Host Driver Installation Task Overview
Prior to installing host drivers, you should perform the standard data-safety precautions for a Windows host, for example, setting a restore point. These topics provide an overview of the process of installing host drivers, including some prerequisites.
 | Caution - Do not enable automatic updates for your Windows systems. Automatic updates can download patches that are not certified and incompatible with your host drivers and I/O resources. Installing such updates can bring your servers down, and correcting this situation can require reinstalling the servers. |
The general procedure for installing host drivers for Windows is:
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Obtain system information from each host, including Windows host OS version, service pack information, CPU model, CPU speed, and memory size. You can run msinfo32 (or an equivalent tool) to obtain this information.
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Set a system restore point.
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You can remove or uninstall any third-party drivers that might be present on the system before you install the host drivers.
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Reboot the Windows server to ensure that it is booting correctly and in a timely manner.
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Install the host drivers but, do not update the HCA firmware. For more information, see Installing the Host Drivers for Windows.
Note - Updating the HCA firmware is not a required part of installing the Oracle Virtual Networking host drivers for Windows, but it is documented for cases in which a manual upgrade of the HCA firmware might be required. If an HCA update is required, perform the update after the host drivers have been successfully installed. -
Reboot the Windows server after the host drivers have been installed to ensure that the server is still booting correctly. When the drivers finish installing, you are prompted to reboot the system. This is because the newly installed drivers are not loaded into memory until the server has been rebooted.
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If an HCA firmware upgrade is necessary, upgrade the HCA after the host drivers have successfully been installed. For information, see Upgrading the HCA Firmware.
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If the HCA firmware is updated, reboot the server again before running any tests or checking connectivity to the Oracle Fabric Interconnect. When the HCA firmware update script is finished, you are prompted to reboot the system. Make sure you do because the newly updated firmware is not loaded into memory until the server has been rebooted.