[vortex] eth0: memory shortage

[Bogdan Costescu]

On Wed, 15 Dec 2004, Steven Timm wrote:

> In previous versions of the OS we also saw
> eth0: too much work in interrupt

This usually means that the 3c59x interrupt code is not called as 
often as it should, probably because interrupts generated by other 
devices are processed.

> but now we are seeing them simultaneously across all
> 240 nodes of a cluster.

This is very strange... Do you have some application that uses 
multicast ? This could explain lots of packets to lots of nodes 
simultaneously...

> eth0:memory shortage

Hmm, I've tried to convince somebody on the RHEL mailing list that 
this had nothing to do with the driver and everything to do with the 
memory handling in general. The system is just short on memory and 
memory allocation by the driver fails. The recent RHEL3 kernels have 
had quite bad memory handling behaviour and this might be related. 
Supposedly the RHEL3U4 kernel that should come out very soon finally 
fixes memory handling.

> Any difference in multicast handling?

Not at the driver level at least...

-- 
Bogdan Costescu

IWR - Interdisziplinaeres Zentrum fuer Wissenschaftliches Rechnen
Universitaet Heidelberg, INF 368, D-69120 Heidelberg, GERMANY
Telephone: +49 6221 54 8869, Telefax: +49 6221 54 8868
E-mail: Bogdan.Costescu at IWR.Uni-Heidelberg.De