PowerEdge Foundation Course Review

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The following review consists of the course objectives and a brief summary of the information that addresses each objective. If you are uncomfortable with the content in any section, please review the material before taking the certification exam.

Objective 1- Identify system architecture and hardware features for currently available PowerEdge servers:

• The PowerEdge 4400, PowerEdge 6400 and PowerEdge 6450 system boards all use Slot 2 Intel Pentium III Xeon processors.

• The PowerEdge 4600 uses a 603-pin socket form factor.

• The PowerEdge 1550, PowerEdge 2500, and PowerEdge 2550 rely upon Socket 360 Intel processors.

• The PowerEdge 7150 and PowerEdge 8450 use subassemblies instead of a traditional system board layout.

• Hardware components that may be found on PowerEdge system boards include:

• Memory riser cards that allow large amounts of system memory to be installed.

• Integrated SCSI and/or RAID controllers.

• Support for one to eight slotted or socketed Intel processors, depending upon the system.

• Integrated network interface controllers.

• Standard I/O connectors including VGA, serial, parallel, USB, and PS/2 ports for keyboards and mice.

• The following components are used in the power subsystems of PowerEdge servers:

• Hot swappable, redundant power supplies that may be replaced without bringing down the server.

• Power Supply Paralleling Boards (PSPBs), which allow servers to draw power from multiple power supplies simultaneously, as well as providing redundant power and support for hot swapping.

• Power Supply Distribution Boards (PSDBs), which provide redundant power and support for hot swapping only.

• Storage subsystems on PowerEdge servers may consist of:

• PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controllers (integrated and PCI card versions) which allow creation of RAID arrays for redundancy and increased performance. Drive arrays may be configured using the PERC BIOS or Array Manager found on the DSA.

• SCSI backplanes that allow for hot swapping of hard drives and the connection of drives to different SCSI channels for greater performance.

• PowerEdge servers may also be equipped with Intel and/or Broadcom network controllers in the form of PCI cards or integrated chips on the system board. These controllers may be teamed using the Broadcom Advanced Server Program or the Intel ProSet Utility as appropriate.

• Dell remote management cards provide a way for administrators to manage servers remotely through a telephone or network connection.

Objective 2- Demonstrate knowledge of component location and design features for current PowerEdge chassis designs:

• You should be familiar with the following PowerEdge server chassis types, as they are covered in the course:

• PowerEdge 2500 tower or rack-mount

• PowerEdge 4400/6400 tower or rack-mount

• PowerEdge 4600 tower or rack-mount

• PowerEdge 2550 2U rack-mount chassis

• PowerEdge 8450 7U rack-mount chassis

• PowerEdge 7150 7U rack-mount chassis

The course review is continued on the next page.