RHBA-2010:0438 - Bug Fix Advisory

Topic

An updated kexec-tools package that fixes a bug that prevented kexec from
capturing a vmcore on 64-bit systems with more than 1TB of RAM is now
available.

Description

kexec-tools provides the /sbin/kexec binary that facilitates a new kernel
to boot using the kernel's kexec feature either on a normal or a panic
reboot. This package contains the /sbin/kexec binary and ancillary
utilities that together form the userspace component of the kernel's kexec
feature.

This update addresses the following issue:

• the physical address space supported by the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5

kernel was out of sync with the physical address space the kexec binary
assumed the kernel supported. As a consequence, kexec could not
successfully capture a vmcore on AMD64 or Intel 64 systems with more than
1TB of RAM. This update brings the kernel and kexec utility view of the
supported memory boundary into sync, obviating the problem. (BZ#590547)

All users are advised to upgrade to this updated kexec-tools package, which
fixes this bug.

Solution

Before applying this update, make sure all previously-released errata
relevant to your system have been applied.

This update is available via the Red Hat Network. Details on how to
use the Red Hat Network to apply this update are available at
http://kbase.redhat.com/faq/docs/DOC-11259

Affected Products

• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 ia64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Workstation 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Desktop 5 i386
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for IBM z Systems 5 s390x
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux for Power, big endian 5 ppc
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 x86_64
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux Server from RHUI 5 i386

Fixes

• BZ - 590547 - kdump fails to save vmcore on machine with 1TB memory

CVEs

(none)

References

(none)