IBM Support

Update(s) for HMC 8.8.4

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document provides instructions to update the HMC Version 8.8.4 with the latest fixes for 8.8.4.

Resolving The Problem

Note: 8.8.4 end of fix support was 2017-11-30. IBM Support recommends upgrading to the latest release.



For upgrade options see IBM support document Recommended Fixes - HMC Code Upgrades at http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021840

 


This document provides instructions to update the HMC Version 8.8.4 with the latest fixes for 8.8.4.

1. Verify the HMC is at Version 8 Release 8.4.0
If the HMC is not at 8.8.4, you must first upgrade to 8.8.4. To upgrade the HMC to Version 8.8.4, refer to document N1021598, Upgrading the HMC from Version 8.8.2 or Later to Version 8.8.4. To link to document N1021598 immediately, click here http://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021598

2. Review the Readme files for each fix
o V8R8.4 SP0 Mandatory Corrective Service Fix MH01560:
https://delivery04.dhe.ibm.com/sar/CMA/HMA/05sgg/10/MH01559.readme.html
o V8R8.4 Service Pack 3:
https://delivery04.dhe.ibm.com/sar/CMA/HMA/075si/0/vMH01652.readme.html
o V8R8.4 SP3 iFix MH01720
https://delivery04.dhe.ibm.com/sar/CMA/HMA/07cu1/1/MH01720.readme.html
o V8R8.4 Upgrade iFix MH01729
https://delivery04.dhe.ibm.com/sar/CMA/HMA/07ax4/1/MH01729.readme.html


3. Reboot the HMC
If the HMC has not been restarted recently, you should restart before you begin the updates. To check how long it has been since the last reboot, use the command who -b. To restart the HMC, click HMC Management > Shutdown or Restart, select Restart HMC and click OK.

4. Special Installation Instructions:
The readme for MH01560 state the following:
Special Install Instructions: MH01560 must be installed using the HMC updhmc command; not the GUI. See the updhmc “man” page (man updhmc) for further information and examples on using the command.
Attempting to use the enhanced GUI will hang during the installation.
Attempting to use the classic GUI and USB with result in the update panel disappearing after selecting the update.

5. If two HMCs manage the same server, both HMCs must be at V8R840 Service Pack 1 or later.
If only one HMC is updated to V8R840 SP1 or later, the downlevel HMC will show the system in “Version Mismatch - Save area version mismatch" until it is updated.

6. Select one of the following tabs below for instructions on the method you wish to use to update the HMC:
o .iso images: Instructions for downloading the fixes and installing them from USB flash or optical media.
o Ordering/Using DVDs: Instructions for ordering optical media from IBM and installing from media.
o Internet: Instructions for installing the fixes over the network; either directly from the IBM FTP site or, alternately, from a local FTP server.

 

 

Tab navigation

 

.iso images

 
Instructions for downloading the fixes and installing them from media

Step 1: Download the Corrective fixes
Click on each link to download direct from the IBM ftp server:
o Download Mandatory Corrective service fix MH01560: MH01560.iso
o Download Service Pack 3 MH01652: HMC_Update_V8R840_SP3.iso
o Download SP3 iFix MH01720: MH01720.iso
o Download Upgrade iFix MH01729: MH01729.iso

Step 2: Burn/copy the fixes to media.
Note: The HMC is now able to read .iso files. This provides additional options for updating from media. Available options are as follows:
a) Burn the iso file as image to DVD-R.
This is the traditional method used in the past and requires one DVD per fix.

b) Copy one or more iso files to media.
The fixes are copied to media as data. The media can be CD-R, DVD-R, or USB flash. Multiple fixes (iso files) can be placed on the same media if space permits.

Step 3: Install the fixes using the following install instructions
 
1. Install Mandatory Corrective Service Fix MH01560
To install MH01560, load the media on the HMC:
- If using DVD, load media into the DVD drive on the HMC.
- If using USB flash drive, plug flash drive into USB port. Wait approximately one minute for the HMC to detect the flash drive.

a. Log into HMC restricted shell
Locally: Open a restricted shell by selecting HMC Management in the navigation area, then select Open a Restricted Shell in the work frame (right frame).
Remotely: Log in using a ssh client. To configure remote command access see Configuring the Version 7 HMC to Accept SSH Connections and Remote Commands at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1012875

b. Install the PTF using the updhmc command
DVD:
Note: This assumes the DVD was burned as an image (one fix per DVD).
updhmc -t dvd -r

USB:
(1) Locate the mount point
Run the command to find the mount point of the USB device: lsmediadev
Example output:
device=/dev/sdb1,mount_point=/media/sdb1,type=3,description=USB flash memory device
device=/dev/cdrom,mount_point=,type=1,description=CD/DVD
In the example above, the mount point to use is /media/sdb1

(2) Mount the USB
mount
where is the path returned in (1).
Example: mount /media/sdb1

(3) Install the fix
updhmc -t usb -r -f
Where is fully qualified file name of the PTF to install.
Example: updhmc -t usb -r -f /media/sdb1/MH01560.iso
Note: Use the ls command to verify the path. For example: ls -l /media/sdb1/MH*

c. The HMC will automatically restart tafter the installation of the update has completed. The restart ensures all changes are available immediately.
It is mandatory that you restart the HMC.
Note: The HMC reboot may take several minutes longer than normal as some parts of the fix are applied during the reboot.

d. At the Hardware Management Console login prompt, log in using your user ID and password. Select either Classic or Enhanced view.

 
2. Install Service Pack 3

To use the "classic" GUI with DVD or USB (with MH01588 or later installed), load the media on the HMC:
- If using DVD, load media into the DVD drive on the HMC.
- If using USB flash drive, plug flash drive into USB port. Wait until you hear three beeps (or approximately one minute) for the HMC to detect the flash drive.

a In the HMC Navigation pane, select Updates.
b In the Work pane, click the Update HMC button. The "HMC Install Corrective Service Wizard" panel is displayed.
c On the Current HMC Driver Information panel, click Next.
d On the Select Service Repository panel, click Removable Media, then click Next.
e On the Installation and Configuration Options panel, select either CD-ROM or DVD-RAM, or USB Flash Memory Device, then click Next.
f On the Select Service Package panel:
Data files: click HMC_Update_V8R840_SP3.iso, then click Next.
DVD image: select media image - no description, then click Next.
g On the Confirm Service Installation panel, click Finish .
The HMC interface retrieves the update package from the DVD and begins the installation process.
h The HMC Install Corrective Service Progress panel indicates "Corrective Service installation was successful". Then, click OK.

Install Corrective Service Progress

i Restart the HMC after the installation of the update has completed. The restart ensures all changes are available immediately. To reboot immediately, select Yes.

It is mandatory that you restart the HMC after each PTF.
Note: The HMC reboot may take several minutes longer than normal as some parts of the fix are applied during the reboot.

After applying this PTF and rebooting, users may not be able to log on to the HMC GUI, locally or remotely.  The local firefox browser will show "Unable to connect.  Firefox can not establish a connection to the server at 127.0.0.1".  To resolve this issue, perform an additional HMC reboot:  At the local HMC, power off and on using the power button. Remotely, use an SSH session to issue the hmcshutdown -r -t now command. 
 
3 Install Corrective Service MH01720

Repeat Step 3-2. above using MH01720 media or image.
4 Install Corrective Service MH01729

Repeat Step 3-2. above using MH01729 media or image.
 
 

Ordering / Using DVDs

 
Instructions for ordering media from IBM and installing from optical media.

Step 1: Order the 8.8.4 corrective service fix:
Click on each of the following links to order the PTF. For each PTF: log in with your IBM id; confirm your address; submit the order.
MH01560
MH01652
MH01720
MH01729

Step 2: Install the fixes.
1. Install Mandatory Corrective Service Fix MH01560
To install MH01560, load the media into the DVD drive on the HMC.

a. Log into HMC restricted shell
Locally: Open a restricted shell by selecting HMC Management in the navigation area, then select Open a Restricted Shell in the work frame (right frame).
Remotely: Log in using a ssh client. To configure remote command access see Configuring the Version 7 HMC to Accept SSH Connections and Remote Commands at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1012875

b. Install the PTF using updhmc command
updhmc -t dvd -r

c. The HMC will automatically restart after the installation of the update has completed. The restart ensures all changes are available immediately.
It is mandatory that you restart the HMC.
Note: The HMC reboot may take several minutes longer than normal as some parts of the fix are applied during the reboot.

d. At the Hardware Management Console login prompt, log in using your user ID and password. Select either Classic or Enhanced view.
 
2. Install Service Pack 3

To install Service Pack 3 using "classic" UI, load the media into the DVD drive on the HMC.

a In the HMC Navigation pane, select Updates.
b In the Work pane, click the Update HMC button. The "HMC Install Corrective Service Wizard" panel is displayed.
c On the Current HMC Driver Information panel, click Next.
d On the Select Service Repository panel, click Removable Media, then click Next.
e On the Installation and Configuration Options panel, select either CD-ROM or DVD-RAM, then click Next.
f On the Select Service Package panel,
DVD image: select media image - no description, then click Next.
g On the Confirm Service Installation panel, click Finish .
The HMC interface retrieves the update package from the DVD and begins the installation process.
h The HMC Install Corrective Service Progress panel indicates "Corrective Service installation was successful". Then, click OK.

Install Corrective Service Progress

i Restart the HMC after the installation of the update has completed. The restart ensures all changes are available immediately. To reboot immediately, select Yes.

It is mandatory that you restart the HMC after each PTF.
Note: The HMC reboot may take several minutes longer than normal as some parts of the fix are applied during the reboot.

Stop and restart the HMC after the installation of the update has completed. The reboot ensures all changes are available immediately.  To reboot immediately, click on Yes.

j. At the Hardware Management Console login prompt, log in using your user ID and password. Select Classic view.
 
3. Install Corrective Service MH01720

Repeat Step 2-2. above using MH01720 media.
4. Install Corrective Service MH01729

Repeat Step 2-2. above using MH01729 media.
 

Network

 
Instructions for installing Corrective Service fixes directly from a FTP server
 
  Prerequisites
To update the HMC directly from the IBM server, the HMC must have:
1) Network connectivity to the Internet;
2) The external firewall must allow FTP.

Alternative 1: Stage the updates on a local FTP server
If the HMC does not have direct access to the IBM FTP site, the files can be downloaded and placed on a local FTP server. To upgrade from a local server instead of direct from the IBM FTP site, do the following:
a. Use FTP to do a binary download of the upgrade files from the IBM server to a directory on a local FTP server:
 
        IBM Server: public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/hmc/fixes/      File:       MH01560.iso      IBM Server: public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/hmc/updates/      File:       HMC_Update_V8R840_SP3.iso        IBM Server: public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/hmc/fixes/      File:       MH01720.iso      IBM Server: public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/hmc/fixes/      File:       MH01729.iso      

b. Perform the upgrade as described below, adjusting the instructions to point to your local FTP server.

To install the updates, continue with the steps below:
 
1. Install the Mandatory Corrective Service Fix MH01560
To install MH01560, do the following::

a. Log into HMC restricted shell
Locally: Open a restricted shell by selecting HMC Management in the navigation area, then select Open a Restricted Shell in the work frame (right frame).
Remotely: Log in using a ssh client. To configure remote command access see Configuring the Version 7 HMC to Accept SSH Connections and Remote Commands at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1012875

b. Install the PTF using updhmc command
updhmc -t ftp -h public.dhe.ibm.com -u anonymous --passwd abc1234 -r -f /software/server/hmc/fixes/MH01560.iso

Note: The file is placed temporarily in the directory /dump/efix. To monitor progress of the download portion of the update, open another restricted shell session and type the following command: while true; do ls -l /dump/efix ; sleep 30; done (Use ctl+c to end it). This command displays file size every 30 seconds to monitor download progress. The total size available in the readme link above.

c. The HMC will automatically restart after the installation of the update has completed. The restart ensures all changes are available immediately.
It is mandatory that you restart the HMC.
Note: The HMC reboot may take several minutes longer than normal as some parts of the fix are applied during the reboot.

d. At the Hardware Management Console login prompt, log in using your user ID and password. Select either Classic or Enhanced view.
2. Install Service Pack 3

To use CLI, repeat step 1 using HMC_Update_V8R840_SP3 media:
updhmc -t ftp -h public.dhe.ibm.com -u anonymous --passwd abc1234 -r -f /software/server/hmc/updates/HMC_Update_V8R840_SP3.iso

To install Service Pack 3 using the Classic GUI, do the following:

a In the HMC Navigation pane, select Updates.
b In the Work pane, click the Update HMC button. The "HMC Install Corrective Service Wizard" panel is displayed.
c On the Current HMC Driver Information panel, click Next
d On the Select Service Repository panel, click Remote Server, then click Next.
e On the Installation and Configuration Options panel:
(If using a local FTP server, modify the entries as appropriate for your local FTP server)
 
     Remote server type:  FTP     Remote Server:       public.dhe.ibm.com     User ID:             anonymous     Password:            [your email address]     Remote directory:    /software/server/hmc/updates  

Click Next.

f Wait while a list of available updates is retrieved.

Wait while a list of available updates is retrieved

g On the Select Service Package panel, scroll down to HMC_Update_V8R840_SP3.iso , click to select, and click Next.

Tip: You can use your browser's find feature (Ctrl+f on the HMC) to search for the package.

h On the Confirm Service Installation panel, click Finish.
The HMC interface retrieves the update package from the FTP site and begins the installation process.

Note: The file is placed temporarily in the directory /dump/efix. To monitor progress of the download portion of the update, open a restricted shell session and type the following command: while true; do ls -l /dump/efix ; sleep 30; done (Use ctl+c to end it). This command displays file size every 30 seconds to monitor download progress. The total size is 2,143,186,944 bytes.

i The HMC Install Corrective Service Progress panel indicates "Corrective Service installation was successful". Click OK.

Install Corrective Service Progress

j Restart the HMC after the installation of the update has completed. The restart ensures all changes are available immediately. To restart immediately, click on Yes.

It is mandatory that you restart the HMC after each update.
Note: The HMC reboot may take several minutes longer than normal as some parts of the fix are applied during the reboot.

 Stop and restart the HMC after the installation of the update has completed. The reboot ensures all changes are available immediately.  To reboot immediately, click on Yes.

k At the Hardware Management Console log-in prompt, log in using your user ID and password. Select either Classic or Enhanced view.
3 Install Corrective Service MH01720
To use CLI, repeat step 2 using MH01720 image:
updhmc -t ftp -h public.dhe.ibm.com -u anonymous --passwd abc1234 -r -f /software/server/hmc/fixes/MH01720.iso

To use the classic GUI, repeat Step 2 with the changes to Steps e and g shown in bold below:

e On the Installation and Configuration Options panel:
(If using a local FTP server, modify the entries as appropriate for your local FTP server)
 
     Remote server type: FTP     Remote Server:      public.dhe.ibm.com     User ID:            anonymous     Password:           [your email address]     Remote directory:   /software/server/hmc/fixes  

g On the Select Service Package panel, scroll down to MH01720.iso, click to select, then click Next.


It is mandatory that you restart the HMC after each update.
4 Install Corrective Service MH01729
To use CLI, repeat step 2 using MH01729 image:
updhmc -t ftp -h public.dhe.ibm.com -u anonymous --passwd abc1234 -r -f /software/server/hmc/fixes/MH01729.iso

To use the classic GUI, repeat Step 2 with the changes to Steps e and g shown in bold below:

e On the Installation and Configuration Options panel:
(If using a local FTP server, modify the entries as appropriate for your local FTP server)
 
     Remote server type: FTP     Remote Server:      public.dhe.ibm.com     User ID:            anonymous     Password:           [your email address]     Remote directory:   /software/server/hmc/fixes  

g On the Select Service Package panel, scroll down to MH01729.iso, click to select, then click Next.


It is mandatory that you restart the HMC after each update.
 

 

 


Verifying a Successful Update

After the HMC was restarted, you should do the following to verify that the HMC upgrade was successful:

 

1. Select Welcome from the Navigation panel.
2. Point your mouse over the HMC Version link on the Content panel to display the Version information. You will see the following:

Version: 8
Release: 8.4.0
Service Pack: 3
HMC Build level 20171213.1
MH01720: Fix for HMC V8R8.4.0 (12-13-2017)
MH01729: Fix for HMC V8R8.4.0 (11-07-2017)
","base_version=V8R8.4.0


Backup of HMC Data, and Requirements for Recovery of HMC

It is recommended that you perform a backup of the HMC. Instructions for the HMC backup are provided at the following link:
http://www-01.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/8286-42A/p8ha1/backuphmcdata.htm?cp=8247-22L&lang=en

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Historical Number

762485069

Document Information

Modified date:
22 September 2021

UID

nas8N1021591