Dell R640 + Intel E810: Intermittent Link Failure After Reboot in PF Passthrough

Environment

• Server: Dell PowerEdge R640
• NIC: Dell OEM Intel E810 (dual‑port)
• Firmware (NVM): 4.20
• Host driver: ICE 1.11.14
• Guest: DPDK 24.11.1
• Mode: PFPT

Observed Behaviour

• After reboot, the passed‑through PF port is not coming up in the guest VM; occasionally both ports come up, but often only one or neither initializes.
• The connected switch port also goes down.
• No system or kernel errors are reported.

1. Whether PF passthrough is a supported/validated configuration for E810 on PowerEdge R640.
2. Dell‑recommended firmware versions for E810 to address reboot‑related link issues.
3. Any known Dell advisories related to E810 link loss, EMP behaviour, or reset handling.
4. Recommendations to improve NIC stability.

Thanks in advance for your guidance and support.