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Using the Resource Configuration Utility: Dell PowerEdge 2300 Systems User's Guide
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The Resource Configuration Utility (RCU) is used to tell the system
what expansion cards are installed and which expansion slots they occupy. With this
information, the system automatically configures Plug and Play expansion cards and
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) expansion cards and can tell you how to configure
non-Plug and Play Industry-Standard Architecture (ISA) expansion cards manually by setting
jumpers or switches. Before your system was shipped from Dell, a technician used the RCU
to enter the correct information for the expansion cards initially installed in your
computer.
The RCU also monitors the resources required by any installed
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) expansion card. After installing or moving a PCI
expansion card, you should run the RCU to update the system's database of available system
resources stored in nonvolatile random-access memory (NVRAM).
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CAUTION: Whenever you make changes to the System Setup program or add, reposition,
or remove Industry-Standard Architecture (ISA) expansion cards, add or remove memory, or
change settings for built-in devices, you must run the Resource Configuration Utility,
make any necessary changes, and save the system configuration information. Failure to do
so may cause resource conflicts between Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) devices
(such as PCI expansion cards, the built-in video controller, or the built-in small
computer system interface [SCSI] host adapter). See Configuring ISA and PCI
Expansion Cardsfor more information about how PCI
devices are configured based on settings in the Resource Configuration Utility. |
Whenever you add, remove, or reposition an ISA expansion card, use
the RCU to reconfigure your system. The utility reads the card's corresponding
configuration file (.cfg file), which describes the card's
characteristics and required system resources, and then uses this information to create a
conflict-free configuration.
The RCU is PCI-aware and can also be used to configure PCI expansion
cards. Configuration information for PCI expansion cards is contained within the card, so
no additional .cfg file is required. You should run the RCU after
installing or moving a PCI expansion card to keep the system's database of available
resources accurate.
If the RCU is not aware of an installed ISA expansion card, resource
conflicts can arise. For this reason, it is extremely important to enter information about
ISA expansion cards into the RCU. In addition, certain ISA graphics adapter cards and
multiport serial cards require some memory or caching reconfiguration provided by the RCU.
The RCU is included on the Dell Server Assistant CD shipped
with your system. This CD includes an RCU directory that contains the main program plus a
directory of .cfg files for many--but not all--ISA expansion cards.
You can run the RCU directly from the CD or from a diskette that you
create using the CD's main menu. Dell recommends that you run the RCU from a diskette
because it is not compatible with all operating systems. Also, using a diskette to run the
utility allows you to copy any system configuration changes to the diskette for
safekeeping. See Using the Dell Server Assistant CD, for
instructions on creating an RCU diskette.
When you buy an ISA expansion card, copy the appropriate
configuration file (contained in the .cfg directory on the diskette) to
your RCU diskette. If the .cfg directory does not contain a configuration
file for your ISA expansion card, use the generic ISA card configuration file, which is
included in the .cfg directory on the CD. Instructions for using the
generic .cfg file are included in
Adding an Expansion Card.
PCI expansion cards do not require a
configuration file. The PCI configuration utility in ROM automatically uses the
information maintained by the RCU to assign resources for PCI expansion cards.
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CAUTION: You must use the RCU when you add an ISA expansion card to
your computer. For an ISA card, use the specific configuration file for your expansion
card, if one is available, rather than the generic ISA card configuration file. The
generic ISA card configuration file cannot be used to identify potential resource
conflicts or proper jumper and switch settings. |
Whenever you add or remove non-Plug and Play ISA expansion cards,
you must run the RCU to ensure that no two cards attempt to use the same resources (such
as interrupt request [IRQ] lines).
Run the program before adding or removing any non-Plug and Play ISA
expansion cards. The RCU can identify and resolve any resource conflicts and indicate the
proper jumper and switch settings for each expansion card to avoid such conflicts. Running
the program first helps you determine how to configure a non-Plug and Play ISA expansion
card before you install it in your computer.
After you have run the RCU for your non-Plug and Play ISA expansion
cards and it has configured all your Plug and Play and PCI expansion cards, you can use
the utility to lock the configuration of your Plug and Play and PCI expansion cards so
that they are always assigned the same resources. See Locking
and Unlocking Cards for details.
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NOTE: If your system detects a card
configuration problem during operation, you receive a warning message directing you to run
the RCU to correct the problem. |
The RCU uses menus to guide you through the configuration process.
The menus and their options are accessed through keyboard commands.
To make a menu selection, use the up- or down-arrow key to highlight
the desired option, and then press <Enter>. In the Help menu or Advanced menu, you
can also select an option by pressing the key that corresponds to the highlighted letter
in the selection list.
To scroll up or down a screen, press the <Page Up> or <Page
Down> key, respectively.
The RCU has online instructions for each of its procedures. If you
need help at any time, press <F1> to see a help screen that offers more details
about the task you are doing.
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NOTES: Your system's default hardware
configuration allows updating of the configuration information. However, if the ISA_CLR
jumper on the system board is installed, the configuration information cannot be updated
until the jumper plug is removed.
If you have reason to think the jumper setting has been changed, check the jumper before
attempting to make a configuration change. For information on the ISA_CLR jumper location
and settings, see Figure B-1 and Table B-1, respectively, in the Installation
and Troubleshooting Guide. |
If you are running the RCU from your hard-disk drive, remove any TSR
programs from memory before starting the utility. These programs take up space in system
memory even when they are not running, thus reducing the amount of memory available to the
RCU. See the documentation that accompanied these programs for instructions on removing
them from memory.
If you start the utility and there is not enough memory to run it, a
message is displayed. If you receive such a message, run the utility from a diskette.
Follow these steps the first time you use the RCU. Later, if a card
is added, removed, or repositioned, you must follow the procedure described in Step 2: Add or Remove Boards.
1. To run the program from a diskette, insert into drive A the RCU
diskette that you created from the CD. Then either turn on your computer or reboot it by
pressing the <Ctrl><Alt><Del> key
combination or the reset button.
To run the program from your hard-disk drive, switch to the c:\rcu
subdirectory, type sd at the operating system prompt, and press <Enter>.
To run the program from the Dell Server Assistant CD,
restart the system from the CD.
Select Run RCU from the CD's main menu.
2. When the Welcome screen appears, read the information on the
screen and press <Enter>.
The Main Menu appears as follows:
Main Menu
Learn about configuring your computer
Configure computer
Set date
Set time
Maintain system configuration diskette
Exit from this utility
The first option in the menu is already highlighted.
3. Press <Enter> to read the online overview of the RCU.
After reading the online overview, you are ready to use the program
to configure your computer for any PCI expansion cards currently installed or any ISA
expansion cards that will be installed in your computer's expansion slots.
The following five sections describe each of the menu options in the
Main Menu and the submenus for those options.
The Learn About Configuring Your Computer option presents an
overview of the configuration process. As you finish reading a screen, press <Enter>
to view the next screen. Press <F10> to return to the Main Menu.
The Configure Computer option takes you through the configuration
process step by step. Use this option the first time you configure your system and every
time you change your configuration through the RCU.
When you select Configure Computer, the following menu appears on
the screen:
Steps in configuring your computer Step 1: Important resource configuration information
Step 2: Add or remove boards Step 3: View or edit details Step 4: Examine switches or
print report Step 5: Save and exit
The Step 1: Important Resource Configuration Information option uses
seven information screens to explain the configuration process. After reading the first
screen, press <Enter> to see the next one. When you have finished reading all seven
screens, press <Esc> to return to the Steps in Configuring Your Computer menu.
To review the information screens at any time while you are in the
RCU, press <F1> and select Resource Configuration from the Help menu.
When you select the Step 2: Add or Remove Boards option, the RCU
lists all the expansion slots in your computer. (You may have to press <Page Down>
to view the entire list.)
If you copied a card's configuration file to your RCU diskette or to
the RCU configuration subdirectory (rcu) on your hard-disk drive, the card name appears
in the expansion slot in which the card is installed.
The first time you run the RCU, select Step 2: Add or Remove Boards
to verify that the system has detected and acknowledged any expansion cards Dell installed
when you purchased your system. Use this option whenever you add or remove an expansion
card and every time you reposition a card from one expansion slot to another in your
computer.
To add, reposition, or remove an expansion card, highlight the
corresponding expansion slot and press <Ins> to add, <F7> to reposition, or
<Del> to remove the card. The utility guides you through the steps required to add,
remove, or reposition a card's configuration file within the RCU. If there are no resource
conflicts, the system configuration information is saved to a system configuration (.sci)
file when you exit the utility.
Before you add an ISA expansion card, you must add the card's .cfg
file to the utility. Configuration information for PCI expansion cards is contained within
the card, so no .cfg file is required.
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NOTE: Use the following procedure
before an ISA expansion card is installed. See When to Run the RCU for
more detailed information. |
1. Start the RCU as described in Starting the RCU.
2. At the Main Menu, select Configure
Computer.
3. At the Steps in Configuring Your
Computer menu, select Step 2: Add or Remove Boards.
A list of expansion slots and the cards
installed in them appears on the screen.
4. Highlight the expansion slot in
which the card will be installed, press <Ins>, and follow the online instructions.
If the utility asks for the option
configuration diskette, insert the diskette that accompanied your expansion card.
If the utility asks for the system
configuration diskette, insert your RCU diskette.
If the utility asks for the .cfg
file library diskette, insert the diskette of .cfg files.
5. From the list of configuration files
listed by the utility, choose the one that corresponds to the card you want to add.
The utility asks you to confirm your
choice, and then it prompts you to select the expansion slot in which the card will be
installed.
If you are adding an ISA expansion
card, insert your .cfg diskette to find the .cfg file for that card. If
the .cfg file for the expansion card you are installing is not on the
diskette, select Generic ISA Board from the list of configuration files.
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NOTE: Alternatively, if you know the
resources used by the expansion card, you can press <F5> and bring up a menu that
lets you create the .cfg file.
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For all ISA expansion cards, use the Step 4: Examine
Switches or Print Report option (under the Steps in Configuring Your Computer menu) to
check the switch and jumper settings on the new card. Configure the new card as indicated
before it is installed in your computer.
6. Press <F10>, select Step 5:
Save and Exit, and follow the online instructions to save the current system configuration
information.
Remember to save a printout or written
copy of your new configuration. The utility may prompt you to check the jumper and switch
settings on the new card. Follow the online instructions to see an illustration of the new
card's settings.
Use the following procedure before an
ISA expansion card is repositioned but after a PCI expansion card is repositioned. See When to Run the Resource
Configuration Utility for more detailed information.
1. Start the RCU as described in Starting the Resource Configuration
Utility.
2. At the Main Menu, select Configure
Computer.
3. At the Steps in Configuring Your
Computer menu, select Step 2: Add or Remove Boards.
A list of expansion slots and the cards
in them appears on the screen.
4. Highlight the name of the card you
want to reposition, press <F7>, and follow the online instructions.
5. Press <F10>, select Step 5:
Save and Exit, and follow the online instructions to save the current system configuration
information.
Remember to save a printout or written
copy of the new information.
Use the following procedure before an
ISA expansion card is removed but after a PCI expansion card is removed. See When to Run the Resource
Configuration Utility for more detailed information.
1. Start the RCU as described in Starting the Resource Configuration
Utility.
2. At the Main Menu, select Configure
Computer.
3. At the Steps in Configuring Your
Computer menu, select Step 2: Add or Remove Boards.
A list of expansion slots and the cards
installed in them appears on the screen.
4. Highlight the name of the card you
want to remove, press <Del>, and follow the online instructions.
5. Press <F10>, select Step 5:
Save and Exit, and follow the online instructions to save the current system configuration
information.
Remember to save a printout or written
copy of the new information.
If there are no resource conflicts, the
configuration information is saved to a system configuration (.sci) file
when you exit the utility. If there is a resource conflict, you must resolve it before
completing the configuration. For more information, see Resolving Resource Conflicts.
The RCU
lets you set a variety of system options through the .sci file. Through
this file, you can notify the system of changes to your hardware and memory configuration,
manage input/output (I/O) ports, and set other system operating parameters.
Some of the categories do not offer
options, but reflect installed hardware detected by the system. These items are displayed
for your information only; you cannot change them through the utility.
Display the list of system board
options as follows:
1. Start the RCU as described in Starting the Resource Configuration
Utility.
2. At the Main Menu, select Configure
Computer.
3. At the Steps in Configuring Your
Computer menu, select Step 3: View or Edit Details.
A list of system board options appears
on the screen. Figure 1 shows settings typical for your system.
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NOTE: Whenever you add an expansion card to the computer, its
presence is reflected by changes to the System Board Options screen. |
To select a category on the list of
system board options, press the up- or down-arrow key to highlight the category and press
<Enter>. A pop-up menu appears, listing the options for that category. To select an
option, press the up- or down-arrow key to highlight the option and press <Enter>.
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NOTES: Several system board
categories allow you to edit such resources as memory address, I/O ports, IRQs, and direct
memory access (DMA) channels. It may be necessary to edit these resources to resolve a
configuration conflict. To view the resource screen for any category, highlight the option
and press <F6>.
The edit resources feature is intended for users who are technically knowledgeable. Do
not change resource settings from their defaults if you do not understand how such a
change will affect system performance.
While in the Step 3: View or Edit Details menu, you can press <F7> to enter the
Advanced menu. See "Advanced Menu" found later in this chapter for more
information. |
When you have finished making changes,
save the new system configuration information and exit the utility as follows:
1. Press <F10>, and select Step
5: Save and Exit from the Steps in Configuring Your Computer menu.
2. Select Save the Configuration and
Restart the Computer from the menu that appears.
The following system board options are
available on the View or Edit Details screen (see Figure 1):
System - Dell System
PowerEdge 2300
- RS-232 COM Port 1
- RS-232 COM Port 2
- Parallel Port
- Floppy Controller
- Mouse Controller
- PCI 3 - Adaptec Ultra/Ultra Wide SCSI Ctrlr
- PCI Function 1
- Embedded - PCI Host Bridge
- PCI Function 1
- Embedded - PCI-PCI Bridge - Bus 1
- PCI Function 1
- Bus 1, 0 - PCI VGA Controller
- PCI Function 1
- Standard VGA Resources
- Embedded - DEC PCI-PCI Bridge (21152)
- PCI Function 1
- Bus 2, 4 - Adaptec AIC-7890 SCSI Ctrlr
- PCI Function 1
- Bus 2, 6 - Adaptec AIC-7860 SCSI Ctrlr
- PCI Function 1
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NOTE: You can clear the system
configuration parameters from NVRAM by placing a jumper on the ISA_CLR jumper pins and
then booting the system with the jumper in place. See Table 1 in the Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide for information about the jumper. |
Figure 1. View
or Edit Details Screen (Example)
The Step 4: Examine Switches or Print
Report option lists the required switch and jumper settings for each expansion card in
your computer. To view the settings, highlight the card and press <Enter>. For ISA
expansion cards, it is important to compare the jumper and switch settings listed on the
screen to the actual settings on the card.
Press <F7> to make a copy of or
print the settings. If your computer is attached to a printer, you can print out the
information or copy it to a file.
The Step 5: Save and Exit option allows
you to save or cancel the configuration changes you have made. When you select this
option, follow the directions on the menu that displays.
If you save your changes, the utility
saves the new configuration in your system's NVRAM and in a file on your RCU diskette.
Then, the utility automatically reboots your system.
If you cancel your changes, you can
remain in the utility to make other changes or exit the utility without saving any
changes.
Using the Maintain System Configuration
Diskette option, you can create a backup copy of the .sci file or use a previously saved
.sci file to reconfigure your system or to identically configure many other systems. You
can also copy .cfg files and delete .sci and .cfg
files from your RCU diskette, your diskette of .cfg files, or the
configuration diskette(s) for any hardware option.
The Exit From This Utility option
allows you to exit from the RCU and reboot your computer system.
The Advanced menu lets you lock or
unlock cards in a configuration, view detailed information about the system, and maintain .sci
files.
To see the Advanced menu, press
<F7> while in the Step 3: View or Edit Details menu. The following menu appears:
Advanced menu
Lock/unlock boards View additional system information menu Set
verification mode menu Maintain SCI files menu
Highlight the menu category you want,
and press <Enter>. Then follow the online instructions.
The following subsections describe each
category.
When you lock an expansion card, the
RCU cannot change the resources allocated to that card. Unlocking the card allows the
system to change the resources automatically as new cards are added. The default setting
for the Lock/Unlock Boards category is Unlocked. Dell recommends that you keep your cards
unlocked so that the RCU can do its job properly.
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NOTE: The RCU ignores the Lock/Unlock
Boards setting for the PCI host bridge and the PCI-PCI bridge devices. |
The RCU contains detailed information
about the system board, the ISA expansion cards installed in your computer, and the used
and available resources. The options for the View Additional System Information Menu
category are:
- Board Specifications
- System Specifications
- Used Resources
- Available Resources
The Used Resources and Available
Resources options contain detailed information about resources such as IRQs, DMA channels,
and I/O ports, which may be useful if you need to resolve a resource conflict.
The settings for the Set Verification
Mode Menu category are Automatic (the default) and Manual. When this category is set to
Automatic, the RCU automatically checks for resource conflicts and tries to resolve them.
Unless you are technically knowledgeable, leave this category set to Automatic.
Each time you use the RCU to configure
your system, the system configuration information is saved in a .sci file and in system
memory. You should save the system configuration information to a backup file that can be
used to restore the information if the .sci file is damaged or lost. The options for the
Maintain SCI Files Menu category are Open (the default) and Save As.
The Open option creates a backup file
that overwrites the existing configuration. The Save As option allows you to select the
filename under which you want the .sci file saved.
The RCU automatically resolves resource
conflicts between two PCI expansion cards. It is extremely unusual for the RCU to fail in
resolving a resource conflict between two PCI expansion cards. If the RCU fails to resolve
the conflict, see Chapter 11, "Getting Help," in your Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide for information on obtaining technical assistance.
However, resource conflicts between ISA
expansion cards are routine. If the Set Verification Mode menu category is set to
Automatic, the RCU tries to resolve the conflict. If the utility cannot resolve the
conflict, the card you just installed is deactivated and the following message is
displayed:
Caution
The last board added caused an un-resolvable conflict in your
computer's configuration. This board has a `De-activated' status. You must remove this
board or the one(s) it is in conflict with in order to save a correct configuration.
If the caution message appears, press
<Enter> to display a list of all cards installed in your computer. The deactivated
card is enclosed by < > symbols.
You can remove the card(s) with which
it is in conflict, or change the resources on one or more cards.
If you want to remove the card, press
<Del> and follow the online instructions. Remove the card from your computer when
the utility prompts you to do so. (For instructions on removing the expansion card, see
"Removing an Expansion Card" in Chapter 8 of the Installation and
Troubleshooting Guide.)
If you remove the card(s) with which
the new card is in conflict, or if you want to change the resources of one or more cards,
use the procedure described in the next subsection.
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NOTE: Locked cards may cause resource
conflicts. |
To unlock a card, use the following
procedure:
1. Press <F7> in the Step 3: View
or Edit Details menu (from the Steps in Configuring Your Computer menu).
2. Select Lock/Unlock Boards and press
<Enter>.
3. Select the card(s) you want to
unlock, and press <Enter>.
4. Press <F10> to exit the
Advanced menu.
If there is a resource conflict between
two ISA expansion cards and you want to remove the card that conflicts with the one you
just installed, use the following procedure:
1. From the Steps in Configuring Your
Computer menu, select Step 2: Add or Remove Boards and press <Enter>.
From the list of expansion slots and
cards, select the card in conflict with the one installed, and press <Del>.
When the utility asks you to confirm your command, press
<Enter>. Then press <Esc> to return to the Steps in Configuring Your Computer
menu.
2. Select Step 5: Save and Exit, and
press <Enter>.
3. Select Save the Configuration and
Restart the Computer, and press <Enter>.
The system reboots with the new system
configuration information.
4. If you deleted an expansion-card
configuration file from the previously saved system configuration information, remove the
card from your computer.
For instructions on removing the
expansion card, see "Removing an Expansion Card" in Chapter 8 of the Installation
and Troubleshooting Guide.
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