ESX 3.5 U4 server hangs over an hour on bootup with "ipmi_si" load message

[MikeSimon]

Has anyone else seen this? I am running a HP DL580 G5 with the lastest HP Firmware CD (Aug 2009) to see if that would resolve the issue, but it didn't. The system will hang at this screen then finally times out and boots. The system is fine after that. Has anyone else seen this?

The message would be

Starting immi drivers: ipmi_si: Searching for PCI Vendor 0x103c, Device 0x3302

ipmi_si: Trying "kcs" at memory address 0xf7bf0000

(sits for about an hour, then moves to

lipmi_si: Trying "smic" at me at memory address 0xf7bf0000

No lie, it stays like this for over an hour. Once it times out the system is fine.

Its a fresh install of VMWare 3.5 U4, then I patch it with all the patches / updates released since U4 to June 2009.

I have other HP DL580's with U4 (but with no addtional post U4 patches installed) that don't have this issue on them.

Thanks in advance.

-Mike

[mike_laspina]

Hi,

Try comparing the options in

cat /etc/sysconfig/ipmi

of the problem system to one of the other working servers.

If possible try comparing CMOS BMC settings as well.

As a workaround you could disable the KCS, BT, SMIC interface probe in the config file. Then load it manually after she starts up and re-disable it once its completed so it does not mess you up on a restart.

/etc/rc.d/init.d/ipmi start

vExpert 2009