IBM Support

System slow to POST with two or more QLogic Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) or Converged Network Adapters (CNAs) installed - IBM System x and BladeCenter

Troubleshooting


Problem

The system is slow to complete Power On Self Test (POST) and may hang at the initializing Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) screen if one or more QLogic 8 Gb Fibre Channel (FC) Dual-Port Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) or 10 GB Dual-Port Converged Network Adapters (CNAs) for IBM System x are installed.

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H197558

Symptom

The system is slow to complete Power On Self Test (POST) and may hang at the initializing Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) screen if one or more QLogic 8 Gb Fibre Channel (FC) Dual-Port Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) or 10 GB Dual-Port Converged Network Adapters (CNAs) for IBM System x are installed.

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

  • BladeCenter HS22, type 1936, any model
  • BladeCenter HS22, type 7870, any model
  • BladeCenter HS22V, type 1949, any model
  • BladeCenter HS22V, type 7871, any model
  • BladeCenter HX5, type 7872, any model
  • BladeCenter HX5, type 7873, any model
  • System x3200 M2, type 4367, any model
  • System x3200 M2, type 9233, any model
  • System x3400 M2, type 7836, any model
  • System x3400 M2, type 7837, any model
  • System x3400 M3, type 7378, any model
  • System x3400 M3, type 7379, any model
  • System x3500 M2, type 7839, any model
  • System x3500 M3, type 7380, any model
  • System x3550 M2, type 4198, any model
  • System x3550 M2, type 7946, any model
  • System x3550 M3, type 4254, any model
  • System x3550 M3, type 7944, any model
  • System x3620 M3, type 7376, any model
  • System x3630 M3, type 7377, any model
  • System x3650 M2, type 4199, any model
  • System x3650 M2, type 7947, any model
  • System x3650 M3, type 4255, any model
  • System x3650 M3, type 7945, any model
  • System x3690 X5, type 7148, any model
  • System x3690 X5, type 7149, any model
  • System x3850 X5, type 7145, any model
  • System x3850 X5, type 7146, any model
  • System x3950 X5, type 7145, any model

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

  • QLogic 10 Gb Converged Network Adapter (CNA) for IBM System x, Option part number 42C1800, any replacement part number (CRU)
  • QLogic 4 Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) for IBM BladeCenter, Option part number 46M6065, any replacement part number (CRU) 46M6068
  • QLogic 8 Gb Fibre Channel (FC) Dual-Port Host Bus Adapter (HBA) for IBM System x, Option part number 42D0510, any replacement part number (CRU) 42D0516
  • QLogic 8 Gb Fibre Channel (FC) Single-Port Host Bus Adapter (HBA) for IBM System x, Option part number 42D0501, any replacement part number (CRU) 42D0507
  • QLogic 8 Gb Fibre Channel Expansion Card (CIOv) for IBM BladeCenter, Option part number 44X1945, any replacement part number (CRU) 44X1948

This tip is not software specific.

Workaround

To ensure the blade starts to the UEFI F1 Setup menu promptly, temporarily disable or shutdown the applicable blade-facing switch ports on the Fibre Channel Switch Modules (for CIOv adapters) or High Speed Switch Modules (for CFFh adapters) that connect to the QLogic adapter ports prior to restarting the blade.

After entering the F1 System Settings menu or prior to restarting the blade after performing steps 1 through 16 below, be sure to enable the switchports that were disabled previously.

Complete these steps to resolve the issue:

  1. Start to the F1 Setup menu, Load Default Settings, then Save Settings and press Enter.
  2. Select System Settings --> Devices and I/O Ports--> Enable/Disable ADAPTER OPTION ROM SUPPORT --> Enable/Disable UEFI Option ROM(s) --> Disable the PCI slot where the Host Bus Adapter (HBA) is installed, under 'UEFI Options ROM(s).' Press the Escape key (ESC) twice and select Save Settings.
  3. Select System Settings --> Devices and I/O Ports --> Set Option ROM Execution Order. Press Enter.
  4. Move '<system board SAS>' or '<GigArray Slot 1>' for the Solid-State Drive (SSD) drive to the top of the list.
  5. Press ESC three (3) times and select Save Settings.
  6. Select System Settings --> Adapters And UEFI Drivers. Press Enter.
  7. Select QLogic Fibre Channel Driver. Press Enter.
  8. Press Enter to refresh the page.
  9. Select QLogic Fibre Channel Driver.
  10. From the Main menu screen, look under NVRAM parameters and select option (4), EDIT BOOT SETTINGS.
  11. Under EDIT BOOT SETTINGS, select the following items and enter 'y' (Yes):

    (2) Enable Alternate Start Device
    (3) Enable Selective Login
    (4) Enable Selective Logical Unit Number (LUN) Logins
    (6) Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI) Variable EFIFCScanLevel
    input a value of zero ('0')

  12. After this is done, type '0' at prompt to return to previous menu.
  13. At the MAIN MENU, type '11' for 'WRITE' to save the QLogic settings.
  14. Type '12' to exit.
  15. Repeat steps 6 though 14 for each 'QLogic Fibre Channel Driver' instance under the Adapters And UEFI Drivers menu.
  16. From the UEFI screen, save the settings and restart the server.

Additional information

Disabling the PCI slots where the QLogic Host Bus Adapters (HBAs) are installed will free up some additional ROM space at boot time, allowing the server to boot in a more normal fashion.

This is a description of the settings needed in the QLogic FIBRE CHANNEL DRIVER within the UEFI menu:

Enable Alternate Boot Device:

Specifies that the driver is to use World Wide Names (WWN) database entries 0 and 1 as the primary and alternate boot devices. If this option is enabled, then the device with World Wide Port Name (WWPN) and World Wide Node Name (WWNN) in database entry 1 will be reported to EFI as the primary boot device if the device with WWPN and WWNN in database entry 0 is not found. If the primary boot device is found, then the secondary boot device is not reported to EFI. When this option is not selected, entries 0 and 1 are both reported if found.

Enable Selective Login:

Specifies that the driver is to use the WWN database as a list of devices that the adapter is permitted to login. Enable this option to limit the adapter device discovery to devices matching those in the WWN database.

Enable Selective LUN Logins:

Used with Selective Login which logs in only those devices in the adapter WWN database. If this option is not enabled, then all Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) present on any logged in device will be presented to EFI. If this option is enabled, then only the LUN specified in the WWN database associated with the device will be logged into. This eliminates scanning and presenting a large number of LUNs to EFI when only one is desired.

EFI Variable EFIFCScanLevel:

Used with Boot Order List Login. The variable EFIFCScanLevel is maintained by EFI in the system NVRAM. If the variable is not defined or set to 0, then only devices in the Boot Order List will be logged in and reported to EFI. If the variable is set to any non zero value, then all devices found on the Storage Area Network (SAN) will be logged in and reported to EFI. The Driver Configuration protocol allows this variable to be created if it does not exist. If the variable does not exist, then the menu will display a message asking if it should be created.

Document Location

Worldwide

Operating System

BladeCenter:Operating system independent / None

System x:Operating system independent / None

System x Hardware Options:Operating system independent / None

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Document Information

Modified date:
19 April 2023

UID

ibm1MIGR-5085742

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