LH3 Netserver lockup and memory parity error

[William Harrington_1]

This is the on going saga on one LH3 Netserver file server, we have two.
This machine started about a year ago to take double the time to run backups to tapes accross the network from a unix server. then about 6 months ago it started disallowing user connections after running for about 168 hours. It then degraded to about 96 hours. It then had the top slot and cage two go dead.
We pulled the unit off line and I've attempted to find/correct the problems.
Replaced cage two and all drives are working.
Replaced the I/O system board and reinstalled OS with 2000 and 2003 on various hard drives.
I'm continuing to get a lock up when tring to transfer data accross the network. This machine is at my desk and hooked up with or without a KVM and on the same switch that laser printer and my PC is hooked to.
Because it was hooked up to my switch I could see in one case where the network connection would lag or go amber. The connection now seems good.
The unit will go to sleep overnite and not wake up.
The unit will blue screen with memory parity error.
The unit will freeze and not respond to keyboard or mouse or remote access or ping.

I'm getting to the bottom of the trouble shooting on this unit..

I'm open for suggestions.....Would replacing the processor board be a possible cure?

[e4services]

I wonder if it could be a simple as a power supply problem? But you also could suspect the CPU and/or the system board itself.

[William Harrington_1]

Thanks for the comment.
I've been thinking of pulling the two power supplies, I do have one spare in my other LH3 so will swap on Monday.
Have switched out the CPU from a 450 to a 550 to dual 550's so I'm feel the CPU's are not involved.
So the system board is next, I may just swap them too.
I've not removed the SCSI card for the Hp8000 tape drive. The tape drive is not currently connected so I'll pull tha card on Monday as well.

[William Harrington_1]

I pulled the SCSI card today....no improvement.
I replaced the power supplies with a good supply...no improvement.

Found a system board for a reasonable price, will wait for it to show.

[Sean T. Craig]

Hi William,

Which NIC are you using? Is it the embedded or a PCI card? If it is the embedded, try updating the driver to the latest one from the Intel Website. You can find it at this link:
http://downloadfinder.intel.com/scripts-df-external/Product_Filter.aspx?ProductID=62〈=eng
If that doesn't work, try a PCI NIC and see if it makes any difference.

Best of luck,

Sean T. Craig Sr. C.E.T., M.C.P.

[William Harrington_1]

Thanks Sean,
The LH3 doesn't have an integraded NIC. They usally came with two nics, a server NIC in the long PCI slot and Netserver NIC in a conventional slot. The more I test the more I think the problem is involved with the NICS.
I'm starting testing again with the server NIC and Windows2000.

[Sean T. Craig]

Hi William,

Sorry, should have checked my product specs. I must have been thinking of the LH3000. The driver link in my last post is also the right driver for the HP NIC. Give it a try and let me know.

Good Luck,

Sean T. Craig Sr. C.E.T., M.C.P.

[William Harrington_1]

I'll give them a try, Thanks

[William Harrington_1]

Comming back to this question.
Installed the TopTools and can say that the problem is the NIC. If I uninstall the NIC I can do anything want locally and no problem. If the NIC is installed and any serious traffic is generated across the NIC, file transfer, it will run a few MB and then Blue Screen to the parity error. The 3com 905 D or C NICs will not run, they have i amber and 1 green light, the server NIC will run but loses the connection and then reconnects. I can see this lack of connection at the switch as well as on the NIC.
I had a similar problem on a ASUS P4C800 mother board but in that case it was a modem failure. ASUS did replace the board and the problem was cured.
I have replaced the I/O System board which has the PCI slots but that had no effect, the board was refurbished but I doubt that the board would have the identical fault.
I have ordered a used System board.

I would like to know if the LH3 architecture is such that the NIC interface would be routed thru the System board as well as the I/O System Board?

This machine was our network printer and file server for over five years and we have about 20 printers and 130 PC's on the network so it did get a lot of hits. It also ran the back up in the evening of the files as well as the UNIX server data base. It has reason to be tired but like to solve the problem so it can act in a back up and test position.

Does the System Board contain the controls to the NIC interface?

[Sean T. Craig]

Hi William,

The System Board houses the Processor. Therefore, everything on the I/O board has to go to the system board in some form or another. I'm curious about this Parity Error, though. Can you sent the entire STOP Code? Maybe we can research that a little.

Talk to you soon,

Sean T. Craig Sr. C.E.T. M.C.P.