HP WS460C G6 - Manual (Page 6)

Workstation blade video subsystem 6
Workstation blade video subsystem
WS460c video subsystem overview
This chapter describes the workstation blade video subsystem. Because the workstation blade contains two
types of video controllers, you must be familiar with their functionality and operating modes.
• ATI RN50 video controller (ATI video controller)—The ATI Video controller is built into the workstation
blade.
• NVIDIA Quadro graphics adapter (NVIDIA graphics adapter)—The WS460c Workstation Blade
supports NVIDIA graphics adapters in full-length graphics cards, and single- and dual-card mezzanine
configurations. For more information, see Hardware and Software Supported by HP ProLiant
Workstation Blades.
HP offers the HP Graphics Expansion Blade (expansion blade), which comes attached only to the workstation
blade. The expansion blade supports the installation of qualified PCI-Express cards.
If an expansion blade is not attached to the workstation blade, mezzanine graphics adapters are installed in
the WS460c Workstation Blade. If an expansion blade is attached, graphics adapters can only be installed
in the expansion blade, not in the workstation blade. Unless otherwise noted, no distinction is made in this
chapter based on where the graphics adapters are installed internally to the WS460c Workstation Blade or
in the expansion blade, because installation location is not visible to the Windows® operating system.
Video subsystem architecture and operating modes
The key features of the video subsystem are:
• The workstation blade boot console is generated by the ATI video controller. The boot console can be
viewed either by connecting a monitor to the video output of the Local I/O Connector or can be viewed
over the network using the iLO 2 Ethernet port.
• The Windows® desktop runs on the NVIDIA graphics adapter in User Mode only. The iLO 2 console
and the Local I/O Connector cannot be seen in User Mode.
• You can view the Windows® desktop on internally installed NVIDIA graphics adapters using RGS. If
the graphics connectors are present, you can view the video directly.
• Operation of the workstation blade ATI video controller and NVIDIA graphics adapter is governed by
the BIOS parameter Remote Console Mode, which can be set to the following modes:
o User Mode (default setting)
o Admin Mode
o Server Mode
o Setup Mode
Remote Console modes