CentOS - Jun 2006 - PXE booting HP BL25p - Smart Array extended bios data area problem

Hi,
	I recently took delivery of a bunch of HP BL25p blades to add to
my collection.  I am attempting to install Centos4 x86_64 using PXE -
the initial PXE DHCP stuff works, and the kernel and initrd are
downloaded, but the server then immediately clears the screen and
displays:
"1706-Smart Array Controller Extended BIOS Data Area Memory Corrupted
Array Controller Interrupt 14h BIOS Cannot Continue
System Halted"

It's pretty obvious what the problem probably is (the kernel nukes some
bit of memory that it shouldn't, or that the smart array hasn't properly
marked as reserved), but I don't know what to do to fix it.  I have also
tried:
1) The i386 kernel and initrd images
2) The RedHat AS4 kernel/initrd images
3) The Centos3 i386 kernel and initrd images
4) Downgrading the System ROM BIOS and Smart Array BIOS (as shipped it
had the latest versions) to versions up to a year old.
5) Playing with memmap to exclude mem from 610-640K from being used by
the kernel.  

Booting from CD works, but is suboptimal (I have to type the kernel
kickstart options, and I don't want to have to do that 16 times, plus I
want easy repeatability in future).  

Google has been fairly silent on the issue.  Does anyone have any
suggestions for what else I could try/prod/poke?

Thanks,

Craig Miskell,
Technical Support,
AgResearch Invermay
03 489-9279
"The two rules for success:  1. Don't tell people everything you
know."
  - Anon.
Please accept my abject apologies for the awful mess of a legal
disclaimer which follows.  Not my choice ;-(
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On Fri, Jun 09, 2006 at 12:25:16PM +1200, Miskell, Craig
wrote:
> 5) Playing with memmap to exclude mem from 610-640K from being used by
> the kernel.  
How about these kernel options ?

        memmap=exactmap [KNL,IA-32] Enable setting of an exact
                        E820 memory map, as specified by the user.
                        Such memmap=exactmap lines can be constructed based on
                        BIOS output or other requirements. See the memmap=nn at
ss
                        option description.

        memmap=nn[KMG]$ss[KMG]
                        [KNL,ACPI] Mark specific memory as reserved.
                        Region of memory to be used, from ss to ss+nn.

- -- 
Rodrigo Barbosa
"Quid quid Latine dictum sit, altum viditur"
"Be excellent to each other ..." - Bill & Ted (Wyld Stallyns)

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Miskell, Craig spake the following on 6/8/2006 5:25 PM:
> Hi,
> 	I recently took delivery of a bunch of HP BL25p blades to add to
> my collection.  I am attempting to install Centos4 x86_64 using PXE -
> the initial PXE DHCP stuff works, and the kernel and initrd are
> downloaded, but the server then immediately clears the screen and
> displays:
> "1706-Smart Array Controller Extended BIOS Data Area Memory Corrupted
> Array Controller Interrupt 14h BIOS Cannot Continue
> System Halted"
> 
> It's pretty obvious what the problem probably is (the kernel nukes some
> bit of memory that it shouldn't, or that the smart array hasn't
properly
> marked as reserved), but I don't know what to do to fix it.  I have
also
> tried:
> 1) The i386 kernel and initrd images
> 2) The RedHat AS4 kernel/initrd images
> 3) The Centos3 i386 kernel and initrd images
> 4) Downgrading the System ROM BIOS and Smart Array BIOS (as shipped it
> had the latest versions) to versions up to a year old.
> 5) Playing with memmap to exclude mem from 610-640K from being used by
> the kernel.  
> 
> Booting from CD works, but is suboptimal (I have to type the kernel
> kickstart options, and I don't want to have to do that 16 times, plus I
> want easy repeatability in future).  
If you can't resolve this, make a custom boot cd with your kickstart file
and
the proper kernel options in it.
It will at least get your hardware in service.

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