Compaq 4100 manual Firmware Update Instructions, Updating Your System Firmware

2 Firmware Update Instructions

The following sections provide instructions for updating your system firmware.

2.1Updating Your System Firmware

The SRM console’s built-in loadable firmware update utility (LFU) is used to update your console firmware (SRM and AlphaBIOS consoles). LFU can also be booted as a monolithic image off an update CD (e.g. using the Alpha Firmware Systems Update CD-ROM).

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Beginning with SRM V5.3 console firmware the AlphaBIOS image was relocated to a different sector in flash ROM. Use of the built-in LFU required that the update procedure be repeated a second time to ensure the AlphaBIOS was properly relocated in flash ROM. Executing the update twice applies to SRM V5.4 or later console firmware if updating from a version of console earlier than V5.3. If updating from SRM V5.3 console firmware then the update does not need to be executed twice. Please read on for more details on the update changes listed in this chapter.

Note: The LFU update method to update SRM firmware to V5.4 or later requires the system being updated to be at or above SRM firmware version V5.2. LFU updates from a system with SRM firmware version V5.1 or earlier will fail to update properly and should not be attempted. There is no problem with the Boot command methods of update (eg. booting the CD).

The SRM firmware V5.3 files are posted to the /interim webpage for users that do not have access to the Alpha Systems Update Firmware CD and are updating a system, running SRM V5.1 or earlier, via the LFU update method.

The LFU utility can also be used to update KZPSA, DEFPA, and CIPCA firmware. Mylex DAC960 RAID options such as KZPSC and KZPAC are not supported by LFU. Refer to the Controller Installation and Standalone Utility User’s Guide for your particular StorageWorks RAID Array subsystem should you need to update your RAID subsystem’s firmware.

LFU supports multiple update devices: local SCSI CD-ROM (CDA0), local floppy (DVA0), and local network - Ethernet (EWA0) and FDDI (FWA0). Other load devices are supported for the advanced user. Refer to the AlphaServer 4100 System Drawer User’s Guide for more information about LFU and other console commands, environment variables to set when performing updates off a network device, and update procedures.

Over time, you may wish to update to newer firmware versions as features are added, new I/O option support is added, and bug fixes are made. Updates are typically issued about once per quarter.

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