During routine monitoring of a rack-mounted virtualization host, the help-desk reports that several VMs pause for a few seconds several times a day. The iLO system-event log shows repeated entries such as "PCIe fatal error - slot 3." The adapter in that slot is a dual-port 25 GbE NIC used exclusively for iSCSI storage and all firmware and driver versions are current. No other hardware alerts are present. After confirming that backups are up to date, which next step is MOST likely to restore stable operation with the least amount of downtime?
Migrate all VMs off the host and perform an in-place reinstallation of the hypervisor.
Disable slot 3 in system firmware so the error can no longer be logged.
Shut the host down, remove the NIC from slot 3, firmly reseat it, then power up and retest.
Replace the system board to eliminate a possible faulty PCIe root complex.
The log points to a fatal PCIe error originating from the storage NIC. A common cause is a card that is not fully seated in its slot, producing intermittent bus faults that briefly stall the host. Powering the server down and reseating the adapter re-establishes proper electrical contact and lets you verify whether the card or slot is truly defective-without large parts replacements or lengthy re-installs. Swapping the system board is far more disruptive and expensive, disabling the slot removes the host's storage path, and reinstalling the hypervisor addresses software, not the underlying hardware connection problem.
Ask Bash
Bash is our AI bot, trained to help you pass your exam. AI Generated Content may display inaccurate information, always double-check anything important.
What is iLO and how does it assist in troubleshooting?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
What are PCIe slots and why can seating issues occur?
Open an interactive chat with Bash
What is iSCSI and how does it depend on NIC stability?