Sun Fire X4800 Server Product Notes

Oracle Linux 5.5 Xen Kernel Hangs Due to Long Timeout (CR 6899040)

When booting from a PCIe ExpressModule or a Fabric Expansion Module (FEM), the system might hang because it runs out of MSI interrupt vectors.

Workaround

1. In the GRUB configuration, set pci=nomsi.

2. Boot a non-Xen kernel.

3. Edit the file /boot/grub/menu.lst.

4. Add the following text to the Xen kernel init line stanza:

   pci=nomsi

   For example:

   # grub.conf generated by anaconda
   #
   # Note that you do not have to rerun grub after making changes to this file
   # NOTICE:  You have a /boot partition.  This means that
   #          all kernel and initrd paths are relative to /boot/, eg.
   #          root (hd0,0)
   #          kernel /vmlinuz-version ro root=/dev/sda3
   #          initrd /initrd-version.img
   #boot=/dev/sda
   default=1
   timeout=5
   serial --unit=0 --speed=115200
   terminal --timeout=5 serial console
   title Enterprise Linux Server (2.6.18-194.el5xen)
           root (hd0,0)
           kernel /xen.gz-2.6.18-194.el5 com1=115200 console=com1
           module /vmlinuz-2.6.18-194.el5xen ro root=LABEL=/
   console=ttyS0,115200 debug pci=nomsi
           module /initrd-2.6.18-194.el5xen.img
   title Enterprise Linux Server-base (2.6.18-194.el5)
           root (hd0,0)
           kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-194.el5 ro root=LABEL=/
   earlylprintk=ttyS0,115200 console=ttyS0,115200 debug
           initrd /initrd-2.6.18-194.el5.img

   or

5. Reboot the Xen kernel.