IBM eServer xSeries 225 (8649) Flash Update Version 1.12 - Build OQE112A Installation README File CONTENTS ________ 1.0 Overview 2.0 Change History 3.0 Installation and Setup Instructions 4.0 Configuration Information 5.0 Unattended Mode 6.0 Web Sites and Support Phone Number 7.0 Trademarks and Notices 8.0 Disclaimer 1.0 Overview 1.1 This README file contains the latest information about installing the IBM xSeries x225 (8649) POST/BIOS code. 1.2 Limitations - NA 1.3 Enhancements This BIOS flash image update contains an Intel errata patch for the microprocessor firmware. It addresses a potential issue which might cause a system to exhibit erratic behavior such as a system hang, reboot, blue screen or Kernel Panic (Linux), and may also cause in-progress system operations (e.g., file, I/O) to fail. The possibility of this behavior is believed to be limited, but IBM strongly recommends that customers install this update as soon as possible to prevent the possibility of the issues listed above. See Retain Tip H181994 for more details on this issue. 1.4 Level of Recommendations and Prerequisites for the Update: 1.5 Dependencies For customers using the Integrated Mirroring feature on the integrated SCSI controller, the RAID configuration will be converted to a new format when upgrading to this level of system BIOS. This new format is unreadable by earlier levels of code. If it is necessary to return the system to the previous system BIOS level, the Integrated Mirroring settings will need to be reconfigured. Documentation of this workaround is available at: http://www.ibm.com/support 2.0 Change History BIOS Version 1.12 - Build OQE112A - Removed item “SMI Polling” in chipset feature group - Fixed the SLES 9.0 hangs during installation - Fixed unable to install SLES 8.0 with bios 11a - Fixed RHEL 3.0 as install hangs during install - Fixed Windows 2003 EE install fail - Fixed Netware 6.5 install fail BIOS Version 1.11 - Build OQE111A - Updated LSI SCSI BIOS/FW versions 5.04.06/1.03.39.21. Fixed rebuild problem of swapping drives not being detected after system is powered off. - Fixed issue where SMI routine was causing conflict with serial port devices. - Added SMI Polling toggle. BIOS Version 1.10 - Build OQE110A - Updated copyright date - Resolved system hang with blank screen after power on or reset. Systems with hot swap power supplies and SCSI could be impacted. - Enhanced fan algorithm to eliminate false fan errors with processors faster than 3GHz BIOS Version 1.09 - Build OQE109A - Fixed spelling error in help text for System Card Data - Enhanced stuck key "301 Keyboard Error" detection - Fixed hang in POST with RSAII BIOS Version 1.08 - Build OQE108A - Update processor microcode (SRV_P_37) This BIOS flash image update contains an Intel errata patch for the microprocessor firmware, it addresses a potential marginal timing issue in the Arithmetic Logic Unit which might cause a system to exhibit erratic behavior such as a system hang, reboot, blue screen or Kernel Panic (Linux), and may also cause in-progress system operations (e.g., file, I/O) to fail. The possibility of this behavior is believed to be limited, but IBM strongly recommends that customers install this update as soon as possible to prevent the possibility of the issues listed above. - Update CMOS default year BIOS Version 1.07 - Build OQE107A - LSI BIOS/Firmware update and fix for bad block issue (please see retain tip H18502 for more information on the bad block issue) - Updated af.exe to version 8.53.MSI04 - Updated processor microcode - Fixed booting from RSAII remote disk - Fixed booting from network with RSAII - Fixed double-bit error detection - Fixed interrupt 18h in boot sequence - Fixed fan speed issue - Fixed Intel Logo BIOS Version 1.05 - Build OQE105A - RSA II"DHCP Control Enable" report issued - corrected set POP password,reboot and enter system event error log page - can now mount USB CDROM and FDD at same time - removed erroneously issued "Bad EEprom CRC error" messages - fan speed control reduced below 800rpm per spec. - fan5 error issued when unplugging fan3 and fan4 with RSA II card, this was corrected BIOS Version 1.04 - Build OQE104A - Initial release 3.0 Installation and Setup Instructions *Note: If installing from an update package, see additional instructions, in Appendix A. The procedure to update the POST/BIOS is as follows: 3.1 Insert the "IBM xSeries x225 (8649) POST/BIOS Flash Diskette" into drive A. 3.2 Start up or restart your IBM system. 3.3 The system will boot off of the diskette. 3.4 You will then be asked if you would like to save the current code to a diskette. If you select 'Y', you need to name the file to be saved. The file will be saved on the diskette. If you select 'N', the utility will continue to the next step. 3.5 At this point, you will be asked if you would like to continue the POST/BIOS flash update. If you select 'Y', the system will update the flash ROM with the new code. When this is complete you will be prompted to remove the diskette and hit 'F1' to reboot the system. 3.6 On the first system boot, after updating the BIOS, select the Setup Utility with the F1 key; then, select the "Load Default Settings" option. Select the "Save Settings" option, and hit 'y' to save. Then, select "Exit Setup" to exit the utility, and, finally, accept the displayed 'Y' option under "Save and exit the setup utility?" 4.0 Configuration Information 5.0 Unattended Mode 5.1 Steps for unattended mode. 5.1.1 Modify AUTOEXEC.BAT on the Flash Diskette to read: "AF.EXE flashfil.fls /py /sn", where 'flashfil.fls' is the file you wish to flash 5.1.2 Reboot the system with the Flash Diskette in Drive A: 6.0 Web Sites and Support Phone Number 6.1 IBM Support Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/support 6.2 IBM Marketing IntelliStation Web Site: http://www.pc.ibm.com/intellistation 6.3 If you have any questions about this update, or problems applying the update go to the following Help Center World Telephone Numbers URL: http://www.ibm.com/planetwide/. 7.0 Trademarks and Notices THIS DOCUMENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. IBM DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND MERCHANTABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENT. BY FURNISHING THIS DOCUMENT, IBM GRANTS NO LICENSES TO ANY PATENTS OR COPYRIGHTS. 8.0 Disclaimer Appendix A: Package Specific Installation Instruction This update is packaged as a self-extracting PackageForTheWeb (PFTW) executable file. To unpack, this update requires that your TEMP environment variable be set to a path with read/write access. You must be logged in as an administrator. The package update log, ux.log, is created on the system drive. To locate the log file go to: %SystemDrive%\uxlog\ux.log The command-line syntax for PackageForTheWeb firmware update package is: Package.exe [-s] [-a [-s] | [-r] | [-c] | [-x directory] | [-xd] | [-w] | [-?] ] [-s] This command installs the Package-For-The-Web software silently and does not prompt if files are to be over-written in the %temp% directory. [-a] This command passes all subsequent commands to the PFTW software to install the update package. [-s] This command runs a silent and unattended update. For firmware updates, the update is scheduled to run on the next reboot. An immediate reboot can be forced with the -r option. [-r] This command schedules the update and reboot immediately. It can be used with or without the -s command. [-c] This command cancels any scheduled firmware update and records results of this operation in the log file. Only one firmware package can be scheduled at a time, if a firmware update needs to be applied instead of the currently scheduled firmware update package, cancel the current (run with the -c option on any firmware package) package. Then, run the applicable firmware package. [-x directory] This command is used with firmware updates to extract the update to the directory named directory. The PackageForTheWeb executable extracts itself to a subdirectory in the %TEMP% directory, a relative directory will be relative to that location. You must specify an absolute directory if you do not want to use the default directory. [-xd] This command is used with firmware updates to extract to a floppy diskette. The floppy diskette can then be used to boot from and apply the update. This option is not available for all firmware updates, such as tape drive and hard-disk drive updates. [-w] PowerQuest Virtual Boot Environment requires that there are 2 free sectors on the first track before it can schedule a firmware update. Use this option only if scheduling an update failed because 2 free sectors were not available on the first track. This option clears the non-boot and the non-partition information sectors on the first track. Typically, these sectors are not used. Before clearing the sectors a copy of the complete first track is saved in the %temp% directory from which the update runs. [-?] This command displays information about the command line switches. The command line switches -s, -r -c and -e are unnattended. Other command line options such as display help (-?) might require that you hit any key to continue. If Windows packages are run without any command line options, a GUI is displayed. This GUI offers all of the options that are available using the command line.