Unknown CPU kernel messages - IBM BladeCenter LS22 and LS42

Troubleshooting

Problem

VMware ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 has Processor Unknown CPU messages under /var/log/messages on Stepping C2 of Quad-Core AMD Opteron 8300 Series and 2300 Series Processor families.

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H194464

Symptom

VMware ESX Server 3.5 Update 2 has Processor Unknown CPU messages under /var/log/messages on Stepping C2 of Quad-Core AMD Opteron 8300 Series and 2300 Series Processor families.

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

BladeCenter LS22, type 7901
BladeCenter LS42, type 7902

The system is configured with at least one of the following:

VMware ESX Server 3.5.2, any update

This tip is not option specific.

Note: This does not imply that the network operating system will work under all combinations of hardware and software.

Please see the compatibility page for more information: http://www.ibm.com/servers/eserver/serverproven/compat/us/

Additional information

This will not affect the system performance or operation.

The RHEL3 kernel (on which the ESX 3.x vmnix kernel is based), does not properly maintain the mpc_family() function, which attempts to identify a processor from its CPUID family and model number.

Failure to identify the processor, in this function, has no negative effects on the rest of the ESX operations.

Document Location

Worldwide

Operating System

BladeCenter:VMware ESX Server

[{"Type":"HW","Business Unit":{"code":"BU058","label":"IBM Infrastructure w\/TPS"},"Product":{"code":"HW22V","label":"BladeCenter LS22"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF032","label":"VM"}],"Line of Business":{"code":"LOB57","label":"Power"}},{"Type":"HW","Business Unit":{"code":"BU016","label":"Multiple Vendor Support"},"Product":{"code":"HW22W","label":"BladeCenter LS42"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF032","label":"VM"}],"Line of Business":{"code":"","label":""}}]

Tips