First Power-On
Power-on sequence and initial system verification.
⏱️ Time Required: 10-15 minutes
Before Powering On
Verify pre-power checklist:
- EDC positioned with adequate clearance (rear: 6+ inches, front: 24+ inches)
- Support legs deployed and stable
- Both lids removed (front and rear - required for operation)
- Power cable ready (from accessory kit)
- Power cable NOT YET connected to EDC or wall outlet
- No shipping restraints remain installed
- Environmental conditions acceptable (15-30°C / 59-86°F)
⚠️ Why both lids must be removed:
- Rear lid: Required for power cable access to PDU
- Front lid: Required for airflow to internal components (prevents overheating)
- Never operate with lids closed - critical for cooling and access
Optional - Network uplink:
- Uplink cable NOT connected for initial power-on (prevents DHCP conflicts)
- Will connect uplink after initial verification
Note: We'll connect the power cable as part of the power-on sequence below.
Power-On Sequence
Step 1: Connect Power Cable
What will happen: When you plug in the power cable, the PDU will boot automatically and begin powering the system components.
-
Locate the PDU on the rear panel
- PDU is mounted on the bottom of the rear panel
- Power inlet is on the left side of the PDU
-
Plug the power cable into the PDU
- Take the included power cable
- Insert the IEC C13 connector into the PDU power inlet
- Push firmly until fully seated
-
Plug the other end into the wall outlet
- Use a grounded 3-prong outlet
- North America: 110-120V outlet
- International: 220-240V outlet
-
Verify PDU powers on
- PDU LCD display should light up within 2-3 seconds
- Display shows voltage and power consumption
- Initial reading will be low (only PDU and switch powered initially)
[IMAGE: PDU location on rear panel with power cable being connected]
Step 2: Verify Switch Power-On
The EnGenius switch should power on automatically when main power is enabled.
Verification:
- Look for LED indicators on the switch
- Power LED should be solid green
- Port LEDs will illuminate as devices connect
- May take 30-60 seconds for full boot
Normal behavior:
- Switch boots and runs self-test
- Some LEDs may flash during startup
- Port LEDs light as internal devices connect
Step 3: Verify IoT Device Power-On
The IoT monitoring device is powered via PoE from the switch.
Verification:
- IoT device should power on automatically
- May take 1-2 minutes for full boot
- Device-specific indicators (LEDs or display) should activate
Note: Specific IoT device details vary - refer to included documentation for your model
Step 4: Power On Compute Nodes
Compute nodes require manual power-on. The process differs by edition.
Edition-Specific Power-On Procedures
📦 NUC Edition
Node power-on:
-
Open front panel to access compute drawer
- NUC nodes are visible in the compute drawer
- Each NUC has a power button on the front
-
Power on nodes in sequence
- Start with Node 1 (leftmost)
- Press and release power button
- Wait 10-15 seconds
- Power on Node 2 (center)
- Wait 10-15 seconds
- Power on Node 3 (rightmost)
Boot indicators:
- Intel logo/splash screen on connected display (if attached)
- Power LED on each NUC (solid when running)
- Fan noise from each node
- Network activity LEDs on rear of NUCs
Boot time: 30-90 seconds to reach operating system
Expected behavior:
- NUCs boot to installed HCI operating system
- HCI software starts automatically
- Nodes become accessible via network
🔶 HR01-2 Edition
Node power-on:
-
Open front panel to access compute drawer
- Two HR-01 server nodes visible
- Power buttons on front of each node
-
Power on nodes in sequence
- Node 1 (left) first
- Press and release power button
- Wait 15-20 seconds
- Node 2 (right)
- Press and release power button
Boot indicators:
- Power LED on front panel of each node
- Fan speed increases during POST
- Network link LEDs on rear network ports
- Display output (if monitor attached)
Boot time: 60-120 seconds to reach operating system
Expected behavior:
- Nodes complete POST (Power-On Self Test)
- Boot to installed HCI operating system
- Fan speeds may be higher initially, then stabilize
- HCI software starts automatically
🔷 HR01-4 Edition
Status: Coming Soon
Placeholder for HR01-4 specific power-on procedures.
Initial Power-On Verification
PDU Display Check
Look at the PDU LCD display:
- Voltage: Should show 100-120V (NA) or 200-240V (International)
- Current: Will increase as nodes boot
- Power: Total system power consumption
Typical readings after full power-on:
- NUC Edition: 200-400W
- HR01-2 Edition: 300-600W
- HR01-4 Edition: 500-900W (estimated)
If voltage reading is incorrect:
- Verify correct input voltage at outlet
- Check power cable connections
- See troubleshooting section below
Switch Status Check
Check the switch LED indicators:
- Power LED: Solid green
- Port LEDs:
- Ports 1-6 (NUC) or 1-4 (HR01-2): Should show link activity
- Port 7 (PDU): Solid or blinking (network activity)
- Port 8 (IoT): Solid or blinking
- Ports 9-10 (Uplink): Dark (no uplink connected yet)
Cooling System Check
Listen for fan operation:
- Cooling fans should be audible from rear of EDC
- Initial fan speed may be higher during boot
- Fan speed should stabilize after 2-3 minutes
- Airflow should be felt at rear exhaust vents
Feel rear exhaust:
- Place hand near rear panel vents
- Should feel slight airflow
- Air will warm up as system runs
If no fan noise or airflow:
- See troubleshooting section
- Do not continue operation without cooling
Compute Node Verification
For each compute node:
- Power LED lit (indicates node is running)
- Network activity LEDs blinking on node network ports
- Fan noise from each node
- No error beeps or alarm sounds
Boot time expectations:
- NUC Edition: 30-90 seconds to OS
- HR01-2 Edition: 60-120 seconds to OS
HCI software startup:
- May take additional 2-5 minutes after OS boots
- Nodes will join cluster automatically
- Access via HCI management interface (see next steps)
Normal First Boot Behavior
What you should observe:
- PDU powers on immediately (2-3 seconds)
- Switch boots (30-60 seconds)
- IoT device powers on via PoE (1-2 minutes)
- Compute nodes boot when powered on (30-120 seconds per node)
- System becomes stable within 5-10 minutes total
Normal sounds:
- Fan noise (varies by cooling profile)
- Brief hard drive seeking sounds (if HDDs present - unlikely in NVMe configs)
- No beeping, clicking, or alarm sounds
Normal temperature progression:
- System starts cool
- Temperature rises during first 10-15 minutes
- Fans may increase speed temporarily
- System stabilizes at normal operating temperature
Troubleshooting
Nothing powers on - no PDU display
Problem: No power to any component
Check:
- Power cable fully inserted at both ends (PDU inlet and wall outlet)
- Wall outlet has power (test with another device)
- Circuit breaker not tripped
- Extension cord or power strip functioning (if used)
- PDU inlet connection is secure
If still no power:
- Contact your reseller immediately
- Do not attempt internal inspection
- May be PDU or wiring issue
PDU powers on but switch does not
Problem: PDU LCD lit but switch has no LEDs
Check:
- Wait 60 seconds - switch may still be booting
- Look carefully at switch - some LEDs are small
- Check internal power connection from PDU to switch (if qualified)
If switch does not power on after 2 minutes:
- Contact your reseller
- Switch may require service
- Possible internal cable issue
Compute nodes won't power on
Problem: Pressing power button has no effect
Check:
- Verify PDU is powered on (LCD lit)
- Check power cable connection to each node
- Try holding power button for 2-3 seconds
- Look for error LEDs on node front panel
If nodes still won't power on:
- Verify outlet power cycling hasn't disabled PDU outlets
- Check PDU display for outlet status
- Contact reseller if issue persists
Fans running very loud / not running
Problem: Fan noise excessive or absent
Fans very loud:
- May be normal during initial boot (high speed startup)
- Should stabilize within 3-5 minutes
- If remains loud, may be set to Turbo profile
- See Cooling Management
No fan noise:
- Eco profile may be very quiet at low temps
- Place hand at rear exhaust to verify airflow
- If NO airflow at all - contact reseller immediately
- Do not continue operation without cooling
Beeping or alarm sounds
Problem: System making beeping or alarm sounds
Possible causes:
- Component error during POST
- Overheating (unlikely during initial power-on)
- Hardware failure
Actions:
- Note the beep pattern (count beeps, note pauses)
- Check which component is beeping (node, PDU, etc.)
- Power off immediately if continuous alarm
- Contact reseller with beep pattern information
- Do not continue operation with error alarms
High power consumption reading
Problem: PDU shows unexpectedly high power draw
Check:
- Verify reading is in watts (not amps or volts)
- Compare to expected range for your edition
- Ensure no additional devices connected
If power consumption seems excessive:
- May indicate issue with compute nodes or components
- Document the reading
- Contact reseller for guidance
Safety - When to Power Off Immediately
Power off the system immediately if you observe:
- ⚠️ Smoke or burning smell
- ⚠️ Sparks or electrical arcing
- ⚠️ Continuous loud beeping/alarms
- ⚠️ No cooling fan operation at all
- ⚠️ Extremely hot surfaces (too hot to touch)
- ⚠️ Liquid leakage
- ⚠️ Unusual loud mechanical noise (grinding, clicking)
Emergency shutdown procedure:
- Unplug the power cable from the PDU immediately (if safe to do so)
- If unsafe to approach the rear panel, unplug from the wall outlet instead
- Contact reseller immediately
- Do not attempt to restart
- Document what you observed
What's Next?
After successful first power-on and verification:
👉 Initial Access - Access switch, PDU, and compute nodes
Or if you need to connect network first:
👉 Network Configuration - Configure network connectivity