Solaris 10 Installation Guide for IBM BladeCenter Servers

Chapter 2 Bugs and Issues Encountered When Installing the Solaris Operating System on IBM BladeCenter Servers

This chapter describes bugs and issues that you might encounter when installing and using the Solaris Operating System (Solaris OS) on IBM BladeCenter servers. Information in this chapter applies to the following Solaris 10 releases:

Bugs and issues are listed by release, starting with most recent Solaris release, which is the Solaris 10 8/07 release. Bugs and issues that apply to more than one release are noted accordingly.

When available, patch information has been provided, along with the description of the bug or issue. When no patch information is available, a workaround or further instructions is provided.


Note –

Some patches might be restricted and therefore require a Sun Service Plan or Solaris Subscription to gain access. To obtain a Sun Service Plan, Solaris Subscription, or get information about downloading and applying recommended patches, go to the SunSolve web site at http://sunsolve.sun.com/.


This is a list of the information in this chapter:

For general installation information, see Chapter 1, Installing the Solaris Operating System on IBM BladeCenter Servers (Tasks).

For troubleshooting information, see Chapter 3, Troubleshooting Installation Issues on IBM BladeCenter Servers (Tasks).

Solaris 10 8/07 Bugs and Issues

This a list of bugs and issues that you should be aware of when installing and using the Solaris 10 8/07 OS on IBM BladeCenter servers. These bugs and issues also apply to the Solaris 10 11/06 release:

For a complete description of these bugs and issues, see Solaris 10 11/06 Bugs and Issues.


Note –

For some of these bugs, you are required to create a custom installation image. More information about this workaround is provided in the individual bug descriptions and Chapter 3, Troubleshooting Installation Issues on IBM BladeCenter Servers (Tasks).


Solaris 10 11/06 Bugs and Issues

This a list of bugs and issues that you should be aware of when installing and using the Solaris 10 11/06 OS on IBM BladeCenter servers:

The following bug applies to systems that have the Broadcom NetXtreme II network interface card (NIC), such as the BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 servers:

For PCI Express capable servers, such as the BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 servers, the following bugs and issues apply:

The following bug applies to systems that use the ATI ES1000 515E chipset, such as the BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 servers:

The following bug applies to systems with four or more NetXtreme II gigabit Ethernet interfaces, such as the BladeCenter LS41, with the Multiprocessor Expansion Unit (MPE):


Note –

For some of these bugs, you are required to create a custom installation image. More information about this workaround is provided in the following individual bug descriptions and Chapter 3, Troubleshooting Installation Issues on IBM BladeCenter Servers (Tasks).


6377378: Additional Support Required for Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM 5708S Chipset

Description: This bug applies to systems that utilize the Broadcom NetXtreme II NIC, such as the IBM BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 servers. Support for this driver is available directly from Broadcom.

Workaround: Download and install the latest version of the Broadcom bnx driver for the Solaris OS.

Directions for downloading the Broadcom bnx driver can be found on Broadcom web site at http://www.broadcom.com/support/ethernet_nic/netxtremeii.php.

6474277: Cannot Complete Installation of Solaris OS on Some IBM BladeCenter Servers Due to Keyboard Input Failure

Description: The bug impacts systems that have PCI Express capabilities, such as the IBM BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 servers. Solaris PCI support causes a problem whereby USB interrupts are not handled as expected. In particular, USB Host controllers on these systems do not support Memory-Mapped PCI Configuration Space (MCFG) accesses, by default. As a result, the keyboard input stops functioning during the installation phase, which causes the installation to fail.

Workaround: Before installing the Solaris 10 11/06 release, you need to create a new installation image. This installation image contains patch 125034, which also requires the installation of two additional patches, 123840-04 and 118855-36. For step-by-step instructions, see Troubleshooting the Solaris 10 11/06 Installation on IBM BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 Servers.

Alternatively, install at least the Solaris 10 8/07 OS.

6477887: Installation of the Solaris OS Fails on Some IBM BladeCenter Servers Due to Gratuitous NMI Errors


Note –

This issue is related to the issue that is described in 6474277.


Description: When the Xsun -probe command enumerates the PCI bus during installation of the Solaris OS, it reads the PCI configuration space for all possible PCI devices and all possible functions. Some BladeCenter hardware only supports functions 0 and 2. When function 1 is accessed, non-maskable interrupts (NMI) occur, causing the management processor to reboot the BladeCenter server.

This problem occurs on PCI Express capable hardware, such as the BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 servers.

Workaround: Before installing the Solaris 10 11/06 release, you need to create a new installation image. This installation image contains patch 125034, which also requires the installation of two additional patches 123840-04 and 118855-36. For step-by-step instructions, see Troubleshooting the Solaris 10 11/06 Installation on IBM BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 Servers.

Alternatively, install at least the Solaris 10 8/07 OS.

6494769: Xorg Does Not Work in Remote Control on IBM BladeCenter Servers With ATI ES1000 Video Controller

Description: This problem is specific to systems that use an ATI ES1000 video controller. Although the graphical login screen is visible on the server console, if you attempt to access the server through the remote control function of the Management Module (MM), the graphical login screen is not visible.

The following message is displayed:

No video available

Workaround: Download and install the latest revision of patch 125720 or install at least the Solaris 10 8/07 OS..

6495236: Broadcom bnx Driver Conflicts With Solaris bge Driver on IBM BladeCenter LS41 Server

Description: The Broadcom bnx driver, Version 3.0.0, conflicts with the Solaris bge driver. This conflict also occurs with driver versions prior to Version 3.0.0.

The bnx driver provides support for the Broadcom NetXtreme II gigabit Ethernet interface, while the bge driver provides support for the Broadcom NetXtreme I gigabit Ethernet interface. The bnx driver does not encounter any problems if only two NetXtreme II interfaces are present. However, when four, or more interfaces are present on a system, such as the BladeCenter LS41 server with a Multiprocessor Expansion Unit (MPE) attached, failures occur in the form of system panics.

Workaround: Download and install the latest version of the Broadcom bnx driver for the Solaris OS.

For further instructions, see Troubleshooting the Solaris 10 11/06 Installation on IBM BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 Servers.

6505757: PCI Express Software Support Not Enabled by Default on Some Newer PCI Express Hardware

Description: Some IBM BladeCenter servers, such as the BladeCenter LS21, LS41, and HS21 servers, do not support Memory-Mapped PCI Configuration Space (MCFG) by default. Solaris PCI Express software does not work on these systems without performing some type of workaround.

Workaround: Before you install the Solaris 10 11/06 OS or a later release, you need to update the system BIOS.

    To update the system BIOS, follow these steps.

  1. Reboot the system.

  2. As the system is rebooting, press F1 to access the system BIOS.

  3. To enable MCFG, select Advanced Setup -> PCI Bus Control -> PCI Enhanced Configuration Access.

  4. Use the Right arrow or Left arrow key to set the PCI Enhanced Configuration Access to Enabled.

Solaris 10 6/06 Bugs and Issues

This a list of bugs and issues that you should be aware of when installing and using the Solaris 10 6/06 OS on IBM BladeCenter servers:

6303855: ATI Driver Performance Might Result in Slow Mouse Responsiveness

Description: On IBM BladeCenter servers that are equipped with the ATI Rage XL video chip, mouse responsiveness might be visibly slow if the system is under load.

Workaround: Download and apply the lastest revision of patch 118966 or install at least the Solaris 10 11/06 OS.

6337987: Serial Over LAN Connection Does Not Work When Using e1000g Driver

Description: The BladeCenter HS40 Server has an onboard Intel NIC that is supported by the e1000g driver. This driver does not currently provide full support for Serial over LAN (SOL) connections. While it is possible to initiate the connection, the login prompt is never displayed.

Workaround: Download and apply the latest revision of patch 118855 or install at least the Solaris 10 11/06 OS. For step-by-step instructions on setting up an SOL connection, see How to Set Up a Serial Over LAN Connection.

6396086: Absolute Mouse Type Event Not Delivered to Xorg Server Startup During Hot-Plug of Mouse


Note –

The installation of patch 118966 introduces this problem. See 6339315: Bad Compiler Induces IBM BladeCenter HS20 Resets for more information.


Description: The absolute mouse type event is not delivered to the Xorg server startup during a hot-plug of a mouse in a system. As a result, both of the mouse pointers are not located in the same position on the screen. When you move the mouse, the mouse pointers diverge further away from each other. The divergence between the two mouse pointers depends on the X server resolution.

Workaround: Download and install the latest revision of patch 118855 or install at least the Solaris 10 OS 11/06 OS.

6416708: Asy Driver Does Not Recognize Serial Port 2 on BladeCenter HS40 Servers

Description: On BladeCenter HS40 servers, the /dev/ttyb device might not be created. The Solaris OS uses the ACPI table to determine which serial ports are present on a system. Because the BIOS on the BladeCenter HS40 does not list COM2 in the ACPI table, the /dev/ttyb device is not created.

Workaround: Download and apply the latest revision of patch 118855 or install at least the Solaris 10 11/06 OS.

6445356: Xsun -probe of Crash Server Prevents Solaris OS Installation on IBM BladeCenter HS20 Servers

Description: When the Xsun -probe command enumerates the PCI bus during installation of the Solaris OS, it reads the PCI configuration space for all possible PCI devices and all possible functions. Some BladeCenter hardware only supports functions 0 and 2. When function 1 is accessed, non-maskable interrupt (NMI) interrupts occur, causing the management processor to reboot the machine.

This problem occurs on the BladeCenter HS20 server, Model 7981.

Workaround: Update the system BIOS on the BladeCenter server to disable the Reboot on NMI option.

    Follow these steps:

  1. Turn on the power to the BladeCenter server.

  2. Press F1 when the prompt to Press F1 for Configuration/Setup is displayed.

  3. Select Advanced Setup -> Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) Settings -> Reboot System on NMI.

  4. Press the Right arrow or Left arrow key until the Disabled option is selected.

  5. Press the Esc key twice.

  6. Select Save Settings.

  7. Follow the instructions that guide you through the installation process.

    The system appears to hang when the following message is displayed.


    rebooting..
  8. Do one of the following:

    • Eject the CD and manually power cycle the system.

    • Eject the CD and power cycle the system through the BladeCenter Management Module.

  9. When the installation has completed, log into the system.

Solaris 10 1/06 Bugs and Issues

This a list of bugs and issues that you should be aware of when installing and using the Solaris 10 1/06 OS on IBM BladeCenter servers:

This is a list of bugs and issues that apply to the Solaris 10 1/06 and the Solaris 10 6/06 releases:

For a complete description of these bugs and issues, see Solaris 10 6/06 Bugs and Issues.

6232859: System Reboot Hangs on Some IBM BladeCenter HS20 Servers

Description: On some IBM BladeCenter HS20 servers, attempts to reboot the system result in an apparent hang. In most cases, the last screen output you see is the following:


Rebooting...

Workaround: Download and apply the latest revision of patch 118855 or install at least the Solaris 10 6/06 OS.

6245431: Xorg Server Fails to Start

Description: The Xorg server might fail to start under the following conditions:

Scenario #1: This problem occurs when the IBM BladeCenter server does not own the Keyboard Video Mouse (KVM). If a mouse is not attached when the Xorg server starts, and you attempt to plug in a mouse afterward, it is not recognized and is unusable.

Scenario #2: Regardless of whether the system owns the KVM, or whether a mouse is attached, if the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file does not exist when the Xorg server starts, Xorg fails to start.

Workaround: Download and apply the latest revision of patch 118966 or install at least the Solaris 10 6/06 OS.

6334271: Partial Login Failure Occurs After Canceling First Login Attempt

Description: On newly-installed systems with no previous login session, when you log in as the root user, a screen is displayed, giving you the choice of the Solaris Common Desktop Environment (CDE), or the Sun JavaTM Desktop System (Java DS). If you click Cancel, the system resets to the dtlogin screen. The Solaris CDE and JDS desktop login choices are not displayed on subsequent attempts to log in to system as the root user. Instead, after a moment, the screen resets to the dtlogin screen, preventing you from logging in to the system as the root user.

Workaround: Download and apply the latest revision of patch 119279 or install at least the Solaris 10 6/06 OS.

6337341: Sideband NIC Usage Is Destroyed When bge Driver Attaches

Description: The IBM BladeCenter HS20 and LS20 servers have an onboard Broadcom network interface card (NIC) that is supported by the bge driver. This driver requires an update to support serial over LAN connections.

Workaround: To update the bge driver to support SOL connections, download and apply the latest revision of patch 122028 or install at least the Solaris 10 6/06 OS.

For step-by-step instructions on how to set up an SOL connection, see How to Set Up a Serial Over LAN Connection.

6339315: Bad Compiler Induces IBM BladeCenter HS20 Resets

Description: Spontaneous resets occur when the JDS is entered on IBM BladeCenter servers that are equipped with RADEON VE/7000 (an R100-based GPU), Intel Xeon processors, and the Solaris 10 1/06 OS installed. The reset occurs immediately after the GNOME splash screen disappears, and the desktop is painted. The cursor changes to a watch, the system freezes for approximately 10 seconds, and BIOS POST is displayed, indicating a system reset has occurred.

Workaround: Download and apply the latest revision of patch 118966 or install at least the Solaris 10 6/06 OS.


Note –

The installation of patch 118966 introduces the problem that is described in 6396086: Absolute Mouse Type Event Not Delivered to Xorg Server Startup During Hot-Plug of Mouse.


6339376: Hot-Plugged Mouse Undetected if Not Present Prior to Xorg Server Startup

Description: If an IBM BladeCenter server owns the KVM and no physical mouse is attached prior to the Xorg server startup, /dev/mouse is unusable if the mouse protocol in the /etc/X11/xorg.conf file is set to auto. Any attempt to hot-plug a mouse is refused.

Workaround: Download and apply the latest revision of patch 121803 or install at least the Solaris 10 6/06 OS.