lpar boot fails: "blk_cloned_rq_check_limits: over max size limit"

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Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Service Pack 1 (SLES 12 SP1)

Situation

Power System, ppc64le lpar boot fails with the following errors:

....
opal_async_comp_init: Opal node not found
blk_cloned_rq_check_limits: over max size limit.
blk_cloned_rq_check_limits: over max size limit.
blk_cloned_rq_check_limits: over max size limit.
blk_cloned_rq_check_limits: over max size limit.
end_request: I/O error, dev dm-1, sector 2684784
end_request: I/O error, dev dm-1, sector 2426608
end_request: I/O error, dev dm-1, sector 2330624
Buffer I/O error on device dm-5, logical block 0
....

This affects ppc64le machines only, so far those where root fs is on ibmvfc and ppc64le KVM guests (non-root fs/without ibmvfc driver).

Resolution

The SUSE Linux Enterprise 12 Service Pack 1 kernel update to kernel 3.12.59-60.45.2 released June 2016 includes the patch to resolve this problem.

Cause

The problem was caused by checking the request size in blk_cloned_rq_check_limits() which should have been set already, so no check is needed.

Disclaimer

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