Solaris 11 ISC DHCP: SPARC T5/T4 and T3 server fails network boot/network AI install at OBP with BOOTP/DHCP timeout

Asset ID:	1-72-1621104.1
Update Date:	2017-10-05
Keywords:

Solution Type Problem Resolution Sure

Solution 1621104.1 : Solaris 11 ISC DHCP: SPARC T5/T4 and T3 server fails network boot/network AI install at OBP with BOOTP/DHCP timeout

Applies to:

Sun Blade T6340 Server Module - Version Not Applicable to Not Applicable [Release N/A]
SPARC T5-2 - Version All Versions to All Versions [Release All Releases]
SPARC T5-4 - Version All Versions to All Versions [Release All Releases]
SPARC T5-8 - Version All Versions to All Versions [Release All Releases]
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Symptoms

When Solaris 11 ISC BOOTP/DHCP server is used in the network, booting the Sun Blade T6340 or SPARC T5/T4 and T3 server from OBP may fail with the following
message.

{0} ok boot net:dhcp - install
Boot device: /pci@400/pci@0/pci@9/network@0:dhcp  File and args: - install
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply
Timed out waiting for BOOTP/DHCP reply

Cause

This issue is specific to [Sun Blade T6340], [SPARC T series with Network Card 7051223 ] , and Solaris 11 ISC BOOTP/DHCP server. Solaris 11 implemented a new BOOTP/DHCP server software from ISC (www.isc.org). The BOOTP/DHCP server from ISC supports both DHCPv4 and DHCPv6. The Solaris 11 implementation of the ISC DHCP server, transmits the DHCPOFFERv4 packet as broadcast instead of unicast as per RFC2131. This issue does not occur if Solaris 10 legacy DHCPv4 server is used as it transmits DHCPOFFERv4 in unicast.


  BUG 17423148 - ISC DHCP: DHCPOFFER is being offered as broadcast, not unicast

Solution

For latest SPARC servers this is not an issue as the OBP Fcode on the network devices are set with "promiscous" settings. Promiscous mode allows the network device to listen to all network MAC traffic, instead of only the MAC address that it was intended to receive. For the T6340 the Fcode for the network card has this feature disabled by default, network card [7051223 Dual 10-Gigabit ethernet SFP+ LP] used on SPARC T5,T4 and T3 also has promiscous mode disabled by default on the Fcode.

The workaround is to manually enable promiscous mode "boot net:promiscuous,dhcp - install" in OBP.

{0} ok boot net:promiscuous,dhcp - install
Boot device: /pci@400/pci@0/pci@9/network@0:promiscuous,dhcp  File and args: - install
<time unavailable> wanboot info: WAN boot messages->console
<time unavailable> wanboot info: configuring /pci@400/pci@0/pci@9/network@0
:promiscuous,dhcp

<time unavailable> wanboot info: Starting DHCP configuration
<time unavailable> wanboot info: DHCP configuration succeeded
<time unavailable> wanboot progress: wanbootfs: Read 368 of 368 kB (100%)
<time unavailable> wanboot info: wanbootfs: Download complete

References

<BUG:16449467> - OBP DOES NOT RESPONS TO DHCP REQUEST
<BUG:16980629> - T6340:DHCP:OBP:FAILS TO RESPOND TO ISC DHCP BROADCAST
<BUG:17020637> - BACKPORT 17423148 TO 11.2 ISC DHCP: DHCPOFFER IS NOT SENT UNICAST

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