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  • 1.  HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

    Posted Jan 30, 2022 02:44 PM

    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.

    TheUsD_1-1643553806033.png

    Any help would be greatly appreciated.



  • 2.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

    Posted Jan 30, 2022 07:34 PM

    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).

     

     



  • 3.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

    Posted Jan 30, 2022 08:06 PM

    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.



  • 4.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

    Posted Jan 31, 2022 01:55 PM

    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



  • 5.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down
    Best Answer

    Posted Jan 31, 2022 04:35 PM

    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

     

     



  • 6.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

    Posted Jan 31, 2022 07:53 PM

    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_0-1643658513977.pngTheUsD_1-1643658593525.png



  • 7.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down
    Best Answer

    Posted Feb 01, 2022 12:11 AM

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



  • 8.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

    Posted Jun 28, 2022 08:06 AM

     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.



  • 9.  RE: HP NC550SFP Dual Port 10GbE Link shows down

    Posted Jun 27, 2022 11:59 AM

    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.