Document fins/I0757-1
FIN #: I0757-1
SYNOPSIS: Sun Servers which utilize the "eri" driver could be
susceptible to Ethernet link errors or hangs
DATE: Jan/03/02
KEYWORDS: Sun Servers which utilize the "eri" driver could be
susceptible to Ethernet link errors or hangs
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- Sun Proprietary/Confidential: Internal Use Only -
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FIELD INFORMATION NOTICE
(For Authorized Distribution by SunService)
SYNOPSIS: Sun Servers which utilize the "eri" driver could be
susceptible to Ethernet link errors or hangs.
Sun Alert: Yes
TOP FIN/FCO REPORT: Yes
PRODUCT_REFERENCE: 'eri' driver
PRODUCT CATEGORY: Storage / SW Admin
PRODUCTS AFFECTED:
Systems Affected
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Mkt_ID Platform Model Description Serial Number
------ -------- ----- ----------- -------------
- N21 ALL Netra T1-200 -
- A36 ALL Sun Blade 100 -
- A28 ALL Sun Blade 1000 -
- A30 ALL Sun Fire V880 -
- A35 ALL Sun Fire 280R -
- S8 ALL Sun Fire 3800 -
- S12 ALL Sun Fire 4800 -
- S12i ALL Sun Fire 4810 -
- S24 ALL Sun Fire 6800 -
- F15K ALL Sun Fire 15000 -
X-Options Affected
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Mkt_ID Platform Model Description Serial Number
------ -------- ----- ----------- -------------
- - - - -
PART NUMBERS AFFECTED:
Part Number Description Model
----------- ----------- -----
- - -
REFERENCES:
BugId: 4480970 - eri interface goes up & down under heavy http load.
4486544 - BAD TRAP in bcopy from mcopymsg.
4509547 - eri needs NDD tunables for interrupt blanking and
interval.
PatchId: 
109882 or later: SunOS 5.8: eri header files patch.
110723 or later: SunOS 5.8: /kernel/drv/sparcv9/eri patch.
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION:
Sun Servers which utilize the Ethernet RIO Interface (eri) driver could
be susceptible to Ethernet link hangs for periods up to 30 seconds or
panics depending upon which of the following bugs are encountered:
1. Receive MAC hang on receive overflow conditions:
The receive MAC (RX-MAC) will hang upon receiving a large number of
RX-FIFO overrun conditions. All incoming ethernet traffic will stop
for periods up to 30 seconds.
The RX MAC problem is triggered by a large number of overflows and
that is caused by the software being unable to keep up with the
incoming receive traffic. The problem can be verified by checking
rx_overflow counter in netstat -k eri# output.
2. The eri driver has poor transmit performance:
eri driver has poor transmit performance due to usage of DDI_DMA
interfaces which required more CPU cycles to setup and tear down
relative to copying the data from premapped staging buffers or using
the DVMA fast path interface on transmit.
3. Limited ethernet reset performance:
Once an ethernet hang condition was detected, the ethernet hardware
conducted an extensive reset operation thereby greatly adding to the
time it takes to reset the chipset and software.
4. The eri driver corrupted memory leading to system panics in various
scenarios:
A logic error was discovered in the data transmit path of the eri
device driver. This logic bug leads to corruption of STREAMS control
information for the accompanying data. This logic bug induces a
system panic during small packet transmission when the small packet
crosses a page boundary. The frequency of this condition is small
and may not occur under most normal operations.
5. eri driver needs NDD tunables for interrupt blanking time and packets:
eri requires NDD tunables for interrupt blanking interval and packet
counts. These are required because performance in different scenarios
requires different values for these settings.
IMPLEMENTATION:
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| | MANDATORY (Fully Proactive)
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| X | CONTROLLED PROACTIVE (per Sun Geo Plan)
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| | REACTIVE (As Required)
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CORRECTIVE ACTION:
The following recommendation is provided as a guideline for authorized
Enterprise Services Field Representatives who may encounter the above
mentioned problem.
Please adhere to the following guideline:
Install Patch 109882 and 110723 or later to affected systems.
COMMENTS:
None
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Implementation Footnote:
i) In case of MANDATORY FINs, Enterprise Services will attempt to
contact all affected customers to recommend implementation of
the FIN.
ii) For CONTROLLED PROACTIVE FINs, Enterprise Services mission critical
support teams will recommend implementation of the FIN (to their
respective accounts), at the convenience of the customer.
iii) For REACTIVE FINs, Enterprise Services will implement the FIN as the
need arises.
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