Kernel Panic with LINUX VPN client

[w.beck]

we are using a VPN connection between a LINUX client (SuSE 7.3) and a Concentrator. We are facing a system crash randomly when establishing and disconnecting the tunnel, a part of the message on the console is "module cvpnd" "Kernel panic in Interrupt handler" "killing interrupt handler", but only when the system is quit busy. To investigate this behaviour, we implemented some test-scripts which give the system a heavy CPU load. We tried different kinds of connection (ISDN, DSL), client versions 3.6.3 and 3.7, different Kernels and drivers and PCs (also from different manufacturers).

Any ideas?

[awaheed]

Hi Beck,

The following would provide some details on how you can troubleshoot this problem.

LINUX PANIC OUTPUT:

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You may not be seeing the panic output, because having X window running may be hiding the kernel panic messages. It may be panicking, but because X is running, you may not see the panic messages.

One trick that helps find out if a kernel panic is occurring, is to setup a serial port as a terminal, and using a terminal emulator running on a separate machine to monitor that terminal when a system lockup occurs.

You may find this URL to be helpful

http//www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Text-Terminal-HOWTO.html

Http//www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Text-Terminal-HOWTO-14.html , which focuses on setting up a serial port to be a terminal/console, is especially applicable...

Let me know if you need help setting this up. I will also help you use ksymoops to decode the kernel panic output, once it is captured, using the terminal console, as described in the URL above..

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Aamir

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[w.beck]

there were no results with ksymoops. We opened a TAC case, the problem is definitely the VPN client. The system is stable if we dial-in over ISDN directly to a router.