Running Memtest on ProLiant ML 110 G4

[saxa]

Hello,

I'm trying to install memory upgrade into the new ML 110 G4.

I've purchased 4 modules á 1GB by Kingston of type KVR667D2E5 and installed them.

While testing the system using memtest (memtest.org; version 1.7) I'm getting error on test 2. On the other hand I couldn't experience any instabilities running CentOS Linux with VMware Server on it...

So I decided to test the server whith it's own original memory chip with 512MB... The results were the same.

What's wrong? Should I RMA the box?

[Blazhev_1]

Hi,

To be sure there is no memory error, try to download Offline Diagnostic and make full memory test. Here 's the link :

http://h18023.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/26716.html

On the second tab "TEST" there are 6-7 different memory tests. When Insight Diagnostic don't show any errors and you don't expetience problems, there is nothing to worry about.

Be sure memory modules have HP badge on them. Must be HP memory, i'm not sure if Kingston is supported....

[saxa]

Hello Pac,

thank you for the input.

I've already tried to test the memory using the Offline Diagnostic CD: no errors.

Unfortunately, the CD checks the memory not as extensive as the memtest; using which the testing of 4GB of memory can be as long as two hours while the Offline Diagnostic CD is ready after 5 min with all tests ;)

The Kingston memory banks do not have the HP badge. The original Hynix bank do have the HP sticker. But even with this one the memtest results the error.

Well, and I'm not alone; there are at least 2 users havin' this issue: http://www.administrator.info/Memtest86-Fehler_auf_Xeon_3040,_DDR2.html

Unfortunately is the linked forum in German...

So, now is the server on test, and it should be taken into the production as a file server with very valued data...

[Blazhev_1]

Hi,

Insight Diagnostic is the official testing tool at HP. Insight Diagnostic Offline Edition is considered better than Online, because it test all memory, the allocated for the OS too. The tool is specially prepared for ProLiants models (separate version for every server model), that's why I think it is more reliable than a third party tool. You can make more loops by the test so different portions of the memory are tested(it takes random sections of memory). Decision is yours :)

Regards

[saxa]

>>it takes random sections of memory

Well, memtest (which you gently called "third party tool" and which is standard package in every linux distribution for years) checks all bytes of memory one by one, that's why it can be extremely long. I would suggest you to visit http://memtest.org and read, what it's all about. You can also download the pre-built CD or floppy image and see how the software works.

I check all my servers and workstations with it, before installing any operating system. But with ML 110 G4 it is something wrong. Maybe it has a slightly other architecture?!?

I have comparable servers having Intel 3000 chipset and Xeon 3xxx CPUs: they don't have such problems.

It were pretty good, if someone from HP engineers would state on this issue: as I already stated, I'm not alone here.

[saxa]

Bump! Is there an official answer?

[saxa]

I wonder there is no answer...

[Timur S Lukovkin]

Saxa...If the results were the same maybe there is something wrong with the Memory slot...can you swap that memory with another one? HP branded will be perfect...

[saxa]

You think I didn't try it? ;))

All the slots were tested with "HP" memory. The results are the same.

I'm not alone: it looks like a known issue.

[Timur S Lukovkin]

Well in that case seems that the issue is with the memory slot not the memory stick!