topic Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade in BladeSystem - General

BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

Otis Stockstill — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:00:07 GMT

I'm attempting to upgrade the system firmware on some BL860c's from 3.01 to 4.21. I'm using the external CD/DVD drive method rather than doing it from a drive.

The question is, when the upgrade is done the EFI FW and System FW rom A is different than rom B. Currently System FW rom B is the boot rom, and I want to make rom A the boot rom so I can upgrade that one as well.

There used to be some info on how to somewhere in the ITRC but I can't find it.

Can anyone steer me in the right direction?

Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

SycoChihuahua — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 19:20:48 GMT

I would like to know this too. I am having a issue and would like to go to the old rom to see if my issue clears.

Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

SycoChihuahua — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:03:47 GMT

From the EFI Shell

fwconfig enable A < - Being the ROM to swithc to.

Enable system firmware image A and reboot? [y/n] y
Restarting system..

Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

AnkorLLC — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 21:16:39 GMT

Thanks Chihuahua for that info. I used the command and was able to see that the ROM had switched to ROM A after restart (We had been using ROM B).

My reason for switching is same as OP, to upgrade firmware on ROM A. When running the procedure, it will not update ROM A, and tries to update the Alternate ROM B only. ROM B is already up to current, so it says n upgrade needed. Could ROM A somehow be locked in read-only mode?

Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

kris rombauts — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:59:20 GMT

This behavior is by design and to allow you to recover in case the new f/w image you just burned causes an issue. You can then quickly revert back by switching ROMs.

There is no reason really to keep both ROM A and B in sync.

HTH

Kris

Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

AnkorLLC — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:22:52 GMT

OK thank you. I will stay with the upgraded ROM B in service and quit while I'm ahead!

Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

SycoChihuahua — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:16:23 GMT

Later when you upgrade again, you will want to upgrade A and leave B. You will go through this back and forth. Sometimes there may be a bad rom or the rom has an incompatibility with your configuration you can quickly go back.

I'm glad this work for you.

Re: BL860c Change boot ROM from B to A for firmware upgrade

AnkorLLC — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:40:26 GMT

So basically, I should run the next upgrade with ROM B active, and it will automatically go an update the alternate ROM A?

That would make sense that it updates the other one, the one not in use.