Video output of HP proliant dl360 G5 server

[christian hugo]

Hi..I would like to ask, I have experienced a problem with regards to the video output of HP Proliant DL360 G5 server. I noticed that if no monitor is connected to its two video output terminals for a long time, once you connect a monitor to them, the monitor won't get any video signal. I have noticed it with two servers already. Why is it? Can someone enlighten me on this? Thanks..

[Steven Schweda]

Screen saver?

> Can someone enlighten me on this?

Can someone enlighten us on which operating
system you're using, or on the hardware
configuration? For example, are there a
keyboard and a mouse connected? (Now? At
system start?) What, exactly, is connected
when, exactly?

[Matti_Kurkela]

Guess 1.)

The OS running on the servers probably includes a screen saver.

Modern screensavers usually eventually switch the video output to "power save mode", directing the monitor to switch itself off.

When any keys are pressed on the keyboard or mouse is moved (and keyboard/mouse is connected first, if necessary), the screensaver should automatically switch the video output back on.

Guess 2.)
What type of monitor did you use for testing the video outputs?

If the server has been rebooted with no monitor connected (using iLO remote console, or a scheduled reboot action) the server cannot detect the type of the monitor and uses a standard refresh frequencies for the selected display resolution.

Some LCD displays cannot handle all standard frequencies, and indicate this fact using the DDC Plug-and-Play signals.

(Cheap and/or older LCDs are the most troublesome; quality LCDs are more flexible, but a CRT could handle just about any signal thrown at it, as long as it was within the minimum/maximum frequency limits of the CRT.)

If your monitor requires a lower-than-standard frequency for your chosen display resolution, you would have to have the monitor connected when starting the OS; otherwise the OS would select the standard frequency and the monitor would fail to display it when connected.

MK

[Jimmy Vance]

As others have said if you have X running maybe a screensaver has kicked in. If the console is in text mode, it also has a screen blanking function.

Have you added a video card to the system? The DL360 G5 only has one video output, not two as you've described.

I use this comand on my text console sessions to diable screen blanking

setterm -powersave off -blank 0

[christian hugo]

Sorry for the vague post.. I am using Windows 2003 server on the servers. Actually, there are three servers (2 G5s and 1 G4) these servers share a single monitor but i don't use any kvm switch.. I manually switch the connection of the monitor to access the three servers. i use G4 most of the time so i don't connect the monitor much to the two G5s.. the problem is, whenever i leave the 2 G5s without a monitor for a long time, i can't get any video output whenever i connect a monitor to them.. why was that? I disabled the screensavers and I used different CRT monitors but the G4 is the only one that detects monitors properly.. Yes, there are two built-in video cards for G5 servers.. Hope to get a better reply..

[Jimmy Vance]

>>Sorry for the vague post.. I am using Windows 2003 server on the servers.
>>Hope to get a better reply..

If you thought some of the answers were odd, it might be that your posting your question in a Linux system administration forum.

>> Yes, there are two built-in video cards for G5 servers..

I've double checked the specs, and from what I can recall from the last time I racked a DL360 G5, there is only one VGA port. If you have 2 VGA ports, someone has added a 2nd video card. Normally the add-on card becomes the primary video adapter.

Have you tried using iLO2 to see if the console will display over the iLO remote console feature? (You must have an iLO2 advanced license for this feature to work)