ESXi 7.0 u3g fails to load ipmi driver.

[haru-park]

Hello,

I am using ESXi 7.0 u3g(UEFI) on Intel S2600WT Board.
Everything other than IPMI is working fine, and it really bugs me that IPMI feature is disabled since the driver fails to load.

The SMBIOS entry is correct, confirmed that Intel systems use 0xca2 as Base address for IPMI.
I tried searching for similar issues but there were none at all.

Default KCS policy on Intel BMC is Restricted, so I changed this setting to Allow All.
Multiple reboots didn't help.

The file vmkernel.log is attached below.

** Update
Changing boot mode to BIOS(Legacy) and reinstalling didn't help.
Also disabling MMIO over 4G did nothing.
Tried downgrading BIOS and FRU/BMC firmware sets and gradually updating to newest one but did not solve the problem.
Is Intel S2600WT(R2312WT) BMC not supported on ESXi?

I have confirmed that S2600WT and S2600WT2 are both on HCL.

 

Attachment(s)

vmkernel.log   3 KB 1 version

[haru-park]

**Update 2

ESXi 6.7 flawlessly loaded IPMI driver and got sensor data.
Really don't have a clue here..

[Tosia]

Same Issue. Found a solution?

[rmwinland]

I'm experiencing the same issue with a Supermicro board (X11SRL-F).  IPMI/KCS sensor monitoring worked perfectly in ESXi 6.7 but hasn't worked at all in 7.x or 8.0 (invalid address range errors in vmkernel.log).  Did you ever find a solution?  Thanks!  

[AndreyRivendell]

We also have such problem on all our Intel S2600WT Servers. ESXi version 7.0.2 and up will not load IPMI driver on COMPATIBLE Intel servers. Need help!

[TAston]

Same issue. HPE DL380 Gen9 upgraded from 6.7U3 (build 20497097 with HPE Custom Image) to 7.0U3g (build 20328353 with HPE Custom Image). In the vCenter UI with the host selected, under Monitor, Hardware, 0 sensors are listed. Two other hosts (should be identical config) upgraded in the same manner, are not displaying this issue. Support call logged.

[rmwinland]

TAston: 

I'm curious if Support was able to get anywhere with you on this? I've not been making any headway and I'm running out of ideas to work around this bug.  Thoughts?  

Thank you!
-Ryan

[TAston]

Hi Ryan, the Client is yet to log with GSS so I've no update as yet unfortunately, but I'll report back if and when....  Cheers

[DIVINELOGIC]

Has anyone found a work around for this.??? 

We have scores of Intel S2600xxx boards/systems still in production.

It makes absolutely no sense that vmware would accept a critical hardware item as such that is listed in the HCL to have zero monitoring.

Addtionally to alllow the Esxi host to be in the dark without this physical hardware status....

It just seems extremely dangerous 

Anyone agree?

[DIVINELOGIC]

Has anyone found a work around for this.??? 

We have scores of Intel S2600xxx boards/systems still in production.

It makes absolutely no sense that vmware would accept a critical hardware item as such that listed in the HCL to have zero monitoring.

Addtionally to alllow the Esxi host to be in the dark without this physical hardware status.

It just seems extremely dangerous!

Anyone agree?

[GruberGerold]

same issue here, with Intel S2600WT2R

latest Firmware, BIOS SE5C610.86B.01.01.3029, BMC 1.61.12398

Worked almost under 6.7 (SEL could not be read, but sensor data were available)

Now 7.0.3 k ipmi driver fails to load.

From vmkernel.log

2023-03-07T15:11:05.984Z cpu14:2097854)ipmi: SMBIOS IPMI Entry: Address: 0xca2, System Interface: 0, Alignment: 1, Map Type: 0
2023-03-07T15:11:05.984Z cpu14:2097854)WARNING: ipmi: KcsRegPort_Init:95: ipmi: Error registering IO resource for KCS data port address at 0xca2.. Error: Bad address range
2023-03-07T15:11:05.984Z cpu14:2097854)WARNING: ipmi: IpmiSysIntKcs_Init:769: ipmi: Failure to inialize KCS registers. Error: Bad address range
2023-03-07T15:11:05.984Z cpu14:2097854)WARNING: ipmi: IpmiDriver_Init:219: ipmi: Failed to initialize IPMI system interface. Error: Bad address range
2023-03-07T15:11:05.984Z cpu14:2097854)WARNING: ipmi: CreateIpmiDrivers:1246: ipmi: Failed to initialize IPMI driver. Error: Bad address range

[GruberGerold]

Hi,

anybody still interested in this issue?

I opened a ticket at VMware they confirmed the problem and say now the board vendor (Intel) should release a new BIOS.

And they want us as customer to talk to the hardware vendor to get this done.

[DIVINELOGIC]

Intel announced they are leaving the server business, I have been selling only their servers for 20 plus years.  I doubt this will get any support or done since the boards are outside their life cycles. 

Addtionally I noticed vmware seems to only be working with the latest version of ipmi.  The Intel s2600cp and s2600cw are now one and two versions back.  I have found the s2600st boards support the latest ipmi and populate in esxi.

[rob_c_persons]

We have a similar situation but manufacture our own boards and maintain our own bios. Do you have a reference number to the case so that we can get the details of the issues they found with the BIOS?

[Enrique Fernandez]

IPMI is working again on ESXi 8.0.3 and was able to install it on Xeon E5-2600v1 without allowLegacyCPU.