Error Reporting and Handling Intel® Server Boards S3200SH/S3210SH TPS
78 Revision 1.8
Intel Order Number: E14960-009
5.1.2 Error Logging via SMI Handler
The SMI (System Management Interrupt) handler manages and logs system level events. The
SMI handler pre-processes all system errors, even those that are normally considered to
generate an NMI (Non-maskable interrupt).
The SMI handler logs the event to NVRAM (Non-volatile Random Access Memory). For
example, the BIOS programs the hardware to generate SMI on a single-bit memory error and
logs the error in the NVRAM in the terms of SMBIOS Type 15. After the BIOS finishes logging
the error, it asserts the NMI if needed.
5.1.2.1 PCI Bus Error
The PCI bus defines two error pins, PERR# and SERR#. These are used for reporting PCI
parity errors and system errors, respectively.
In the case of PERR#, the PCI bus master has the option to retry the offending transaction, or to
report it using SERR#. All other PCI-related errors are reported by SERR#. All PCI-to-PCI
bridges are configured so they generate SERR# on the primary interface whenever there is
SERR# on the secondary side. Section 5.1.4 describes the format of the data bytes.
5.1.2.2 PCI Express* Errors
All uncorrectable PCI Express* errors are logged as PCI system errors and promoted to an NMI.
All correctable PCI Express* errors are logged as PCI parity errors.
5.1.2.3 Memory Errors
The hardware is programmed to generate an SMI on correctable data errors in the memory
array. The SMI handler records the error to the NVRAM. The uncorrectable errors may have
corrupted the contents of SMRAM. If the SMRAM contents are still valid, the SMI handler logs
the error to the NVRAM if the SMRAM contents are still valid. Section 5.1.4 describes the format
of the data bytes.
5.1.3 SMBIOS Type 15
Errors are logged to NVRAM in the terms of SMBIOS Type 15 (System Event Log). Refer to the
SMBIOS Specification, version 2.4 for more detailed information. The following section also
defines the format of the records.
5.1.4 Logging Format Conventions
The BIOS logs an error into the NVRAM area with the following record format, which is defined
in the SMBIOS Specification, version 2.4.
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