Upgrade Firmware and BMC through BMC port on FAS2040

[chris_sims]

Can I install and run a BIOS/BMC firmware upgrade while logged into the BMC port or can this only be done from the serial port? I am attempting to remotely upgrade a FAS2040 to BIOS 6.1 which includes BMC Firmware 1.6 (30803002.zip). If not, is there some way to just update the BMC separately and let it reboot itself, then do the BIOS firmware upgrade while logged into the BMC port?

[JGPSHNTAP]

You can access the detailed plan from the now site.

http://mysupport.netapp.com/NOW/download/tools/serviceimage/30803002/#8.2.x-7m

[chris_sims]

yes i know and have read this and in there it says

Installation prerequisites

To install the BIOS/BMC/Diagnostics image, you need to have access to the following devices:

• A web server on a network accessible to your storage controller
• A serial console connected to the storage controller

And you see it says "serial console connected..."

So I cannot connect to the serial console because I am remote; so my question is can I do this upgrade while I am logged in to the BMC port?

In other words, if I perform this while connected through the BMC port; will it take me to the autoloader prompt or will the upgrade process kick me out of the BMC port and make the filer unaccessible until someone can push the power button?

[aborzenkov]

BMC update reboots BMC which obviously disconnects any existing remote session to BMC. Firmware/BIOS updates do not affect BMC connectivity.

[aborzenkov]

https://kb.netapp.com/support/index?page=content&id=3012343

[chris_sims]

good article...and I have done just BMC upgrades before and there is a brief disconnect while it reboots; however in my case I am doing a BIOS and BMC upgrade as it comes together in one tgz file. Is there a way to separate the two upgrades and what are the commands to do that? Also, for the BIOS upgrade I believe that has to be run from the loader prompt. If I do both upgrades together will the BMC complete first thereby returning my connection wherein I could then continue with the BIOS upgrade? My concern is that if I run <software update 30803002.tgz> on my filer, which would start the BIOS/BMC upgrade, would the BMC part occur first and kick me out and leave the filer sitting at the loader prompt and stay disconnected until someone access the filer through the serial console?

[aborzenkov]

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My concern is that if I run <software update 30803002.tgz>

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a) Where have you got "update" and "tgz" from? File is zip and you install it using "software install", not "update".

b) "software install" just unpacks zip into root volume; download -d just copies it from root volume onto boot device.

The actual update happens on reboot. Newer versions of loader do BIOS update automatically if they see newer versions available on boot device. BMC update must always be initiated manually from loader anyway. So what you can do is to halt in loader, do update_flash manually, reset, halt in loader, do update_bmc. It makes sense to boot through after BIOS update to make sure nothing else is triggered automatically.

[chris_sims]

ok i understand I had some mistakes in command grammar (.zip and "software install") however that is not the answer to my question. My question is.... can I upgrade the BMC and the BIOS firmware while being connected through BMC port or through SSH?

So this past weekend I performed the BMC/BIOS update per the instructions found at http://mysupport.netapp.com/NOW/download/tools/serviceimage/30803002/ ; however there appears to be something missing or wrong in the instructions

I did each step as shown in instructions. The first "version -b" showed

/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XIV/firmware.img: BIOS/NABL Firmware 3.0
/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XIV/bmc.img: BMC Firmware 1.5
/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XVII/firmware.img: BIOS/NABL Firmware 6.1
/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XVII/bmc.img: BMC Firmware 1.5

After the upgrade the second "version -b" showed:

/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XIV/firmware.img: BIOS/NABL Firmware 3.0
/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XIV/bmc.img: BMC Firmware 1.6
/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XVII/firmware.img: BIOS/NABL Firmware 6.1
/cfcard/x86_elf/firmware/SB_XVII/bmc.img: BMC Firmware 1.6

According to Step 9 of the instructions:

If the versions identified in Step 8 are...	Then...
BIOS 6.1 and BMC firmware 1.6	Your storage controller has the current versions of BIOS and BMC firmware. You do not need to proceed any further.
Any other version(s)	Go to Step 10.

It states there is no need to "proceed and further" and even says "storage controller has the current versions of BIOS and BMC firmware".

But when I run "sysconfig -a" it shows the BMC version is still at 1.3

So do I need to move to step 10 anyways?