Firmware Update Problem

[danobi]

Hi,

I have some BL460 G6 and I need to update their hard disk firmware. If I try to update it via VCA or directly with the CPxxxxx it tells me, that the hardware is not present on the system.
HP support told me to use the .scexe unter linux, but being a windows admin I do not know how to create a bootable and mountable virtual image.
HP told me to use the USB key utility to put the latest firmware dvd on an usb stick and then add the firmware scexe file.
I did that, but I cannot make the blade boot from the usb stick mounted via ILO.

So I created an .ima file of the usb stick by using winimage. ILO told me "invalid image". After that I created an iso image with mkisofs following this tutorial http://www.g-loaded.eu/2006/10/07/verify-a-burned-cddvd-image-on-linux/ - to no avail. It starts booting but then it stops with a checksum error.

I am really at wits end now and I hope anyone here can help me.

Many thanks in advance.
Daniela

[Torsten.]

Download the latest firmware DVD image from hp.com.
Now you can boot directly from this via real or virtual DVD or use the USB stick creation tool from that DVD to create the USB (don't copy the files manually!).

[danobi]

Thanks for the advice Torsten.
I am working with the latest 9.10b which does not include the firmware I need: HPD7 for EH0072FARUA.
I remember blurrily that there was a possibility to create bootable disk images from scexe files, but I cant find anything right now.

[Joshua Small_2]

Hi,

1: Make yourself a bootable USB or DVD based on the firmware in question.
2: Add the .scexe file for the firmware in question to the compaq\swpackages directory
3: Boot to your newly created media and run an update

[JKytsi]

9.10 C is the latest

[danobi]

Thanks at you two for your replies.

I kinda solved the issue some days ago:

Since the servers are in a remote location I could not use an USB stick to boot from it.
So I burned the 9.10C on a DVD but didnt close the medium. Then I burned the scexe on it. Then I created an image of the DVD, mounted that and booted from it. No CP013508.scexe on it.

So I found out: it is not possible to create a complete ISO image from a multisession CD/DVD. It is however possible to put this DVD in my desktop's DVD drive and mount it as a virtual device.
So I was able to boot from this device and start the upgrade.

That the upgrade didn't work and that this is now escalalated to level 2 at HP is a totally different story. ;-/

[cnb]

Daniela,

And the cp013506.exe file doesn't work under the Windows O/S?

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=329290&prodSeriesId=3883890&swItem=MTX-222a184166a94e80a181c1ce5d&prodNameId=3883931&swEnvOID=1005&swLang=13&taskId=135&mode=4&idx=2

Please let us know the resolution when you get it working.


Thanks,

-cnb

[danobi]

The start was, that the windows file did not work, leaving a log entry saying "no hardware found" on all our Blades BL460 G6.

I will keep you posted about the development.

[Andrey.Kornev]

CP013508.scexe is on FW DVD 9.20.
http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=pl&prodTypeId=15351&prodSeriesId=3884082&swItem=MTX-a4ba2e9fefdf442f9531a2b095&prodNameId=3884083&swEnvOID=4049&swLang=13&taskId=135&mode=4&idx=2

[danobi]

Funny thing:
I was about to post "Hey thanks, it worked with the new Firmware DVD" but luckily I did wait until after the reboot and started the firmware DVD again: HDDs still not updated.

No word from 2nd Level so far.

[Mi6t0]

Daniela,

No need to make any bootable media at all...

If you boot FROM the FW Maintenance CD, it loads some kind of linux and the offline update should work.

I think I have a hint for you...

Can you try the update with a cache module? I think it should work :-)

[danobi]

The need to make a bootable DVD was because 9.10 did not include HPD7. It worked by creating a multisession DVD as mentioned earlier.

I did include in this not only the HPD7 scexe but also the latest firmware for the array controller. The latter worked perfectly by calling it with sh *.scexe. The first did seem to work as well, but after the reboot the firmware was still HPD3.
The same picture now with FW 9.20: Firmware was upgraded, reboot needed -> no change, still HPD3.


So for me it seems to be proven that the issue is with the HPD7 firmware and nothing else.

I am looking forward to HPs answer, no word from 2nd level so far.

[Mi6t0]

You didn't mention if there is cache module on the controller or not. And do you have the option to install one for testing?

[danobi]

I do not see any cache module in the SMH, just P410i, no battery status.
But I remember getting a lot of accelerator board status change messages in HPSIM from our blades. I discarded them all because no error was visible.

Is the cache module firmware not included in the 9.20 DVD? I did a complete update with the 9.20.

[Mi6t0 · Accepted solution]

The main idea behind the Cache module is the fact, that I've seen some cases where you are not able to perform FW upgrade of the HDD WITHOUT having a cache module. This module is simply ram+battery that enhances the performance of the controller and "unlocks" a few features.

http://h18004.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/13201_div/13201_div.html

For example:
Online array expansion (with BBWC/FBWC upgrade)
Online Advanced Capacity Expansion (with BBWC/FBWC and Smart Array Advanced Pack upgrade)
Online logical drive extension (with BBWC/FBWC upgrade)
Online RAID level migration (with BBWC/FBWC upgrade)
Online strip size migration (with BBWC/FBWC upgrade)
Offline Mirror splitting and recombining (with BBWC/FBWC and Smart Array Advanced Pack upgrade)
Unlimited global online spare assignment
User selectable expand and rebuild priority
User selectable RAID level and stripe size
User selectable read and write cache sizes


Updating the firmware should work without BBWC, but I was wondering if you can find from somewhere BBWC and try.

I'm quite curious what Level 2 will say :)

[danobi]

Not a single one of our BL460 G6 has been delivered with BBWC.
I have discovered some E200i controllers with BBWC, that I might be able to use instead of the 410er.

No word from HP so far. Today I forwarded your hint about the BBWC and my question regarding the compatibility of E200i to BL460 G6 (found no information on the net about that).

We'll see...
Daniela

[Mi6t0]

I don't think it's compatible. Maybe someone who has tested, could help us :) But the part for the BBWC kit for e200 is quite different than the one for p410.

[danobi]

Yeah, I thought so after reading "minimum requirement 256MB". Our E200i have 96MB.

[danobi]

a little update:
HP has requested fotos of the hdd's labels. They intend to investigate into the build numbers. Those are indeed pretty much in one line.

So far no feedback yet.

[danobi]

Finally:

I pointed HP to this thread and they sent me a cache module to try it out.
The update went fine.
They could reproduce the error and the solution in their lab too so I hope there will be an advisory soon.

The 9.20B firmware DVD does not contain a fixed version.

We will be upgrading all our 410i controllers with a cache module.

Thanks again for all your help!
Daniela