Cisco 6509 ERAL-STBY-1-EXCESSIVE_PARITY_ERROR

[Minamitsubame]

Hi there, I saw below error messages on Cisco 6509

%EARL-STBY-1-EXCESSIVE_PARITY_ERROR: EARL 0: Parity error detected in VRAM

%EARL-STBY-1-EXCESSIVE_PARITY_ERROR: EARL 0: Parity error detected in VRAM

The IOS ver running in 6509 is 15.1(1)SY3, I checked CSCus64795 and will reload the card.

I would like to confirm is EARL-STBY-1 means the standby supervisor card ?

[Reza Sharifi · Accepted solution]

Hi,

Correct, stby is for stand-by. This is assuming you have 2 sups in the chassis right?

HTH

[Minamitsubame]

Hi Reza,

Yes, there is 2 sup card in 6509, and thanks for your clarifying.

Jan

[agapitca19]

Hi,

There's nothing else that I could think of apart from the standby supervisor(https://red9.nl/2017/02/catalyst-6500-parity-error/).

We encountered the same thing a couple of months ago(%EARL-SW2_DFC2-1-EXCESSIVE_PARITY_ERROR: EARL 0: Parity error detected in VRAM) with our 6807-XL vss switch. Errors were fixed after re-seating one of the line cards in our case and have it monitored for a few days.

***Please rate or mark the comment correct if you found it helpful. Thanks***

[3alee]

Hello, I'm running Version 15.3(1)SY with Sup6T in a Cat6807.  Could you advise which release or above could fix that bug?  Thanks a lot!

[Leo Laohoo]

Re-seating the line card usually fixes the problem.  

[3alee]

Thanks.  But, as a technical support personnel, if I tell my client about reseating or rebooting the line card for fixing the problem, it gives an impression to client that it is a product issue rather than software bug.  Or does it really a product issue rather than a software issue?

[Leo Laohoo]

EARL is an "engine" that learns and forwards packets to their destined ports.  It stores MAC Address, port assignment and VLAN information.  

When one gets an error message about EARL and parity check failures, it means there's a corruption in the database.  The only way to do so flush out the corruption.  Two methods of doing this:  Powering down the module or re-seating the line card. 

If the cause of the corruption is caused by, perhaps, physical mis-alignment of the line card during insertion then powering down the module is a waste of time.  However, re-seating of the line card could, potentially, be like knocking two birds with one stone.  

Tell the client whatever they want to hear.  But I have seen this error so many times and most of the time the fix is as simple as re-seating the line card.  I seldom get the opportunity to RMA the line card because of EARL parity check errors.

[3alee]

Thanks a very much.  Honestly, my client is very serious about such problem.  Even if reseating the module fixes the problem, they'll definitely ask questions like "How to verify if the module is properly seated?",  "The switch is not properly installed b'cos the module is not properly seated, right?"

[Leo Laohoo]

Honestly, my client is very serious about such problem.  Even if reseating the module fixes the problem, they'll definitely ask questions like "How to verify if the module is properly seated?"

If the client is so reluctant then I'd recommend that someone raise a TAC Case.