SOLVED C2550D4I NO POST, NO VGA OUTPUT VIA IPMI

[lightmanhk]

Hi, All.

First of all, I am new to nas server, forgive if I made any stupid mistake in this post.

I try to build a nas server similar to the one described here.

Here is my build:

• ASRock C2550D4I Mini ITX Server Motherboard DDR3 1600/1333/1066
• Crucial 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ECC Unbuffered DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Server Memory Model CT2KIT102472BD160B
• WD 3TB Red NAS Hard Drive, SATA III w/ 64MB Cache (x3)
• CS Series 550W Modular Power Supply
• Antec Three Hundred Two Case

However, I am having a couple of issue with ASRock C2550D4I board.

1) there is no VGA output by default. I am ok with since I still can connect it via IPMI. However, there is no instruction on how to enable this. I have done some researches but unfortunately there is no instruction either.

2) the console direction provided by the IPMI doesn't work at all. There is no image such as boot process through IPMIViewer at all. like 1) I am not able to find any usual information yet.

I have attached few images.

1.png: shows I can access the web portal of IPMI. However, as you notice, the remote control shows black screen and it always saying "Host is powered OFF or is in Sleep Mode". I have tried many times. It always keep saying the same thing.

2.jpg: Strangely enough, "Remote Control" page shows the Host is currently on. no idea why.

3.jpg: shows the result I get from the "Console redirection".

Anyway, Hope someone can give me some suggestions. Thanks a lot!

 

[rogerh]

The only thing I can think of is that either the motherboard or the RAM is defective - or possibly the latter not seated properly. Have you tried turning it off, does that work, either by IPMI or case button? The other possibility is that one of the little plugs from the case leads is connected to the wrong pins, preventing the board waking up.

 

[DrKK]

Can you tell us what happens when you power on? Do you hear fans? Hard drives spinning up? etc?

 

[rogerh]

Can you tell us what happens when you power on? Do you hear fans? Hard drives spinning up? etc?

The IPMI data presented suggests that the PSU is coming out of stand-by and the fans are spinning up. That is why I asked if it was actually possible to turn it off via IPMI. If not, it is either broken or there is a wrong connection to the case switch pins.

 

[rogerh]

Two other suggestions:

1. Some of these Atom boards seem to have two power supply connections like normal boards used to (a 24 pin and a 4 pin one) BUT you're only supposed to connect one or the other; read the manual carefully.

2. Having sorted the power connections and reseated the RAM, try disconnecting ALL other connections from the board apart from RAM and ethernet for IPMI. Then see if IPMI can power it up and switch it off, and give a valid POST display on the virtual console. Even if just an error message to say there is no keyboard and nothing to boot from.

 

[ilmarmors]

Just in case my experience with simple mistake when seating of RAM modules. When I built my FreeNAS server using ASRock C2750D4I. I didn't pay attention and put RAM modules on one side of the CPU, instead of putting one module on each side. There wasn't any video output too after turning server on, kind of nothing happened. I don't know how it looked from IPMI view though.

 

[lightmanhk]

Can you tell us what happens when you power on? Do you hear fans? Hard drives spinning up? etc?

Yeah, I can hear fans and hard drives is spinning up.

The weird thing is that the LED near the CMOS battery is blinking on every seconds. No idea why.

 

[lightmanhk]

Two other suggestions:

1. Some of these Atom boards seem to have two power supply connections like normal boards used to (a 24 pin and a 4 pin one) BUT you're only supposed to connect one or the other; read the manual carefully.

2. Having sorted the power connections and reseated the RAM, try disconnecting ALL other connections from the board apart from RAM and ethernet for IPMI. Then see if IPMI can power it up and switch it off, and give a valid POST display on the virtual console. Even if just an error message to say there is no keyboard and nothing to boot from.

Thanks for replying the question.

1. as you can see here, the MOBO only has a 24 pin connector.

2. I have tried it. IPMI seems can always power the system up even without pressing the case power up button by me. I am not entirely sure about IPMI has been switched off or not because I can always access the megarac SP web portal. In addition, it does not give me anything on the virtual console at all.

 

[demon]

The weird thing is that the LED near the CMOS battery is blinking on every seconds. No idea why.

I have the C2750D4I. The LED you mention is the heartbeat LED for the IPMI/BMC controller. It's supposed to flash about once a second to indicate that it's booted and operational. This is normal behavior.

 

[lightmanhk]

Just in case my experience with simple mistake when seating of RAM modules. When I built my FreeNAS server using ASRock C2750D4I. I didn't pay attention and put RAM modules on one side of the CPU, instead of putting one module on each side. There wasn't any video output too after turning server on, kind of nothing happened. I don't know how it looked from IPMI view though.

just for curiosity, doesn't C2750D4I disable the VGA by default? or do you need to explicitly enable that?

as you see here, I installed my ram on both side as the manual suggested.

 

[demon]

just for curiosity, doesn't C2750D4I disable the VGA by default? or do you need to explicitly enable that?

as you see here, I installed my ram on both side as the manual suggested.

The VGA port on the board uses the graphics in the onboard AST2300 chip, so you don't need to switch graphics to use it. The AST2300 is the BMC/IPMI chip. If you connect a VGA monitor to it, you'll be able to see exactly what you'd see via the Java remote console app. I've done this with my own system.

 

[lightmanhk]

The VGA port on the board uses the graphics in the onboard AST2300 chip, so you don't need to switch graphics to use it. The AST2300 is the BMC/IPMI chip. If you connect a VGA monitor to it, you'll be able to see exactly what you'd see via the Java remote console app. I've done this with my own system.

oh, I see. Thanks.

Have you got any message like "Host is powered OFF or is in Sleep Mode" in the web portal? if so, could you tell me how you deal with it? thanks a lot.

 

[demon]

oh, I see. Thanks.

Have you got any message like "Host is powered OFF or is in Sleep Mode" in the web portal? if so, could you tell me how you deal with it? thanks a lot.

The only time I had that happen with my system (a C2750D4I) is when it was actually powered off. I did have a problem where, when the power supply was connected to the SAS backplane board (the case is a SilverStone DS380B, and I still need to RMA that board again), it triggered the short protection in the power supply, but it's running perfectly now. If you try to power it on in the web UI, does it power on?

 

[lightmanhk]

The only time I had that happen with my system (a C2750D4I) is when it was actually powered off. I did have a problem where, when the power supply was connected to the SAS backplane board (the case is a SilverStone DS380B, and I still need to RMA that board again), it triggered the short protection in the power supply, but it's running perfectly now. If you try to power it on in the web UI, does it power on?

that is something really confused me.

the index page of the web UI keeps saying "Host is powered OFF or is in sleep mode".

but, under "Remote Control/Server Power Control" it says "Host is currently on".

I have no idea what was going on.

 

[demon]

that is something really confused me.

the index page of the web UI keeps saying "Host is powered OFF or is in sleep mode".

but, under "Remote Control/Server Power Control" it says "Host is currently on".

I have no idea what was going on.

Is your IPMI/BMC firmware current? If it is, maybe go ahead and reflash it anyway? I did that with mine when I received it, even though (at the time) it was all current. (If you do this, make sure to have it clear the IPMI/BMC settings, otherwise you will get locked out of the BMC web UI - I made this mistake, there is a fix, but it requires running a DOS EXE on the machine to reset the BMC settings.)

 

[rogerh]

Does the power button switch the fans on and off? If so, it is beginning to look as though either the board or the RAM is defective.

 

[rogerh]

P.S. you did use the two blue slots for the RAM, didn't you? From what people say this board is a little picky.

 

[lightmanhk]

P.S. you did use the two blue slots for the RAM, didn't you? From what people say this board is a little picky.

Yeah.

Does the power button switch the fans on and off? If so, it is beginning to look as though either the board or the RAM is defective.

the case power button did switch the fans on and off. However, I have to hold it for a long time in order to switch it off (like power down the entire system)

 

[rogerh]

Can you borrow a couple of RAM cards from another machine or buy them and send them back if not needed? It seems to be a straight choice between motherboard and RAM being defective, unless anyone has any other ideas?

 

[rogerh]

Definitely nothing connected to reset pin (e.g. LED, defective switch, jumper etc)?