When downgrading from firmware 2.1.7, 2.1.8, or 2.1.9, you must first downgrade to firmware 2.1.6 using a special version of firmware 2.1.6. After this is done, you can then downgrade from firmware 2.1.6 to any supported firmware. See Upgrade and Downgrade Paths Supported. The special downgrade version of the 2.1.6 firmware is part of patch 20380280 available at My Oracle Support. Ensure that you read the README file included in the patch.
For greater security, ensure that all Sun Network QDR InfiniBand Gateway Switches and Sun Datacenter InfiniBand Switch 36 switches are upgraded to firmware version 2.1.6 or later version. A miss-match of firmware versions reduces or negates secret M_Key functionality, and compromises fabric security.
For example, in a mixed 2.1.6 and 2.1.5 fabric, you must use the –override-inconsistent-partition-configurations option with the smsubnetprotection command. Doing this is not secure.
If you are going to downgrade the firmware to a version earlier than 2.1.x, you must reconfigure secret M_Key functionality, if it was enabled. Refer to the Sun Network QDR InfiniBand Gateway Switch Administration Guide for Firmware Version 2.1 for instructions on securing the fabric.
If you are going to downgrade the firmware to a version earlier than 2.0, you must remove user partitions and depopulate the Subnet Manager nodes list if these features were configured. Refer to the Sun Network QDR InfiniBand Gateway Switch Administration Guide for Firmware Version 2.1 for instructions on removing partitions for firmware downgrade.
If you are going to downgrade from firmware 2.0.x to 1.3.5 or earlier, you might see these types of messages in the /var/log/message file after the downgrade:
lda: Unknown config parameter: ErrLogCount=100; .
lda: Unknown config parameter: ErrLogTimeInterval=100; .
The ErrLogCount and ErrLogTimeInterval configuration parameters introduced in firmware 2.0.x are unknown to firmware version 1.3.5 and earlier LDAs. The LDA logs these messages and ignores them afterward. The messages appear once per LDA startup and are harmless.
If you later upgrade from firmware 1.3.5 or earlier to 2.0.x and the ErrLogCount and ErrLogTimeInterval configuration parameters are absent, the 2.0.x LDA uses the compiled default values. Consequently, no LDA messages regarding these configuration parameters are recorded.