Advisory: (Revision) Certain ProLiant Servers - Intel Xeon E7 8800/4800/2800 Processor-Based Systems May Report Frequent MCE6 Machine Correctable Errors - c02847572

DESCRIPTION

Document Version	Release Date	Details
2	11/01/2011	Updated Resolution with permanent fix, System ROM update
1	05/25/2011	Original document release

With high-speed processor busses, it is normal for a low occurrence of correctable error events to occur. However, due to a documented errata (Errata BP33) on Intel Xeon E7-series processors, a higher than expected number of MCE6 (Bank 6 Machine Check) correctable errors may be logged by the operating system. All Bank 6 Correctable errors are benign and can be safely ignored. These Bank 6 Machine Check errors are a result of a workaround for an Intel Xeon E7-series processor errata and are not unique to HP ProLiant systems.

This issue has been observed on ProLiant DL580G7, ProLiant BL620c G7, ProLiant BL680c G7 and ProLiant DL980 G7 servers with Intel E7 8800, 4800, and 2800-series processors.

This event occurs most frequently when the system is in an idle state and the processor is transitioning into and out of processor package idle states (Package C3 and Package C6 states).

Windows-based operating systems will display events from the "WHEA-Logger" event source in the System event log. These WHEA-Logger events will refer to Correctable errors on Bank 6. Both "Correctable" and "Bank 6" will be referenced in the event text. The exact Status code will vary based on a number of factors.

Linux-based operating systems will display events in the "mcelog" output or in the /var/log/mcelog if that log file exists. Customers will also notice "machine-check event logged" in the "dmesg" output. Although the errors are benign, these errors may "taint" the Linux kernel. "Bank 6" will be referenced in the event text. The exact Status code will vary based on a number of factors. The taint state provides an indication whether something has happened to the running kernel that affects whether a kernel error can effectively undergo troubleshooting procedures by analyzing the kernel source code.

This issue is documented as Intel Errata BP 33,"Package C3/C6 with Memory Self Refresh Enabled May Cause False Error Logging," Page 25, on the Intel website as follows:

http://www.intel.com/Assets/PDF/specupdate/325122.pdf

RESOLUTION

The MCE6 (Bank 6 Machine Check) errors are benign and can be safely ignored. They do not result in performance loss or negatively affect the operation of the system. However, these benign errors can be signifcantly reduced by downloading and installing a version of the System ROM dated 5/23/2011 (or later), available as follows:

Go to
www.hp.com
Select "Software and Driver Downloads."
Enter the Server model (for example, "BL680c G7").
Select the specific server model from the "Product Search Results" page, if this page appears.
Select the appropriate operating system.
Select BIOS - System ROM.
Select the latest version of the System ROM firmware and click "Download."

As a workaround, the error reporting and logging can be eliminated by disabling the Package C3 and Package C6 states using the Minimum Processor Idle Package States option in the ROM-Based Setup Utility (RBSU). Note that disabling Package C3 and Package C6 can result in a loss of power savings when the system is idle.

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NAVIGATION TIP : For hints on navigating HP.com to locate the latest drivers, patches, and other support software downloads for ProLiant servers and Options, refer to the Navigation Tips document .

SEARCH TIP : For hints on locating similar documents on HP.com, refer to the Search Tips document .

Hewlett-Packard Company shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. The information provided is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind. To the extent permitted by law, neither HP or its affiliates, subcontractors or suppliers will be liable for incidental,special or consequential damages including downtime cost; lost profits;damages relating to the procurement of substitute products or services; or damages for loss of data, or software restoration. The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Hewlett-Packard Company and the names of Hewlett-Packard products referenced herein are trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Company in the United States and other countries. Other product and company names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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