I have a test server with a SuperMicro MBD-X9SCL-F-O Motherboard and the CPU is an Intel Xeon E3-1230 V2 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz. Both support VT-x & VT-d. unRAID 6b5a will boot just fine into Xen/unRAID os when VT-d is disabled on the motherboard; however, when I enabled VT-d it freezes on boot at different spots each time. The bios is version 2.0 and it looks like there is a newer version R2.1, I am guessing that this is a bios issue?

 

P.S. I am having a hell of a time with XEN and pci pass-through This is the third test server I have obtained with no luck! (First one didn't support VT-d, the second one is a laptop that has (VT-x & VT-d) and it boots just fine but I cannot get pci pass-through on it, and now this one wont even boot into unRAID)

Anyone have any other ideas to try be I attempt flashing the bios? I don't want to make any permanent / unnecessary changes to the computer.  I was thinking that maybe all I need to do is change another setting in the bios which needs to get enabled along with VT-d? Any thoughts would be appreciated.

This is extremely odd. Want to help you with this.  Let me do some research on this.

 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk

 

 

Great thanks! I'll hold off on messing with the bios.

Another thought: can one have two servers on the same network with XEN unRAID enabled? I have one server called "xenbr0" and the other server is just "br0" (I didn't know if having both xenbr0 would cause issues?). Just wanted to throw that out to see if that is an issue...

I have the same board on bios 2.0a and it boots fine with no problem. I won't be able to check the bios settings I have until much later tonight, but will reply here when I can.

Hmm well that is good news. I look forward to knowing which bios settings you have turned off/on.

In the meantime, you might take a look at johnm's Atlas thread. It has a few bios screens posted in the thread that may be of help.

 

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=14695.0

Thanks for the link. I changed some of the bios settings to match but still freezes at random spots on boot. My bios version appears to be 2.0b FYI.

 

Also I could not find a setting that matches this describtion in my bios:

In the advanced tab: PCIe/PCI/PnP Configuration

Set PCI ROM Priority to "EFI Compatible ROM"

(NOTE: for Ver 2.0a BIOS this is replaced with "Disable OPROM for slots 7&6" set them to "Disabled")

Thanks for the link. I changed some of the bios settings to match but still freezes at random spots on boot. My bios version appears to be 2.0b FYI.

 

Also I could not find a setting that matches this describtion in my bios:

In the advanced tab: PCIe/PCI/PnP Configuration

Set PCI ROM Priority to "EFI Compatible ROM"

(NOTE: for Ver 2.0a BIOS this is replaced with "Disable OPROM for slots 7&6" set them to "Disabled")

 

I found another post with a link to the default bios settings.

The disable OPROM for slots 7&6 is here, along with all the other bios setting pages.

 

You mentioned you have Intel VT-d enabled, Do you also have Intel Virtualization Technology Enabled?

Yes VT-x is enabled. Also, my bios screen does not show "PCI-E Slot 4 OPROM or PCI-R Slot 7 OPROM". I am thinking that I cannot disable it then?

I have the same board on bios 2.0a and it boots fine with no problem. I won't be able to check the bios settings I have until much later tonight, but will reply here when I can.

 

Sorry for the late reply, here are the bios settings I am using:

 

archedraft, I'm using the same settings as prtsmgr with the following exceptions:

• Clock Spread Spectrum enabled
  
• Staggered Spin-up disabled
  

 

I don't believe that your issue has anything to do with the BIOS settings. Have you tried to run a mem test over night? And have you tried to install the latest Firmware? I have the following: Firmware Revision : 03.15, Firmware Build Time : 2013-10-31

 

Regards your question earlier: "Another thought: can one have two servers on the same network with XEN unRAID enabled? I have one server called "xenbr0" and the other server is just "br0" (I didn't know if having both xenbr0 would cause issues?). Just wanted to throw that out to see if that is an issue..."

 

I have 2 servers installed, both booting into XEN/unRAID. You just need to make sure that the server name under the settings tab isn't TOWER for both of your devices. If you use br0 or xenbr0 isn't of interest in that context.

 

Further questions that you raised in your PM might be worthwhile to discuss in a separate threat.

 

Good luck

I don't believe that your issue has anything to do with the BIOS settings. Have you tried to run a mem test over night? And have you tried to install the latest Firmware? I have the following: Firmware Revision : 03.15, Firmware Build Time : 2013-10-31

 

Are the firmware and bios two different items? I have not updated the bios yet.  when you update the bios does the firmware get updated or does firmware have nothing to do with bios at all?

 

EDIT: I am guessing you are referring to the IMPI firmware. If so, I will have to check what firmware is installed later tonight. Why do you think the firmware is an issue?

 

EDIT2: I have not tried a mem test overnight either. I will defiantly run that tonight.

I would definitely update the BIOS to v2.1 => one of the most common updates in newer BIOS's is to improve support for certain CPU's.  There's no reason to be hunting for a solution to a problem that may not even be an issue with the newest BIOS.

 

Updating the bios was my initial thought. My concern is that once you update the bios you are not going back and since it seemed like XEN is pretty particular about Motherboard/CPU/and BIOS, I didn't want to make any permanent changes without asking around.

 

I think my plan of attack tonight will be:

1. Double check current bios settings

2. Update IMPI firmware

3. Update Bios

4. If all that fails then toss it out the window! 

Good news! I got to step 3 and once the bios was updated unRAID booted into XEN with no problems. Thank you everyone for helping! Now I just have to figure out how to pass-through a PCI device... Windows 8 boots and I specified which pci device to take with it but it does not seem to see it in the device list. Can anyone with this motherboard confirm that XEN w/ PCI pass-through works?

 

NVM: PCI Pass-through is working. I didn't know I had to exclude the pci-assignable-list from unRAID.

Good -- although not at all surprising.  As I noted earlier, there's no reason to be hunting for a solution to a problem that may not even be an issue with the newest BIOS => I suspect the latest BIOS simply improved the support for your specific CPU, so now all is okay