igb + I350-T2 Offline Test Fails with Linux 2.6.33

I am evaluating the Ethernet Server Adapter I350-T2 to replace our previous end of life card. I have not had any issues with the card during my operational tests but when I execute the cards offline tests the network interface goes offline and requires the network service to be restarted. My concern that there is some real instability between my hardware/software and the I350 that could manifest in failures over prolonged use.

Here are my test results and kernel log data.

$ sudo ethtool --test eth2 offline

Cannot get strings: No such device

2016-03-03 11:04:34.833 localhost kernel: igb 0000:01:00.0: offline testing starting

2016-03-03 11:04:34.833 localhost kernel: igb 0000:01:00.0: eth2: igb: eth2 NIC Link is Down

2016-03-03 11:04:36.508 localhost kernel: igb 0000:01:00.0: eth2: igb: eth2 NIC Link is Up 100 Mbps Full Duplex, Flow Control: None

2016-03-03 11:04:36.943 localhost avahi-daemon[948]: Interface eth2.IPv4 no longer relevant for mDNS.

2016-03-03 11:04:36.943 localhost avahi-daemon[948]: Leaving mDNS multicast group on interface eth2.IPv4 with address 192.168.50.2.

2016-03-03 11:04:36.944 localhost kernel: igb 0000:01:00.0: eth2: PCIe link lost, device now detached

2016-03-03 11:04:36.944 localhost kernel: igb 0000:01:00.0: pattern test reg 002C failed: got 0x0000FFFF expected 0x00005A5A

2016-03-03 11:04:38.621 localhost kernel: igb 0000:01:00.0: testing shared interrupt

2016-03-03 11:04:40.315 localhost kernel: igb 0000:01:00.0: Cannot do PHY loopback test when SoL/IDER is active.

2016-03-03 11:04:45.155 localhost avahi-daemon[948]: Withdrawing address record for fe80::a236:9fff:XXXX:XXXX on eth2.

2016-03-03 11:04:45.155 localhost avahi-daemon[948]: Withdrawing address record for 192.168.50.2 on eth2.

2016-03-03 11:04:45.155 localhost ntpd[2499]: Deleting interface #8 eth2, fe80::a236:9fff:XXXX:XXXX#123, interface stats: received=0, sent=0, dropped=0, active_time=6201 secs

2016-03-03 11:04:45.155 localhost ntpd[2499]: Deleting interface #4 eth2, 192.168.50.2#123, interface stats: received=0, sent=0, dropped=0, active_time=6201 secs

Why is this offline test failing? Should I even worry that this test fails? Does anybody have some tips as to what I should change/fix/do to get the test to pass?

Thanks,

Stephan

Some background details:

OS: Linux Fedora 13

Motherboard: AIMB-780 w/ Intel Core i5-660

$ sudo ethtool -i eth2

driver: igb

version: 5.3.3.5

firmware-version: 1.63, 0x80000cbb

bus-info: 0000:01:00.0

$uname -r

2.6.33.5-112.fc13.i686.PAE

$ sudo lspci -s 01:00 -nnvvvk

01:00.0 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation I350 Gigabit Network Connection [8086:1521] (rev 01)

Subsystem: Intel Corporation Ethernet Server Adapter I350-T2 [8086:0002]

Physical Slot: 128

Control: I/O- Mem+ BusMaster+ SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx+

Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- <TAbort- <MAbort- >SERR- <PERR- INTx-

Latency: 0, Cache Line Size: 32 bytes

Interrupt: pin A routed to IRQ 16

Region 0: Memory at fbd00000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=1M]

Region 3: Memory at fbcfc000 (32-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]

Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3

Flags: PMEClk- DSI+ D1- D2- AuxCurrent=0mA PME(D0+,D1-,D2-,D3hot+,D3cold+)

Status: D0 NoSoftRst+ PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=1 PME-

Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable+ 64bit+

Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000

Masking: 00000000 Pending: 00000000

Capabilities: [70] MSI-X: Enable+ Count=10 Masked-

Vector table: BAR=3 offset=00000000

PBA: BAR=3 offset=00002000

Capabilities: [a0] Express (v2) Endpoint, MSI 00

DevCap: MaxPayload 512 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <64us

ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset+

DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable+ Non-Fatal+ Fatal+ Unsupported+

RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop+ FLReset-

MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes

DevSta: CorrErr+ UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq+ AuxPwr+ TransPend-

LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 5GT/s, Width x4, ASPM L0s L1, Latency L0 unlimited, L1 <32us

ClockPM- Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot-

LnkCtl: ASPM L0s L1 Enabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- Retrain- CommClk+

ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt-

LnkSta: Speed 2.5GT/s, Width x4, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt-

DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Range ABCD, TimeoutDis+

DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-

LnkCtl2: Target Link Speed: 5GT/s, EnterCompliance- SpeedDis-, Selectable De-emphasis: -6dB

Transmit Margin: Normal Operating Range, EnterModifiedCompliance- ComplianceSOS-

Compliance De-emphasis: -6dB

LnkSta2: Current De-emphasis Level: -6dB

Capabilities: [100 v2] Advanced Error Reporting

UESta: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-

UEMsk: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-

UESvrt: DLP+ SDES+ TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol-

CESta: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+

CEMsk: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+

AERCap: First Error Pointer: 00, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+ ChkEn-

Capabilities: [140 v1] Device Serial Number a0-36-9f-ff-ff-87-06-7c

Capabilities: [150 v1] Alternative Routing-ID Interpretation (ARI)

ARICap: MFVC- ACS-, Next Function: 1

ARICtl: MFVC- ACS-, Function Group: 0

Capabilities: [160 v1] Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV)

IOVCap: Migration-, Interrupt Message Number: 000

IOVCtl: Enable- Migration- Interrupt- MSE- ARIHierarchy-

IOVSta: Migration-

Initial VFs: 8, Total VFs: 8, Number of VFs: 8, Function Dependency Link: 00

VF offset: 384, stride: 4, Device ID: 1520

Supported Page Size: 00000553, System Page Size: 00000001

Region 0: Memory at 00000000c0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable)

Region 3: Memory at 00000000c0020000 (64-bit, prefetchable)

VF Migration: offset: 00000000, BIR: 0

Capabilities: [1a0 v1] #17

Capabilities: [1c0 v1] #18

Capabilities: [1d0 v1] Access Control Services

ACSCap: SrcValid- TransBlk- ReqRedir- CmpltRedir- UpstreamFwd- EgressCtrl- DirectTrans-

ACSCtl: SrcValid- TransBlk- ReqRedir- CmpltRedir- UpstreamFwd- EgressCtrl- DirectTrans-

Kernel driver in use: igb

Kernel modules: igb

01:00.1 Ethernet controller [0200]: Intel Corporation I350 Gigabit Network Connection [8086:1521] (rev 01)