HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool User Guide
Part Number 572124-001 October 2009 (First Edition)
Copyright 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Confidential computer software. Valid license from HP required for possession, use or copying. Consistent with FAR 12.211 and 12.212, Commercial Computer Software, Computer Software Documentation, and Technical Data for Commercial Items are licensed to the U.S. Government under vendors standard commercial license. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. This guide is intended for individuals who are familiar with the configuration and operation of Microsoft Windows, Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Linux, smart components, and deployment of firmware and software to systems and options. Because of the risk of data loss, only individuals experienced with using firmware and software should implement the procedures in this guide.

Intended audience

Contents

Introduction..... 4

Overview..... 4 Obtaining the Firmware Deployment Tool.... 5
Using the Firmware Deployment Tool.... 6
Updating the firmware on a server.... 6 Updating an individual server locally.... 6 Updating an individual server remotely.... 6 Updating multiple servers simultaneously.... 7 Updating multiple enclosures simultaneously.... 9 Determining the success of an FDT deployment.... 11 Special modes..... 12 Troubleshooting issues..... 13
Troubleshooting.... 13 Technical support.... 14
Reference documentation.... 14 Operating system information.... 14 HP contact information..... 14
Acronyms and abbreviations.... 15

Introduction

Overview
HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool is an ISO image containing a collection of HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM) and firmware smart components that have been tested together to ensure compatibility. The tool is designed for users who do not have an installed operating system on their blades or who want an unattended, automated method of deploying firmware in an offline environment. Because the tool requires you to boot to it, you must take the server offline temporarily to complete the firmware update. HP currently supports the current and two previous versions of the BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool. HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool supports the following firmware types:
System ROM iLO 2 Broadcom NIC Smart Array Controllers SAS and SATA hard drive firmware behind Smart Array Controllers Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters Tape Blade PowerPIC* *Starting with FDT version 1.60
To determine the firmware and software to update for your BladeSystem products, see the Firmware Compatibility Chart (http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates). The FDT is useful for those customers who:
Want an automated way to update a blade firmware Do not need to update infrastructure firmware at the same time Want to leverage the BladeSystem enclosure capability to load an ISO image to multiple server blades simultaneously Do not need feedback during the update process Do not need log files at the conclusion of the installation for archiving or debugging purposes Need to support devices that can only be updated offline Need to update firmware on multiple server blades simultaneously

Obtaining the Firmware Deployment Tool
The BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool can be downloaded from the HP BladeSystem Firmware Maintenance website (http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates).
Using the Firmware Deployment Tool
Updating the firmware on a server
Updating an individual server locally
To update an individual server using the FDT, use the c-Class SUV cable. This cable connects to the front of a blade and allows a USB CD or DVD drive to connect to a server. In this local installation, the FDT ISO image must be burned to a physical CD and placed in the USB CD or DVD drive. After you place the physical CD in the USB CD or DVD drive, you can boot the server, and the FDT flashes all firmware on the server.
If the firmware update process is completed successfully, the UID light turns off, the CD ejects, and the server reboots. If the firmware update process fails as indicated by the UID light being left on solid, the video can be plugged into the c-Class SUV cable, or an iLO remote console session can be initiated. The FDT must have the error logged in a vi editor window to determine the cause of the firmware update failure. NOTE: If a server does not have a front connection for the SUV-cable, they must follow the steps indicated in the Updating an individual server remotely (on page 6) section.
Updating an individual server remotely
To update an individual BladeSystem server remotely using the FDT, you must download the FDT ISO image to either a hard drive or USB key. You must attach the USB key to a workstation located on the same network as the BladeSystem server ILO Management Port. To download the ISO image on a USB key and use the iLO Virtual Media functionality to deploy firmware updates:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Plug in the USB key with the FDT ISO image or use the FDT ISO image from a hard drive on a remote client computer. Browse to ILO Management Port using your Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox browsers. Log in with your iLO administrative credentials. Click the virtual media tab, and then click Virtual Media Applet. In the Virtual CD/DVD-ROM section, click Local Image File. Click Browse. Locate the ISO image, and then click Open. To connect to the ISO image, click Connect.
Using the Firmware Deployment Tool 6
NOTE: Do not close the virtual media web page, or it might disconnect the ISO image.

9. 10. 11.

Return to the iLO2 web page. Click the Power Management tab. Using the Momentary Press button, power up the server. NOTE: If the server is powered up, click the Momentary Press button to shut down the server, and then click the Momentary Press button again to power it back up.

12. 13.

Click OK when prompted to power up the server. Select Remote Console or ensure the disconnection of the Local Image File to indicate flash is finished. A Remote Console session is terminated if the iLO firmware is updated during the FDT firmware update process.

Updating multiple servers simultaneously
HP recommends that you do not update more than eight servers be simultaneously using the following FDT process. If you update more than eight servers simultaneously, an isolinux Disk 80 error may occur. If the isolinux Disk 80 error occurs, press any key. The server reboots to the FDT, and restarts the firmware update process. If you need to update more than eight servers in an enclosure, you must execute multiple batches to complete the process. You can use FDT to update firmware for multiple servers at once within an enclosure by using the USB port on the OA to host the FDT ISO image through the iLO Virtual Media interface to multiple servers. To use the FDT to update firmware on multiple servers in an enclosure at once:
Download the HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool from the HP website. For the latest versions of the FDT, see the BladeSystem Compatibility Chart in the HP BladeSystem Firmware Maintenance website (http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates). To update a server blade using the HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool ISO, place it on a USB key and insert it into the USB port on the front of the c3000 enclosure or on the rear of the C7000 enclosure. Browse to the HP BladeSystem Onboard Administrator web interface. Log in using the OA administrator credentials. To see the summary of all blades in the enclosure, click Device Bays. Select each blade that needs to be updated Click the DVD tab, and select the Connect to bb*.iso option in the pull down menu where the * (asterisk) signifies the version, date, and pass number of the HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool ISO file that you extracted earlier. Select each blade that needs to be updated again if it was cleared during the DVD connection step. Select the Virtual Power tab, and then select the Momentary Press option. After confirming the power change on the blades, the blades should power off if they were already powered on or power on if they have already been powered off. If they are powered off by clicking the Momentary Press option, repeat this step to power on the server blades. When you boot to the FDT, all feedback is provided through the UID lights. While the update process is running, the UID light blinks. Upon completion, the UID light is set to one of two states.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Using the Firmware Deployment Tool 7

o o 11.

If the UID light is off, the update process is complete and the server OS can be installed or the server restarted to its previous operating system. If the UID light is on solid, a firmware update failure has occurred.
You must either plug in the KVM dongle or use iLO Remote Console support to browse into the affected server to determine the cause of failure. The FDT loads the error log into a vi editor window for review. HP recommends resolving the error before installing or restarting the operating system.

The HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool might not boot with some third-party external Fibre Channel storage attached. You might need to disconnect the external storage for the duration of the update process, and reconnect it afterwards.
Using the Firmware Deployment Tool 8
Updating multiple enclosures simultaneously

RIBCL scripts

RIBCL enables you to write XML scripts to configure and manage iLO 2 configuration settings, user accounts, directory settings, server settings, and HP Systems Insight Manager SSO settings. You can create your own scripts using RIBCL. IMPORTANT: To run RIBCL scripts, you must have the iLO Advanced license.
To run the RIBCL scripts, ensure that the following prerequisites are met:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Apply the latest Windows PSPs to the local host. Create either an Apache or an IIS web server. Copy the BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool ISO to the web server. Ensure that all the iLO2 usernames and passwords match the OA username and password. For Windows, install the following:
a. iLO2 Advanced license b. OpenSSH, which you can download from OpenSSH for Windows website
(http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=103886&package_id=111688). Any SSH alternative can be used.
The HP Lights-Out Configuration Utility (cpqlocfg.exe), which you can download from the HP Software and Transitions website (http://h18004.www1.hp.com/support/files/lightsout/us/index.html).
For Linux, install the following:
a. iLO2 Advanced license b. SSLeay and IO::Socket::SSL, which can be obtained modules from Comprehensive Perl Archive
Network website (http://www.cpan.org). The following functionalities require the iLO Advanced License:
Virtual PowerPower up, power down, or cold boot. Integrated Remote ConsoleUse any computer to gain access with Integrated Remote Console. Virtual MediaUse any computer DVD, CD, or USB key capability as virtual media. Virtual FoldersUse folders as local folders.
For more information on scripting and the syntax of the RIBCL XML, see HP Integrated Lights-Out Management Processor Scripting and Command Line Resource Guide (http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bc/docs/support/SupportManual/c00294268/c00294268.pdf?jumpi d=reg_R1002_USEN).

Sample scripts

The sample script is used to control updating firmware on blades in an enclosure. This script connects virtual media to each iLO in the enclosure. The script can either invoke the RIBCL script directly or invoke a wrapper script containing an invocation of the RIBCL script. The "for" loop at the bottom of this file
Using the Firmware Deployment Tool 9
contains two lines, one of which has been commented out. Comment in or out the line for the desired mode of operation. After you have flashed the server blades, you can use the BB2.sh script to disconnect the Virtual Media by passing it the Eject_Virtual_Media.xml file as the RIBCL script to execute or Eject_Virtual_Media.sh script based on the state of the commented out lines. # # check for args # if [ "$TMP" == "" ] then echo "Please set the TMP environment variable" exit fi usage () { echo "usage: Used to connect Virtual Media and execute a RIBCL script on each Blade in an enclosure" echo " BB1.sh <OA_ipaddress> <OA_username> <OA_password> <script_filename>" } if [ "$4" = "" ] then usage exit fi host=$1 user=$2 passwd=$3 script=$4 hostfile="hostlist.txt" # If you want to use a pre-made/modified list, just comment out the if statement # and the "show server list" line as well. if [ -f ${TMP}/${hostfile} ]

Using the Firmware Deployment Tool 10
then echo "removing ${TMP}/${hostfile}" rm -f ${TMP}/${hostfile} fi echo Retrieving Blade ips from OA # # get list of iLO ips in enclosure from OA # #/usr/bin/ssh $user@$host "show server list"|grep OK |awk '{print $3}' >> ${TMP}/${hostfile} # or do >> ${TMP}/${hostfile} /usr/bin/ssh $user@$host "show server list"|grep OK # # The for loop will loop thru the results of the above command. # You can then invoke a RIBCL script on each ip via a wrapper shell script. # for ip in `awk '{print $3}' ${TMP}/${hostfile}`; do echo Inserting Virtual Media on ${ip};./Insert_Virtual_Media.sh ${ip} ${user} ${passwd}; echo ${script} on [$ip];./${script} ${ip} ${user} ${passwd};
Determining the success of an FDT deployment
When you boot to the FDT, the UID light provides all feedback. UID light status

Blinking Off On

Meaning
Either a remote console is active, or the FDT is flashing firmware. The firmware update was successful. At least one of the needed firmware updates failed. The remote console to the server searches for the cause of the error.
If the UID light is off, the update process has completed, and you can install the server operating system or restore the server to its previous operating system.
Using the Firmware Deployment Tool 11
If the UID light is solid, a firmware update failure has occurred. You must either plug in the KVM dongle or use iLO Remote Console support to browse into the affected server to determine the cause of failure. The FDT loads the error log into a vi editor window for review. HP recommends resolving the issue before installing or restarting the operating system. For more information on how to handle various firmware update failure scenarios, see the Troubleshooting (on page 13) section.

Special modes

HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool recognizes the following boot options at the boot prompt. The prompt is seen after the tool finishes its POST. Boot option

console

Description
This option causes the FDT to boot to a console prompt. All files are copied to the RAM drive. This mode can be used to add additional firmware by plugging a USB key into the c-Class SUV cable and manually mounting it or viewing the updates in console mode on a single server. This option causes the embedded HP Smart Update Manager installation tool to force the installation of all components on the CD. This might result in an error since not all firmware can be successfully downgraded.

Using the Firmware Deployment Tool 12

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting issues
If a failure occurs, use the console keyword at the boot prompt to drop into a debug console. To manually execute the HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool, run./hpsum -s. Before using the ISO, validate the MD5 checksum against the value on the download page to ensure a good image has been downloaded correctly. Servers with equal or greater than 64 GB if memory might stop responding while booting SmartStart 8.25 or earlier, Firmware Maintenance CD 8.50 or earlier, or HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool CD 1.60. At the boot prompt, enter the bdcd mem=16g parameter. You must enter this parameter for each server blade and within four seconds after the boot prompt appears following the server POST.

Troubleshooting 13

Technical support

Reference documentation

To download the ProLiant Firmware Maintenance and other CDs, see the SmartStart download website (http://www.hp.com/go/ssdownloads). For general information on management products, refer to the ProLiant Essentials website (http://www.hp.com/servers/proliantessentials). For information about support for updating SATA hard drives in a Modular Smart Array 20/50/60/70 storage enclosure connected to a ProLiant server using a Smart Array controller, see the HP StorageWorks Modular Smart Arrays website (http://www.hp.com/go/msa) for the support matrix. For information about operating systems supported by ProLiant servers, see the operating system support matrices (http://www.hp.com/go/supportos). For information about firmware support, see the HP Firmware Maintenance CD Server Support Guide available in the download.
Operating system information
For information about Microsoft Windows operating systems, refer to the Microsoft website (http://www.microsoft.com). For information about Linux operating systems, refer to one of the following websites:
Red Hat Linux (http://www.redhat.com) SUSE LINUX (http://www.novell.com/linux)

HP contact information

For the name of the nearest HP authorized reseller:
See the Contact HP worldwide (in English) webpage (http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/wwcontact.html). In the United States, for contact options see the Contact HP United States webpage (http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/contact_us.html). To contact HP by phone:
For HP technical support:
Call 1-800-HP-INVENT (1-800-474-6836). This service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For continuous quality improvement, calls may be recorded or monitored. If you have purchased a Care Pack (service upgrade), call 1-800-633-3600. For more information about Care Packs, refer to the HP website (http://www.hp.com/hps).
In other locations, see the Contact HP worldwide (in English) webpage (http://welcome.hp.com/country/us/en/wwcontact.html).

Technical support 14

Acronyms and abbreviations

Firmware Deployment Tool

International Organization for Standardization
keyboard, video, and mouse
network interface controller

Onboard Administrator

operating system

Power-On Self Test

ProLiant Support Pack
Remote Insight Board Command Language

read-only memory

serial attached SCSI

serial ATA

single sign-on

serial, USB, video

unit identification

Virtual Machine

extensible markup language

HP BladeSystem ProLiant firmware management best practices

General overview

Introduction..... 2 Firmware updates.... 2 HP BladeSystem..... 2 Overview..... 2 HP BladeSystem and firmware.... 2 Firmware management.... 3 What options are available for firmware deployment?... 3 Firmware deployment overview.... 4 Available tools to update HP BladeSystem firmware... 4 HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM)... 4 Virtual Connect Support Utility.... 6 Single components..... 6 Obtaining the latest available HP firmware update deliverables... 7 Deciding which deployment deliverable to use... 8 HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles.... 10 HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool... 11 HP Firmware Maintenance CD.... 13 Recommended firmware deployment strategies... 14 Updating an enclosure and blades with an operating system already installed using the HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles or HP Firmware Maintenance CD.. 16 Automatic updates of multiple enclosures including the OA, VC, and server blades.. 19 Limitations in VMware ESX/ESXi environments.... 20 General best practices.... 20 Recommended installation order.... 21 If an operating system has already been installed:... 21 If an operating has not yet been installed:... 21 If Virtual Connect Ethernet firmware is older than v1.34:... 21 Acronyms and abbreviations.... 22 For more information.... 24

Introduction

Firmware updates
Updating firmware has become critical to maintaining the health of server systems. As new hardware is released, updating is becoming more cost-effective than replacing the hardware. Consequently, firmware has become as important as software and driver updates to the operating system. This document details firmware best practices for HP c-Class BladeSystem products including: What firmware to update Which tools to use What dependencies to consider for the update process How to deploy firmware updates

HP BladeSystem

Overview
When updating HP BladeSystem c-Class enclosures, the following firmware must be considered: System ROM iLO 2 firmware Broadcom, Intel, and NetXen NIC firmware Power PIC firmware Smart Array Controller firmware SAS and SATA hard drive firmware Emulex, Qlogic, and Brocade Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter firmware Tape blade firmware Onboard Administrator firmware Virtual Connect firmware EVA firmware* MSA2000 firmware* BladeSystem Interconnect Switches* *These firmware types are not included in this whitepaper. For information on how to update the firmware for these devices, consult the product documentation. In this white paper, you will learn about firmware types, recommended tools, processes, installation steps, known dependencies, and limitations based on the currently available information.
HP BladeSystem and firmware
A good place to start the discussion is with what firmware needs to be deployed and the supported versions of this firmware. The HP BladeSystem Compatibility Chart provides a list of which firmware and software versions of the diffferent BladeSystem products were tested together. This chart provides the current and previous versions of this list. HP recommends that the firmware in your enclosures be at one of these two levels to ensure proper operation of your enclosures. The chart is updated approximately once a quarter. When determining which firmware and software to update for your BladeSystem products, start with this chart.

For the latest revision of the HP BladeSystem Compatibility Chart, see http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates/.

Firmware management

What options are available for firmware deployment?
The HP ProLiant BladeSystem series of server blades were invented, designed, and created by the same teams that designed the ProLiant DL rack-based and ML stand-alone servers and associated management tools. This is a very reassuring fact from a customer standpoint because this is a maturing technology, and this technology can be understood quickly because the reliability and design confidences that have been built up over many years with both ProLiant and Integrity products are present in HP BladeSystem server blades. As HP BladeSystem server blades were adopted in many environments and subsequent feedback was received, these teams developed additional tools specific to HP BladeSystem solutions. The following chart shows how HP provides individual smart components to update individual firmware, how HP SUM and other tools are provided to manage and deploy these updates, and how the components and tools are integrated into customer deliverables.
With multiple tools comes flexibility, but also the potential for confusion. This section specifies the recommended tools to use to upgrade firmware components within an HP BladeSystem solution, and demystifies which tool is appropriate for which situation. Unfortunately, there is currently not a single tool to update all the firmware within the BladeSystem environment so depending on the firmware that needs to be updated, different tools may be needed to complete the firmware update process.
Firmware deployment overview
Four key terms are used when describing firmware update use case scenarios; local, remote, online, and offline. A local installation means the installation tool runs on the physical hardware being updated. An example is a utility that is executed on a server to update its system ROM. A remote installation means the installation tool runs on one system but updates other physical targets. An example is where the OA firmware can be updated across the network by uploading a firmware.bin file to OA through a web browser. The physical tool runs on a workstation, but remotely updates the OA. An online installation means the installation takes place while the host processor is running in the customers normal environment. For instance, if the customer runs Microsoft Windows Server 2003, the update takes place under this environment and does not require the user to boot to a special environment to update the firmware. An online installation does not mean that a reboot may not be necessary for the firmware to be activated. An offline installation means the installation takes place while the server is booted to a special environment that prevents the user from doing normal operations until the firmware update operations are completed and server is rebooted. An example is when a customer boots to the Firmware Maintenance CD to deploy Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade Fibre Channel HBA firmware updates. These updates require that no I/O operations are done through the adapters while they are being updated, and the only way to ensure this is to boot to a special environment. These terms can be used interchangeably to designate the type of environment required for firmware updates to occur, such as local-online or remote-online.

Available tools to update HP BladeSystem firmware
The recommended tools to use for deployment of firmware are as follows: HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM) Virtual Connect Support Utility for Virtual Connect Firmware Individual Smart Components
HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM)
HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM) is the primary deployment tool that should be used to update firmware on HP BladeSystem enclosures. HP SUM is designed for maximum flexibility and is shipped within the HP ProLiant Support Pack, Firmware Maintenance CD, HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool, and HP BladeSystem Online Firmware Update Bundles for Windows and Linux. HP SUM provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) and a command-line, scriptable interface for deployment of firmware for single or one-to-many servers and network-based targets such as iLOs, OAs, and Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules. HP SUM has an integrated hardware and software discovery engine that discovers the installed hardware, current versions of firmware in use on a target, and software versions on target servers. This prevents extraneous network traffic by only sending the components to a target host that are needed. HP SUM also has logic to install updates in the correct order and ensure all dependencies are met before deployment of a firmware update. It also contains logic to prevent version-based dependencies from derailing an installation and ensures firmware updates are handled in a manner that reduces any downtime required for the firmware update process.
HP SUM does not require an agent for remote installations as it copies a small, secure SOAP server to the target server for the duration of the installation. After the installation is complete, the SOAP server and all remote files associated with the installation except installation log files are removed. HP SUM copies the log files from the remote targets back to the system where HP SUM is executed. The key features of HP SUM include: Dependency checking, which ensures appropriate install order and dependency checking between components. Intelligent deployment deploys only required updates. Simultaneous firmware and software deployment. Improved deployment performance. Local or remote (one-to-many) online deployment. Local offline deployments with the HP Firmware Deployment Tool and Firmware Maintenance CD. Remote offline deployment when used with the SmartStart Scripting Toolkit or iLO Virtual Media. GUI or CLI/scriptable with extensive logging. Remote command-line deployment. HP SUM provides updates for the following firmware types.

NOTE: Individual Smart Components might still be released when critical updates are required and will be integrated into the next release of the Firmware Update Bundles, Firmware Deployment Tool, and Firmware Maintenance CD.
Deciding which deployment deliverable to use
Use the following table to determine the recommended deployment.
Deployment type Local Online support

Offline support

Firmware Maintenance CD BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool
Firmware Maintenance CD BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles Firmware Maintenance CD BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles Firmware Maintenance CD BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles

Upgrade

Firmware Maintenance CD BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool Firmware Maintenance CD BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool
Bare-metal (no operating system installed on server) Single server

Not applicable

Firmware Maintenance CD BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles

1-to-many

BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool (using iLO Virtual Media or c3000 DVD drive) None
Network-based targets (OA, VC)
From another perspective, the following table can help determine the correct deliverable to use depending on the update scenario and also provides limitations of each scenario.
Scenario I want to update the server firmware offline automatically. Description Recommended deployment deliverable to use:
Limitations Using this method updates all firmware in an enclosure with the exception of OA and VC Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules. Using the HP SUM pull-from-web feature to pull the latest updates is not supported in offline environments.
HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool (FDT)
Use this scenario when you:
Want an automated way to update a blade firmware
Do not need to update infrastructure firmware at the same time
Want to leverage the BladeSystem enclosure ability to load an ISO image to multiple server concurrently
Do not need feedback during the update process
Do not need log files at the conclusion of the installation for archival or debug purposes
Need to support devices that are only updateable

offline

Need to update firmware on multiple server blades simultaneously
I want to update server firmware offline but want a graphical installation or manual method.
Recommended deployment deliverable to use:
HP Firmware Maintenance CD (FWCD) Want to manually update server blade firmware
Using this method updates all firmware in an enclosure with the exception of OA and VC Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules. Using the HP SUM pull-from-web feature to pull the latest updates is not supported in offline environments.

Do not want to do this under your normal operating environment
Need to flash firmware for devices that are only updateable offline

Scenario

Description
Do not need to update infrastructure firmware at the same time

Limitations

Are not familiar with the OA web interface
Only need to update a single blade server within an enclosure Only need to update firmware for a single device Using this method, all firmware except the following can be updated:
I want to update the server firmware online to a single server or network-based host such as the OA, iLO2 and Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel modules.
Recommended deployment deliverables to use:
HP BladeSystem Bundle for Windows HP BladeSystem Bundle for Linux HP Firmware Maintenance CD (FWCD) Want to manually update server blade firmware
NetXen NIC Emulex FC HBA QLogic FC HBA Brocade FC HBA
Need to flash firmware for devices that are only updateable offline Do not need to update infrastructure firmware at the same time
These types of firmware must be updated offline using either the BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool or the HP Firmware Maintenance CD.
Only need to update a single blade server within an enclosure I want to update the server firmware online to multiple servers and networkbased host such as OA and iLO 2. Recommended deployment deliverable to use:
HP BladeSystem Bundle for Windows HP BladeSystem Bundle for Linux HP Firmware Maintenance CD (FWCD)
Using this method, all firmware except the following can be updated:
Use this scenario when you: Want to manually update server blade, OA, or iLO 2 firmware
Want the option to script updates to a single or multiple servers and enclosures
Need to update infrastructure firmware Are not familiar with the OA web interface Need to minimize downtime across the enclosure
Want to stage updates so blades can be rebooted at a later time to activate the new firmware
Need to update many server simultaneously If updating from VC firmware versions before 1.34, the VC firmware must be updated before the OA firmware. For VC firmware versions 1.34 and later, the update order between the OA and VC is not important.

I want to update the Virtual Connect firmware.
Virtual Connect Support Utility (VCSU) HP BladeSystem Bundle for Windows HP BladeSystem Bundle for Linux
Want to manually update Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel module firmware
Want to update a single VC domain (VCSU)
Want to update multiple VC domains simultaneously (HP BladeSystem Bundles)
Are not familiar with the OA and VC web interface
HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles
The HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows and Linux are a collection of HP Smart Update Manager (HP SUM), firmware smart components and the latest available driver smart components from the Windows and Linux ProLiant Support Packs (PSPs) that have been tested together to ensure compatibility. The driver smart components are provided as a convenience for those customers who might not want to deploy a full PSP but need the drivers to perform firmware update operations. BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles are for use by those customers who already have an installed operating system on a server and just want to update the firmware to the latest available level. These BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles require an operating system installed on each target server. These bundles are for online deployment in either a local or remote scenario using HP Smart Update Manager to deploy the updates, enforce limitations, and move the components to remote targets. The BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles are meant to be deployed from a Windows or Linux workstation, PC, or server to servers running a supported version of the same operating system. Deployment from a Windows workstation to a Linux server or from a Linux server to a Windows workstation is not supported. For workgroup-level deployments of up to 29 servers or network-based devices such as OA and iLO 2, HP SUM should be used to update firmware. The HP SUM team plans to increase this limit in a future release. For enterprise-level deployment scenarios requiring deployment to more than 29 servers concurrently, these BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles can be integrated with the Version Control software provided by HP SIM. However, additional limitations exist when including these bundles with HP SIM version control infrastructure beyond what is listed in the following table. These limitations include the inability to deploy Onboard Administrator and Virtual Connect firmware updates and the inability to deploy iLO2 firmware through the iLO management port. The HP SIM team is addressing these limitations and plans to resolve them by late 2009 by integrating HP SUM into their version control infrastructure.

NOTE: Use OA version 2.51 or later to get a list of all major firmware versions deployed in your enclosure using the Rack Firmware link on the main OA web page.
NOTE: HP supports the current and one previous version of the BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool.
The HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool provides enables you to update the following BladeSystem firmware.
Firmware types System ROM iLO 2 firmware Broadcom NIC firmware Intel NIC firmware NetXen NIC firmware Power PIC firmware Smart Array controller firmware SAS and SATA hard drive firmware behind Smart Array controllers SAS and SATA hard drive firmware behind non-Smart Array controllers Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter firmware Tape blade firmware Onboard Administrator firmware Virtual Connect firmware Supported by HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool Yes Yes Yes Yes, beginning with version 1.70 Yes, beginning with version 1.70 Yes, beginning with version 1.70 Yes Yes No Yes Yes No No
The latest version can be obtained from http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates.
HP Firmware Maintenance CD
The HP ProLiant Firmware Maintenance CD provides a collection of HP SUM and firmware in an ISO image that can be used either in an offline, interactive mode, or online in either a scripted or interactive mode. The Firmware Maintenance CD provides firmware for supported HP servers and options. The Firmware CD contains all the firmware for the BladeSystem enclosures with the exception of the Virtual Connect firmware. The VC firmware is not available on the Firmware Maintenance CD because of its size. In offline mode, the Firmware Maintenance CD boots a small Linux kernel and enables firmware updates to take place on a single server using the embedded HP SUM software. Because of the special boot environment, support for remote servers and hosts is not available. In online mode, users can leverage the autorun utility to launch HP SUM or browse the CD to the \compaq\swpackages directory and execute it directly. All firmware smart components are placed in the \compaq\swpackages directory for use by HP SUM. If additional firmware smart components are needed, the Firmware Maintenance CD can be copied to a USB key, and these additional components added to the \compaq\swpackages directory. If HP SUM supports the type of firmware added, it is automatically picked up the next time HP SUM is executed.

The Firmware Maintenance CD provides the means to update the following BladeSystem firmware.
Firmware types System ROM iLO 2 firmware Broadcom NIC firmware Intel NIC firmware NetXen NIC firmware Power PIC firmware Smart Array controller firmware SAS and SATA hard drive firmware behind Smart Array controllers SAS and SATA hard drive firmware behind nonSmart Array controllers Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapter firmware Tape blade firmware Onboard Administrator firmware Virtual Connect firmware Supported by HP Firmware Maintenance CD Yes Yes, local and remote Yes No No Yes, beginning with Firmware Maintenance CD 8.60 Yes Yes No Yes, offline only Yes Yes, online only Yes, online only and components must be downloaded from the web and added to the CD
NOTE: Because firmware might be able to update only in online or offline mode for some components, you might need to execute the HP Firmware Maintenance CD both online and offline to update all the firmware in an enclosure.
NOTE: Virtual Connect firmware components are not shipped on the HP Firmware Maintenance CD because of their size (approximately 50 MB per component). However, if the Virtual Connect firmware components are downloaded from www.hp.com, they can be added to the Firmware Maintenance CD by creating a USB key using the USB Key Utility. The latest version can be obtained from http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates.
Recommended firmware deployment strategies
Over the past several years, many different firmware deployment strategies have been put forth. There are few hard installation order requirements. The known requirements are: TOA upgrade from version 1.x to 2.x requires an intermediate step and; The Power PIC firmware v3.4(C) requires iLO 2 firmware version 1.78 or greater. If the Virtual Connect firmware version is older than version 1.34, update VC firmware before OA firmware to prevent a network outage. Starting with VC firmware version 1.34 and later, the VC firmware should be updated after the OA firmware. The main differences found in the various installation orders are with certain features, especially with OA, not supporting all features until everything is updated to a given solution. An example of this is the dynamic power capping support. This required updates to the iLO 2, Power PIC, system ROM, and OA firmware to enable this feature. If some of the updates were implemented, various errors would be reported by the OA until the full solution was installed. Many people would not continue with the installation of the other updates after they encountered errors and would report them to HP Support. Because many errors would disappear after the full solution was installed, HP Support would recommend upgrading to the full HP BladeSystem Compatibility Chart. This would lead to a circle of issues where a customer would not upgrade because of an error encountered, and HP Support would require the upgrade in order to receive support. This was exacerbated by a lack of information about the various errors that could be encountered during the upgrade process and whether they could be ignored or not. You can resolve this dilemma by doing the full installation. In an effort to move forward, we document firmware updates and their relative severity in the release notes for new releases of the firmware recipes starting in fall 2009. The recommended firmware update strategies as documented in the following sections are intended to minimize downtime and provide the least intrusive method of updating the OA, Virtual Connect Ethernet and Fibre Channel Modules, and servers in a given enclosure or enclosures that have been daisy-chained together. Depending on the deployment deliverable used, some of these will scale better to larger environments than others. In each scenario, at least two options are provided. For more information, see Deciding which deployment deliverable to use.

Scenario I want to update a single server under Windows or Linux to the latest firmware versions.
Description Recommended deployment deliverable to use:
HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows or Linux NOTE:
Because HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles do not provide the ability to update all possible firmware types, additional deployment deliverables must be used to ensure all firmware is updated within a BladeSystem enclosure and to align with the HP BladeSystem Compatibility Chart. To update the firmware that cannot be updated by HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles, use the BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool or the HP Firmware Maintenance CD. The latest version can be obtained from http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates/.
HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool (FDT) HP Firmware Maintenance CD
I want to update the OA firmware only.
HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows or Linux Use the OA web interface
I want to update the Virtual Connect firmware only.
Virtual Connect Support Utility (VCSU) HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows or Linux
I want to update an entire enclosure including OA, VC, and server blades and have an operating system already installed. I want to update an entire enclosure including the OA, VC and server blades and the blades do not have an operating system already installed.
HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows or Linux HP Firmware Maintenance CD
Because HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles do not provide the ability to update all possible firmware types, additional deployment deliverables must be used to ensure all firmware is updated within a BladeSystem enclosure and to align with the HP BladeSystem Compatibility Chart. To update the firmware that cannot be updated by HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles, use the BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool or the HP Firmware Maintenance CD. The latest version can be obtained from http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates/.
I want to automate the update of multiple enclosures including the OA, VC and server blades.
Because HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles do not provide the ability to update all possible firmware types, additional deployment deliverables must be used to ensure all firmware is updated within a BladeSystem enclosure and to align with the HP BladeSystem Compatibility Chart. To update the firmware that cannot be updated by HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles, use the BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool or the HP Firmware Maintenance CD. The latest version can be obtained from http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates/. HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool (FDT) and RIBCL scripts for server updates HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows or Linux to update OA and VC

NOTE: This contradicts the recommendation for enclosures where an operating system is already installed on the server blades.

To recap:

1. Update the OA first using the BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows and Linux. 2. Use the VCSU to update the VC firmware after all other updates have been applied, servers have
been rebooted, and all firmware activated. all servers.
3. Use the HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool or HP Firmware Maintenance CD to update
NOTE: If the VC firmware version is older than 1.34, it is best to reverse steps 1 and 2 to prevent a network outage. If the VC firmware is version 1.34 or later, follow the steps as recommended.
Automatic updates of multiple enclosures including the OA, VC, and server blades
To update an existing enclosure automatically, scripts must be used. Scripts can be deployed in a number of ways including the use of OS-based scripting, Remote Deployment Program (RDP), HP SIM, or the HPONCFG utility to send RIBCL scripts. Whatever scripting method is used, there are multiple ways to update the c-Class infrastructure, but only the recommended method is discussed here. The recommended method is to update everything that can be done online, then switch to an offline method to update the firmware that must be updated offline such as Fiber Channel HBAs and certain NIC adapters. This approach minimizes downtime, allows updates to be staged on a production server and activated at the next reboot, and can scale to multiple enclosures. For the online updates, the HP BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles should be scripted in two batches. The first batch contains the OAs that may need to be updated. The second batch contains all the servers that need firmware updates. When the online updates have been completed successfully, the servers can be rebooted as part of a RIBCL script using the HPONCFG utility that then launches the HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool to handle the offline updates for each server. The HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool automatically reboots the servers if the firmware updates are completed successfully or if no updates are needed. After the reboot occurs, the server can be placed back into production mode. Last, the VCSU can be scripted to update all Virtual Connect firmware within the enclosures. To recap:
1. Script the update of the OA firmware using the BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for

Windows and Linux.

2. Script the update of the server blades using the BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for
3. Script the HPONCFG utility to drive a RIBCL script to launch the HP BladeSystem Firmware
Deployment Tool to update any offline only firmware. This script can also be driven through HP SIM, RDP, and other scripting environments as well.

If installing a new server, update the firmware first before installing the operating system. This ensures that any firmware issues with the operating system installation have been addressed. Always ensure you have a backup of the server in case the firmware update is unsuccessful. Normally, HP does not recommend downgrading or rewriting firmware unless there is a specific need to do so. Downgrading firmware can cause incompatibilities between devices if the downgraded firmware does not mesh well with another devices firmware. Always reboot the server after server-based driver or firmware upgrades. This allows everything to be flushed out, memory cleared, and so on, so the new firmware/driver starts out fresh.
Recommended installation order
If the Virtual Connect Ethernet firmware is version 1.34 or later, or you are not using Virtual Connect in your blade enclosures, the following is the recommended installation order based on whether an operating system has been installed or not. If an operating system has already been installed:
1. Update the blades and the OA first using the BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows

and Linux.

2. Use the HP BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool or HP Firmware Maintenance CD to update
any offline only firmware.
3. Use the VCSU to update the VC firmware after all other updates have been applied, servers
rebooted, and all firmware activated
If an operating has not yet been installed:
1. Update the OA first using the BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows and Linux. 2. Use the VCSU to update the VC firmware after all other updates have been applied, servers
rebooted, and all firmware activated. all server-specific firmware.
If Virtual Connect Ethernet firmware is older than v1.34: If the Virtual Connect Ethernet firmware is older than version 1.34, the following is the recommended installation order regardless of whether an operating system has been installed or not.
1. Update the VC firmware first using the VCSU. 2. Update the server blades and the OA next using the BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for
Acronyms and abbreviations
CLI command-line interface EVA Enterprise Virtual Array FC Fiber Channel FDT Firmware Deployment Tool GUI graphical user interface HBA host bus adapter HPONCFG HP Lights-Out Online Configuration Utility HP SIM HP Systems Insight Management HP SUM HP Smart Update Manager iLO 2 Integrated Lights Out 2 ISO International Organization for Standardization KVM keyboard, video, and mouse NIC network interface controller OA Onboard Administrator
OS operating system POST Power-On Self Test PSP ProLiant Support Pack RDP Remote Deployment Program RIBCL Remote Insight Board Command Language ROM read-only memory SAS Serial attached SCSI SATA Serial ATA SOAP Simple Object Access Protocol UID unit identification USB universal serial bus VC Virtual Connect VCSU Virtual Connect Support Utility VM virtual machine

For more information

About supported hardware, software, and firmware versions, see the HP BladeSystem Compatibility Chart at http://www.hp.com/go/bladesystemupdates/. About the latest management software and driver updates and known issues, see the HP BladeSystem Matrix Release Notes at http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/blades/components/matrix/. For best practices, see the HP BladeSystem Matrix Getting Started Guide at http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/blades/components/matrix/.
Copyright 2009 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. 584746-001, September 2009