Incompatible CPU?

[mbx369]

Hi,

I have 5 ESX 3.5 Upd2 servers in a HA/DRS cluster.

Out of this 5, 3 are Dell PowerEdge 2950 and 2 are IBM x3650 [MT7979-C3A].

Since all are Intel Xeon x5355 @ 2.66GHz [quad-core CPUs], vMotion etc are running fine.

I have 2 new HP ProLiant DL580 G5 with Intel Xeon x7460 @ 2.66GHz [hex-core CPUs].

After I have added these 2 HP servers to the existing cluster, I tested vMotion a VM and failed.

From the cluster settings, the 2 HP servers are listed as "Incompatible Hardware".

I have enable the IVT on both of the servers' BIOS.

Apparently my vendors keep refusing to believe they are incompatible. Does anyone know if this confirms the new servers' CPUs are incompatible with the existing ESX servers?

Or are there any other ways for me to confirm this?

~~~~~ To Live Is To Die ~~~~~

[MauroBonder]

http://communities.vmware.com/thread/121727

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[mbx369]

Hi,

Just to add, I am able to perform cold migrations between the new servers and the existing ones. Hiding the "NX flag" for the VM still does not allow vMotion. ~~~~~ To Live Is To Die ~~~~~

[new2v]

Hi,

VMotion CPU Compatibility Requirements for Intel Processors:

http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1991

Group B 53xx

Group C 74xx

For B<->C VMotion, apply SSE4.1 mask (not supported).

[mbx369]

Hi new2v,

Yes, I read this article before but unsure of how to apply the "SSE4.1 mask".

Would you be able to help?

And after the change is mande, the servers will not be supported by VMware Support team right? ~~~~~ To Live Is To Die ~~~~~

[Datto · Accepted solution]

The answer on how to apply an SSE 4.1 mask is likely in this document -- you may have to use this change on a per VM basis:

Move to the section for "Modifying Default Mask" under the VC 2.5 section (not the VC 1.X section). Also, look at the "Global Masking with ESX Server 2.x and ESX Server 3.x" and see if there's a global change you can add to your vpxd.cfg file on your VC server rather than applying the change only to VMs.

You'll likely have an unsupported cluster if you apply this to your cluster so it might be best to just create two different clusters.

You might also research out whether Enhanced Vmotion Compatibiilty (EVC) might work for you but that would require that you build a blank cluster and feed in the lowest of your boxes first to create the baseline masking, then adding the others into the cluster. You'd probably want to test this first to see if it would work. That may require that you move to ESX 3.5 Update 4 from your existing Update 2 level in order to get the EVC capability.

Datto

[mbx369]

Hi Datto,

I found a CPU Tool from VMware download site. I managed to get use this tool for the existing ESX during low peak hours.

What I found out was the new servers as compared to the existing ESX, does not support EVC.

As what you have mentioned, using the CPU masking is an option.

Or, I might end up using these 2 in a separate cluster for future expansion.

Turns out my department might be getting a few more ESX [due to demand], which I will be able to expand this new cluster.

Of course we will ensure the vendors are giving us compatible CPUs. Talk about learning CPU compatibility the hard way. 🙂 ~~~~~ To Live Is To Die ~~~~~