Firmware for Fastt600 (DS4300)

[KenCunningham]

Good morning. I've been told that the current firmware and nvsram on out FastT600 is some 4 years old and requires updating to solve a problem we are experiencing with a particular disk dropping out of the array from time to time. Current levels are firmware: 05.33.05.00 and nvsram M1722F650R840V02, if they are meaningful to anyone.

This is the first time I've had to touch firmware and to be honest I am a little out of my comfort zone having read the readmes for newer firmware versions I am thinking might be appropriate to upgrade to. If anyone can give me experiences, gotchas and/or a simplified procedure for this I'd be very grateful. My other option is to recommend hiring consultancy for this since it seems to me a non-trivial change to be making and might justify any expense we incur. Thanks in advance.



I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[khalidaaa]

What i'm going to say might not be useful but to share that with you, i did a firmware and nvsram update with an IBM Engineer. We first had to shutdown all the LPARs connected to our DS 4500 and then did the updates using the Storage Manager software. I don't remember the whole thing but i guess if you go thru the readme file, then that's all what you want to do! it was a very simple job! but because that was my first time to do and it is very critical system in my company (and as long as it is under maintenance) so i called for the IBM help!

I hope it goes as successful as it did to me!

Regards,
Khalid

 

[KenCunningham]

Khalid, thank you for your usual sage and concise advice. I have a call in with IBM at the moment since we do have a service contract. There's really no point in my attempting something I'm not too sure about without their support, particularly on a production machine. I'll let you know how I get on!

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[khalidaaa]

I will be waiting for your good news on that.

Good luck

Regards,
Khalid

 

[KenCunningham]

Sorry to resurrect this thread without a definite solution, but IBM are being very cagey about whether they will supply an engineer to help out. There is mention in the readme of drive and ESM firmware to be applied before the controller FW and NVSRAM are upgraded, but it's in no way clear as to what versions of drive and ESM (if required) FW are compatible with that version I wish to apply to the controller/storage unit.

To put it simply, the readme is a dogs breakfast of warnings without, in my view, actually giving enough detail for an inexperienced first-timer like me to cut through the verbiage to the crux what is actually required.

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[KenCunningham]

To close this one off, we eventually hired an IBM consultant who took me through the steps of upgrading the hard drive firmware, controller firmware and finally the NVSRAM. I have to say it's not something for a novice or inexperienced sys admin, but having seen it done I'd be happy enough to do it again.

I want to be good, is that not enough?

 

[MoreFeo]

Once I had to update the firmware for a new DS4300, with the DS Storage Manager Client, and it crashed during the upgrade. IBM said it was caused by a loss of conection in the LAN, but it actually was the backplain that was fisically damaged. But I spent a bad time explaining the client it wasn't my fault.
Anyway, I now don't do this thru the LAN, I connect a laptop directly to the DS, or both to a mini-hub, in case there are two controllers (almost always).