ifconfig fails with error "no such interface"

Asset ID:	1-72-1003454.1
Update Date:	2010-06-10
Keywords:

Solution Type Problem Resolution Sure

Solution 1003454.1 : ifconfig fails with error "no such interface"

Applies to:

Sun Quad GigaSwift Ethernet UTP Adapter
Sun Gigabit Ethernet / FC-AL PCI Adapter
Sun Dual FastEthernet and Dual SCSI/P Adapter
Sun FastEthernet PCI Adapter
Sun FastEthernet SBus Adapter
All Platforms

Symptoms

When attempting to use "plumb" with ifconfig, the interface gives the
following error message:

# ifconfig ce2 plumb
ifconfig: SIOCSLIFNAME for ip: ce2: no such interface

Changes

{CHANGE}

Cause

{CAUSE}

Solution

This error indicates that the network driver module is loaded but the system does not see the PPA (Physical Point of Attachment).

This can occur in the following circumstances:

-when trying to use ifconfig plumb on an interface that doesn't exist.
-when the wrong instance number is given.
-when the nic card was moved to another slot.
-if after adding the NIC card, the system was not booted and could not recognize the new configuration.
-if a NIC was replaced by a card with a different chip set using the same driver (see Additional Information).

In this example,plumb ce2 fails:

# ifconfig ce2 plumb
ifconfig: SIOCSLIFNAME for ip: ce2: no such interface

To find the reason for failure:

1. Check /etc/path_to_inst to determine if PPA exist.

 # grep  ce /etc/path_to_inst
"/pci@1c,600000/network@2" 0 "ce"
"/pci@1f,700000/network@1" 1 "ce"
^ PPA ( driver instance number)

This shows that only ce0 and ce1 are in the system and that ce2 is not available.

2. Use the prtconf or prtdiag command to confirm the NIC is seen.

  # prtconf |grep network
network, instance #0
network, instance #1
# /usr/platform/`uname -m`/sbin/prtdiag |grep network
0   pci    66           MB  pci108e,abba (network)        SUNW,pci-ce

    0   pci    66           MB  pci108e,abba (network)        SUNW,pci-ce

If the device is seen in prtdiag, then a "boot -r" may be required to update the /etc/path_to_inst file.

Additional Information

If an older ce card (e.g. QGE X4444A) is replaced with a newer one (e.g. QGE-X X4445A), a similar behavior as described above is seen.
As the newer card uses a different chip set, the device path in /etc/path_to_inst can not be used any more, even if the NIC occupies the same slot. So, after a reconfigure boot, new device instances get added in /etc/path_to_inst.

E.g. if the QGE card was using device instances ce0-ce3, after the replacement with a QGE-X card device instances ce4-ce7 will be used. In this case file /etc/hostname.ce4 would be used to configure the first port of the QGE-X card (rather than file /etc/hostname.ce0). Similar applies to second to fourth ports.

This change in device instance(s) may also affect any configuration using fixed interface names (e.g. the Sun Cluster software).

See also
Technical Instruction Reconfiguration boot discussion

Product
Sun Quad FastEthernet cPCI Adapter
Sun Quad FastEthernet SBus Adapter
Sun Quad FastEthernet PCI Adapter
Sun GigaSwift Ethernet PCI Adapter

Internal Comments
For Interanl Sun Use Only

[email protected]

 (added replacement case/Additional Information: [email protected])

TechDomain (former PTS) Product Pages :

http://systems-tsc/net/ethernet

http://systems-tsc/net/ce

SIOCSLIFNAME, ifconfig, no such interface, instance, substitute, swap
Previously Published As
72761

Change History
Date: 2007-05-10
User Name: 31620
Action: Approved
Comment: Verified Metadata - ok
Verified Keywords - ok
Verified still correct for audience - currently set at internal
Checked review date - currently set to 2008-04-25
Checked for TM - ok as presented
Publishing under the current publication rules of 18 Apr 2005:
Version: 6

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