compaq proliant 5500: fan failure

[moorix]

Hello!

Few months ago I bought this server(compaq proliant 5500), configured it and installed CentOS 4.4. The server has been running very well for 2 months.

Yesterday I restarted the system and after memory checking BIOS prompted: Critical Fan Failure Detected: System shutting down in .. Seconds!

The fans are running and before the restart I haven't changed anything in the server.

Thanks for any response

[Brian_Murdoch · Accepted solution]

Hi,

The system will run with 2 fans if you have 4 installed. You may have 2 fans in the same area (Processor or I/O) which are running a bit slow and which are actually just turning due to airflow from the others.

Check the attached document which shows the primary fan locations (1 + 3 in the drawing). These must be installed and working. The other two are redundant fans which don't have to be installed. Also check the peripheral board connector (item 17 in the drawing at the bottom) to make sure the cable is secure.

Later models of the Proliant 5500 had a cable which split the fan connectors. If these connectors are the wrong way round you get the same problem ( it assumes the primary fans are missing). That is less likely since you haven't changed anything.
The drawing shows this cable and which fan each connector should go to.

The attached document should hopefully help.

Regards,

Brian.

[moorix]

Hi,

thank you very much for the advise and the attached document. I have found the problem,
one black line in one fan was snapped:), so there wasn't any status signal to controller

[moorix]

Hi,

I have more question. Is there some way, how to disable shutting down the server while BIOS has detected some fatal error or failure? I mean the fan failure, not some more serious problems like voltage problems.

Thanks

[Brian_Murdoch]

Hi,

A single fan failure is OK if you have redundant fans but if one of the required fans fails (Fan 1 or 3) and you only have two fans installed, this is critical and the server cannot continue. The BIOS detects the critical fan failure and shuts the server down to stop overheating and possible damage to components.

You can either get the fan replaced or install redundant fans (two required). There is no way to bypass this in the BIOS.

The spare part number for each single fan is 388058-001. $73 from HP Partsurfer.
http://partsurfer.hp.com/cgi-bin/spi/showphoto?partnumber=388058-001

Ebay has some if required.
http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?from=R40&_trksid=m37&satitle=388058-001&category0=

Regards,

Brian

[Brian_Murdoch]

Hi,

Sorry I just noticed that you were from the Czech Republic. Please try this link also for possible sources if required.

http://www.google.cz/search?hl=cs&q=388058-001&lr=

Regards,

Brian