UEFI Setup

Click the UEFI Setup tab in the left pane to enter the UEFI Setup interface. In the UEFI Setup interface, you can view and change the UEFI settings of your server.

Figure 1. UEFI Setup interface
UEFI Setup interface

The UEFI Setup interface consists of the following subinterfaces. Click the tab in the left pane to display the corresponding subinterface in the right pane.
Note: Depending on the UEFI version of your server, some subinterface information might differ slightly from the following.
  • System Information: View basic information about your server, such as system identification data, processor speed, DIMM information, and firmware version.

  • System Settings: View and change various server settings.

  • Date and Time: Set the date and time of the server.

  • Start Options: Select an option to restart your server from it.

  • Boot Manager: View and change the server boot options, such as the boot sequence, boot priority for various devices, and boot mode.

  • BMC Settings: View and set BMC (Lenovo XClarity Controller) configuration parameters.

  • System Event Logs: View and clear the system event logs.

  • User Security: Set or modify passwords.

Note: The Save button Save button, Discard button Discard button, and Default button Default button on the right side of the interface might not be applicable for some settings, such as BMC settings and RAID adapter settings. If there are options in the setting interfaces for you to save changes, discard changes, or load default settings, you must click these options instead of using the Save button Save button, Discard button Discard button, and Default button Default button.

For detailed information, refer to the integrated help system. Click Help button on the top right corner of an interface and click Help to view the help information for each interface.

DC Persistent Memory Module (DCPMM) management

DCPMMs can be managed in the UEFI Setup interface. Go to UEFI Setup > System Settings > Intel Optane DCPMMs to configure and manage DCPMMs.

Figure 2. DCPMM management
DCPMM management

Note: If the text-based interface of Setup Utility opens instead of the Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager, go to System Settings > <F1> Start Control and select Tool Suite. Then, restart the system and press F1 as soon as the logo screen appears to open Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager.
Following are the available management options:
  • Intel Optane DCPMM details

    Select this option to view the following details concerning each of the installed DCPMMs:

    • Firmware version

    • Configuration status

    • Raw capacity

    • Memory capacity

    • App Direct capacity

    • Unconfigured capacity

    • Inaccessible capacity

    • Reserved capacity

    • Percentage remaining

    • Security state

  • Goals

    • Memory Mode [%]

      Select this option to define the percentage of DCPMM capacity that is invested in system memory, and hence decide the DCPMM mode:
      • 0%: App Direct Mode

      • 1-99%: Mixed Memory Mode

      • 100%: Memory Mode

      Go to Goals > Memory Mode [%], input the memory percentage, and reboot the system.
      Note:
      • Before changing from one mode to another:

        1. Make sure the capacity of installed DCPMMs and DRAM DIMMs meets system requirements for the new mode.

        2. Back up all the data and delete all the created namespaces. Go to Namespaces > View/Modify/Delete Namespaces to delete the created namespaces.

        3. Perform secure erase on all the installed DCPMMs. Go to Security > Press to Secure Erase to perform secure erase.

      • After the system is rebooted and the input goal value is applied, the displayed value in System Configuration and Boot Management > Intel Optane DCPMMs > Goals will go back to the following default selectable options:

        • Scope: [Platform]

        • Memory Mode [%]: 0

        • Persistent Memory Type: [App Direct]

        These values are selectable options for DCPMM settings, and do not represent the current DCPMM status.
    • Persistent Memory Type

      In App Direct Mode and Mixed Memory Mode, the DCPMMs that are connected to the same processor are by default interleaved (displayed as App Direct), while memory banks are used in turns. To set them as not interleaved in the Setup Utility, go to Intel Optane DCPMMs > Goals > Persistent Memory Type [(DCPMM mode)], select App Direct Not Interleaved and reboot the system.

      Note: Setting DCPMM App Direct capacity to not interleaved will turn the displayed App Direct regions from one region per processor to one region per DCPMM.
  • Regions

    After the memory percentage is set and the system is rebooted, regions for the App Direct capacity will be generated automatically. Select this option to view the App Direct regions.

  • Security

    • Enable Security

      DCPMMs can be secured with passphrases. Two types of passphrase protection scope are available for DCPMM:
      • Platform: Choose this option to run security operation on all the installed DCPMM units at once. Platform passphrase is stored and automatically applied to unlock DCPMMs before operating system starts running, but passphrase still has to be disabled manually for secure erase.

      • Single DCPMM: Choose this option to run security operation on one or more selected DCPMM units.
        Note:
        • Single DCPMM passphrases are not stored in the system, and security of the locked units needs to be disabled before the units are available for access or secure erase.

        • Always make sure to keep records of the slot number of locked DCPMMs and corresponding passphrases. In the case the passphrases are lost or forgotten, the stored data cannot be backed up or restored, but you can contact Lenovo service for administrative secure erase.

        • After three failed unlocking attempts, the corresponding DCPMMs enter “exceeded” state with a system warning message, and the DCPMM unit can only be unlocked after the system is rebooted.

        To enable passphrase, go to Security > Press to Enable Security.
    • Secure Erase

      Note: If the DCPMMs to be secure erased are protected with a passphrase, make sure to disable security and reboot the system before performing secure erase.

      Secure erase cleanses all the data that is stored in the DCPMM unit, including encrypted one. This data deletion method is recommended before returning or disposing a malfunctioning unit, or changing DCPMM mode. To perform secure erase, go to Security > Press to Secure Erase.

  • DCPMM Configuration

    DCPMM contains spared internal cells to stand in for the failed ones. When the spared cells are exhausted to 0%, there will be an error message, and it is advised to back up data, collect service log, and contact Lenovo support.

    There will also be a warning message when the percentage reaches 1% and a selectable percentage (10% by default). When this message appears, it is advised to back up data and run DCPMM diagnostics (see Running diagnostics). To adjust the selectable percentage that the warning message requires, go to Intel Optane DCPMMs > DCPMM Configuration, and input the percentage.