IBM 847651U Handbook - Page 193

Diagnostic tools overview Diagnostic test programs IBM provides programs that you can run to diagnose hardware and some software problems. Several utility programs that provide helpful information about your server are also included. One of these programs provides the user interface for running these diagnostic and utility programs. The server diagnostic test programs are stored on the IBM Enhanced Diagnostics CD that comes with your server. These programs are the primary method of testing the system board, memory, and other standard features of your Netfinity 3000 server. You can also use them to test some external devices. Also, if you cannot determine whether a problem is caused by the hardware or by the software, you can run the test programs to confirm that the hardware is working properly. The IBM Enhanced Diagnostics programs will isolate your server hardware from software that you have installed on your hard disk. The programs run independently of the operating system, and must be run either from CD or diskette. This method of testing is generally used when other methods are not accessible or have not been successful in isolating a problem suspected to be hardware related. The server diagnostic test programs can identify most problems associated with major components of your server: the system board, Ethernet controller, video adapter or controller, random-access memory (RAM), diskette drive, CD ROM drive, hard disk drive, serial port, parallel port, keyboard, and mouse. In addition to the server test programs, the IBM Enhanced Diagnostics CD contains utility programs that provide information about your server hardware, including the hardware configuration. This information might be useful in helping to isolate problems related to the operating system and device drivers. The IBM Enhanced Diagnostics CD also contains additional diagnostic programs for non-IBM devices. Chapter 5. Solving problems 159