Dell EMC PowerEdge R450 BIOS and UEFI Reference Guide

Quick guide from the manual

This guide provides instructions for managing the pre-operating system environment of the Dell EMC PowerEdge R450 server. To access the System Setup, power on the system and press F2. If the operating system begins to load, wait for it to finish booting, then restart the system and try again. For the Boot Manager, press F11 during startup, and for PXE boot, press F12.

System BIOS

The System BIOS menu allows configuration of core hardware settings. Access this by pressing F2 and selecting System Setup Main Menu > System BIOS.

• Memory Settings: Configure memory operating modes (e.g., Optimizer Mode), node interleaving, and memory training.
• Processor Settings: Manage logical processors, CPU interconnect speed, virtualization technology, and power management features like Turbo Boost and C-States.
• SATA and NVMe Settings: Configure drive modes (AHCI, RAID, Non-RAID). Note that NVMe drives require UEFI boot mode for RAID configurations.
• Boot Settings: Switch between BIOS and UEFI boot modes. UEFI is recommended for modern operating systems and NVMe support.
• Network Settings: Manage UEFI PXE and HTTP device configurations. Note that these settings are not supported in legacy BIOS boot mode.
• Integrated Devices: Configure USB ports, internal SD card redundancy, embedded video controllers, and PCIe slot settings.
• Serial Communication: Manage serial ports, console redirection, and failsafe baud rates.
• System Profile Settings: Adjust performance profiles, CPU power management, and energy efficiency policies.

System Security

The System Security menu provides options for protecting the server:

• Passwords: Set and manage System and Setup passwords. Ensure the password jumper is enabled on the system board to use these features.
• TPM (Trusted Platform Module): Configure TPM 1.2 or 2.0 security, including pre-boot measurements and algorithm selection.
• Secure Boot: Authenticate pre-boot images using certificates. Modes include User Mode, Audit Mode, and Deployed Mode.
• Intel SGX: Configure Software Guard Extensions for secure memory enclaves.
• AC Power Recovery: Define system behavior after power restoration (Last, Immediate, or Random delay).

Redundant OS Control

This section allows you to select a backup disk for redundant OS operations. Supported devices include IDSDM, SATA ports in AHCI mode, BOSS PCIe cards, Internal USB, and Internal SD cards. You can set the backup disk to be Visible or Hidden to the boot list and OS.

Miscellaneous Settings

Use this menu to set the system time and date, manage the asset tag, configure Keyboard NumLock behavior, and enable/disable F1/F2 prompts on error.