Problem port flapping on HP A5120 and 4200

[Nicolask]

Hello,

I have a issues with interfaces flapping on all (~50) my switchs 4200G and 5120 (last firmware). This happens especially during office hours. 

There is STP on the interfaces but if I display stp bpdu-statistics on interfaces flapping there are no traffic bpdu packet.
There are only PC connected on the interfaces, and log entries are displaying only this.

Any help would be appreciated, thank you in advance.

%Apr 19 11:44:35:465 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/16 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 11:44:37:326 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/16 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 11:44:42:051 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/16 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 11:44:43:904 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/16 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 11:46:34:481 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 11:46:55:709 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 11:54:31:874 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/16 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 11:54:36:109 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/16 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:01:09:502 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:01:31:117 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:02:34:363 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:02:55:729 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:03:49:649 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:04:11:111 2021 B-12 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/21 link status is UP.

%Apr 19 12:23:11:170 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:23:07:388 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:19:00:947 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:18:58:193 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:18:07:006 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:18:03:219 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:16:26:376 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:16:23:623 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:15:31:629 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:15:27:852 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:14:48:297 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:14:45:535 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:13:54:110 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:13:50:320 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:13:01:122 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/9 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:13:00:332 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:12:57:820 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/9 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:12:57:542 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/3 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:12:54:232 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/9 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:12:51:078 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/9 link status is DOWN.
%Apr 19 12:12:48:795 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/9 link status is UP.
%Apr 19 12:12:27:485 2021 B-5 IFNET/3/LINK_UPDOWN: GigabitEthernet1/0/6 link status is UP.

[B-5]display stp bpdu-statistics interface GigabitEthernet 1/0/3
 Port: GigabitEthernet1/0/3

 Instance-independent:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Invalid BPDUs               0
 Looped-back BPDUs           0
 MAX-aged BPDUs              0
 TCN sent                    0
 TCN received                0
 TCA sent                    0
 TCA received                0
 Config sent                 0
 Config received             0
 RST sent                    0
 RST received                0
 MST sent                    0
 MST received                0

 Instance 0:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 1:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 2:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 3:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 4:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0
                
 Instance 5:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 6:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 7:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 8:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 9:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 10:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 11:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 12:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 13:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 14:
                
 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 15:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

 Instance 16:

 Type                        Count      Last Updated
 --------------------------- ---------- -----------------
 Timeout BPDUs               0
 MAX-hoped BPDUs             0
 TC detected                 0
 TC sent                     0
 TC received                 0

[Ivan_B · Accepted solution]

Hi @Nicolask !

Does your UP/DOWN pattern look like the following - you see only ports connected to end-hosts flapping and the time of flapping is primarily in three time periods - start of the business day (when people turn on or resume from sleep their PCs), lunch (when people go out for an hour or two and leave their PCs go to standby) and end of the business day?

If this more or less describes what you see, most probably it is energy saving that turns NICs down.

It is important to highlight that in this scenario you won't see any uplinks going UP/DOWN and while users are actively using their PCs they also shouldn't see any "network cable unplugged' errors or interruptions of network connections.

[Nicolask]

When I turn off or 'sleep' a pc, the link goes down, so I think the problem come from here.

Now I will test your scenario that there are no uplinks going UP/DOWN while users are actively using their PCs.

Thank you,