> Source: [sk112067](https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk112067)

# sk112067 - Virtual Switches in VSX cluster are shown in "PROBLEM" status in SmartView Monitor without any error message

| Property | Value |
|----------|-------|
| Solution ID | sk112067 |
| Date Created | 2016-06-22 |
| Last Modified | 2018-10-02 |
| Technical Level | Advanced |
| Products | Security Gateway, SmartConsole |
| Versions | R82.10, R82, R81.20, R82.10, R82.20, R82, R81.20 |
| OS | Gaia |

## Symptoms

- * SmartView Monitor shows "PROBLEM" status for Virtual Switches objects of a VSX cluster without any error message.

* There is no impact on traffic passing through these Virtual Switches.

* Output of the "`cpwd_admin list -ctx <VSID>`" command on VSX cluster members shows that FWD daemon is not running (the "`STAT`" column shows "`T`" - i.e., terminated).

  *Example*:

  ```
  
  [Expert@vsx2:0]# cpwd_admin list -ctx 3
  APP        CTX        PID    STAT  #START  START_TIME             MON  COMMAND
  FWK_WD     1          8512   E     1       [11:13:04] 7/6/2016    N    fwk_wd -i 1 -i6 0
  CPD        1          8728   E     1       [11:13:05] 7/6/2016    Y    cpd
  FWD 1 0 T     3       [11:15:15] 7/6/2016    N    fwd
  CPVIEWD    1          8934   E     1       [11:13:07] 7/6/2016    N    cpviewd
  ```

* Starting the FWD daemon on VSX cluster members manually under debug shows that registration of the Critical Device (pnote) for FWD daemon failed:

  `
  [Expert@HostName:0]# fwd -d`  
  `
  ... ...`  
  `
  [ PID ...]@VSX_HostName[Date Time] fwd_monitor_init: fwd_monitor_active was not defined or set to 0, we will not register to active monitoring`  
  `
  [ PID ...]@VSX_HostName[Date Time] cpuser_socket_connect: Connecting to server /vs1/dev/fw0 for /dev/fw0`  
  `
  ... ...`  
  `
  Error while opening pnote_init_retries.conf file.`  
  `
  [ PID ...]@VSX_HostName[Date Time] fwha_drv_initialize_pnote: registering pnote fwd`  
  `
  [ PID ...]@VSX_HostName[Date Time] cpuser_socket_connect: Connecting to server /vs1/dev/fw_fwhapnote0 for /dev/fw_fwhapnote0`  
  `
  ... ...`  
  `
  [ PID ...]@VSX_HostName[Date Time] fwha_drv_initialize_pnote: error ioctl /dev/fw_fwhapnote0`  
  `
  Failed to register pnote
  `
* Issue occurs only in VSX cluster running R77.30 with [R77.30 Jumbo Hotfix Accumulator](https://supportcenter.checkpoint.com/supportcenter/portal?eventSubmit_doGoviewsolutiondetails=&solutionid=sk106162) - *Take 162* and above.

## Cause

[R77.30 Jumbo Hotfix Accumulator](https://supportcenter.checkpoint.com/supportcenter/portal?eventSubmit_doGoviewsolutiondetails=&solutionid=sk106162) (since *Take_143* ) contains a kernel parameter "`fwha_installed_drv_initialize_pnote_process_err`"  
that is involved in checking whether Cluster Layer is already enabled on the cluster member before registering a Critical Device (Pnote) - refer to [sk110073](https://supportcenter.checkpoint.com/supportcenter/portal?eventSubmit_doGoviewsolutiondetails=&solutionid=sk110073).  
By default, this kernel parameter is enabled (its value is set to "1").

Due to incorrect check in *Take_162* and above, this check fails on Virtual Switches.  
As a result, registration of the Critical Device (pnote) for FWD daemon fails on Virtual Switches.

## Solution

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