Azure Stack HCI
A hyperconverged infrastructure operating system delivered as an Azure service that provides security, performance, and feature updates.
369 questions
ECC memory requirementsfor Azure Stack HCI, version 23H2
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Aaron Parker
0
Reputation points
Has there recently been an ECC memory requirement implemented for Azure Stack HCI 23H2? There is nothing on the Server and storage requirements page that indicates that ECC memory is required (see here). However, when attempting to deploy a 2-node cluster in my home lab today (using two Minisforum MS-01 workstations), I get the following error during the validation phase:
Type 'ValidateHardware' of Role 'EnvironmentValidator' raised an exception: { "ExceptionType": "json", "ErrorMessage": { "Message": "Hardware requirements not met. Review output and remediate.", "Results": [ { "Name": "AzStackHci_Hardware_Test_PhysicalMemory_Instance_Property_ECC", "DisplayName": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC AP-AZHCI01", "Tags": { }, "Title": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC", "Status": 1, "Severity": 2, "Description": "Checking PhysicalMemory for property ECC has desired value", "Remediation": "https://aka.ms/hci-envch", "TargetResourceID": "Machine: AP-AZHCI01, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller0-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 0", "TargetResourceName": "Machine: AP-AZHCI01, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller0-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 0", "TargetResourceType": "PhysicalMemory", "Timestamp": "\/Date(1731779752874)\/", "AdditionalData": { "Detail": "PhysicalMemory property \u0027ECC\u0027 value \u0027False\u0027. Expected \u0027True\u0027", "Status": "FAILURE", "TimeStamp": "11/16/2024 17:55:52", "Resource": "False", "Source": "PhysicalMemory: ECC" }, "HealthCheckSource": "Deployment\\Medium\\Hardware\\4b24f153" }, { "Name": "AzStackHci_Hardware_Test_PhysicalMemory_Instance_Property_ECC", "DisplayName": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC AP-AZHCI01", "Tags": { }, "Title": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC", "Status": 1, "Severity": 2, "Description": "Checking PhysicalMemory for property ECC has desired value", "Remediation": "https://aka.ms/hci-envch", "TargetResourceID": "Machine: AP-AZHCI01, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller1-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 1", "TargetResourceName": "Machine: AP-AZHCI01, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller1-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 1", "TargetResourceType": "PhysicalMemory", "Timestamp": "\/Date(1731779752889)\/", "AdditionalData": { "Detail": "PhysicalMemory property \u0027ECC\u0027 value \u0027False\u0027. Expected \u0027True\u0027", "Status": "FAILURE", "TimeStamp": "11/16/2024 17:55:52", "Resource": "False", "Source": "PhysicalMemory: ECC" }, "HealthCheckSource": "Deployment\\Medium\\Hardware\\4b24f153" }, { "Name": "AzStackHci_Hardware_Test_PhysicalMemory_Instance_Property_ECC", "DisplayName": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC AP-AZHCI02", "Tags": { }, "Title": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC", "Status": 1, "Severity": 2, "Description": "Checking PhysicalMemory for property ECC has desired value", "Remediation": "https://aka.ms/hci-envch", "TargetResourceID": "Machine: AP-AZHCI02, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller0-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 0", "TargetResourceName": "Machine: AP-AZHCI02, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller0-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 0", "TargetResourceType": "PhysicalMemory", "Timestamp": "\/Date(1731779753046)\/", "AdditionalData": { "Detail": "PhysicalMemory property \u0027ECC\u0027 value \u0027False\u0027. Expected \u0027True\u0027", "Status": "FAILURE", "TimeStamp": "11/16/2024 17:55:53", "Resource": "False", "Source": "PhysicalMemory: ECC" }, "HealthCheckSource": "Deployment\\Medium\\Hardware\\4b24f153" }, { "Name": "AzStackHci_Hardware_Test_PhysicalMemory_Instance_Property_ECC", "DisplayName": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC AP-AZHCI02", "Tags": { }, "Title": "Test PhysicalMemory Property ECC", "Status": 1, "Severity": 2, "Description": "Checking PhysicalMemory for property ECC has desired value", "Remediation": "https://aka.ms/hci-envch", "TargetResourceID": "Machine: AP-AZHCI02, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller1-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 1", "TargetResourceName": "Machine: AP-AZHCI02, Class: PhysicalMemory, Instance: Controller1-ChannelA-DIMM0, Tag: Physical Memory 1", "TargetResourceType": "PhysicalMemory", "Timestamp": "\/Date(1731779753077)\/", "AdditionalData": { "Detail": "PhysicalMemory property \u0027ECC\u0027 value \u0027False\u0027. Expected \u0027True\u0027", "Status": "FAILURE", "TimeStamp": "11/16/2024 17:55:53", "Resource": "False", "Source": "PhysicalMemory: ECC" }, "HealthCheckSource": "Deployment\\Medium\\Hardware\\4b24f153" } ] }, "ExceptionStackTrace": "at ParseResult, C:\\NugetStore\\AzStackHci.EnvironmentChecker.Deploy.1.2100.2845.573\\content\\Classes\\EnvironmentValidator\\EnvironmentValidator.psm1: line 1166 at Test-AzStackHciHardware, C:\\Program Files\\WindowsPowerShell\\Modules\\AzStackHci.EnvironmentChecker\\AzStackHciHardware\\AzStackHciHardware.psm1: line 110 at \u003cScriptBlock\u003e, \u003cNo file\u003e: line 1 at RunSingleValidator, C:\\NugetStore\\AzStackHci.EnvironmentChecker.Deploy.1.2100.2845.573\\content\\Classes\\EnvironmentValidator\\EnvironmentValidator.psm1: line 706 at ValidateHardware, C:\\NugetStore\\AzStackHci.EnvironmentChecker.Deploy.1.2100.2845.573\\content\\Classes\\EnvironmentValidator\\EnvironmentValidator.psm1: line 386 at \u003cScriptBlock\u003e, C:\\CloudDeployment\\ECEngine\\InvokeInterfaceInternal.psm1: line 139 at Invoke-EceInterfaceInternal, C:\\CloudDeployment\\ECEngine\\InvokeInterfaceInternal.psm1: line 134" } at RunSingleValidator, C:\NugetStore\AzStackHci.EnvironmentChecker.Deploy.1.2100.2845.573\content\Classes\EnvironmentValidator\EnvironmentValidator.psm1: line 722 at ValidateHardware, C:\NugetStore\AzStackHci.EnvironmentChecker.Deploy.1.2100.2845.573\content\Classes\EnvironmentValidator\EnvironmentValidator.psm1: line 386 at <ScriptBlock>, C:\CloudDeployment\ECEngine\InvokeInterfaceInternal.psm1: line 139 at Invoke-EceInterfaceInternal, C:\CloudDeployment\ECEngine\InvokeInterfaceInternal.psm1: line 134
It appears others have successfully deployed Azure Stack HCI using this same hardware as recently as May 2024 (seemingly without ECC memory--I don't believe this chipset even supports ECC). I'd appreciate if anyone has any additional information on this requirement (or a way to bypass it).
{count} votes
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Prrudram-MSFT 26,196 Reputation points2024-11-18T08:41:12.7466667+00:00 @Aaron Parker
I am reviewing this issue, please allow me sometime. I will get back with details. -
Aaron Parker 0 Reputation points
2024-11-19T03:37:18.54+00:00 @Prrudram-MSFT Thank you, much appreciated!
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Prrudram-MSFT 26,196 Reputation points
2024-11-19T08:01:45.0233333+00:00 Hello @Aaron Parker
I have confirmed with product team on this. Windows Server has always required ECC memory. Please check Hardware requirements for Windows Server | Microsoft Learn. This is now validated but was always a requirement. -
Aaron Parker 0 Reputation points
2024-11-20T03:36:24.43+00:00 @Prrudram-MSFT Thanks for the information. Just to be clear, it was confirmed that this is a relatively new check/validation implemented in the process? Any idea when this was put in place?
If it's possible to provide feedback to the Azure Stack HCI team, I'd encourage them to reconsider this validation and/or requirement. Home labs can be great training tools; artificially limiting the product behind an ECC requirement is very unfortunate and makes using this product in such an environment unfeasible.
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Aaron Parker 0 Reputation points
2024-11-20T03:42:56.1+00:00 <Accidentally posted twice, disregard>
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Prrudram-MSFT 26,196 Reputation points
2024-11-20T14:12:43.8033333+00:00 Hello @Aaron Parker
Appreciate the feedback, I have passed it on to the concerned product team. Regarding the validation check, I am not completely sure when it was added. I did ask this to our product team. I will keep you posted once I hear from them -
Hendrick Lorentz 0 Reputation points2024-11-21T12:43:37.5+00:00 I also second Aarons comment's. I used to deploy 23H2 HCI on VMs in our demo lab but since last week, this new validation came into effect and is preventing the Cloud Deployment on virtual machines. Labs are a critical part of the learning process and also useful for our sales cycle and POCs. Please provide an alternative way to bypass this validation so we can continue to use 23H2 in our demo environments
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Prrudram-MSFT 26,196 Reputation points
2024-11-21T13:31:49.7066667+00:00 I had a quick discussion with the product team. Per them, the ECC check has been in for quite a while for all 23H2 deployments. The suggestions is that customers can deploy it virtually on that hardware where we do not enforce the requirements as virtual deployments are not supported for production.
Deploy a virtual Azure Local, version 23H2 system - Azure Local | Microsoft Learn
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Nathan 0 Reputation points MVP2024-11-21T15:01:17.9833333+00:00 Azure MVP here who loves to play around with Stack HCI in his home lab as well.
Please relax the ECC requirement, or give us an option to bypass it. This was previously not required, so why make it required now?
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Prrudram-MSFT 26,196 Reputation points
2024-11-22T04:52:18.06+00:00 Hi Nathan
Thanks for the feedback. I am discussing this product team. I will keep this thread posted with the details.
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Aaron Parker 0 Reputation points
2024-11-22T05:00:24.6766667+00:00 @Prrudram-MSFT Thank you for you attention to this, it's definitely appreciated. I'd also like to point out that the suggestion to deploy virtually also appears to be broken. I've not personally tried this yet, but according to @Hendrick Lorentz post above, this is also failing on VMs as well.
But VMs aside, I'd also argue that deploying virtually kind of misses a lot of the point of an Azure HCI deployment in a lab. The hardware is a large part of the equation, especially in a hyperconverged setup. You are missing much of the real-world applications when doing this solely via VM.
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Hendrick Lorentz 0 Reputation points
2024-11-23T01:13:43.7166667+00:00 Hi Aaron Parker thanks for your feedback. I work for an OEM HW vendor and we do lots of ASHCI deployment on physical servers but we use VMs for our training labs. Since all our kit has ECC modules this new requirement is not an issue on physical servers with ECC memory but only appears on VM as the memory gets reported as non-ECC even though is running on kit that has ECC memory modules. Having the ability to bypass this ECC requirement for our virtual labs would really be helpful especially because that was the way it worked before the recent changes.
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