Upgradesof a CIMC through a management firmware package or an adapter through a firmware package
inthe service profile associated with the server take precedence over direct firmware upgrades. You cannot
directlyupgrade an endpoint if the service profile associated with the server includes a firmware package.
Toperform a direct upgrade, you must remove the firmware package from the service profile.
Note
Stages of a Direct Firmware Upgrade
CiscoUCS Managerseparates the directupgrade process intotwo stagesto ensure that you can push the
firmwareto an endpoint while the system is running without affecting uptime on the server or other endpoints.
Update
Duringthis stage, the system copies the selected firmware version from the primary fabric interconnect to the
backuppartition in the endpoint and verifies that the firmware image is not corrupt. The update process always
overwritesthe firmware in the backup slot.
Theupdate stage applies only to the following endpoints:
• Adapters
• CIMCs
• I/O modules
Donot remove the hardware that contains the endpoint or perform any maintenance on it until the update
processhas completed.If thehardware isremoved or otherwise unavailable due to maintenance, the
firmwareupdate fails. This failure may corrupt the backup partition. You cannot update the firmware on
anendpoint with a corrupted backup partition.
Caution
Activate
Duringthis stage, the system sets the specified image version (normally the backup version) as the startup
versionand, if you do not specify Set Startup Version Only, immediately reboots the endpoint. When the
endpointis rebooted,the backuppartition becomes the activepartition, and theactive partition becomes the
backuppartition. The firmware in the new active partition becomes the startup version and the running version.
Thefollowing endpoints onlyrequire activationbecause the specified firmware image already exists on the
endpoint:
• Cisco UCS Manager
• Fabric interconnects
• Board controllers on those servers that support them
Whenthe firmware is activated, the endpoint is rebooted and the new firmware becomes the active kernel
versionand system version. If the endpoint cannot boot from the startup firmware, it defaults to the backup
versionand raises a fault.
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Firmware Upgrades