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The Dell 1600sc Power Edge Server - Pt 1

Table of Contents:

• Introduction
• Server Specs
• Processors
• Internal Storage, SCSI Controller(s), and RAID
• Mother Board Drawing
• My Hardware Setup
• Resurecting the Dead
• My Configuration

Introduction

I sort of "inherited" a Dell 1600SC Power Edge server a couple of years ago. And it was old (and sick) when I got it. Thninking I could possibly use it for parts someday, I parked it away in my stack of "things to look at later" junk.

Recently, I decided to see if I could possibly resurect this thing and possibly use it for a Linux/Asterisk test server. Since used parts for these things are becoming more plentiful on Ebay, I was hoping I wouldn't have to put a whole lot of money into it.

Surprisingly, it took less than about $25 to bring it back to enough life for me to realize that this thing, although old, just might make a very nice Linux box (and give me the extra PCI slots I want that you don't find in today's desktops).

After running a few tests, I decided "Yep! - This'll work!" and began my "complete resurection" and upgrade process.

I then decided to document this stuff as one way of keeping notes and possibly to help some other poor soul out there who might get some benefit from my endeavours.

Server Specs

These were obtained from Dell's website. I tossed in a few additions/notes on items I felt needed more info.

Note: Before reading these specs, please be advised that Dell produced TWO versions of this motherboard. - An early and a late version. - While there mainly the same design, there are some subtle (but important) differences. - These specs (for the most par) refer to a late production mother board.

• Procssors: Intel® Xeon™ up to 3.2GHz (1 or 2 CPUs)
• Cache: from 512KB L2 up to 2MB L3 (depending on CPU(s) used).
• Front Side Bus: 533Mhz.
• Memory: Up to 4GB ECC DDR-266 SDRAM (in 4 slots).
• Chipset: ServerWorks® GC-SL chipset.
• I/O channels: Six total:
• 2 x PCI-X slots (2 x 64-bit/66MHZ).
• 2 x PCI-X slots (2 x 64-bit/100MHZ).
• 2 x PCI slots (2 x 32-bit/33MHZ).
• Network inteface card: 10/100/1000 embedded Intel NIC
• Optional add-in: Intel PRO/100 S NIC, Intel PRO/1000 XT NIC, Broadcom® 5703 (10/100/1000) NIC, Broadcom ModemXtreme 56KB V.92 PCI modem.
• USB: USB performance 1.1 (2 USB ports on rear panel).
• Floppy: Embedded floppy disk controller w/(optional) floppy drive.
• Keyboard & Mouse connections: PS2 Keyboard and Mouse connectors on rear panel.
• Video: Embedded ATI Rage XL (8MB).
• Serial & Parallel ports: One (each) embedded serial port controller and embedded parallel port controller. - One serial port and one parallel port connection(s) available on rear panel.
• Embedded dual channel IDE controller
• Embedded single channel (U320) SCSI controller.
• Internal Storge
• IDE (ATA)
• Up to 4 7,200 rpm internal IDE drives.
• CERC quad-channel ATA RAID (optional).
• SCSI
• 10,000 and 15,000 rpm SCSI drives are supported.
• Up to 4 non hot-plug SCSI drives.
• Up to 6 hot-plug SCSI drives.
• Internal CD Rom Drive (optional)
• Up to 2 (optional) optical devices are supported.
• Raid Support is provided by using either the (optional) PERC 4SC (for U320 drives) or the PERC3/SC single channel raid (PCI-X) adapters. - The '39160 Ultra3' Raid support card is also supported.
• Tape support Internal:(Optional) PowerVault 100T TR40, PowerVault 100T DDS4, PowerVault 110T DLT VS80.
• Power Supply: 1 x 450W or optional 2 x 450W hot-plug redundant supplies.
• CMOS Battery: 1 x CR2023
• High availability clustering - Not supported
• Chassis: Easy-access tower (not rackable)
• Systems management:
• Integrated server monitoring (ADM1026): OpenManage™ support
• Remote management: Optional Dell Remote Assistant Card (DRACIII/XT)
• Dimensions: (H xW x D) 17.61" x 8.57" x 22.53" (44.73cm x 21.77cm x 57.23cm)
• Weight: 73 lbs., maximum configuration

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Processors
(Server Specs - expanded info)

While both 'early' and 'late' mother boards support the Intel Xeon processors, there is a different between these two mother boards.

The 'early' mother board supports processors with a 400 MHz "Front Side Bus" (FSB) and the 'late' mother board supports processors with a 533 MHz FSB.

The FSB is the bus the CPU uses to "talk" to memory and is not to be confused with the I/O bus used to "talk" to I/O devices.

Not only are the 400 MHz and 533 MHz FSB Xeon CPUs internally different, they are also physically different.

The main (and most important) physical difference is that the 400 MHz FSB CPU has 603 pins where the 553 MHz FSB CPU has 604 pins.

Per Intel's website, you could install a 400 MHz CPU into a 'late' mother board expecting a CPU with 604 pins and it will work. But will slow the 533 MHz FSB mother board down to a FSB of 400 MHz. - And (obviously) you will destroy a 533 MHz FSB CPU if you try to force it into the socket on the 400 MHz FSB mother board.

Dell doesn't mention anything at all regarding swapping these around in such a fashion. Our only recommedation would be to use the correct FSB CPU for the mother board and if installing two CPUs, make sure they are both have the same internal clock speed (i.e. 2.4GHz, 3.2GHz, etc.).

The other physical difference is that the different FSB processors have a different thickness. - This is important when you install the heatsink/fan assembly. - The heatsink/fan retaining clips must be the correct type to ensure the heatsink/fan is correctly mounted. - Be aware when you go shopping around on Ebay.

Internal Storage, SCSI Controller(s), and RAID

As this server evolved over several production versions, there are several possibilities you could have. The following is quoted directly from Dell's website:

The PowerEdge 1600SC server shipped in 3 configurations.

IDE ATA-100 (early systems only)
Hot Swap Capable SCSI Hard Drives (80 pin)
Cabled SCSI Hard Drives (68 pin)

The PowerEdge 1600SC server will support up four (4) 1-inch IDE Hard Drives, four (4) 1-inch Cabled Capable SCSI Hard Drives or six (6) 1-inch Hot Swap Capable SCSI Hard Drives.

It is possible to convert an IDE system to Cabled SCSI (or vice-versa), but there is no conversion kit to convert either to the Hot Swap Capable SCSI configuration.

IDE and Cabled SCSI Hard Drives in the same system is possible, but it is NOT a validated configuration.

Suitable IDE Hard Drive sizes range from 20GB to 120GB.
Suitable SCSI Hard Drive sizes range from 18GB to 146GB.

While larger sized Hard Drives may work with your system, Dell has not validated or tested such drives and cannot guarantee their functionality.

IDE Let's get this out of the way first.

Since we have a 'late' mother board, we aren't using any IDE disk drives. The only thing plugged into our IDE controller is the CD Rom.

FYI When Dell mentions CERC3 ATA RAID in their specs, they must be referring to using an optional PCI controller to obtain ATA RAID support.

I'll expand more on this later in Part 3 of this series.

SCSI Here's where I get to talk about my box.

The SCSI connector on the mother board AND on the (optional) PERC4 SCSI controller both use a 68-pin connector. This connecter can connect to either individual 68-pin SCSI drives using a multi-connector cable, or directly to the (optional) SCSI Hot-Swap drive array using a cable with only a connector on each end.

Note: SCSI drives used in a "cabled" installation versus ones used in a "Hot-Swap" drive array (like my box) use different connectors! The "cabled" flavor uses a 68-pin connector to match the cable where the "Hot-Swap" drives use an 80-pin connector. One of the reasons is that the "cabled" drive(s) use separate power connections where the "Hot-Swap" drives pick up power through the same 80-pin connector used for signalling.

RAID We only use RAID on our SCSI drives.

To obtain RAID support, we use the optional PERC 4SC SCSI controller plugged into our PCI-X slot #1. The 80 pin cable from our SCSI drive array plugs into this controller.

If using this optional RAID controller, you should disable (in BIOS) the the embedded SCSI controller. This will help keep interrupt conflicts down.

Mother Board Drawing
('late' version)

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My Hardware Setup

Here is where I expand on the above by 'customizing' my particular box, upgraded from the original configuration, etc.

I'll try to keep this updated as I make changes and describe any woes I encountered in the process.

Resurecting the Dead

As I mentionted in the Introduction that the server was sick when I got it, the server had one bad hot-swap power supply and was emitting this 'gawd-awfull' beeping immediately following 'Power On Self Test' (POST).

Googling around, some folks mentioned that this beeping could be caused by a CMOS battery going dead. Sounded reasonable in my case due to the server's age, so I changed the battery. - No Go! - Oh well, at least my sick box has a new battery :-)

I finally tracked this down to the PERC4 SC SCSI RAID controller plugged into PCI-X slot #1. I removed the controller and the beeping stopped.

Uh Oh! - Hope this controller hasn't bit the bullet, this could cost some BUCKS!

I then plugged the SCSI cable from the hot-swap drive array into the on-board SCSI adapter to see if that adapter could "see" some drives. - Well, it did see some drives. - Well sort of but not all the time.- HUH??!!

Bottom line on this was that one of the connectors on the SCSI cable had a few mangled pins. - Was able to find a used (identical) cable at one of our local computer 'recycle centers' (aka "Junk Shop") and everything started working fine including the PERC4 SC SCSI RAID controller. - WHEW!

One of the last things you would think of would be a $#%##$ cable going bad! - But you just never know when that "Gotch'a Bear" is going to jump out of the woods and bite you on the butt!

That was the $25 spent I mentioned in the Introduction. Spending another $50 on Ebay, I was able to replace the bad #2 hot swap power supply.

I tested everything out, disk drives, RAID, etc. and it all works fine. I even loaded a version of Slackware 13.1 and it works like a charm. - Now I won't feel too bad about spending a little more money on this thing to improve performance and storage capacity.

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My configuration

The following describes my particular configuration. Come back often (I hope) to see what I've recently done to change this list.

CPU: - One Xeon 3.2GHz processor with 1 MB L3 cache, 512K L2 cache, (533MHZ FSB).
The original CPU was a Xeon 2.4GHz w/512 K L2 cache (533MHZ FSB). For $55 on Ebay, I was able to by a pair of the Xeon 3.2GHz processors. I'm awaiting a fan/heatsink assembly so I can install CPU #2.

Memory: 3GB - When I first got the server, it had 1GB (2 x 512MB sticks in slots #1 and #2). - I "re-arranged" the memory by adding two 1GB sticks in slots #1 and #2 and re-installing two 512MB sticks in slots #3 and #4. This wasn't cheap! The additional 2GB of ram cost $100.

SCSI Hard Disk Drive(s) - Our hot-swap SCSI array has two drives plugged into Slots #1 and #2. Additional information for these drives:

• Make/Model: Seagate/ST373307LC
• Capacity: 73GB
• Spindle Speed: 10,000 RPM
• Interface: SCSI 80 pin SCA-2 (Hot-Swap).
• Disk Size: 3.5"x1.0" (Low Profile Hard Drive).
• Sustained Throughput: (MBps): 59.9
• Average Seek Time (read/write ms): 4.7/5.3
• Electrical Interface Speed: SCSI LVD U320 - 320 MBps 16-bit
• On-Board Cache: 8MB

RAID Controller: As mentioned before, I hae (optional) RAID PERC4 SC controller plugged into PCI-X slot #1. With my current drives, I can use RAID-1. Higher RAID levels are possible with additional drives.

3C509C Ethernet controller: Installed in PCI Slot #6. One of the future applications I have in mind requires me to make my linux box to also server as a router. - Note: Thanks to my friend Bill P. for this card.

Digium TDM400P interface card: Installed in PCI Slot #5. This card is for the Asterisk server. It provides FXO and FSO ports for the digital PBX.

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