>> >>>> I'm getting a lot of machine check exception errors in dmesg on my >> >>>> hosted server. Running mcelog I get: >> >>>> ... >> > >> > They offered to take my machine down and do a memory test which they >> > said would take a number of hours. Is a memory test likely to help? >> > Did you suggest reseating or replacing RAM modules as opposed to a >> > memory test because it will result in less downtime? >> >> I suspect that your hosting provider are offering you this memory test >> because they don't want to go swapping out memory modules willy-nilly. >> >> How do they know that the problem is really memory, and not your operating >> system? If they take all this RAM out and put new RAM in, what do they do >> with the old RAM? They don't know if it's good or bad, so are they >> expected to just slap it in a server belonging to another customer, and >> stitch him up? >> >> A memory test is likely to identify bad RAM, if it is bad, so you should >> proceed with this. This is likely the best route to solving the problem. >> >> I think that ideally, for you, they would move the system image onto a >> different known-good server with the same configuration. Then you cannot >> complain if the same problems start occurring again. If the problem is >> genuinely hardware then they won't. And the hosting provider is free to >> run diagnostics on your old machine. >> >> But realistically, the memory test is likely to show up a bad RAM module, >> you'll get it replaced and be up and running within a few hours. Why would >> you refuse? If your system needed a guaranteed uptime you'd perhaps have >> to pay for a higher level of service than the fees you're paying at >> present. > > I run memory tests overnight. If a module is seriously borked then it will > fail earlier. Reseating/replacing takes a few minutes, instead of hours. > > If they have spare machines (for dev't or testing) they can fit the memory > module(s) there and test them exhaustively, before they put the good ones back > into a customer's machine.
Thanks Mick and Stroller. I'll see if they'll go for this. - Grant
