VMware ESXi 5.0 and upgrade HP Virtual Connect FW ..

[Tlachy]

Hi,

we have following environment :

2 x HP BladeEnclousure c7000 with 6 x HP Proliant BL620c G7 and connection to SAN / LAN is with HP VC FlexFabric 10Gb/24-Port Module ..

ESXi version is VMware ESXi 5.0.0, 1117897 ..

I would like to upgrade Virtual Connect Firmware from version 3.18 to version 3.60 ..

Driver version and adapter firmware on ESX is following :

~ # ethtool -i vmnic0

driver: be2net

version: 4.0.88.0

firmware-version: 4.2.401.6

bus-info: 0000:04:00.0

~ # esxcfg-scsidevs -a

vmhba0  hpsa              link-n/a  sas.5001438010854280                    (0:3:0.0) Hewlett-Packard Company Smart Array P410i

vmhba1  lpfc820           link-up   fc.50060b0000c2b205:50060b0000c2b204    (0:4:0.2) ServerEngines Corporation Emulex OneConnect OCe11100 10GbE, FCoE UCNA

vmhba2  lpfc820           link-up   fc.50060b0000c2b207:50060b0000c2b206    (0:4:0.3) ServerEngines Corporation Emulex OneConnect OCe11100 10GbE, FCoE UCNA

~ # vmkload_mod -s HBADriver |grep Version

~ # vmkload_mod -s lpfc820 |grep Version

Version: Version 0:8.2.2.1-18vmw, Build: 914586, Interface: 9.2 Built on: Nov 18 2012

I would like to ask you, If I need to upgrade be2net driver and driver for HBA .. Or upgrade Virtual connec won't have any impact to ESX environment ..

Thanks

Jozef

[Server-Support]

Hi Jozef, how's it going ? I am in the same situation as you too, so if anyone here can share the steps and caveats, that'd be greatly appreciated.

my understanding is that you will need to do the following firmware upgrade in order strictly:

1. Blade iLO's
2. Blade Server BIOS
3. Network / Storage controllers --> I guess this is where your interest is.
4. OnBoard Admin
5. Virtual Connect modules / FlexFabrics --> you can use VCSU v1.9.0

for the part 1,2 and 3 you can use HP SUM to push down the firmware updates online and then do the reboot manually one by one to avoid VM outage.

Thanks

[karmakoma]

Use manual method with VCSU 1.9.0. and take care to perform the manual activation properly!!!

See page 19 in http://h30499.www3.hp.com/hpeb/attachments/hpeb/bladescategory04/3150/2/VCSU%201.9.0%20User%20Guide.pdf

I recommend disabling HA in VMware before upgrading. I've felt the affects of HA kicking in during a VC FW upgrade and the results are not pretty.....

[Server-Support]

@karmakoma Does the VMware ESXi 5.5U3 and the latest requires the Virtual Connect and the Enclosure firmware update ?