IBM Support

Upgrading the HMC from Version 7.7.8 or Later to Version 8.8.1

Troubleshooting


Problem

This document provides instructions to upgrade the HMC from Version 7.7.8 or later to Version 8.8.1.

Resolving The Problem

This document provides instructions to upgrade the HMC from Version 7.7.8 or later to Version 8.8.1.

Prerequisites

Before upgrading, complete the following:

1. Verify HMC does not manage any POWER 5 server
Power 5 servers are not supported at HMC Version 8.8.1.

To determine if a managed system is Power 5:
- On HMC GUI, select Updates in left panel.
- In the right panel, find the section titled System Code Levels which lists each system managed by this HMC
- For each managed system, check the EC Number. Any system with an EC number of 01SFxxx is a Power 5

If an attempt is made to connect a V8.8.1 HMC to a Power 5 server, the state will show Version Mismatch with connection error Connection not allowed:
resource_type=sys,type_model_serial_num=9406-520*103E8FE,sp=primary,sp_phys_loc=unavailable,ipaddr=9.5.66.29,alt_ipaddr=unavailable,state=Version Mismatch,connection_error_code=Connection not allowed 0009-0008-00000000


2. Verify HMC model is compatible with 8.8.1
HMC V8R8.1 is supported on rack-mount models CR5, CR6, CR7 and CR8; and on desktop model C08. These listed models meet or exceed the V8R8.1 minimum memory requirement of 2GB however 4GB is recommended.


3. Upgrading to HMC Version 8.1.0 requires a minimum level of 7.7.8 + MH01402, 7.7.8.0.1, or later; or 7.7.9 + mandatory fix MH01406 or later.
For HMC version 7.7.9, SP1 or later is recommended. To update 7.7.9 HMC to the latest fixes, see N1021587 Update(s) for HMC 7.7.9 at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021587

For HMC version 7.7.8, Sp1 or later is recommended. To update 7.7.8 to the latest fixes see support document N1021586 Update(s) for HMC 7.7.8 at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021586

For HMC version 7.7.7 and earlier, do one of the following:
o Upgrade to 7.7.8 first, then upgrade to 8.8.1, or
o Do a scratch install of 8.8.1, then reconfigure the HMC

To upgrade an HMC to 7.7.8, see support document N1021593 Upgrading the HMC from Version 7.3.x or Version 7.7.x to Version 7.7.8 at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021593


4. Confirm machine type/model and serial number are correct

Use one of the methods below to verify that the Machine Type/Model and Serial Number (MTMS) matches the information on the tag on the front of the physical HMC. If they do not match, do not attempt the upgrade. To resolve the problem, contact IBM Hardware at 1-800-426-7378 (800-IBM-SERV), Option 1 for hardware, and request a BIOS flash to correct the MTMS:
o On the HMC GUI interface, select Updates in the left navigation panel. Find Model Type and Serial number in the HMC Code Level section of the right navigation panel.
o From a restricted shell command line, type the following command and press Enter: lshmc -v *TM is the machine type/model, and *SE is the serial number.

5. Reboot the HMC

If the HMC has not been restarted recently, you should restart before you begin the upgrade. To reboot either:
- use the GUI task HMC Management > Shutdown or Restart, select Restart HMC then click OK
- use the command hmcshutdown -r -t now


6. Remove any USB used for HMC backup

Remove any USB flash drive that contains HMC Backup Management Console Data before performing a network upgrade. Failure to remove the drive will result in failed network upgrade.


7. Verify Server Firmware is compatible
Click here for a complete list of supported combinations of HMC V7 and V8 code levels and server firmware levels. While the HMC can perform basic management tasks and upgrades on downlevel servers, servers below the supported level should be updated soon after the HMC upgrade is complete.
 

Special instructions when using redundant Management Consoles



Dual management of Flex nodes with FSM is not supported.

Both HMCs must be upgraded. After one HMC is upgraded the servers on the redundant HMC may go to "Version Mismatch" state, with reference code "Save area version mismatch". This state will clear when the redundant HMC is upgraded.

Explanation

The HMC uses a storage area on each managed server to persist the server configuration; primarily PowerVM settings and partition profiles. As new functions are introduced the format (or version) of the storage area is changed. The format of the file is upward compatible only. This implies that a configuration created at an older HMC release can be restored or migrated to a newer, enhanced format. Attempts to restore or manage a newer format of the configuration with an older HMC that does not support the format will result in one of the following depending on the version of the HMC: corruption of the configuration or error states such as "recovery"or "incomplete" (7.7.7 and earlier); or "Version Mismatch" "Save area mismatch" (7.7.8 or later).


 


Readme file for HMC V8 R8.1 Recovery Media and mandatory fix MH01421can be found at the following URL:
http://download4.boulder.ibm.com/sar/CMA/HMA/04ko5/13/MH01419.readme.html


Download and burn HMC .iso images, obtain HMC media from IBM, or download direct from IBM to HMC

Choose one of the following:

Tab navigation

.iso images

Step 1: To obtain HMC 8.8.1 .iso image, do the following:

1. Download and burn the HMC Version 8.8.1 Recovery DVD: HMC_Recovery_V8R810_1.iso

2. Burn the .iso as an image to DVD-R media.

Note: Starting with Version 8.8.1, recovery media is only one volume

Step 2: Save Profile Data

Use one of the following options to perform a Save Profile Data for each managed system to save an additional copy of partition/profile configurations.

Option 1: Use HMC GUI interface
1. Expand Systems Management, then select Servers.
 
2. Select the first managed system by checking the box in front of the server name.
 
3. Under Tasks, expand Configuration, then expand Manage Partition Data.
 
4. Select Backup.
 
5. In the Profile Data Backup window, type a name for the backup file, and click OK.
 
6. You will get a pop-up window that the profile data has been backed up. Click OK.
 
7. Repeat 1 through 6 for each additional system managed by this HMC. Once you have a partition data backup for each managed system, continue with Step 3.
 

Option 2: Use restricted shell command line

On the local HMC, select HMC Management -> Open Restricted Shell Terminal. For remote access using SSH, refer to section above titled "Remote SSH Connectivity"

At the command prompt, enter the following command which will save profile data for all servers:
lssyscfg -r sys -F type_model*serial_num | while read machine; do bkprofdata -m "$machine" -f Beforeupgrade$(date +%Y%m%d) ; done

Step 3: Save Upgrade Data

A Save Upgrade Data task must be done to preserve information on the HMC before performing the upgrade. You must upgrade immediately after the Save Upgrade Data task. If you restart the HMC again without doing the upgrade, you must log in and run the Save Upgrade Data task again before performing the upgrade.
1. Prepare media to use for Save Upgrade Data. Prepare media to use for Save Upgrade Data. You will need either a DVD-RAM, or a USB flash drive.

DVD-RAM:
Insert a formatted DVD-RAM media into the DVD drive.
Note: You may use the same DVD-RAM that was used to backup HMC data; any existing save upgrade data will not be overwritten. If the DVD-RAM has not been formatted previously then format it by selecting Format Media, Format DVD-RAM, then click OK. Select Backup/restore, then click the Format button. The format operation will delete any existing data.

USB Flash Drive:
USB flash drive must be formatted FAT32 with a single partition and it cannot be password protected. Plug the flash drive into a USB port on the front of the HMC. Wait until you hear 3 beeps (approximately 1 minute) for the HMC to detect the flash drive.
 
2. Save Upgrade Data can be performed using either HMC GUI or restricted shell command line.

Use the HMC GUI:
a. Select HMC Management.
b. Select Save Upgrade Data.
c. Select media type USB flash drive, click Next, and then click Finish.

Use restricted shell command line:
Use the following command specifying "diskdvd" for DVD-RAM or "diskusb" for USB flash drive.
saveupgdata -r diskusb
 
3. Wait for the Save Upgrade Data task to complete. If the task fails, contact your next level of support before proceeding. If the Save Upgrade Data task is successful, the following optional procedure can be performed to verify the data:

a. Open a restricted shell terminal as follows:

1. Select HMC Management.
2. Select Open restricted Shell Terminal.

b. Mount the media:

1. Run the command lsmediadev to determine the mount point of the USB flash drive. In the example below, USB flash drive is /media/sda1
device=/dev/cdrom,mount_point=/media/cdrom,type=1,description=CD/DVD
device=/dev/fd0,mount_point=/media/floppy,type=2,description=internal diskette drive
device=/dev/hda,type=6,description=internal hard disk drive
device=/dev/sda1,mount_point=/media/sda1,type=3,description=USB flash memory device

a. Run the command mount (i.e., mount /media/sda1 for USB flash drive)

b. Run the command ls –l using the same mount point as in step b above

c. Verify that there are five tar files with the following names:

ACMSaveData.tar
RSCTSaveUpgrade.tar
SaveCCFWUpgradeData.tar
SaveHSCSystemUpgradeData.tar
SaveProfileDataUpgrade.tar

If any of these tar files are missing, contact your next level of support.

d. Issue the command umount using the same mount point as in step b above

Note: The Save Upgrade Data will be saved to the hard drive on the HMC as well as the USB flash drive. The Save Upgrade Data on the media is used only to recover from an unexpected error under the direction of support personnel.
 
4. Once the Save Upgrade Data task is successful, remove the USB flash drive or DVD-RAM.

Step 4: Upgrade HMC to 8.8.1 (from Recovery Media)

Do the following at the HMC interface to upgrade the HMC by means of the Recovery DVD.
 
1. Insert V8.8.1 recovery media MH01419 (which was either ordered from IBM or downloaded and burned to DVD as indicated above) into the DVD-RAM drive.
 
2. Click HMC Management, then click the Shutdown or Restart menu option.
 
3. Select Restart HMC and click OK. Note: If the HMC fails to restart from optical, the boot manager may need to be called (in other words, press F12 during the boot process) in order to get the HMC to boot from the optical drive.
 
4. The HMC reads the media in the DVD-RAM drive and displays the Hardware Management Console Install Wizard window. Highlight Next button (use tab/alt-Tab or arrow keys to move), and press Space bar or Enter to select.

Note: If the Save Upgrade Data (Step 3 above) was not performed, you will see a warning window that save upgrade data was not found on the hard drive. Cancel the upgrade, remove the recovery media from the DVD drive, reboot the HMC, complete Step 3 above to Save Upgrade Data, then start the upgrade process again.
 
5. Using tab or arrow keys to move the cursor and the space bar to select an option, select Upgrade to a new release (need asterisk on Upgrade to a new release as shown below):

( * ) Upgrade to a new release
( ) Install

Highlight Next button, and press Enter.
 
6. On Upgrade Confirmation screen, highlight Finish, and press Enter to start the Upgrade process.
7. The HMC installs 8.8.1 from the media, restores the data preserved by the Save Upgrade Data task, and then completes the booting process.
8. Select "Log on and launch the Hardware Management Console Web application", then log in using your user ID and password.

Ordering / Using DVDs/CDs

Step 1: Order the HMC Version 8.8.1 Recovery DVD: MH01419.

Note: Starting with Version 8.8.1, recovery media is only one volume

Step 2: Save Profile Data

Use one of the following options to perform a Save Profile Data for each managed system to save an additional copy of partition/profile configurations.

Option 1: Use HMC GUI interface
 
1. Expand Systems Management, then select Servers.
 
2. Select the first managed system by checking the box in front of the server name.
 
3. Under Tasks, expand Configuration, then expand Manage Partition Data.
 
4. Select Backup.
 
5. In the Profile Data Backup window, type a name for the backup file, and click OK.
 
6. You will get a pop-up window that the profile data has been backed up. Click OK.
 
7. Repeat 1 through 6 for each additional system managed by this HMC. Once you have a partition data backup for each managed system, continue with Step 3.
 

Option 2: Use restricted shell command line

On the local HMC, select HMC Management -> Open Restricted Shell Terminal. For remote access using SSH, refer to section above titled "Remote SSH Connectivity"

At the command prompt, enter the following command which will save profile data for all servers:
lssyscfg -r sys -F type_model*serial_num | while read machine; do bkprofdata -m "$machine" -f Beforeupgrade$(date +%Y%m%d) ; done

Step 3: Save Upgrade Data

A Save Upgrade Data task must be done to preserve information on the HMC before performing the upgrade. You must upgrade immediately after the Save Upgrade Data task. If you restart the HMC again without doing the upgrade, you must log in and run the Save Upgrade Data task again before performing the upgrade.
 
1. Prepare media to use for Save Upgrade Data. Prepare media to use for Save Upgrade Data. You will need either a DVD-RAM, or a USB flash drive.

DVD-RAM:
Insert a formatted DVD-RAM media into the DVD drive.
Note: You may use the same DVD-RAM that was used to backup HMC data; any existing save upgrade data will not be overwritten. If the DVD-RAM has not been formatted previously then format it by selecting Format Media, Format DVD-RAM, then click OK. Select Backup/restore, then click the Format button. The format operation will delete any existing data.

USB Flash Drive:
USB flash drive must be formatted FAT32 with a single partition and it cannot be password protected. Plug the flash drive into a USB port on the front of the HMC. Wait until you hear 3 beeps (approximately 1 minute) for the HMC to detect the flash drive.
 
2. Save Upgrade Data can be performed using either HMC GUI or restricted shell command line.

Use the HMC GUI:
a. Select HMC Management.
b. Select Save Upgrade Data.
c. Select media type USB flash drive, click Next, and then click Finish.

Use restricted shell command line:
Use the following command specifying "diskdvd" for DVD-RAM or "diskusb" for USB flash drive.
saveupgdata -r diskusb
 
3. Wait for the Save Upgrade Data task to complete. If the task fails, contact your next level of support before proceeding. If the Save Upgrade Data task is successful, the following optional procedure can be performed to verify the data:

a. Open a restricted shell terminal as follows:

1. Select HMC Management.
2. Select Open restricted Shell Terminal.

b. Mount the media:

1. Run the command lsmediadev to determine the mount point of the USB flash drive. In the example below, USB flash drive is /media/sda1
device=/dev/cdrom,mount_point=/media/cdrom,type=1,description=CD/DVD
device=/dev/fd0,mount_point=/media/floppy,type=2,description=internal diskette drive
device=/dev/hda,type=6,description=internal hard disk drive
device=/dev/sda1,mount_point=/media/sda1,type=3,description=USB flash memory device

a. Run the command mount (i.e., mount /media/sda1 for USB flash drive)

b. Run the command ls –l using the same mount point as in step b above

c. Verify that there are five tar files with the following names:

ACMSaveData.tar
RSCTSaveUpgrade.tar
SaveCCFWUpgradeData.tar
SaveHSCSystemUpgradeData.tar
SaveProfileDataUpgrade.tar

If any of these tar files are missing, contact your next level of support.

d. Issue the command umount using the same mount point as in step b above

Note: The Save Upgrade Data will be saved to the hard drive on the HMC as well as the USB flash drive. The Save Upgrade Data on the media is used only to recover from an unexpected error under the direction of support personnel.
 
4. Once the Save Upgrade Data task is successful, remove the USB flash drive or DVD-RAM.

Step 4: Upgrade HMC to 8.8.1 (from Recovery Media)

Do the following at the HMC interface to upgrade the HMC by means of the Recovery DVD.
 
1. Insert V8.8.1 recovery media MH01419 (which was either ordered from IBM or downloaded and burned to DVD as indicated above) into the DVD-RAM drive.
 
2. Click HMC Management, then click the Shutdown or Restart menu option.
 
3. Select Restart HMC and click OK. Note: If the HMC fails to restart from optical, the boot manager may need be called (in other words, press F12 during the boot process) in order to get the HMC to boot from the optical drive.
 
4. The HMC reads the media in the DVD-RAM drive and displays the Hardware Management Console Install Wizard window. Highlight Next button (use tab/alt-Tab or arrow keys to move, and press Space bar or Enter to select.

Note: If the Save Upgrade Data (Step 3 above) was not performed, you will see a warning window that save upgrade data was not found on the hard drive. Cancel the upgrade, remove the recovery media from the DVD drive, reboot the HMC, complete Step 3 above to Save Upgrade Data, then start the upgrade process again.
 
5. Using tab or arrow keys to move the cursor and the space bar to select an option, select Upgrade to a new release (need asterisk on Upgrade to a new release as shown below):

( * ) Upgrade to a new release
( ) Install

Highlight Next button, and press Enter.
 
6. On Upgrade Confirmation screen, highlight Finish and press Enter to start the Upgrade process.
 
7. The HMC installs 8.8.1 from the media, restores the data preserved by the Save Upgrade Data task, and then completes the booting process.
 
8. Select "Log on and launch the Hardware Management Console web application", then log in using your user ID and password.

Download Direct from IBM to HMC

Important Note: If a problem occurs during the upgrade using this download method, it is possible that the only way to recover the HMC will be to use DVD Recovery Media. If you choose this method, it is recommended that you have access to 8.8.1 recovery media, if required.

Optional: Using a local server
This ftp download technique can be used to upgrade from a local server. To upgrade from a local server instead of direct from the IBM ftp site, refer to the information at the bottom of this page.

Upgrade using files downloaded directly from the IBM ftp site to the HMC

Restricted Shell Access

This upgrade method requires restricted shell command line access.

From the local HMC, select HMC Management > Open a Restricted Shell Terminal

Running commands using the restricted shell remotely is available through the ssh protocol. The user must obtain and install an ssh client such as PuTTY, then configure the HMC for running remote commands. For further information on how to configure remote command execution, refer to IBM knowledgebase document N1012875, Configuring the Version 7 HMC to Accept SSH Connections and Remote Commands. To link to document N1012875 immediately, click here

Step 1: Save Profile Data

Use one of the following options to perform a Save Profile Data for each managed system to save an additional copy of partition/profile configurations.

Option 1: Use HMC GUI interface
 
1. Expand Systems Management, then select Servers.
 
2. Select the first managed system by checking the box in front of the server name.
 
3. Under Tasks, expand Configuration, then expand Manage Partition Data.
 
4. Select Backup.
 
5. In the Profile Data Backup window, type a name for the backup file, and click OK.
 
6. You will get a pop-up window that the profile data has been backed up. Click OK.
 
7. Repeat Steps 1 through 6 for each additional system managed by this HMC. Once you have a partition data backup for each managed system, continue with Step 2.

Option 2: Use restricted shell command line

On the local HMC, select HMC Management -> Open Restricted Shell Terminal. For remote access using SSH, refer to section above titled Restricted Shell Access.

At the command prompt, enter the following command which will save profile data for all servers:
lssyscfg -r sys -F type_model*serial_num | while read machine; do bkprofdata -m "$machine" -f Beforeupgrade$(date +%Y%m%d) ; done

Step 2: Save Upgrade Data

A Save Upgrade Data task must be done to preserve information on the HMC before performing the upgrade. You must upgrade immediately after the Save Upgrade Data task. If you restart the HMC again without doing the upgrade, you must log in and run the Save Upgrade Data task again before performing the upgrade.
 
1. Prepare media to use for Save Upgrade Data. Prepare media to use for Save Upgrade Data. You will need either a DVD-RAM, or a USB flash drive.

DVD-RAM:
Insert a formatted DVD-RAM media into the DVD drive.
Note: You may use the same DVD-RAM that was used to backup HMC data; any existing save upgrade data will not be overwritten. If the DVD-RAM has not been formatted previously then format it by selecting Format Media, Format DVD-RAM, then click OK. Select Backup/restore, then click the Format button. The format operation will delete any existing data.

USB Flash Drive:
USB flash drive must be formatted FAT32 with a single partition and it cannot be password protected. Plug the flash drive into a USB port on the front of the HMC. Wait until you hear 3 beeps (approximately 1 minute) for the HMC to detect the flash drive.
 
2. Use the following command specifying "diskdvd" for DVD-RAM or "diskusb" for USB flash drive. saveupgdata -r diskusb.
 
3. Wait for the Save Upgrade Data task to complete. If the task fails, contact your next level of support before proceeding. If the Save Upgrade Data task is successful, the following optional procedure can be performed to verify the data:

a. Mount the media:

1. Run the command lsmediadev to determine the mount point of the USB flash drive. In the example below, USB flash drive is /media/sda1
device=/dev/cdrom,mount_point=/media/cdrom,type=1,description=CD/DVD
device=/dev/fd0,mount_point=/media/floppy,type=2,description=internal diskette drive
device=/dev/hda,type=6,description=internal hard disk drive
device=/dev/sda1,mount_point=/media/sda1,type=3,description=USB flash memory device

a. Run the command mount (i.e., mount /media/sda1 for USB flash drive)

b. Run the command ls –l using the same mount point as in step b above

c. Verify that there are five tar files with the following names:

ACMSaveData.tar
RSCTSaveUpgrade.tar
SaveCCFWUpgradeData.tar
SaveHSCSystemUpgradeData.tar
SaveProfileDataUpgrade.tar

If any of these tar files are missing, contact your next level of support.

d. Issue the command umount using the same mount point as in step b above

Note: The Save Upgrade Data will be saved to the hard drive on the HMC as well as the media. The Save Upgrade Data on the media is used only to recover from an unexpected error under the direction of support personnel.
 
4. Once the Save Upgrade Data task is successful, remove the USB flash drive or DVD-RAM.

Step 3: Upgrade the HMC to 8.8.1
 
1. Download the V8.8.1 recovery media files to the HMC.

Open Restricted Shell (or ssh session) and type the following command

getupgfiles -h public.dhe.ibm.com -u anonymous --passwd anonymous -d /software/server/hmc/network/v8810

The parameters of the getupgfiles command:
-h the host name or IP address of the remote FTP server
-u the user ID to log in to the remote site
--passwd the password to log in to the remote site. If this option is omitted, you will be prompted for the password
-d the directory on the remote site that contains the upgrade files

The following files will be downloaded to the directory indicated:
img2a /hmcboot
img3a /hmcboot
base.img /hmcboot
disk1.img /hmcdump
hmcnetworkfiles.sum /hmcdump

While the download is running, there is no indication of progress in the restricted shell. To monitor progress, open another restricted shell session and type the following commands: ls -l /hmcdump to view /hmcdump directory, and ls -l /hmcboot to view /hmcboot directory. This command displays file size. Therefore, repeating the command shows progress. You can also go to the following URL to display the files that will be downloaded and their sizes:
https://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/hmc/network/v8810/

Once the files have all been downloaded successfully, the restricted shell returns to the command prompt and the ls -l command no longer lists the files in the directory.

 
2. Set the HMC to do the next reboot from the special location on the hard drive where the downloaded 8.8.1 files are stored by typing the following command:

chhmc -c altdiskboot -s enable --mode upgrade

Note: Remove any USB flash drive that contains HMC Backup Management Console Data before performing a network upgrade. Failure to remove the drive will result in failed network upgrade.
 
3. Reboot the HMC using one of the following methods:

Option 1. HMC GUI: HMC Management > Shut Down or Restart > Restart HMC
Option 2. Restricted shell command: hmcshutdown -t now -r
 
4. At the Hardware Management Console login prompt, log in using your user ID and password.
 
Once the HMC reboots, the installation starts and typically takes about an hour. After the installation of V8.8.1 is complete, you should be able to remotely access the HMC again.
 
5. Install the required fixes for V8.8.1 using the link provided below.
 
Optional: Using a local server

1. 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: ftp.software.ibm.com/software/server/hmc/network/v8810
Files: (if you use the mget command, be aware that bzImage does not have a file extension)
img2a
img3a
base.img
disk1.img
hmcnetworkfiles.sum

2. Perform the upgrade as described above. However, in Step 7, modify the getupgfiles command to point to your local FTP server. For example:

getupgfiles -h myserver -u myuserid --passwd mypassword -d /mydirectory

Note: Serviceable events E3550046 and E212E121 may be created during the initial installation/upgrade if the HMC is rebooted when no servers are attached. These events can be ignored and closed.



Install the required fixes for 8.8.1

Critical fixes for 8.8.1 must be installed. Follow the instructions to get the corrective service updates applied by referring to document N1021588, Update(s) for HMC 8.8.1. To link to document N1021588 immediately, click here .

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Historical Number

702663935

Document Information

Modified date:
14 November 2022

UID

nas8N1021595

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