Compaq ProLiant ML330e/ML330 Server Setup and Installation Guide

5-6 Compaq ProLiant ML330e/ML330 Server Setup and Installation Guide
Compaq Confidential – Need to Know Required
Writer: Jennifer Hayward Project: Compaq ProLiant ML330e/ML330 Server Setup and Installation Guide Comments:
Part Number: 173868-002 File Name: f-ch5 Server Configuration and Utilities.doc Last Saved On: 12/27/00 3:28 PM
The Advanced Menu
The Advanced menu is used to manually assign system resource assignments
and disable some devices in the system to free resources for other devices in
the system. The following is a list of selections found in this menu with an
explanation of each option:
Power-On Self-Test (POST) allows you to set Quick Boot and POST
messages. Quick Boot is a feature that speeds the POST processes after the
system has been started correctly one time. POST messages can be disabled to
cancel text displayed during the POST process.
Embedded Devices allows you to view and manually assign resources to
embedded system devices, as well as to disable some embedded devices to
free system resources. Disable and enable the primary and secondary
IDE controller.
IMPORTANT: Compaq recommends that you do not disable the embedded SCSI
controller. Doing so disables certain system management features.
PCI IRQ Configuration allows a manual interrupt request (IRQ) for a
specific PCI device. The system automatically assigns IRQ settings for all PCI
devices in the system.
Follow these guidelines when manually assigning IRQ for PCI devices in the
system:
■ If sharing is required, share interrupts between similar devices. It is
generally safe to share IRQs between PCI devices. However, for certain
operating systems, it is best to prevent dissimilar PCI devices (for
instance, a storage controller and a network controller) from sharing the
same IRQ.
■ Use all available IRQs. Sharing IRQs can cause performance
bottlenecks. To prevent these bottlenecks, assign PCI devices to unused
IRQs, following the rules already listed.
NOTE: The latest operating systems from Microsoft, Novell, and SCO bypass the use of
IRQs and use an advanced programmable interrupt controller (APIC). The APIC has been
designed to address the issues associated with limited IRQs, multiprocessor systems, and
shared interrupts. If you are using the latest operating system, you can let the system
automatically configure interrupts for all devices in the system.