Configuring Red Hat Enterprise Linux for the Summit Kernel
Abstract This Tip discusses considerations when installing Red Hat Enterprise Linux on xSeries servers equipped with the Summit chipset.
Contents Configuring Red Hat Enterprise Linux for the Summit kernel
IBM’s new high-end Intel based servers take advantage of the new IBM Summit chipsets. Summit is the name for a set of technologies inspired by proven mainframe capabilities in the areas of availability, scalability, and performance. Enhanced features include: Memory mirroring, redundant bit steering, chipkill memory L4 cache providing high speed communications between memory and CPU subsystems High performance PCI-X allowing adapters significantly better memory access Increased scalability
If you have an SMP system and you have booted the SMP or Enterprise kernel, you will find that the loading of Linux will hang. You should boot into the system BIOS and enable hyper-threading: Press F1 when prompted at the system BIOS. From the menu, select Advanced Setup -> CPU Options. Enable HyperThreading Technology. Once this is enabled, you will be able to boot with the SMP or Enterprise kernels. The Summit kernel should be used on servers with this technology except the x360. Once the Summit kernel is installed, hyper-threading can be switched off again if not required. The Summit kernel, source, and patch are supplied with the distribution CDs if required. Obtain the latest supported Summit kernel, headers, and source from the following site: http://rhn.redhat.com. You will need to register your licensed copy of Red Hat Enterprise Linux to obtain updates for this OS. Install the updates: rpm rpm rpm rpm -ivh -Uvh -Uvh -ivh kernel-summit-.rpm kernel-headers-.rpm kernel-source-.rpm kernel-.src.rpm
An entry will be added to /etc/grub.conf which will allow you to boot from the Summit kernel. Edit the default field to boot from this kernel by default. When using the summit kernel, it is also necessary to install a patch which is supplied with the kernel.src.rpm file. Type the following commands to install the patch: cd /usr/src/linux- patch -p1 < /usr/src/redhat/SOURCES/linux--summit.patch cp -f configs/kernel--i686-summit.congif .config