Message: "Option ROM space exhausted" in the system event logs

Asset ID:	1-72-1643004.1
Update Date:	2014-05-29
Keywords:

Solution Type Problem Resolution Sure

Solution 1643004.1 : Message: "Option ROM space exhausted" in the system event logs

Applies to:

Sun Server X3-2 - Version All Versions to All Versions [Release All Releases]
Sun Blade X6250 Server Module - Version All Versions to All Versions [Release All Releases]
x86_64

Symptoms

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Message: "Option ROM space exhausted" or "Not enough space to copy PCI option ROM" in the system event logs

Cause

Description:

Option ROMs are PCI BIOS extensions that are loaded into RAM just prior to boot. Each option ROM occupies a small amount of space in the bootstrap processor's available RAM and is required for a PCI device to operate at boot time. Although the option ROM is small, the amount of available RAM prior to boot is also small (for example: on the Sun Blade X6250 server, the RAM available for option ROMs is approximately 128 KB). The available RAM size varies depending on the platform, and also has to accommodate built-in option ROMs including devices such as the VGA controller, PXE and any additional cards installed in PCI slots.

As BIOS scans all PCI cards installed on the server prior to system boot, the option ROM space allocated may get exhausted before all cards can be scanned.

Thus, on servers that have multiple PCI cards, with the option ROM enabled on all of them, the following error messages may be logged in the SEL (System Event Log):

-> "Not enough space to copy PCI option ROM"
-> "Option ROM memory space exhausted"

Disabling the option ROMs on installed PCI cards will prevent this error and will allow the platform to boot correctly.
PCI option ROMs being enabled in BIOS are only required if the customers wishes to boot via that PCI card.
Disabling option ROMs will not affect the operation of that PCI card after the server has booted.

Solution

The recommended action is to disable BIOS Option ROM via the BIOS setup utility.

Steps:

1) Reboot the server and press F2 to login to BIOS setup utility (refer the particular server's service manual).
2) Navigate to either Advanced I/O menu or PCI menu (depending on the BIOS setup menus; refer the particular server's service manual for the list of menus).
3) Disable Option ROM for each of the PCI cards/NICs that are not in use, which allows for better utilization of BIOS option ROM space.

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