GBE2C Receive Discards

[Randy Erling]

My GBE2C switches are logging excessive “Receive Discards” on the all management interfaces and any interface connecting to a Cisco 3750.
The Management interface (Port 19) is access via the Blade ILO with all the default settings. The other interfaces are trunked or just an access ports, doesn’t matter, all layer 2, no routing. Excessive = 10K+ a day on non-management and the management are through the roof, Millions logged over a months time. Upgrading the GBE2C switch OS didn’t help.

Since the management interfaces are having this problem I don’t think is a HP / Cisco connection problem?

Next step may be to place a sniffer on both sides and compare what missing.
Got to be an easier way, systems are remote….

Thoughts? Anyone else have this or similar problem?

[rick jones]

On an HP-UX system, a "discard" is (or at least was and should be IMO) distinct from a drop - discard being a frame/packet which arrived, but for which there was nothing for the system to do. (Mis)Applying that experience here, discards makes it sound like a frame arriving which the GbE2c didn't know what to do with.

Perhaps the Cisco is emitting some sort of (proprietary?) frames to do something (Ciscoish) and the GbE2c is seeing them and going "Eh?" Perhaps some Cisco variation on the spanning tree theme? Something along those lines.