Intel E5310 Specification Update - Page 49

Workaround: VMM software should configure the virtual-machine control structure (VMCS) so that VM-entry failures do not occur. Status: For the steppings affected, see the Summary Tables of Changes. AJ120. Benign Exception after a Double Fault May Not Cause a Triple Fault Shutdown Problem: According to the Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual, Volume 3A, "Exception and Interrupt Reference", if another exception occurs while attempting to call the double-fault handler, the processor enters shutdown mode. However due to this erratum, only Contributory Exceptions and Page Faults will cause a triple fault shutdown, whereas a benign exception may not. Implication: If a benign exception occurs while attempting to call the double-fault handler, the processor may hang or may handle the benign exception. Intel has not observed this erratum with any commercially available software. Workaround: None identified. Status: For the steppings affected, see the Summary Tables of Changes. AJ121. IA32_MC1_STATUS MSR Bit[60] Does Not Reflect Machine Check Error Reporting Enable Correctly Problem: IA32_MC1_STATUS MSR (405H) bit[60] (EN- Error Enabled) is supposed to indicate whether the enable bit in the IA32_MC1_CTL MSR (404H) was set at the time of the last update to the IA32_MC1_STATUS MSR. Due to this erratum, IA32_MC1_STATUS MSR bit[60] instead reports the current value of the IA32_MC1_CTL MSR enable bit. Implication: IA32_MC1_STATUS MSR bit [60] may not reflect the correct state of the enable bit in the IA32_MC1_CTL MSR at the time of the last update. Workaround: None Identified. Status: For affected stepping see Summary Table of Changes. AJ122. A VM Exit Due to a Fault While Delivering a Software Interrupt May Save Incorrect Data into the VMCS Problem: If a fault occurs during delivery of a software interrupt (INTn) in virtual-8086 mode when virtual mode extensions are in effect and that fault causes a VM exit, incorrect data may be saved into the VMCS. Specifically, information about the software interrupt may not be reported in the IDT-vectoring information field. In addition, the interruptibility-state field may indicate blocking by STI or by MOV SS if such blocking were in effect before execution of the INTn instruction or before execution of the VMentry instruction that injected the software interrupt. Implication: In general, VMM software that follows the guidelines given in the section "Handling VM Exits Due to Exceptions" of Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual Volume 3B: System Programming Guide should not be affected. If the erratum improperly causes indication of blocking by STI or by MOV SS, the ability of a VMM to inject an interrupt may be delayed by one instruction. Workaround: VMM software should follow the guidelines given in the section "Handling VM Exits Due to Exceptions" of Intel® 64 and IA-32 Architectures Software Developer's Manual Volume 3B: System Programming Guide. Status: For the steppings affected, see the Summary Tables of Changes. AJ123. Problem: A VM Exit Occurring in IA-32e Mode May Not Produce a VMX Abort When Expected If a VM exit occurs while the processor is in IA-32e mode and the "host address-space size" VM-exit control is 0, a VMX abort should occur. Due to this erratum, the expected VMX aborts may not occur and instead the VM Exit will occur normally. The conditions required to observe this erratum are a VM entry that returns from SMM with the "IA- Intel® Xeon® Processor 5300 Series 49 Specification Update, December 2010