Preparing For The Update, LFU command changes

Firmware Update Instructions

2.2Preparing For The Update

If you don’t have access to the Alpha Systems Firmware Update CD, you’ll need to copy the appropriate ﬁrmware ﬁles to a local computer system. You will ﬁrst need to locate the appropriate ﬁrmware update ﬁles. Look in http://ftp.digital.com/pub/Digital/Alpha/ﬁrmware/V6.0 for the /as4x00, /options, and /doc subdirectories for the ﬁles you’ll need. The list of ﬁles required is provided below.

The SRM console’s SHOW VERSION command can be used to determine your SRM console version. The AlphaBIOS console’s version can be determined either by starting the AlphaBIOS console via the ALPHABIOS command or by starting LFU via the SRM console’s LFU command. You can then bypass the update ﬁle load sequence by pressing RETURN when LFU asks you to specify a load device. A LIST command at the UPD> prompt will display the current revision of AlphaBIOS (and SRM) console ﬁrmware.

If you’ll be updating via ﬂoppy, you’ll need either a PC with a 1.44MB compatible ﬂoppy drive or an OpenVMS machine with access to a 1.44MB ﬂoppy drive. If you’ll be updating via network (local MOP server), you’ll need to copy the appropriate ﬁles to your local MOP server’s MOM$LOAD area with appropriate ﬁle protection to allow your AlphaServer 4100 system to be served by the local MOP server. You will also need to modify the ﬁle attributes of the downloaded ﬁles. See Section 2.2.5 for more details.

Refer to Section 1.6 for pointers to the DIGITAL Web pages for ﬁrmware release and update information.

2.2.1LFU command changes

Beginning with V5.3 SRM console AlphaBIOS was relocated to a new sector in ﬂash ROM. This relocation change affects updates via the LFU command. Use of the "LFU" command for updates from either CD-ROM, ﬂoppy or the network will require the process to be executed twice if updating a system running any SRM ﬁrmware version prior to V5.3. If 5.3 or later then the LFU need only be executed once.

Note: The LFU update method will fail to properly update to V5.4 or later on systems running ﬁrmare versions V5.1 or earlier and must be updated to V5.3 ﬁrst. Please read the information under Section 2.1 for more details.

For console ﬁrmware updates on systems running ﬁrmware prior to V5.3 the basic steps required are as follows:

1Run LFU

2Update SRM

3Exit LFU

4Run LFU

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