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A P P E N D I X  B
BIOS Power-On Self-Test (POST) Codes

The system BIOS provides a basic power-on self-test (POST), during which the BIOS checks the basic devices required for the server to operate. The progress of the self-test is indicated by a series of POST codes. This chapter explains the BIOS POST testing, provides an alternate method for viewing the codes, describes how to change POST options, and lists the POST codes.

This chapter contains the following sections:

B.1 Introduction

The POST is a systematic check of basic system devices. As the testing progresses, the BIOS displays codes that you can use to interpret the status of your server. The codes appear at the bottom right corner of the system’s VGA screen, after the self-test has progressed far enough to initialize the video monitor. Because the codes might scroll off of the screen too quickly to be read, an alternate method of displaying POST codes is to redirect the output of the console to a serial port (see Section B.3, Redirecting Console Output).

B.2 How BIOS POST Memory Testing Works

The BIOS POST memory testing is performed as follows:

1. The first megabyte of DRAM is tested by the BIOS before the BIOS code is shadowed (that is, copied from ROM to DRAM).

2. Once executing out of DRAM, the BIOS performs a simple memory test (a write/read of every location with the pattern 55aa55aa).


Note - This memory test is performed only if Quick Boot is not enabled from the Boot Settings Configuration screen. Enabling Quick Boot causes the BIOS to skip the memory test. See Section B.4, Changing POST Options for more information.

3. The BIOS polls the memory controllers for both correctable and non-correctable memory errors and logs those errors into the SP.

4. The message, BMC Responding appears at the end of POST.

B.3 Redirecting Console Output

To access the SP and redirect the console output so that the BIOS POST codes can be read remotely.

1. Attach a multi-port dongle cable to the server module UCP connector.

2. Attach a monitor to the multi-port dongle cable’s video port and a keyboard to a USB connector.

3. Power cycle or power on the server.

4. Initialize the BIOS Setup Utility by pressing the F2 key while the system is performing the power-on self-test (POST).

The BIOS Main Menu screen appears.

5. Select Server.

The Server screen appears.

6. Select AST2000 LAN Configuration.

The LAN Configuration screen appears.

7. Select the IP Address menu item.

The SP’s IP address appears

8. Start a web browser and type the SP’s IP address in the browser’s address bar.

9. Type a user name and password as follows:

User name: root
Password: changeme

10. The ILOM SP web GUI screen appears.

11. Click the Remote Control tab.

12. Click the Redirection tab.

13. Click on the Start Redirection button.

The javaRConsole window appears and prompts you for your user name and password again.

14. When you are prompted, type a user name and password with administrator privileges.

The current POST screen appears.

B.4 Changing POST Options

These instructions are optional, but you can use them to change the operations that the server performs during POST testing.

To Change POST Options

1. Initialize the BIOS Setup Utility by pressing the F2 key while the system is performing the power-on self-test (POST).

The BIOS Main Menu screen appears.

2. Select the Boot menu.

The Boot Settings screen appears.

3. Select Boot Settings Configuration.

The Boot Settings Configuration screen appears.

4. On the Boot Settings Configuration screen, there are several options that you can enable or disable:

B.5 POST Codes

TABLE B-1 contains descriptions of each of the POST codes, listed in the same order in which they are generated. These POST codes appear as a four-digit string that is a combination of two-digit output from primary I/O port 80 and two-digit output from secondary I/O port 81. In the POST codes listed in TABLE B-1, the first two digits are from port 81 and the last two digits are from port 80.

The Response column describes the action taken by the system on encountering the corresponding error. The choices are:



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