Power7 Entry Systems Firmware

Applies to:   8202-E4B, 8205-E6B, 8231-E2B, 8233-E8B, 8236-E8C, 8492-DW2 and 8493-SV2

This document provides information about the installation of Licensed Machine or Licensed Internal Code, which is sometimes referred to generically as microcode or firmware.

Contents

1.0 Systems Affected

This package provides firmware for Power 710 (8231-E2B), Power 730 (8231-E2B), Power 720 (8202-E4B), Power 740 (8205-E6B, 8492-DW2 and 8493-SV2), Power 750 (8233-E8B)  and Power 755 (8236-E8C) servers only.

The firmware level in this package is:

1.1 Minimum HMC Code Level

This section is intended to describe the "Minimum HMC Code Level" required by the System Firmware to complete the firmware installation process. When installing the System Firmware, the HMC level must be equal to or higher than the "Minimum HMC Code Level" before starting the system firmware update.  If the HMC managing the server targeted for the System Firmware update is running a code level lower than the "Minimum HMC Code Level" the firmware update will not proceed.

The Minimum HMC Code level for this firmware is:  HMC V7 R7.3.0 (PTF MH01255 or MH01256) with PTF MH01257 (Mandatory efix).

Although the Minimum HMC Code level for this firmware is listed above,  HMC level V7 R7.3.0 with PTF MH01265 (Service Pack 1), or higher is suggested for this firmware level.

For information concerning HMC releases and the latest PTFs,  go to the following URL to access Fix Central:
http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

For specific fix level information on key components of IBM Power Systems running the AIX, IBM i and Linux operating systems, we suggest using the Fix Level Recommendation Tool (FLRT):
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/flrt/home

NOTE: You must be logged in as hscroot in order for the firmware installation to complete correctly.

1.2 Minimum SDMC Code Level

This section is intended to describe the "Minimum Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) Code Level" required by the System Firmware to complete the firmware installation process. When installing the System Firmware, the SDMC level must be equal to or higher than the "Minimum SDMC Code Level" before starting the system firmware update.  If the SDMC managing the server targeted for the System Firmware update is running a code level lower than the "Minimum SDMC Code Level" the firmware update will not proceed.

The Minimum SDMC Code level for this firmware is:  SDMC V6 R7.3.0 with Mandatory PTF MF53082.

For information concerning SDMC releases and the latest PTFs,  go to the following URL to access Fix Central:
http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

For specific fix level information on key components of IBM Power Systems running the AIX, IBM i and Linux operating systems, we suggest using the Fix Level Recommendation Tool (FLRT):
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/flrt/home

2.0 Important Information

Review the following actions prior to performing a concurrent update to AL730_049:

- For any partitions that are inactive during the concurrent update to firmware level AL730_049, prior to deletion or migration of the partition, the partition needs to be minimally activated.
- The partition may be powered off immediately after activation is started.
- After that, the partition may be deleted or migrated.
- Failure to activate prior to deletion or migration may lead to a system Incomplete state requiring a system reboot to recover.

A 'suspended' partition is considered to be powered off.  A partition that is in suspended state during code update should be resumed, or shutdown and minimally activated, prior to deletion or migration.

IPv6 Support and Limitations

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is supported in the System Management Services (SMS) in this level of system firmware. There are several limitations that should be considered.

When configuring a network interface card (NIC) for remote IPL, only the most recently configured protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) is retained. For example, if the network interface card was previously configured with IPv4 information and is now being configured with IPv6 information, the IPv4 configuration information is discarded.

A single network interface card may only be chosen once for the boot device list. In other words, the interface cannot be configured for the IPv6 protocol and for the IPv4 protocol at the same time.

Concurrent Firmware Updates

Concurrent system firmware update is only supported on HMC or SDMC - Managed Systems only.

Changes to DIMM VPD reported under FW Release AL730, for select DIMMs

 After installation of AL730 firmware, select DIMMs may display VPD information that does not match the attached FRU label.  The FRU number displayed may differ from the FRU number printed on the DIMM label.
This change would not apply when the server is running an earlier supported release of system firmware (ex. AL710, or AL720).

Changes in VPD (Vital Product Data) May be Reported for Feature Codes 4526, 4529, and 4528
Feature Code Supported
Systems		 Description DIMM FRU Label Under FW Release AL730,
VPD is displayed as the following



FRU Number CCIN FRU Number CCIN
4526 8202-E4B
8205-E6B
8231-E2B
8233-E8B
8236-E8C
8492-DW2
8493-SV2

4GB Memory DIMM

 77P8784
 31C5
 78P0554
 31F3
4529 8202-E4B
8205-E6B
8492-DW2
8493-SV2

8GB Memory DIMM

 77P8919
 31D2
 78P0555
 31F4
4528 8233-E8B
8236-E8C

16GB Memory DIMM

 77P8633 31C9 78P0639 31F5
Note: This change does not apply to all DIMMs with the FRU numbers listed above, only a sub-set of DIMMs will report changes in VPD information.  The change in displayed VPD information has no functional impact and does not affect the operation or reliability of the associated memory DIMMs, it simply reports select DIMMs with new VPD information as a means of differentiating their capabilities to service providers.  Future service actions should be placed using the displayed VPD information, as logged by diagnostic and service related software, and not against the FRU number printed on the DIMM FRU label.


Memory Considerations for Firmware Upgrades

Firmware Release Level upgrades and Service Pack updates may consume additional system memory.
Server firmware requires memory to support the logical partitions on the server. The amount of memory required by the server firmware varies according to several factors.
Factors influencing server firmware memory requirements include the following:
Generally, you can estimate the amount of memory required by server firmware to be approximately 8% of the system installed memory. The actual amount required will generally be less than 8%. However, there are some server models that require an absolute minimum amount of memory for server firmware, regardless of the previously mentioned considerations.

Additional information can be found at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/topic/p7hat/iphatlparmemory.htm

3.0 Firmware Information and Description 

Use the following examples as a reference to determine whether your installation will be concurrent or disruptive.

For systems that are not managed by an HMC or SDMC, the installation of system firmware is always disruptive.

Note: The concurrent levels of system firmware may, on occasion, contain fixes that are known as Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred. Deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until the next IPL. Partition-Deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until a partition reactivate is performed. Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred fixes, if any, will be identified in the "Firmware Update Descriptions" table of this document. For these types of fixes (Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred) within a service pack, only the fixes in the service pack which cannot be concurrently activated are deferred.

Note: The file names and service pack levels used in the following examples are for clarification only, and are not necessarily levels that have been, or will be released.

System firmware file naming convention:

01ALXXX_YYY_ZZZ

NOTE: Values of service pack and last disruptive service pack level (YYY and ZZZ) are only unique within a release level (XXX). For example, 01AL720_067_045 and 01AL740_067_053 are different service packs.

An installation is disruptive if:

Example: Currently installed release is AL710, new release is AL720 Example: AL720_120_120 is disruptive, no matter what level of AL720 is currently installed on the system Example: Currently installed service pack is AL720_120_120 and new service pack is AL720_152_130

An installation is concurrent if:

The release level (XXX) is the same, and
The service pack level (YYY) currently installed on the system is the same or higher than the last disruptive service pack level (ZZZ) of the service pack to be installed.

Example: Currently installed service pack is AL720_126_120,  new service pack is AL720_143_120.

Firmware Information and Update Description

 
Filename Size Checksum
01AL730_049_035.rpm 35515969 49630

Note: The Checksum can be found by running the AIX sum command against the rpm file (only the first 5 digits are listed).
ie: sum 01AL730_049_035.rpm

AL730
For Impact, Severity and other Firmware definitions, Please refer to the below 'Glossary of firmware terms' url:
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/power5cm/home.html#termdefs
AL730_049_035

09/15/11		 Impact:  Performance      Severity:  HIPER - High Impact/PERvasive, Should be installed as soon as possible.

System firmware changes that affect all systems

  • A problem was fixed that caused SRC B18138B7 to be erroneously logged, and the service processor to terminate, when errors were continuously logged due to failing hardware.
  • A problem was fixed that caused the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) menus to be displayed in English no matter which language was selected.
  • The firmware was enhanced to verify that no uncorrectable memory errors are present in all of a partition's memory when the hypervisor accesses that memory.
  • The firmware was enhanced to reduce the number of times informational SRC 10009002 is logged when a system is booted.
  • A problem was fixed that caused two calls home for the same error to be made when a platform dump was generated.
  • A problem was fixed that caused unrecoverable SRC B181A809 to be erroneously logged.
  • A problem was fixed that caused a system boot to terminate with unrecoverable SRC B181A403.
  • A problem was fixed prevented a platform system dump from being deleted when the file system space on the service processor was full.
  • A problem was fixed prevented an encapsulated state partition from being activated after a main store dump (MSD).
  • A problem was fixed that caused a partition to fail to activate when the activation took place within an hour of the system being powered on.  This problem is much more likely to occur on large systems with a large number of I/O slots.
  • A problem was fixed that caused the system to terminate when rebooting after the power was removed, then reapplied.
  • A problem was fixed that caused a partition to fail with SRC B170E540 when rebooting after an unrecoverable error was logged that impacted the partition's reserved memory area (RMA).
  • A problem was fixed that caused SRCs B181156C and B181A40F to be erroneously logged after a service processor reset. 
  • The firmware was enhanced to delay the rebooting of a partition after a uncorrectable error (UE) is logged in the partition's memory.  This gives  the service processor sufficient time to gard out the memory in which the UE occurred.
  • The firmware was enhanced to log SRC B181C3251 as informational rather than predictive.
  • The firmware was enhanced to log SRC B1812A11 as informational, instead of "service action required", when the thermal/power management device (TPMD) is successfully reset.
  • A problem was fixed that erroneously caused SRC B18186x1 to be logged and an FSP dump to be generated.
  • The field replaceable unit (FRU) callouts were enhanced for SRC B181E550.
  • A problem was fixed that caused a system's partition dates to revert back to 1969 after the service processor or its battery was replaced.  This occurred regardless of whether or not the service processor's time-of-day (TOD) clock was correctly set during the service action.
  • A problem was fixed that caused the system to crash with SRC B700F103.

System firmware changes that affect certain systems

  • HIPER:  On systems running VIOS, a problem was fixed that caused the system to crash with SRC B700F103.
  • On systems with processors that don't have memory associated with them, a problem was fixed that was degrading system performance.
  • On systems running Advanced Memory Sharing (AMS), a problem was fixed that caused the system to crash during the creation of a logical partition (LPAR).
  • On a system that terminates when in dynamic power save mode, a problem was fixed that caused SRCs B150B943, B113C660, and B113C661 to be erroneously logged when the system rebooted.
  • On systems running more than 100 logical partitions, a problem was fixed that caused a concurrent firmware installation to fail.
  • On systems running IBM i partitions, a problem was fixed that prevented IBM i partitions that were suspended from being reactivated after a main store dump (MSD).
  • On systems running IBM i partitions, a problem was fixed that caused changing the processor weight on an IBM i partition to 255 to have no effect.
  • On systems running Advanced Memory Sharing (AMS), a problem was fixed that prevented the virtual I/O server (VIOS) partition associated with an AMS pool from shutting down.
  • On systems with partitions with dedicated memory assigned, a problem was fixed that caused a resume operation on a partition with dedicated memory to fail with HMC SRC HSC0A945.
  • On systems running an IBM i partition with dedicated memory, and redundant virtual I/O server (VIOS) partitions, a problem was fixed that caused the resumption of the IBM i partition to fail if the hypervisor failed-over to the other VIOS partition while the IBM i partition was in hibernation.
  • The firmware was enhanced to allow the installation of IBM i from the HMC command line interface (CLI) using the "chsysstate" command.
  • On systems running shared processor partitions, a problem was fixed that caused a partition to hang until powered off and back on.
  • On systems running the Advanced Energy Manager (AEM), a problem was fixed that caused the work rate calculation for a processor to be incorrect if the system dropped into safe mode.
  • On systems with an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) attached, a problem was fixed that caused the system to power cycle  after a power failure, instead of waiting for power to be restored before powering on.
  • On systems with F/C 1954 (4-port GB Ethernet adapter) installed, a problem was fixed that prevented the adapter from being configured during boot, and two B7006970 SRCs to be erroneously logged.
  • On systems running VIOS, a problem was fixed that caused the location code in the output of the VIOS command "lsmap -npiv -all" to be incorrect.
  • A problem was fixed that caused a partition migration operation to abort when the partition has more than 4096 virtual slots.
  • On systems running Advanced Memory Sharing (AMS), the firmware was enhanced to reduce the time required to migrate an AMS partition.
  • On systems running DB2 pureScale, a problem was fixed that caused intermittent remote direct memory access (RMDA) errors, and a core dump of the pureScale server process.
  • On systems with processors that don't have memory associated with them, the firmware was enhanced to improve boot time and system performance.
  • A problem was fixed that caused the system to appear to hang, and a service processor reset/reload to occur, when multiple hardware errors occurred.
  • On systems running virtual switches, the firmware was enhanced to limit the number of partitions that have access to a particular vswitch.
  • On 8202-E4B and 8205-E6B systems with F/C 5685, the PCI-E expansion riser installed, and running IBM i, a problem was fixed that caused empty slots on the riser to be displayed as "Unknown Position" instead of "Empty" in the SLIC Hardware Services Manager (HSM).
  • On systems managed by an HMC, a problem was fixed that caused a firmware installation from the HMC with the "do not auto accept" option selected to fail.
  • On 8202-E4B and 8205-E6B systems, a problem was fixed that caused unrecoverable SRCs 11003116 and B1754201 to be erroneously logged.
  • On 8231-E2B systems, a problem was fixed that caused the system fans to run faster than necessary for several minutes.

4.0 How to Determine Currently Installed Firmware Level

For HMC managed systems:  From the HMC, select Updates in the navigation (left-hand) pane, then view the current levels of the desired server(s).

For SDMC managed systems:  From the SDMC Welcome page, select the desired server(s), then select Release Management, then select Power System Firmware Management. Click Gather Target Information, then view the current levels of the desired server(s). 
NOTE:  If Inventory has not previously been collected, a message will be displayed indicating to "View and Collect Inventory" to proceed.

For standalone system running IBM i without an HMC or SDMC: From a command line, issue DSPFMWSTS.

For standalone system running IBM AIX without an HMC or SDMC: From a command line, issue lsmcode.

Alternately, use the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) Welcome pane. The current server firmware  appears in the top right corner. Example: AL710_yyy.

5.0 Downloading the Firmware Package

Follow the instructions on Fix Central. You must read and agree to the license agreement to obtain the firmware packages.

Note: If your HMC or SDMC is not internet-connected you will need to download the new firmware level to a CD-ROM or ftp server.

6.0 Installing the Firmware

The method used to install new firmware will depend on the release level of firmware which is currently installed on your server. The release level can be determined by the prefix of the new firmware's filename.

Example: ALXXX_YYY_ZZZ

Where XXX = release level

HMC Managed Systems:

Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems managed by an HMC can be found at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=/p7ha1/updupdates.htm

SDMC Managed Systems:

Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems managed by an SDMC can be found at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/director/v6r2x/index.jsp?topic=/dpsm/dpsm_managing_hosts/dpsm_managing_hosts_power_firmware.html

Systems not Managed by an HMC or SDMC:

p Systems:
Instructions for installing firmware on systems that are not managed by an HMC can be found at:
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/powersys/v3r1m5/index.jsp?topic=/p7ha5/fix_serv_firm_kick.htm

IBM i Systems:
See "Server Firmware and HMC Wizard":
http://www-912.ibm.com/s_dir/slkbase.nsf/recommendedfixes

NOTE: For systems running with the IBM i Operating System, the following IBM i PTFs must be applied to all IBM i partitions prior to installing AL730_049:
These PTFs can be ordered at the following link:
http://www-912.ibm.com/s_dir/slkbase.nsf/ibmscdirect/7515CEFBA9CC72F8862576D200569B60

7.0 Firmware History

The Firmware History can be reviewed at the following link:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/AL-Firmware-Hist.html

8.0 Change History

Date
 Description
October 17, 2011
 - Added details to the Important Information section.