3.1 Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Hardware

3.1.1 Compute Node Boot Sequence Interrupted by LSI Bios Battery Error
3.1.2 Management Node Network Interfaces Are Down After System Restart
3.1.3 ILOM Service Processor Clocks Are Out-of-Sync

This section describes hardware-related limitations and workarounds.

3.1.1 Compute Node Boot Sequence Interrupted by LSI Bios Battery Error

When a compute note is powered off for an extended period of time, a week or longer, the LSI BIOS may stop because of a battery error, waiting for the user to press a key in order to continue.

Workaround: Wait for approximately 10 minutes to confirm that the compute node is stuck in boot. Use the Reprovision button in the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard to reboot the server and restart the provisioning process.

Bug 16985965

3.1.2 Management Node Network Interfaces Are Down After System Restart

If the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance needs to be powered down and restarted for maintenance or in the event of a power failure, the components should come back up in this order: first networking, then storage, and then the management and compute nodes. For detailed instructions to bring the appliance offline and return it to operation, refer to the section Powering Down Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance in the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Administrator's Guide.

It may occur that the management nodes complete their boot sequence before the appliance network configuration is up. In that case, the management nodes are unreachable because their bond0 and bond2 interfaces are down.

Workaround: Reboot the management nodes again. When they come back online, their network interfaces should be correctly configured.

Bug 17648454

3.1.3 ILOM Service Processor Clocks Are Out-of-Sync

Most Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance components are equipped with an Oracle Integrated Lights Out Manager (ILOM). Each ILOM Service Processor (SP) contains its own clock, which is synchronized with the operating system (OS) clock before it leaves the factory. However, when new expansion nodes are installed or when parts in a component have been repaired or replaced, SP clocks could be out-of-sync. The problem may also be the result of a configuration error or normal clock drift.

If necessary, the SP clock can be synchronized manually. There is no need to continually update the hardware clock, because it only serves as a reference point for the host OS. Once the systems are up and running the OS obtains the correct time through NTP.

Workaround: After configuring the NTP server in the Oracle Virtual Compute Appliance Dashboard, synchronize the ILOM SPs with the OS clock. The easiest way is to log into the host and run this command: hwclock --systohc.

Bug 17664050