SOLVED Another ECC check

[q/pa]

Hi all,

my system:
MB: X11SCH-F
CPU: Xeon E-2124
RAM: 2*Crucial 16GB DDR4-2666 EUDIMM 1.2V CL19 (CT16G4WFD8266.18FD1)

Just like everybody else I would like to be sure to have ECC enabled and working on my system.

• flashed the latest BIOS but there is no entry regarding ECC whatsoever
• ran the latest memtest86 (passmark) and it shows ECC enabled
• ran
  Code:

  dmidecode -t memory

  which looks fine according to what I read in the forums (how can I copy the output from the web interface shell?)
• ran
  Code:

  python2.7 ecc_check.py

  and this sadly shows only "0" in the last column

What should I take from this? Is the positive info from memtest86 and dmidecode enough and the python program does not work correctly with my MB/CPU/RAM combination?

 

[jon_2112]

Post the output of both of those commands.

 

[jgreco]

It's a Supermicro X11SCH?

You don't have the option to install non-ECC on most Supermicro server boards. Your spec sheet specifically says ECC each time it talks about memory. It's fine. You don't have to do anything to "enable" it. That would be stupid. It's there by default.

 

[q/pa]

OK, had here comes the output:

Code:

freenas% sudo dmidecode -t memory

# dmidecode 3.1
Scanning /dev/mem for entry point.
SMBIOS 3.2.1 present.
# SMBIOS implementations newer than version 3.1.1 are not
# fully supported by this version of dmidecode.

Handle 0x0022, DMI type 16, 23 bytes
Physical Memory Array
        Location: System Board Or Motherboard
        Use: System Memory
        Error Correction Type: Single-bit ECC
        Maximum Capacity: 64 GB
        Error Information Handle: Not Provided
        Number Of Devices: 4

Handle 0x0031, DMI type 17, 84 bytes
Memory Device
        Array Handle: 0x0022
        Error Information Handle: Not Provided
        Total Width: Unknown
        Data Width: Unknown
        Size: No Module Installed
        Form Factor: Unknown
        Set: None
        Locator: DIMMA1
        Bank Locator: P0_Node0_Channel0_Dimm0
        Type: Unknown
        Type Detail: None
        Speed: Unknown
        Manufacturer: Not Specified
        Serial Number: Not Specified
        Asset Tag: Not Specified
        Part Number: Not Specified
        Rank: Unknown
        Configured Clock Speed: Unknown
        Minimum Voltage: Unknown
        Maximum Voltage: Unknown
        Configured Voltage: Unknown

Handle 0x0032, DMI type 17, 84 bytes
Memory Device
        Array Handle: 0x0022
        Error Information Handle: Not Provided
        Total Width: 72 bits
        Data Width: 64 bits
        Size: 16384 MB
        Form Factor: DIMM
        Set: None
        Locator: DIMMA2
        Bank Locator: P0_Node0_Channel0_Dimm1
        Type: DDR4
        Type Detail: Synchronous
        Speed: 2667 MT/s
        Manufacturer: Micron
        Serial Number: F07BB744
        Asset Tag: TestAsset0
        Part Number: 18ASF2G72AZ-2G6D1  
        Rank: 2
        Configured Clock Speed: 2667 MT/s
        Minimum Voltage: 1.2 V
        Maximum Voltage: 1.2 V
        Configured Voltage: 1.2 V

Handle 0x0033, DMI type 17, 84 bytes
Memory Device
        Array Handle: 0x0022
        Error Information Handle: Not Provided
        Total Width: Unknown
        Data Width: Unknown
        Size: No Module Installed
        Form Factor: Unknown
        Set: None
        Locator: DIMMB1
        Bank Locator: P0_Node0_Channel1_Dimm0
        Type: Unknown
        Type Detail: None
        Speed: Unknown
        Manufacturer: Not Specified
        Serial Number: Not Specified
        Asset Tag: Not Specified
        Part Number: Not Specified
        Rank: Unknown
        Configured Clock Speed: Unknown
        Minimum Voltage: Unknown
        Maximum Voltage: Unknown
        Configured Voltage: Unknown

Handle 0x0034, DMI type 17, 84 bytes
Memory Device
        Array Handle: 0x0022
        Error Information Handle: Not Provided
        Total Width: 72 bits
        Data Width: 64 bits
        Size: 16384 MB
        Form Factor: DIMM
        Set: None
        Locator: DIMMB2
        Bank Locator: P0_Node0_Channel1_Dimm1
        Type: DDR4
        Type Detail: Synchronous
        Speed: 2667 MT/s
        Manufacturer: Micron
        Serial Number: F07BB70F
        Asset Tag: TestAsset0
        Part Number: 18ASF2G72AZ-2G6D1  
        Rank: 2
        Configured Clock Speed: 2667 MT/s
        Minimum Voltage: 1.2 V
        Maximum Voltage: 1.2 V
        Configured Voltage: 1.2 V

Code:

freenas% sudo python2.7 ecc_check.py
Password:
5004-5007h: 11 31 0 0
5008-500Bh: 11 31 0 0

What got me all confused was this:

The RAM modules have two stickers one from Crucial and one from Micron. On the Crucial web page it is declared as 100% compatible with the X11SCH-F (https://www.crucial.com/usa/en/x11sch-f/CT13735531).

Memtest86 v8.3, the motherboard and dmidecode only show Micron RAM and this is what I found under the Micron part number: https://www.digikey.com/product-det...F2G72AZ-2G6D1/MTA18ASF2G72AZ-2G6D1-ND/7598032 which seems to be non-ECC RAM.

The Supermicro X11SCH-F manual (https://www.supermicro.com/en/products/motherboard/X11SCH-F) says on page 75 that there should be this BIOS menu entry:

ECC Support
Use this feature to enable Error Checking & Correction (ECC) support for onboard memory modules. The options are Disabled and Enabled.

The menu of my machine looks exactly like in the manual with the exception that this ECC Support entry is missing completely.

I just would like to be able to confirm that ECC is not only possible with my hardware but that it actually is active and working.

 

[q/pa]

This is the end of memtest86 v8.3

 

[q/pa]

This is the memtest86 v8.3 main menu

 

[jon_2112]

I dunno what python script you're running. I compiled an executable you can download here if you want:

ecc_check

drive.google.com

The "72-bit" width suggests ecc though.

 

[jgreco]

Ok this is getting kinda ridiculous guys.

Micron's retail brand is Crucial. To find that a Crucial module is reading as Micron is !!SHOCKING!!, wait, no, the other thing, tedious and boring.

The X11SCH doesn't list non-ECC memory in its spec sheet. Typically this is unsupported on Supermicro boards. On some low end boards where non-Xeon CPU's are supported, there is actually support for non-ECC, but that isn't the case here.

 

[jon_2112]

Ok this is getting kinda ridiculous guys.

Micron's retail brand is Crucial. To find that a Crucial module is reading as Micron is !!SHOCKING!!, wait, no, the other thing, tedious and boring.

The X11SCH doesn't list non-ECC memory in its spec sheet. Typically this is unsupported on Supermicro boards. On some low end boards where non-Xeon CPU's are supported, there is actually support for non-ECC, but that isn't the case here.

The X11SCH supports Core i3 and Pentium processors, so it presumably supports non-ECC RAM.

 

[jgreco]

The X11SCH supports Core i3 and Pentium processors, so it presumably supports non-ECC RAM.

It supports non-ECC with a Xeon CPU installed?

 

[q/pa]

OK guys, I am marking this as solved. Many thanks for your replies and sorry @jgreco that I may have overstrained your patience. This is my first build ever and I just want to make really sure everything is working as it should before I put it into service.

With regard to the X11SCH-F manual I found an info about an old fix (version 1.0b) of the BIOS settings where they hid the "ECC support" setting. I guess because the motherboard exclusively supports unbuffered ECC RAM this setting does not make any sense.

Thanks @jon_2112 for offering help with the ecc_check executable. I will give it maybe one last try these days.

 

[jgreco]

OK guys, I am marking this as solved. Many thanks for your replies and sorry @jgreco that I may have overstrained your patience. This is my first build ever and I just want to make really sure everything is working as it should before I put it into service.

Sorry if I sound (or am) crabby (or whatever you prefer to call me), I'm in the middle of a big stressy sleep-deprive-y time as I make preparations for rolling several data center installs this winter.

Supermicro's entire reason-for-being is data center and server gear and their stuff should always support those server-y things that consumer board mfrs like ASUS or Gigabyte might not have a lot of experience with. It should just work and that's the short form. It's one of the pleasant things that differentiates server-grade boards from everything else.

 

[q/pa]

No worries @jgreco and good luck with your project!