CentOS virt - Jan 2017 - NIC Stability Problems Under Xen 4.4 / CentOS 6 / Linux 3.18

On 01/26/2017 09:32 AM, Johnny Hughes wrote:
> On 01/25/2017 11:49 AM, Kevin Stange wrote:
>> On 01/24/2017 11:16 AM, Kevin Stange wrote:
>>> On 01/24/2017 09:10 AM, Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk wrote:
>>>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 09:29:39PM +0800, -=X.L.O.R.D=- wrote:
>>>>> Kevin Stange,
>>>>> It can be either kernel or update the NIC driver or
firmware of the NIC
>>>>> card. Hope that helps!
>>>>>
>>>>> Xlord
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: CentOS-virt [mailto:centos-virt-bounces at
centos.org] On Behalf Of Kevin
>>>>> Stange
>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 1:04 AM
>>>>> To: centos-virt at centos.org
>>>>> Subject: [CentOS-virt] NIC Stability Problems Under Xen 4.4
/ CentOS 6 /
>>>>> Linux 3.18
>>>>>
>>> <snip>
>>>>>
>>>>> Has anyone experienced similar issues with this
configuration, and if so,
>>>>> does anyone have tips on how to resolve the issues?
>>>>
>>>> Honeslty I would email Intel and see if they can help. This
looks like
>>>> the NIC decides something is wrong, throws off an PCIe error
and
>>>> then resets itself.
>>>
>>> This happens for several different NICs.  Is there a good contact
at
>>> Intel for this kind of thing, or should I just try to reach them
through
>>> their web site?
>>>
>>>> It could also be an error in the Linux stack which would
"eat" an
>>>> interrupt when migrating interrupts (which was fixed
>>>> upstream, see below). Are you running irqbalance? Could you try
>>>> turning it off?
>>>
>>> irqbalance is enabled on these servers.  I'll try disabling it.
>>
>> I had stopped irqbalance yesterday afternoon, but had a
hypervisor's
>> NICs fail anyway in early morning this morning, so I'm pretty sure
this
>> is not the right tree to bark up.
>>
> 
> Here is a set of drivers/fireware from Intel for those NICs:
> 
>
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/15817/Intel-Network-Adapter-Driver-for-PCI-E-Gigabit-Network-Connections-under-Linux-
> 
> I will see if I can get a CentOS-6 build of the latest version of that
> from our older SRPM:
> 
>
http://vault.centos.org/6.7/xen4/Source/SPackages/e1000e-2.5.4-3.10.68.2.el6.centos.alt.src.rpm
> 
> I am currently very busy with several c5, c6, c7 updates and the i686
> altarch c7 tree .. but I have this on my list.  In the meantime, maybe
> someone else could also see if those drivers help you (or you could try
> to compile / install it).
> 
> Do you have another machine that you can use to see if you can duplicate
> the issue NOT running the xen.gz hypervisor boot, but just the straight
> kernel?
Actually .. I think this is the driver for you:

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/13663

And this explains how to make it work:

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/ethernet-products/000005767.html


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On 01/26/2017 09:35 AM, Johnny Hughes wrote:
> On 01/26/2017 09:32 AM, Johnny Hughes wrote:
>> On 01/25/2017 11:49 AM, Kevin Stange wrote:
>>> On 01/24/2017 11:16 AM, Kevin Stange wrote:
>>>> On 01/24/2017 09:10 AM, Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk wrote:
>>>>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 09:29:39PM +0800, -=X.L.O.R.D=-
wrote:
>>>>>> Kevin Stange,
>>>>>> It can be either kernel or update the NIC driver or
firmware of the NIC
>>>>>> card. Hope that helps!
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Xlord
>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>> From: CentOS-virt [mailto:centos-virt-bounces at
centos.org] On Behalf Of Kevin
>>>>>> Stange
>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 1:04 AM
>>>>>> To: centos-virt at centos.org
>>>>>> Subject: [CentOS-virt] NIC Stability Problems Under Xen
4.4 / CentOS 6 /
>>>>>> Linux 3.18
>>>>>>
>>>> <snip>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Has anyone experienced similar issues with this
configuration, and if so,
>>>>>> does anyone have tips on how to resolve the issues?
>>>>>
>>>>> Honeslty I would email Intel and see if they can help. This
looks like
>>>>> the NIC decides something is wrong, throws off an PCIe
error and
>>>>> then resets itself.
>>>>
>>>> This happens for several different NICs.  Is there a good
contact at
>>>> Intel for this kind of thing, or should I just try to reach
them through
>>>> their web site?
>>>>
>>>>> It could also be an error in the Linux stack which would
"eat" an
>>>>> interrupt when migrating interrupts (which was fixed
>>>>> upstream, see below). Are you running irqbalance? Could you
try
>>>>> turning it off?
>>>>
>>>> irqbalance is enabled on these servers.  I'll try disabling
it.
>>>
>>> I had stopped irqbalance yesterday afternoon, but had a
hypervisor's
>>> NICs fail anyway in early morning this morning, so I'm pretty
sure this
>>> is not the right tree to bark up.
>>>
>>
>> Here is a set of drivers/fireware from Intel for those NICs:
>>
>>
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/15817/Intel-Network-Adapter-Driver-for-PCI-E-Gigabit-Network-Connections-under-Linux-
>>
>> I will see if I can get a CentOS-6 build of the latest version of that
>> from our older SRPM:
>>
>>
http://vault.centos.org/6.7/xen4/Source/SPackages/e1000e-2.5.4-3.10.68.2.el6.centos.alt.src.rpm
>>
>> I am currently very busy with several c5, c6, c7 updates and the i686
>> altarch c7 tree .. but I have this on my list.  In the meantime, maybe
>> someone else could also see if those drivers help you (or you could try
>> to compile / install it).
>>
>> Do you have another machine that you can use to see if you can
duplicate
>> the issue NOT running the xen.gz hypervisor boot, but just the straight
>> kernel?
I can't actually reproduce this problem reliably.  It happens randomly
when the servers are up and running anywhere between a few hours and a
month or more, and I haven't been able to isolate any specific way to
cause it to happen.  As a result I can't really test different solutions
on different servers to see what helps.  I was hoping other people were
seeing it so that I could get some direction.  If I can reproduce it, it
won't take me very long to identify what the cause is.  Right now if I
do upgrade the drivers on the systems I won't really know if it's fixed
until I don't see another issue for several months.
> Actually .. I think this is the driver for you:
> 
> https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/13663
> 
> And this explains how to make it work:
> 
>
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/ethernet-products/000005767.html
The different combinations of NICs overlap both the e1000e and igb
drivers, but the most egregious issues have been with the igb ones.
I'll try to give this a shot and report back if I still see issues with
a server after doing so, but it might be a week or two before I find out.

-- 
Kevin Stange
Chief Technology Officer
Steadfast | Managed Infrastructure, Datacenter and Cloud Services
800 S Wells, Suite 190 | Chicago, IL 60607
312.602.2689 X203 | Fax: 312.602.2688
kevin at steadfast.net | www.steadfast.net

On 01/26/2017 02:08 PM, Kevin Stange wrote:
> On 01/26/2017 09:35 AM, Johnny Hughes wrote:
>> On 01/26/2017 09:32 AM, Johnny Hughes wrote:
>>> On 01/25/2017 11:49 AM, Kevin Stange wrote:
>>>> On 01/24/2017 11:16 AM, Kevin Stange wrote:
>>>>> On 01/24/2017 09:10 AM, Konrad Rzeszutek Wilk wrote:
>>>>>> On Tue, Jan 24, 2017 at 09:29:39PM +0800, -=X.L.O.R.D=-
wrote:
>>>>>>> Kevin Stange,
>>>>>>> It can be either kernel or update the NIC driver or
firmware of the NIC
>>>>>>> card. Hope that helps!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Xlord
>>>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>>>> From: CentOS-virt [mailto:centos-virt-bounces at
centos.org] On Behalf Of Kevin
>>>>>>> Stange
>>>>>>> Sent: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 1:04 AM
>>>>>>> To: centos-virt at centos.org
>>>>>>> Subject: [CentOS-virt] NIC Stability Problems Under
Xen 4.4 / CentOS 6 /
>>>>>>> Linux 3.18
>>>>>>>
>>>>> <snip>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Has anyone experienced similar issues with this
configuration, and if so,
>>>>>>> does anyone have tips on how to resolve the issues?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Honeslty I would email Intel and see if they can help.
This looks like
>>>>>> the NIC decides something is wrong, throws off an PCIe
error and
>>>>>> then resets itself.
>>>>>
>>>>> This happens for several different NICs.  Is there a good
contact at
>>>>> Intel for this kind of thing, or should I just try to reach
them through
>>>>> their web site?
>>>>>
>>>>>> It could also be an error in the Linux stack which
would "eat" an
>>>>>> interrupt when migrating interrupts (which was fixed
>>>>>> upstream, see below). Are you running irqbalance? Could
you try
>>>>>> turning it off?
>>>>>
>>>>> irqbalance is enabled on these servers.  I'll try
disabling it.
>>>>
>>>> I had stopped irqbalance yesterday afternoon, but had a
hypervisor's
>>>> NICs fail anyway in early morning this morning, so I'm
pretty sure this
>>>> is not the right tree to bark up.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Here is a set of drivers/fireware from Intel for those NICs:
>>>
>>>
https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/15817/Intel-Network-Adapter-Driver-for-PCI-E-Gigabit-Network-Connections-under-Linux-
>>>
>>> I will see if I can get a CentOS-6 build of the latest version of
that
>>> from our older SRPM:
>>>
>>>
http://vault.centos.org/6.7/xen4/Source/SPackages/e1000e-2.5.4-3.10.68.2.el6.centos.alt.src.rpm
>>>
>>> I am currently very busy with several c5, c6, c7 updates and the
i686
>>> altarch c7 tree .. but I have this on my list.  In the meantime,
maybe
>>> someone else could also see if those drivers help you (or you could
try
>>> to compile / install it).
>>>
>>> Do you have another machine that you can use to see if you can
duplicate
>>> the issue NOT running the xen.gz hypervisor boot, but just the
straight
>>> kernel?
> 
> I can't actually reproduce this problem reliably.  It happens randomly
> when the servers are up and running anywhere between a few hours and a
> month or more, and I haven't been able to isolate any specific way to
> cause it to happen.  As a result I can't really test different
solutions
> on different servers to see what helps.  I was hoping other people were
> seeing it so that I could get some direction.  If I can reproduce it, it
> won't take me very long to identify what the cause is.  Right now if I
> do upgrade the drivers on the systems I won't really know if it's
fixed
> until I don't see another issue for several months.
> 
>> Actually .. I think this is the driver for you:
>>
>> https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/13663
>>
>> And this explains how to make it work:
>>
>>
http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/ethernet-products/000005767.html
> 
> The different combinations of NICs overlap both the e1000e and igb
> drivers, but the most egregious issues have been with the igb ones.
> I'll try to give this a shot and report back if I still see issues with
> a server after doing so, but it might be a week or two before I find out.
So the NICs giving issues in most cases were igb drivers.  I've tried
replacing the drivers on some HVs with the version you suggested, but it
doesn't seem to have helped with stability.  Any other ideas?

-- 
Kevin Stange
Chief Technology Officer
Steadfast | Managed Infrastructure, Datacenter and Cloud Services
800 S Wells, Suite 190 | Chicago, IL 60607
312.602.2689 X203 | Fax: 312.602.2688
kevin at steadfast.net | www.steadfast.net