Recovering from a UEFI update failure or UEFI image corruption

This topic provides instructions on how to recover from a UEFI update failure or UEFI image corruption.

Important: Some cluster solutions require specific code levels or coordinated code updates. If the device is part of a cluster solution, verify that the latest level of code is supported for the cluster solution before you update the code.

If the server firmware has become corrupted, such as from a power failure during an update, you can recover the server firmware in either of two ways:

• In-band method: Recover the server firmware, using either the SW1 switch block (Automated Boot Recovery) and a server Firmware Update Package Service Pack.
• Out-of-band method: Use the IMM web interface to update the firmware, using the latest server firmware update package.

Note

You can obtain a server update package from one of the following sources:

• Download the server firmware update from the World Wide Web.
• Contact your service representative.

To download the server firmware update package from the World Wide Web, go to the Lenovo Data Center Support website.

Attention

Installing the wrong firmware or device-driver update might cause the server to malfunction. Before you install a firmware or device-driver update, read any readme and change history files that are provided with the downloaded update. These files contain important information about the update and the procedure for installing the update, including any special procedure for updating from an early firmware or device-driver version to the latest version.

The flash memory of the server consists of a primary bank and a backup bank. You must maintain a bootable UEFI firmware image in the backup bank. If the server firmware in the primary bank becomes corrupted, you can either manually change the position of switch 7 on the SW1 switch block to ON (see Starting the backup server firmware for more information), or in the case of image corruption, this will occur automatically with the Automated Boot Recovery function.

In-band manual recovery method

To recover the server firmware and restore the server operation to the primary bank, complete the following steps:

1. Turn off the server, and disconnect all power cords and external cables.
2. Locate the SW1 switch block on the standard I/O book.
   
   
   
3. Change the position of switch 7 on the SW1 switch block to ON to enable the UEFI recovery mode.
4. Reconnect all power cords.
5. Restart the server. The power-on self-test (POST) starts.
6. Boot the server to an operating system that is supported by the Flash UEFI Update package that you downloaded.
7. Perform the firmware update by following the instructions that are in the firmware update package readme file.
8. Copy the downloaded firmware update package into a directory.
9. From a command line, type filename-s, where filename is the name of the executable file that you downloaded with the firmware update package.
10. Turn off the server and disconnect all power cords and external cables.
11. Change the position of switch 7 back to OFF (the default).
12. Reconnect all the power cables.
13. Restart the server.

In-band automated boot recovery method

Note

Use this method if the standard I/O book board LED is lit and there is a log entry or Booting Backup Image is displayed on the firmware splash screen; otherwise, use the in-band manual recovery method.

1. Boot the server to an operating system that is supported by the firmware update package that you downloaded.
2. Perform the firmware update by following the instructions that are in the firmware update package readme file.
3. Restart the server.
4. At the firmware splash screen, press F3 when prompted to restore to the primary bank. The server boots from the primary bank.

Out-of-band method: See the IMM2 documentation (Integrated Management Module II User's Guide) at the Integrated Management Module II User’s Guide .

For more information about UEFI-compliant firmware, go to Understanding Drivers, BIOS, UEFI and Firmware.