New HP Insight Agents 7.6.0 for ESX 3.0.1

[MJKNIGHT]

Hi,

Just ran through a test install of ESX 3.0.1 and found the HP Insight Agents 7.5.1a failed to install due to a version check in the install751vm.sh script. Upon investigation I have found that HP have released a 7.6.0 version and also the VMware documentation states the following....

http://www.vmware.com/pdf/vi3_systems_guide.pdf

Extract...

Management Application ESX Server 3.0 ESX Server 3.0.1[/b]

HP Insight Manager 7.5.1a X

HP Insight Manager Agent 7.6.0 X X

Latest 7.6.0 HP Insight Agent for ESX 3.0.1

http://h18007.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/25469.html?jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

Just re-testing and will feed back any issues....

Michael.

Message was edited by: Correct formatting....

MichaelJKnight

[gogogo5]

Can someone please explain a bit more about the HP Agents. If you disable all the HP agents as per previous post, then why install them? Or are there other things running? If you disable all the agents would Insight Manager still pick up, say, a local hard drive failure in the ESX host?

I am confused...

[Dave_Duvall]

So I tried various combinations - pretty much universally when I initiated a HBA rescan with the 7.6.0 agents (a or b) I got a complete freeze of my system that requires a hard restart of them machine (no response to keyboard on the console). Then I ran across mention of the CCISS handle issue in 7.6.0 agents.

Initially in /opt/compaq/cma.conf I had:

cmaCloseCcissHandle ON

Per the comments in the file - setting this setting to OFF will cause the storage agent to open handle on each controller and keep it open (maybe all the OPEN/CLOSE activity was somehow causing the hang?).

Since setting

cmaCloseCcissHandle OFF

and restarting hpasm I have been able to rescan a number of times on every host in my environment with no issues.

Message was edited by:

Dave Duvall

[gogogo5]

Dave - can you paste the contents of your cma.conf file, do you exclude any modules?

[Dave_Duvall]

Well - looks like I spoke to soon - I had a server hang and ASR just before lunchtime - I'm uninstalling the agents now to let the servers bake a bit and see if they ASR without the agents installed.

I was excluding cmaperfd from startup.

[MitC]

This may not fix the issue you're having, but I came across this:

Advisory: HP Management Agents for VMware ESX Server Version 7.60 (or Earlier) May Fill CMA.Log with Error Message "modinfo: bonding: no module" on ProLiant Servers Running VMware ESX Server 2.5.x or VMware ESX Server 3.0.x

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c00809217

[nicko13170]

Hello,

I upgrade to 3.0.1 and so on Insight Agent 7.6.0

Same issue, after sometimes, the ESX become very slow, or make ASR.

Someone passed a call to HP ?

I will uninstall HP Agent (that'll make more noise ont the server room !) if it temporary resolve the issue.

[Chris_Lynch]

I am wondering if everyone who is having this issue kindly state what HBA is installed (model number, firmware revision, and please specify if using PCI-X or PCIe HBA.)

[gogogo5]

Using Emulex LP1050Ex, PCI Express, firmware 1.91a5

Still investigating with VMware. We think it is pointing to some specific modules loaded by the HP Agents. I can confirm that without the agents I get good stability. Load them and hanging occurs.

I found a good HP document called Managing ProLiant Servers with Linux:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00223285/c00223285.pdf

I know that this is relevant to Linux as opposed to RHEL running in the Service Console but the same principles apply. It seems there are quite few unnecessary modules that are loaded by a default installation. I am trying to tune the cma.conf file so that only required modules run relevant to our environment. This will undoubtedly conserve resourses too.

[harrisr]

I have two DL380G5's running 3.0.1 with 7.60A agents, one was hanging one was ASR'ing under idle/light load (2 idle VM's) every 2 days. The firmware version is P56 06/13/2006, and the servers both have 4GB of memory with the HP FC2142SR 4GB PCI-e HBA A8002A FCA's.

I have unloaded the agents and the servers have been running happily for 3 weeks. I'm working the call through HP's support.

[gdesmo]

By unloading the agents do you mean you completelly uninstalled it? Or just unloaded certain portions of Insight mgr?

[nicko13170]

I uninstall all HP agent, and i have no more problems. I have no FC cards.

On my 3 esx, i had asr and slow down (hang) after some days.

I follow this thread to see if there's new hp agents.

[Chris_Lynch]

Do you have any PCI-X HBA's? The reason I ask is that there are reported issues only with the PCIe HBA's, and that there is a possible issue with the firmware of the PCIe HBA's.

Also, I would suggest you upgrade to 7.60b agents.

[nicko13170]

No i don't have HBA (i'm on iscsi), but the problem appears after upgrade from 3.0.0 with 5.x agents, to 3.0.1 with 7.6 agent.

[GraemeRamm]

I also have two DL380 G5 servers utilising local storage, 4GB memory and have a PCI-X riser installed and running ESX 3.0.1. With HP Insight Agent 7.6.0b installed on one ESX and no agents on the other the one with the agents consistently ASR's after a couple of days. Removing the agents fixes the box. What's wrong with these agents? Sounds like HP need to go back to the lab.

[SanRam]

Can you please post the following details -

1. Do you have any external storage connected to the DL380 G5?

2. Which PCI-X cards do you have installed?

3. Are there any log messages pertaining to the ASR, in either the "Integrated Management Log" or the iLO log?

4. How many VMs do you have running?

[GraemeRamm]

We receive the following in our iLO 2 Log

"BMC IPMI Watchdog Timer Timeout: Action=System Power Reset."

The IML log states

"Critical ASR 11/22/2006 08:31 11/22/2006 08:31 16 ASR Detected by System ROM "

Both servers have LSI Fusion MPT PCI-X SCSI cards in. One server has a HP SDLT110/220 Drive attached.

Whichever ESX server the agents are installed upon suffers from ASR's. The server with the agents removed does not. I have tested this scenario of both boxes both with and without agents installed.

There are 4-5 VM Windows 2003 Standard Guests running per ESX.

With the agents removed there is no problem - I will therefore leave the HP Agents off until the problem is resolved in 7.6.xx

[nicko13170]

I've only got that in ILO2 LOG

"Critical ASR 12/07/2006 11:15 12/07/2006 11:15 1 ASR Detected by System ROM ". Nothing else before.

My 3 Esx are DL385, 10GO RAM, and all PCI slots taken by HP giga networks card (one port). 5 VM per ESX

I experiment two problems :

- ASR

- VM slowdown. I can't access them via network after some hours or days.

I uninstall hp agent last week, and for now there's no problems.

Message was edited by:

nicko13170

[SanRam]

We receive the following in our iLO 2 Log

"BMC IPMI Watchdog Timer Timeout: Action=System Power

Reset."

The IML log states

"Critical ASR 11/22/2006 08:31 11/22/2006 08:31 16

ASR Detected by System ROM "

This might[/i] be related to the iLO2 firmware on your server. Can you verify that you are on the latest iLO2 firmware?

There is a related advisory on this link, but this issue was seen with only the 7.5.1A Insight Manager Agents (Link to the advisory -> http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/Document.jsp?objectID=c00748635)

[mamecom]

Hi, I've gotten same trouble case, and not resolved.

I have 2 sets of ML370G5.

type-1. ML370G5 Tower, 6G RAM, 3 Additincal NICs, Use only Internal SAS Drives via P400.

type-2. ML370G5 Rack, 8G RAM, 4 Additincal NICs, Use Internal SAS Drives via P400 and External MSA30 Drives via SmartArray642.

Both ML370G5 applied Firmware7.6.0.

Both ESX 3.0.1 applied three patches,ESX-1006511,ESX-1410076,ESX-2158032.

Type-1 is very stable with InsightAgent760 (not installed IA760b yet).

Type-2 is very unstable with IA760 and IA760b.

When IA760 was installed, ASR reboot occurred periodical 3..5days.

When uninstalled IA760 and installed IA760b, ASR reboot occurred same periodical.

iLO2 Logged "BMC IPMI Watchdog Timer Timeout: Action=System Power Reset."

In this case, No-VM is created, also multiple VM is created. (VM and ESX seems slowdown or hang).

I tryed refresh install type-2, ESX and IA760b before yesterday, and Watching ASR reboot.

PLS help me. PLS fix and release IA760c(?) soon!

[mamecom]

In my case, my ML370G5's iLO2 Firmware version is 1.22.

(This is updated with Firmware CD 7.6.0)