Fimrware upgrades: Please read and respond

[Michael A. McKenney]

I am upgrading to latest and greatest Windows Server 2008, Exchange, and SQL Server. HP said I needed to do firmware upgrade. This round took out 2 server boards, 4 fiber HBAs. I usually have about 50% success rate with firmware upgrades. The other 50% is catastrophic hardware failure. Again, they sent out a dead server board. Getting the Fiber HBAs to work properly after firmware can be a fight.

The Catch 22 is HP engineers won't speak to you until your firmware and drivers are up to date. When I install them, the hardware completely fails 50% of the time. This round took out Exchange for a day and now my SQL server for at least a day, its been 24 hours since I called on my Carepaq.

How many of you run into firmware issuss and crashed hardware?

[Ali]

Hi Michael,

It depends on how you are upgrading the firmware.

Use offline method to upgrade server h/w firmware using latest Firmware DVD available on HP website.

About FC HBA firmware update do take advice from HP remote support team by logging a case.

Also provide the full system details like server model, existing firmware etc.

hope this helps,

[Michael A. McKenney]

If I run firmware through Windows, it usually does not crash the hardware. It is when I boot the CD/DVD and install the firmware the problems occur.

[Ali]

Hi Michael,

use the latest Firmware DVD 9.20 (B) (2 Dec 2010) as I remember few issues with previous version of firmware DVD.

Best practices :
disconnect all the external storage and other devices.

YOu may update everything else except FC HBA through this DVD.

for FC HBA firmware update, please take assitance from remote support team as I'm not pretty sure about its dependies and configuration before applying firmware. Log a case with HP only for FC HBA firmware updates and follow their recommendations.

thanks,
Aftab

[Michael A. McKenney]

I just read other customers installing 9.2 on Blade Centers and other servers are having the same catastrophic failures. If they bring out new server board and hardware, it will go back to 8.6.

I was planning to upgrade to a C7000 Blade Center and DR site with C3000 Blade Center. if the firmware is this flaky, I might not go with HP.

[Ali]

Hi Michael,

Catastrophic system error or failure generally means some h/w failure. So you may run the HP offline diagnostic to verify the same.

I also had some Firmware issues with older version but DVD 9.2 worked fine.


thanks,
Aftab

[Joshua Small_2]

Hi,

I have had terrible issues with firmware. But believe it or not, this makes me do it more. And by that I mean, I would rather do firmware udpates daily and get to know the associated issues, than be suprised by them.

As you said, HP won't talk to you any other way.

Failed hard disk? No problems, it's hot swappable. Except you can't get a replacement because your Smart Array is one version behind, and upgrading takes a reboot.

I've been there many a time.