Re: [gentoo-user] machine check exception errors

[Grant]

>> >>>> I'm getting a lot of machine check exception errors in dmesg on my
>> >>>> hosted server.  Running mcelog I get:
>> >>>> ...
>> >
>> > They offered to take my machine down and do a memory test which they
>> > said would take a number of hours.  Is a memory test likely to help?
>> > Did you suggest reseating or replacing RAM modules as opposed to a
>> > memory test because it will result in less downtime?
>>
>> I suspect that your hosting provider are offering you this memory test
>> because they don't want to go swapping out memory modules willy-nilly.
>>
>> How do they know that the problem is really memory, and not your operating
>> system? If they take all this RAM out and put new RAM in, what do they do
>> with the old RAM? They don't know if it's good or bad, so are they
>> expected to just slap it in a server belonging to another customer, and
>> stitch him up?
>>
>> A memory test is likely to identify bad RAM, if it is bad, so you should
>> proceed with this. This is likely the best route to solving the problem.
>>
>> I think that ideally, for you, they would move the system image onto a
>> different known-good server with the same configuration. Then you cannot
>> complain if the same problems start occurring again. If the problem is
>> genuinely hardware then they won't. And the hosting provider is free to
>> run diagnostics on your old machine.
>>
>> But realistically, the memory test is likely to show up a bad RAM module,
>> you'll get it replaced and be up and running within a few hours. Why would
>> you refuse? If your system needed a guaranteed uptime you'd perhaps have
>> to pay for a higher level of service than the fees you're paying at
>> present.
>
> I run memory tests overnight.  If a module is seriously borked then it will
> fail earlier.  Reseating/replacing takes a few minutes, instead of hours.
>
> If they have spare machines (for dev't or testing) they can fit the memory
> module(s) there and test them exhaustively, before they put the good ones back
> into a customer's machine.

Thanks Mick and Stroller.  I'll see if they'll go for this.

- Grant