Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 Systems With 3 CMPs (CPU Modules) May Experience "HV Abort" or Hang With Certain Firmware Releases Installed

Asset ID:	1-77-1352311.1
Update Date:	2011-09-09
Keywords:

Solution Type Sun Alert Sure

Solution 1352311.1 : Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 Systems With 3 CMPs (CPU Modules) May Experience "HV Abort" or Hang With Certain Firmware Releases Installed

Applies to:

Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 Server - Version: Not Applicable and later [Release: N/A and later ]
Solaris SPARC Operating System - Version: 10 10/09 U8 and later [Release: 10.0 and later]
Information in this document applies to any platform.
__________________

Date of Workaround Release: 25-Aug-2011

Date of Resolved Release: 09-Sep-2011
___________________________________

Description

Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 systems configured with 3 CMPs (CPU Modules) may hang or will not boot when certain firmware releases are installed (as listed below).

Likelihood of Occurrence

This issue can occur on the following platform:

SPARC Platform

Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 Multi-Socket CPU CMT (Chip MultiThreading) Systems with 3 CMPs and the following affected firmware releases:

Firmware Release	Patch Number
System FW 7.2.11	139446-14
System FW 7.3.0.c	145678-02
System FW 7.3.1.a	145678-03
System FW 7.4.0.b	147311-01

Notes:

1. Only the Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 (Multi-Socket CPU CMT System) is affected by this issue; no other systems are affected. Sun Blade and Netra T-Series systems are not affected by this issue.

2. If a system configured with 4 CMPs has a CMP fail and the failed CMP is disabled by ASR, it will also be susceptible to this issue if using any of the affected firmware releases listed above.

To determine the firmware revision on the system, from ILOM (Integrated Lights Out Management) do the following:

-> show /HOST sysfw_version
    /HOST
      Properties:
        sysfw_version = Sun System Firmware 7.2.10 2010/07/19 17:13

Possible Symptoms

The symptoms will vary depending on the firmware installed - a T5440 system equipped with 3 CMPs running one of the firmware revisions listed may experience an "HV abort" condition and fail to power on, or it may simply hang (baton twirling) with no further activity.

A system configured with 4 CMPs with a failed CMP disabled by ASR will also be susceptible to this issue.

Workaround or Resolution

To avoid this issue, Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 systems configured with 3 CMPs should not be updated with firmware revisions 7.2.11, 7.3.0.c, 7.3.1.a, or 7.4.0.b.

If a system with the affected firmware revisions experiences a CMP failure, replace the faulty CMP module before booting the system.

This issue is addressed in the following release:

SPARC Platform

For systems with the 7.3.x version installed (7.3.0.c, 7.3.1.a):

Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 firmware 7.3.2.a as delivered in patch 145678-04

For systems with the 7.4.0.b version installed:

Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 firmware 7.4.0.d. as delivered in patch 147311-02

Note: Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 systems with the affected firmware release 7.2.11 need to be upgraded directly to a firmware release listed above.

Patches

<SUNPATCH:145678-04>
<SUNPATCH:147311-02>

Modification History

25-Aug-2011: Workaround Release
09-Sep-2011: Final patch released, Issue is Resolved

This regression was caused by the putback for CR 6988886.

Only the Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 is affected by this issue - No other systems
are affected because only the Sun SPARC Enterprise T5440 has up to four
UltraSPARC T2 Plus processors.

For more in depth detail on these issues, please review the CRs referenced above.

Note:
Specific Product and Platform choices have been added to this
Sun Alert to conform with and enable MOS Hot Topics delivery.
(for this doc: Solaris SPARC Operating System - GENERIC (All Platforms)
If you have any questions regarding these items, please email:
[email protected]

Please send technical questions to the following email:
[email protected]
and copy the Responsible Engineer/Contributor listed

Internal Contributor/Submitter: [email protected], [email protected]
Internal Eng Responsible Engineer: [email protected]
Internal Services Knowledge Analyst: [email protected]
Internal Eng Business Unit Group: Systems RPE
Internal Escalation ID:
Internal Pending Patches:
Internal Resolution Patches: 145678-04, 147311-02

References

<SUNBUG:7030371>
<SUNPATCH:145678-04>
<SUNPATCH:147311-02>

Attachments

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