System hangs on Microsoft Windows 2008 with BASP driver Version.1.3.5 - IBM BladeCenter HS12

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H205204

Symptom

When using the Broadcom Network Interface Controller (NIC) team configuration via the Broadcom Advanced Control Suite (BACS) in Microsoft Windows 2008 environments, the system may experience unexpected system hang or reboot by Automatic Server Restart (ASR) using Broadcom Advanced Server Program (BASP) driver Version.1.3.5.

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

• BladeCenter HS12, type 1916, any model
• BladeCenter HS12, type 8014, any model
• BladeCenter HS12, type 8028, any model

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

• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Datacenter, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Enterprise, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Foundation, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Datacenter 32-bit, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Datacenter 64-bit, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise 32-bit, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Enterprise 64-bit, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Standard 32-bit, any Service Pack
• Microsoft Windows Server 2008, Standard 64-bit, any Service Pack

This tip is not option specific.

The BASP Teaming Driver device driver for the BladeCenter HS12 is affected.

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/systems/info/x86servers/serverproven/compat/us/

Solution

This behavior can be corrected by installing BASP driver 1.3.12 or later, which can be downloaded from the Broadcom NetXtreme II Distribution.

This file is available at the following URL:

• http://www.ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=MIGR-5081963

Workaround

If the affected Broadcom adapter is installed, avoid running the TestMIIRegisters test in DSA Preboot. Instead, monitor system Power On Self Test (POST) and the operating system as it loads for any associated POST or operating system errors that may indicate an issue.

Additional information

This behavior is caused by basp.sys, which is the Broadcom NIC teaming device driver for the Microsoft Windows 2008 operating system. In very rare circumstances, a memory leak can occur using BASP driver 1.3.5 which eventually causes the system to hang or reboot.