Upgrading the SPARC T7 server from a system firmware version earlier than 9.5.2.g requires a different procedure than the usual system firmware upgrade process, because the NAND flash memory on the SP is reformatted during the update. You must perform additional steps in order to retain configuration information.
If you need to use this procedure, read it thoroughly before attempting to proceed. Failure to accurately follow these steps can result in significant additional downtime before the server is restored to a fully functional state. Allow at least 40 minutes to perform this upgrade procedure on a SPARC T7 server.
Briefly, the procedure is as follows:
Determine which firmware version is currently on the server.
Power off the server.
Record your SP network settings.
Back up the current SP configuration.
Load the initial firmware image.
Restore the SP network connection.
Load the system firmware a second time.
Restore the previously backed up SP configuration.
Load the Oracle Solaris fallback image.
Load the final system firmware image.
The examples throughout this procedure show use of the CLI on a new Oracle SPARC T7-4 server to upgrade from system firmware 9.5.2.c to 9.5.2.g. These examples show a syntax that you can use on any Oracle SPARC T7 series server, but customer-specific values will vary. Variables are in italics and should not be entered directly.
Unless otherwise noted, you can perform the steps in this procedure using any of these methods:
The server's local serial management connection
The web browser-based network management connection
The command-line SSH network management connection
Oracle Enterprise Manager OpsCenter
Refer to the Oracle ILOM documentation for additional details about performing operations using the ILOM CLI or web interface.
Refer to the Oracle Enterprise Manager OpsCenter documentation for details on performing steps with that program.