Version Control Agent - Disk Drive Firmware

[shocko]

Hey guys, some of my servers show the disk drive firmware in VCA and some do not. The ones that do are using the WBEM providors, the ones that don't are using the management agents i.e. SNMP. Is this as expected?

[Rob Buxton]

I don't think it's to do with wbem versus snmp. More to do with more recent versions of servers and the vca.

Older servers here do not show the disk firmware. It may also be driven by what disk FW can be done from the VCA, effectively online.

[shocko]

Hi Rob,
I'm not sure i understand. For instance, i have a bl25p G2 which supports online upgrades of the SAS disks installed. If have both the wbem/snmp agents installed for testing. if i use Wbem as the data source for SMH, the disk firmware installed shows in the vca and the latest version from the VCRM shows as available for install. If i use snmp, they dont.

[Rancher]

We have found the same thing that Darraugh has. When we were testing with WBEM, the disk firmware shows up in the VCA. With SNMP, it does not.

[shocko]

Its a pity because there are regularly critical updates to Smart Array firmware realeased and visible using SNMP under the VCA homepage. When you update the smart array on a modern server invariably there is a recommended disk drive firmware update also but this isn't listsed unless you're using wbem

:(

[Ralph Frampton]

My experience with VCA displaying HDD firmware versions:

- you must have WBEM provider installed even if you use SMH set to SNMP mode

- HDD firmware version(s) displayed appears to be related to version of VCA installed (see below)

- this feature is likely only useable with HDD's that support Online Firmware updates (eg. SAS, SATA)

While double checking some servers re HDD firmware updates last week, I noticed that HP Version Control Agent Version 6.3.0.870 (Release Date 2/20/11) isn't showing newer HDD firmwares (some? all?) and/or seemingly incorrect ones for hardware installed:

- Firmware Flash Component for Windows - HP StorageWorks P2000/MSA2000 72GB,146GB 15K SAS 6G SFF Hard Drive (DH0072FAQRD, DH0146FAQRE)  HPDE for a server that isn't connected to P2000/MSA2000 enclosure

- after removing above from VCRM, Online ROM Flash Component for Windows - DH0072FAQRD and DH0146FAQRE drives Version HPDD is displayed instead of expected Online ROM Flash Component for Windows - DH0072FAQRD, DH0146FAQRE, EH0146FAWJB, and EH0072FAWJA Drives Version HPDG

- after removing HPDD version, the above version VCA displays a blank for newer HDD firmware available.

I then noted that another server of similar configuration with an older Version Control Agent Version 6.0.0.840 does properly show the latest version HDD driver:

Online ROM Flash Component for Windows - DH0072FAQRD, DH0146FAQRE, EH0146FAWJB, and EH0072FAWJA Drives HPDG

I hope someone from HP sees this as it's a problem that I think they need to fix in the VCA and/or the files delivered to VCRM. 

[Ralph Frampton]

Found another HDD type with newer firmware available that Version Control Agent 6.3.0.870 does not show in comparison with current version:

Disk Drive Firmware - DH072ABAA6 HPD9 or HPDA

The above noted version VCA isn't showing that this firmware is available to be applied:
Online ROM Flash Component for Windows - DH036ABAA5, DH036BB977, DH072BB978, and DH072ABAA6 drives version HPDB (English (US), Japanese, German, French, Italian, Spanish)

RF