Comments on: Memtest86 and Ramcheck – ESX RAM Test Options http://vmetc.com/2008/07/31/memtest86-and-ramcheck-esx-ram-test-options/ Go Green with Virtualization. Go UGLY Green with vmetc.com. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 11:33:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Memory Testing In ESX | VM-Aware http://vmetc.com/2008/07/31/memtest86-and-ramcheck-esx-ram-test-options/comment-page-1/#comment-964 Memory Testing In ESX | VM-Aware Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:45:55 +0000 http://vmetc.com/?p=557#comment-964 [...] Bramley has written another excellent article that has stoked up some helpful comments as [...] [...] Bramley has written another excellent article that has stoked up some helpful comments as [...]

]]> By: Eric Siebert http://vmetc.com/2008/07/31/memtest86-and-ramcheck-esx-ram-test-options/comment-page-1/#comment-944 Eric Siebert Fri, 08 Aug 2008 15:16:31 +0000 http://vmetc.com/?p=557#comment-944 It was a handy unobtrusive utility but testing beforehand with memtest is the preferred way to do it. Unfortunately most people don't do this so Ramcheck was a nice way to do it afterwards without having to take your host down for a whole day while it runs. I wrote a blog article on the topic a few months back also. http://servervirtualization.blogs.techtarget.com/2008/05/13/the-importance-of-burning-in-your-virtual-servers/ It was a handy unobtrusive utility but testing beforehand with memtest is the preferred way to do it. Unfortunately most people don’t do this so Ramcheck was a nice way to do it afterwards without having to take your host down for a whole day while it runs. I wrote a blog article on the topic a few months back also.

http://servervirtualization.blogs.techtarget.com/2008/05/13/the-importance-of-burning-in-your-virtual-servers/

]]> By: Rich http://vmetc.com/2008/07/31/memtest86-and-ramcheck-esx-ram-test-options/comment-page-1/#comment-911 Rich Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:35:00 +0000 http://vmetc.com/?p=557#comment-911 Eric, Thanks for the input. I thought Ramcheck eventually tests all memory, but it takes much longer because it can only work with free memory as you point out. Assuming VMs are not reserved memory then eventually all memory should cycle through when when not in use. Eric,

Thanks for the input. I thought Ramcheck eventually tests all memory, but it takes much longer because it can only work with free memory as you point out. Assuming VMs are not reserved memory then eventually all memory should cycle through when when not in use.

]]> By: Eric Siebert http://vmetc.com/2008/07/31/memtest86-and-ramcheck-esx-ram-test-options/comment-page-1/#comment-906 Eric Siebert Fri, 01 Aug 2008 15:32:53 +0000 http://vmetc.com/?p=557#comment-906 Ramcheck wasn't all that great anyway. The main problem with it is that it would only over test free memory on an ESX server. If you had a busy server with a lot of RAM in use then it can not test that RAM. Memtest86 is the way to go. Ramcheck wasn’t all that great anyway. The main problem with it is that it would only over test free memory on an ESX server. If you had a busy server with a lot of RAM in use then it can not test that RAM. Memtest86 is the way to go.

]]> By: Rich http://vmetc.com/2008/07/31/memtest86-and-ramcheck-esx-ram-test-options/comment-page-1/#comment-904 Rich Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:00:36 +0000 http://vmetc.com/?p=557#comment-904 MichaelK, Thanks for pointing this out. That's disappointing, and I guess that makes the only option for testing RAM on ESX 3.5 hosts in production is to VMotion evacuate the guest and use Memtest86. MichaelK,

Thanks for pointing this out. That’s disappointing, and I guess that makes the only option for testing RAM on ESX 3.5 hosts in production is to VMotion evacuate the guest and use Memtest86.

]]> By: MichaelK http://vmetc.com/2008/07/31/memtest86-and-ramcheck-esx-ram-test-options/comment-page-1/#comment-903 MichaelK Fri, 01 Aug 2008 07:09:06 +0000 http://vmetc.com/?p=557#comment-903 Looks like the useful ramcheck utility has been removed from ESX 3.5 "Ramchecker Service Fails to Start on the ESX Server 3.5 Versions The Ramchecker utility is not supported, and does not work on ESX Server 3.5 versions. Starting with this release, to prevent the installation of the Ramchecker utility, the Ramchecker service is removed from the VMware-esx-lnxcfg RPM, and the Ramchecker binary is removed from the VMware-esx-apps RPM. On ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3.5 Update1 systems, the Ramchecker service fails to start, with an error message similar to the following: Starting ramchecker /usr/lib/vmware/bin/ramcheck: error while loading shared libraries: libc.so.6: failed to map segment from shared object: Error 28" http://www.vmware.com/support/vi3/doc/vi3_esx35u2_vc25u2_rel_notes.html Looks like the useful ramcheck utility has been removed from ESX 3.5

“Ramchecker Service Fails to Start on the ESX Server 3.5 Versions
The Ramchecker utility is not supported, and does not work on ESX Server 3.5 versions. Starting with this release, to prevent the installation of the Ramchecker utility, the Ramchecker service is removed from the VMware-esx-lnxcfg RPM, and the Ramchecker binary is removed from the VMware-esx-apps RPM.
On ESX Server 3.5 and ESX Server 3.5 Update1 systems, the Ramchecker service fails to start, with an error message similar to the following:
Starting ramchecker /usr/lib/vmware/bin/ramcheck: error while loading shared libraries: libc.so.6: failed to map segment from shared object: Error 28″

http://www.vmware.com/support/vi3/doc/vi3_esx35u2_vc25u2_rel_notes.html

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