A5500-HI, syslog, unsupported transceivers

[Howiedoit]

Hi all HP Network Gurus,

I have 4 - A5500 HI Series Switches (IRF). In my syslog, its showing unsupported Transceivers for 6 ports. All of these 6 ports are from the back ports (module: JD368B) & use DAC (J9281B) to my Gen8 servers (2/per/server = 3 Gen 8 servers).

Gen8 server Nics are: HP Ethernet 10Gb 2P 530SFP+ (652503-B21)

Output from switch gives the following info for these 6 ports that have the issue, so here is the output from one of these ports.

CoreSw01>>display transceiver interface

Ten-GigabitEthernet1/1/1 transceiver information:

Transceiver Type                             :STACK_SFP_PLUS

Connector Type                                :COPPER

Wavelength(nm)                              :N/A

Transfer Distance                            :1(TP)

Digital Diagnostic Monitoring     :NO

Vendor Name                                    :Tyco Electronics

Hmmm perhaps thats my first indication as to why I have these syslog messages.

First off......why on earth do my HP A5500 switches have anything Tyco in them??  $7000 switch and it doesn't have HP parts?? Seriously???

I did not choose these modules, HP was the ones who designed and provided ALL the goods.

Was I sold the wrong goods?? Can this be fixed?? What are the "SUPPORTED PART NUMBERS" I need??

Will HP exchange these for the right ones at NO COST to me??

We paid well over 200k for this HP solution, not big money in some circles, but it is for us.

Any insight appreciated.

P.S. This thread has been moved from ProCurve / ProVision-Based to Comware-Based. -HP Forum Moderator

[Ian Vaughan]

Howdy,
That's a really quite old version of the software that you are running. HP support will ask you to update that as a matter of course so I'd be proactive and get it done first. You'll probably find that that switch will then recognise all the bits including the transcievers and PSU's if you update the OS.
Let us know how you get on
HTH
Ian

[Howiedoit]

Well.....this is a little old now, but I am still working on this issue. It seems that these are INDEED the wrong Transceivers in these switchs. This sytems was designed by HP, sold by HP thru Insight Canada. So now I am going back to my supplier and will be beating down thier door until someone at HP or Insight gets this fixed. 

The software may be old, but even a software update will not fix unsupported Comware Transceivers in an HP switch. ( this has been confirmed ). HP has not told me to update the software because they cannot even tell me how to do it. Nor will it fix this issue. Tyco Transceivers should never be installed in this switch...period.

No one at HP seems to be able to provide me with an accurate method of updating the firmware in a IRF Stack using ISSU. So if anyopne has this information, I would appreciate if you would please share it.

I have lost all confidence in HP over this...

If anyone has information that can help I would appreciate it.

This has me very upset with HP and I cannot understand how this could happen in this day and age. As mentioned, $7000 per switch, I buy 4 of them $28,000 worth and they cannt sell me the right &%^$# to go with it. Amazing.

I will NEVER buy HP again at this rate. What a seriously bad joke.

[Kumareshan K]

Howiedoit,

The switch module and transceiver - All are compatible. As per compatibitible accesories , JD092B is compatible with 5500-HI switch and  JD368B Module

Please check this LINK   which shows compatible accessories for the switch

or you may also check for the compatibility here in the installation guide

I see that the switch is currently running on Comware Software, Version 5.20.99, Release 5101P01 , You may probably want to update this to the latest one - Not only to see if that would resolve the issue with transceivers not supported, but you would also need this update If you want to update software using ISSU,

ISSU Compatibility has been added only from version 5203 onwards, check this  RELEASE NOTES

Look for "ISSU Version Compatibility Matrix" in the release notes

Hope this helps,

~ KK

[Howiedoit]

Tks Kumareshan,

It would seem you know more than support does. I was told right off the bat, that I had to use ISSU. 

I was also told that Tyco, should NOT be in this switch. 

These are the first HP switches I have had in our network. I have not updated these EVER since getting them. Callling support they said I need to use ISSU to update or it would mess things up. I had never heard of ISSU, but support offered to locate the information on "how to". To date, no one at HP can tell me how to use ISSU on these A5500 switches.

I wish someone at HP knew the answers. You seem to be saying an OS update may then "support" transcievers (no gurantee) , while others are saying these Tyco should NOT be in this switch....period.

one more question if I may. I have also asked this same question on more than one occasion and CANNOT get an answer.

On the software download page there are: General, and Certified. Whats the difference, and which should I be looking at??

Tks

[Dennis Handly]

>no one at HP can tell me how to use ISSU on these A5500 switches.

Not sure if this applies to A5500:

http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/Comware-Based/ISSU-Upgrade-issue-on-A5500-HI/td-p/6092043

http://h20565.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/kb/docDisplay?javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.prp_ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01=wsrp-navigationalState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-c03755017-1%257CdocLocale%253D%257CcalledBy%253D&javax.portlet.tpst=ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01&sp4ts.oid=5195279&ac.admitte...

http://h20566.www2.hp.com/portal/site/hpsc/template.PAGE/public/kb/docDisplay?javax.portlet.begCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.endCacheTok=com.vignette.cachetoken&javax.portlet.prp_ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01=wsrp-navigationalState%3DdocId%253Demr_na-c03398971-1%257CdocLocale%253D%257CcalledBy%253D&javax.portlet.tpst=ba847bafb2a2d782fcbb0710b053ce01&sp4ts.oid=5230358&ac.admitte...

[Howiedoit]

Wow...this just keeps getting better and better all the time.

So...in this post: http://h30499.www3.hp.com/t5/Comware-Based/ISSU-Upgrade-issue-on-A5500-HI/td-p/6092043#.U81JQ1alhs4

QUOTE:

"The switches were provided to us running software version r5101p01, which we were able to upgrade to r5101p05 using ISSU in force mode, which resulted in an acceptable upgrade - minimal packet loss, etc."

This guy is running the SAME OS as I am. He was able to use ISSU in Force mode. Yet I am told it is NOT supported in that version. So how could he have done this if it is NOT SUPPORTED? I have no idea what to believe anymore.

And I still have the same question: what version to run GENERAL OR CERTIFIED??

I see this person updated to a GENERAL release, then wanted to go the the Certified "us" release. WHAT<WHY<WHEN??

It seems very apparent that there is no "best method" to update these switches. All I get is conflicting methods. 

This is really exhausting.

[Apachez-]

I have not enough experience from ISSU but isnt that only needed if you are like in a HA environment and want to minimize downtime during an update?

The rest of us takes a service window and manually update each switch and reboot them.

Then regarding your purchase of this equipment, you bought this back in may and still didnt contact those who sold you the geat, that is Insight Canada?

To me its Insight Canada to blame at first and not HP in this case.

Also I really dont see why you are so against updating your gear to latest available software version?

The current version you run, 5101P01, is a version that is close to 2.5 years old. Latest available version for 5500-HI is 5501P01 released march 2014.

So that would be the first thing to test - put in the latest version, reboot and see how it behaves (verify with show version that the latest really is running).

The difference between GA and "Certified" versions (ending with -US) is that the "Certified" versions are compiled in USA (compared to the GA - General Availability who is compiled in China or elsewhere).

This is more a way for HP to fullfill procurement demands when selling gear to the US Military and government and agencies. For the rest of us this could simply mean that the chinese backdoors have been replaced by the NSA approved backdoors (google for Snowden docs =)

This means that 5500.HI_5.20.R5501P01 and 5500.HI_5.20.R5501P01-US should be equal in functionality, bugs and bugsfixes - the only difference (on paper) is that -US is compiled within USA border while GA release is compiled elsewhere (most likely China since thats where H3C lives who makes this gear).

[Apachez-]

By the way, looking at http://h30499.www3.hp.com/hpeb/attachments/hpeb/switching-a-series-forum/5640/1/HP%20A5500%20Tranceiver%20Not%20Supported.txt I can see you seem to have two types of DAC cables there?

Ten-GigabitEthernet4/0/30 transceiver information:
  Transceiver Type              : STACK_SFP_PLUS
  Connector Type                : COPPER
  Wavelength(nm)                : N/A
  Transfer Distance(m)          : 1(TP)
  Digital Diagnostic Monitoring : NO
  Vendor Name                   : HP
Ten-GigabitEthernet4/1/1 transceiver information:
  Transceiver Type              : STACK_SFP_PLUS
  Connector Type                : COPPER
  Wavelength(nm)                : N/A
  Transfer Distance(m)          : 1(TP)
  Digital Diagnostic Monitoring : NO
  Vendor Name                   : Tyco Electronics
  Info:  This is not a supported transceiver for this platform.  HP does not guarantee the normal operation or maintenance of unsupported transceivers.  Please review the platform datasheet on the HP web site or contact your HP sales rep for a list of supported transceivers.
Ten-GigabitEthernet4/1/2 transceiver information:
Error: The transceiver is absent.

What is it that sits in 4/0/30 compared to 4/1/1 and were both these DAC-cables aquired at the same time (did they come in the same type of boxes, were these boxes sealed etc)?

[Howiedoit]

@ Apachez-

ISSU, is the method I have been told to use. Why? Becasue all 4 swtiches are configured in an IRF Fabric. IRF downtime is kept at a min when using ISSU. As far as I am concerned, this is an HA config.

Insight was the Supplier, yes......HP were the people who made ALL the recommendations AND provided ALL the part numbers. So basically, it is an HP Issue if they cannot sell the right pieces to the puzzle.

I am not against updating to the latest. But only when I am told HOW, in this current config, with minimum downtime. Can I use ISSU or NOT??

Thanks for answering the question on releases. Not sure why that was such a tuff question every time I asked it.

I do not have two different DAC cables. Which is how this all started in the first place.

All DAC were purchased at the same time, same cat nbr, sealed boxes etc.

6 of 14 are branded as Tyco....6 are failing.......all Tyco......all 6 in syslog as: Unsupported Device, all Tyco.

Seems to me the Tyco branded DAC are the issue. PERIOD. But nobody wants to admit it. Totally Frustrated.

4/0/30 has the SAME DAC as 4/1/1... 

These are also running in a LIVE Production System. I cannot update a switch, reboot and see how it behaves, especially in an IRF Fabric. At least not as far as I know. Doing that would cause an Election, and what are the implications there??

[Apachez-]

Well again, updating to latest available version is the way to go.

Even if you are in a HA environment you should ask for a service window and do this manually instead.

Regarding that 4/0/30 vs 4/1/1 cable, is it possible for you to replace these with each other (during a service windows of course ;-) ?

That is the cable sitting in 4/0/30 towards serverX will be put in 4/1/1 towards serverY. And the cable used in 4/1/1 will be put between 4/0/30 and serverX instead.

Im thinking here if the 2x10G module you use perhaps identifies these cables differently compared to the built interfaces?

That is the cable who previosuly was detected as "HP" in 4/0/30, is it still detected as "HP" when it sits in 4/1/1?

And is the cable detected as "Tyco" in 4/1/1 still detected as "Tyco" when it sits in 4/0/30?

[Howiedoit]

Tks. I appreciate your response. Good question about the cable swap. I will try and do this at some point. Time is just not on my side however as we run 24/7/365. Maint windows are far and few between. This was also the reason we were told to purchase these switches, config in an IRF Fabric and use ISSU for min downtime in a LIVE Environment. Not sure when I can get to this.