Power5 Firmware

Applies to: i5, OpenPower, p5 Servers and IntelliStation 285

This document provides information about the installation of Licensed Machine or Licensed Internal Code, which is sometimes referred to generically as microcode or firmware.

1.0 Systems Affected
2.0 Cautions and Important Notes
3.0 Firmware Description
4.0 How to Determine Currently Installed Firmware Level
5.0 Downloading the Firmware Package
6.0 Installing the Firmware
7.0 Firmware History

1.0 Systems Affected

This package provides new firmware for i5, OpenPower, p5 Servers and IntelliStation 285, EXCEPT for the following systems: 9118-575, 9119-590, 9119-595, 9406-595, 9117-570 with 12 or 16 physical processors, and the 9406-570 with 12 or 16 physical processors.

This level of firmware does not support the 9119-590, 9119-595, 9406-595, 9118-575, 9117-570 with 12 or 16 physical processors, or the 9406-570 with 12 or 16 physical processors.

2.0 Cautions and Important Notes

The backleveling of firmware from any given release level to an earlier release level is not supported on Power5 systems. If you feel that it is necessary to backlevel the firmware on your system to an earlier release level, please contact your next level of support.

The following page will display the recommended HMC code and server firmware" levels for the currently supported Power5 releases. Power5 Code Matrix: http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/hmc/power5/tips/matrix.html

For systems that are managed by an HMC

Before attempting to load this system firmware please ensure that your HMC software has been upgraded to Version 5, Release 1.0 Go to this URL to access the HMC microcode packages the HMC microcode packages http://techsupport.services.ibm.com/server/hmc/power5/download/v51.Recovery.html.

Attention: Before installing firmware on an HMC managed system:

If installing this level of firmware as a disruptive install, please ensure that all partitions are gracefully shut down prior to initiating a firmware installation.

To determine if a service pack is disruptive, refer to section 3.0 of this document.

Ensure that there are no outstanding serviceable events showing on the Service Focal Point before starting the firmware installation.
Disable call home prior to beginning the firmware installation.
Ensure that the HMC is not network connected to an HMC with call home enabled prior to beginning the firmware installation.
If the system and power subsystem firmware installation results in new serviceable events, ensure they are resolved/closed prior to re-enabling call come.
Call home should be enabled again at the end of the firmware installation.
Verify that you have good network connections between the Hardware Management Console, the managed system and the power subsystem.

lssysconn -r all

"state = no connection"

resource_type=sys,type_model_serial_num=9119-595*512884E,sp=primary,ipaddr=192.168.255.250,state=Connected
resource_type=sys,type_model_serial_num=9119-595*512884E,sp=backup,ipaddr=192.168.252.255,state=No Connection
resource_type=frame,type_model_serial_num=9458-100*918000X,side=a,ipaddr=192.168.253.253, state=No Connection
resource_type=frame,type_model_serial_num=9458-100*918000X,side=b,ipaddr=192.168.254.251, state=Connected

Note: When attempting to install system firmware from CD media you may receive an HMC error approximately 10 seconds after starting the installation. Here are probable causes for this problem:

ACT01712E - A failure occurred while copying files from your DVD - Retry the firmware installation after burning a new CD. We recommend DVD-RAM or CD-R media to reduce the probability of media errors. We recommend you do not use CD-RW media.
ACT01724E - The operation failed due to an internal code failure - The HMC DASD may be too full to copy the firmware images. From the HMC command line issue a "df" command to view %use of the DASD directories. If the /dev/hda5 directory is near 100% full there is no space to copy the firmware files. The cause of the high DASD utilization should be corrected first before attempting to install new firmware.

3.0 Firmware Information and Description

IBM introduced the Concurrent Firmware Maintenance (CFM) function on p5 systems in system firmware level 01SF230_126_120, which was released on June 16, 2005. This function supports nondisruptive system firmware service packs to be applied to the system concurrently (without requiring an IPL to activate changes).

For systems that are not managed by an HMC, the installation of system firmware is always disruptive.

Note: The concurrent levels of system firmware may, on occasion, contain fixes that are known as deferred. These deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until the next IPL. Deferred fixes, if any, will be identified in the "Firmware Update Descriptions" table of this document. For deferred fixes within a service pack, only the fixes in the service pack which cannot be concurrently activated are deferred.

Use the following example as a reference to determine whether your installation will be concurrent or disruptive.

System firmware file naming convention:

01SFXXX_YYY_ZZZ

XXX is the release level
YYY is the service pack level
ZZZ is the last disruptive service pack level

An installation is disruptive if:

The release levels (XXX) are different.

Example: Currently installed release is SF225, new release is SF230

The service pack level (YYY) and the last disruptive service pack level (ZZZ) are equal.

Example: SF230_120_120

An installation is concurrent if:

The service pack level (YYY) is higher than the service pack level currently installed on your system.

Example: Currently installed service pack is SF230_126_120,
new service pack is SF230_143_120.

Firmware File Information and Update Description

*Filename*	*Size*	*Checksum*
01SF235_160_160.rpm	13921570	31003


01SF235
01SF235_160_160	Impact: Function Severity: Special Attention New function: On i5 systems, added support for booting from a boot device attached to an IOP-less adapter. Added support for the installation of two copies of the AIX operating system on one hard file. This includes support in the SMS menus for booting from either one. Added support for feature code 1812, the GX Dual-port 4x InfiniBand Host Channel Adapter, on model 52A systems. Added support for feature code 1811, the GX Dual-port 4x InfiniBand Host Channel Adapter, on model 575 systems. Added support for moving the CUoD resources from one system to another system. Added support for the capability to set up a backup shared ethernet so that the shared ethernet function can fail-over to a standby shared ethernet if the primary fails. This function is part of the virtual IO server. Added support for redundant service processors with dynamic failover in models 570, 590, and 595. Added support for modifying the number of On/Off CoD activations during the active period. Added support for unattended HMC installation over a network, and to back up full HMC disk images onto a network server. Added support for new models: 9131-52A, 9111-285, 9133-55A, 9115-505. Various enhancements to the ASCII version of the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) menus were made. Problems resolved: Fixed a problem that was causing the user data in a service processor error log entry generated by the bulk power controller to be truncated to 2048 bytes. Fixes a problem that caused unnecessary Service Agent calls because SRC B1816009 was being generated when the white power button was pressed before the power-on sequence was complete. On model 590 and 595 systems, fixed a problem that was causing DDR II memory cards in slots C10 and C12 to fail the memory test during a slow-mode boot. Fixed a problem that was causing a platform dump to be incomplete under certain circumstances. Fixed a problem that was causing a hypervisor dump to be corrupted. Fixed a problem that caused the location codes to be incorrect after the planar is replaced in a pSeries 7311-D20 drawer. The timestamp from the bulk power controller was added into the serviceable event log entry. Fixed a problem that prevented the "nvunalias" open firmware command from working. Fixed a problem that kept the physical I/O description field on the HMC GUI from being updated after a "remove FRU and add FRU" operation. Fixed a problem that caused a service processor dump or a platform dump and SRC B1817201 or B7004400. Changed the firmware so that a modem attached to a system port will reconfigure to enable call-in following a power failure. Fixed VPD-related command hangs (such as lsmcode, lsvpd, snap) Fixed several problems associated with firmware installations: SRC B1814008 or B181F131 was generated on reboot A service processor dump occurred during a firmware installation "lsmcode -c" command displayed all zeros for the firmware level on the T side after an installation

4.0 How to Determine Currently Installed Firmware Levels

Instructions for determining the current level of firmware can be found at http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/eserver/v1r3s/index.jsp?topic=/ipha5/viewexistlevel.htm

5.0 Downloading the Firmware Package

The firmware is located at the web site

download.html

Follow the instructions on this web page. You must read and agree to the license agreement to obtain the firmware packages.

In the table for System Microcode, scroll down to the entry for 9110-510, etc.

Note: If your HMC is not internet connected you will need to download the new firmware level to a CD-ROM or ftp server.

If you are using a CD-ROM, download the individual .rpm and .xml files from this location to an ftp serveror a CD-ROM(both files are required). Make sure the file names have the format 01SF2xx_yyy_zzz, with an extention of .rpm and .xml before copying them to an ftp server or CD-ROM. If using a CD-ROM you then copy the .rpm and .xml files to the CD using a local CD-ROM burner utility.

6.0 Installing the Firmware

The method used to install new firmware will depend on the release level of firmware which is currently installed on your server. The release level can be determined by the prefix of the new firmware's filename.

Example: 01SFXXX_YYY_ZZZ

Where XXX = release level

If the release level will stay the same (Example: Level 01SF222_075_075 is currently installed and you are attempting to install level 01SF222_081_081) this is considered an update.
If the release level will change (Example: Level 01SF222_081_081 is currently installed and you are attempting to install level 01SF225_096_096) this is considered an upgrade.

Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades can be found at
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/eserver/v1r3s/index.jsp?topic=/ipha5/fix_serv_firm_kick.htm

Choose the options that match your server setup, and follow the instructions provided.

Note: For systems without an HMC, the update and upgrade procedure is the same.

7.0 Firmware History


01SF230
01SF230_150_120	Impact: Serviceability Severity: Special Attention Attention: An IPL is required to activate a deferred fix, the system must be powered off via the HMC, (i.e. HMC state=Power OFF) and then powered back on. DEFERRED Changed the initialization settings of the memory buffers to eliminate spurious checkstops that were causing system and partition crashes. DEFERRED On model 590 and 595 systems, fixed a problem that was causing DDR II memory cards in slots C10 and C12 to fail the memory test during a slow-mode boot. DEFERRED Fixed a problem that was not allowing the system enclosure serial number to be rewritten using the ASMI menus. DEFERRED Corrects a problem that causes the default boot list and the stored boot list to be swapped in the system management services (SMS) firmware when booting an AIX or Linux partition. On an HMC, fixed a problem that caused a blank screen when reopening a VTERM after closing it. Fixed a problem that was causing a platform dump to be incomplete under certain circumstances. Fixed a problem that caused a "no connection" state between the HMC and the service processor after the service processor attempted a dump operation. Added support for ARP (address request protocol) to the System Management Services (SMS) firmware for AIX and Linux partitions. Fixed a problem in the server firmware that was allowing the HMC to allocate more memory to a partition than was available.
01SF230_147_120	Impact: Serviceability Severity: Special Attention Fixed a problem that caused system processors to get into a locked state. Changed the initialization settings of the memory buffers to eliminate spurious checkstops that were causing system and partition crashes.
01SF230_145_120	Impact: Serviceability Severity: Special Attention Corrects a problem on i5 systems with 5074 I/O towers that causes a partition to hang with SRC B6000255 when an I/O adapter in the 5074 is moved using dynamic LPAR. Corrects a problem on i5 and p5 systems that causes a continuous stream of phantom interrupts on partitions with shared processors.
01SF230_143_120	Impact: Serviceability Severity: Special Attention Attention: An IPL is required to activate a deferred fix, the system must be powered off via the HMC, (i.e. HMC state=Power OFF) and then powered back on. DEFERRED On model 575 and 59x systems in which an IBM High Performance Switch (HPS) is installed, a problem was fixed that was causing an invalid high performance switch adapter failure to be reported after a switch failure. DEFERRED On model SR110000 systems only, a problem was fixed that was causing the I/O in the CEC not to show up after an IPL. DEFERRED On systems that are managed by an HMC, a problem was fixed that was causing concurrent firmware update to fail with error code ACT01724 on the HMC. DEFERRED Corrects a problem involving correctable and uncorrectable memory errors that may have resulted in memory being deconfigured during a slow mode IPL on 9119-59x systems with F/C 7814 (4 GB memory cards) installed. Support for 16-way model 575 systems was added to the 01SF230 release. Corrects a problem that was causing the firmware to erroneously report a failure of the High Performance Switch (HPS) adapter card (with error code B181F62A) in a 16-way model 575 system. On model 59x systems, a memory leak was fixed that could cause the system to reset during boot. Corrects false error code B1812033 introduced in code level 01SF230_120_120 on all p5 and i5 systems model 570 and lower. The B1812033 error code may still be valid on 575 and 59x systems. Corrects intermittent boot problem introduced in code level 01SF230_120_120 on all p5 and i5 systems model 550 and lower. Error codes related to this boot problem include B1701004, B181F12E or B150F22A. On model 575 and 59x systems in which an IBM High Performance Switch (HPS) is installed, a problem in the system firmware was fixed that was causing duplicate errors for the same problem to be reported in the service processor error log and the HPS Network Manager error log. On model 575 and 59x systems in which an IBM High Performance Switch (HPS) is installed, a problem in the system firmware was fixed that was causing some switch network interface (SNI) adapters to fail a wrap test. On systems that are managed by an HMC, a problem was fixed that was preventing some types of errors that were logged in the service processor's error log from being sent to the HMC. A problem was fixed that caused a very early reset/reload of the service processor with error codes of B1817201, B1817209 or similar after a firmware update. On systems that shipped with a firmware level that begins with 01SF210, a problem was fixed that was causing the firmware installation to the T side to fail with error code B1817201. Corrects a problem that was causing platform system dumps to be corrupted. Corrects a problem that was causing concurrent firmware maintenance to fail.
01SF230_126_120	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Corrects a problem that causes the media bay to lose power, which makes the DVD drives in the bay inoperable on 9117-570 and 9406-570 systems. Corrects most problems introduced in 01SF230_120_120 that causes the white power on/off button to intermittently fail to boot the system, terminating with error codes B181F12E, B1701004 or B150F22A, on 9111-520, 9113-550, 9405-520, 9406-520 and 9406-550 systems. Corrects a problem that causes various types of planar and RIO cable failures in the 7040-61D I/O subsystem to be reported on 9118-575, 9119-590, 9119-595 and 9406-595.
01SF230_120_120	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper New function: Adds code to notify the user when the VPD card is not in its original system, and to prevent that system from booting. Adds support for i5/OS hosting virtual Linux and AIX partitions on i5 systems that are not managed by an HMC. Adds support for F/C 7910 on model 9118-575 systems the switch network interface adapter, which provides the interface to the pSeries high performance switch (HPS). Adds support for F/C 7817 on 9119-590, 9119-595, and 9406-595 systems, the switch network interface (SNI) adapter, which provides the interface to the pSeries high performance switch (HPS). Adds support for concurrent firmware maintenance on systems managed by an HMC. Adds support for 32GB memory cards on 9119-590, 9119-595, and 9406-595 systems. Adds support for F/C 7894, 8GB (4x2GB) feature (2GB DDR2 DIMMs, CCIN 30F3) on machine type 9117-570. Problems resolved: LEDs on GX bus adapter cards remain on after the node is powered off for 9119-590, 9119-595, and 9406-595 systems. The service processor is not able to place a "call home" through a modem. On systems 9118-575, 9119-590, 9119-595, and 9406-595: a firmware upgrade from SF222_075 to SF225_096 fails with error code ACT01724 on the HMC. Corrects a problem that causes the default boot list and the stored boot list to be swapped in the system management services (SMS) code when booting an AIX or Linux partition. Corrects a highly intermittent problem that causes the service processor to perform a dump when an SRC is displayed on the control panel. On 9118-575, 9119-590, 9119-595, and 9406-595 systems, updates the firmware so that the system will continue to boot when certain types of failures occur on bus adapter cards. Corrects a problem on 9118-575, 9119-590, 9119-595, and 9406-595 systems which caused a reboot to fail with error code B7006900 under certain conditions. Corrects a problem with moving a CD-ROM device between two logical partitions using DLPAR commands on the HMC. On 9117-570 and 9406-570 systems: Corrects a problem a that causes a DMA_ERR with error code 1000 0003 on the integrated Ethernet port. DS8000 storage subsystem: multiple firmware fixes. Corrects a problem that causes the system clock to revert to December 31, 1969 and the system to crash with error code B7000103. On 9119-590 systems, corrects a problem that keeps large configurations (12 or more I/O drawers with both planars installed) from booting. Corrects a problem that prevents the 'lscfg -vp' command from reporting platform-specific data on all p5 systems. Corrects a problem that intermittently causes a partition or the system to hang when the lsvpd or lscfg command is run on all p5 systems. Also, 'the lsmcode' command may return "NOT DETERMINABLE". If two power supplies are installed, the system may fail to power on if one power supply fails in the 9110-510, 9111-520, 9113-550, 9117-570, 9123-xxx, 9124-xxx, 9405-520, 9406-520, 9406-550, 9406-570 systems. Corrects a problem that prevents a virtual SCSI client from connecting to a virtual SCSI server adapter on 9118-575, 9119-590, and 9119-595 systems.


01SF225
01SF225_096_096	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Fixed a problem in the service processor firmware that made it look like the T-side image was being lost after a "reset to factory configuration" was done using the ASMI menus.
01SF225_080_080	Impact: New Severity: New Added support for 9118-575, 9110-510, and 9123-710.


01SF222
01SF222_081_081	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Fixed a problem that caused FSCSI errors to show up erroneously in the AIX error log when an I/O adapter failed. Fixed a problem that caused the processor runtime diagnostics to call out the wrong DIMM (or other memory component) when a memory failure occurred. Fixed a problem that caused a platform dump to run out of storage space. Fixed a problem that prevented the LEDs on I/O drawers from identifying or "rolling up" to the frame enclosure LED. Fixed a problem that caused the service processor to generate error log entries every few seconds when attempting to service a recoverable CEC hardware error on systems that have processors with no memory associated with them.
01SF222_075_075	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Fixed a problem with the AMSI menu option that allows system VPD keywords to be set. Fixed a problem that kept the system from continuing to boot when an 8GB memory DIMM is deallocated because an uncorrectable error was generated by the DIMM during boot. Fixed a problem that caused a partition's time to appear to drift (approximately 15 seconds/month) following a system IPL. Support for partitions running i5/OS on p5 systems was added. Fixed a problem that caused the default boot list and the stored boot list in the SMS menus to be swapped.
01SF222_071_071	Impact: New Severity: New Added support for systems 9119-590, 9119-595, and 9406-595.


01SF220
01SF220_051_051	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Fixed a problem that kept feature code 1827, a UPS sense cable, from being detected.
01SF220_049_049	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Fixed a problem that kept the serial ports on the processor drawer from functioning in 9117-570 and 9406-570 systems with multiple processor drawers. Fixed a problem that kept the user from accessing the advanced system management interface (ASMI) via the web interface.
01SF220_046_046	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Fixed a problem that caused the kept the service processor from getting to standby when an Ethernet cable was not plugged into it.
01SF220_045_045	Impact: Function Severity: Hiper Various corrections and updates.
01SF220_043_043	Impact: New Severity: New Added support for new models: 9111-520, 9113-550, 9406-550, 9124-720, and 9117-570.