RHEL6.5: Server is showing enic "Error 0 devcmd 46"

Solution Verified - Updated -

Environment

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.5
  • Ethernet controller: Cisco Systems Inc VIC Ethernet NIC (rev a2)
  • Cisco enic

Issue

  • After updating hardware BIOS and rebooted server, enic network interfaces could not be initialized and throwing error Error 0 devcmd 46

Resolution

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  • Update Hardware BIOS
  • Upgrade the version of UCS-Manager software, NIC firmware and RHEL driver to the latest recommended version. Use Cisco's current matrix of supported firmware and drivers.
  • Cisco does not make some versions of their RHEL driver for certain eNICs available in the opensource upstream. They will be in the Cisco driver matrix, but these drivers will not be available in the RHEL repository. Customers will have to work with Cisco to obtain these from a Cisco ISO image.

Root Cause

  • Enic adapter is returning errors when the driver sends commands to it. We don't see a command number 46 in the current RHEL6.5 release tree but it there in the latest RHEL6.8 kernel. It's possible that a 3rd party driver is being used on RHEL6.5.
In vnic_devcmd.h:

295 ▹       CMD_SET_DEFAULT_VLAN = _CMDC(_CMD_DIR_RW, _CMD_VTYPE_ALL, 46),↩
  • The problem is that when the machine boots, the driver will send queries to the enic adapter to bring it on line. These are failing and the Enic firmware is returning errors to the driver. Consequently the NICs cannot be initialized. Suspect that either the enic driver version that was used has changed or the firmware on the Cisco enic/Enic configuration has changed.

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