Cisco Ucs Firmware Upgrade Step by Step

Cisco Ucs Firmware Upgrade Step by Step

Overview

This chapter includes the following sections:


Overview

Cisco UCS
uses firmware obtained from and certified by Cisco to back up the endpoints in a
Cisco UCS domain. Each endpoint is a component in the
Cisco UCS domain, and requires firmware to role.

This guide explains how to obtain firmware and upgrade the endpoints in a
Cisco UCS domain
by using
Cisco UCS Director. It too details the best practices to be followed while upgrading these endpoints.

Showtime with
Cisco UCS Manager
Release four.0(1), Cisco released unified
Cisco UCS Managing director
software and firmware upgrades for each of the post-obit platforms with every release of
Cisco UCS Manager:

  • Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnect
    with Cisco UCS B-Series, and C-Series Servers

  • Cisco UCS 6300 Series Material Interconnect with Cisco UCS B-Serial, and C-Serial Servers

  • Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnect with Cisco UCS B-Series, and C-Series Servers

  • Cisco UCS 6324 Textile Interconnect with Cisco UCS B-Series Servers and C-Series Servers, which is also known as UCS Mini

Figure 1.
Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnect with Cisco UCS B-Series and C-Serial Servers

Effigy 2.
Cisco UCS 6300 Series Fabric Interconnect with Cisco UCS B-Series and C-Series Servers

Figure 3.
Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnect with Cisco UCS B-Series, and C-Serial Servers

Effigy 4.
Cisco UCS 6324 Fabric Interconnect with Cisco UCS B-Series Servers and C-Series Servers


These figures illustrate the various platforms and the firmware bundles supported by
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 4.0.

Each release has the post-obit firmware bundles:

  • Infrastructure software bundle—This bundle is also called the A package. Information technology contains the firmware images that the material interconnects, IO Modules, and Cisco UCS Director require to function.

    Cisco UCS Managing director
    4.0 and subsequently releases incorporate 3 split infrastructure bundles:

    • Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnect—ucs-6400-k9-packet-infra.four.0.x.thirty.A.bin

    • Cisco UCS 6300 Series Fabric Interconnect—ucs-6300-k9-bundle-infra.iv.0.ten.thirty.A.bin

    • Cisco UCS 6200 Series Cloth Interconnect—ucs-k9-packet-infra.4.0.x.xxx.A.bin

    • Cisco UCS 6324 Textile Interconnect—ucs-mini-k9-bundle-infra.four.0.x.xxx.A.bin

  • B-Series server software package—Also called the B package, this package contains the firmware images that the B-Serial blade servers require to office, such equally adapter, BIOS, CIMC, and board controller firmware.
    Release Bundle Contents for Cisco UCS Manager, Release 4.0
    provides details virtually the contents of the B-Serial server software bundle.



    Annotation

    Starting with
    Cisco UCS Managing director
    Release 3.1(2), the firmware for endpoints that are common to both the B-Series and C-Series server software bundles, such as local disk, is available in both the B-Series and C-Series server software bundles.


  • C-Series server software package—Besides called the C bundle, this package contains the firmware images that the C-Series rack-mount servers require to office, such as adapter, BIOS, CIMC, and board controller firmware. The C packet also contains the firmware images for
    Cisco UCS S3260
    storage servers.
    Release Package Contents for Cisco UCS Director, Release 4.0
    provides details about the contents of the C-Series server software parcel.



    Note

    Starting with
    Cisco UCS Manager
    Release 3.1(two), the firmware for endpoints that are common to both the B-Serial and C-Series server software bundles, such as local disk, is bachelor in both the B-Serial and C-Series server software bundles.


  • Adequacy catalog software bundle—Likewise called the T package, this bundle specifies implementation-specific tunable parameters, hardware specifics. and characteristic limits.

    Cisco UCS Manager
    uses the capability catalog to update the display and configurability of server components such as newly qualified DIMMs and deejay drives. The
    Cisco UCS Manager
    Capability Catalog is a single image, but information technology is too embedded in
    Cisco UCS Manager
    software.
    Cisco UCS Manager
    Release four.0 and afterward releases work with whatsoever 4.0 itemize file, but not with iii.2 or iii.1 catalog versions. If a server component is non dependent on a specific BIOS version, using it and having it recognized by
    Cisco UCS Manager
    is primarily a function of the catalog version. In addition to the catalog existence bundled with UCS infrastructure releases, it tin can, sometimes, also exist released as a standalone image.

The upgrade order for the endpoints in a
Cisco UCS domain
depends upon the upgrade path.

Run across the required gild of steps for your upgrade path to decide the advisable social club in which to upgrade the endpoints in your
Cisco UCS domain.

Cisco maintains a set of best practices for managing firmware images and updates in this document and in the following technical note:
Unified Computing System Firmware Management Best Practices.

This document uses the post-obit definitions for managing firmware:

  • Update—Copies the firmware image to the backup sectionalization on an endpoint.

  • Actuate—Sets the firmware in the backup partition as the active firmware version on the endpoint. Activation tin require or cause the reboot of an endpoint.



Note

For capability catalog upgrades, update and actuate occur simultaneously. You only need to update or activate those upgrades. You exercise not need to perform both steps.




Components That Back up Firmware Upgrade

The diverse platforms that are supported by
Cisco UCS Manager
have different components that back up firmware upgrade.

  • Cloth Interconnects:

    • Cisco UCS 6454

    • Cisco UCS 6332

    • Cisco UCS 6332-16 UP

    • Cisco UCS 6248 Upwards

    • Cisco UCS 6296 Upwardly

    • Cisco UCS 6324

  • Chassis components:

    • Blade server chassis:

      • I/O Modules



        Note

        I/O Modules are non supported on the primary Cisco UCS Mini chassis. However, they are supported on the secondary Cisco UCS Mini chassis.


      • Power Supply Unit

    • Cisco UCS S3260
      chassis:

      • Chassis Management Controller (CMC)

      • Chassis Adapter

      • SAS Expander

      • Board Controller

  • Server components:

    • Bract and Rack server:

      • Adapter

      • Cisco Integrated Direction Controller (CIMC)

      • BIOS

      • Storage Controller



        Note

        Storage controller is non a supported server component in Cisco UCS Mini.


      • Lath Controller

    • Cisco UCS S3260
      storage server node:

      • Cisco Integrated Management Controller (CIMC)

      • BIOS

      • Lath Controller

      • Storage Controller



Firmware Version Terminology

The firmware version terminology used depends upon the blazon of endpoint, as follows:

Firmware Versions in CIMC, I/O Modules, BIOS, CIMC, and Adapters

Each CIMC, I/O module, BIOS, CIMC, and Cisco adapter has ii slots for firmware in flash. Each slot holds a version of firmware. 1 slot is agile and the other is the fill-in slot. A component boots from whichever slot is designated as active.

The following firmware version terminology is used in
Cisco UCS Manager:

Running Version

The running version is the firmware that is active and in utilize by the endpoint.

Startup Version

The startup version is the firmware that will exist used when the endpoint adjacent boots upwards.
Cisco UCS Manager
uses the activate operation to alter the startup version.

Backup Version

The backup version is the firmware in the other slot and is not in use past the endpoint. This version tin be firmware that you have updated to the endpoint only have not yet activated, or information technology can exist an older firmware version that was replaced by a recently activated version.
Cisco UCS Manager
uses the update operation to replace the prototype in the fill-in slot.

If the endpoint cannot kicking from the startup version, information technology boots from the backup version.

Firmware Versions in the Textile Interconnect and
Cisco UCS Manager

You lot tin can only actuate the cloth interconnect firmware and
Cisco UCS Manager
on the material interconnect. The fabric interconnect and
Cisco UCS Manager
firmware exercise not accept backup versions, because all the images are stored on the textile interconnect. As a result, the number of bootable fabric interconnect images is not limited to two, like the server CIMC and adapters. Instead, the number of bootable fabric interconnect images is limited by the bachelor space in the retention of the fabric interconnect and the number of images stored there.

The fabric interconnect and
Cisco UCS Managing director
firmware have running and startup versions of the kernel and system firmware. The kernel and arrangement firmware must run the aforementioned versions of firmware.



Cantankerous-Version Firmware Support

The Cisco UCS Manager A parcel software (Cisco UCS Managing director, Cisco NX-Os, IOM and FEX firmware) can be mixed with previous B or C bundle releases on the servers (host firmware [FW], BIOS, Cisco IMC, adapter FW and drivers).

The following table lists the mixed A, B, and C bundle versions that are supported on Cisco UCS 6200, 6300, and 6454 fabric interconnects:

Table one.

Mixed Cisco UCS Releases Supported on Cisco UCS 6200, 6300, 6454 Textile Interconnects

Infrastructure Versions (A Bundles)

Host FW Versions (B or C Bundles)

ii.ii(8)

3.1(3)

3.ii(1)

3.2(2)

3.2(3)

4.0(i)

four.0(ii)

4.0(four)

2.2(8)

6200

6200

6200

6200

6200

6200

6200

6200

three.ane(iii)

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

3.ii(ane)

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

3.two(ii)

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

three.2(3)

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

6200,6332, 6332-16UP

4.0(1)

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

4.0(2)

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

4.0(4)

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

6200,6332, 6332-16UP, 6454

The following table lists the mixed A, B, and C package versions that are supported on Cisco UCS Mini fabric interconnects:

Table ii.

Mixed Cisco UCS Releases Supported on Cisco UCS Mini Textile Interconnects

Infrastructure Versions (A Bundles)

Host FW Versions (B or C Bundles)

3.1(3)

3.two(one)

3.ii(2)

3.two(3)

4.0(1)

4.0(2)

4.0(four)

3.1(3)

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

3.2(1)

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

3.ii(2)

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

3.2(3)

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

6324

four.0(1)

6324

6324

6324

four.0(2)

6324

6324

6324

4.0(4)

6324

6324

6324

The following table lists the mixed B, C bundles that are supported on all platforms with the iv.0(4)A bundle:

Table iii.

Mixed B, C Bundles Supported on All Platforms with the iv.0(4)A Bundle

Infrastructure Versions (A Bundles)


Host FW Versions (B, C Bundles)

four.0(4)

6200

6300

6324

6454

ucs-k9-packet-infra. iv.0.ten.xxx.A.bin
ucs-6300-k9-bundle-infra. 4.0.x.xxx.A.bin
ucs-mini-k9-parcel-infra. 4.0.x.xxx.A.bin

ucs-6400-k9 -parcel-infra. iv.0.x.xxx.A.bin

2.2(eight)

(B, C Bundles)

Yes

three.1(3)

(B, C Bundles)

Yes

Yes

Yes

3.2(1), 3.2(2), 3.2(3)

(B, C Bundles)

Yes

Yes

Yes

4.0(ane), 4.0(two), 4.0(iv)

(B, C Bundles)

Yes

Yep

Yeah

Yep

The following tabular array lists the mixed B, C bundles that are supported on all platforms with the 4.0(1)A packet:

Tabular array 4.

Mixed B, C Bundles Supported on All Platforms with the 4.0(1)A Bundle

Infrastructure Versions (A Bundles)


Host FW Versions (B, C Bundles)

four.0(1)

6200

6300

6324

6454

ucs-k9-bundle-infra. iv.0.10.xxx.A.bin
ucs-6300-k9-package-infra. 4.0.x.xxx.A.bin
ucs-mini-k9-package-infra. 4.0.x.xxx.A.bin

ucs-6400-k9 -bundle-infra. four.0.x.xxx.A.bin

2.two(eight)

(B, C Bundles)

Yes

three.1(3)

(B, C Bundles)

Yes

Yep

Yep

3.2(1), iii.two(ii), 3.2(3)

(B, C Bundles)

Yes

Yes

Yeah

4.0(1), 4.0(2), four.0(4)

(B, C Bundles)

Yeah

Yes

Yes

Yep



Of import

If you lot implement cross-version firmware, you must ensure that the configurations for the
Cisco UCS domain
are supported past the firmware version on the server endpoints.




Server Pack

Server Pack allows you to dynamically support new server platforms
ane

on existing infrastructure without requiring a complete firmware upgrade. This support is provided by a
Cisco UCS Manager
catalog prototype. Through this model, new B-Serial, or C-Series server bundles that enable the new servers are supported on the previous infrastructure A bundle.

For example, in Release three.ane(1) and later releases, B, or C server bundles will exist supported with Release iii.one(1) infrastructure A package. Nonetheless, B, or C server bundles in Release three.1(one) and later releases are not supported with the infrastructure A bundle of whatsoever release before than Release three.1(i).

The
Release Notes for Cisco UCS Managing director
for a particular release provides the complete matrix of cross-version firmware support for that release. New features introduced in the B, or C server bundles may simply become available after upgrading the infrastructure A bundle to the respective version.

The following servers currently support Server Pack:

  • B-Series Servers—UCS B200 M4, B260 M4, B420 M4, B460 M4

  • C-Series Servers—UCS C220 M4, C240 M4, C460 M4

If a peripheral is not supported by the existing infrastructure package, information technology will not be supported through the Server Pack characteristic. Y’all must upgrade the infrastructure bundle to support this peripheral. For example, if a server is installed with new adapters that are not supported past the existing infrastructure bundle, back up for these adapters requires an upgrade to the infrastructure bundle. These adapters cannot be supported through the Server Pack feature.

Because a new itemize image tin can be used without disrupting any hardware or software components, Server Pack provides the additional flexibility of adding new server platforms to active UCS domains without incurring the operational overhead of upgrading firmware beyond the whole domain.



Low-cal Weight Upgrades

Until
Cisco UCS Managing director
Release three.1(3), upgrading the firmware to a patch release involved downloading and activating the consummate firmware parcel even when changes were fabricated but to specific components. The firmware versions of all components were modified even though there were no fixes fabricated to some components. This triggered unnecessary updates for that component firmware.

Security updates to the system were also delivered through patches and lead to rebooting of the fabric interconnect and reanimation.

Cisco UCS Manager
Release three.ane(3) introduces lite weight upgrades, which enhances firmware upgrade in the following ways:

  • The firmware version of a component volition be updated only if it has been modified.

  • Security updates will be provided through service packs. In Release three.one(3), light weight upgrade supports only security updates.

  • Within a service pack, updates may only apply to certain components. These components may, at times, be upgraded without a fabric interconnect reboot.

  • Infrastructure and server components updates are delivered through a common service pack bundle. For servers components, only the modified firmware images will be role of the service pack bundle. This results in smaller-sized service pack bundles, compared to the traditional B-Series and C-Series bundles.


Service Packs

Service packs are patches that you can employ to employ security updates to
Cisco UCS Manager
infrastructure and server components. Service packs are specific to a base release. You can use a service pack on a base release, just you cannot install the service pack independently.

A service pack is provided as a single bundle for infrastructure and server components. You lot can update all relevant infrastructure and server components by applying the service pack through Infrastructure and Server Machine Install. In
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 3.1(three), the service pack packet provides non-disruptive updates merely for infrastructure components. Among the infrastructure components, the fabric interconnect update to a service pack may require fabric interconnect rebooting in some specific scenarios such as OpenSSL fixes. The updates for server components are disruptive and volition involve awarding downtime.

Service packs are cumulative for a maintenance release. The latest service pack will contain all the fixes from the previous service packs released for the specific maintenance release.

You lot can remove or update a previously applied service pack through the
Cisco UCS Director GUI
and the
Cisco UCS Manager CLI. Consequently, the component firmware version will be from the base release packet.

Service packs are not applicative to maintenance releases earlier than
Cisco UCS Manager
Release iii.ane(three).



Service Pack Versions

The following guidelines apply to service pack versions:

  • A service pack can be applied just on its base bundle. For example, service pack 3.1(3)SP2 can be applied only on a three.1(iii) release. It is not compatible with a 3.ane(4) release, and hence, cannot be applied on it.

  • Service pack version numbering in separate maintenance releases are unrelated. For example, service packs 3.1(3)SP2 and 3.1(four)SP2 are divide and unrelated.

  • The same fix can be fabricated available for dissever maintenance releases through divide service packs. For example, the same fix tin can be made available in 3.1(3)SP2 and iii.1(4)SP3.

  • Service packs are cumulative. You tin can use the latest service pack version with any patch version within the same maintenance release. For example, 3.1(iii)SP3 will contain all the fixes that went into 3.1(3)SP2 and three.1(3)SP1. You can employ three.1(three)SP3 on any 3.1(3) release.

  • You cannot downgrade service packs to versions below the default service pack version for a maintenance release.

  • When an upgrade or downgrade of a service pack fails, the default service pack version for that maintenance release becomes the running service pack version. For example:

    Base Packet Version: three.one(3b)

    Default Service Pack Version: 3.1(3)SP2(Default)

    Running Service Pack Version: iii.ane(3)SP3

    While upgrading from 3.1(3)SP3 to 3.1(iii)SP4, if the upgrade fails, the running service pack version displayed is three.1(3)SP2(Default).

The following tabular array illustrates the Release Version and Running Version Displayed in the unlike situations that a service pack is practical.

Release Version

Running Version Displayed

3.1(3a)

Base of operations Bundle Version: 3.i(3a)

Service Pack Version: three.1(3)SP0(Default)

3.1(3)SP1

Base Bundle Version: 3.1(3a)

Service Pack Version: three.one(three)SP1

iii.1(three)SP2

Base Bundle Version: 3.i(3a)

Service Pack Version: 3.i(3)SP2

3.1(3b)

Base Package Version: 3.1(3b)

Service Pack Version: iii.ane(3)SP2(Default)

3.i(3)SP3

Base of operations Bundle Version: 3.1(3b)

Service Pack Version: 3.1(3)SP3



Service Pack Rollback

You can roll back a service pack that was applied to a base release. The following sections describe the changes made to the package version and the service pack version during various rollback scenarios.

Remove Service Pack

Bundle Version

Service Pack Version

No modify is made to the bundle version.

Service pack is the default version that comes with the bundle.

Downgrade Infrastructure Bundle to an Before Maintenance Release

Parcel Version

Service Pack Version

Infrastructure bundle changes to the version of the before maintenance release.

Service pack is removed because information technology is non valid for the earlier maintenance release.

Downgrade Infrastructure Bundle Within the Same Maintenance Release, But with an Earlier Service Pack Version

Package Version

Service Pack Version

Infrastructure parcel changes to the version of the maintenance release patch.

Service pack is removed during any infrastructure upgrade or downgrade, if a corresponding service pack version is not specified during Auto-Install.



Guidelines and Restrictions for Service Packs

  • When you upgrade from ane service pack that requires FI reboot to some other service pack that requires FI reboot, the FI is rebooted twice – in one case for each service pack.

  • Server Auto Sync Policy is not supported for service packs.

  • Auto sync of a service pack is not supported if the subordinate FI is running on a release before than Release iii.1(iii).



Firmware Automobile Sync for FI Cluster

Addition of a secondary Fabric Interconnect to form a cluster – either equally a replacement or a conversion from standby to HA – requires the infrastructure bundle firmware versions to lucifer. Administrators today manually upgrade/downgrade the replacement FI to the right version earlier they connect it to the cluster. Firmware Auto Sync allows the users to automatically upgrade/downgrade the infrastructure parcel to the same version equally the survivor FI when the replacement is added every bit standby to HA. The software package is the UCS software/firmware that resides on the FI.

Software and Hardware Requirements

The software packet on the survivor FI should be greater than or equal to Cisco UCS Release i.4. The model numbers of the Fabric Interconnects should be aforementioned. For case, firmware Machine Sync will not trigger for a combination of 62XX and 63XX FI models that are being set up for HA.

Implementation

With the earlier implementation, the user would compulsorily configure the replacement FI equally standalone mode if in that location was a mismatch in the version of software packages. The replacement FI is manually upgraded/downgraded to the aforementioned version of software parcel on survivor FI through the usual upgrade/downgrade process. Then the replacement FI is added to the cluster, since the upgrade/downgrade of the replacement FI is a manual process.

You are at present given an additional option of synchronization of the software packages of the replacement FI with the survivor FI along with the electric current option. If the user decides to Motorcar Sync the firmware, the software packages of the survivor FI are copied to the replacement FI. The software packages on the replacement FI are then activated and the FI is added to the cluster. The sync-upwards of the Cisco UCSM database and the configuration happens via the usual mechanisms in one case the HA cluster is formed successfully.

Firmware Car Sync Benefits

In a UCS cluster where one Fabric Interconnect has failed, the Automobile Sync feature ensures that the software package of the replacement FI is brought up to the same revision as the survivor. The whole process requires minimal stop user interaction while providing articulate and concise feedback.



Options for Firmware Upgrades

You can upgrade
Cisco UCS
firmware through one or more than of the post-obit methods:



Note

For the steps required to upgrade one or more
Cisco UCS domains
to a later release, see the appropriate
Cisco UCS upgrade guide. If no upgrade guide is provided, contact
Cisco Technical Help Heart. A directly upgrade from that release may not be supported.


Upgrading a
Cisco UCS domain
through
Cisco UCS Manager

If you lot want to upgrade a
Cisco UCS domain
through the
Cisco UCS Director
in that domain, you can choose one of the following upgrade options:

  • Upgrade infrastructure and servers with
    Auto Install—This selection enables you lot to upgrade all infrastructure components in the first stage of upgrade by using
    Car Install. So y’all can upgrade all server endpoints through host firmware packages.

  • Upgrade servers through firmware packages in service profiles—This selection enables you lot to upgrade all server endpoints in a unmarried step, reducing the amount of disruption caused by a server reboot. Yous tin can combine this option with the deferred deployment of service profile updates to ensure that server reboots occur during scheduled maintenance windows.

  • Direct upgrades of infrastructure and server endpoints—This option enables you to upgrade many infrastructure and server endpoints directly, including the textile interconnects, I/O modules, adapters, and board controllers. However, direct upgrade is not available for all endpoints, including the storage controller, HBA firmware, HBA option ROM and local disk. You must upgrade those endpoints through the host firmware package included in the service profile associated with the server.

  • Upgrade chassis through chassis firmware packages in chassis profiles—This option enables you to upgrade all
    S3260 Chassis
    endpoints in a single step.



    Note

    Chassis profiles and chassis firmware packages are applicable only to
    S3260 Chassis.


Upgrading
S3X60 Server Nodes in a
Cisco UCS domain
through
Cisco UCS Manager

Yous can upgrade a Cisco UCS domain with a
S3260 Chassis
and servers through
Cisco UCS Manager
in the following ways:

  • Upgrade infrastructure components through
    Automobile Install—You tin upgrade the infrastructure components, such as the
    Cisco UCS Manager
    software and the cloth interconnects, in a single footstep by using
    Machine Install.

  • Upgrade chassis through chassis firmware packages in chassis profiles—This option enables you to upgrade all chassis endpoints in a single step.

    Cisco UCS S3260 Server Integration with Cisco UCS Managing director
    provides detailed information about chassis profiles and chassis firmware packages.

  • Upgrade servers through firmware packages in service profiles—This option enables you lot to upgrade all server endpoints in a single stride, reducing the corporeality of disruption caused by a server reboot. You can combine this option with the deferred deployment of service profile updates to ensure that server reboots occur during scheduled maintenance windows.

You can also directly upgrade the firmware at each infrastructure, chassis, and server endpoint. This option enables you to upgrade many infrastructure, chassis, and server endpoints direct, including the textile interconnects, SAS expanders, CMCs,
chassis adaptersouth, storage controllers, and board controllers. However, direct upgrade is non available for all endpoints, including the storage controller, HBA firmware, HBA option ROM and local disk.

Cisco UCS S3260 Server Integration with Cisco UCS Manager
provides detailed information about firmware management for
S3X60 Server Nodesouth

Upgrading a
Cisco UCS domain
through
Cisco UCS Central

If you take registered one or more than
Cisco UCS domains
with
Cisco UCS Primal, y’all can manage and upgrade all firmware components in those domain through
Cisco UCS Cardinal. This option allows yous to centralize the control of firmware upgrades and ensure that all
Cisco UCS domains
in your data center are at the required levels.

You tin can utilize
Cisco UCS Central
to upgrade the capability itemize, infrastructure, and host firmware in all registered
Cisco UCS domains
that are configured for global firmware management.

You cannot directly upgrade the firmware at each endpoint. In
Cisco UCS Central, you must employ host firmware policy within a global service profile to upgrade host firmware components.


Options for Service Pack Updates

You lot can upgrade Cisco UCS firmware to a service pack through one of the following methods:

  • Upgrade to a service pack through Infrastructure Auto Install

  • Upgrade to a service pack through Server Auto Install

  • Upgrade to a service pack through firmware packages in service profiles

  • Upgrade to a service pack through chassis firmware packages in chassis profiles

  • Directly activate a
    Cisco UCS Manager
    service pack on a base maintenance release

  • Straight activate a fabric interconnect service pack on a base maintenance release



Firmware Upgrades through
Auto Install

Auto Install
enables you to automatically upgrade a
Cisco UCS domain
to the firmware versions contained in a unmarried package, in the following stages:

  • Install Infrastructure Firmware—Uses the
    Cisco UCS Infrastructure Software Bundle
    to upgrade the infrastructure components, such as the fabric interconnects, the I/O modules, and
    Cisco UCS Manager.
    Procedure Flow for Automatically Installing Infrastructure Firmware
    , illustrates the recommended process catamenia to automatically install infrastructure firmware.

    Figure 5.
    Process Flow for Automatically Installing Infrastructure Firmware

  • Install Server Firmware—As necessary, uses the
    Cisco UCS B-Serial Blade Server Software Packet
    to upgrade all blade servers in the
    Cisco UCS domain; the
    Cisco UCS C-Serial Rack-Mountain UCS-Managed Server Software Bundle
    to upgrade all rack servers.

These stages are contained and tin exist run or scheduled to run at different times.

You tin can use
Auto Install
to upgrade the infrastructure components to one version of
Cisco UCS
and upgrade the server components to a different version.

Cisco strongly recommends that you use
Motorcar Install
and Textile Evacuation to upgrade a
Cisco UCS domain.



Firmware Upgrades through Firmware Packages in Service Profiles

Server firmware and BIOS versions demand periodic updating across multiple servers. If this is done manually, it must be done serially and involves many hours of downtime.

You tin can use host firmware packages by defining a host firmware policy every bit an attribute of a service profile template, which is an updating template. Any change made to the service contour template is automatically fabricated to its instantiated service profiles. Subsequently, the servers associated with the service profiles are likewise upgraded in parallel with the firmware version.

Yous cannot upgrade the firmware on an I/O module, textile interconnect, or
Cisco UCS Manager
through service profiles. You must upgrade the firmware on those endpoints straight.



Direct Firmware Upgrade at Endpoints

If you follow the correct procedure and apply the upgrades in the correct order, a directly firmware upgrade and the activation of the new firmware version on the endpoints is minimally confusing to traffic in a
Cisco UCS domain.

Depending on the target chassis that yous use, y’all tin can straight upgrade the firmware on diverse components:

Infrastructure

UCS 5108 Chassis

UCS Rack Server

Cisco UCS S3260
Chassis

  • Cisco UCS Manager

  • Fabric interconnects

Ensure that you lot upgrade Cisco UCS Director first and and so the material interconnects.

  • I/O modules

  • Power supply unit

  • Server:

    • Adapter

    • CIMC

    • BIOS

    • Storage controller

    • Board controller

  • Adapter

  • CIMC

  • BIOS

  • Storage controller

  • Board controller

  • CMC

  • Chassis adapter

  • SAS expander

  • Chassis lath controller

  • Server:

    • CIMC

    • BIOS

    • Lath controller

    • Storage controller



Note

Straight upgrading firmware on server endpoints is possible but on discovered, unassociated servers and Cisco adapters.


Procedure Flow for Manually Installing Infrastructure Firmware, illustrates the recommended process menses.

Effigy half dozen.
Process Flow for Manually Installing Infrastructure Firmware


The adapter and board controller firmware can besides be upgraded through the host firmware package in the service profile. If you lot use a host firmware package to upgrade this firmware, y’all can reduce the number of times a server needs to be rebooted during the firmware upgrade process.



Notation

Upgrades of an adapter through a firmware package in the service profile associated with the server have precedence over straight firmware upgrades. Yous cannot straight upgrade an endpoint if the service profile associated with the server includes a firmware parcel. To perform a straight upgrade, you must remove the firmware package from the service contour.




Firmware Upgrade While Migrating from
Cisco UCS
6200 Serial Material Interconnects to
Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnects

These upgrade guidelines must be followed while migrating:

  • The
    Cisco UCS
    6200 Series fabric interconnect should exist upgraded to
    Cisco UCS Manager
    Release four.0(1) or later releases.

  • The
    Cisco UCS
    6454 fabric interconnect must be loaded with the same build version that is on the
    Cisco UCS
    6200 Serial fabric interconnect that information technology volition replace.

  • You tin migrate from
    Cisco UCS
    6200 Serial material interconnects to
    Cisco UCS
    6454 material interconnects, merely not from
    Cisco UCS
    6454 fabric interconnects to
    Cisco UCS
    6200 Series textile interconnects. You cannot migrate betwixt the following:

    • Cisco UCS
      6332 and
      Cisco UCS
      6332 16UP fabric interconnects

    • Cisco UCS
      6332 and
      Cisco UCS
      6454 cloth interconnects

    • Cisco UCS
      6332 16UP and
      Cisco UCS
      6454 cloth interconnects

  • All cloth interconnects should have the same versions of kickstart, system, and UCSM images.



    Annotation

    UCS 6400 Series fabric interconnects have a unified image – kickstart and system images are no longer separate. During the manual upgrade, on choosing firmware version in Kernel for Material Interconnect upgrade, the system image besides gets upgraded to the aforementioned version after the Kernel image activation


  • Upgrading the fabric interconnect should exist done before upgrading to a new FEX or virtual interface card.

  • For a cluster configuration, both fabric interconnects must have symmetrical connection topologies between the material interconnects and FEXes.

  • Standalone installations should expect downward fourth dimension. Upgrading a fabric interconnect is inherently traffic disruptive.

  • A best practice would exist to perform a full configuration and software backup before performing this hardware upgrade.


Software Feature Configuration

Cisco UCS 6454 Textile Interconnectsouth do not back up the following software features that were supported on UCS 6200 and 6300 Series Fabric Interconnects in
Cisco UCS Manager
3.two and before releases:

  • Chassis Discovery Policy in Not-Port Channel Mode—Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnects support only Port Aqueduct mode.

  • Chassis Connectivity Policy in Non-Port Channel Mode—Cisco UCS 6454 Textile Interconnects back up only Port Channel mode.

  • Multicast Hardware Hash—Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnects do not support multicast hardware hash.

  • Service Profiles with Dynamic vNICS—Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnectsouthward do not support Dynamic vNIC Connection Policies.

  • Multicast Optimize—Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnectsouth practice not back up Multicast Optimize for QoS.

  • NetFlow—Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnectsouth do not back up NetFlow related configuration.

  • Port profiles and DVS Related Configurations—Cisco UCS 6454 Material Interconnects practice not support configurations related to port profiles and distributed virtual switches (DVS).

Configuration of the post-obit software features has inverse for
Cisco UCS 6454 Cloth Interconnectsouth:

  • Unified Ports—Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnects support up to viii unified ports, which can be configured as FC. These ports appear at the beginning of the module. On UCS 6200 Serial Fabric Interconnects, all ports are unified ports. The Ethernet ports must be contiguous followed by face-to-face FC Ports. FC ports on UCS 6200 Series Material Interconnects appear towards the cease of the module.

  • VLAN Optimization—On
    Cisco UCS 6454 Cloth Interconnects, VLAN port count optimization is performed through port VLAN (VP) grouping when the PV count exceeds 16000. The following table illustrates the PV Count with VLAN port count optimization enabled and disabled on
    Cisco UCS 6454 Cloth Interconnects, Cisco UCS 6300 Series Fabric Interconnects, and Cisco UCS 6200 Series Fabric Interconnects.

    6200 Series FI

    6300 Series FI

    6454 FI

    PV Count with VLAN Port Count Optimization Disabled

    32000

    16000

    16000

    PV Count with VLAN Port Count Optimization Enabled

    64000

    64000

    64000

    When the Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnect is in Ethernet switching mode:

    • The Cloth Interconnect does not support
      VLAN Port Count Optimization Enabled

    • The Cloth Interconnect supports 16000 PVs, similar to EHM mode, when set to
      VLAN Port Count Optimization Disabled

  • Limited Restriction on VLAN—Cisco UCS 6454 Fabric Interconnectsouthward reserve 128 boosted VLANs for system purposes.



Firmware Upgrade to
Cisco UCS Manager
Release four.0

Scenarios for Firmware Upgrade to
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 4.0

Upgrading the Infrastructure software package (A bundle) direct to
Cisco UCS Director
Release four.0(x) is supported from Release ii.two(eight), and 3.1(3) and later on releases.

For Cisco UCS Mini, upgrading the Infrastructure software packet (A package) directly to
Cisco UCS Manager
Release iv.0(ten) is supported from Release 3.ane(three) and later releases.

The following table lists the upgrade paths for various
Cisco UCS Manager
releases.

Tabular array 5.

Upgrade Paths to Release four.0

Upgrade From Release

Upgrade To Release

Recommended Upgrade Path

ii.i(x)

4.0(x)

Upgrading directly to Release 4.0(ten) is non supported from this release. To upgrade to Release 4.0(x), do the following in order:

  1. Upgrade the Infrastructure A bundle to Release 2.ii(8).

  2. Upgrade the B and C bundles for all servers to Release 2.2(eight).

  3. Upgrade the Infrastructure A bundle to Release four.0(x).

2.2(1), 2.two(2), ii.2(3), two.2(iv), 2.ii(5), 2.2(vi), ii.ii(7)

4.0(x)

Upgrading straight to Release 4.0(x) is not supported from this release. To upgrade to Release iv.0(x), exercise the following in order:

  1. Upgrade the Infrastructure A package to Release ii.2(8).

  2. Upgrade the B and C bundles for all servers to Release 2.2(8).

  3. Upgrade the Infrastructure A bundle to Release 4.0(10).

ii.2(viii)

iv.0(ten)

Upgrade directly to Release 4.0(x).

three.0(ten)

4.0(x)

Upgrading direct to Release 4.0(ten) is not supported from this release. To upgrade to Release 4.0(x), do the following in club:

  1. Upgrade the Infrastructure A packet to Release 3.1(3) or iii.2(x).

  2. Upgrade the B and C bundles for all servers to Release 3.1(iii) or 3.2(x).

  3. Upgrade the Infrastructure A bundle to Release iv.0(ten).

three.one(1), three.i(ii)

four.0(ten)

Upgrading straight to Release 4.0(ten) is non supported from this release. To upgrade to Release 4.0(x), practise the post-obit in guild:

  1. Upgrade the Infrastructure A bundle to Release 3.1(3) or 3.2(ten).

  2. Upgrade the B and C bundles for all servers to Release 3.1(iii) or iii.2(ten).

  3. Upgrade the Infrastructure A bundle to Release 4.0(10).

3.1(3)

iv.0(x)

Upgrade straight to Release 4.0(10).

three.2(x)

4.0(x)

Upgrade direct to Release 4.0(ten).



Important

You tin replace an FI in a cluster with an FI that runs on
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 2.1(2) or afterwards releases and upgrade this FI directly to a 3.2(ten) release by using the Motorcar Sync feature. In such a scenario, you lot do not need to first upgrade to Release 2.2(8) before upgrading to a 3.ii(x) release.


Prerequisites for Upgrade to
Cisco UCS Managing director
Release 4.0

  • Before upgrading to
    Cisco UCS Manager
    Release 4.0, ensure that the existing infrastructure and server bundles are on 1 of the following
    Cisco UCS Director
    releases:

    • Cisco UCS Manager
      Release 2.ii(8)

    • Cisco UCS Director
      Release 3.1(3) or later releases

    For Cisco UCS Mini, you lot can upgrade to
    Cisco UCS Manager
    Release 4.0 from whatever Release 3.1(iii) or 3.2(x) release.

  • Before upgrading to
    Cisco UCS Manager
    Release 4.0, ensure that the fundamental ring in use has a modulus size of 2048 $.25 or more by doing the following:

    1. Verify the modulus size of the key ring in apply by using the following commands:

                            UCS-A#
                              
                                telescopic security
                              
                              UCS-A /security #
                              
                                telescopic keyring
                              
                              keyring-name
                              UCS-A /security/keyring #
                              
                                bear witness detail
                              
                            
                          
    2. If the default cardinal ring is in utilize, and has a modulus size less than 2048 bits, reconfigure the modulus size to 2048 chip or more, and regenerate the certificate by using the following commands:

                            UCS-A#
                              
                                scope security
                              
                              UCS-A /security #
                              
                                telescopic keyring default
                              
                              UCS-A /security/keyring #
                              
                                gear up modulus mod2048
                              
                              UCS-A /security/keyring #
                              
                                fix regenerate yes
                              
                              UCS-A /security/keyring #
                              
                                commit-buffer
                              
                              UCS-A /security/keyring #
                              
                                testify detail
                              
                            
                          
    3. If the key ring in use is not the default key ring, and has a modulus size less than 2048 bits, delete the existing cardinal band and create a new ane with a modulus value equal to or more than 2048 bits.



      Note

      A key ring in apply cannot be deleted. To delete a cardinal band that is in use, starting time configure HTTPS to use another key ring.


    Cisco UCS Director
    Release 3.1 and later releases exercise not back up primal rings that have modulus size less than 2048 bits.

Conditions Under Which Upgrade to
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 4.0 Fails

Upgrading to
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 4.0 from an earlier release will fail in the following scenarios, and
Cisco UCS Manager
will coil back to the earlier release:

  • Upgrade with bereft free infinite in fabric interconnect partitions:

    • Less than xx percent free infinite in
      /var/sysmgr

    • Less than 30 percent free space in
      /mnt/pss

    • Less than 20 percent free space in
      /bootflash

  • Cisco UCS Manager
    validation failures because of misconfiguration.

SNMP is Automatically Disabled During Upgrade

When upgrading from an earlier release to
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 4.0, SNMP, if previously enabled, is automatically disabled. The SNMP country will be restored after the upgrade of both textile interconnects is consummate. During upgrade, when SNMP is automatically disabled, all SNMP operations will be suspended. Cisco recommends that you restart SNMP operations only after the upgrade of both fabric interconnects is complete.



Of import

Although the SNMP state is restored after
Cisco UCS Managing director
is upgraded, yous can run SNMP operations only later both the fabric interconnects are upgraded.




Firmware Upgrade to a Minor or a Patch Release

The release number of
Cisco UCS Director
software consists of a major release identifier, minor release identifier, and patch release identifier. The minor release identifier and patch release identifier are listed together in parentheses. For example, if the software version number is

four.0(2a)
:


  • 4.0

    is the major release identifier


  • 2

    is the minor release identifier


  • a

    is the patch release identifier

Read together, it indicates the

a

patch of the

commencement

pocket-sized release of the

4.0

release railroad train.

Firmware upgrade to maintenance releases and patches within a major release are done in exactly the same manner every bit for the major release.

For more information well-nigh what is in each maintenance release and patch, see the latest version of the Release Notes.



Firmware Downgrades

You downgrade firmware in a
Cisco UCS domain
in the same style that you upgrade firmware. The packet or version that you select when yous update the firmware determines whether you are performing an upgrade or a downgrade.

Downgrade From Cisco UCS Manager Release iv.0

In a system with Cisco UCS 6454 fabric interconnects, you cannot downgrade from
Cisco UCS Director
Release four.0.

Cisco UCS Domain with UCS M5 Servers

In a
Cisco UCS domain
with UCS M5 servers, when you lot downgrade from
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 3.2(1) to earlier releases, ensure that y’all decommission the UCS M5 servers. This is considering UCS M5 servers are supported only by
Cisco UCS Manager
Release 3.two(1) and later releases.

If you lot downgrade from
Cisco UCS Director
Release 3.2(one) to earlier releases without decommissioning UCS M5 servers, upgrade validation will fail and
Cisco UCS Manager
will prompt you to decommission the servers before continuing with the downgrade functioning.

Board Controller Firmware for Blade Servers



Important

  • You never need to downgrade the board controller firmware.

    The board controller firmware in Cisco UCS B-Serial blade servers is not designed to be downgraded. When you lot are performing a full system firmware downgrade operation, if the system displays this error message “Fault: Update failed: Server does not back up board controller downgrade”, it is safe to ignore the error message and continue with downgrading arrangement firmware.
    Cisco UCS Manager
    will automatically skip over the board controller firmware and go along with the downgrade of the other firmware components.

  • The lath controller firmware version of the blade server should be the same as or later than the installed software bundle version. Leaving the board controller firmware at a later version than the version that is currently running in your existing Cisco UCS environment does not violate the software matrix or TAC supportability.


Unsupported Features Must Be Unconfigured Earlier Downgrade

If you plan to downgrade a
Cisco UCS domain
to an earlier release, you must first unconfigure all features from the current release that are not supported in the before release and correct all failed configurations. If you downgrade B, or C server bundles without unconfiguring unsupported features, the feature may not work in the downgraded release. For example, the
On Next Reboot
maintenance policy is supported by the three.1 B, and C bundles. If yous downgrade any server parcel, this maintenance policy option volition not work for the respective server.

If you try to downgrade the infrastructure package without unconfiguring all features that are not supported in the before release, the downgrade may neglect.

SNMP Must be Disabled Before Downgrade

You lot must disable SNMP earlier downgrading from
Cisco UCS Manager
Release iii.2 to an before release. The downgrade procedure does not begin until SNMP is disabled.

Recommended Gild of Steps for Firmware Downgrades

If you need to downgrade the firmware to an earlier release, we recommend that you do information technology in the following club:

  1. Call back the configuration backup from the release to which you want to downgrade. This is the fill-in you created when you upgraded to the electric current release.

  2. Unconfigure the features that are not supported in the release to which you desire to downgrade.

  3. Create Full Land and All Configuration backup files.

  4. Downgrade
    Cisco UCS Manager.

  5. Perform an erase-config.

  6. Import the configuration fill-in from the release to which you downgraded.



    Annotation

    Steps v and 6 are optional. Perform these steps only if the existing configuration becomes unusable. In this example, import the configuration backup either from Step 1 or Step 3.




Firmware Direction in Cisco UCS Cardinal

Cisco UCS Central
enables you lot to manage all firmware components for all registered
Cisco UCS domains.



Note

To manage
Cisco UCS domains
firmware from
Cisco UCS Central, you lot must enable the global firmware management choice in
Cisco UCS Manager. Y’all tin can enable the global firmware management pick when you lot register
Cisco UCS Manager
with
Cisco UCS Key. You tin also plow the global management choice on or off, based on your management requirements.




Important

Do non unregister a
Cisco UCS domain
from
Cisco UCS Cardinal.


The
Cisco UCS domains
are categorized into domain groups in
Cisco UCS Primal
for management purposes. You can manage firmware for each domain group separately at the domain group level or for all domain groups from the domain group root.
Cisco UCS Central
provides you the option to manage the following
Cisco UCS domain
firmware packages:

  • Capability Catalog— I capability catalog per domain group. All
    Cisco UCS domains
    registered to a item domain group will use the adequacy catalog defined in the domain group.

  • Infrastructure Firmware— 1 infrastructure firmware policy per domain group . All
    Cisco UCS domains
    registered to a detail domain grouping will utilise the same Infrastructure firmware version defined in the domain group.

  • Host Firmware— You can take more than one host firmware policy for the different host firmware components in a domain group. The
    Cisco UCS domains
    registered in the domain grouping volition be able to choose any defined host firmware policy in the group.
    Cisco UCS Key
    provides you the pick to upgrade the host firmware globally to all
    Cisco UCS domains
    in a domain group at the aforementioned time.



Notation

For more information on managing firmware in
Cisco UCS Central, see the Firmware Direction capacity in the
Cisco UCS Central Administration Guide
and
Cisco UCS Central CLI Reference Manual.





1

This feature will apply to select server platforms.

Cisco Ucs Firmware Upgrade Step by Step

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