C2750D4I Critical system log: GetFanSpeed returned -1

[wrayth]

I'm getting this message quite often in the Critical section of the System Log when I'm logged in via IMPI

IPMIMain: [542 CRITICAL][hal_hw.c:785]GetFanSpeed returned -1

Any thoughts?

[wrayth]

Re: C2750D4I Critical system log: GetFanSpeed returned -1

Additionally, I'm getting quite a few of the following under Information:

(CRON) error (grandchild #14398 failed with exit status 1)
/USR/SBIN/CRON[14392]: (CRON) info (No MTA installed, discarding output)

[parsec]

Re: C2750D4I Critical system log: GetFanSpeed returned -1

Do you have any fans connected to the board's fan headers? In particular, the CPU Fan1 header?

If not, then that may be the source of the messages in the log. The IPMI software is checking for a running fan and apparently not finding one.

The CRON information "error" looks like a scheduled program/task failed to complete. CRON in general is like the Windows Scheduled Tasks service, that runs programs at specific times. They are usually known as CRON jobs.

Guessing what MTA means (Mail Transfer Agent) in the message, the scheduled program tries to send emails via the MTA program, which is not installed or running, so the CRON job was unable to run or use the MTA, and logs that in that log.

What OS are you running on that system?

[wrayth]

Re: C2750D4I Critical system log: GetFanSpeed returned -1

Thanks for the explanations, I appreciate it!

Re: fan, that makes sense. I have no CPU fans running; this board is passively cooled.

I have a USB drive running FreeNAS, but these MTA messages are coming up regardless of what I'm running; currently I have Memtest86 running from a bootable USB.

[wrayth]

Re: C2750D4I Critical system log: GetFanSpeed returned -1

Still need some help on this, if possible! :)

[parsec]

Re: C2750D4I Critical system log: GetFanSpeed returned -1

Still need some help on this, if possible! :)

In what way?

Since you are not using the CPU Fan header, you'll keep getting those messages. But if the board and CPU is being cooled correctly, the error message does not apply. Any chance there is a BIOS option to disable the CPU Fan header or other configuration for it that would help?

The MTA error might be related to the LAN driver, and that whatever OS you are using does not have an MTA running. Note that Server 2008 and Server 2012 are the only supported OSes.

If you can figure out where the CRON entry is that tries to use the MTA, you can disable or delete that task.

[wrayth]

Re: C2750D4I Critical system log: GetFanSpeed returned -1

I haven't seen anything about how to disable the fan header, unfortunately, in the bios settings. Ideally being able to disable this message somehow would be very nice, otherwise I'm going to lose legitimate messages in the sea of spam that this generates.

For the CRON / MTA piece, why would I be getting these messages in the system log via IPMI if it's OS related? I'm a bit confused here. As I stated, when I was running FreeNAS via USB stick I got the messages, and I got them while running a bootable USB of Memtest86, too.