IBM DS8000 manual Microcode updates, Installation process

data from NVS memory to a variably sized disk area to preserve that data until power is restored. However, the EPO switch does not allow this destage process to happen and all NVS data is lost. This will most likely result in data loss.

If you need to power the DS8000 off for building maintenance, or to relocate it, you should always use the S-HMC to achieve this.

4.8 Microcode updates

The DS8000 contains many discrete redundant components. Most of these components have firmware that can be updated. This includes the processor complexes, device adapters, and host adapters. Each DS8000 server also has an operating system (AIX) and Licensed Internal Code (LIC) that can be updated. As IBM continues to develop and improve the DS8000, new releases of firmware and LIC will become available to offer improvements in both function and reliability.

The architecture of the DS8000 allows for concurrent code updates. This is achieved by using the redundant design of the DS8000. In general, redundancy is lost for a short period as each component in a redundant pair is updated.

The S-HMC can hold up to six different versions of code. Each server can hold three different versions of code (the previous version, the active version, and the next version).

Installation process

The installation process involves several stages.

1.The S-HMC code will be updated. The new code version will be supplied on CD or downloaded via FTP. This may potentially involve updates to the internal Linux version of the S-HMC, updates to the S-HMC LIC, and updates to the firmware of the S-HMC hardware.

2.New DS8000 LIC will be loaded onto the S-HMC and from there to the internal storage of each server.

3.Occasionally, new PPS and RPC firmware may be released. New firmware can be loaded into each Rack Power Control (RPC) card and Primary Power Supply (PPS) directly from the S-HMC. Each RPC and PPS would be quiesced, updated, and resumed one at a time until all have been updated.

4.Occasionally, new firmware for the hypervisor, service processor, system planar, and I/O enclosure planars may be released. This firmware can be loaded into each device directly from the S-HMC. Activation of this firmware may require each processor complex to be shut down and rebooted, one at a time. This would cause each server on each processor complex to fail over its logical subsystems to the server on the other processor complex. Certain updates may not require this step, or it may occur without processor reboots.

5.Updates to the server operating system (currently AIX 5.2) plus updates to the internal LIC will be performed. Every server in a storage image would be updated one at a time. Each update would cause each server to fail over its logical subsystems to its partner server on the other processor complex. This process would also update the firmware running in each device adapter owned by that server.

6.Updates to the host adapters will be performed. For FICON/FCP adapters, these updates will impact each adapter for less than 2.5 seconds, and should not affect connectivity. If an update were to take longer than this, multi-pathing software on the host, or CUIR (for ESCON and FICON), will be used to direct I/O to a different host adapter.

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