Epilog: Instability with A1SRI-2758F-O HELP!!

[1.21gigawatts]

I'm moving this (and editing it) from the Plugins forum, as it is now looking very much like a hardware issue.
I have been trying to get FreeNAS (9.3, but had the same issues with 9.2.1.9) and a VirtualBox jail to run Windows 7 (any flavor) stably on the following hardware (I have tried this on three separate but identical systems):

MB: Supermicro A1SRI-2758F-O | RAM: 4X Kingston KVR13LSE9/8 | HDD: 4X WD RED 2TB RAIDZ-2

I get random hangs, reboots(of the VM), lousy performance when it does run. Most of the time this necessitates stopping and restarting the jail (perhaps there ought to be a "restart jail" button in the UI?).

Other jails run absolutely fine in this machine. I have run multiple web servers with no problem. The immediate goal is to have the FreeNAS box (in addition to its NAS duties) replace an aging Sage Quantum Accounting server in a small office, which is NOT a very demanding task.

Yesterday, I took a completely different box with a Supermicro C2SBC-Q MB and Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 with 8GB RAM and loaded it up with 9.3 release on a single 250G drive. I was able to install the virtualbox jail and a clean copy of Windows 7 (x86), allowing it 2GB of RAM and a 100GB dynamic hard drive.
I beat up on that system for a half hour, and there were no problems.

Then, I took the drive and the USB stick out of that machine and put them into the Atom machine. Just the single hard drive, the flash drive and the 32GB of RAM. I set all of the BIOS settings to their defaults (except maybe the boot order).

The system came up, rebooted once after reconfiguring for the different ethernet controller. I had to tell the jail configuration where the root of the jails were located, but that's it. The virtualbox jail came up and I started the Windows VM.

The VM seemed sluggish, but it kept chugging along, for maybe five minutes, then it just hung, requiring a restart of the jail. On the next try, I upped the number of processors for the VM to four, just to see if it would speed things up. Maybe it did, maybe not, but the thing crashed again after just a few minutes.

I am now running Memtest-86 v4.3.7. It is 74% of the way through its first pass, with no errors.

Could there be some BIOS setting that needs tweaking? Maybe, but I've no idea at all where to begin with that. Ditto for the possibility of some tunable in freenas.

So, now I'm just totally at a loss. Again, if ANYONE has ANY insight or at least a suggestion of what to try next, or even a suggestion of where else to look for help, I'd appreciate it greatly.

 

[marbus90]

Use RAM from the Supermicro QVL.

 

[1.21gigawatts]

Use RAM from the Supermicro QVL.

Well, I would agree with that, but...

1. so many people have used the Kingston parts, and they are suggested by more than one retailer
2. Memtest86 simply isn't finding problems.

However, You're right. I can't complain to SuperMicro if I'm not following their advice. To that end I have just ordered (for delivery tomorrow morning) four sticks of Hynix HMT41GA7BFR8A-PB as specified by SuperMicro at http://goo.gl/XtU9U7 . So, stay tuned. I should have some results by noon EST.

 

[marbus90]

Kingston had problems on X10 mobos. Listed on the Kingston site, also for a short timespan on the Supermicro HP, but then Kingston decided to use other chips on the same part number - which were incompatible. This is why especially Kingston has fallen in disfavour. Safest bet is Hynix, Micron or Samsung and if you can't get those at all, Crucial.

 

[1.21gigawatts]

Point taken. The Hynix parts will be here by 10am, and I'll have results by noon, I expect.
[fingers are crossed] If all I have to eat is some restocking charges on RAM sticks, I will consider myself lucky.[fingers are still crossed]

 

[Ericloewe]

Kingston had problems on X10 mobos. Listed on the Kingston site, also for a short timespan on the Supermicro HP, but then Kingston decided to use other chips on the same part number - which were incompatible. This is why especially Kingston has fallen in disfavour. Safest bet is Hynix, Micron or Samsung and if you can't get those at all, Crucial.

Are you sure Supermicro listed them? I don't remember that, but I only started looking into it a bit after the situation developed.

 

[krikboh]

I am running Kingston because it was recommended when I setup my system. It was definitely on the QVL. No issues so far, fingers crossed. I hope mine have the original chips.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cyberjock]

Kingston had some parts on their QVL. They were later removed when Kingston started playing musical chairs with the actual RAM chips, but wasn't changing the part numbers when the engineering specs changed. This lead to a whole *bunch* of people that bought RAM for their X10 boards because it was recommended by Supermicro which later didn't work. My advice.. advice is to avoid all Kingston RAM on all systems at the present time since you can't even be sure that if you buy 10 of the same part number that they will actually all be identical.

This problem doesn't appear to be limited to Kingston's RAM either. Kingston has been caught red-handed making some SSDs that had great benchmarks and the later substituting slower and less reliable MLC chips (which got people's attention when benchmarks were 50% of what was spec'd) and Kingston's answer was that "the substitutions were of equivalent parts" which was clearly not the truth.

I personally avoid all "Kingston" products until I feel confident that when I buy something from them there's actually some spec attached to it that means something.

 

[1.21gigawatts]

OK, I ordered and installed 32GB of Hynix RAM from the Supermicro QVL. It was actually drop-shipped from Supermicro, so this is the real deal. I decided to start completely from scratch to eliminate any past errors. I recorded all the steps I took in excruciating detail (see below). To make a very long story short, the f'ing thing blew up AGAIN. There were no meaningful error messages or log entries, just that Windows had restarted unexpectedly and that phpVirtualBox had lost its communications.

I have checked the power supply voltages and they are all well within tolerances.

I am currently running the Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool on the VM. It's 13% complete on the first pass, so I expect this to take a while.

ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE MOST WELCOME​

Here is my step-by-step guide to today's headache. The first sign of trouble is at step 34. It goes downhill from there.

1. Install NEW Hynix RAM (32GB)

2. Remove power cord and battery

3. Short CMOS Clear jumper for ten seconds

4. Replace battery and power cord

5. Boot into BIOS settings

6. Set Date and Time

7. Insert BLANK FORMATTED 8GB Kingston Data Traveler

8. Boot from FreeNAS 9.3 Release DVD

9. Install on 8GB stick (wait too long with no visual feedback)

10. Remove DVD and reboot

11. (Wait a while) Menu 1-12 appears, “No configured interfaces were found. Try to do it manually.”

12. Press enter, menu redraws, now it has an IP address.

13. Login as root, set Timezone (leave keymap & language alone)

14. Skip rest of wizard (for now), go to GUI

15. Storage -> Volume Manager

a. Volume Name: NAS

b. Available disks: +

c. Stripe 1 x 1 x 250.0 GB

d. Add Volume (Existing data will be cleared)

16. On console:

a. [root@freenas] ~# mkdir /mnt/NAS/jail

17. In GUI:

a. Services -> FTP -> ON

b. Services -> FTP -> Configure -> Allow Root Login

c. Services -> FTP -> Configure -> Advanced -> File Permission: RW-R-R

d. Jails -> Jail Root: /mnt/NAS/jail

e. Jails -> IPv4 DHCP: check

f. Save

18. Jails -> Add Jails -> Advanced Mode

a. Jail Name: vbox

b. Template: VirtualBox-4.3.12

c. IPv4 DHCP

d. OK (wait a really long time, even with smokin’ fast internet)

19. From Windows Command Prompt:

a. ftp 192.168.0.3 (ip address of box)

b. User: root password: Root Password

c. bin <enter> hash <enter> prompt <enter>

d. cd /mnt/NAS/downloads

e. mput *.iso (wait a bit)

f. quit

20. (a brief side trip to Windows -> WSUS Offline Update 9.5 Generator)

a. Windows 7 x86 Global

b. Check: Verify downloaded updates, Include C++ Runtime Libraries and .NET Frameworks, Include Microsoft Security Essentials, Include Service Packs, Include Windows Defender Definitions

c. Check: Create ISO Images per selected product and language

d. START (wait some time)

e. ftp the resulting iso (in iso folder) to /mnt/NAS/downloads

21. On console:

a. cd /mnt/NAS/jail/vbox/media

b. cp /mnt/NAS/downloads/* .

22. Open new browser window with vbox (jail) address

a. Login

b. Click New

c. Name: Win7x86

d. Type Microsoft Windows

e. Version Windows 7 (32 bit) .. next

f. Memory Size -> 4096MB .. next

g. Create a virtual hard drive now .. create

h. VDI .. next

i. Dynamically allocated .. next

j. 100 GB .. create

k. Settings -> Storage -> Empty -> Select CD drive image (little round icon on right)

l. Navigate to Windows 7 image in /media .. OK .. OK

m. START

23. Open VNC window pointed at IPaddress:9000

a. Install windows (custom, not upgrade) on Disk 0 unallocated space

i. User name: user

ii. Computer name user-VM

iii. No Password

iv. Product Key: …….

v. Uncheck Automatically activate – do this enough times and they’ll get pissy

vi. Updates : Ask Me Later

vii. Set Time Zone

viii. Set “Work Network”

ix. Shut down VM

24. Take a snapshot of VM titled “Fresh Install”

25. In VM Settings, change Virtual CD to WSUS iso file (has all the updates)

26. Restart VM and VNC

27. In VNC:

a. Computer -> CD -> UpdateInstaller

b. Check Update c++ Runtime Libraries, Install .NET Framework 4.x, Update Root Certificates, Update Remote Desktop Client, Verify installation packages, Automatic reboot and recall (accept UAC warning).

c. Click Start – wait some time while updates do themselves

d. Shut dowm VM

28. Take snapshot of VM labeled “after WSUS updates”

29. Restart VM and VNC

30. In VNC:

a. Windows Update -> Turn on Automatic updates

b. Check for updates

c. Install the bunch (63 for me, I disabled all the language pack updates)

d. Reboot VM, check for updates (something like three more times, until it’s done)

e. Shut down VM

31. Take snapshot of VM labeled “after all updates”

32. Mount VBoxGuestAdditions_4.3.12.iso on Virtual CD drive

33. Restart VM and VNC

34. Install guest additions (without Direct3D) VM ABORTED During Install - this took two tries

35. Shut down VM and take snapshot labeled “After Guest Additions”

36. Restart VM and VNC

37. Install Chrome browser

38. Download Sage installer – install it.

39. During installation, Windows VM crashes with these messages:

a. VBoxVNC – TightVNC Viewer
Connection has been gracefully closed

b. phpVirtualBox
An error occurred communicating with your vboxwebsrv. No more requests will be sent by phpVirtualBox until the error is corrected and this page is refreshed. The details of this connection error should be displayed in a subsequent dialog box. <press OK>

phpVirtualBox
Could not connect to host (http://127.0.0.1:18083/) <click Details>

Code:

Exception Object
(
    [message:protected] => Could not connect to host (http://127.0.0.1:18083/)
    [string:Exception:private] =>
    [code:protected] => 64
    [file:protected] => /usr/local/www/phpvirtualbox/lib/vboxconnector.php
    [line:protected] => 210
    [trace:Exception:private] => Array
        (
            [0] => Array
                (
                     => /usr/local/www/phpvirtualbox/lib/vboxconnector.php
                    [line] => 353
                    [function] => connect
                    [class] => vboxconnector
                    [type] => ->
                    [args] => Array
                        (
                        )

                )

            [1] => Array
                (
                     => /usr/local/www/phpvirtualbox/lib/vboxconnector.php
                    [line] => 928
                    [function] => remote_getEvents
                    [class] => vboxconnector
                    [type] => ->
                    [args] => Array
                        (
                            [0] => Array
                                (
                                    [_persist] => Array
                                        (
                                            [vboxEventListeners] => Array
                                                (
                                                    [vbox] => Array
                                                        (
                                                            [listener] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000027
                                                            [source] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000026
                                                        )

                                                    [e36112f9-addf-4532-b91d-0f74f2e0b2c4] => Array
                                                        (
                                                            [listener] => 88115c815485129a-000000000001436a
                                                            [source] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000014369
                                                        )

                                                )

                                            [vboxHandle] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000025
                                        )

                                    [fn] => getEvents
                                )

                        )

                )

            [2] => Array
                (
                     => /usr/local/www/phpvirtualbox/lib/ajax.php
                    [line] => 309
                    [function] => __call
                    [class] => vboxconnector
                    [type] => ->
                    [args] => Array
                        (
                            [0] => getEvents
                            [1] => Array
                                (
                                    [0] => Array
                                        (
                                            [_persist] => Array
                                                (
                                                    [vboxEventListeners] => Array
                                                        (
                                                            [vbox] => Array
                                                                (
                                                                    [listener] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000027
                                                                    [source] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000026
                                                                )

                                                            [e36112f9-addf-4532-b91d-0f74f2e0b2c4] => Array
                                                                (
                                                                    [listener] => 88115c815485129a-000000000001436a
                                                                    [source] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000014369
                                                                )

                                                        )

                                                    [vboxHandle] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000025
                                                )

                                            [fn] => getEvents
                                        )

                                    [1] => Array
                                        (
                                            [0] => Array
                                                (
                                                    [data] => Array
                                                        (
                                                            [responseData] => Array
                                                                (
                                                                )

                                                        )

                                                    [errors] => Array
                                                        (
                                                        )

                                                    [persist] => Array
                                                        (
                                                        )

                                                    [messages] => Array
                                                        (
                                                        )

                                                )

                                        )

                                )

                        )

                )

            [3] => Array
                (
                     => /usr/local/www/phpvirtualbox/lib/ajax.php
                    [line] => 309
                    [function] => getEvents
                    [class] => vboxconnector
                    [type] => ->
                    [args] => Array
                        (
                            [0] => Array
                                (
                                    [_persist] => Array
                                        (
                                            [vboxEventListeners] => Array
                                                (
                                                    [vbox] => Array
                                                        (
                                                            [listener] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000027
                                                            [source] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000026
                                                        )

                                                    [e36112f9-addf-4532-b91d-0f74f2e0b2c4] => Array
                                                        (
                                                            [listener] => 88115c815485129a-000000000001436a
                                                            [source] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000014369
                                                        )

                                                )

                                            [vboxHandle] => 88115c815485129a-0000000000000025
                                        )

                                    [fn] => getEvents
                                )

                            [1] => Array
                                (
                                    [0] => Array
                                        (
                                            [data] => Array
                                                (
                                                    [responseData] => Array
                                                        (
                                                        )

                                                )

                                            [errors] => Array
                                                (
                                                )

                                            [persist] => Array
                                                (
                                                )

                                            [messages] => Array
                                                (
                                                )

                                        )

                                )

                        )

                )

        )

    [previous:Exception:private] =>
)


Location:http://127.0.0.1:18083/

40. Press OK.

41. Reload phpVirtualBox web page

a. Get same error

42. restart vbox jail (stop then start)

43. reload phpVirtualBox web page

44. Win7x86 vm shows “aborted” Log shows nothing after startup

45. Start VM = “Start Windows Normally” Event logs show no reason for stoppage

46. Start Windows Memory Diagnostic – restart now and check for problems


Diagnostic is running now.

 

[1.21gigawatts]

Should I be looking at a different motherboard? I'm really stuck here.

I have four of these motherboards, I have tried this setup on two of them, one is installed at a customer without the VM running, the second is here (the subject of my testing) , the third is standing by at a customer waiting for me to feel more confident. The fourth is still in a box. I have 12 sticks of Kingston RAM and 4 sticks of Hynix. There are also drives, boxes, power supplies and all the other stuff waiting for stability.

This is a serious investment (not even counting the insane number of hours I have in this [should have been simple] project). I need to get somewhere. I'm thinking about taking up farming...

 

[1.21gigawatts]

Followup:

As some of you know, and the rest of you can read in this thread, I have been having an ongoing problem with a supermicro atom board and a Windows 7 virtual machine under FreeNAS 9.3 and VirtualBox. My first contact with SuperMicro tech support was quite positive, with them simply answering the phone when I called. I had two more contacts with them, and nothing they suggested helped my problem, but it seemed that they were going to hang in till it was fixed. Then I received the following:

I just notice that the A1Sri-2758F board is not validated with FreeNAS so it is not supported. Also, we do not recommend using the board for virtualization application.

http://www.supermicro.com/support/resources/OS/Atom_X10.cfm

thanks,

Sonny

referring to that web page, I see that NONE of the SuperMicro atom boards are certified to run FreeNAS. So, you all may want to stay aware of the fact that their support will bail out as soon as they feel less than comfortable.

As part of my testing, I installed ubuntu 14.04 desktop and VirtualBox and Windows 7 ON THE SAME HARDWARE and it's solid as a rock. I don't pretend to know all the ins and outs of the two OSs, nor do I want to. I'm just saying that there appears to be a problem with FreeNAS and this combination of software and hardware that isn't a problem with Ubuntu.

For this particular case, in which I need to run Sage 50 Peachtree Accounting, I will install a separate computer running windows 7, and have it back up to the FreeNAS box. Fortunately, there is room in the IT closet to just place a mini-tower case on top of the UPS, but it would have been much nicer to just have this housed (virtually) in the rack-mounted FreeNAS server.

Oh well. I wish I could say "lesson learned," but I'm not sure exactly what the lesson is here...

As always, your comments are welcome.

 

[1.21gigawatts]

Resurrecting this old thread, I have a new customer who would be well served by a windows VM in their FreeNAS server. I have upgraded my system (Atom, same as the system earlier in this thread) to 9.10 hoping that the new BSD version would bring stability to a windows VM. No luck - it's as bad as ever.

So, two questions:

1) Any suggestions for a motherboard that will run a rock-solid FreeNAS with a rock-solid Windows (almost any version) VM?

2) has anyone successfully run Windows in bhive? I've seen various multi-step formulas to make it happen, but I can't seem to get all the way there, and I'm not sure that if I do get it running that it will be stable.

Any and all input is most welcome.