CPU Stepping upgrade

[Jay Griffin]

I have an HP Proliant DL 360 G3 running VMware ESX 3.0. It has been crashing since I went from Windows 2003 to VMware. VMware pointed out that the CPU's have different Stepping values. One is a 7 and the other is a 9.

Is there any kind of firmware or upgrade I can run to make them the same?

[Kedd Guyton]

Windows Server 2003 should have reported different CPU stepping in the System log, too.

The OS is supposed to recognize that different steppings are in play and use the features of the lowest stepping only.

I would install the latest DL360 G3 system BIOS. If that doesn't work, move the lowest stepping CPU to the lowest numbered CPU socket.

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/support/files/server/us/download/22699.html

[Jay Griffin]

VMware does not support different step values. So I need to know how to upgrade -- if there is a firmware-type upgrade I can apply to the CPU or if I have to physically swap the CPU.

I applied all the latest firmeware and bios upgrades. That did not change the step value.

[Kedd Guyton]

Firmware will not change CPU stepping or upgrade the stepping from one level to another. It can better the chances that mixed steppings work properly together.

If you require a supported configuration, it sounds like you will need to replace a CPU.