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Asset ID: 1-71-1005247.1
Update Date:2010-07-06
Keywords:

Solution Type  Technical Instruction Sure

Solution  1005247.1 :   Proper usage of post-tolerate-ce and mpr-support-enable on Midrange Servers  


Related Items
  • Sun Fire E6900 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 3800 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 6800 Server
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  • Sun Netra 1280 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire E4900 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 4800 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire V1280 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire E2900 Server
  •  
  • Sun Netra 1290 Server
  •  
  • Sun Fire 4810 Server
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Related Categories
  • GCS>Sun Microsystems>Servers>Midrange V and Netra Servers
  •  
  • GCS>Sun Microsystems>Servers>Entry-Level Servers
  •  
  • GCS>Sun Microsystems>Servers>Midrange Servers
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PreviouslyPublishedAs
207346


Description
Both post-tolerate-ce and mpr-support-enable perform similar functions. It is important to understand what each does.


Steps to Follow
Proper usage of post-tolerate-ce and mpr-support-enable on Midrange Servers

With current versions of Solaris[TM], it is no longer necessary for POST to disable memory with a small number of correctable errors because after booting, the operating system can retire individual pages that have correctable errors using Memory Page Retirement (MPR). MPR is useful because it is not possible for POST to disable a single page or an individual DIMM. POST must disable an entire bank, for what may be a single correctable event.

See <Document: 1009256.1> for which versions of Solaris 8 and 9 support MPR.

To support MPR, several domain boot parameters have been added to POST. They are set with the setupsc command on the Sun Fire[TM] 2900, and V1280 and with the setupdomain command for the Sun Fire 3800/4800/4810/6800 E4900/E6900. These boot parameters are tolerate_mem_ce and mpr_support_enable.

tolerate_mem_ce    = Tolerate all CEs. Let the OS retire the pages.
*  Use when OS supports MPR AND ScApp < 5.20.0
mpr_support_enable = Tolerate CE's to a point defined by a threshold and blocksize.
This will cause a DIMM with CEs that exceed the threshold to be marked
as bad by POST.  This threshold is defined internally by POST.
*  Use when OS supports MPR AND ScApp >= 5.20.0
**  Default behavior for 5.20.1 and higher
Both False =  Old behavior.  POST will disable a complete bank for a CE.
*  Use when OS does not support MPR.
**  Default behavior prior to 5.20.1
Both True  =  Should never be set this way.
This restriction is enforced in firmware for V1290/E2900/Netra1280/Netra1290
in 5.20.4, and for the rest of the Midrange Servers in 5.20.3.  In releases
where setting both these variables to true is possible, the system will
function as if tolerate_mem_ce was true and mpr_support_enable was false.

tolerate_mem_ce was introduced in ScApp 5.19.0, and was enhanced in 5.20.0 with mpr_support_enable. mpr_support_enable is better than tolerate_mem_ce because it implements thresholds to the number of correctable errors that POST will allow. If the threshold is met, POST will give up and fail the bank. With tolerate_mem_ce POST will ignore CEs and continue testing, which may impact POST execution time.

mpr_support_enable is the default behavior for 5.20.1 and higher. If upgrading to 5.20.1 or higher verify that MPR is enabled in Solaris. If a version of Solaris without MPR is installed, both tolerate_mem_ce and mpr_post_enable should be set to false for that domain.

References:
<Document: 1009256.1> Solaris[TM] 8/9: When Is Page Retirement Enabled?
<Document: 1010905.1> Sun Enhanced Memory DIMM Replacement Policy



Product
Sun Fire V1280 Server
Sun Fire E6900 Server
Sun Fire E4900 Server
Sun Fire E2900 Server
Sun Fire 6800 Server
Sun Fire 4810 Server
Sun Fire 4800 Server
Sun Fire 3800 Server
Sun Netra 1290 Server
Netra 1280 Server

Internal Comments
The default block size and threshold can be changed, but should not be done without a PTS Escalation. They are not user tunable.

Internal References:

Bud ID 6332032  Serengeti SCAPP should support Solaris Memory Page Retirement

Bug ID 6411108  mpr support should be enabled by default on serengeti

Bug ID 6489696  Prevent user from setting both tolerate_mem_ce and mpr_support_enable to true using 'setupsc' in lw8

Bug ID 6383689  Prevent user from setting 'post-tolerate-ce = true' and 'mpr-support-enable = true' w/ 'setupdomain'


MPR, POST, tolerate_mem_ce, mpr_support_enable
Previously Published As
84961

Change History
Date: 2009-11-04
User Name: Cootware
Action: Approved
Comment: Audited 11/04/09, Mike Cootware, Highend Content Team
Date: 2007-11-13
User Name: 7058
Action: Approved
Comment: Changed sunsolve2 references to sunsolve.central in internal only section.
Version: 7

Date: 2007-11-13
User Name: 7058
Action: Update Started
Comment: Fix links
Version: 0
Date: 2007-10-23
User Name: 95826
Action: Approved
Comment: - verified metadat
- review date ok : 2008-10-22
- checked for TM - none added
- checked audience : contract
- no further edit required
Publishing
Version: 6
Date: 2007-10-23
User Name: 95826
Action: Accept
Comment:
Version: 0
Date: 2009-11-04
User Name: 24214
Action: Refresh
Comment: No changes
Version: 0


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