CPU temperatures are incorrectly reported by the BMC - IBM iDataPlex dx320 Server (Type 6388)

Troubleshooting

Problem

Central Processing Unit (CPU) temperatures reported by the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) on the iDataPlex dx320 Server, Type 6388, makes little sense. For example: CPU 2 Temp | -56.000 CPU 1 Temp | -50.000

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H195370

Symptom

Central Processing Unit (CPU) temperatures reported by the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) on the iDataPlex dx320 Server, Type 6388, makes little sense.

For example:

	CPU 2 Temp \| -56.000 CPU 1 Temp \| -50.000

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM Servers:

System x iDataPlex dx320 Server, type 6388, any model

This tip is not software specific.

This tip is not option specific.

Additional information

The BMC monitors CPU1 and CPU2 temperatures using Platform Environment Control Interface (PECI) values, not real temperature values. The values being reported are all reported as negative numbers. As the temperature gets hotter, the PECI value becomes less negative, approaching zero.

For example, -40 is hotter than -50. The upper critical threshold is -10.

This is working as designed.

Document Location

Worldwide

Operating System

System x:Operating system independent / None

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