Frequent crashes of SymDaemon causing performance issues on MAC - SEP 14.3

[Luis Ontiyuelo]

Hello community,

Are you experiencing the same with this new version?

Newly imaged Mac running Mac OS X 10.15.5, with SEP 14.3.0 ( 14.3 RU0) build 510 ( 14.3.510.0000 ).  Frequent crashes of SymDaemon causing performance issues.

SEP has been uninstalled and reinstalled.  Issue persists.
I raised a ticket to Broadcom,

Regards.

[the_techie]

Hello Luis, 

Could you double check the client version and confirm whether it is 14.3.510 ?
If so, could you download and try 14.3.558 from Broadcom portal.

------------------------------
the_techie
------------------------------

[Luis Ontiyuelo]

Hello,

This is the only 14.3 version out:

14.3

14.3.558.0000

May 7, 2020

The only 14.3 SEP for Mac client version is: 14.3.510.0000.
This is the one we are using. I don't think any other 14.3 release is out.

There is no 14.3.558 version for MAC.
https://knowledge.broadcom.com/external/article/154575

Ticket created: 32099397

Thank you.

[the_techie]

My bad. Yes for Mac the version is correct.

------------------------------
the_techie
------------------------------

[ClayShooter]

Our Macs have been experience Kernel Panic crashes with the previous version of SEP, and now less frequently (but still annoyingly) with 14.3.510.0000.  I am told by our Broadcom TAM that a new version of the Mac client is due out "mid July" with Kernel Panic fixes included.

[rhopper07]

Clay, can you maybe provide a ticket number for reference? We have been experiencing KP's too and last we got from backline was they determined it was not SEP causing the issues but Apple disagrees. I'd like to provide this info to our TAM for reference and to see if that determination has changed.

[ClayShooter]

Sorry, I don't have a ticket number.  Just my own very recent research into what was causing our OSX customers to have Kernel Panics (the logs do not show a root cause), and my direct contact with the Broadcom TAM asking if they had heard anything about recent versions of SEP causing them.

[Luis Ontiyuelo]

Hello,

Same here, 

Broadcom TAM reporting new version of the Mac client is due out "end of July" with Kernel Panic fixes included.
We are experiencing KP not only on Catalina but other MAC OS X versions.,
Any news from your end?

Regards

[Gary_C]

Same issue but found many of the panics are caused by plugging in an external USB-C dongle/adapter with Ethernet.  I created a ticket and was told this is a known bug and they are working on it.  Internal development ticket (ESCRT-3756) 

Just waiting and hoping it's fixed when 14.3 MP1 is released!

Gary

[ClayShooter]

Latest/Newest version of SEP 14.3 has been posted today on Broadcom's site for customer downloads.  It contains fixes for kernel panics and other Mac issues.  I'm downloading it now.  I'm hoping it works 'cause I have some angry Mac customers at the moment.

[Gary_C]

Nice!  Thanks for the heads up.  Downloading it now.   please, please, please let this fix all the Mac kernel panics!!

------------------------------
Gary
------------------------------

[Gary_C]

So far, so good.  MP1 has fixed the kernel panics on my test Mac as well as others in my pilot group.  After a week of testing, I am going to roll this out company wide.

------------------------------
Gary
------------------------------

[Luca Bertoldi]

Hi ClayShooter, please let us know if the MP1 patch resolve this annoying kernelpanic issue. I too have angry Mac users reporting crashes, with OSX 10.15.5 and v. 14.3.
Thank you

[ClayShooter]

So far so good for the 10.14 Macs we've tested the SEP client on (no panic attacks)...but...

Nearly all kernel-panic-affected-personnel are off-site due to Covid and using 10.15 AND my two vendor VPN Concentrator options both are not recognizing the SEP client for required AV policy to be allowed through.  They are getting bounced by the VPN.  Super frustrating.  Working with Palo Alto and Cisco to try and figure this out.

[Luca Bertoldi]

Very good, I am using PaloAlto with HIP profiles involving SEP clients recognization too... hope there'll be a fix for that.

Did you had to upgrade all the SEP Manager in order to use the MP1 SEP clients?

[Gary_C]

Yes, you need to upgrade the SEPM to manage clients

------------------------------
Gary
------------------------------

[ClayShooter]

I scheduled a SEP server upgrade this morning to take the servers to this "fix Mac Kernel Panic" version.  First server upgrade seized up half-way through the SEP server upgrade process and SEP server services would not start afterward.  Had to cross my fingers and do a recovery-file restore to get my SEP server back.  Sometimes SEP needs to be taken behind the woodshed and given a good thrashing.