Ubuntu Server 8.04.1 on Vmware ESX 3.5u2 paravirtualized kernel guest system hang after few hours

[wurAndre]

Hi,

Ubuntu Server guest on VMware ESX host runs normal for some hours and suddenly 'dies' without notice. Network services like ssh and http are unresponsive (also no response to a ping request). Console (via VIC) is also unresponsive (black). I've enabled Paravirualization for the guest( from dmesg: http:// 0.000000 VMI: Found VMware, Inc. Hypervisor OPROM, API version 3.0, ROM version 1.0) to improve performance, but these system lockups are the unwanted result. Without paravirtualization enabled, kernel cpu usage is high (around 30/40% average) and webserver performance is a factor 5 less (5 request/second against 25 request/second).

Tried playing around with some kernel boot options, but to no avail ( noapic and nolapic). When guest locks-up, 2 VCPU's go to 0MHz, the other 2 VCPU to max (performance chart via VIC), . We actually have to reboot the ESX server because a reset of the guest fails, stays forever at 95%.

Host : VMware ESX 3.5.0110268 (U2) on HP ProLiant BL460c G1

Host : 2 Dual Quad Core with 4G memory

Guest : Ubuntu Server 8.04.1 kernel 2.6.24-23.46

Guest : 4 CPU, 3,5G memory

Cheers,

Andre

[RParker]

Have you tried non-paravirtualized kernel? Is there a particular reason you are using paravirtualization?

The standard unbuntu works fine.

[wurAndre]

We've a significant performance gain regarding a custom application which delivers web content when paravirtualization is enabled.

thanks.

[seniornwb]

Same here.

Ubuntu server 8.04.2 running on vmware ESX 3.5U3. Running on a HP DL385 with 2 opteron 285 processors.

We have 2 machines running this way.

One hangs once each day. CPU to 100% no console within the VM.

Power off doesn't work anymore. have to kill the process in the Service Console

The other runs fine until now, with no problems.

Have been searching for a solution but all possible solutions have delivered nothing yet.

If you find anything, please let me know.

Regards,

Hen

[AdamRB]

I'm having the exact same problem. System hangs, have to manually kill the process from the console. Seems to only happen to my Ubuntu guests (8.04 and 9.04).

Has anyone found a solution for this yet?

[Joel_Duckworth]

We're also having this issue with 8.04.2 on ESX u3 with all the latest patches. I am seeing it more on one of our hosts that has 3 linux and 2 windows hosts, it also has low free hdd space I was wondering if it was related to that, I can trigger the hang by running a high cpu intensive task on the box.

Any ideas, has anyone contacted support about it?