01SV860_180_165.html Power8 System Firmware
Applies to: 8247-21L; 8247-22L; 8247-42L; 8284-21A; 8284-22A; 8286-41A;
8286-42A,8408-E8E, 8408-44E, 5148-21L and 5148-22L.
This document provides information about the installation of Licensed Machine
or Licensed Internal Code, which is sometimes referred to generically as
microcode or firmware.
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Contents
* 1.0 Systems Affected
* 1.1 Minimum HMC Code Level
* 1.2 AIX iFix Required
* 1.3 IBM i Minimum Levels
* 2.0 Important Information
* 2.1 IPv6 Support and Limitations
* 2.2 Concurrent Firmware Updates
* 2.3 DPSS Updates
* 2.4 Memory Considerations for Firmware Upgrades
* 3.0 Firmware Information
* 3.1 Firmware Information and Description Table
* 4.0 How to Determine Currently Installed Firmware Level
* 5.0 Downloading the Firmware Package
* 6.0 Installing the Firmware
* 7.0 Firmware History
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1.0 Systems Affected
This package provides firmware for Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power
System S822L (8247-22L), Power System S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812
(8284-21A),Power System S822 (8284-22A), Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power
System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850 (8408-E8E); Power System E850C
(8408-44E);Power System S812L (5148-21L) and Power System S822L (5148-22L)
servers only..
The firmware level in this package is:
* SV860_180 / FW860.60
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1.1 Minimum HMC Code Level
This section is intended to describe the "Minimum HMC Code Level" required
by the System Firmware to complete the firmware installation process. When
installing the System Firmware, the HMC level must be equal to or higher than
the "Minimum HMC Code Level" before starting the system firmware update. If
the HMC managing the server targeted for the System Firmware update is running
a code level lower than the "Minimum HMC Code Level" the firmware update will
not proceed.
The Minimum HMC Code level for this firmware is: HMC V8 R8.6.0 (PTF MH01654)
with Mandatory efix (PTF MH01655) or higher.
Although the Minimum HMC Code level for this firmware is listed above, HMC V8
R8.6.0 Service Pack 3 (PTF MH01711)with iFix (PTF MH01784) or higher is
recommended.
For information concerning HMC releases and the latest PTFs, go to the
following URL to access Fix Central:
http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/
For specific fix level information on key components of IBM Power Systems
running the AIX, IBM i and Linux operating systems, we suggest using the Fix
Level Recommendation Tool (FLRT):
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/flrt/home
NOTES:
-You must be logged in as hscroot in order for the firmware
installation to complete correctly.
- Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) does not support
this System Firmware level
1.2 AIX iFix Required
NOTE: Does not pertain to S812L(8247-21L), S822L (8247-22L), or S824L
(8247-42L) models:
For IBM Power System servers with the PCIe 2-port Async EIA-232 Adapter
installed on AIX partitions, an AIX fix resolving the async port interrupt
handling (APAR IV77596) must be installed before updating to the SV840_056
(FW840.00) or later level of firmware. The ports on the adapter (feature code
EN27/EN28, CCIN 57D4) may become un-usable with the installation of that
firmware level due to an issue with how interrupts are handled. Many JAS_RTS
error log entries are written to the error log due to this issue.
Prior to this APAR shipping in a future Service Pack, AIX intends to publish
ifixes for the latest Service Packs on all active Technology Levels on our ftp
server, inftp://aix.software.ibm.com/aix/ifixes/iv77596/ on or before Oct 13,
2015. If you need an ifix other than the ones on this server, contact IBM
support to request one for your specific situation.
The procedure is intended to be performed by the customer. In the event that
the customer has questions or concerns with the procedure, you should contact
IBM Support. Please contact IBM Support:
US Support: 1.800.IBM.SERV
WW Support (select your country): http://www.ibm.com/planetwide/
1.3 IBM i Minimum Levels
For IBM i customers who have systems with machine type model 8286-41A or
8286-42A, firmware update has a prerequisite on partitions running IBM i
operating system that own physical I/O.
For IBM i 7.1, the following minimum code levels are prerequisites:
IBM i 7.1 TR PTF Group SF99707 Level 9 + Cumulative PTF Package C4283710 +
HIPER PTF Group
For IBM i 7.2, the following minimum code levels are prerequisites:
IBM i 7.2 TR PTF Group SF99717 Level 1 + Cumulative PTF Pacakge C4276720 +
HIPER PTF Group
For IBM i 7.3,
- All IBM i 7.3 code levels are compatible with this firmware update.
Note 1: These code levels are not a requirement for IBM i partitions that are
a client of VIOS.
Note 2: These IBM i code levels are listed as prerequisites for the feature
code EMX0 expansion drawer. If this firmware release has already been applied,
the above IBM i code level should be applied on IBM i partitions in order to
maintain system stability.
Reference the following URL for IBM i Support: Recommended fixes:
https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021194
2.0 Important Information
Downgrading firmware from any given release level to an earlier release
level is not recommended.
If you feel that it is necessary to downgrade the firmware on your system to
an earlier release level, please contact your next level of support.
2.1 IPv6 Support and Limitations
IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is supported in the System Management
Services (SMS) in this level of system firmware. There are several limitations
that should be considered. When configuring a network interface card (NIC) for
remote IPL, only the most recently configured protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) is
retained. For example, if the network interface card was previously configured
with IPv4 information and is now being configured with IPv6 information, the
IPv4 configuration information is discarded.
A single network interface card may only be chosen once for the boot device
list. In other words, the interface cannot be configured for the IPv6 protocol
and for the IPv4 protocol at the same time.
2.2 Concurrent Firmware Updates
Concurrent system firmware update is supported on HMC Managed Systems only.
2.3 DPSS Updates
Power 8 servers use a programmable power controller called a DPSS (Digital
Power Subsystem Sweep) which is located in each system node. The DPSS is used
to control P8 fan speeds, check voltage levels of the power supplies for proper
level, and operation in the system node. The DPSS image is persistent and is
only reloaded if there is a system firmware update that contains a DPSS
change. If there is a DPSS change and the system firmware update is
concurrent, the DPSS update is delayed to the next IPL of the CEC which will
cause an additional 18 to 20 minutes to be added on to the IPL. If there is a
change and the firmware update is disruptive, then DPSS update occurs when the
service processor is resetting to service processor stand-by state, and will
add 18 to 20 minutes to this transition. During the DPSS update the HMC or
op-panel, will display DPSS update progress codes which may be overwritten on
the HMC, but will be displayed as C100C300 thru C100C3FF. If there is a DPSS
change in a system firmware service pack, the change will be designated as
deferred in the service pack README. DPSS changes will be described along
with a reminder of the 18 to 20 minute additional time in the Firmware
Information and Description section in the README.
The DPSS download progress codes are documented in the IBM Knowledge Center:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/POWER8/p8eai/C1xx_info.htm
(https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/POWER8/p8eai/C100C300.htm)
2.4 Memory Considerations for Firmware Upgrades
Firmware Release Level upgrades and Service Pack updates may consume
additional system memory.
Server firmware requires memory to support the logical partitions on the
server. The amount of memory required by the server firmware varies according
to several factors.
Factors influencing server firmware memory requirements include the following:
* Number of logical partitions
* Partition environments of the logical partitions
* Number of physical and virtual I/O devices used by the logical
partitions
* Maximum memory values given to the logical partitions
Generally, you can estimate the amount of memory required by server firmware
to be approximately 8% of the system installed memory. The actual amount
required will generally be less than 8%. However, there are some server models
that require an absolute minimum amount of memory for server firmware,
regardless of the previously mentioned considerations.
Additional information can be found at:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9119-MHE/p8hat/p8hat_lparmemory.htm
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3.0 Firmware Information
Use the following examples as a reference to determine whether your
installation will be concurrent or disruptive.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 and/or Partition-Deferred. Deferred fixes can
be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until the next IPL.
Partition-Deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be
activated until a partition reactivate is performed. Deferred and/or
Partition-Deferred fixes, if any, will be identified in the "Firmware Update
Descriptions" table of this document.For these types of fixes (Deferred and/or
Partition-Deferred) within a service pack, only the fixes in the service pack
which cannot be concurrently activated are deferred.
Note: The file names and service pack levels used in the following examples
are for clarification only, and are not necessarily levels that have been, or
will be released.
System firmware file naming convention:
01SVxxx_yyy_zzz
* xxx is the release level
* yyy is the service pack level
* zzz is the last disruptive service pack level NOTE: Values of service pack
and last disruptive service pack level (yyy and zzz) are only unique within a
release level (xxx). For example, 01SV830_040_040 and 01SV840_040_045 are
different service packs.
An installation is disruptive if:
* The release levels (xxx) are different. Example:
Currently installed release is 01SV840_040_040, new release is 01SV850_050_050.
* The service pack level (yyy) and the last disruptive service pack level
(zzz) are the same. Example: SV830_040_040 is disruptive, no
matter what level of SV830 is currently installed on the system.
* The service pack level (yyy) currently installed on the system is lower
than the last disruptive service pack level (zzz) of the service pack to be
installed. Example: Currently installed service pack is
SV830_040_040 and new service pack is SV830_050_045.
An installation is concurrent if:
The release level (xxx) is the same, and
The service pack level (yyy) currently installed on the system is the same or
higher than the last disruptive service pack level (zzz) of the service pack to
be installed.
Example: Currently installed service pack is SV830_040_040, new service pack
is SV830_071_040.
3.1 Firmware Information and Description
Filename Size Checksum md5sum 01SV860_180_165.rpm
98328734
52324 05c8d4d18dba743c4dd551940c8d3161
Note: The Checksum can be found by running the AIX sum command against the
rpm file (only the first 5 digits are listed).
ie: sum 01SV860_180_165.rpm
SV860
For Impact, Severity and other Firmware definitions, Please refer to the below
'Glossary of firmware terms' url:
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/power5cm/home.html#termdefs
The following Fix description table will only contain the N (current) and N-1
(previous) levels.
The complete Firmware Fix History (including HIPER descriptions) for this
Release Level can be reviewed at the following url:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/SV-Firmware-Hist.html
SV860_180_165 / FW860.60
10/31/18 Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E);Power System E850C (8408-44E); Power System S812L (5148-21L) and
Power System S822L (5148-22L) servers only.
System firmware changes that affect all systems
* A security problem was fixed in the Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP)
client on the service processor for an out-of-bound memory access flaw that
could be used by a malicious DHCP server to crash the DHCP client process. The
Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures issue number is CVE-2018-5732.
* A problem was fixed for ipmitool not being able to set the system power
limit when the power limit is not activated with the standard option. With the
fix, the ipmitool user can activate the power limit "dcmi power activate" and
then set the power limit "dcmi power set _limit xxxx" where "xxxx" in the new
power limit in Watts.
* A problem was fixed for the periodic guard reminder function to not re-post
error logs of failed FRUs on each IPL. Instead, a reminder SRC is created to
call home the list of FRUs that have failed and require service. This puts the
system to back to original behavior of only posting one error log for each FRU
that has failed.
* For a HMC managed system, a problem was fixed for a rare, intermittent
NetsCMS core dump that could occur whenever the system is doing a deferred
shutdown power off. There is no impact to normal operations as the power off
completes, but there are extra error logs with SRC B181EF88 and a service
processor dump.
* A problem was fixed for the Redfsih "Manager" request returning duplicate
object URIs for the same HMC. This can occur if the HMC was removed from the
managed system and then later added back in. The Redfish objects for the
earlier instances of the same HMC were never deleted on the remove.
* A problem was fixed for dump performance by decreasing the amount of time
needed to perform dumps.
* A problem was fixed for platform dumps failing for HWPROC checkstops,
causing the system to terminate instead of re-IPLing after the processor
failure. To recover, the system can be powered off and then IPLed. Any
problem hardware will be guarded during the IPL to allow normal system
operations.
System firmware changes that affect certain systems
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for certain
hypervisor error logs being slow to report to the OS. The error logs affected
are those created by the hypervisor immediately after the hypervisor is started
and if there is more than 128 error logs from the hypervisor to be reported.
The error logs at the end of the queue take a long time to be processed, and
may make it appear as if error logs are not being reported to the OS.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for an enclosure
fault LED being stuck on after a repair of a fan. This problem only occurs
after the second concurrent repair of a fan.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for a concurrent
EMX0 PCIe3 expansion CXP (120 Gb/s 12x Small Form-factor Pluggable) cable
adapter add or repair that fails with a hypervisor 0x030A error after a
previous add or repair failure. The affected CXP cable adapters have feature
codes #EJ05 and #EJ08. A system IPL will recover from the problem.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for a dedicated
processor partition hanging during a shutdown. This is a very rare problem
with only a small timing window in the shutdown that can cause the hang.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for a Novalink
enabled partition not being able to release master from the HMC that results in
error HSCLB95B. To resolve the issue, run a rebuild managed server operation
on the HMC and then retry the release. This occurs when attempting to release
master from HMC after the first boot up of a Novalink enabled partition if
Master Mode was enforced prior to the boot.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for resource dumps
that use the selector "iomfnm" and options "rioinfo" or "dumpbainfo". This
combination of options for resource dumps always fails without the fix.
* On a system with an AIX partition, a problem was fixed for a partition
time jump that could occur after doing an AIX Live Update. This problem could
occur if the AIX Live Update happens after a Live Partition Mobility (LPM)
migration to the partition. AIX applications using the timebase facility could
observe a large jump forwards or backwards in the time reported by the timebase
facility. A circumvention to this problem is to reboot the partition after
the LPM operation prior to doing the AIX Live Update. An AIX fix is also
required to resolve this problem. The issue will no longer occur when this
firmware update is applied on the system that is the target of the LPM
operation and the AIX partition performing the AIX Live Update has the
appropriate AIX updates installed prior to doing the AIX Live Update.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for a Virtual Network
Interface Controller (vNIC) client adapter to prevent a failover when disabling
the adapter from the HMC. A failover to a new backing device could cause the
client adapter to erroneously appear to be active again when it is actually
disabled. This causes confusion and failures on the OS for the device driver.
This problem can only occur when there is more than a single backing device for
the vNIC adapter and if a commands are issued from the HMC to disable the
adapter and enable the adapter.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for all variants
(this was partially fixed in an earlier release) for the SR-IOV firmware
adapter updates using the HMC GUI or CLI to only reboot one SR-IOV adapter at a
time. If multiple adapters are updated at the same time, the HMC error message
HSCF0241E may occur: "HSCF0241E Could not read firmware information from
SR-IOV device ...". This fix prevents the system network from being disrupted
by the SR-IOV adapter updates when redundant configurations are being used for
the network. The problem can be circumvented by using the HMC GUI to update
the SR-IOV firmware one adapter at a time using the following steps:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER8/p8efd/p8efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for the callout of
SRC BA188002 so it does not display three trailing extra garbage characters in
the location code for the FRU. The string is correct up to the line ending
white space, so the three extra characters after that should be ignored. This
problem is intermittent and does not occur for all BA188002 error logs.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for when booting a
large number of LPARs with Virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) capability,
some partitions may post a SRC BA54504D time-out for taking too long to start.
With the fix, the time allowed to boot a vTPM LPAR is increased. If a time-out
occurs, the partition can be booted again to recover. The problem can be
avoided by auto-starting fewer vTPM LPARs, or booting them a couple at a time
to prevent flooding the vTPM device server with requests that will slow the
boot time while the LPARs wait on the vTPM device server responses.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for SMS menus to
limit reporting on the NPIV and vSCSI configuration to the first 511 LUNs.
Without the fix, LUN 512 through the last configured LUN report with invalid
data. Configurations in excess of 511 LUNs are very rare, and it is
recommended for performance reasons (to be able search for the boot LUN more
quickly) that the number of LUNs on a single targeted be limited to less than
512.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, the following two errors in the SR-IOV
adapter firmware were fixed: 1) The adapter resets and there is a B400FF01
reference code logged. This error happens in rare cases when there are multiple
partitions actively running traffic through the adapter. System firmware
resets the adapter and recovers the system with no user-intervention required;
2) SR-IOV VFs with defined VLANs and an assigned PVID are not able to ping each
other.
This fix updates adapter firmware to 10.2.252.1933, for the following Feature
Codes: EN15, EN16, EN17, EN18, EN0H, EN0J, EN0M, EN0N, EN0K, EN0L, EL38, EL3C,
EL56, and EL57.
The SR-IOV adapter firmware level update for the shared-mode adapters happens
under user control to prevent unexpected temporary outages on the adapters. A
system reboot will update all SR-IOV shared-mode adapters with the new firmware
level. In addition, when an adapter is first set to SR-IOV shared mode, the
adapter firmware is updated to the latest level available with the system
firmware (and it is also updated automatically during maintenance operations,
such as when the adapter is stopped or replaced). And lastly, selective manual
updates of the SR-IOV adapters can be performed using the Hardware Management
Console (HMC). To selectively update the adapter firmware, follow the steps
given at the IBM Knowledge Center for using HMC to make the updates:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/HW4M4/p8efd/p8efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm
.
Note: Adapters that are capable of running in SR-IOV mode, but are currently
running in dedicated mode and assigned to a partition, can be updated
concurrently either by the OS that owns the adapter or the managing HMC (if OS
is AIX or VIOS and RMC is running).
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for an IPL that ends
with the HMC in the "Incomplete" state with SRCs B182951C and A7001151 logged.
Partitions may start and can continue to run without the HMC services
available. In order to recover the HMC session, a re-IPL of the system is
needed (however, partition workloads could continue running uninterrupted until
the system is intentionally re-IPLed at a scheduled time.). The frequency of
this problem is very low as it rarely occurs.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for Live Partition
Mobility (LPM) failing along with other hypervisor tasks, but the partitions
continue to run. This is an extremely rare failure where a re-IPL is needed to
restore HMC or Novalink connections to the partitions, or to do any system
configuration changes.
* On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for partition SMS
menus to display certain network adapters that were unviewable and not usable
as boot and install devices after a microcode update. The problem network
adapter is still present and usable at the OS. The adapters with this problem
have the following featiure codes: EN0A, EN0B, EN0H, EN0J, EN0K, EN0L, EN15,
EN17, EL5B, EL38, EL3C, EL56, and EL57.
* For a shared memory partition, a problem was fixed for Live Partition
Mobility (LPM) migration hang after a Mover Service Partition (MSP) failover in
the early part of the migration. To recover from the hang, a migration stop
command must be given on the HMC. Then the migration can be retryed.
* For a shared memory partition, a problem was fixed for Live Partition
Mobility (LPM) migration failure to an indeterminate state. This can occur if
the Mover Service Partition (MSP) has a failover that occurs when the
migrating partition is in the state of "Suspended." To recover from this
problem, the partition must be shutdown and restarted.
* On a system attached to a Cloud Management Console (CMC) via a Cloud
Connector on the HMC, a problem was fixed for Redfish queries to the service
processor resulting in memory leaks and out of memory (OOM) resets of the
service processor.
SV860_165_165 / FW860.51
05/22/18 Impact: Security Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E);Power System E850C (8408-44E); Power System S812L (5148-21L) and
Power System S822L (5148-22L) servers only.
Response for Recent Security Vulnerabilities
* DISRUPTIVE: On systems with PowerVM firmware, In response to recently
reported security vulnerabilities, this firmware update is being released to
address Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures issue number CVE-2018-3639. In
addition, Operating System updates are required in conjunction with this FW
level for CVE-2018-3639.
SV860_160_056 / FW860.50
05/03/18 Only DEFERRED fix descriptions are displayed for this service pack.
The complete Firmware Fix History for this Release Level can be reviewed at
the following url:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/SV-Firmware-Hist.html
Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E);Power System E850C (8408-44E); Power System S812L (5148-21L) and
Power System S822L (5148-22L) servers only.
System firmware changes that affect certain systems
* DEFERRED: On systems with PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for a PCIe3
I/O expansion drawer (with feature code #EMX0) where control path stability
issues may cause certain SRCs to be logged. Systems using copper cables may
log SRC B7006A87 or similar SRCs, and the fanout module may fail to become
active. Systems using optical cables may log SRC of B7006A22 or similar SRCs.
For this problem, the errant I/O drawer may be recovered by a re-IPL of the
system.
SV860_138_056 / FW860.42
01/09/18 Impact: Security Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E)and Power System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
New features and functions
* In response to recently reported security vulnerabilities, this firmware
update is being released to address Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures issue
numbers CVE-2017-5715, CVE-2017-5753 and CVE-2017-5754. Operating System
updates are required in conjunction with this FW level for CVE-2017-5753 and
CVE-2017-5754.
SV860_127_056 / FW860.41
12/08/17 Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E)and Power System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
SV860_118_056 / FW860.40
11/08/17 Only DEFERRED fix descriptions are displayed for this service pack.
The complete Firmware Fix History for this Release Level can be reviewed at
the following url:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/SV-Firmware-Hist.html
Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E)and Power System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
System firmware changes that affect certain systems
* DEFERRED: On systems using PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for DPO
(Dynamic Platform Optimizer) operations taking a very long and impacting the
server system with a performance degradation. The problem is triggered by a
DPO operation being done on a system with unlicensed processor cores and a very
high I/O load. The fix involves using a different lock type for the memory
relocation activities (to prevent lock contention between memory relocation
threads and partition threads) that is created at IPL time, so an IPL is needed
to activate the fix. More information on the DPO function can be found at the
IBM Knowledge Center:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/8247-42L/p8hat/p8hat_dpoovw.htm
SV860_109_056 / FW860.31
08/30/17 Impact: Availability Severity: ATT
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E)and Power System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
SV860_103_056 / FW860.30
06/30/17 Only DEFERRED fix descriptions are displayed for this service pack.
The complete Firmware Fix History for this Release Level can be reviewed at
the following url:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/SV-Firmware-Hist.html
Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E)and Power System E850C (8408-44E) servers only. System firmware
changes that affect certain systems
* DEFERRED: On systems using PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for PCIe3
I/O expansion drawer (#EMX0) link improved stability. The settings for the
continuous time linear equalizers (CTLE) was updated for all the PCIe adapters
for the PCIe links to the expansion drawer. The system must be re-IPLed for
the fix to activate. SV860_096_056 / FW860.21
06/07/17 Impact: Availability Severity: ATT
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L) and Power System
S824L (8247-42L) servers only. SV860_082_056 / FW860.20
03/17/17 Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L),Power System S812 (8284-21A), Power System S822 (8284-22A),
Power System S814 (8286-41A), Power System S824 (8286-42A);Power System E850
(8408-E8E)and Power System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
SV860_070_056 / FW860.12
01/13/17 Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L), Power System S822 (8284-22A), Power System S814 (8286-41A),
Power System S824 (8286-42A) andPower System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
SV860_063_056 / FW860.11
12/05/16 Only DEFERRED fix descriptions are displayed for this service pack.
The complete Firmware Fix History for this Release Level can be reviewed at
the following url:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/SV-Firmware-Hist.html
Impact: Availability Severity: SPE
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L), Power System S822 (8284-22A), Power System S814 (8286-41A),
Power System S824 (8286-42A) andPower System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
System firmware changes that affect certain systems
* DEFERRED: A problem was fixed for a Field Core Override (FCO) error that
causes a processor chip without functional cores to be guarded with a SRC
B111BA24 error logged and by guard association causes all the memory and I/O
resources behind the processor chip to be lost for the current IPL. This
problem is triggered by a system being manufactured with one or more feature
codes of #2319 (Factory Deconfiguration of 1-core) to assist with optimization
of software licensing. For more information on Field Core Override, refer to
IBM Knowledge Center:
http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/POWER8/p8hby/fieldcore.htm. The
error only occurs in systems where the total number of active cores is less
than the number of processor chips. When the fix is applied on a system that
has lost memory or I/O resources due to the errant processor guard, the system
must be re-IPLed with the guard removed from the processor to recover the
resources.
Without the fix, the problem may be circumvented by the following four steps:
1) Power off the system.
2) Use the Field Core Override function to increase the number of active
processor cores in the system. The Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI)
"System Configuration -> Hardware Deconfiguration -> Field Core Override" panel
shows the number of cores that are active in the system and it can be used to
increase the number of active processor cores in the system.
3) Unguard the failed processor. Use the ASMI "System Configuration ->
Hardware Deconfiguration -> Clear All Deconfiguration Errors" panel to restore
the guarded processor.
4) IPL with the increased number of active processor cores and the unguarded
processor.
This problem does not pertain to the IBM Power System E850 (8408-44E) model.
SV860_056_056 / FW860.10
11/18/16 Only DISRUPTIVE and DEFERRED fix descriptions are displayed for this
service pack.
The complete Firmware Fix History for this Release Level can be reviewed at
the following url:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/SV-Firmware-Hist.html
Impact: New Severity: New
Power System S812L (8247-21L), Power System S822L (8247-22L), Power System
S824L (8247-42L), Power System S822 (8284-22A), Power System S814 (8286-41A),
Power System S824 (8286-42A) andPower System E850C (8408-44E) servers only.
System firmware changes that affect certain systems
* DISRUPTIVE: On systems using the PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for
an "Incomplete" state caused by initiating a resource dump with selector macros
from NovaLink (vio -dump -lp 1 -fr). The failure causes a communication
process stack frame, HVHMCCMDRTRTASK, size to be exceeded with a hypervisor
page fault that disrupts the NovalLink and/or HMC communications. The recovery
action is to re-IPL the CEC but that will need to be done without the
assistance of the management console. For each partition that has a OS running
on the system, shut down each partition from the OS. Then from the Advanced
System Management Interface (ASMI), power off the managed system.
Alternatively, the system power button may also be used to do the power off.
If the management console Incomplete state persists after the power off, the
managed system should be rebuilt from the management console. For more
information on management console recovery steps, refer to this IBM Knowledge
Center link:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER7/p7eav/aremanagedsystemstate_incomplete.htm
. The fix is disruptive because the size of the PowerVM hypervisor must be
increased to accommodate the over-sized stack frame of the failing task.
* DEFERRED: On systems using the PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for a
CAPI function unavailable condition on a system with the maximum number of CAPI
adapters and partitions. Not enough bytes were allocated for CAPI for the
maximum configuration case. The problem may be circumvented by reducing the
number of active partitions or CAPI adapters. The fix is deferred because the
size of the hypervisor must be increased to provide the additional CAPI space.
* DEFERRED: On systems using PowerVM firmware, a problem was fixed for
cable card capable PCI slots that fail during the IPL. Hypervisor I/O Bus
Interface UE B7006A84 is reported for each cable card capable PCI slot that
doesn't contain a PCIe3 Optical Cable Adapter for the PCIe Expansion Drawer
(feature code #EJ05). PCI slots containing a cable card will not report an
error but will not be functional. The problem can be resolved by performing an
AC cycle of the system. The trigger for the failure is the I2C devices used to
detect the cable cards are not coming out of the power on reset process in the
correct state due to a race condition. SV860_039_039 / FW860.00
11/02/16 Impact: New Severity:
New Power
System E850C (8408-44E)servers only.
4.0 How to Determine The Currently Installed Firmware Level
You can view the server's current firmware level on the Advanced System
Management Interface (ASMI) Welcome pane. It appears in the top right corner.
Example: SV830_123.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5.0 Downloading the Firmware Package
Follow the instructions on Fix Central. You must read and agree to the
license agreement to obtain the firmware packages.
Note: If your HMC is not internet-connected you will need to download the new
firmware level to a USB flash memory device or ftp server.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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: SVxxx_yyy_zzz
Where xxx = release level
* If the release level will stay the same (Example: Level SV830_040_040 is
currently installed and you are attempting to install level SV830_071_040) this
is considered an update.
* If the release level will change (Example: Level SV830_040_040 is currently
installed and you are attempting to install level SV840_050_050) this is
considered an upgrade.
HMC Managed Systems:
Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems managed
by an HMC can be found at:
(http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/8286-42A/p8ha1/updupdates.htm)
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/8247-21L/p8ha1/updupdates.htm
NovaLink Managed Systems:
A NovaLink managed system does not have a HMC attached and is managed either
by PowerVM Novalink or PowerVC using PowerVM Novalink.
Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems managed
by PowerVM NovaLink can be found at:
http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/POWER8/p8eig/p8eig_updating_firmware.htm
HMC and NovaLink Co-Managed Systems:
A co-managed system is managed by HMC and NovaLink, with one of the interfaces
in the co-management master mode.
Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems
co-managed by an HMC and Novalink is the same as above for a HMC managed
systems since the firmware update must be done by the HMC in the co-management
master mode. Before the firmware update is attempted, one must be sure that
HMC is set in the master mode using the steps at the following IBM
KnowledgeCenter link for NovaLink co-managed systems:
http://ibm.biz/novalink-kc
Then the firmware updates can proceed with the same steps as for the HMC
managed systems:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/8247-21L/p8ha1/updupdates.htm
Systems not Managed by an HMC or NovaLink:
Power Systems:
Instructions for installing firmware on systems that are not managed by an HMC
can be found at:
(http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/8286-42A/p8ha5/fix_serv_firm_kick.htm)
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/8247-21L/p8ha5/fix_serv_firm_kick.htm
Systems running Ubuntu operating system:
If Ubuntu will be used to update the system firmware, please follow these
instructions to extract the installable binary and update/upgrade the firmware:
1) Download the .gz (tarball) from Fix Central to your Ubuntu system (ie, to
/tmp/fwupdate).
2) Extract the .gz file to /tmp/ on the Ubuntu system:
Example:
tar -xzf /tmp/fwupdate/01SV840_075_048.tar.gz -C /tmp/fwupdate
3) Use update_flash -v -f to verify the package.
4) Update your firmware using update_flash:
/usr/sbin/update_flash -f
System will reboot during the firmware update. When the system reaches Ubuntu
run-time state, you can then commit or reject the firmware update:
Commit: /usr/sbin/update_flash -c
Reject: /usr/sbin/update_flash -r
(http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9119-MHE/p8ha1/updupdates.htm)
IBM i Systems:
For information concerning IBM i Systems, go to the following URL to access
Fix Central:
http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/
Choose "Select product", under Product Group specify "System i", under
Product specify "IBM i", then Continue and specify the desired firmware PTF
accordingly.
7.0 Firmware History
The complete Firmware Fix History (including HIPER descriptions) for this
Release level can be reviewed at the following url:
http://download.boulder.ibm.com/ibmdl/pub/software/server/firmware/SV-Firmware-Hist.html