[plug] re: server freezing

[Denis Brown]

Jon wrote in part...
Yes, I used this when I installed the software.  It does a check to see
if the firmware is up-to-date then it creates a file similar to
kickstart.  You use this file/disk to install Red Hat (in my case 8.0).
I noticed that IBM has a updated drivers for the broadcom gigabit
ethernet card, so I'll apply that tomorrow to see if it helps.

By "used this" I assume you mean Director?   Not used it myself but sounds
interesting.   You say it creates a kickstart file??

Might pay to tread carefully regards any firmware updates - I just got
word today that I should NOT use the firmware updater for the 335 model on
my 205 model.  Still waiting an answer as to *why* since the hardware
seems the same!   Anyway, warranties and such...

The latest driver from the Broadcom site is 6.2.11 and that solves my
null-MAC-address problem.  IBM would be happy for you to use that
*driver* I assume.   Fact that you already have two net cards and they are
both non-responsive seems to me to suggest not a Broadcom card issue,
unless of course it's getting aggressive on the PCI bus and dragging down
your other (Intel?) card?   In which case you'd think there'd be an error
message logged, wouldn't you?

Thinking about my suggestion of a simple cron write-to-a-log-file to see
if the guts is still ticking... somewhere I recall a
blink-the-keyboard-LEDs programme.   Not the "kernel panic" symptoms but a
genuine keyboard LED blinker.  That may be easier to set up?

Finally, you mention an ssh link from another machine "in the same
office".   On the same subnet, presummably.   When I had the null-MAC-addy
problem I could not get route happening but I could get pings, ssh, etc
happening on the local subnet.   Maybe it is Broadcom-ish after all?  But
that wouldn't explain the console lack of response.   Sorry, just thinking
out loud but I'll leave the comment here in case it triggers ideas for you
/ someone else.

Cheers,
Denis