Installing DOCA 3.7 on ubuntu - no DPU interfaces

Infrastructure & Networking DOCA Getting Started & Resources
1

I followed the DPU Installation Guide for v3.7 using Ubuntu 20.0.4 on the server with BF2 and installed SDKManager and used it to update the host and DPU. When it completed, I can see that the DPU has Port1 and OOB connectivity - but the host has lost all connectivity. And an OS error message pops up that netplan script is corrupt…

I think I have run into a known SDK release note issue:
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Description: Kernel upgrade is not currently supported on BlueField as there are out of tree kernel modules (e.g., ConnectX drivers that will stop working after kernel upgrade).

Workaround: Kernel can be upgraded if there is a matching DOCA repository that includes all the drivers compiled with the new kernel or as a part of the new BFB package.

Keywords: Kernel; upgrade
Discovered in version: 3.7.0

I fixed the host network connectivity by having netplan generate a new config file - but that file only has one embedded host NIC and the tmfifo NIC.

I don’t see any instructions to follow the release note workaround. It sounds like the BF2 host drivers need to be rebuilt with the current kernel.

How do I do that?

2

Hi Monty, have you made any progress on this? I’ve never heard of issues with an SDKManager install that produces this problem, but I’d recommend trying a manual install and ensure that you perform the steps to reset the nvconfig params: sudo mlxconfig -d /dev/mst/<device> -y reset and then also that the firmware is up to date (on the DPU you run sudo /opt/mellanox/mlnx-fw-updater/mlnx_fw_updater.pl)

The complete manual installation steps are here in our guide: Installation Guide :: NVIDIA DOCA SDK Documentation

3

Justin, yes I reinstalled following the installation guide and problem was resolved. Thanks!