Operational Defect Database
BugZero found this defect 539 days ago.
Data sources
All data on this page is proprietary to BugZero® or gathered from public sources
Hewlett Packard Enterprise | a00128434en_us
Advisory: VMware 8.0 - Multiple Issues May Be Experienced on HPE ProLiant with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine Platforms Configured With a Pensando Distributed Services Platform DSC-25 v2 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 32GB Special Card
Last update date:
2/29/2024
Affected products:
HPE ProLiant with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine
Affected releases:
No affected releases provided.
Fixed releases:
No fixed releases provided.
Description:
Info
On any of the HPE ProLiant with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine platforms running VMware ESXi 8.0 and configured with a Pensando Distributed Services Platform DSC-25 v2 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 32GB Special Card listed in the Scope section below; the following issues may occur: Installation of VMware vSphere ESXi 8.0 to the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) fails or does not list the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) as an available installation device. VMware vSphere Distributed Service Engine functionality is not available or the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) is not visible in the BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU), HPE iLO or VMware ESXi 8.0. HPE ProLiant with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine platform experiences one or more unexpected resets or cannot successfully complete POST. When one of these issues occur, multiple conditions under different scenarios such as the following may be the cause: The PCI slot containing the SmartNIC is disabled. The SmartNIC (Pensando Card) cannot be detected by the firmware, it fails initialization during Power-On Self-Test (POST), or it goes into a non-responsive state after Power-On Self-Test (POST). The SmartNIC (Pensando Card) firmware cannot initiate boot of the VMware Distributed Services Engine on the SmartNIC (Pensando Card). The VMware Distributed Services Engine on the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) cannot successfully complete boot or stops responding after a boot. VMware ESXi performs a shutdown of the VMware Distributed Services Engine on the SmartNIC (Pensando Card). When the PCIe slot (where the SmartNIC is installed) is disabled, the VMware ESXi Installer will still present the SmartNIC as an available installation device, but the installation will fail. If VMware ESXi is already installed, VMware vSphere Distributed Service Engine functionality will not be available. In addition, when the PCIe slot (where the SmartNIC is installed) is disabled, HPE iLO System Information under the "Device Inventory screen" will display the following: When the SmartNIC is not detected by the firmware, IML messages and BIOS/Platform Configuration (RBSU) messages similar to the following may be reported: When the SmartNIC initialization fails during Power-On Self-Test (POST), the server may report messages on the console and potentially one or more Initialization timeout/failure IML messages similar to the following: When the PCI slot containing the SmartNIC is disabled or the SmartNIC goes into a non-responsive state after Power-On Self-Test (POST) or the communication with the DPU fails; installation failures may report messages on the server console similar to the following: Device Not Found DPC failed VMware ESXi Installer failure When the SmartNIC goes into a non-responsive state, VMware ESXi and VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine stop responding. When this occurs, the ProLiant with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine platform may experience one or more unexpected resets and the server may report messages on the server console similar to the following: When the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) firmware cannot initiate boot of the VMware Distributed Services Engine on the SmartNIC (Pensando Card), the SmartNIC console may show the card booted to the UEFI shell or to Gold Firmware, similar to the following: SmartNIC console booted to UEFI Shell SmartNIC console booted to Gold Firmware When VMware Distributed Services Engine on the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) cannot successfully complete boot or stops responding after a boot, or VMware ESXi performs a shutdown of the VMware Distributed Services Engine on the SmartNIC (Pensando Card); the SmartNIC console will not show the following successful boot screen:
Scope
Any of the following HPE ProLiant with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine platforms running VMware ESXi 8.0 and configured with a Pensando Distributed Services Platform DSC-25 v2 10/25Gb 2-port SFP28 32GB Special Card (P47928-B21): HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus 6326 Small 12TB Server with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine (P59780-B21) HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus Medium 20TB Server with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine (P59781-B21) HPE ProLiant DL380 Gen10 Plus 6338 Large 38TB Server with VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine (P59782-B21)
Resolution
As a workaround for these issues, perform the following actions: If the PCIe slot is disabled, enable it and cold boot the server. Note: There is no need to bring up the SmartNIC console for this action. If the PCIe slot is enabled and the VMware ESXi installation failed: Cold boot the server. Verify that the SmartNIC console shows that the card has now booted to elba-gold Firmware or the vSphere Distributed Services Engine. Retry the VMware ESXi Installation. Note: If it is required to bring the SmartNIC console up, refer to the steps at the end of the Resolution. If the PCIe slot is enabled, and VMware ESXi or VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine has stopped responding, perform the following steps to recover. Cold boot the server. Verify that the SmartNIC console now shows the card booted to VMware vSphere Distributed Services Engine. Verify that VMware ESXi has successfully booted and shows VMware vSphere Distributed Services as available. Note: If it is required to bring the SmartNIC console up, refer to the steps at the end of the Resolution. If the PCIe slot is enabled and the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) firmware cannot initiate boot of the VMware Distributed Services Engine on the SmartNIC (Pensando Card) or it repeatedly stops responding or the server repeatedly experiences unexpected resets, perform the following steps to recover. Cold boot the server. Reinstall VMware ESXi Note: There is no need to bring the SmartNIC console up for this action. How to bring the SmartNIC console up To bring the SmartNIC console up, perform the following: Open an SSH Window to Port 22 in iLO. Enter the iLO username and password. Enter "dsp" (Direct Serial Port into the SmartNIC). After entering dsp, if the console does not show any output, press the Enter Key. RECEIVE PROACTIVE UPDATES : Receive support alerts (such as Customer Advisories), as well as updates on drivers, software, firmware, and customer replaceable components, proactively in your e-mail through HPE Support Alerts. Sign up for Support Alerts at the following URL: HPE Email Preference Center NAVIGATION TIP: For hints on navigating HPE.com to locate the latest drivers, patches and other support software downloads, refer to the Navigation Tips document. SEARCH TIP: For hints on locating similar documents on HPE.com, refer to the Search Tips document.
