Identifying DW Blackjack® Motherboard Models

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Affected Roles:  Administrator, Owner

Complexity:  Low

Last Edit:  January 21, 2022

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Motherboard Models

The motherboard is a piece of internal hardware that is pivotal in the operation of nearly all electronic devices.  In DW Blackjack® servers, the motherboard ties the hardware elements to the system and allows the management and operation of the system.  Without a healthy and capable motherboard, the system would become inoperable.

As the model of the server’s motherboard determines what CPU, RAM, and other hardware can be used, it may become necessary to know what kind of board is installed.  In addition to becoming knowledgeable about your unit, this can also be important when needing to determine the age and/or hardware-generation of your DW Blackjack® unit.

This article will outline how to identify the make and model of your DW Blackjack® unit’s motherboard.

 

**NOTE:  These hardware identification methods are not applicable to headless DW Blackjack® units (DW Blackjack® MINI, DW Blackjack® NAS).

 

Supported/Affected Devices:

• DW Blackjack® Bolt™
• DW Blackjack® Cube™
• DW Blackjack® P-Rack™
• DW Blackjack® E-Rack™
• DW Blackjack® Rack™
• DW Blackjack® Mid-Tower™
• DW Blackjack® Tower™

 

Identifying the Motherboard with Windows OS

Windows operating systems has several ways to obtain hardware information as an alternative to having to open the server’s case hardware. 

To easily identify the motherboard make and model:

 

Using the System Information Tool

1. Launch the System Information application.

This can be done by using the Run application (W + R) and searching for “msinfo32”.

Alternatively, you can search for the “System Information” application in the WStart menu.

 

4. The System Information application will summarize the various resources and systems of the DW Blackjack unit.

The motherboard “System Manufacturer” and “Product Name” of the motherboard can be found under the “System Summary” menu.

This information can be used by DW Support to identify the hardware generation of your DW Blackjack server and determine what level of support can be provided.

 

**NOTE:  The generation of motherboard determines the limitations of what the DW Blackjack® server can and cannot do.  For example, some older units that were sold using a Windows 7 OS are unlikely to be able to run a Windows 10 OS due to not meeting the hardware requirements of the newer operating system.

 

 

Identifying the Motherboard with Ubuntu/Linux OS

Ubuntu/Linux operating systems also provide similar hardware identification methods in order to obtain hardware information.  Below are two ways that can be used to identify the motherboard.

 

Using the Ubuntu Command Terminal

Similar to the Windows OS, Ubuntu/Linux systems are equipped with utility tools that can be utilized to identify the motherboard. 

To use the Command Terminal to do so:

1. Open the Ubuntu Command Terminal utility.

This can be done by pressing the hotkeys CTRL + ALT + T.

Alternatively, you can search for the “Terminal” utility using the Unity menu from the taskbar.

 

2. In the Command Terminal, gain root access by using the command:

 

When prompted, enter the system password:

 

**NOTE:  For older DW Blackjack units purchased prior to June 18, 2021, the previously utilized default Linux OS login was “admin/admin”.

 

 

3. Next, as the rootuser, use the command:

 

The resulting text will provide the “Manufacturer” and “Product Name” (model) of the motherboard.

 

Installing and using the hardinfo Tool

There are various open-source third-party tools that can be utilized to monitor and manage a DW Blackjack® server using an Ubuntu/Linux OS.  One of these tools is hardinfo.  This program can be obtained from all major Linux distributions from the default repository.

 

**NOTE:  For DW Blackjack units without access to a default repository, check out Repairing Broken Repository Dependencies for Ubuntu Servers.

 

To install and use this tool:

1. Open the Ubuntu Command Terminal utility.

This can be done by pressing the hotkeys CTRL + ALT + T.

Alternatively, you can search for the “Terminal” utility using the Unity menu from the taskbar.

 

2. In the Command Terminal, gain root access by using the command:

 

When prompted, enter the system password:

 

**NOTE:  For older DW Blackjack units purchased prior to June 18, 2021, the previously utilized default Linux OS login was “admin/admin”.

 

 

3. Next, as the rootuser, use the command:

 

4. Once the hardinfo program has been installed, launch the hardinfo system information tool.

You can do this by using the command:

Alternatively, you can launch the program through the Unity menu.

 

5. The hardinfo system information tool can now be utilized to obtain system hardware information – such as the motherboard.