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Firmware-update considerations

Before you begin updating firmware for managed devices by using Lenovo XClarity Administrator, review the following important considerations.

General considerations​

  • Minimum required levels of firmware.

    Ensure that the firmware that is installed on each managed device is at the minimum required level before using XClarity Administrator to update firmware on those devices. You can find minimum required firmware levels from the XClarity Administrator Support – Compatibility webpage by clicking the Compatibility tab and then clicking the link for the appropriate device types.

    Note
    For information about I/O device support and known limitations, see the XClarity Administrator Support – Compatibility webpage.

  • Update all components to the level that is included in the firmware-updates repository.

    Because firmware updates for Flex System components are tested and released together, it is recommended that you maintain the same firmware level on all components in a Flex System chassis. Therefore, it is important to update firmware on all components in the chassis in the same maintenance window. XClarity Administrator applies the selected updates in the correct sequence automatically.

  • LXPM Linux Drivers and LXPM Windows Drivers are not updated by default

    When you create a policy, the Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager (LXPM) Linux Drivers and Windows Drivers are set to “Do No Update” by default.

  • LXPM Linux Drivers and LXPM Windows Drivers are not included when downloading UXSPs

    LXPM Linux and Windows drivers are not included in UpdateXpress System Packs (UXSPs). To apply these update packages to your devices, either download the latest firmware-update repository packs or manually download the individual packages and create a firmware compliance policy to include those packages.

  • Some firmware updates are codependent on a minimum level of device driver.

    Before applying adapter and I/O firmware updates on a server, you might be required to update the device driver to a minimum level. In general, firmware updates are not dependent on specific levels of device drivers. Refer to the firmware update readme for such co-dependencies, and update the device drivers in your operating system before updating the firmware. XClarity Administrator does not update device drivers in your operating system.

  • Reboot XClarity Administrator before updating firmware

    If previous attempts to update firmware fails, reboot XClarity Administrator before updating firmware. Rebooting the management sever ensures that the system reserved account that is used to update firmware is synchronized on the managed devices.

  • Firmware updates are disruptive and require workloads to be quiesced on devices.

    Performing firmware updates on managed devices is disruptive if you choose to immediately activate the update. You must quiesce the devices before updating firmware using immediate activation.

    When updating firmware on servers, the servers are shut down and placed in a maintenance operating system to update device drivers for adapters, disk drives, and solid-state drives.

    Flex switches in a given chassis are updated sequentially and are restarted during the firmware update process. Implementing redundant data paths lessens the disruption, but there might still be a brief interruption in network connectivity during the firmware update.

  • Do not use XClarity Administrator to update the firmware on the server on which XClarity Administrator is running.

    If XClarity Administrator is running on a hypervisor host that runs on a server that it is managing, do not use XClarity Administrator to update firmware on that server. When firmware updates are applied with immediate activation, XClarity Administrator forces the target server to restart, which would restart the hypervisor host and XClarity Administrator as well. When applied with deferred activation, only some firmware is applied until the target system is restarted

CMM considerations​

  • Virtually reseat CMMs before updating firmware .

    If you are updating CMMs that are running firmware level stack release 1.3.2.1 2PET12K through 2PET12Q, that have been running for more than three weeks, and are in a dual-CMM configuration, you must virtually reseat both the primary and standby CMMs before updating firmware (see Virtually reseating a CMM).

Baseboard-management controller considerations​

  • The managed IP address is used for devices with two management controller ports

    For devices that have two baseboard-management controller ports, the firmware-update process uses the IP address that is used to manage the device.

  • Minimum required BMC levels for Pending-Activation status

    To see the pending-activation status, the following firmware version must be installed on the primary baseboard management controller in the server.

    • IMM2: TCOO46F, TCOO46E, or later (depending on the platform)

    • XCC: CDI328M, PSI316N, TEI334I, or later (depending on the platform)

  • Updates applied to the primary management controller and UEFI firmware partitions.

    Baseboard management-controller (BMC) and UEFI updates can be applied to the primary and backup firmware partitions for the management controller and UEFI independently.

    You can also apply management controller and UEFI updates to only the primary firmware partitions on the server. By default, the management controller is configured to synchronize the backup management controller partition with the primary management controller partition after the primary management controller has been running satisfactorily and the new level is ready to promote to backup. However, the management controller is not configured to synchronize the UEFI backup partition by default. Therefore, consider one of the following options on the management controller:

    • Enable the automatic synchronization of the UEFI backup partition.

      This ensures that both the primary and backup partitions are running the same level of firmware (and that the backup UEFI firmware is compatible with the management controller firmware).

    • Disable the automatic synchronization of the management-controller backup partition.

      Although not recommended, this gives you complete control over the firmware levels for the management controller and the UEFI. However, you must manually update the management controller and UEFI firmware for both partitions.

    You use firmware-compliance policies to determine which updates are applied to each device. For more information about firmware-compliance policies, see Creating and assigning firmware-compliance policies.

    Note
    If the management controller and UEFI are configured to automatically synchronize the backup firmware from the primary, it is not necessary for XClarity Administrator to update the backup banks. In that case, you can clear the backup bank updates when applying updates to a server or remove the backup banks from the firmware-compliance policy.

  • Possibility of VMware vSphere ESXi system failure (host purple diagnostic screen) when a management controller is reset.

    If you are running VMware vSphere ESXi on any server, ensure that the following minimum VMware ESXi levels are installed before updating the firmware on the server:
    • If you are running VMware vSphere ESXi 5.0, install a minimum level of 5.0u2 (update 2)
    • If you are running VMware vSphere ESXi 5.1, install a minimum level of 5.1u1 (update 1)

    If you do not install these minimum levels, a VMware vSphere ESXi system failure (host purple diagnostic screen) might occur whenever the management controller is reset, including when management-controller firmware is applied and activated.

    Note
    This issue does not affect ESXi v5.5.

ThinkSystem device considerations​

  • For ThinkSystem SE350 servers running XCC firmware version earlier than 20A, IPMI over KCS Access must be manually enabled in the baseboard management controller to ensure that the management controller can communicate with XClarity Administrator.

    For ThinkSystem SE350 servers, IPMI over KCS is disabled by default. For ThinkSystem SE350 servers running XCC firmware version 20A or later, XClarity Administrator automatically enables IPMI over KCS during a firmware update and then disables it after the firmware update is complete. However, for ThinkSystem SE350 servers running XCC firmware version earlier than 20A, you must manually enable this option from the Lenovo XClarity Controller user interface by clicking BMC Configuration > Security > IPMI over KCS Access.

  • For ThinkSystem SR635 and SR655 servers, the following limitations apply.

    • Only Immediate activation is supported. Delayed activation and Prioritized activation are not supported.

    • For XClarity Administrator v3.1.1 and later, you can use the bundled update function to update all components on ThinkSystem SR635 and SR655 servers, including baseboard management controller, UEFI, disk drives, and IO options.

      Attention
      Selected devices are powered off before starting the update process. Ensure that any running workloads have either been stopped or, if you are working in a virtualized environment, moved to a different server. If jobs are running, the update job is queued until all other jobs have completed. To see a list of active jobs, click Monitoring > Jobs.
      Note

      • Applying bundled firmware updates is supported only for ThinkSystem SR635 and SR655 servers.

      • Applying bundled firmware updates is supported only for IPv4 address. IPv6 addresses are not supported.

      • Ensure that each target device was booted to the OS at least once to retrieve the full inventory information.

      • Baseboard management controller firmware v2.94 or later is required to use the bundled-update function.

      • Only firmware updates from repository packs or individual firmware updates are used. UpdateXpress System Packs (UXSPs) are not supported.

      • Only downloaded firmware updates are applied. Refresh the product catalog, and download the appropriate firmware updates (see Refreshing the product catalog and Downloading firmware updates).
        Note
        When XClarity Administrator is initially installed, the product catalog and the repository are empty.

      • Compliance check is supported only for the baseboard management controller and UEFI in ThinkSystem SR635 and SR655 servers; however, XClarity Administrator attempts to apply firmware updates to all available hardware components.

      • Updates are applied according to the assigned firmware-compliance policy. You cannot choose to update a subset of components.

      • XClarity Administrator v3.2 or later is required to apply firmware updates for Lenovo XClarity Provisioning Manager (LXPM), LXPM windows drivers, or LXPM Linux drivers to ThinkSystem SR635 and SR655 servers.

      • The baseboard management controller and UEFI updates are skipped if the currently installed version is higher than the assigned compliance policy.

      • Firmware-compliance policies must be created and assigned to the devices on which you intend to apply firmware updates. For more information, see Creating and assigning firmware-compliance policies.

      • The selected devices are powered off before starting the update process. Ensure that any running workloads have either been stopped or, if you are working in a virtualized environment, moved to a different server.

      You can also use the traditional update function to apply firmware updates to only the baseboard management controller and UEFI.

    • For XClarity Administrator v3.0:

      • Management data is not correctly updated when updating firmware from 20A to 20B or 20C. To work around this issue, either unmanage and then manage the device again, or restart XClarity Administrator.

      • Downgrading firmware updates is not supported.

  • Firmware updates is not supported on ThinkSystem servers using DHCPv6 or statically assigned IPv6 addresses

    When using IPv6 addressing on ThinkSystem servers, firmware updates is supported on only IPv6 Link-Local Address(LLA) and stateless addresses.

  • When updating firmware to version 20D, you must update both UEFI and XCC together.

    UEFI and Lenovo XClarity Controller (XCC) must be updated together for version 20D. Updating XCC and not UEFI, and vice versa, will cause issues.

Flex System device considerations​

  • Ensure that the Flex switches that are being updated are powered on,

  • Flex switches must be configured with an IP address that is reachable from XClarity Administrator.

    The target Flex switch must be assigned an IP address that can communicate with XClarity Administrator so that XClarity Administrator can download and apply the firmware update.

  • You cannot download firmware updates for IBM servers from the web interface using XClarity Administrator 4.1 and later.

    For XClarity Administrator 4.1 and later, you cannot download Update XPress Packs or individual firmware updates for the following servers from the web interface. Instead, manually download updates from ibm.com and then import the updates.

    • IBM System x iDataPlex dx360 M4

    • IBM System series M4

    • IBM System x3100 M5 and x3250 M5

    • IBM System x3850 X5 and x3950 X5

    • IBM System x3850 X6 and x3950 X6

    • IBM Flex System

  • Select Immediate Activation when updating compute nodes that are at management-controller firmware levels earlier than Flex System 1.3.2.

    When you apply the Flex System 1.3.2, 2nd Quarter lifecycle release to a compute node, you must choose immediate activation to update the compute node. Immediate activate forces the compute node to restart during the update process.

  • Update support on scalable complexes, such as x480 X6 and x880 X6 nodes.

    Update support on scalable nodes such as the Flex System x480 X6 and x880 X6 compute nodes is limited to configurations where the complex is configured as a single partition that includes all compute nodes that are part of the multi-node complex. You cannot use XClarity Administrator to update a complex that consists of multiple partitions.

    If you assign a firmware-compliance policy to a partition that includes multiple servers in a scalable complex (such as Flex System x480 X6 and x880 X6 compute nodes), XClarity Administrator updates firmware on all management controllers and UEFIs for each server in the partition by default. However, if you select a subset of components within the partition, XClarity Administrator updates the firmware on only the selected components in the partition.

  • Before updating the CMM2 to v1.30 (1AON06C) or later, Flex switches must be running Level 3 version of Enhanced Configuration and Management (EHCM L3)

    CMM2 and the Flex switches communicate using the EHCM protocol. This protocol is required for XClarity Administrator to update the Flex switches. When you update a CMM2 to v1.30 (1AON06C) or later, XClarity Administrator verifies that the Flex switches are running EHCM L3 and if not, cancels the CMM update with a warning that the Flex switches must be first updated to a version that supports EHCM-L3. You can override this verification by selecting Attempt to update components already in compliance when updating the CMM firmware.

    Attention
    There is currently no firmware version for Flex System EN6131 Ethernet switches and IB6131 InfiniBand switches that support EHCM L3. This means that after you update the CMM2 to firmware v1.30 (1AON06C) or later, you can no longer use XClarity Administrator to update those switches. The work-around is to use the management controller web interface or command-line interface for the chassis to update the switch.
    Flex System switchVersionRelease date
    CN40937.8.4.0June 2014
    EN40236.0.0April 2015
    EN40937.8.4.0June 2014
    EN4093R7.8.4.0June 2014
    EN6132Not availableNot available
    FC31719.1.3.02.00June 2014
    FC50227.4.0b1March 2016
    IB6132Not availableNot available
    SI40917.8.4.0June 2014
    SI40937.8.4.0June 2014
    Note
    The EN2092 1-Gb Ethernet Scalable Switch does not require EHCM L3 and does not have this restriction.

Storage considerations​

  • ThinkSystem DM storage devices considerations

    To update firmware on ThinkSystem DM storage devices, the devices must be running v9.7 or later.

    Downgrading is supported for only minor versions. For example, you can downgrade 9.7P11 to 9.7P9; however you cannot downgrade 9.8 to 9.7.

    To download firmware for ThinkSystem DM series storage devices:

    • One or more ThinkSystem DM series storage devices must be managed by XClarity Administrator.

    • Each ThinkSystem DM series storage device must be entitled for hardware service and support.

    • You must specify the country where the ThinkSystem DM series storage devices are located on the Firmware Updates: Repository page. Only encrypted firmware can be downloaded for devices in the following countries: Armenia, Belarus, China, Cuba, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzsta, North Korea, Russia, Sudan, Syrian.

  • Disk drives must be in the JBOD, Online, Ready, or Unconfigured (good) state.

    To update firmware on disk drives, the RAID state must be Online, Ready, or Unconfigured (good). Other states are not supported. To determine the RAID state for a disk drive, go to the Inventory page for the device, expand the Drives section, and check the RAID State column for that disk drive (see Viewing the details of a managed server).

  • Firmware version does not detect disk drives and solid state drives.

    XClarity Administrator detects only the installed-firmware version and performs a compliance check for disk drives and solid-state drives (SSDs) that are attached to a MegaRAID or an NVME adapter. Other attached drives might have a level of firmware that is not supported or might not support firmware-version reporting. However, firmware updates are applied to those drives when selected.

  • NVMe firmware is applied even if it is not identified with a target component

    On the Apply/Activate page, the NVMe firmware version is listed for solid state drives (SSDs). Because no target firmware update is identified for discovered NVMe devices, a warning message is displayed when you attempt to update the target system. However, the HDD/SSD update is applied even if it is not identified with a target component, so the NVMe firmware is still updated.

  • Applying the ServeRAID M5115 PSoC3 update package from XClarity Administrator requires a minimum installed level of 68.

    The ServeRAID M5115 PSoC3 (Programmable System-on-Chip) update from earlier than version 68 must be done in a controlled manner.

    Tip
    You can view the code version for the ServeRAID M5115 PSoC3 by logging in to the CMM web interface and selecting the Firmware tab for the target compute node. Then, select the expansion card for the ServeRAID M5115 adapter. The PSoc3 code version is the GENERIC firmware type.
    For installed versions earlier than 68, you cannot update using XClarity Administrator. Instead you must perform the following steps from either the Chassis Management Module (CMM) web interface or the command-line interface (CLI):

    • Using the CMM web interface:

      1. Log in to the Chassis Management Module (CMM) web interface.
      2. From the main menu, click Service and Support > Advanced.
      3. Click the Service Reset tab.
      4. Select the appropriate compute node by clicking its radio button.
      5. From the Reset pull down button, click Virtual Reseat.
      6. Click OK to confirm.

    • Using the CMM CLI:

      • Log in to the CMM Secure Shell (SSH) interface.

      • Enter the following command to perform a virtual reseat:

        'service -vr -T blade[x]

        where x is the bay number of the compute node to be reseated.

    After the system is powered back on, boot to the operating system and update the ServeRAID M5115 PSoC3 using the extracted embedded update package. Complete the following steps to extract the embedded package.

    • Using Microsoft Windows:

      Open the update package (lnvgy_fw_psoc3_m5115-70_windows_32-64.exe), and select Extract to Hard Drive. Then, select the path where the embedded package is to be extracted.

    • Using Linux:

      Run the following command:

      lnvgy_fw_psoc3_m5115-70_linux_32-64.bin -x

      where x is the location where the embedded package is to be extracted.