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Chapter 3. Configuring the blade server
This sections describes how to update the BladeCenter QS20 firmware.
Upgrading the system firmware
The following section describes how to update the firmware.
BladeCenter QS20 firmware contains a proprietary implementation of Cell BE
hardware initialization code. The user and operating system interfaces are based on
the Open Firmware standard. Detailed system information is provided through the
Open Firmware device tree. You can use the client interface and Run-Time
Abstraction Services (RTAS) to run management functions.
Firmware package and contents
The firmware consists of :
v A firmware package, which runs on the Cell BE (Host FW)
v A firmware package for the on-board service processor (SP FW)
Both packages follow the same versioning scheme. You must ensure that both
versions are the same when you perform an upgrade. Table 10 describes the
firmware files.
Installing the firmware
You only need to install the BladeCenter QS20 firmware if you need to do either of
the following:
v Upgrade to a newer version
v Downgrade to an older version if there are problems with the current version
The firmware for the on-board service processor can only be installed using the
standard firmware update feature of the BladeCenter Management Module. For
more information, see the Management Module documentation or ask your IBM
support representative.
Host FW can only be installed using the Linux operating system. If Linux is not
installed or cannot be started, then no upgrade or recovery is possible. Call your
IBM support representative. Linux needs to have a current version of rtas_flash
device driver installed. For instructions about how to get this driver and how to
install it, read the http://www.bsc.es/projects/deepcomputing/linuxoncell/ users
manual.
This device driver offers a number of different methods for installing and managing
a system flash using the /proc interface. The script, update_flash, simplifies the
procedure, and your Linux distributor should provide you with this script. For more
information, see the BladeCenter QS20 SDK Toolkit Installation and Users Guide.
© Copyright IBM Corp. 2006
Table 10. Firmware files
Filename
CB1–FW-<version>-boot_rom.bin
CBlade-<version>.pkt
Description
Image for flashing through Linux
Firmware image to flash the service
processor using the BladeCenter
Management Module.
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Troubleshooting
