DELL EMC 12M1H PowerEdge R450 Intel Xeon Silver User Guide

DELL EMC 12M1H PowerEdge R450 Intel Xeon Silver

Product Information

The Dell EMC PowerEdge R450 is a server system that provides advanced management options through its BIOS and UEFI firmware. It allows users to configure various settings and features of the system without booting into the operating system.

You can manage basic settings and features of a system without booting to the operating system by using the system firmware.

Options to manage the pre-operating system applications
You can use any one of the following options to manage the pre-operating system applications:

• System Setup
• Dell Lifecycle Controller
• Boot Manager
• Preboot Execution Environment (PXE)

Topics:

• System Setup
• Dell Lifecycle Controller
• Boot Manager
• PXE boot

System Setup

Using the System Setup option, you can configure the BIOS settings, iDRAC settings, and device settings of the system. You can access system setup by using any one of the following interfaces:

• Graphical User interface — To access go to iDRAC Dashboard, click Configurations > BIOS Settings.
• Text browser — To enable the text browser, use the Console Redirection.

To view System Setup, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu.

NOTE: If the operating system begins to load before you press F2, wait for the system to finish booting, and then restart the system and try again.

The options on the System Setup Main Menu screen are described in the following table:
Table 1. System Setup Main Menu

settings utility is an interface to set up and configure the iDRAC parameters by using UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). You can enable or disable various

iDRAC parameters by using the iDRAC settings utility. For more information about this utility, see Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide at www.dell.com/ poweredgemanuals.

Device Settings| Enables you to configure device settings for devices such as storage controllers or network cards.
Service Tag Settings| Enables you to configure the System Service Tag.

System BIOS

To view the System BIOS screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS.
Table 2. System BIOS details

system model name, BIOS version, and Service Tag.
Memory Settings| Specifies information and options related to the installed memory.
Processor Settings| Specifies information and options related to the processor such as speed and cache size.
SATA Settings| Specifies options to enable or disable the integrated SATA controller and ports.
NVMe Settings| Specifies options to change the NVMe settings. If the system contains the NVMe drives that you want to configure in a RAID array, you must set both this field and the Embedded SATA field on the SATA Settings menu to RAID mode. You might also need to change the Boot Mode setting to UEFI. Otherwise, you should set this field to Non- RAID mode.
Boot Settings| Specifies options to specify the Boot mode (BIOS or UEFI). Enables you to modify UEFI and BIOS boot settings.
Network Settings| Specifies options to manage the UEFI network settings and boot protocols. Legacy network settings are managed from the Device Settings menu.

NOTE: Network Settings are not supported in BIOS boot mode.

Integrated Devices| Specifies options to manage integrated device controllers and ports, specifies related features, and options.
Serial Communication| Specifies options to manage the serial ports, its related features, and options.
System Profile Settings| Specifies options to change the processor power management settings, memory frequency.
System Security| Specifies options to configure the system security settings, such as system password, setup password, Trusted Platform Module (TPM) security, and UEFI secure boot. It also manages the power button on the system.
Redundant OS Control| Sets the redundant OS information for redundant OS control.
Miscellaneous Settings| Specifies options to change the system date and time.

System Information
To view the System Information screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > System Information.
Table 3. System Information details

Management Engine firmware.
System Service Tag| Specifies the system Service Tag.
System Manufacturer| Specifies the name of the system manufacturer.
System Manufacturer Contact Information| Specifies the contact information of the system manufacturer.
Option| Description
---|---
System CPLD Version| Specifies the current version of the system complex programmable logic device (CPLD) firmware.
UEFI Compliance Version| Specifies the UEFI compliance level of the system firmware.

Memory Settings
To view the Memory Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS>Memory Settings.

Table 4. Memory Settings details

system.
System Memory Speed| Specifies the speed of the system memory.
System Memory Voltage| Specifies the voltage of the system memory.
Video Memory| Specifies the size video memory.
System Memory Testing| Specifies whether the system memory tests are run during system boot. The two options available are Enabled and Disabled. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Memory Operating Mode| Specifies the memory operating mode. The option is available and is set

to Optimizer Mode , by default. Options such as Fault Resilient Mode and NUMA Fault Resilient Mode are available for support when the Advanced RAS capability processor is installed on the system.

Current State of Memory Operating Mode| Specifies the current state of the memory operating mode.
Node Interleaving| Enables or disables the Node interleaving option. Specifies if the Non- Uniform Memory Architecture (NUMA) is supported. If this field is set to Enabled , memory interleaving is supported if a symmetric memory configuration is installed. If the field is set to Disabled , the system supports NUMA (asymmetric) memory configurations. This option is set to Disabled by default.
ADDDC Settings| Enables or disables ADDDC Setting feature. When Adaptive Double DRAM Device Correction (ADDDC) is enabled, failing DRAMs are dynamically mapped out. When set to Enabled it can impact the system performance under certain workloads. This feature is applicable for x4 DIMMs only. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Memory training| When option is set to Fast and memory configuration is not changed, the system uses previously saved memory training parameters to train

the memory subsystems and system boot time is also reduced. If memory configuration is changed, the system automatically enables Retrain at Next boot to force one-time full memory training steps, and then go back to Fast afterward.

When option is set to Retrain at Next boot , the system performs the force one-time full memory training steps at next power on and boot time is slowed on next boot.

When option is set to Enabled , the system performs the force full memory training steps on every power on and boot time is slowed on every boot.

Memory Map Out| This option controls DIMMs slots on the system. This option is set to

Enabled by default. It allows to disable system installed DIMMs.

logging. This option is set to

Enabled by default.

Dark Memory: Total Memory Available| Enables or Disables dark memory feature. Dark Memory feature allows software to change memory size. The option is set to Disabled and Hide by default, options displaying needs to be enabled by personality module.

Processor Settings
To view the Processor Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > Processor Settings.
Table 5. Processor Settings details

processors. If this option is set to Enabled , the BIOS displays all the logical processors. If this option is set to Disabled , the BIOS

displays only one logical processor per core. This option is set to Enabled by default.

CPU Interconnect Speed| Enables you to govern the frequency of the communication links among the processors in the system.

NOTE: The standard and basic bin processors support lower link frequencies.

The options available are M a x i m u m d a t a r a t e , 1 1 . 2 G T / s ,

1 0 . 4 G T / s , and 9 . 6 G T / s. This option is set to

Maximum data rate by default.

Maximum data rate indicates that the BIOS runs the communication links at the maximum frequency supported by the processors. You can also select specific frequencies that the processors support, which can vary.

For best performance, you should select Maximum data rate. Any reduction in the communication link frequency affects the performance of non- local memory access

and cache coherency traffic. In addition, it can slow access to non-local I/O devices from a particular processor.

However, if power saving considerations outweigh performance, reduce the frequency of the processor communication links. Before reducing the frequency, you must localize the memory and I/O access to the nearest

NUMA node to minimize the impact to system performance.

Virtualization Technology| When set to Enabled , the BIOS will enable processor Virtualization features and provide the

virtualization support to the Operating System (OS) through the DMAR table. In general, only virtualized environments such

as VMware®, ESX™, Microsoft Hyper-V®, Red Hat® KVM, and other virtualized operating systems will take advantage of these features. Disabling this feature is not known to significantly alter the performance or power characteristics of the

system, so leaving this option Enabled is advised for most cases.

set to

Enabled by default.

Kernel DMA Protection| When set to Enabled , using IOMMU, BIOS and Operating System will enable direct memory access protection

for DMA capable peripheral devices. Enable IOMMU Support to use this option. When set to Enabled, using

Virtualization Technology, BIOS and Operating System will enable direct memory access protection for DMA capable peripheral devices.

Enable Virtualization Technology to use this option. This option is set to Disabled by default. It is enabled for Secure Launch (Firmware Protection) support on Windows 2022.

Adjacent Cache Line Prefetch| Optimizes the system for applications that need high utilization of sequential memory access. This option is set to Enabled by default. You can disable this option for applications that need high utilization of random memory access.
Hardware Prefetcher| Enables or disables the hardware prefetcher. This option is set to Enabled by default.
DCU Streamer Prefetcher| Enables or disables the Data Cache Unit (DCU) streamer prefetcher. This option is set to Enabled by default.
DCU IP Prefetcher| Enables or disables the Data Cache Unit (DCU) IP prefetcher. This option is set to Enabled by default.
Sub NUMA Cluster| Enables or disables the Sub NUMA Cluster. This option is set to Disabled by default.
MADT Core Enumeration| Specifies the MADT Core Enumeration. This option is set to default in Round Robin. Linear option supports industry

core enumeration whereas, Round Robin option supports Dell optimized core enumeration.

UPI Prefetch| Enables you to get the memory read started early on DDR bus. The Ultra Path Interconnect (UPI) Rx path spawns the speculative memory that is read to Integrated Memory Controller (iMC) directly. This option is set to Enabled by default.
XPT Prefetch| This option is set to Enabled by default.
LLC Prefetch| Enables or disables the LLC Prefetch on all threads. This option is set to Enabled by default.
Dead Line LLC Alloc| Enables or disables the Dead Line LLC Alloc. This option is set to Enabled by default. You can enable this option to enter the dead lines in LLC or disable the option to not enter the dead lines in LLC.
Directory AtoS| Enables or disables the Directory AtoS. AtoS optimization reduces remote read latencies for repeat read accesses without intervening writes. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Logical Processor Idling| Enables you to improve the energy efficiency of a system. It uses the operating system core parking algorithm and parks some of the logical processors in the system, which in turn allows the corresponding processor cores to transition into a lower power idle state. This option can only be enabled if the operating system supports it. It is set to Disabled by default.
Option| Description
---|---
 | NOTE: This feature is not supported if CPU Power Management is set to Maximum Performance.
AVX P1| Enables you to reconfigure the processor Thermal Design Power (TDP) levels during POST based on the power and thermal delivery capabilities of the system. TDP verifies the maximum heat the cooling system is must dissipate. This option is set to Normal by default.

NOTE: This option is only available on certain stock keeping units (SKUs) of the processors.

Dynamic SST-Performance Profile| Enables you to reconfigure the processor using Dynamic or Static Speed Select Technology. This option is set to Disabled by default.
SST-Performance Profile| Enables you to reconfigure the processor using Speed Select Technology.
Intel SST-BF| Enables Intel SST-BF. This option is displayed if Performance Per Watt (operating system) or Custom (when OSPM is enabled) system profiles are selected. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Intel SST-CP| Enables Intel SST-CP. This option is displayed if Performance Per Watt (operating system) or Custom (when OSPM is enabled) system profiles are selected. This option is displayed and selectable for each system profile mode. This option is set to Disabled by default.
x2APIC Mode| Enables or disables x2APIC mode. This option is set to

Enabled by default.

NOTE: For two processors 64 cores configuration, x2APIC mode is not switchable if 256 threads are enabled (BIOS settings: All CCD, cores, and logical processors enabled).

AVX ICCP Pre-Grant License| Enables or disables AVX ICCP Pre-Grant License. This option is set to Disabled by default.
AVX ICC Pre-Grant Level| Enables you to select between the different AVX ICC transition levels offered by Intel. This option is set to 128 heavy by default.
Dell Controlled Turbo
Dell Controlled Turbo Settings| Controls the turbo engagement. Enable this option only when System Profile is set to Performance or Custom , and CPU Power Management is set to Performance. This item can be selected for each system profile mode. This option is set to Disabled by default.

NOTE: Depending on the number of installed processors, there might be up to two processor listings.

Dell AVX Scaling Technology| Enables you to configure the Dell AVX scaling technology. This option is set to 0 by default. Enter the value from 0 to 12

bins. The value that is entered decreases the Dell AVX Scaling Technology frequency when the Dell-controlled Turbo feature is enabled.

Optimizer Mode| Enables or disables the CPU performance. When this option is set to Auto , set the CPU Power Management to Max Performance. When set to Enabled , enables the CPU Power

Management settings. When set to Disabled , the CPU Power

Limit option. When set to Enabled ,it disables Multiple Keys Memory Encryption and sets the physical memory address to 46 bits to support older Hyper-v (MKTME). When set to Disabled , the physical memory address is set to 52 bits to enable 5- level paging, the system will crash at the driver verifier DMA violation blue screen when booting with non-5-level paging- supporting operating systems (Windows 2019 and, 2016 etc.) This option is set to Enabled by default.
Number of Cores per Processor| Controls the number of enabled cores in each processor. This option is set to All by default.

NOTE: This setting restores to default when user changes System Profile or CPU Power Management setting of Profile Settings.

Processor Core Speed| Specifies the maximum core frequency of the processor.
Processor Bus Speed| Specifies the bus speed of the processor.

NOTE: The processor bus speed option displays only when both processors are installed.

Local Machine Check Exception| Enables or disables the local machine check exception. This is an extension of the MCA Recovery mechanism providing the capability to deliver Uncorrected Recoverable (UCR) Software Recoverable Action Required (SRAR) errors to one or more specific logical processors threads receiving previously poisoned or corrupted data. When enabled, the

UCR SRAR Machine Check Exception is delivered only to the affected thread rather than broadcast to all threads in the system. The feature supports operating system recovery for cases of multiple recoverable faults that are detected close, which would otherwise result in a fatal machine check event. The feature is available only on Advanced RAS processors.

This option is set to Disabled by default.

Processor nProcessor 1| NOTE: Depending on the number of processors, there might be up to n processors listed.

The following settings are displayed for each processor:

Table 6. Processor details

processor as defined by Intel.
Brand| Specifies the brand name.
Level 2 Cache| Specifies the total L2 cache.
Level 3 Cache| Specifies the total L3 cache.
Number of Cores| Specifies the number of cores per processor.
Maximum Memory Capacity| Specifies the maximum memory capacity per processor.
Microcode| Specifies the processor microcode version.

SATA Settings
To view the SATA Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click ..
Table 7. SATA Settings details

AHCI mode , or RAID modes. This option is set to AHCI Mode by default.

NOTE:

1. No ESXi and Ubuntu OS support under RAID mode.

Security Freeze Lock| Sends Security Freeze Lock command to the embedded SATA drives during POST. This option is applicable only for AHCI Mode. This option is set to Enabled by default.
Write Cache| Enables or disables the command for the embedded SATA drives during POST. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Port n| Sets the drive type of the selected device.

For AHCI Mode or RAID modes , BIOS support is always enabled.

Table 8. Port n

undefined for removable media devices such as optical drives.

NVMe Settings
This option sets the NVMe drive mode. If the system contains NVMe drives that you want to configure in a RAID array, you must set both this field and the Embedded SATA field on the SATA settings menu to RAID Mode. You may also need to change the Boot Mode setting to UEFI.
To view the NVMe Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > NVMe Settings.
Table 9. NVMe Settings details

Non-RAID mode by default.
BIOS NVMe driver| Sets the drive type to boot the NVMe driver. The available options are Dell Qualified Drives and All Drives. This option is set to Dell Qualified Drives by default.

Boot Settings
You can use the Boot Settings screen to set the boot mode to either BIOS or UEFI. It also enables you to specify the boot order.

• UEFI: The Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) is a new interface between operating systems and platform firmware. The interface consists of data tables with platform related information, boot and runtime service calls that are available to the operating system and its loader. The following benefits are available when the Boot Mode is set to UEFI:

  • Support for drive partitions larger than 2 TB.
  • Enhanced security (e.g., UEFI Secure Boot).
  • Faster boot time.
    NOTE: You must use only the UEFI boot mode in order to boot from NVMe drives.

• BIOS: The BIOS Boot Mode is the legacy boot mode. It is maintained for backward compatibility. To view the Boot Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > Boot Settings.

Table 10. Boot Settings details

operating system supports UEFI, you can set this option to UEFI. Setting this field to BIOS allows compatibility with non-UEFI operating systems. This option is set to UEFI by default.

CAUTION: Switching the boot mode may prevent the system from booting if the operating system is not installed in the same boot mode.

NOTE: Setting this field to UEFI disables the BIOS Boot Settings menu.

Boot Sequence Retry| Enables or disables the Boot sequence retry feature or resets the system. When If this option is set to Enabled and the system fails to boot, the system re-attempts the boot sequence after 30 seconds. When this option is set to Reset and the system fails to boot, the system reboots immediately. This option is set to Enabled by default.
Hard-disk Failover| Enables or disables the Hard-disk failover. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Generic USB Boot| Enables or disables the generic USB boot placeholder. This option is set to

Disabled by default.

Hard-disk Drive Placeholder| Enables or disables the Hard-disk drive placeholder. This option is set to Disabled

by default.

Clean all Sysprep order and variables| When this option is set to None , BIOS will do nothing. When set to Yes , BIOS will delete variables of SysPrep #### and SysPrepOrder this option is a onetime option, will reset to none when deleting variables. This setting is only available in UEFI Boot Mode. This option is set to None by default.
UEFI Boot Settings| Specifies the UEFI boot sequence. Enables or disables UEFI Boot options.

NOTE: This option controls the UEFI boot order. The first option in the list will be attempted first.

Table 11. UEFI Boot Settings

B oo t O p t i o n s En a b l e / D i s a b l e| Enables you to select the enabled or disabled boot devices

Choosing system boot mode
System Setup enables you to specify one of the following boot modes for installing your operating system:

• UEFI boot mode (the default), is an enhanced 64-bit boot interface. If you have configured your system to boot to UEFI mode, it replaces the system BIOS.

  1. From the System Setup Main Menu, click Boot Settings, and select Boot Mode.

  2. Select the UEFI boot mode you want the system to boot into.
     CAUTION: Switching the boot mode may prevent the system from booting if the operating system is not installed in the same boot mode.

  3. After the system boots in the specified boot mode, proceed to install your operating system from that mode.

Changing boot order

• About this task
  You may have to change the boot order if you want to boot from a USB key or an optical drive. The following instructions may vary if you have selected BIOS for Boot Mode.
  NOTE: Changing the drive boot sequence is only supported in BIOS boot mode.

Steps

1. On the System Setup Main Menu screen, click System BIOS > Boot Settings > UEFI Boot Settings > UEFI Boot Sequence.
2. Use the arrow keys to select a boot device, and use the plus (+) and minus (-) sign keys to move the device down or up in the order.
3. Click Exit, and then click Yes to save the settings on exit.

Network Settings
To view the Network Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS> Network Settings.
NOTE: Network Settings are not supported in BIOS boot mode.

Table 12. Network Settings details

PXE device.
PXE Device n (n = 1 to 4)| Enables or disables the device. When enabled, a UEFI PXE boot option is created for the device.
PXE Device n Settings (n = 1 to 4)| Enables you to control the configuration of the PXE device.
UEFI HTTP Settings| Enables you to control the configuration of the UEFI HTTP device.
HTTP Device n (n = 1 to 4)| Enables or disables the device. When enabled, a UEFI HTTP boot option is created for the device.
HTTP Device n Settings (n = 1 to 4)| Enables you to control the configuration of the HTTP device.
UEFI iSCSI Settings| Enables you to control the configuration of the iSCSI device.

Table 13. PXE Device n Settings details

IPv4 or IPv6. This option is set to

IPv4 by default.

Vlan| Enables Vlan for PXE device. This option is set to Enable or Disable. This option is set to

Disable by default.

Vlan ID| Shows the Vlan ID for the PXE device
Vlan Priority| Shows the Vlan Priority for the PXE device.

Table 14. UEFI iSCSI Settings screen details

format.
iSCSI Device1| Enables or disables the iSCSI device. When disabled, a UEFI boot option is created for the iSCSI device automatically. This is set to Disabled by default.
iSCSI Device1 Settings| Enables you to control the configuration of the iSCSI device.

Table 15. ISCSI Device1 Settings screen details

set to Disable by default.
Connection 2| Enables or disables the iSCSI connection. This option is set to Disable by default.
Connection 1 Settings| Enables you to control the configuration for the iSCSI connection.
Connection 2 Settings| Enables you to control the configuration for the iSCSI connection.
Connection Order| Enables you to control the order for which the iSCSI connections will be attempted.

Integrated Devices
To view the Integrated Devices screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS> Integrated Devices.

Table 16. Integrated Devices details

Selecting Only Back Ports On disables the front USB ports; selecting All Ports Off disables all front and back USB ports; selecting All Ports Off (Dynamic) disables all front and back USB ports during POST. This option is set to All Ports On by default.

When user accessible USB ports are set to All Ports Off (Dynamic) the

Enable Front Ports Only option is enabled.

●        Enable Front Ports Only : Enables or disables the front USB ports during the operating system runtime.

The USB keyboard and mouse still function in certain USB ports during the boot process, depending on the selection. After the boot process is complete, the USB ports will be enabled or disabled as per the setting.
iDRAC Direct USB Port| The iDRAC Direct USB port is managed by iDRAC exclusively with no host visibility. This option is set to ON or OFF. When set to OFF , iDRAC does not detect any USB devices installed in this managed port. This option is set to On by default.
Internal SD Card Port| Enables or disables the internal SD card port of the Internal Dual SD Module (IDSDM). This option is set to On by default.
Internal SD Card Redundancy| Configures the redundancy mode of the Internal Dual SD Module (IDSDM). When set to Mirror Mode, data is written on both SD cards. After failure of either card and replacement of the failed card, the data of the active card is copied to the offline card during the system boot.

When Internal SD Card Redundancy is set to Disabled , only the primary SD card is visible to the operating system. This option is set to Disabled by default.

Internal SD Primary Card| By default, the primary SD card is selected to be SD Card 1. If SD Card 1 is not present, then the controller selects SD Card 2 to be the primary SD card.
Option| Description
---|---
Embedded NIC1 and NIC2| Enables or disables the Embedded NIC1 and NIC2. If set to Disabled (OS) , the NIC may still be available for shared network access by the embedded management controller. Configure the Embedded NIC1 and NIC2 option by using the NIC management utilities of the system. This option is set to Enabled by default.
I / O A T D M A En g i n e| Enables or disables the I/O Acceleration Technology (I/OAT) option. I/OAT is a set of DMA features designed to accelerate network traffic and lower CPU utilization. Enable only if the hardware and software support the feature. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Embedded Video Controller| Enables or disables the use of Embedded Video Controller as the primary display. When set to Enabled , the Embedded Video Controller will be the primary display even if add-in graphic cards are installed. When set to Disabled , an add-in graphics card is used as the primary display. BIOS will output displays to both the primary add-in video and the embedded video during POST and preboot environment. The embedded video will then be disabled right before the operating system boots. This option is set to Enabled by default.

NOTE: When there are multiple add-in graphic cards installed in the system, the first card discovered during PCI enumeration is selected as the primary video. You might have to rearrange the cards in the slots in order to control which card is the primary video.

I/O Snoop HoldOff Response| Selects the number of cycles PCI I/O can withhold snoop requests, from the CPU, to allow time to complete its own write to LLC. This setting can help improve performance on workloads where throughput and latency are critical. The options available are 256 Cycles , 512 Cycles , 1K Cycles , 2K Cycles , 4K Cycles , 8K Cycles , 16K Cycles , 32K Cycles , 64K Cycles and 128K Cycles.This option is set to 2K Cycles by default.
Current State of Embedded Video Controller| Displays the current state of the embedded video controller. The Current State of Embedded Video Controller option is a read-only field. If the Embedded Video Controller is the only display capability in the system (that is, no add-in graphics card is installed), then the Embedded Video Controller is automatically used as the primary display even if the Embedded Video Controller setting is set to Disabled.
SR-IOV Global Enable| Enables or disables the BIOS configuration of Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) devices. This option is set to Disabled by default.
OS Watchdog Timer| If your system stops responding, this watchdog timer aids in the recovery of your operating system. When this option is set to Enabled , the operating

system initializes the timer. When this option is set to Disabled (the default), the timer does not have any effect on the system.

Empty Slot Unhide| Enables or disables the root ports of all the empty slots that are accessible to the BIOS and operating system. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Memory Mapped I/O above 4 GB| Enables or disables the support for the PCIe devices that need large amounts of memory. Enable this option only for 64-bit operating systems. This option is set to Enabled by default.
Memory Mapped I/O Base| When set to 12 TB , the system maps the MMIO base to 12 TB. Enable this option for an operating system that requires 44-bit PCIe addressing. When set to 512 GB , the system maps the MMIO base to 512 GB, and reduces the maximum support for memory to less than 512 GB. Enable this option only for the 4 GPU DGMA issue. This option is set to 56 TB by default.
Slot Disablement| Enables or disables the available PCIe slots on your system. The slot disablement feature controls the configuration of the PCIe cards installed in the specified slot. Slots must be disabled only when the installed peripheral card prevents booting into the operating system or causes delays in system
Option| Description
---|---
 | startup. If the slot is disabled, both the Option ROM and UEFI drivers are disabled. Only slots that are present on the system will be available for control.
Slot n : Enables or disables or only the boot driver is disabled for the PCIe slot

n. This option is set to Enabled by default.

Slot Bifurcation| Auto Discovery Bifurcation Settings allows Platform Default Bifurcation , and Manual bifurcation Control.
This option is set to Platform Default Bifurcation by default. The slot bifurcation field is accessible when set to Manual bifurcation Control and is grayed out when set to Platform Default Bifurcation.

NOTE: The slot bifurcation supports on PCIe slot only, does not support slot type from Paddle card to Riser and Slimline connector to Riser.

Serial Communication
To view the Serial Communication screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > Serial Communication.
Table 17. Serial Communication details

serial communication devices (Serial Device 1 and Serial Device 2) in BIOS. BIOS console redirection can also be enabled, and the port address can be specified.

The options available for System without serial COM port (DB9) are On without Console Redirection , On with Console Redirection , Off. This option is set to Off by default.

The options available for System with serial COM port (DB9) are On without Console Redirection , On with Console Redirection via Com1 , On with Console Redirection via Com2 , Off , Auto. This option is set to Auto by default.

Serial Port Address| Enables you to set the port address for serial devices. This option is set to

Serial Device1=COM2, Serial Device 2=COM1 by default.

NOTE: You can use only Serial Device 2 for the Serial Over LAN (SOL) feature. To use console redirection by SOL, configure the same port address for console redirection and the serial device.

NOTE: Every time the system boots, the BIOS syncs the serial MUX setting that is saved in iDRAC. The serial MUX setting can independently be changed in iDRAC. Loading the BIOS default settings from within the BIOS setup utility may not always revert the serial MUX setting to the default setting of Serial Device 1.

External Serial Connector| Enables you to associate the External Serial Connector to Serial Device 1 , Serial Device 2 , or the Remote Access Device by using this option. This option is set to Serial Device 1 by default.

NOTE: Only Serial Device 2 can be used for Serial Over LAN (SOL).

To use console redirection by SOL, configure the same port address for console redirection and the serial device.

NOTE: Every time the system boots, the BIOS syncs the serial MUX setting saved in iDRAC. The serial MUX setting can independently be changed in iDRAC. Loading the BIOS default settings from within the BIOS setup utility may not always revert this setting to the default setting of Serial Device 1.

redirection. The BIOS attempts to determine the baud rate automatically. This failsafe baud rate is used only if the attempt fails, and the value must not be changed. This option is set to 115200 by default.
Remote Terminal Type| Sets the remote console terminal type. This option is set to V T 1 00 / V T 22 0 by default.
Redirection After Boot| Enables or disables the BIOS console redirection when the operating system is loaded. This option is set to Enabled by default.

System Profile Settings
To view the System Profile Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > System Profile Settings.
Table 18. System Profile Settings details

option to a mode other than Custom , the BIOS automatically sets the rest of the options. You can only change the rest of

the options if the mode is set to Custom. This option is set to Performance Per Watt (DAPC) by default. Other options include Performance , Performance Per Watt (OS) and Custom.

NOTE: All the parameters on the system profile setting screen are available only when the System Profile option is set to Custom.

CPU Power Management| Sets the CPU power management. This option is set to System DBPM (DAPC) by default. Other option includes Maximum Performance , OS DBPM.
Memory Frequency| Sets the speed of the system memory. You can select Maximum Performance , Maximum Reliability or a specific speed. This option is set to Maximum Performance by default.
Turbo Boost| Enables or disables the processor to operate in the turbo boost mode. This option is set to

Enabled by default.

C1E| Enables or disables the processor to switch to a minimum performance state when it is idle. This option is set to Enabled by default.
C States| Enables or disables the processor to operate in all available power states. C States allow the processor to enter lower power states when idle. When set to Enabled (OS controlled) or when set to Autonomous (if hardware controlled is supported), the processor can operate in all available Power States to save power, but may increase memory latency and frequency jitter. This option is set to Enabled by default.
Memory Patrol Scrub| Sets the memory patrol scrub mode. This option is set to Standard by default.
Memory Refresh Rate| Sets the memory refresh rate to either 1x or 2x. This option is set to 1x by default.
Uncore Frequency| Enables you to select the Uncore Frequency option. Dynamic mode enables the processor to optimize power resources across cores and uncores during runtime. The optimization of the uncore frequency to either save power or optimize performance is influenced by the setting of the Energy Efficiency Policy option.
Energy Efficient Policy| Enables you to select the Energy Efficient Policy option. The CPU uses the setting to manipulate the internal behavior of the processor and determines whether to target higher performance or better power savings. This option is set to Balanced Performance by default.
M o n i t o r / M w a i t| Enables the Monitor/Mwait instructions in the processor. This option is set to Enabled for all system profiles, except Custom by default.
Option| Description
---|---
 | NOTE: This option can be disabled only if the C States option in the Custom mode is set to disabled.

NOTE: When C States is set to Enabled in the Custom mode, changing the Monitor/ Mwait setting does not impact the system power or performance.

Workload Profile| This option allows the user to specify the targeted workload of a server. It allows optimization of performance based on the workload type. This option is set to Not Configured by default.
CPU Interconnect Bus Link Power Management| Enables or disables the CPU Interconnect Bus Link Power Management. This option is set to

Enabled by default.

PCI ASPM L1 Link Power Management| Enables or disables the PCI ASPM L1 Link Power Management. This option is set to

Enabled by default.

System Security
To view the System Security screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > System Security.
Table 19. System Security details

and decryption by using the Advanced Encryption Standard Instruction Set (AES- NI). This option is set to Enabled by default.
System Password| Sets the system password. This option is set to Enabled by default and is read-only if the password jumper is not installed in the system.
Setup Password| Sets the setup password. This option is read-only if the password jumper is not installed in the system.
Password Status| Locks the system password. This option is set to Unlocked by default.
TPM Information| Indicates the type of Trusted Platform Module, if present.

Table 20. TPM 1.2 security information

TPM Information
TPM Security| NOTE: The TPM menu is available only when the TPM module is installed.

Enables you to control the reporting mode of the TPM. The TPM Security option is set to Off by default. You can only modify the TPM Status, and TPM Activation if the TPM Status field is set to either On with Pre-boot Measurements or On without Pre-boot Measurements.

When TPM 1.2 is installed, the TPM Security option is set to Off , On with Pre-boot Measurements , or On without Pre-boot Measurements.

TPM Information| Displays the operational state of the TPM.
TPM Firmware| Indicates the firmware version of the TPM.
TPM Status| Specifies the TPM status.
TPM Command| Controls the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). When set to None , no command is sent to the TPM. When set to Activate , the TPM is enabled and activated. When set to Deactivate , the TPM is disabled and deactivated. When set to Clear , all the contents of the TPM are cleared. This option is set to None by default.
Option| Description
---|---
TPM Advance Settings| TPM PPI

Bypass Provision

| When set to Enabled , allows the Operating System to bypass Physical Presence Interface (PPI) prompts when issuing PPI Advanced Configuration and Power interface (ACPI) provisioning operations.
TPM PPI

Bypass Clear

| When set to Enabled allows the Operating System to bypass Physical Presence Interface (PPI) prompts when issuing PPI Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) clear operations.

Table 21. TPM 2.0 security information

TPM Information
TPM Security| NOTE: The TPM menu is available only when the TPM module is installed.

Enables you to control the reporting mode of the TPM. The TPM Security option is set to Off by default.

When TPM 2.0 is installed, the TPM Security option is set to On or Off. This option is set to Off by default.

TPM Information| Displays the operational state of the TPM.
TPM Firmware| Indicates the firmware version of the TPM.
TPM Hierarcy| Enables, disables, or clears the storage and endorsement hierarchies. When set to Enabled , the storage and endorsement hierarchies can be used.

When set to Disabled , the storage and endorsement hierarchies cannot be used.

When set to Clear , the storage and endorsement hierarchies are cleared of any values, and then reset to

Enabled.

TPM Advanced Settings| TPM PPI

Bypass Provision

| When set to Enabled , allows the Operating System to bypass Physical Presence Interface (PPI) prompts when issuing PPI Advanced Configuration and Power interface (ACPI) provisioning operations.
TPM PPI

Bypass Clear

| When set to Enabled allows the Operating System to bypass Physical Presence Interface (PPI) prompts when issuing PPI Advanced Configuration and Power Interface (ACPI) clear operations.
TPM2

Algorith m Selection

| Allows the user to change the cryptographic algorithms used in the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). The available options are dependent on the TPM firmware.

To enable TPM2 Algorithm Selection, Intel(R) TXT technology must be disabled.

The TPM2 Algorithm Selection option supports SHA1, SHA128, SHA256, SHA512 and SM3 by detecting the TPM module. This option is set to SHA1 by default.

Table 22. System Security details

(TXT) option. To enable

the Intel TXT option, virtualization technology and TPM Security must be enabled with Pre-boot measurements for TPM 1.2 or set to On with SHA256 algorithm for TPM

2.0. This option is set to Off by default. It is set On for Secure Launch (Firmware Protection) support on Windows 2022.

Memory Encryption| Enables or disables the Intel Total Memory Encryption (TME) and Multi-Tenant (Intel® TME-MT). When option is set to Disabled , BIOS disables both TME and MK-TME technology. When option is set to Single Key BIOS enables the TME technology. When option is set to Multiple Keys , BIOS enables the TME-MT technology, the CPU Physical Address Limit option must be disabled for selecting Multiple Keys option. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Option| Description
---|---
Intel(R) SGX| Enables you to set the Intel Software Guard Extension (SGX) option. To enable the Intel SGX option, processor must be SGX capable, memory population must be compatible (minimum x8 identical DIMM1 to DIMM8 per CPU socket, not support on persistent memory configuration), memory operating mode must be set at optimizer mode, memory encryption must be enabled and node interleaving must be disabled. This option is set to Off by default. When this option is to Off , BIOS disables the SGX technology. When this option is to On , BIOS enables the SGX technology.

NOTE: When upgrading from an earlier BIOS version to BIOS 1.7.4, the SGX feature will be disabled. In the “SGX Factory Reset” menu in the “System Security” setup menu, the user must first re-enable SGX with a factory reset.

SGX Package Info In-Band Access| Enables you to access the Intel Software Guard Extension (SGX) package info in-band option. This option is set to Off by default.
PPMRR Size| Sets the PPMRR size.
SGX QoS| Enables or disables the SGX quality of service.
Select Owner EPOCH input type| Enables you to select Change to New random Owner EPOCHs or Manual User Defined Owner EPOCHs. Each EPOCH is 64-bit. After generating new EPOCH by selecting Change to New random Owner EPOCHs , the selection reverts back to Manual User Defined Owner EPOCHs.
Software Guard Extensions Epoch n : Sets the Software Guard Extensions Epoch values.
Enable writes to SGXLEPUBKEYHASH[3:0] from OS/SW| Enables or disables the Enable writes to SGXLEPUBKEYHASH[3:0] from OS/SW.
SGX LE Public Key Hash0 : Sets the bytes from 0-7 for SGX Launch Enclave Public Key Hash.
S G X LE Public Key Hash1 : Sets the bytes from 8-15 for SGX Launch Enclave Public Key Hash.
S G X LE Public Key Hash2 : Sets the bytes from 16-23 for SGX Launch Enclave Public Key Hash.
S G X LE Public Key Hash3 : Sets the bytes from 24-31 for SGX Launch Enclave Public Key Hash.
En a b l e / D i s a b l e SGX Auto MP Registration Agent| Enables are disables the SGX Auto MP Registration. The MP registration agent is responsible to register the platform.
SGX Factory Reset| Enables you to reset the SGX option to factory settings. This option is set to Off by default.
Power Button| Enables or disables the power button on the front of the system. This option is set to

Enabled by default.

AC Power Recovery| Sets how the system behaves after AC power is restored to the system. This option is set to Last by default.

NOTE: The host system will not power on up until iDRAC Root of Trust (RoT) is completed, host power on will be delayed by minimum 90 seconds after the AC applied.

AC Power Recovery Delay| Sets the time delay for the system to power up after AC power is restored to

the system. This option is set to Immediate by default. When this option is set to Immediate , there is no delay for power up. When this option is set to Random , the system creates a random delay for power up. When this option is set to User Defined , the system delay time is manually to power up.

User Defined Delay (60 s to 600 s)| Sets the User Defined Delay option when the User Defined option for AC Power Recovery Delay is selected. The actual AC recovery time needs to add iDRAC root of trust time (around 50 seconds).
Option| Description
---|---
UEFI Variable Access| Provides varying degrees of securing UEFI variables. When set to Standard (the default), UEFI variables are accessible in the operating system per the UEFI specification. When set to Controlled , selected UEFI variables are protected in the environment and new UEFI boot entries are forced to be at the end of the current boot order.
In-Band Manageability Interface| When set to Disabled , this setting hides the Management Engine’s (ME), HECI devices, and the system’s IPMI devices from the operating system. This prevents the operating system from changing the ME power capping settings, and blocks access to all in-

band management tools. All management should be managed through out-of-band. This option is set to Enabled by default.

NOTE: BIOS update requires HECI devices to be operational and DUP updates require IPMI interface to be operational. This setting needs to be set to Enabled to avoid updating errors.

SMM Security Migration| Enables or disables the UEFI SMM security migration protections. It is enabled for Windows 2022 support.
Secure Boot| Enables Secure Boot, where the BIOS authenticates each pre- boot image by using the certificates in the Secure Boot Policy. Secure Boot is set to Disabled by default.
Secure Boot Policy| When Secure Boot policy is set to Standard , the BIOS uses the system manufacturer’s key and certificates to authenticate pre- boot images. When Secure Boot policy is set to Custom , the BIOS uses the user-defined key and certificates. Secure Boot policy is set to Standard by default.
Secure Boot Mode| Configures how the BIOS uses the Secure Boot Policy Objects (PK, KEK, db, dbx).

If the current mode is set to Deployed Mode , the available options are User Mode and Deployed Mode. If the current mode is set to User Mode , the available options are User Mode , Audit Mode , and Deployed Mode.

Table 23. Secure Boot Mode

signature verification on programmatic attempts to update policy objects.

The BIOS allows unauthenticated programmatic transitions between modes.

Audit mode| In Audit Mode , PK is not present. BIOS does not authenticate programmatic update to the policy objects and transitions between modes. The BIOS performs a signature verification on pre-boot images and logs the results in the image Execution Information Table, but executes the images whether they pass or fail verification.

Audit Mode is useful for programmatic determination of a working set of policy objects.

Deployed Mode| Deployed Mode is the most secure mode. In Deployed Mode , PK must be installed and the BIOS performs signature verification on programmatic attempts to update policy objects.

Deployed Mode restricts the programmatic mode transitions.

Secure Boot Policy Summary| Specifies the list of certificates and hashes that secure boot uses to authenticate images.
Secure Boot Custom Policy Settings| Configures the Secure Boot Custom Policy. To enable this option, set the Secure Boot Policy to Custom option.

Creating a system and setup password

• Prerequisites
  Ensure that the password jumper is enabled. The password jumper enables or disables the system password and setup password features. For more information, see the System board jumper settings section.
  NOTE: If the password jumper setting is disabled, the existing system password and setup password are deleted and you need not provide the system password to boot the system.

Steps

1. To enter System Setup, press F2 immediately after turning on or rebooting your system.
2. On the System Setup Main Menu screen, click System BIOS > System Security.
3. On the System Security screen, verify that Password Status is set to Unlocked.
4. In the System Password field, type your system password, and press Enter or Tab. Use the following guidelines to assign the system password:
   • A password can have up to 32 characters. A message prompts you to reenter the system password.
5. Reenter the system password, and click OK.
6. In the Setup Password field, type your setup password and press Enter or Tab. A message prompts you to reenter the setup password.
7. Reenter the setup password, and click OK.
8. Press Esc to return to the System BIOS screen. Press Esc again. A message prompts you to save the changes.

NOTE: Password protection does not take effect until the system reboots.

Using your system password to secure your system

• About this task
  If you have assigned a setup password, the system accepts your setup password as an alternate system password.

• Steps

1. Turn on or reboot your system.
2. Type the system password and press Enter.

• Next steps
  When Password Status is set to Locked, type the system password and press Enter when prompted at reboot.

NOTE: If an incorrect system password is typed, the system displays a message and prompts you to reenter your password. You have three attempts to type the correct password. After the third unsuccessful attempt, the system displays an error message that the system has stopped functioning and must be turned off. Even after you turn off and restart the system, the error message is displayed until the correct password is entered.

Deleting or changing system and setup password

• Prerequisites
  NOTE: You cannot delete or change an existing system or setup password if the Password Status is set to Locked.

• Steps

1. To enter System Setup, press F2 immediately after turning on or restarting your system.
2. On the System Setup Main Menu screen, click System BIOS > System Security.
3. On the System Security screen, ensure that Password Status is set to Unlocked.
4. In the System Password field, alter or delete the existing system password, and then press Enter or Tab.
5. In the Setup Password field, alter or delete the existing setup password, and then press Enter or Tab.  

If you change the system and setup password, a message prompts you to reenter the new password. If you delete the system and setup password, a message prompts you to confirm the deletion.

6. Press Esc to return to the System BIOS screen. Press Esc again, and a message prompts you to save the changes.
7. Select Setup Password, change, or delete the existing setup password and press Enter or Tab.

NOTE: If you change the system password or setup password, a message prompts you to reenter the new password. If you delete the system password or setup password, a message prompts you to confirm the deletion.

Operating with setup password enabled
If Setup Password is set to Enabled, type the correct setup password before modifying the system setup options. If you do not type the correct password in three attempts, the system displays the following message:
Even after you power off and restart the system, the error message is displayed until the correct password is typed. The following options are exceptions:

• If System Password is not set to Enabled and is not locked through the Password Status option, you can assign a system password. For more information, see the System Security Settings screen section.
• You cannot disable or change an existing system password.
  NOTE: You can use the password status option with the setup password option to protect the system password from unauthorized changes.

Redundant OS Control
To view the Redundant OS Control screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > Redundant OS Control.
Table 24. Redundant OS Control details

following devices:

●      None

●      IDSDM

●      SATA Ports in AHCI mode

●      BOSS PCIe Cards (Internal M.2 Drives)

●      Internal USB

NOTE: RAID configurations and NVMe cards are not included, as BIOS does not have the ability to distinguish between individual drives in those configurations.

●      Internal SD card

Redundant OS State| NOTE: This option is disabled if Redundant OS Location is set to None.

When set to Visible , the backup disk is visible to the boot list and OS. When set to Hidden , the backup disk is disabled and is not visible to the boot list and OS. This option is set to Visible by default.

NOTE: BIOS disables the device in hardware, so it is not accessed by the OS.

Redundant OS Boot| NOTE: This option is disabled if Redundant OS Location is set to None or if

Redundant OS State is set to Hidden.

When set to Enabled , BIOS boots to the device specified in Redundant OS Location. When set to Disabled , BIOS preserves the current boot list settings. This option is set to Disabled by default.

Miscellaneous Settings
To view the Miscellaneous Settings screen, power on the system, press F2, and click System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS > Miscellaneous Settings.
Table 25. Miscellaneous Settings details

security and tracking purposes.
Keyboard NumLock| Enables you to set whether the system boots with the NumLock enabled or disabled. This option is set to On by default.

NOTE: This option does not apply to 84-key keyboards.

F 1 / F 2 P r o m p t o n E r r o r| Enables or disables the F1/F2 prompt on error. This option is set to Enabled by default. The F1/F2 prompt also includes keyboard errors.
Load Legacy Video Option ROM| Enables or disables the Load Legacy Video Option ROM option. This option is set to Disabled by default.
Dell Wyse P25/P45 BIOS Access| Enables or disables the Dell Wyse P25/P45 BIOS Access. This option is set to

Enabled by default.

Power Cycle Request| Enables or disables the Power Cycle Request. This option is set to None by default.

iDRAC Settings

The iDRAC settings is an interface to set up and configure the iDRAC parameters by using UEFI. You can enable or disable various iDRAC parameters by using the iDRAC settings.
NOTE: Accessing some of the features on the iDRAC settings needs the iDRAC Enterprise License upgrade.
For more information about using iDRAC, see Dell Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller User’s Guide at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals.

Device Settings

Device Settings enables you to configure device parameters such as storage controllers or network cards.

Dell Lifecycle Controller

Dell Lifecycle Controller (LC) provides advanced embedded systems management capabilities including system deployment, configuration, update, maintenance, and diagnosis. LC is delivered as part of the iDRAC out-of-band solution and Dell system-embedded Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) applications.

Embedded system management
The Dell Lifecycle Controller provides advanced embedded system management throughout the lifecycle of the system. The Dell Lifecycle Controller is started during the boot sequence and functions independently of the operating system.
NOTE: Certain platform configurations may not support the full set of features provided by the Dell Lifecycle Controller.
For more information about setting up the Dell Lifecycle Controller, configuring hardware and firmware, and deploying the operating system, see the Dell Lifecycle Controller documentation at https://www.dell.com/idracmanuals.

Boot Manager

The Boot Manager option enables you to select boot options and diagnostic utilities. To enter Boot Manager, power on the system and press F11.
Table 26. Boot Manager details

with the first item in the boot order. If the boot attempt fails, the system continues with the next item in the boot order until the boot is successful or no more boot options are found.
One-shot Boot Menu| Enables you to access boot menu, where you can select a one-time boot device to boot from.
Launch System Setup| Enables you to access System Setup.
Launch Lifecycle Controller| Exits the Boot Manager and invokes the Dell Lifecycle Controller program.
System Utilities| Enables you to launch System Utilities menu such as Launch Diagnostics, BIOS update File Explorer, Reboot System.

PXE boot

You can use the Preboot Execution Environment (PXE) option to boot and configure the networked systems remotely. To access the PXE boot option, boot the system and then press F12 during POST instead of using standard Boot Sequence from BIOS Setup. It does not pull any menu or allows managing of network devices.

References

• Server Operating Systems | Dell US
• Support | Dell Malaysia

Read User Manual Online (PDF format)

Download This Manual (PDF format)

Download this manual  >>