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EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

  • 1.  EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Aug 19, 2010 01:07 PM

    Hi all,

    I have a two node cluster, the processors in each node are Inter Xeon CPU x5660.

    I believe that in order to get EVC compatibility working with these processors I need to apply update 1 or later. I've actually applied update 2 and I still don't get the option to apply the Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7 baseline.

    Is there some part of the process I'm missing to make this option available?

    Many Thanks,



  • 2.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Aug 19, 2010 01:13 PM

    If all your hosts are with the same CPUs you don't even need EVC.


    ---

    MCSA, MCTS Hyper-V, VCP 3/4, VMware vExpert

    http://blog.vadmin.ru



  • 3.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Aug 19, 2010 01:16 PM

    Hi,

    Are options like Intel VT and No execute memory enabled in the server bios, also check http://kb.vmware.com/kb/1003212 for more info.

    If you found this or other information useful, please consider awarding points for "Correct" or "Helpful".

    f10

    VCP3,VCP4,HP UX CSA



  • 4.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Aug 19, 2010 01:22 PM

    Well thats what I thought, but if I try migrating the machine I get the "Host CPU is incompatible with the virtual machines requirements CPUID level 0x1 register 'ecx'" error.

    The processors are both definitely the same, VT is also enabled on both servers. These are Dell servers and there doesn't appear to be a no memory execute option but there is an "Execute disabled" option which is set to enabled.



  • 5.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Sep 12, 2010 02:24 PM

    did you manage to sort this out? i'm having exact same issue. just got 2 x Dell PowerEdge R710 with X5660 CPU on both and getting same error when trying to vmotion. all options on bios are correct though.

    bios is latest version on all hosts, settings in bios also identical.



  • 6.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Sep 13, 2010 08:42 AM

    We've applied update 2 and vMotion still doesn't work.

    Update 2 has added Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7 baselines to EVC now, however just one of the hosts still says it's incompatible, depite the other host being the exact same spec being fine.

    Still working on a resolution. I'll let you know if I find anything interesting.



  • 7.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Sep 13, 2010 08:50 AM

    Problem solved; what model of server do you have?



  • 8.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Sep 13, 2010 08:56 AM

    Exactly the same as yours - 2 x Dell PowerEdge R710 with X5660 CPU on both

    How did you resolve it?



  • 9.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7
    Best Answer

    Posted Sep 13, 2010 09:07 AM

    Had to downgrade BIOS - appears that versions 2.1.9 and 2.1.15 are buggy..

    the only one that has worked without any issues is: 2.1.3

    get it from here: ftp://ftp.us.dell.com/bios/R710-020013C.exe

    now vmotion, etc works perfectly.



  • 10.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Oct 18, 2010 12:18 PM

    Spot on that, worked perfectly. Thanks!



  • 11.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Nov 15, 2010 04:50 PM

    BIOS downgrade worked great, wish I hadn't called tech support before trying this.



  • 12.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Dec 09, 2010 01:11 PM

    Our Dell SE found that the issue was around the new AES-NI instruction in the Westmere CPUs. 2.1.9 and 2.1.15 wasn't always doing the right thing.

    The latest BIOS (2.2.10) that was released yesterday is supposed to resolve this problem.



  • 13.  RE: EVC baseline for Intel Xeon 32nm Core i7

    Posted Dec 09, 2010 01:25 PM

    Ok thx, will test this for a while before applying onto the servers we have already deployed..