- Three HP ML350 Gen9 servers
- One HP DL360 Gen9 server
- One HP MicroServer Gen8 server
- Six HGST SN260 HHHL NVMe cards
When at least one HGST SN260 HHHL NVMe card is inserted in a Gen9 server, the server fails POST with a Red Screen of Death (RSOD). See YouTube Video.
Error message:
X64 Exception Type 0D - General Protection Exception
The call stack contains references to HpSmbiosDxe.
The server fails to boot entirely (RBSU or Boot menu is not even reachable).
But, the HP MicroServer Gen8 does not exibit the issue.
- BIOS P92 v2.92 (11/23/2021), up-to-date with latest SPP
- iLO up-to-date with last version post-SPP
- NVMe card with up-to-date firmware 122
Unsuccessful attempts to solve the issue:
- Only one NVMe card per server
- Card inserted in a slot connected to CPU1, then CPU2
- Switch to Legacy boot
- Switch back to UEFI boot
- Disable "UEFI Boot Optimization" in RBSU
- Remove other PCIe cards from server
- Downgrade the NVMe card firmware to version 111
- Reformat the NVMe namespace with LBA Format 0 (512B blocks) instead of 4K blocks
- Reset BIOS to manufacturing defaults (in RBSU)
- Clear NVRAM and CMOS using the Maintenance Switch 6
- Insert card into the sole PCIe 2.0 slot of the server
- Server Security > Embedded Diagnostics: Enabled -> Disabled
- Boot options > UEFI Optimized Boot: Enabled -> Disabled
- Embedded UEFI Shell > Embedded UEFI Shell: Enabled -> Disabled
- System Options > Boot Time Optimization > Dynamic Power Capping Functionnality: Enabled -> Disabled
- Advanced (Ctrl-A or Ctrl-Q) > Advanced Crash Dump Mode: Disabled -> Enabled
- iLO 4 Configuration > Settings Options > iLO 4 Functionality: Enabled -> Disabled
- Advanced > UEFI Assert: Disabled -> Enabled
- Advanced > PCI Express 64-bits BAR Support: Enabled -> Disabled
- Have a look in the hidden menus of RBSU (see above)
- Try to find an HP firmware for the NVMe drive (crossflash): HP NVMe Drives, best matching drive seems to be VO003840KWVMU / P10216-B21.
- Downgrade the BIOS using maintenance switches S1, S5 and S6
- Disable HPE Intelligent Provisioning
- Investigate Storage options in RBSU
