Errors with PRO/1000 PT Quad-Port Server adapters - IBM System x

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H193427

Symptom

If one or more Intel PRO/1000 PT Quad Port Server Adapters, Option part number 39Y6136, replacement part number (FRU) 39Y6138, are installed in any of the listed System x Servers, the following may occur:

• A system 1802 error due to out of I/O space Resource allocation (also occurs when running legacy Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) system).
• Not all of the Network Interface Controller (NIC) ports from the adapter(s) are detected and available.
• Unavailability of some NIC ports when running with a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) system.
• Both the system and/or the operating system pointing to I/O space resource allocation issues.
• I/O space is required for operating the boot Read Only Memory (ROM) for network adapters that have PCI/PCIe bridge, such as the FRU 39Y6138r. If boot ROM is not needed, I/O space can be turned off.

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

• System x3550 M3, type 7944, any model
• System x3650 M2, type 7947, any model
• System x3650 M3, type 7945, any model
• System x3690 X5, type 7147, any model
• System x3690 X5, type 7148, any model
• System x3690 X5, type 7149, any model
• System x3690 X5, type 7192, any model
• System x3800, type 8866, any model
• System x3850 M2, type 7141, any model
• System x3850 M2, type 7144, any model
• System x3850 M2, type 7233, any model
• System x3850 M2, type 7234, any model
• System x3850 X5, type 7143, any model
• System x3850 X5, type 7145, any model
• System x3850 X5, type 7146, any model
• System x3850 X5, type 7191, any model
• System x3850, type 8864, any model
• System x3950 M2, type 7141, any model
• System x3950 M2, type 7144, any model
• System x3950 M2, type 7233, any model
• System x3950 M2, type 7234, any model
• System x3950 X5, type 7145, any model

The system is configured with one or more of the following IBM Options:

• PRO/1000 PT Quad-Port Server Adapter, Option part number 39Y6136, replacement part number (FRU) 39Y6138

This tip is not software specific.

Solution

The first two issues listed above can be resolved by disabling the I/O space on this adapter.

Note: I/O space is required for operating the boot ROM for network adapters that have PCI/PCIe bridge, such as the FRU 39Y6138. If boot ROM is not needed, I/O space can be turned off.

There are DOS and Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) utilities that can be used to turn off I/O space on all FRU 39Y6138 used in a server.

These utilities are provided for Intel-based Ethernet adapter options for System x at the following URL:

• http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-5087548&brandind=5000020

Download the CD .iso image from this URL and create a CD.

Both DOS and EFI utilities are provided in the \DIO_KLP folder along with readme files for information and instructions.

Additional information

By default, each FRU 39Y6138, requires 8 kilobytes (KB) of I/O space during Power On Self Test (POST) for pre-boot services readiness, such as Preboot eXecution Environment (PXE) remote boot.

Servers have limited I/O space that it can allocate to adapters.

I/O space is required for operating the boot ROM for network adapters that have PCI/PCIe bridge, such as the FRU 39Y6138. If boot ROM is not needed, I/O space can be turned off.

The only functional impact from disabling I/O space on an adapter is that it cannot be used for pre-boot services. In most cases, these adapters will not be used for any pre-boot services, such as PXE remote boot.