Release Notes: Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange Release 1.1.0.0 (VMware)

These Release Notes (updated 8:40 AM EST on 4/22/2025) are for Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange Release 1.1.0.0. See the following sections:

• New Features and Enhancements

• Important Considerations

• Known Issues

• Accessing Stratus Knowledge Base Articles

• Getting Help

New Features and Enhancements

Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange Release 1.1.0.0 introduces ztC Endurance 3100, 5100, and 7100 systems running VMware ESXi and Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange. See Overview of Stratus ztC Endurance Systems for more information.

Important Considerations

Upgrading to Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange Release 1.1.0.0

To upgrade the system software from Release 1.0.x.x to 1.1.x.x, follow the instructions in Upgrading the System Software.

Do Not Update the Ubuntu System Software

Do not enable Ubuntu unattended upgrades or update the Ubuntu system software of the Management VM or Standby OS from any source other than Stratus unless instructed to do so. To prevent incompatibilities and ensure the proper fault-tolerant operation of your system, use only the release and software packages that are installed with the Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange software. All supported Ubuntu package updates will be bundled in future releases.

Important Information about VMware License Activation

Broadcom^® has changed VMware licensing terms. If you need to activate a Stratus-supplied VMware perpetual license, read the information provided at the following website: https://www.stratus.com/go/vmware-activation/.

Do Not Change BIOS Settings

Do not change any BIOS settings from their default settings without first being told to do so by Stratus Customer Service.

Known Issues

Do Not Use BIOS to Disable Wake On LAN

Setting Wake On LAN to Disabled in the BIOS does not disable this functionality. Instead, use the VMware settings documented in https://docs.vmware.com/en/VMware-vSphere/7.0/com.vmware.vsphere.vm_admin.doc/GUID-879FA851-2B24-49E6-B58F-F25D0E923D17.html to disable Wake On LAN.

Long Network Delays with PCIe Adapter During I/O Faults

If you add a PCIe adapter to an IP Hash vSwitch with the physical ports configured in a static port group, it could result in long network delays when an I/O module is being brought up.

Manual Reboot of Standby Compute Module on Which install.sh Is Running Required to Register Hostname with DNS Server

If you are configuring a system for DHCP and want the hostname to be registered with the DNS server, perform one of the following procedures to register it with DNS.

• Manually reboot the standby compute module on which install.sh (or net_config.sh) is run.

• Run the command sudo netplan apply.

Smart Exchange​ May Cause USB Driver to Issue Spurious Warnings in vmkernel.log File

The VMware USB driver may incorrectly view a Smart Exchange​​ operation as an error due to the hardware temporarily "disappearing" and then "reappearing." In this case, the driver may send multiple warnings to the vmkernel.log file, similar to the following warnings. You can safely ignore these warnings.

2023-02-02T15:26:02.581Z Wa(180) vmkwarning: cpu63:2098291)WARNING: vmkusb: Retry 1 time(s) for command = 15 (0x0000000000000000, 
   0x00000000, 0x01013c00)
2023-02-02T15:26:02Z In(182) vmkernel: : Failure^[[0m

Remove Existing ASNConnect Data When Installing Replacement Compute Module

If you install a replacement compute module, contact Stratus Customer Service for instructions on removing existing ASNConnect configuration data before you install ASNConnect on the replacement compute module.

Run bmc_config or net_config Script Again If Network Reconfiguration Fails

If network reconfiguration fails, run the bmc_config script or net_config script again.

Install ASNConnect After You Replace a Compute Module

If you replace a compute module, you must contact your authorized Stratus service representative (see Getting Help) so they can remove the ASNConnect software associated with the old compute module. After that, you can install ASNConnect on the new compute module as described in Enabling ASNConnect.

ATTN LED Does Not Indicate When AC Power Cord Is Removed

For this ztC Endurance release, the ATTN LED on the control-panel ear A module located at the front right of the ztC Endurance system. It houses a USB 2.0 port, power button for the ztC Endurance system, and LEDs that indicate system power status (PWR), fault conditions (ATTN), and module identification status (UID). does not indicate when the AC power cord is removed. It only indicates when the PSU itself is removed or has failed. For more information about this ATTN LED, see Table 10.

ztC Endurance Console May Hang If Up and Down Arrow Keys Are Used

The ztC Endurance console​ may hang if you use the up and down arrow keys while on the Hardware page. If this occurs, use the F5 key or the refresh button to reload the page.

System Reports a PSU Error When Power State Changes From No Power to Powered On

When a ztC Endurance system goes from a state of no power to power, the ztC Endurance console​ may report that one or both PSUs have failed. Some examples of when this situation can occur are during the initial power-on, or if you remove both power cords from the system, reconnect them, and boot the system. As long as both PSU LEDs are solid green, there is no imminent danger, and you can address the issue at a convenient time. However, if the PSU LEDs are solid amber or blinking amber, there may be a legitimate problem with the PSUs that requires prompt attention.

If you encounter this issue:

• If you can physically access the ztC Endurance system:

  1. Check the PSU LED status. Both PSU LEDs should be solid green, indicating that the PSUs are okay. See Figure 29 and Table 12.

  2. Remove the power cord from the PSU that the ztC Endurance console​ reported as failed. See Figure 46.

  3. Wait for the LED on the affected PSU to completely turn off. See Figure 29.

  4. Reconnect the power cord. See Connecting the System to Electrical Power.

• If the system is remote and you cannot physically access it, contact Stratus Customer Service for assistance.

IPv6 Must Be Enabled in BMC Web Console

ztC Endurance systems are shipped with the Enable IPv6 setting selected in the BMC Web console. The ztC Endurance system does not work if you disable this setting.

The Enable IPv6 setting is located in Settings>Network Settings>Network IP Settings. When you select this setting, the Enable IPv6 DHCP setting appears; select this setting as well. For more information about the BMC Web console, see Overview of the BMC Web Console.

X710 Adapter Link Still Active After Bringing Down Adapter

If you run the following command for either the Intel X710 PCIe adapter or the Intel X710 embedded adapter, the link should be brought down:

esxcli network nic down -n vmnicNN

However, although the esxcfg-nics -l command reports that the links are down, the link LEDs for the adapter and the switch to which it is attached remain illuminated, indicating that the link is still active. This may result in issues with static-link aggregation configurations, where the switch still sees the link as active even though the adapter has been disabled in the ESXi host.

Reconfiguring System from Static IPv6 Addresses to Dynamic IPv4 Addresses

If your ztC Endurance system has been configured with static IPv6 addresses and you are reconfiguring the system to use dynamic (DHCP) IPv4 addresses, perform the following procedure before running net_config.sh:

1. Log in to one of the BMC Web consoles.

2. Select Settings, then select Network Settings, and then select Network IP Settings.

3. On the Network IP Settings page:

   1. Select the Enable IPv6 DHCP check box.

   2. Enter 0 in the IPv6 Address field.

   3. Click Save and exit the BMC Web console.

Repeat this procedure on the other BMC Web console.

Spurious PSU Fan Alert After PSU Powers Up

After you remove power from a PSU and then reapply power (either by removing and reinserting a PSU or by unplugging a power cord from the wall and plugging it back in), you may receive an alert that is similar to the following:

This spurious alert clears itself within 15 seconds. You then receive an alert that is similar to the following:

You can safely ignore these alerts.

Delete Upgrade Files If Management VM Lacks Disk Space

After you upgrade to a newer ztC Endurance release, the files used by the upgrade may cause the management VM to lack disk space. To free up space for the management VM:

1. Select and delete the upgrade kit from the ztC Endurance console​ as described in Upgrade Kits Page.

2. Delete the files and folders located in /opt/stratus/upgrade_kits as shown in the following example:

   $ sudo ls /opt/stratus/mgmt/upgrade_kits
   temp_kitDir_1204548283  ztcEndurance_upgrade_1.1.0.0-556  ztcEndurance_upgrade_1.1.0.0-556.kit
   $
   $ sudo bash -c "rm -r /opt/stratus/mgmt/upgrade_kits/*"
   $ sudo ls /opt/stratus/mgmt/upgrade_kits
   $

Resolve Active Alerts Before Upgrading System Software

If you attempt to upgrade the system software and the ztC Endurance system has active alerts of any kind, including informational alerts, the upgrade fails with the following message:

After you resolve all active alerts, you can proceed with the upgrade.

Enter Only One DNS Server During Installation

If you try to enter more than one name server for the Standby OS, ESXi host, or Management VM in the installation configuration file (zen_config.yaml) or when prompted in the installation script, the script will not proceed until you enter only one name server. If needed, you can add a second name server after installation by using standard Ubuntu or VMware ESXi management utilities.

For the Standby OS specifically, if you earlier added one or more additional name servers and then you replace a compute module or upgrade the system software, you must manually add the additional name server(s) back to the Standby OS. You must do this because those operations reinstall the Standby OS, and any configuration operations outside those specified by the ztC Endurance installation are lost during the reinstallation.

Do Not Use Certain Special Characters in BMC Password

Do not use the special characters #, !, or $ in the BMC Web console admin password. If you enter a BMC password that contains these special characters during the installation process, the installation fails with an Invalid placeholder in string error message.

Reporting Error in zenverify Program

After a ztC Endurance system is installed, you verify the system's installation by running the zenverify program from a standby compute module. Currently, if the compute module's complex programmable logic device (CPLD) version is 1.2.0, zenverify reports a failure of the CPLD firmware version. This is a reporting error, not an actual failure; Automated Uptime Layer with Smart Exchange Release 1.1.0.0 supports both the 1.2.0 and 1.4.0 versions of the compute module's CPLD. You can safely ignore this error.

Accessing Stratus Knowledge Base Articles

For information about accessing Stratus Knowledge Base articles, see Getting Help.

Getting Help

If you have a technical question about ztC Endurance systems, see Getting Help.