Problems with an R310 boot looping. Can't get into BIOS

[dstanding]

R310 will not boot beyond initializing devices. If I hit F2/F10/F11/F12 it shows "Entering BIOS/system services/etc" but as soon as the RAC initializes the system resets. I can get into configuration for all of the devices (SAS, NIC, DRAC) but not into anything that will let me configure the server itself.

I swapped in an iDRAC 6 Express + Enterprise from my R710 and configured it, logged in, and no errors are being thrown. I've tried resetting everything to default, pulling the CMOS battery overnight, nothing has helped.

BIOS revision is 1.5.2. X3430, 4x2GB PC3-10600R, no drives, SAS6/i, no addon cards.

Has anyone encountered this issue before? Is there any way to update the system BIOS over DRAC?

 

[pricklypunter]

I read somewhere that you can sometimes get back into the bios by stripping the server clean down to barebones and only using a single ram stick in the A1 position (single dimm mode). Also, read that sometimes a dodgy power supply can cause this. I have never actually seen one do this though.

 

[coolrunnings82]

Agreed on dodgy power possibility or possibly a bad memory module.

 

[Terry Kennedy]

R310 will not boot beyond initializing devices. If I hit F2/F10/F11/F12 it shows "Entering BIOS/system services/etc" but as soon as the RAC initializes the system resets. I can get into configuration for all of the devices (SAS, NIC, DRAC) but not into anything that will let me configure the server itself.

Do you mean before / during RAC initialization or after the RAC initialization completes? If after, that would mean that something at the very end of POST or start of bootstrap is causing the problem.

I swapped in an iDRAC 6 Express + Enterprise from my R710 and configured it, logged in, and no errors are being thrown. I've tried resetting everything to default, pulling the CMOS battery overnight, nothing has helped.

What RAC hardware did you have in the system before? I'm also not sure if this fixed things or just gave you remote access.

If you can get into the DRAC, look at System / Logs / Post Code - that should tell you how far the system got in booting (normal is "0x7F - Given control to OS"). In the same menu is "Boot Capture" which will give you frame-by-frame playback of the entire boot process (in case something is flashing on the screen too quickly for you to see it).

Other than that, configure the system as minimally as possible - no expansion cards, not even in the integrated slots (you don't have to physically remove the integrated card, just make sure its connector is no longer plugged into the PCIe slot). Drop down to a single memory DIMM pair (or even a single DIMM if supported). The iDRAC6 Enterprise isn't required and I'm pretty sure the low-end Rx10's don't even require the iDRAC6 Express card to be installed.

If nothing else, this will get you to the point where the system resets more quickly, so you don't have to wait for add-in cards to initialize. Which should make further troubleshooting faster. Once you have the system in a workable state, you can add things one at a time to make sure you didn't re-introduce the problem.

If you don't need UEFI, I'd stay away from System Services - it slows the boot down a great deal for no particular gain.