manuals /BIOS etc for a Dell DCS6005 3-node AMD server

Asioutas,

The DCS6005 is a custom OEM box, which is based off the Dell C6100 Cloud system. 

The 6100 manual is found here - http://ftp.dell.com/Manuals/all-products/esuprt_ser_stor_net/esuprt_cloud_products/poweredge-c6100_Owner%27s%20Manual_en-us.pdf which can help.

In regards to the BIOS, there isn't a link I can provide. Since that was a custom box it doesn't have a Standard Dell BIOS installed. So running one of our updates on that server can actually down the system. So please don't attempt to run one of ours on that system.. 

Now with the beeping. Are you getting any amber or flashing lights? If you are not getting any video on it then try taking it to the Minimum to Post configuration. That is removing everything from the system but the following:

On the Node

• System Board
• CPU
• Heatsink
• 1 DIMM Memory
• Interposer Extender

On the Chassis

• Power Supply
• Power Distribution Boards
• Midplanes
• Power Cables to Midplanes 

Try powering up with that configuration. If it does power up then shut down and try individually replacing the parts in the server, until the part with the issue is identified.

Let me know what you got.

Chris, thank you for taking the time to help! 

I removed all the memory but one module (BTW-which one is the first in each CPU bank? I have no clue and the board is too crowed to see any markings..) Nothing. Same continuous beep. The LED of the server in the front stays green. The only thing that looks suspicious to me is the sensor that reports 

VBAT  Lower Critical  0 Volts (the other boards report 3.2 Volts)

So, I guess the board is gone, but I have no visibility (no screen output). tonight I will connect a serial to the only COM port just in case I get anything there.

I'm still surprised by the lack of documentation...

thank you!

Thanos

The Vbat voltage the error is referring to is the CR2032 coin battery on the motherboard that stores the CMOS (BIOS) information. 

Is this server connected directly to a Know Good monitor or a is it connected through a KVM?

Also, when you went to the Min to Post configuration, did you remove CPU2 (if you have one)?
If so then can you swap CPU1 (the one left in the server) out with CPU2?

Do you get the same results? 

that was my guess about the VBAT. But I used a good one from another board and the sensor result was the same! So, it's something in the circuitry related to that battery?? or a faulty sensor? (guessing).

I am using a KVM but for this one -last- test I will connect everything directly to the board. And I will do that by keeping only one of the CPUs. Just in case it's the first CPU. I did not remove any CPUs so far.

I'll update the thread shortly after the test.

Well, it seems that I will RMA the board. The seller proposed a swap with another one. So, I won't be doing any CPU removals. I hope the next one works! Anyways, thank you for your time! I hope I won't need any more support till the server becomes totally obsolete! (it still runs the latest and greatest of what I use).

Thank you Chris!

It sounds like that may be the case. If you could lets try one last thing before you swap the board. 
On the motherboard, next to the dimms in the middle of the board, is a small row of 5 jumpers. Their location is shown below. (Disregard the jumper showing on the right in D on the image, that is showing an example of what it looks like when enabling a jumper)

1st off, power down the system and then could you verify all the jumpers are on the disable side currently? If so then can you move jumper A to enable? This is a System Reset jumper. Once it is set to Enable then power on the system until you see indications of power, such as LED's and lights. Once you see that then power the server back down and restore the jumper to Disable and then power back up and see if it happens to come up. If not then I would agree there is an issue with the motherboard.

Let me know.

Dear Chris! you are so helpful :) I have already sent the board back. So, I can't do the test. But I will remember that for any other board (I hope I will not have to do a test like that!)

FYI- The board layout is very similar to what I have (the TYAN 8208) but the SATA connectors are on the other side of the board (closer to the LAN connectors) and these jumpers must be near the SATA connectors (there's a set 5-6 blue jumpers (all open = disable). 

so, I would have to guess :) and find something to enable that jumper (nothing to bridge them).

Just that you get an idea, this is a photo of the board. Anyways, it's a guess on which jumper to enable! My sincere thanks for your time on this :) 

The jumpers on that board appear to be to the right of the empty one, which appears to have all the jumpers.

I think this is what you are looking for:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DELL-C6100-C6105-CLOUD-SERVER-6x-1-8GHz-AMD-6-CORE-HEX-CORE-144GB-RAM-3x-250GB-/181306790824?pt=COMP_EN_Servers&hash=item2a36ba13a8

Seller is digitalmind2000 and they make a LOT of these. They are not original dells but probably just the casing and the Tyan mobos and other guts put in.

I was looking at one of these as a home lab server and was concerned about VMware 5.5u2 compatibility ... Dell has the c6105 with the Opteron 43xx series listed as compatible but I saw nothing about the 24xx which is what is in these.  There are other dell servers listed on the hcl with 24xx procs so i'd be guessing if this one worked.

Can anyone confirm?

Hi, YES, you can install/run esxi5.5u2, even U3 later on ;-) I have it running without problems. The only thing to remember when you first install ESXi is that you need to press + (the letter) so as to be able to enter a boot parameter "ignoreheadless=TRUE"

Nice.  Think I'll pick one up.  I don't plan to boot usb ... you're right that it's too slow.  I'll pick up a couple of cheap ssd instead.  Not really worried about VSAN but it would be nice to play with the tech.  At this point, I'm looking to deploy a multi-nested virtualization lab.  I have the most experience with esxi so I'll use that as the base, but ultimately i'm looking to deploy vCloud and Openstack and work on some automation skills.

thanks for the info ... I appreciate it greatly.

Chris,

I purchased one these Dell DCS6005 Cloud Servers, sold by digitalmind on eBay. My first Cloud Server works great, things fired-up, i was able to install my riser cards and also my quad NIC in each blade. I decided to purchase another DCS6005. After receiving my 2nd DCS6005 I started having issues. My 2nd server does the long beep after installing my quad NICs into the blades. If i don't install my NICs, the blades seem to load fine. Each blade on my original DCS6005 has:

x1 Supermicro RSC-R1U-E16R 1U SXB2 Slot to PCI-Express x16 Riser Card
x1 Intel I350-T4 PCI-Express PCI-E Four RJ45 Gigabit Ports Server Adapter NIC

Also, in reference to this post about jumpers, i dont see that type of layout on these blades.