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Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

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EagleRock

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Post Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:40 pm

Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

Hi everyone!

Well, I have to take the server down again, this time to do a long-overdue BIOS update. The downtime is scheduled for 9:00PM EST, and should not last more than 15-30 minutes, as I am just doing a BIOS update. However, depending on how back-asswards the BIOS install is, it could take more. If you're wondering why I need to do this crap, read on.

You see, when Dell sold the Inspiron 530, at the time, they only sold it with Windows Vista, and only the 32-bit version. Since 32-bit Windows Operating Systems do not support more than roughly 3.2GB of RAM, they figured, "Why bother putting more than 3GB in the Inspiron 530?" And, since they figured that anyone buying a Dell was a fucktard, they figured, "Why bother having the BIOS for the 530 support more than the 32-bit addressable RAM that Windows can see?"

So, you can imagine my shock when I upgraded the server to 4GB of RAM and found out it wouldn't see more than 3.2GB. I even questioned myself whether I actually installed 64-bit or 32-bit Linux for a minute. After a few seconds of Googling, I found out Dell is just that plain lazy when it comes to their BIOS programming. However, enough angry customers and a few BIOS updates later, the issue is reparable with a simple BIOS update. So, here's what my system memory profile looks like right now:

  Code:
eaglerock@delorean:507:~$ free
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:       3342800    3088120     254680          0     419752    1153784
-/+ buffers/cache:    1514584    1828216
Swap:      6291448       5520    6285928
eaglerock@delorean:508:~$ linuxlogo
                                                                                                                   
         _sudZUZ#Z#XZo=_         DDDD   EEEEEE BBBB   IIIIII  AAAA   NN   NN
      _jmZZ2!!~---~!!X##wa       DD DD  EE     BB BB    II   AA  AA  NNN  NN
   .<wdP~~            -!YZL,     DD  DD EEEEE  BBBBB    II   AAAAAA  NNNN NN
  .mX2'       _%aaa__     XZ[.   DD DD  EE     BB  BB   II   AA  AA  NN NNNN
  oZ[      _jdXY!~?S#wa   ]Xb;   DDDD   EEEEEE BBBBB  IIIIII AA  AA  NN   NN
 _#e'     .]X2(     ~Xw|  )XXc       
.2Z`      ]X[.       xY|  ]oZ(   Linux Version 2.6.32-5-amd64
.2#;      )3k;     _s!~   jXf`   Compiled #1 SMP Tue Jun 1 04:34:03 UTC 2010
 1Z>      -]Xb/    ~    __#2(     Four 1.6GHz Intel Core2 Quad Processors, 3.2GB RAM
 -Zo;       +!4ZwaaaauZZXY'       19151 Bogomips Total
  *#[,        ~-?!!!!!!-~        delorean
   XUb;.     
    )YXL,,
      +3#bc,
        -)SSL,,
           ~~~~~
eaglerock@delorean:509:~$ 


Once I'm done, hopefully, we can see all the memory I stuck in this thing.
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ByteSlinger

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Post Mon Jul 05, 2010 7:55 pm

Re: Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

Gotta love those low-end Dell units. I stick with ASUS and GigaBYTE mobos, 'cause I can tell the max RAM and CPU info before I plunk down my hard-earned coin. :D

Good luck with the BIOS update - hope it completes normally, 'cause we all know what happens if it craps out before it finishes - you wind up with a very expensive paper weight. :?

Do you have a backup server in case you tank this mobo? Hopefully, it won't come to that, but between being a Dell and Murphy's Law - well - we've both been around too long to leave it up to "ah, it's simple - what can go wrong?" :cry:

May the Geek Gods be with you this evening!

*Salutes*
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EagleRock

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Post Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:17 pm

Re: Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

ByteSlinger wrote:Gotta love those low-end Dell units. I stick with ASUS and GigaBYTE mobos, 'cause I can tell the max RAM and CPU info before I plunk down my hard-earned coin. :D


Yeah, well, this was such a steal it was hard to argue. I bought this thing back in 2007, when the Q6600 was the king of processors (except for the extreme edition processors, anyway), and the whole machine was $550. I couldn't buy the CPU, RAM, hard drive, and motherboard for that price. Forget adding in a case, optical drive, power supply, etc...

So yeah, I'm stuck with a Dell, but it works. Next server build will probably be a SuperMicro board complete with mATX SuperMicro case. Not many places you can get an awesome mATX mobo/case that can handle ECC RAM and IPMI 2.0...

ByteSlinger wrote:Good luck with the BIOS update - hope it completes normally, 'cause we all know what happens if it craps out before it finishes - you wind up with a very expensive paper weight. :?

Do you have a backup server in case you tank this mobo? Hopefully, it won't come to that, but between being a Dell and Murphy's Law - well - we've both been around too long to leave it up to "ah, it's simple - what can go wrong?" :cry:

May the Geek Gods be with you this evening!

*Salutes*


Well, the update is complete. and everything looks as expected. And, of course, I am always ready with a failover. First off, I back up my database to an external array that plugs into an eSATA port. All I have to do, realistically, is to switch over my eSATA PCI card over to my failover server (dodgson), install phpBB, restore the SQL database, reroute traffic to the new IP, and I'm done.

However, that charade will need to wait another day, because check it out:

  Code:
delorean:503:~# free
             total       used       free     shared    buffers     cached
Mem:       4050888     387848    3663040          0      12508     174132
-/+ buffers/cache:     201208    3849680
Swap:      6291448          0    6291448
delorean:504:~# linuxlogo


         _sudZUZ#Z#XZo=_         DDDD   EEEEEE BBBB   IIIIII  AAAA   NN   NN
      _jmZZ2!!~---~!!X##wa       DD DD  EE     BB BB    II   AA  AA  NNN  NN
   .<wdP~~            -!YZL,     DD  DD EEEEE  BBBBB    II   AAAAAA  NNNN NN
  .mX2'       _%aaa__     XZ[.   DD DD  EE     BB  BB   II   AA  AA  NN NNNN
  oZ[      _jdXY!~?S#wa   ]Xb;   DDDD   EEEEEE BBBBB  IIIIII AA  AA  NN   NN
 _#e'     .]X2(     ~Xw|  )XXc
.2Z`      ]X[.       xY|  ]oZ(   Linux Version 2.6.32-5-amd64
.2#;      )3k;     _s!~   jXf`   Compiled #1 SMP Tue Jun 1 04:34:03 UTC 2010
 1Z>      -]Xb/    ~    __#2(     Four 1.6GHz Intel Core2 Quad Processors, 4GB RAM
 -Zo;       +!4ZwaaaauZZXY'       19152 Bogomips Total
  *#[,        ~-?!!!!!!-~        delorean
   XUb;.
    )YXL,,
      +3#bc,
        -)SSL,,
           ~~~~~
delorean:505:~# 
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Ismael92

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Post Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:20 pm

Re: Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

EagleRock wrote:However, that charade will need to wait another day, because check it out:


Hooray?
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EagleRock

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Post Mon Jul 05, 2010 10:24 pm

Re: Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

Ismael92 wrote:
EagleRock wrote:However, that charade will need to wait another day, because check it out:


Hooray?


Yeah, you could say that. The machine shows all of the memory it's supposed to, now:

  Code:
delorean:515:~# lshw -class MEMORY | grep -A 5 "System Memory"
       description: System Memory
       physical id: 24
       slot: System board or motherboard
       size: 3955MiB
     *-bank
          description: DIMM DDR2 Synchronous 800 MHz (1.2 ns)


Also, the server still runs...which is always a good thing. :-)
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ByteSlinger

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Post Mon Jul 05, 2010 11:53 pm

Re: Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

Congrats on the successful BIOS upgrade - you are now the proud owner of a Dell that can run a 64bit O/S - Yay!

Glad to see you had an easier time than this guy...
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DumbassDude

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Post Tue Jul 06, 2010 11:00 am

Re: Server Downtime - July 5th, 2010 - BIOS Update

Sometimes I think, "Hell, I'm good at computers, I know the ins and outs." And then I see things like this, things that I don't understand that's so obvious to others.

It destroys my self confidence in computing :(

Nice update though.
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