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System Plan Deploy Fails with Message Stating MCS Value Mismatch (Multi-Core Scaling)

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document describes how to correct errors when deploying a system plan on a server with an HEA (host Ethernet adapter). Deploy failure centers around a message indicating the MCS (Multi-Core Scaling) value has a mismatch between the server and the system plan.

Resolving The Problem

This document describes how to correct errors when deploying a system plan on a server with an HEA (host Ethernet adapter). The deploy failure centers around a message indicating the MCS (Multi-Core Scaling) value has a mismatch between the server and the system plan.

When deploying a system plan on a server, deploy fails with messages indicating the Multi-Core Scaling (MCS) value is mismatched between the system plan and the server. This is because the servers default factory setting is 4.

Usually the system plan is created and the creator of the system plan does not change the values for MCS which results in a system plan default setting of 1 for the MCS.

The MCS value sets the number of ports available to the port group on the HEA adapter. There can be two port groups on an HEA. With the default MCS value of 4 on the server, each HEA port group has four logical ports available to assign to the logical partitions.

The values are as follows:

MCS Value
Number of available ports per port group for partitions
1
16
2
8
4
4
8
2
16
1

To correct the issue, one of two things needs to be changed. You must either change the setting on the server to match the plan, or you must change the system plan to match the default setting of 4.
    • - Modifying the Server to Change the MCS Value



      To change the system, you should do the following:

      Step 1: Use the HMC and select the server. Then choose the task Hardware Information - Adapters - Host Ethernet.

      The example below shows an HEA that has only two physical ports. With this adapter, there is only one port group. On a server that has a four-port HEA, there will be two port groups. Each port group will need to have the MCS value modified to match the plan. (Note the Port Group ID column.)

      Step 2: Select the first port with the radio button and click Configure:

      HEA port configuration - hmc GUI

      Step 3: Change the Pending Port Group Multi-Core Scaling value to match the system plan. Repeat the same steps for port group 2, if it exists.

      Note: A full server IPL must then be performed for the change to take effect.

      HEA physical port configuration - HMC GUI

      Once the server IPL completes, you can redeploy the system plan.

      • - Modify the System Plan to Set MCS Value to 4



        In the SPT tool (on your PC), you should do the following:

        Step 1: Select the system and click Edit:

        system planning tool - select system - edit

        Step 2: Select the Networking tab, and then select the Physical Ethernet Adapters tab.

        Step 3: Click Configure HEA ports:

        system planning tool - edit networking configuration - physical ethernet adapters

        Step 4: Select the Multi-core scaling value pull down and change the value to 4. Then click OK:

        system planning tool - physical port adapter settings - multicore scaling value

        Step 5: Save the plan.

        Step 6: Import the new plan to the HMC and re-deploy. This should correct the MCS mismatch errors.

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      Historical Number

      617066155

      Document Information

      Modified date:
      22 September 2021

      UID

      nas8N1011271

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