Hardware Issues

C H A P T E R 3

Hardware Issues

This chapter describes hardware issues related to the Sun Blade X6250 server module.

PCIe Express Modules Don’t Work After Hotplugging Server Modules (6831944)

After hotplugging one or more server modules, certain PCIe express modules (371-4018) don’t work.

Workaround

Try the following:

Re-insert the PCIe express module.

Re-insert the server module.

Wait 30 seconds and re-insert the second server module.

NMI Button Doesn’t Work (CR 6892309)

In systems equipped with ILOM 3.1, pressing the NMI (Non-Maskable Interrupt) button on the server module front panel does not reset the host. It does write an entry into the SEL log.

This is fixed in Release 3.2.

Fans Run in High Speed Mode (CR 6804550)

Under some conditions, the chassis fans run in high speed mode when the temperature conditions do not require it. This causes excess noise, power consumption, and wear on the fans.

Workaround

To fix this problem, update the ILOM and the CMM ILOM to 3.0.

To upgrade the ILOM, see Upgrading or Migrating From ELOM To ILOM 2.0 or ILOM 3.0.

You Must Reseat Your Server Module After Upgrading to Software Release 2.0.4 from 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2 or 2.0.3

After upgrading to software release 2.0.4 from 2.0, 2.0.1, 2.0.2 or 2.0.3:

1. Eject the server module from the chassis to remove power.

You do not have to completely remove the server from the chassis. Eject the server module just far enough to disengage it from the chassis connector.

2. Wait 30 seconds, and insert the server module into the chassis.

Hot-plug of the PCIe Express Module X7284A-Z Does Not Work Reliably (CR 6687123)

Hot-plug functionality on the Sun Blade X6250 server module with the PCIe Express Module X7284A-Z does not work reliably. Do not attempt to hot-plug this Express Module.

Workaround

Stop the host, install the PCIe Express module, then restart the host.

Hot Plug X1108A-Z Does Not Work (CR 6818703)

The X1108A-Z does not work after it is hot plugged.

Workaround

After plugging this board in, press the power button on the server module to power off the host.

Hot Plugging PCIe EM Cards Can Cause Some Ports On the PCIe EM Card to be Unavailable (CR 6818674)

If you hot plug the following PCIe EM boards into a new slot, some ports might be unavailable. The affected boards include:

Sun StorageTek Dual 4Gb FC Dual GbE HBA (QLogic) SG-XPCIE2FCGBE-Q-Z

Sun StorageTek Dual 4Gb FC Dual GbE HBA (Emulex) SG-XPCIE2FCGBE-E-Z

1GbE Quad Port ExpressModule - Copper (Intel) X7284A-Z

InfiniBand PEM X4216A-Z and X1288A-Z

Note - This problem does not affect boards that are removed, then hotplugged into their original slot.

The following Microsoft white paper provides additional information, even though this issue affects Linux and Oracle Solaris operating systems as well:

http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/connect/pci/bios_hotplugpcie.mspx

Workaround

Insert the board when the host is powered-off, or insert the board then power-cycle or reset the host.

Server Module Might Hang When Used With a Specific Chassis and NEM

The Sun Blade X6250 server module might hang when:

The server module motherboard is rev 375-3501-05 or older, and the server module is equipped with a Sun Blade RAID 5 Expansion Module.

The server module is placed in a Sun Blade 6000 Modular System equipped with a Sun Blade 6000 10GbE Multi-Fabric Network Express Module or a Sun Blade 6000 Multi-Fabric Network Express Module.

Workaround

To prevent the server module from hanging under these conditions, upgrade the Sun Blade RAID 5 Expansion Module firmware version to rev 15825 or newer before upgrading your network express module to a Sun Blade 6000 10GbE Multi-Fabric Network Express Module or a Sun Blade 6000 Multi-Fabric Network Express Module.

You can obtain firmware downloads at:

http://www.sun.com/servers/blades/downloads.jsp

Sun Dual 10GbE Fabric Expansion Module Support on Sun Blade X6250 Server Module.

The Sun Dual 10GbE Fabric Expansion Module is supported only on motherboard version 375-3501-06 or newer. It also requires CPLD version 231 or higher.

Note - To check the CPLD version information, see your service processor documentation.

Check Hardware Release Before Installing CPLD Update

Before installing CPLD version 231, check the part number on the motherboard. It must be 375-3501-06 or newer. If you have a motherboard with a different part number, DO NOT install CPLD version 231.

To find the part number, either use the service processor, or look for the number printed on the motherboard itself. See the corresponding ILOM documentation for details.

Dongle Cable Connection

If you have a dongle cable connected to a server module, make sure to remove it before closing the door of a rack cabinet. The dongle might be damaged if it is not removed before the cabinet door is closed.

LEDs on SATA Hard Disk Drives Connected to Onboard Controller Stay ON (CR 6680708)

If you connect a SATA hard disk drive or an SSD to the onboard SATA controller:

If you have CPLD 140, the blue and amber LEDs stay On.

If you have CPLD 231, the green LEDs stay on.

There is no workaround at this time.

The Operating System Cannot Detect the SAS Hard Disk Drives (CR 6843115)

The operating system (OS) does not report the newly inserted SAS hard disk drive.

In this case, you will not be able to use the new SAS hard disk drive.

Workaround

All SAS hard disk drives that are attached to the Sun Blade RAID 5 Expansion Module (REM) must be initialized by the firmware (Ctrl-A option in BIOS), and a volume or array must be created before they are listed by BIOS or the OS.

Note - Some operating systems might require a reconfiguration reboot before they list the new hard drives.

Use the following procedure:

1. Power-cycle your server.

2. During power up, type Control -A to bring up the Adaptec RAID Controller Utility (ARCU).

A message appears, then the ARCU opens.

3. Select Array Configuration Utility.

The Array Configuration Utility appears.

4. Select Initialize Drives.

A list of drives appears.

5. Select drives to initialize.

Use the arrow keys to scroll through the list.

Use the space bar to select a drive.

Note - You must initialize any drive that does not contain data or an operating system. Normally, these will be new drives that you have installed.

6. When you have selected a drive, press Enter.

A message warns you that initializing a drive erases array information from it.

7. Type yes.

The utility initializes the selected drives, and the main screen appears.

8. Select Create Array from the main menu.

A list of drives appears.

9. Select the drives to be included in the array.

Use the arrow keys to scroll through the list.

Use the space bar to select a drive.

10. When you have made your selections, press Enter.

The Array Properties view appears.

11. Make the following selections:

Array Type - Select an array type from the drop-down list.

Array Label - Type in a label.

Stripe Size - Type in a stripe size.

Read Caching - Type Y or N.

Write Caching - Select an option from the list.

12. Press Enter or click Done to proceed.

Depending on the Write Caching selection, a number of warnings might appear:

If the Write Caching setting is Enable Always, and if you do not have a battery, or if the battery is not charged sufficiently, a couple of warnings might appear. Type Yes to proceed, or type No to return to the Array Properties screen.

If the write cache is enabled, a write cache warning appears.

Note - On Linux systems, the RAID manager software is required to read the battery state.

13. Click Enter to proceed.

The utility initializes the array.