SLES11SP1 xen kernel does not write a dump on a HP BL685c G7

This document (7005975) is provided subject to the disclaimer at the end of this document.

Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Service Pack 1

Situation

After configuring kernel dumps and testing the settings the system does not write a core dump to the desired location but hangs instead with messages similar to:
 
[    0.004000] Kernel panic - not syncing: IO-APIC + timer doesn't work!  Boot
with apic=debug and send a report.  Then try booting with the 'noapic' option.
[    0.004000]
[    0.004000] Pid: 1, comm: swapper Not tainted 2.6.32.49-0.3-default #1
[    0.004000] Call Trace:
[    0.004000]  [<ffffffff810061dc>] dump_trace+0x6c/0x2d0
[    0.004000]  [<ffffffff8139aee6>] dump_stack+0x69/0x73
[    0.004000]  [<ffffffff8139af68>] panic+0x78/0x19b
[    0.004000]  [<ffffffff8195273a>] check_timer+0x448/0x5d8

The default kernel writes the dump without problems. So far this issue was seen on HP BL685c G7 systems but may not be limited to.

Resolution

Please add the option cpuidle=0 to the XEN hypervisor entries in /boot/grub/menu.lst as shown below:
 
###Don't change this comment - YaST2 identifier: Original name: xen###
title Xen -- SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 SP1
    root (hd1,0)
    kernel /xen.gz vga=mode-791 crashkernel=128M@16M cpuidle=0
    module /vmlinuz-xen root=/dev/system/root resume=/dev/system/swap splash=verbose showopts vga=791
    module /initrd-xen

Also ensure to allocate sufficient memory to the crashkernel= settings else the dump will abort with an out of memory error message.

Cause

This issue is probably related to the fact that the HPET is not being restored at boot time state.
Thus, the hypervisor needs to be disabled before transferring control to the new kernel (that is the dump-capture kernel).
 

Disclaimer

This Support Knowledgebase provides a valuable tool for SUSE customers and parties interested in our products and solutions to acquire information, ideas and learn from one another. Materials are provided for informational, personal or non-commercial use within your organization and are presented "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND.

  • Document ID:7005975
  • Creation Date: 01-May-2012
  • Modified Date:14-Oct-2022
    • SUSE Linux Enterprise Server

< Back to Support Search

For questions or concerns with the SUSE Knowledgebase please contact: tidfeedback[at]suse.com

SUSE Support Forums

Get your questions answered by experienced Sys Ops or interact with other SUSE community experts.

Join Our Community

Support Resources

Learn how to get the most from the technical support you receive with your SUSE Subscription, Premium Support, Academic Program, or Partner Program.


SUSE Customer Support Quick Reference Guide SUSE Technical Support Handbook Update Advisories
Support FAQ

Open an Incident

Open an incident with SUSE Technical Support, manage your subscriptions, download patches, or manage user access.

Go to Customer Center