Update the Firmware

To update the firmware, you must have an administrator (a) or field engineering (s) role.

For information about the available system firmware versions for the current release of the server, refer to the Product Notes.

1. Ensure that the Oracle ILOM SP NET MGT port is configured.

   Refer to Server Installation for instructions.

2. Open an SSH session to connect to the SP.

   % ssh root@xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx
   ...
   Are you sure you want to continue connecting (yes/no) ? yes
    
   ...
   Password: password (nothing displayed)
   Waiting for daemons to initialize...
    
   Daemons ready
    
   Integrated Lights Out Manager
    
   Version 3.x.x.x
    
   Copyright 2012 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
   Use is subject to license terms.
    
   -> 

3. (Optional) If you want to update the firmware on all hosts while the system firmware update takes place, individually power off the PDomains.

   Powering off the PDomains is not required. If any PDomain remains powered on during the firmware update, the firmware on those PDomains will not be updated during the system's firmware update. On those PDomains, the firmware will automatically be updated as the PDomains are restarted.

   -> stop /Servers/PDomains/PDomain_x/HOST

   ---

   Note - Firmware that is on DCUs that are not assigned to a PDomain will be updated with the update of the system firmware. Unassigned DCUs don't need to be part of a host for their firmware to be updated.

   ---

4. For all PDomains, set the keyswitch_state parameter to normal.

   -> set /Servers/PDomains/PDomain_x/HOST keyswitch_state=normal

   ---

   Note - If the keyswitch_state parameter is not set to normal, the system will be unable to update the firmware because keyswitch is in the locked position.

   ---

5. Type the load command with the path to the new flash image.

   The load command updates the SP flash image and the host firmware. The load command requires the following information:

   • IP address of a TFTP server on the network that can access the flash image.

   • Full path name to the flash image that the IP address can access.

     The command usage is as follows:

     load [-script] -source protocol://xxx.xxx.xx.xxx/pathname

     where:

     • protocol can be http, https, ftp, tftp, sftp, scp.

     • -script does not prompt for confirmation and acts as if yes was specified.

     • -source specifies the IP address and full URL to the flash image.

   Depending on the power state of the PDomains and the firmware compatibility, you will see one of the following results:

   • If all hosts are powered off, no firmware compatibility messages should be displayed, as shown in the following example:

     -> load -source http://xxx.xxx.xx.xxx/pathname
     NOTE: An upgrade takes several minutes to complete. ILOM
           will enter a special mode to load new firmware. No
           other tasks can be performed in ILOM until the
           firmware upgrade is complete and ILOM is reset.
      
     Are you sure you want to load the specified file (y/n)?y
     Preserve the configuration (y/n)? y
     2012-10-05 07:59:29 Download firmware package ...
     2012-10-05 08:02:32 Check firmware package ... 
     2012-10-05 08:02:58 SP /SYS/SPP0 firmware update started ... 
     2012-10-05 08:02:58 SP /SYS/SPP1 firmware update started ...
     .................................................................
     Firmware update is complete.
     ILOM will now be restarted with the new firmware.
     ->

   • If some hosts are powered up (HOST0 in this example), but no incompatibility is detected, the upgrade will proceed as follows:

     -> load -source http://xxx.xxx.xx.xxx/pathname
     NOTE: An upgrade takes several minutes to complete. ILOM
           will enter a special mode to load new firmware. No
           other tasks can be performed in ILOM until the
           firmware upgrade is complete and ILOM is reset.
      
     NOTE: HOST0 is powered on; HOST0 firmware will be updated
           automatically when HOST0 is restarted. 
      
     Are you sure you want to load the specified file (y/n)?y
     Preserve the configuration (y/n)? y
     2012-10-05 06:43:13 Download firmware package ...
     2012-10-05 06:46:29 Check firmware package ... 
     2012-10-05 06:47:09 SP /SYS/SPP0 firmware update started ... 
     2012-10-05 06:47:10 SP /SYS/SPP1 firmware update started ...
     .................................................................
     Firmware update is complete.
     ILOM will now be restarted with the new firmware.
     ->

     ---

     Note - As indicated in this example, the firmware for PDomain_0 is automatically updated only when the PDomain is restarted.

     ---

   • In the event that a load operation occurs with incompatible firmware, the operation proceeds as follows:

     -> load -source http://xxx.xxx.xx.xxx/pathname
     NOTE: An upgrade takes several minutes to complete. ILOM
           will enter a special mode to load new firmware. No
           other tasks can be performed in ILOM until the
           firmware upgrade is complete and ILOM is reset.
      
     NOTE: HOST0 is powered on; HOST0 firmware will be updated
           automatically when HOST0 is restarted. 
      
     Are you sure you want to load the specified file (y/n)? y
     Preserve the configuration (y/n)? y
     2012-10-05 07:06:53 Download firmware package ...
     2012-10-05 07:09:54 Check firmware package ... 
     Incompatible FW version running on domain. Stop domain ID 0 before 
     upgrading firmware upgrade failed: FW compatibility check failed 
     2012-10-05 07:09:56 Firmware upgrade cancelled 
      
     Firmware update failed.
     load: Command Failed
     ->

     ---

     Note - As indicated in this example, for the load command to proceed successfully, you must power off the specified PDomain (PDomain_0, in this example).

     ---

   • If the no-preserve-configuration option for the load command is selected by answering no to the question “Preserve the configuration (y/n)," then all hosts must be powered off. If load command is issued when hosts are powered on and you answer the same question with “no,” the following messages is displayed in the output of the load operation:

   -> load -source http://xxx.xxx.xx.xxx/pathname
   NOTE: An upgrade takes several minutes to complete. ILOM 
        will enter a special mode to load new firmware. No 
        other tasks can be performed in ILOM until the 
        firmware upgrade is complete and ILOM is reset.
    
   NOTE: HOST0 is powered on; HOST0 firmware will be updated 
        automatically when HOST0 is restarted. 
    
   Are you sure you want to load the specified file (y/n)? y
   Preserve existing configuration (y/n)? n
   2013-01-28 20:35:51 Download firmware package ... 
   2013-01-28 20:38:46 Check firmware package ... 
   No-preserve-configuration option passed. Stop domain ID 0
   before upgrading firmware 
   upgrade failed: No-preserve-configuration option passed,
   stop all domains before upgrading firmware
   2013-01-28 20:39:16 Firmware upgrade cancelled
    
   Firmware update failed. 
   load: Command Failed 
   -> 

   ---

   Note - As indicated in the previous example, for the load command to proceed successfully, you must power off the specified PDomain (PDomain_0, in this example).

   ---

   After the flash image has been updated, the Main SP automatically resets, runs diagnostics, and returns to the login prompt on the serial console.

   U-Boot 2010.03
    
   Custom Pilot3 U-Boot 0.1 (Jun  6 2012 - 20:04:50) r74178
   ***
   Net:   faradaynic#0, faradaynic#1
   Enter Diagnostics Mode
   ['q'uick/'n'ormal(default)/e'x'tended(manufacturing mode)]...0
   Diagnostics Mode - NORMAL
   <DIAGS> Memory Data Bus Test ... PASSED
   <DIAGS> Memory Address Bus Test ... PASSED
   I2C Probe Test - SP
         Bus     Device                          Address Result
         ===     ============================    ======= ======
          6                  SP FRUID (U1101)    0xA0    PASSED
          6               DS1338(RTC) (U1102)    0xD0    PASSED
    
   <DIAGS> PHY #0 R/W Test ... PASSED
   <DIAGS> PHY #0 Link Status ... PASSED
   <DIAGS> ETHERNET PHY #0, Internal Loopback Test ... PASSED
   ## Booting image at 110a2000 ... ***
    
   Mounting local filesystems...
   Mounted all disk partitions.
    
   Configuring network interfaces...FTGMAC100: eth0:ftgmac100_open
   Starting system log daemon: syslogd and klogd.
   Starting capidirect daemon: capidirectd . Done
   Starting Event Manager: eventmgr  . Done
   Starting ipmi log manager daemon: logmgr . Done
   Starting IPMI Stack: . Done
   Starting sshd.
   Starting SP fishwrap cache daemon: fishwrapd . Done
   Starting Host deamon: hostd . Done
   Starting Network Controller Sideband Interface Daemon: ncsid . Done
   Starting Platform Obfuscation Daemon: pod . Done
   Starting lu main daemon: lumain . Done
   Starting Detection/Diagnosis After System Boot: dasboot  Done
   Starting Servicetags discoverer: stdiscoverer.
   Starting Servicetags listener: stlistener.
   Starting Dynamic FRUID Daemon: dynafrud  Done
    
   hostname login:

Related Information

• SPARC M5-32 and SPARC M6-32 Servers Product Notes

• Display the Firmware Version