SPARC M7 Series Servers : Host FW not updated after a SysFW update

Asset ID:	1-72-2149092.1
Update Date:	2017-10-11
Keywords:

Solution Type Problem Resolution Sure

Solution 2149092.1 : SPARC M7 Series Servers : Host FW not updated after a SysFW update

Applies to:

SPARC M7-8 - Version All Versions to All Versions [Release All Releases]
Information in this document applies to any platform.

Symptoms

After a SysFW update, when using 'stop|start /SYS' or 'stop|start /System' or restarting the hosts too quickly, one or more hosts FW may not be updated during the hosts restart.

Cause

After a SySFW update, the host FW should be updated when the hosts are off or when restarting the hosts.

When using 'stop|start /SYS' or 'stop|start /System' or when restarting the hosts too quickly, one or more hosts FW may not be updated.

Even if bug 23251940 (fpga-uc / TPM Hardware error reported during SysFW update on M7) is fixed in SysFW 9.7.1.b, the system is still vulnerable to 23323122 (POD/PDM: Host firmware deployment at 'start /HOST' is broken).

Solution

To avoid this scenario

avoid using 'start /SYS' or 'start /System',
- start the hosts individually 'start /HOSTx' or 'start /Servers/PDomains/PDomain_x/HOST'
before starting a host, user must make sure that the Host FW has been updated to the target version (show -t /Servers/PDomains/PDomain_x/SYSTEM/Firmware/Other_Firmware/ version)

Ex for host0 running Host FW from 9.7.1.b

-> show -t /Servers/PDomains/PDomain_0/SYSTEM/Firmware/Other_Firmware/ version
Target | Property | Value
----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------------+--------------------------------------------------------------------
/Servers/PDomains/PDomain_0/SYSTEM/ | version | 3.2.6.2.b
Firmware/Other_Firmware/Firmware_0 | |
/Servers/PDomains/PDomain_0/SYSTEM/ | version | POST 5.5.1 2016/04/25 07:19
Firmware/Other_Firmware/Firmware_1 | |
/Servers/PDomains/PDomain_0/SYSTEM/ | version | OpenBoot 4.40.1 2016/04/25 06:45
Firmware/Other_Firmware/Firmware_2 | |
/Servers/PDomains/PDomain_0/SYSTEM/ | version | Hypervisor 1.17.1 2016/04/25 07:12

AND no Host FW update operation is in progress

-> show /Servers/PDomains/PDomain_0/HOST operation_in_progress

/Servers/PDomains/PDomain_0/HOST
Properties:
operation_in_progress = none

Information about SysFW and HostFW is available from SPARC M7 Series Servers : Firmware Image Software Version Matrix Information (Doc ID 1967048.1)

If the HostFW has not been updated after starting a host, there is no need to re-apply the SysFW image but the host must stopped and started again to apply the latest image.

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