The system requires a 'hard' reboot to get it up and running again, once the erratum has occurred. The probability of this erratum occurring increases as the number of processors within a system increases. Intel has identified and validated a workaround for this erratum that requires its customers to update their BIOS code. Intel has worked with its customers to implement the workaround to the erratum. These BIOS changes do not affect the performance of the processors or systems.
All processors have errata.
Intel openly discloses all characterized processor errata each month via the Specification Updates, which are publicly available on Intel's web site, or from the Intel literature center. With Intel A1 . The erratum concerns systems with Pentium III and Pentium III Xeon processors and can occur during a small window of time, when two units within the processor have fallen out of sync. This issue may result in the first processor preventing other parts of the system from accessing the bus, resulting in an overall system hang. The exact circumstances are complex, and include the relative timing of internal processor functions with the snoop request from a bus agent.