ethtool --identify fails for ixgbe X553 NICs

[TTim3]

I originally posted on "Wired Ethernet" and was told to post my issue in this forum, soooo here goes:

Hi,

we're currently setting up new hardware with Linux (Devuan Ascii / Debian 9) on Atom Denverton 3758 SoC systems utilizing the X553 NICs.

While general networking seems to work mostly fine (albeit they do seem to need a manual ifdown / ifup after a reboot to properly work...), our go-to method to identify the NICs by LEDs blinking (ethtool -p / --identify ethX) doesn't seem to do anything. The command is being accepted (on unsupported hardware we'd get a "Operation not supported"), but there's simply no blinking happening .

Various other Intel NICs in use (older chipsets using the e1000 or igb drivers, for example 82574L or I350) display the expected behavior. We've tried the newest drivers 5.3.7. as well as the ones shipped with our kernel of choice (4.16. from backports) - neither seem to work.

[CarlosAM_INTEL]

Hello, Dysomnia:

Thank you for contacting Intel Embedded Community.

In order to be on the same page, could you please let us know if the affected device has been developed by you or a third-party company? In case it is a third-party device, could you please give us all the information related to it?

In case that it is your own design, could you please list the sources that you use to develop the affected design?

Waiting for your reply to these questions.

Best regards,

Carlos_A.

[TTim3]

Hi,

We're using the A2SDi-8C-HLN4F board from https://www.supermicro.com/products/motherboard/atom/A2SDi-8C-HLN4F.cfm Supermicro

[CarlosAM_INTEL]

Hello, Dysomnia :

Thanks for your reply.

In order to help you with your problem, we suggest you address your questions related to the third-party device that you have mentioned at the following website as a reference:

https://www.supermicro.com/support/index.cfm https://www.supermicro.com/support/index.cfm

We hope that this information may help you.

Best regards,

Carlos_A.

[TTim3]

Supermicro support said the following:

We do not know if this soc (System on chip) does support this Linux based feature. We checked the Intel whitepapers but it is also not listed as an option or feature.

Did you check the community if more Devuan Ascii / Debian 9 see this issue by other brands with the same soc?

Sooo... X55x / ixgbe dropped support for ethtool blinking? I'm confused?

[CarlosAM_INTEL]

Hello, Dysomnia :

Thanks for your update.

The generic information that may help you is stated on page 4 of the https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/product-briefs/atom-c3000-family-brief.pdf Intel Atom(R) C3000 Processor Product Brief.https://www.intel.com/content/dam/www/public/us/en/documents/product-briefs/atom-c3000-family-brief.pdf

We hope that it is useful to you.

Best regards,

Carlos_A.

[TTim3]

Is this blinking / debug feature something that is fully integrated in the Intel part of the system or does the board manufacturer (in this case Supermicro) have to take additional steps to make it work? In any case, it doesn't seem to be a feature that is "worthy" of listing in any whitepapers, since it does work just fine on the mentioned older systems (Atom D525) we're using, and yet is nowhere to be found in the technical documents.

[CarlosAM_INTEL]

Hello, Dysomnia :

Thanks for your update.

It is unclear if you confirm our previous suggestion. Due to this fact, could you please verify it and let us know your outputs when you try to use any of the Operating System (OS) listed in the mentioned document?

By the way, could you please give us the sources where you found the information to develop the implementation stated in your first communication?

Waiting for all the information that should answer these questions.

Best regards,

Carlos_A.

[TTim3]

We installed CentOS 7.3 from the Supported OS list on the same hardware to check for any differences in behavior - unfortunately there are none: The ethtool command is being accepted, but there is no LED activity.

I'm not sure I understand your other request? We're not implementing or developing any features ourselves - we're installing unadulterated Linux images including standard networking tools on existing hardware (the mentioned Supermicro A2SDi-8C-HLN4F) and find ourselves wondering why one of the staple features of all Intel NICs we've used over the past few years isn't working - and, in extension, if we need to bug you about it - or if it's an issue with the Supermicro board.

[CarlosAM_INTEL]

Hello, Dysomnia :

Thanks for your update.

Based on the information stated in the product brief document, which is generic for third-party devices as we cited, you should address your consultation related to the cited tool at the bugs channel stated in the following website provided to you as a reference:

https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/software/network/ethtool/ https://mirrors.edge.kernel.org/pub/software/network/ethtool/

We hope that this information may help you.

Best regards,

Carlos_A.