[Beowulf] Intel 82574L problems with newer kernels?

[Alex Chekholko]

Hi,

I had an issue with 82574L before, and the Intel guys had to buy the same
hardware for their lab in order to find and fix the issue.  It was a new
SuperMicro motherboard:
http://comments.gmane.org/gmane.linux.drivers.e1000.devel/6734

Are you using the latest driver from Intel?  I see you already link to the
sourceforge fix:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/e1000/files/e1000e%20stable/eeprom_fix_82574_or_82583/

I would follow up with the Intel folks, get them to test with the new
kernel.

Regards,
Alex


On Tue, Dec 11, 2012 at 6:21 PM, Bill Broadley <bill at cse.ucdavis.edu> wrote:

>
> Anyone have some working tweaks to get an Intel E1000e driver + 82574L
> chip to behave with linux 3.5 or 3.7 kernels?  Not sure if this is a
> problem for all 82574Ls or just ones on recent supermicro motherboards.
>
> I noticed stuttering, occasional high latencies, and a continuously
> increasing dropped packets from ifconfig:
>   RX packets:13437889 errors:0 dropped:14185 overruns:0 frame:0
>
> Even something simple like ping -c 100 would show at least one packet
> with over 1 second latencies.
>
> Several discussions mention that some of the errors are not logged, so
> it's may well be significantly worse than you'd think from the dropped
> packet count.
>
> Replacing the cables, switch, or even the entire node doesn't seem to
> make any difference.   I've found quite a few discussions about it,
> googling "linux 82574L dropped" finds quite a few.  Most that I found
> that provide details mention supermicro motherboards.
>
> There seems to be a solution for Centos 6, but I'm having problems
> getting said fix to work with newer kernels.
>
> Some of the discussions:
>
>
> http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-hardware-18/intel-82574l-gigabit-network-card-issues-and-resolution-831364/
>
>
> http://www.doxer.org/learn-linux/resolved-intel-e1000e-driver-bug-on-82574l-ethernet-controller-causing-network-blipping/
>   https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1018561
>
>
> http://sourceforge.net/projects/e1000/files/e1000e%20stable/eeprom_fix_82574_or_82583/
>
> This is mostly a concern for me because it's a noticeable performance
> problem and supermicro based resellers seem to be winning the cluster
> bids recently.  With newer Sandy Bridge, Ivy Bridge, Bulldozer, and
> Piledriver CPUs it seems worthwhile to run a relatively new kernel.
>
> Has anyone been successful with getting the 82574L to work as expected?
>  With a supermicro motherboard?
>
> I've tried all the discussed fixes including but not limited to updating
> the driver, upgrading to from a 3.5 kernel -> 3.7 kernel,
> turning pcie_aspm off, various e1000e.IntMode settings,
> e1000e.interruptthrottleRate, apci=off, disabling various features with
> ethtool, and patching the e1000e firmware.
>
> For such a popular chip and driver I'm surprised that problems seem to
> be lingering.  Then again I suspect most people are happy when a network
> provides connectivity and not so much about performance.  Thus my email
> to the beowulf list.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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