Prerequisites
Prior to upgrading, complete the following:
1. Verify HMC model is compatible with 8.8.4
HMC V8.8.4 is supported on rack-mount models CR5, CR6, CR7 and CR8; and on desktop model C08. These listed models meet or exceed the V8.8.4 minimum memory requirement of 2GB however 4GB is recommended.
2. HMC must currently be HMC 8.8.2+mandatory fix MH01454 or HMC 8.8.3+mandatory fix MH01514 to upgrade to 8.8.4
For HMC version 8.8.3, apply mandatory fix MH01514 or later before upgrading to 8.8.4. To update 8.8.3 HMC to latest fixes, see Update(s) for HMC 8.8.3 at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021590
For HMC version 8.8.2, apply mandatory fix MH01454 or later before upgrading to 8.8.4 To update 8.8.2 HMC to latest fixes, see Update(s) for HMC 8.8.2 at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021589
For HMC version 8.8.1 and 7.7.9, do one of the following:
o Upgrade to 8.8.2 first, then upgrade to 8.8.4.
OR
o Do a scratch install of 8.8.4, then reconfigure the HMC.
To upgrade an HMC to 8.8.2, see support document N1021596 Upgrading the HMC from Version 7.7.9 or Later to Version 8.8.2 at http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021596
3. 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-hand navigation panel. Find Model Type and Serial number in the HMC Code Level section of the right-hand 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. |
4. Prepare for new call home support (8.8.2 upgrade only)
Call Home support for modem (dial-in using AT&T Global Network) and Internet VPN is disabled. The only supported method for Electronic Service Agent (ESA) connections for V8R8.3.0 and higher is "Internet".
Prior to upgrading from HMC 8.8.2, you should disable modem and Internet VPN options and enable "Internet":
- In the navigation area, click
Service Management, then click
Manage Outbound Connectivity.
- On the Call-Home Server Consoles panel, click
Configure.
- On the Outbound Connectivity Settings panel, select Local Modem tab and uncheck "Allow local modem dialing for service".
- Still on the Outbound Connectivity Settings panel, select the Internet VPN tab and uncheck "Allow a VPN and an existing Internet connection for service".
- Still on the Outbound Connectivity Settings panel, select the Internet tab and check "Allow an existing Internet connection for service".
- Click
OK, then click
OK again.
Refer to the HMC 8.8.4 readme for further information on call home support changes.
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, and click
OK.
OR
- Use the command
hmcshutdown -r -t now
6. 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.
7. Review the readme
The Readme file/release notes
for HMC V8 R8.4 Recovery Media and mandatory fix MH01560 can be found in IBM Fix Central:
https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/
8. Server managed by dual (redundant) HMCs require that both HMCs be upgraded to the same release
When a server is managed by dual (or redundant) HMCs, both HMCs must be upgraded to the same release. Dual management of Flex nodes with FSM is not supported.
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.
9. Select one of the following tabs for instructions on the upgrade method you wish to use:
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 Network: Instructions for installing the fixes over the network; either directly from the IBM FTP site or, alternately, from a local FTP server.
.iso images
|
Instructions for downloading the image and upgrading from media
Step 1: To obtain HMC 8.8.4 .iso image, do the following:
1. Download and burn the HMC Version 8.8.4 Recovery DVD: HMC_Recovery_V8R840_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 popup 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. You will need a 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 (or approximately 1 minute) for the HMC to detect the flash drive.
Note: Save Upgrade Data will overwrite any existing save upgrade data on the media. It will not overwrite any Backup Management Console Data already on the media.
|
| 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 "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
2. Run the command mount (i.e., mount /media/sda1 for USB flash drive)
c. Run the command ls –l using the same mount point as in step b above
d. 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.
e. 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.
|
Step 4: Upgrade HMC to 8.8.4 (from Recovery Media)
Do the following at the HMC interface to upgrade the HMC by means of the Recovery DVD.
| 1.
| Insert V8.8.4 recovery media (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 8.8.4 from the media, restores the data preserved by the Save Upgrade Data task, and then completes the booting process.
Note: The initial reboot can take 30-45 minutes. During the reboot, the local session may display a list of environment variables for hmcmanager (last line is "END ENV" ) for 25 minutes or more without a screen change. Do not reboot. or power off; wait for the boot to complete.
|
| 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
|
Instructions for ordering the DVD and upgrading from media
Step 1: Order the HMC Version 8.8.4 Recovery DVD: MH01559.
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 popup 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. You will need a 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 (or approximately 1 minute) for the HMC to detect the flash drive.
Note: Save Upgrade Data will overwrite any existing save upgrade data on the media. It will not overwrite any Backup Management Console Data already on the media.
|
| 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 "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
2. Run the command mount (for example, mount /media/sda1 for USB flash drive)
c. Run the command ls –l using the same mount point as in Step b above.
d. 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.
e. 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.
|
Step 4: Upgrade HMC to 8.8.4 (from Recovery Media)
Do the following at the HMC interface to upgrade the HMC by means of the Recovery DVD.
| 1.
| Insert V8.8.4 recovery media (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 8.8.4 from the media, restores the data preserved by the Save Upgrade Data task, and then completes the booting process.
Note: The initial reboot can take 30-45 minutes. During the reboot, the local session may display a list of environment variables for hmcmanager (last line is "END ENV" ) for 25 minutes or more without a screen change. Do not reboot. or power off; wait for the boot to complete.
|
| 8.
| Select "Log on and launch the Hardware Management Console web application", then log in using your user ID and password.
|
|
Network
|
Instructions for upgrading directly from a FTP server
Important Notes:
There is a known issue with HMCs that have been upgraded through multiple releases from Version 7 to 8.8.3 where the 8.8.3 HMC may fail to boot from the upgrade partition (Step 3-3) and instead boot to the normal logon prompt. A fix is targeted for Service Pack 2.
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 8.8.4 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 "Using a local server" section 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 popup 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. You will need a 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 (or approximately 1 minute) for the HMC to detect the flash drive.
Note: Save Upgrade Data will overwrite any existing save upgrade data on the media. It will not overwrite any Backup Management Console Data already on the media.
|
| 2.
| Use the following command specifying "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
2. Run the command mount (for example, 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.
|
Step 3: Upgrade the HMC to 8.8.4
| 1.
| Download the V8.8.4 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/v8840
The parameters of the getupgfiles command:
| -h
| The host name or IP address of the remote FTP server.
|
| -u
| The user ID to log into the remote site.
|
--passwd
| The password to log into 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:
| File name
| Description
| Destination
| Size
| Checksum
|
| img2a
| kernel image
| /hmcboot
| 4053200
| 61272
|
| img3a
| Ram Disk file system
| /hmcboot
| 38665075
| 01521
|
| base.img
| Base Image
| /hmcboot
| 924024832
| 09050
|
| disk1.img
| Base HMC Image and Service Doc
| /hmcdump
| 2626103296
| 35575
|
| hmcnetworkfiles.sum
| checksums
| /hmcdump
| 55
| n/a
|
While the download is running, there is no indication of progress in the restricted shell. To monitor progress, open another restricted shell session and monitor the files and file sizes. For example the following command will loop indefinitely querying the file sizes every 30 seconds: while true; do ls -l /hmcdump ; ls -l /hmcboot ; sleep 30; done (Use ctl+c to end).
Once the files have all been downloaded successfully, the getupgfiles command returns to the command prompt and the ls -l command will no longer list the files in the directory as the target directories are unmounted.
|
| 2.
| Set the HMC to do the next reboot from the special location on the hard drive where the downloaded 8.8.4 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 prior to 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
Note: The reboot will take approximately 45 minutes. During the reboot, the local session will display a list of environment variables for hmcmanager (last line is "END ENV" ) for 25 to 45 minutes without a screen change. Do not reboot. or power off; wait for the boot to complete.
|
| 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 V8.8.4 is complete, you should be able to remotely access the HMC again.
|
| 5.
| Install the required fixes for V8.8.4 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: public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/hmc/network/v8840
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 1, modify the getupgfiles command to point to your local FTP server. For example:
getupgfiles -h myserver -u myuserid --passwd mypassword -d /mydirectory
|
Install the required fixes for 8.8.4
Critical fixes for 8.8.4 must be installed. Follow the instructions to get the corrective service updates applied by referring to document N1021591 ,
Update(s) for HMC 8.8.4. To link to document immediately, click here .
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