S1200BTS does not complete POST

[JHill12]

Hi,

I've been running my S1200BTS with a Xeon E3-1230 and 2 KVR1066D3E7S/4G (total 8G) with AHCI set now for 22 months without a problem. 1 month ago I reconfigured storage to use Intel Rapid Storage RAID 5. The server has been restarted succesfully many times in both configurations.

Deployment Details

CPU: Xeon E3-1230

Memory: 2 off KVR1066D3E7S/4G = 8G

Graphics: On board graphics used – ie. no additional graphics card is installed.

Time: 22 months continuous without Intel Rapid Storage

1 month continuous with Intel Rapid Storage in RAID 5 with Western Digital Red series HDDs.

Problem Description

BIOS Boot fails with Intel light diagnostics decoded to 0x15h (North Bridge PEI Module Starts).

Looking at rear of server board at the Intel Diagnsotic Lights [OFF OFF OFF ON OFF ON OFF ON].

Actions Prior to Problem Occurrence

Server shutdown to update BIOS.

Boot order in BIOS adjusted to ensure booting from USB. New BIOS configuration saved.

Server shutdown to commence booting from USB

Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h

Recovery Steps Performed

1. Reseated memory - Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h
2. Installed single Kingston KVR13E9/8I memory in Channel A-1 - Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h
3. Installed single Kingston KVR13E9/8I memory in Channel B-1 - Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h
4. Installed single Kingston KVR13E9/8I memory in Channels A2, B-2 - Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h
5. Removed memory – Server restarted but fails post with 3 long beeps (no memory) as expected.
6. Reseated CPU and installed single Kingston KVR13E9/8I memory in Channel A-1 - Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h
7. Cleared CMOS memory - Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h
8. BIOS Recovery – placed BIOS recovery jumper in recovery position - Server restarted but fails to boot from USB and displays Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h. Used instructions from Intel Community, Service guide, BIOS readme and Product specs followed without success

How could changing the boot order produce an error so early in the BIOS boot sequence?

I've delved into the Intel architecture designs and read that the Pre-EFI initialisation (PEI) phases that are divided into North Bridge and South Bridge.

The North Bridge PEI consists of the Graphics and Memory Controller Hub (GMCH) controlling main system memory and integrated graphics engine.

The South Bridge PEI consists of the I/O Controller Hub that controls I/O buses and devices. Algorithms and code to support functions of the I/O Controller Hub are designed to conform to industry specifications such as PCI-Sig and USB." Indicating that it is necessary for South Bridge components to operate to recover BIOS from a USB drive.

Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h is decoded as North Bridge PEI Module starts. The next error code in the sequence is South Bridge PEI Module starts (0x19).

This suggests that the USB drive cannot be reached in the BIOS sequence due to a failure sometime after the North Bridge PEI Module starts and hence my problem in recovering BIOS. I can only conclude that my S1200BTS MBO has failed and can't be recovered.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Edward_Z_Intel]

When you say "BIOS Boot fails", do you get anything on the screen? Any error messages? Do you mean you can still go to BIOS and change settings like boot order?

And when you say "Server restarted but fails POST with Intel Diagnsotic Lights Code 0x15h", what do you mean "restarted"? Did the server restart itself during POST?

[JHill12]

Hi Edwardzh,

"BIOS Boot fails" - power applied to board, front panel switch used to initiate BIOS bootup but Intel splashscreen not shown and Intel Diagnostic Lights at rear of server board display 0x15. There is nothing on the connected screen. There are no error missages displayed on the connected VGA screen - only the Intel Diagmostic Lights on the rear of the server board displayed as (Reading from rear of server left to right [OFF OFF OFF ON | OFF ON OFF ON]). It is these lights that when decoded yield 0x15 according to Appendix C of the Technical Specification Revision 2.4 for the S1200BT family). My understanding is that BIOS startup is failing sometime during the Pre EFI Inititialisation (PEI) sequence - specifically after the North Bridge PEI Module starts.

I cannot get through the POST sequence to even try F2, F6, or Delete keys

By "restarted" I mean that power is applied to the main board and then the switch on the front panel is activated causing the BIOS boot sequence to start. The server does not restart itself.

Thanks for any help you give.

Jeff

[Edward_Z_Intel]

Reseat processor. Test the CPU on another system if possible. If the CPU works, then most likely the board has failed.

[JHill12]

Hi Edward,

I have tried reseating the processor with the same result - ie. Intel Diagnistics Light 0x15.

I won't have another board to try until tomorrow but your advice seems to back my deduction of a failure in the board itself. If the CPU works in the board coming tomorrow, this failed board will be returning to Intel under warranty.

Thanks for your assistance

Message was edited by: Jeff Hill&# 13; &# 13; UPDATE:&# 13; A new S1200BTLR board was tried with:&# 13; CPU: the Xeon E3-1230 that was removed from the suspect S1200BTS board&# 13; Memory: single Kingston KVR13E9/8I&# 13; The S1200BTLR POSTed successfully proving the CPU was not faulty.&# 13; The single Kingston KVR13E9/8I was replaced with the original 2 off KVR1066D3E7S/4G = 8G on the S1200BTLR&# 13; The S1200BTLR POSTed successfully proving the original memory was not faulty.&# 13; The suspect S1200BTS board will be returned to Intel under warranty.&# 13;

[JHill12]

UPDATE:

A new S1200BTLR board was tried with:

CPU: the Xeon E3-1230 that was removed from the suspect S1200BTS board

Memory: single Kingston KVR13E9/8I

The S1200BTLR POSTed successfully proving the CPU was not faulty.

The single Kingston KVR13E9/8I was replaced with the original 2 off KVR1066D3E7S/4G = 8G on the S1200BTLR

The S1200BTLR POSTed successfully proving the original memory was not faulty.

The suspect S1200BTS board will be returned to Intel under warranty.

Thankyou Edwardzh for your assistance

[JKozl1]

Hey oz, I was having what sounds like to be the same type of issue with my S1200RPL Series Intel Server Board. After updating the Bios firmware using the provided Intel package via the EFI Shell, the server would not begin initialization. (The Server Board would trigger on and off, was accessible though remote console using the RM4, but there was no screen display, and 0x15 error was the primary error status on the rear of the board. The Remote Console even had no errors, the status was green. I could not figure it out) After i went through pretty much every step to pin point the issue, ( Almost exact to the procedure that you had taken ) There was one thing that i noticed you did not mention in your process, Removing and Re-Seating the Server Board Battery.

This did work, for some reason there was a Date/Time issue when upgrading the bios firmware, the BMC had all of the correct dates and time but was not synchronized across the controller.

Just wanted to comment on your issue, maybe you still have the board and never ended up using the RMA.

Justin