Support Services - RMA - Switchvox 450 appliance - Explanation of the checklist
RMA - Switchvox 450 appliance - Explanation of the checklist
Below is an explanation of the steps in our RMA confirmation process, and the reasoning behind the information we require. Many times you may have a problem that at first seems to be related to hardware, but might be configuration or software based. Taking the time to gather this information and test the hardware ensures that the process isn't slowed down by shipping new equipment that doesn't address your issue.
Confirm that power cable and outlet are working
Sometimes problems with the system can occur due to problems related to the power cable or power outlet. You can check these item by using another cable or connecting the system to another power outlet.
Remove all Digium cards
Problems with the system not booting up could be caused by a defective hardware, while troubleshooting a potential hardware issue on a Switchvox appliance is recommended to remove all Digium telephony cards in order to not confused a problem with one of the cards as system issue.
Confirm if the system powers on and you can access the BIOS
Problems related to the motherboard or power supply could cause the system to not to boot, under this conditions is very important to confirm whether the motherboard is providing audio signal (beeping) or does nothing. When the audio signal is present, please check the manual of the motherboard manufacturer to confirm if the problem can be fixed by any hardware changes (re-seating the RAM as an example)
Check if the RAID card is faulty
Remove the RAID card and connect the storage unit directly to the motherboard. This test would allow you to determine a hardware problem in the raid controller.
Confirm if storage unit (hard drive or Solid state drive) is detected by the BIOS
This requires the storage unit to be connected to the motherboard. Please note that storage units that were on a raid card configuration may not have all the information to properly boot the OS. This test is intended to test if the RAID card is the source of the problem.
Run a file system check or storage unit check
Ultimate boot CD is a powerful tool that can be used to troubleshooting hardware issues related to the storage unit and memory. For more information about how to use Ultimate Boot CD please read FSCK disk check errors on boot and How to run Ultimate boot cd on Switchvox to test hard drives and memory.
Run a memory test
Memory could cause will cause the system not to post, you could remove all momery stick and then install one by one in order to determine if there is one faulty. If the system boots up but fails with kernel panic or unexpected shutdowns, you could use the following KB to confirm the memory How to run Ultimate boot cd on Switchvox to test hard drives and memory.
Re-install the system
Some software issues could cause hardware to behave unexpectedly. If the system boots up but fails afer some time, it's recommended to re-install the software.