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Typical operating system installation
The ServerGuide program can reduce the time it takes to install an operating
system. It provides the device drivers that are required for your hardware and for
the operating system that you are installing. This section describes a typical
ServerGuide operating-system installation.
Note: Features and functions can vary slightly with different versions of the
ServerGuide program.
1. After you have completed the setup process, the operating-system installation
program starts. (You will need your operating-system CD to complete the
installation.)
2. The ServerGuide program stores information about the server model, service
processor, hard disk drive controllers, and network adapters. Then, the program
checks the CD for newer device drivers. This information is stored and then
passed to the operating-system installation program.
3. The ServerGuide program prompts you to insert your operating-system CD and
restart the server. At this point, the installation program for the operating system
takes control to complete the installation.
Installing your operating system without ServerGuide
If you have already configured the server hardware and you are not using the
ServerGuide program to install your operating system, complete the following steps
to download the latest operating-system installation instructions from the IBM Web
site.
Note: Changes are made periodically to the IBM Web site. The actual procedure
might vary slightly from what is described in this document.
1. Go to http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/.
2. Under Product support, click System x.
3. From the menu on the left side of the page, click System x support search.
4. From the Task menu, select Install.
5. From the Product family menu, select System x3500.
6. From the Operating system menu, select your operating system, and then click
Search to display the available installation documents.
Using the baseboard management controller
The baseboard management controller provides environmental monitoring for the
server. If environmental conditions exceed thresholds or if system components fail,
the baseboard management controller lights LEDs to help you diagnose the
problem and also records the error in the system event/error log.
The baseboard management controller also provides the following remote server
management capabilities through the OSA SMBridge management utility program:
v Command-line interface (IPMI Shell)
The command-line interface provides direct access to server management
functions through the IPMI protocol. Use the command-line interface to issue
commands to control the server power, view system information, and identify the
server. You can also save one or more commands as a text file and run the file
as a script.
v Serial over LAN
Chapter 3. Configuring the server 57