Question

Poweredge 2650 How to start a server that has a broken power button.

Asked by: Darylx

Hi All,

I have a Dell Poweredge 2650 (running NT4 server) with a broken power button.  Until now, the server would start itself when it was plugged into a power supply.  Now it's not doing that.  It's just sat there with a flashing green LED to say that the server is plugged in.  The whole front facia of the server of the server is missing.  Where there used to be a power button (before it got broke), there are two 'internal' buttons.  I think one of them is the NMI button so I assumed the other one was the button that would be pressed if I pressed the power button.  Pressing that button with a screw driver or similar doesn't work tho.

Does anyone know how I can start this server?

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Asked On
2009-03-10 at 03:29:28ID24215397
Topics

Computer Servers

,

File Servers

,

Computer Motherboards

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
21

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Answers

 

by: xxdcmastPosted on 2009-03-10 at 04:02:09ID: 23845173

Do you know if the server has DRAC installed on it. If it has a DRAC card you may be able to connect to the DRAC interface and power up the server that way.

Also this may be a longshot but do you know if wake on LAN was configured for this server. If it was configured you might be able to use a tool to send the magic packet to the network interface which may wake it up.

Short of that you may need to get inside the box and see if you can rig anything up. Or y ou could always call dell support and pay the $ for a technician and a new switch.

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 04:11:11ID: 23845236

The server does have a DRAC card but it's never been used so it's not configured.  Is the default setting on a DRAC to use DHCP?

 

by: xxdcmastPosted on 2009-03-10 at 04:30:57ID: 23845350

If its never been configured it may use dhcp or it may be disabled. Its been a while since Ive set one up so I cant remember how they ship from the factory.

 

by: xxdcmastPosted on 2009-03-10 at 04:32:51ID: 23845361

Ok try this not sure if it will work for you or not. Apparently it is 192.168.0.120

http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/12009443/m/107009241831/inc/-1

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 06:50:46ID: 23846620

Ok, I've connected to the DRAC interface.  I've gone to the remote access options and the only one available is "Server power on" which makes sense because the server is powered off.  When I click "Apply Reset Option" a message pops up saying command sent but the server isn't doing anything.  Any ideas?

 

by: xxdcmastPosted on 2009-03-10 at 06:53:27ID: 23846655

That should do it for you. I have used that in the past to bring up a powered off system.

From Dells website this should do what you need.
Server Power On  Turns on the system power (equivalent to pressing the power button).

 

by: lnkevinPosted on 2009-03-10 at 06:55:42ID: 23846684

Try to use command line from other computer in the network and launch racadm.exe. You can power up and down with command line as well. Make sure you read About RACADM section for default username and password. Check the following guide:

http://www.symantec.com/connect/articles/how-configure-dracs-without-booting-automation-and-other-useful-tips

K

 

by: lnkevinPosted on 2009-03-10 at 06:57:39ID: 23846706

a message pops up saying command sent but the server isn't doing anything...

It may take a little while to reset. Does it have power on option instead of reset?

K

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:03:22ID: 23846774

"Server Power On" is the only available option.  It's had a few minutes since the command was sent.

 

by: xxdcmastPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:22:38ID: 23846985

Well I dont know how desperate you are to get this server running but you may be able to open the case and physically touch together the two wires goign to the power button. This would effectively "hotwire" the server.

I would not reccomend doing this but maybe you would lol.

 

by: lnkevinPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:23:54ID: 23847004

Does it go in Post boot? Where is it stuck? You just want to make sure there is no HW failure. Otherwise, resit your memory and try it again.

K

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:26:27ID: 23847032

It doesn't start to boot so no post or anything.  I don't think there's anything wrong with the hardware - apart from the 'on' button.

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:32:25ID: 23847112

I don't think there are any wires to touch together, it's all in a printed circuit board.

Should the power light (the LED on the front panel) be flashing green?  Does the flashing green light just mean that the server is connected to the power supply but not switched on?

 

by: lnkevinPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:34:19ID: 23847144

If it does not go to Post boot, you just need to resit your hardware. Unplug your power, wait for 10 secs before you open the box and resit the HW starting with memory.

K

 

by: lnkevinPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:38:57ID: 23847198

Does the flashing green light just mean that the server is connected....

No, it doesn't. It means power is on and post boot is stuck at memory....

K

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:45:50ID: 23847290

Ah that's interesting.  I'll start reseating RAM etc...

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 07:57:23ID: 23847440

Are you sure about the memory thing?  The server is sat there in silence.  I thought the fans etc would power on before the post checks the memory?

 

by: lnkevinPosted on 2009-03-10 at 08:08:00ID: 23847572

You told me all HW is OK. I assume you heard the fans's noise. If not, the HW is not OK. Of course power goes to fans then memory. If fans are running the first stop is mem.

K

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-03-10 at 08:58:47ID: 23848155

Sorry about that.  When I said all hardware is ok, I meant that the server was working ok.  We lost connectivity to it so I pulled out the mains cable to reboot it.  The problem is that this time, it didn't start automatically as it had done in the past.

 

by: lnkevinPosted on 2009-03-10 at 10:07:21ID: 23848964

Do what I asked you to, which is resit everything. Your server should come up fine if the HW is not broken. Taking the power plug is not a good practice. Sometime, it causes the problem with memory buffer crashed and resit the memory can correct it.

K

 

by: DarylxPosted on 2009-04-01 at 02:43:50ID: 24037358

I've reseated everything but it doesn't work.  There's obviously a hardware problem somewhere.  We've decided to scrap the server.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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