Online Diagnostics README file provided with the application. In addition to information on known issues, this README file includes the latest information about Online Diagnostics.
Important Notes
- Online Diagnostics is designed to diagnose hardware problems on a single system. Online Diagnostics does not resolve network-level issues unless they are caused by NICs on a single system.
- Hard drive diagnostic tests are designed to run as low-priority background tasks to limit their impact on other hard drive I/O activities. Due to their low priority, it is recommended that you limit drive activity when running hard drive diagnostic tests. The tests may run slowly or even stop when other hard drive I/O activities are running concurrently. However, the tests resume when hard drive I/O activity stops.
- Online Diagnostics runs in parallel with all other applications running on the system. When you run diagnostic tests, the additional system load is noticeable, affecting the performance of the system and all running applications. If you are running critical applications that require fast response or consume significant system resources, take precautions before running these diagnostics. Close all unnecessary applications and run diagnostics only during off-peak hours.
- Running Online Diagnostics in both Graphical User Interface (GUI) and Command Line Interface (CLI) modes simultaneously is not supported.
Setup and Diagnostic Requirements
Online Diagnostics must be set up on each Managed System to run diagnostics locally.
Managed System Requirements
- At least 256 MB RAM
- Minimum 40 MB of free space on the system drive (C: [Windows] or /opt [Linux]).
- Supported operating system installed on the Dell system. Refer to "Supported Operating Systems."
- Dell-approved device drivers and firmware to run diagnostics on RAID controllers, connected RAID hard drives, tape drives, tape autoloaders, and tape libraries. Refer to the instructions that accompany the device for details, or access the latest drivers and firmware on the Dell support site at support.dell.com. For the latest driver and firmware versions for RAID controllers, refer to "Supported RAID Controller Diagnostic Relevance."
Diagnostic Requirements
- You must log in with administrator privileges to run Online Diagnostics.
Table 2-1 lists the devices and dependencies required for each operating system to run Online Diagnostics. If these device dependencies are not met, Online Diagnostics exhibits the default behavior described in the table.
Table 2-1. Device Requirements
| Device | Operating System | Primary Resource | Default Behavior (if dependency not met) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel® NIC | Microsoft® Windows® | Intel PROSet Management Agent or Intel PROSet Utility for Microsoft Device Manager. These are installed as options when installing Intel drivers. Intel drivers can be downloaded from the Dell support site at support.dell.com. Drivers and downloads are located under the Network category for the selected product. | Intel vendor diagnostics not available. |
| DRAC 4 | Microsoft Windows, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux | Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC) component on Windows and Remote Access Core component on Linux. DRAC components can be installed using Dell Systems Management Tools and the DVD instructions. Alternatively, download from support.dell.com. | All detected failures with internal warnings indicate that drivers and services are not installed. |
| USB utilities package (version 0.11 or later) | USB controllers | Diagnostic tests for USB devices are unavailable. | |
| pciutils package (version 2.1.11 or later) | Online Diagnostics installation fails. | ||
| Broadcom® NIC | Red Hat Enterprise Linux and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server | Broadcom Advanced Controller Suite (BACS). BACS is installed as an option when installing Broadcom drivers. Broadcom drivers can be downloaded from the Dell support site at support.dell.com. Drivers and downloads are located under the Network category for the selected product. | The listed Broadcom tests will fail if BACS is not present. |
| Microsoft Windows | bnx2 driver version 1.4.51 or later. tg3 driver version 3.71 or later. | ||
| Emulex® Fibre Channel Controllers | Linux operating systems | 1. Emulex HBAnywhere utility. To download this utility, visit the Emulex Web site at www.emulex.com, click "Downloads" → Dell. Click the adapter model. On the current drivers, click Linux and download the application suite. 2. Install the available libhbaapi rpm from the operating system DVD. |
Fibre Channel controllers are not enumerated, and diagnostic tests are unavailable. |
| QLogic® Fibre Channel Controllers | Linux operating systems | 1. SNIA API drivers for Linux. To download these drivers, visit the QLogic Web site at www.qlogic.com. Click "Downloads" → "Fibre Channel Adapters". Select the model and operating system and click "Go". 2. Install the available libhbaapi rpm from the operating system DVD. |
Fibre Channel controllers are not enumerated, and diagnostic tests are unavailable. |
[Note]: Memory diagnostic programs are not supported on the following Dell systems because they do not support IPMI: SC420, SC430, SC440, SC1420, SC1430, and T105.
Installation Procedure
Online Diagnostics installation files for Microsoft Windows and Linux operating systems are available on the Dell support Web site at support.dell.com.
[Note]: On Windows Server 2008 (Core) operating systems, Dell Online Diagnostics is available only when the Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable Package is installed. The Visual C++ Redistributable Package is available from the Microsoft Web site at www.microsoft.com.
[Note]: Ensure that you accept the End User License Agreement (EULA) when installing Online Diagnostics.
Installing Online Diagnostics on Microsoft Windows
Follow these steps to install Online Diagnostics on systems running a supported Microsoft Windows operating system.
- Run the .exe file to start the installation program. The "Welcome to the Dell Online Diagnostics 2.x.y Setup Wizard" screen appears.
- Click "Next". The Dell Software License Agreement is displayed.
- Click "I Agree to accept the terms of the agreement".
- Click "Install" to accept the default directory path, or click "Browse" to navigate to the directory where you want to install Online Diagnostics, and click "Install".
- Click "Finish".
- Click "Start" → "Programs" → "Online Diagnostics 2.x.y" and select "Online Diagnostics GUI" to run in GUI mode, or select "Online Diagnostics CLI" to run in CLI mode. To run Online Diagnostics on Windows Server 2008 (Core) operating systems, run the StartDiags.exe program to run the GUI or run pediags.exe to run the CLI, located at x:\<installation_directory>\Online Diagnostics\oldiags\bin, where x is the installation directory.
[Note]: The option to launch Online Diagnostics from the "Start" menu is available only to the administrator who installed the application. All other administrators must use the StartDiags shortcut within the installation folder to run the application.
[Note]: On Windows® Small Business Server systems, the network administrator does not have full permissions to run the Dell Online Diagnostics application. To run the Dell Online Diagnostics application, click "Start" → "Programs" → "Online Diagnostics 2.x.y", then right-click "Online Diagnostics GUI" or "Online Diagnostics CLI" and select "Run as administrator".
[Note]: On Windows Server® 2008 R2 or later versions, users with administrator privileges cannot run the Online Diagnostics application directly. To run the Online Diagnostics application, click "Start" → "Programs" → "Online Diagnostics 2.x.y", then right-click "Online Diagnostics GUI" or "Online Diagnostics CLI" and select "Run as administrator".
Installing Online Diagnostics on Linux and ESX
Follow these steps to install Online Diagnostics on systems running a supported Linux or ESX operating system.
- Extract the tar.gz file to the desired location. The extracted files contain the installation script (install.sh) and the required installation packages.
- Run install.sh to install these packages. The Dell Software License Agreement is displayed.
- Type "Y" (yes) to accept the license agreement. All files required to run the application are extracted to the default installation directory /opt/dell/onlinediags.
- Run startDiags.sh from the /opt/dell/onlinediags directory to launch Online Diagnostics.
[Note]: Do not extract or copy startDiags.sh to another directory and attempt to run the application.
[Note]: Running Online Diagnostics on a read-only file system is not supported.
[Note]: To uninstall the application, run uninstall.sh. This file is located in the installation directory.
The Online Diagnostics GUI is a 32-bit application, and it cannot run on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (x86_64) systems if the Compatibility Arch Support package is missing. When you attempt to launch Online Diagnostics, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (x86_64) systems may display the following message:
Compatibility Arch Support package(s) [gtk, pango, and redhat-artwork] is not installed on this system. For details on installing the package(s) please refer to the README file.
To resolve this issue, perform the following steps:
- Run the Red Hat Package Management utility (redhat-config-packages).
- In the "Package Management" window, select the "Compatibility Arch Support" check box, and click "Details". The new "Compatibility Arch Support Details" window is displayed.
- Select the gtk, pango, and redhat-artwork packages for installation, and click "Close".
- In the "Package Management" window, click the "Update" button.
[Note]: Running multiple instances of Online Diagnostics is not supported.
Running Diagnostics in GUI Mode
This section provides step-by-step instructions for running Dell™ Online Diagnostics in Graphical User Interface (GUI) mode.
Running Diagnostic Tests
To run diagnostic programs, follow these steps:
- Launch the application.
- In the "Diagnostic Selection" section on the left, select the appropriate option from the "Selection Options" drop-down menu.
- Select the "Group by connection" option to view connections as nodes, with corresponding devices and tests displayed under each connection.
- Select the "Group by device" option to list system devices. All available tests for each device are displayed under the device.
[Note]: If a device is grayed out, it means that the device has no available tests. The configuration information for that device is displayed in the Configuration tab. - Select the "Group by test" option to list all available tests, with corresponding devices displayed under each test.
- Select the check box next to the tests you want to run. In the "Diagnostic Information" section on the right, the "Tests Selected" tab lists the currently selected diagnostic tests. Click "Run Tests" to perform the selected tests.
[Note]: The "Warning" line displays a minor icon indicating that a minor error may have been selected. Double-click the icon to view test warnings.
[Note]: Tests are queued and executed in the order selected. To stop the test queue, click the "Stop" button in the "Queuing Diagnostic Tests" window. - Click the "Status" tab to monitor the status of test execution.
- To interrupt a running test, right-click the test and select "Abort". Select "Abort All" to stop all tests in the queue.
- To pause a running test, right-click the test and select "Suspend".
- To resume a suspended test, right-click the test and select "Resume".
The icons in the "Result" column indicate the status of each test.
- "In Progress" [In Progress] indicates that the test is currently executing.
- "Aborted" [Aborted] indicates that the test has been interrupted.
[Note]: Not all diagnostic tests support the "Abort" option. If a test's status is "Ready", the test can be interrupted. When in "Executing" status, only tests that support the "Abort" option can be aborted. - "Suspended" [Suspended] indicates that the test is paused and can be restarted later.
[Note]: Not all diagnostic tests support the "Suspended" function. - "OK" [OK] indicates that the test has been executed successfully and no errors were found.
[Note]: The "Abort" / "Suspend" / "Abort All" options are available only a few seconds after the queue is completed. All queued tests must have the "Status" column filled in the table for the "Abort" / "Suspend" / "Abort All" options to be available. - "Non-critical" [Non-critical] indicates that a minor error was found during test execution.
- "Critical" [Critical] indicates that the test failed.
- Click the "Results" tab to view a brief description of the test execution results. The "Results" column contains a brief description of the test results. You can also double-click anywhere in the row to view details for a specific test, which are displayed in a pop-up window. For example, if the application encountered a minor error during test execution, the "Results" column displays a brief description of the error and any actions to be taken.
Configuring Diagnostic Execution Settings
You can configure diagnostic execution settings to run tests using a faster algorithm. Follow these steps:
- Select the tests in the "Diagnostic Selection" section that you want to run.
- In the "Diagnostic Information" section, select the "Tests Selected" tab. All selected tests are displayed.
- Select the "Quick Test" check box in the "Diagnostic Options" section at the bottom. If this option is available for one of the selected tests, the test runs in that mode.
[Note]: The "Quick Test" feature is not a supported test mode for all tests. Only a few tests support this feature.
[Note]: If no errors are reported after running in "Quick Test" mode, and you still suspect a hardware problem, it is recommended that you deselect the "Quick Test" mode and run the tests again. - Use the "Number of Passes" option to specify the number of times you want the tests to run. The minimum is 1, and the maximum is 20.
[Note]: Dell Remote Access Controller (DRAC) diagnostic tests require the RAC software component to be installed on the system. Refer to the DRAC User Guide for details.
[Note]: The "Abort" option is not supported for tape media tests on LTO-4 drives.
