Hi everybody,

Lte last night, my Dell 7150 PowerEdge server went down, due to a memory failure (one memory module failed). When I tried to boot I got a long list of errors and the message "Kernel panic: Fatal Exception". I copied down the two sets of error messages.

The evening before the memory failure, I had run up2date for the RH Enterprise AS 3.0 system. At the start of that update, I read a warning that said something like "the Kernel is not compatible with other parts of the system" and that I should install the correct kernel. I went ahead and ran up2date, but had no assurances that the kernel was updated.

Late that night the machine shutdown due to the memory failure. When I tried to reboot 1/4 of the 16GB RAM was mapped out. The Kernel panic happened at the start of the ELILO boot. When I tried to reboot after the panic, the panic came again, but this time toward the end of the boot.

So, I booted from the original installation disks for the Enterprise AS 3.0 system. And, I backed-up the important work I had been doing on an auxilliary disk.

Question: How should I deal with the kernel panic problem? Should I re-instal the sytem on the former bootable drive. Should I install a new system on an auxilliary drive? Or, should I do something else entirely?

Regards,

Peter

The first thing I would do I replace the RAM with good working ram with at least the same amount that was there before then worry about the software issues after. Have you tried that yet?

Hi BajaNick,

The new memory will be delivered on Monday. As you suggest, I will install that first and then attack the software problem. I'll post a response after I try the system after the repair.

Thanks so much,

Peter

Hi BajaNick,

Here I am again.

The repair worked perfectly. Now, the memory is restored to the original 16 GB of RAM. However, the kernel panic during bootup remains. Something must have gone wrong with the system files during the second of the memory failures (there were actually two failures). The kernel panic happens after almost all the Linux functions get the green [OK]. The error message is: "Kernel panic: Fatal exception Interrupt handler-not syncing".

Please let me know what you suggest. Of course, if anyone else has any ideas, I would very much appreciate hearing from you.

Regards,

Peter

Hi everybody,

I solved the problem. Still need some advice though.

The problem was a damaged kernel RH 2.4.21-27.0.2.EL. I was able to boot from the previous kernel RH 2.4.21-27.0.1.EL. Now I have a few important questions:

1. Shall I delete the damaged kernel?
2. What changes should be made in elilo.conf?
3. Can I update the system using up2date, without causing an incompatibility of software.
4. When I originally registered the system, I had restricted automatic updates to NOT update the kernel. How can I reset that request so that I get the latest kernel?
5. Any other advice?

Thanks to anyone who is listening.

Peter