Knowledge Article: ID W0050003 " Incompatible RSA-II Daemon

Description

The Remote Supervisor Adapter performs many system management functions in an out-of-band mode (that is, without the involvement of the operating system). To be operational, the installation of both the hardware and software must be successful.

System management functions are provided by many software and hardware components, such as BIOS and UEFI system firmware, management controllers, such as the Baseboard Management Controller (BMC), Remote Supervisor Adapter (RSA), and other components, such as device drivers and operating system APIs. Systems with coexisting RSA-II and BMC hardware components prioritize the components; the RSA management functions have priority, while the BMC is accessed only when the RSA no longer functions.

Causes

The Remote Supervisor Adapter event occurs when a service processor or management module detects that the communication with the Remote Supervisor Adapter is limited with respect to its data exchange or that the RSA is available only sporadically.

Implications

All of the system management utilities that rely on the Remote Supervisor Adapter might not work as designed, or they might have incomplete data.

Resolutions

1. Contact your authorized operators and/or system administrators.
   
   • Consult the RSA User's Guide and System User Guide and verify that the right software is being used.
     
   • Review the RSA hardware and software requirements and consult the Installation Guide.
     
   • Verify that the device drives are installed correctly. Make sure you're using the latest RSA firmware.
     
   • Verify that the install and cable process has been done according to the Installation Guide.
     
   • Retain the full recorded logs.
     
2. Monitor the system for future events, keep track of all alerts, events, and logs.

Additional information

To download the latest RSA II daemon, the latest RSA firmware, or both, visit the "IBM System x support search" Web site, select "Download" for "Task", and then select the "Product Family", "Machine type", and "Operating system" values of interest. Then, to download the latest device driver, select "RSA" in the "Refine results" list; to download the latest RSA firmware, select "Remote Supervisor Adapter (RSA)" instead. In the result list, click the appropriate link. For BladeCenter x86 blade servers, visit the IBM BladeCenter support search Web site and follow similar steps.

To troubleshoot issues with the RSA daemon or the RSA, visit the "IBM System x support search" Web site, select "Troubleshooting" for "Task", and then select the "Product Family", "Machine type", and "Operating system" values of interest. Then, for "Refine results" select "RSA". In the result list, follow the appropriate links, and then read through the articles and follow the applicable instructions. For BladeCenter x86 blade servers, visit the IBM BladeCenter support search Web site and follow similar steps.

For the compatibility matrix between IBM System x systems and Windows, consult IBM ServerProven System x and xSeries compatibility - Microsoft.

For complete product information about IBM RSA-II, visit IBM Remote Supervisor Adapter II. To plan for systems management upgrades with RSA-II, consult IBM ServerProven System x System Management Upgrades.