Lets collaborate -> CPU not reporting correctly

Bill Sullivan · 02-11-2008, 01:27 PM

Looks like the ball got dropped on the reporting of CPU's.

Description: Last update on the "processordesc.ini" file was sometime in 2006 meaning that any processor released after that time will not report accurately the type and potentially the speed.

I just confirmed this with Altiris and they state there is no development on this and to wait for NS7 for a fix.

YAY me!!!

So here is what I propose.
If anyone has time, have a look at article 39909 for instructions on how to identify and fix the issue per CPU type.

I will start to do some and post my "finds" here

I hope others are interested in this as well

Subscribe to feature request article 25785 to put more wieght on the issue so they may actually put time into this

Bill

jdean · 02-11-2008, 01:50 PM

So this is not the same issue as Windows XP or lower not reporting dual procs correctly?

Or is it the same? I can't clearly tell from that article.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill Sullivan

Looks like the ball got dropped on the reporting of CPU's.

Description: Last update on the "processordesc.ini" file was sometime in 2006 meaning that any processor released after that time will not report accurately the type and potentially the speed.

I just confirmed this with Altiris and they state there is no development on this and to wait for NS7 for a fix.

YAY me!!!

So here is what I propose.
If anyone has time, have a look at article 39909 for instructions on how to identify and fix the issue per CPU type.

I will start to do some and post my "finds" here

I hope others are interested in this as well

Subscribe to feature request article 25785 to put more wieght on the issue so they may actually put time into this

Bill

Bill Sullivan · 02-11-2008, 02:29 PM

Well Sort of the same issue. XP and 2003 can't identify the multicores and dual processors without the WMI updates as noted in that Technet link from what I gather.

We should be able to at least get the speed updated though (imo).

THis is becoming a very large task to try and get the last few years of missed processors found. I can't figure out how to edit the cpuspeed.ini t correspond with my processors

Bill Sullivan · 02-11-2008, 05:56 PM

Here is an update for Intel and AMD processors from the new HP servers

Processordesc.ini file
Under the heading:

[GenuineIntel]
00 0110 1111 0110 Intel Xeon Processor

and

[AuthenticAMD]
00 1111 0001 AMD Opteron Processor

add those then run the NS Package Refresh task and the next inventory should show the changes.

Bill Sullivan · 02-14-2008, 11:38 AM

Added the following today

Under the heading
[GenuineIntel]
00 1111 0100 0011 Intel Xeon Processor

Bill Sullivan · 02-14-2008, 04:13 PM

Added the following

[GenuineIntel]
00 0110 1111 1011 Intel Xeon Processor

[AuthenticAMD]
00 1111 0001 0011 AMD Opteron Processor

Bill Sullivan · 02-19-2008, 10:50 AM

I guess I am the only one updating this......but I will continue to post

[AuthenticAMD]
00 1111 0001 0010 AMD Opteron Processor

jtoller · 04-04-2008, 09:17 PM

I just added the below for my HP DL580 G3's:

[GenuineIntel]
00 1111 0100 1000 Intel Xeon Processor

Mike · 04-05-2008, 01:24 PM

Nice! Kinda annoying how almost everything comes up by default as "Intel Compatible" these days. This is really good information.

jtoller · 04-05-2008, 03:06 PM

Yes it is very annoying. Altiris really needs to release an updated processordesc.ini. I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't be using an updated one internally.

Bill Sullivan · 04-23-2008, 01:58 PM

More for Intel (note I think the top couple might have been in there already

00 0110 1111 0110 Intel Xeon Processor
00 1111 0100 0011 Intel Xeon Processor
00 0110 1111 1011 Intel Core 2 Duo
00 1111 0100 1000 Intel Xeon Processor
00 0110 1111 1010 Intel Core 2 Duo
00 0110 0100 1010 Intel Pentium 4 processor
00 0110 1111 0010 Intel Core 2 Duo

These are mainly Dell Desktops and laptops

kschroeder · 05-05-2008, 06:56 PM

I take it that the 4th set of binary (the Step from the AeXCpuIdent) will allow for identifying particular CPU sub-types (i.e. Core2 Duo T7500, Xeon E7340 (Xeon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia), etc). Anyone done anything around this?

We're also working on a Custom inventory using source code posted on Intel's site (there is an article on the Juice that is similar) to extract the # cores, HT Yes/No, # of sockets, etc. This is getting important due to our MS licensing, MS SQL 2005 in particular. It would be nice to tie the CPU model name to the cores/sockets, etc.

milla · 05-28-2008, 01:25 AM

This one is for the new Quad Core XEON's (E5345)

00 0110 1111 0111 Intel Xeon Processor

Does anyone know how you can provide a more descriptive description of the CPU than Intel Xeon Processor???

kschroeder · 05-28-2008, 10:23 AM

Milla,
You can, just change the "Intel Xeon Processor" with "Intel Xeon E5345 Quad Core" in your ProcessorDesc.ini file. I did the same for Core2 Duo laptop chips. The next time the CPU inventory runs you'll see your updated description of the CPU. We're working here on incorporating some Intel code for identifying multicore/multi-socket/Hyperthreading CPUs into a custom inventory to make it easier to identify these, and also help with licensing, since MS licenses SQL Server on a per-socket basis.

milla · 05-28-2008, 09:45 PM

Thanks for that Kyle.

I had tried several other descriptions instead but whenever the aexmachinv.exe ran, i could see in the debug view that it couldn't load the processor descriptions ini file.

How did you determine what you can write in for the processor descriptions?

kschroeder · 05-29-2008, 03:30 PM

Not sure why that would happen; are you adding them to the appropriate section of the .ini file (i.e. the [GenuineIntel] or [AuthenticAMD]? Here's what the last few lines of my [GenuineIntel] section and the top of my AMD section:

Code:

 
00 1111 0010 Intel Pentium 4 processor Special
00 1111 0100 1001 Intel Pentium 4 HT
00 0110 1111 Intel Core 2 Duo T7500
 
[AuthenticAMD]
00 0100 0000 Am486 or Am586 Processor
00 0101 0000 AMD-K5 Processor (Model 0)

There may be some limitation on the total line length...?

milla · 06-03-2008, 12:39 AM

It was under the appropriate section, all I changed within the file was the description.

For example.
"Intel Xeon Quad Core" to the "Intel Xeon E5345 Quad Core" and for some reason it picked up the file. I tried several variations of the description, but it seemed to only like your description, or the stock standard one.

I might play around with it some more, as it is handy to know the different processor types.

Thanks again.

g00ner · 07-15-2008, 02:38 AM

Bill, would you mind posting your processor.ini file?

Bill Sullivan · 07-24-2008, 12:14 PM

Trouble is that I have not collaborated this with all the NS systems I have put in place. They are spread out over 7-8 companies. Attached is one of them

g00ner · 08-07-2008, 05:26 AM

Thanks Bill, have added a few more entries for Core 2 Duo and Pentium 4 to it.

** 2008-08-20 Updated with Scorpio_XIII's AMD Athlon 64

Scorpio_XIII · 08-20-2008, 07:11 AM

Hello,

Thank you for this thread. It helped me a lot to understand the "Intel Compatible" issue.
I only work with Workstation and I found out this one:

[AuthenticAMD]
00 1111 1111 AMD Athlon 64

Applied the Altiris KB 39909 successfully and then applied it with the Hardware inventory.
The CPU is finally recognise as an AMD ATHLON 64.

Hope this helps...

Keep up the good work......

luke.S · 08-28-2008, 02:45 PM

00 1111 0100 1001 Intel Pentium 4 Processor (Hyper Threaded)
00 0110 1111 0010 Intel Dual-Core Processor
00 0110 1101 0110 Intel Pentium M
00 0110 1110 1000 Intel Celeron M
00 1111 0110 0100 Intel Xeon Processor
00 0110 1010 0000 AMD Athlon XP Processor
00 0110 1000 0000 AMD Athlon XP Processor