Troubleshooting Failing OS Reloads#

If you have an OS reload that is not completing, check which step it’s on and follow the relevant step below.

If you’ve tried these steps and still can’t get it to work, please contact our support.

Many of the steps below involve the SynergyCP DHCP server. Troubleshooting the DHCP Server explains how to check that it is running, list its leases, read its logs and capture DHCP traffic.

0% - Queued#

  1. Wait a few minutes for switch commands/IPMI commands to run.
  2. Check that there is an available File server and DHCP server for the IP Group that the server is a part of. Confirm the DHCP server is running and its API key matches the one saved in SynergyCP (see Is it running?).
  3. Check the server’s logs and the application logs (System > Logs) for any errors that occurred.

20% - Rebooting#

  1. Check the server’s logs on the Manage Server page and make sure that there are no errors with IPMI commands.
  2. Try restarting the server via the Power Controls panel and see if any errors occur.
  3. Try running all of the commands beside port power > off in the switch command panel (top right of Manage Server page), then restarting the install once they all complete.
  4. Check that the routing configuration for DHCP requests from that server’s IP Entity points to the IP of the DHCP server for that server’s IP Group on Synergy. On the DHCP server, list its leases and confirm the server’s MAC is present with the correct IP. If the lease is missing, SynergyCP was unable to reach the DHCP server.
  5. Open up the server’s remote IPMI console and attempt a reinstall. Watch the process to see if the error occurring gives any indication of the issue. Check that the MAC address used during the DHCP request matches up with the MAC address in SynergyCP. At the same time, follow the DHCP server’s logs to see whether the request arrives and whether an OFFER is sent. If nothing is logged, capture the traffic to find where it is being dropped.
  6. Check that the MTU of your DHCP server’s primary ethernet interface is 1500: ip addr | grep mtu | grep -v veth | grep -v docker

40%#

  1. Try running a Format Quick install and then the install you are trying to run after.
  2. Try a different OS reload profile to see if the issue is specific to one profile. If it is, it is likely a hardware compatibility issue.
  3. Try a different IP Entity/try the same IP Entity on another server. Make sure to run the assign VLAN and power on switch commands.
  4. Try changing the IP Group’s File server to one that is known to be working and then restart the install. You can use a file server from another location but it will be slow.
    1. If the issue occurs across multiple IPs at the location, it could be a switch/router configuration issue. You will need the help of a network administrator to resolve this.
    2. If applicable, make sure spanning-tree portfast is enabled on access switches.
  5. Make sure DHCP relay is configured to send GIADDR field with DHCP Request. Running dhcpdump on the DHCP server can tell you if this field is missing (0.0.0.0) in the BOOTPREQUEST. See Watching DHCP traffic.
  6. If you get a “TFTP open timeout” message, confirm that:
    1. The IP address set for the OS Reload File Server in SynergyCP is correct, and is reachable from the booting server. The file_server value in the DHCP server’s lease list is the address handed out; if the server cannot route to it, set NEXT_SERVER on the DHCP server as described in Changing configuration.
    2. The MTU of the file server’s primary ethernet interface is 1500: ip addr | grep mtu | grep -v veth | grep -v docker

60%#

  1. Check that the server’s BIOS clock is correct
  2. Check that the server’s hardware (especially memory and disk) is working correctly

Windows-specific#

If you see this message:

Setup was unable to create a new system partition or locate an existing system partition. See the log files for more information.

This usually indicates either a bad disk or the incorrect disk boot order in the BIOS. Try putting the first disk as the primary boot disk in the BIOS, and if that doesn’t work, try a different disk. If the server has NVME drives and is a Supermicro server, check the BIOS for a NVME support setting that says Vendor Defined Firmware, and switch it to AMI Native Support.

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