Kdump fails to capture core file due to smart array firmware bug

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Environment

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 Service Pack 4 (SLES 11 SP4)
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 Service Pack 1 (SLES 12 SP1)

Situation

Due to a bug in the HPE Smart Array firmware v4.52, it may not be possible to create a core dump file.

Problem has been observed on smart array models P244br and P440Ar.

You may observe errors like this if you are monitoring kdump output:

hpsa 0000:07:00.0: board not ready, timed out
hpsa 0000:07:00.0: Failed waiting for board to become ready after hard reset

There may be "controller failure" errors in HP IML logs matching time stamps of the vmcore generation attempts.

Resolution

Either do not install 4.52 or downgrade to 4.0B. A new version of firmware will be released that addresses the problem.

Cause

Firmware does not reset the underlying controller properly

Additional Information

Hewlett Packard Enterprise customer advisory:
http://h20566.www2.hpe.com/hpsc/doc/public/display?docId=emr_na-c05352202

Disclaimer

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