HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

[TheUsD]

Hello,

I have a Emulex Corporation HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Server Adapter installed in my 6.7u3 with all patches completed. Both vmnics, vmnics2 and vmnic3 always show their Link Status as "Down" even if the receiving side shows the status is up.

For instance:

If I plug vmnic2 into an  SFP+ interface on my switch, the switch shows the link status is up (ESXi still shows link "down") (both switch and card show a link light and activity light) and can see the mac address. DHCP is enabled but not DHCP is given. If I statically set an IP on vmnic2, I cannot ping the gateway of the subnbet.

While keeping vmnic2 plugged in and plug vmnic3 into  TrueNAS device (that has the same card installed) the TrueNAS shows the link status as "Up", both link lights at each end with activity lights illuminate, but the ESXi host still show link down. 

If I take the remaining port on the card that is in the TrueNAS device and plug it into another SFP+ port on the switch say interface 50, it shows link up and traffic can pass.

This makes me believe there is something wrong with the esxi host or possibly the card in the esxi host.

 

 

[root@ESXi-03:~] esxcli network nic list
Name PCI Device Driver Admin Status Link Status Speed Duplex MAC Address MTU Description
------ ------------ ------ ------------ ----------- ----- ------ ----------------- ---- -------------------------------------------------------------
vmnic0 0000:03:00.0 igb Up Up 1000 Full 4:ba 1500 Intel Corporation 82576 Gigabit Network Connection
vmnic1 0000:03:00.1 igb Up Down 0 Half 54:bb 1500 Intel Corporation 82576 Gigabit Network Connection
vmnic2 0000:01:00.0 elxnet Up Down 0 Half b4:a8 1500 Emulex Corporation HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Server Adapter
vmnic3 0000:01:00.1 elxnet Up Down 0 Half b4:ac 1500 Emulex Corporation HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Server Adapter

 

 

 

I check the driver version: (matches vmware) VMware Compatibility Guide - I/O Device Search

 

 

[root@ESXi-03:/tmp] esxcli software vib list | grep elxnet
elxnet                         11.4.1097.0-5vmw.670.3.73.14320388     VMW     VMwareCertified   2022-01-22

 

 

Card firmware and driver:

 

 

[root@ESXi-03:/tmp] esxcli network nic get -n vmnic2
   Advertised Auto Negotiation: false
   Advertised Link Modes: 10000None/Full
   Auto Negotiation: false
   Cable Type: DA
   Current Message Level: 4631
   Driver Info:
         Bus Info: 0000:01:00:0
         Driver: elxnet
         Firmware Version: 2.102.453.0
         Version: 11.4.1095.0
   Link Detected: false
   Link Status: Down
   Name: vmnic2
   PHYAddress: 0
   Pause Autonegotiate: false
   Pause RX: false
   Pause TX: false
   Supported Ports: DA
   Supports Auto Negotiation: false
   Supports Pause: false
   Supports Wakeon: false
   Transceiver:
   Virtual Address: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
   Wakeon: None

 

 

 

Trying to perform a firmware upgrade I get the following error:

 

 

[root@ESXi-03:/tmp] chmod+x CP024661.scexe
-sh: chmod+x: not found
[root@ESXi-03:/tmp] chmod +x CP024661.scexe
[root@ESXi-03:/tmp] ./CP024661.scexe
Starting Smart Component...
argv[0]=[./hpsetup]
Calling OEMFLASHER.DOFLASH()...
Calling oem_do_discovery_with_files
m_oDiscoveryHeader.m_sDiscoveryFile=[/tmp/EMULEX_FC_HBA_DISC.xml]
m_sFirmwareBinDir=[./Flash/]
Vendor Return Code for discovery={7} [The actual installation operation or discovery operation (not the installer library entry point) failed]
SC Return Code for Discovery={7} [The actual installation operation or discovery operation (not the installer library entry point) failed]
Ending flasher ...
SCEXE_ERROR:-->7

 

 

 

Lastly, if I reboot the host, I always PSOD.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[E_Espinel]

Hello.
If your card is 581201-B21 (HP NC550SFP) Emulex OneConnect OCe10102 10GbE NIC for HP ProLiant. This type of cards are CNA, i.e. can be configured as:
10GbE Network Interface Cards (NICs)
10GbE Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).
10GbE iSCSI Adapter
and can also be virtualized or split the physical port into several different virtual ports.

If you are only going to use the card for NIC, enter the card configuration (during server startup or from the server BIOS) and verify that it is configured only as a NIC (Ethernet), and not virtualized (i.e. a single port).

 

 

[TheUsD]

Thanks for the reply.

Like my other SFP+ cards (different vendors) I planned on using one of the interface ports for iSCSi Adapter and the other interface port to place VMs / Management on NIC.

 

How do you get to the configuration? This is in a Dell OptiPlex 7080. I do not get any prompts to enter configuration mode when booting UEFI w/secure boot.

[TheUsD]

In the OP, I described the failure of updating the firmware. I used this link to perform the update. I was informed this could be the issue based off of this article about PSOD when rebooting and using emulex 10G cards

[E_Espinel]

Hello.
If you want to update the firmware of the card, you could try to use
Firmware image for offline update
NC550m, NC551i, NC551i, NC550SFP, CN1000E, NC552m, NC553i, NC553m, NC552SFP,
and CN1100E and select a Version 4.0.360.15
link: https://support.hpe.com/hpesc/public/swd/detail?swItemId=co_106538_1#tab1

 

 

[TheUsD]

Thank you for the reply.  I was able to upgrade my firmware on the card.

Did you see my request about how to change the configuration mode? I placed the card in a Dell R720 but when prompted to enter a
"config" mode the only options I am able to change is the MAC address, VLAN ID and it I want to be able to PXE boot or not.

 

[TheUsD]

After updating the firmware, the card was functioning as intended.

[Homdax]

 I do not seem to get that same menu for choosing how the card should work. I do get a menu, but no similar options.

I entered it via Ctrl-P on boot. Did you do the same?

Furthermore, could you please elaborate on exactly how you did to update the FW? Did you prep a USB stick and boot from it (physically or ILO) or did you do it via the ILO web interface... mine is complaining about not finding the image file when I booted a prepped USB.

[Homdax]

Thanks  . just got what seems to be the same card and very useful info in this thread. Kinda hopeless to find exactly right on the HPE site, despite having part number and all that info.