IBM Support

The difference between an update and an upgrade for a hardware management console

How To


Summary

While working with the HMC product the update option, within the HMC GUI or cli, is used for an upgrade action. Updates are for PTFs and Service Packs for the same version and release, while upgrades are to a new version or new release.

Environment

7042 all models
7063 all models
vHMC for x86
vHMC for Power.

Steps

The HMC can be a physical or a virtual product and both have there ways to update or upgrade the software.
In the next steps we will explain the differences and how to establish this.
The HMC has for version 9 multiple releases with there own service packs and ifixes.
Update:
Within a release, only an update is possible that contains fixes belonging to this release.
If you are running Release 1, then there is the following update available on  fix central:
Service Pack MH01876 V9R1M942 (corrective service packages)

This updates your HMC, if your are running the base V9R1.910, to the latest available V9R1.942.
Upgrade:
If you are running Release 1, and want to upgrade to Release 2, there is the following software available on  fix central:
MH01870 release level: HMC Recovery V9R2M950 for 7063 Machine Type
This upgrades your HMC to a new release, if your are running the base V9R1.910, to V9R2.950.
The release R2 includes the Service Pack 950
At this moment, for Version 9, there are two releases: 1 and 2.
There are two possibilities to check what release is installed on the HMC:
  1. With the HMC GUI on the local or remote console by clicking the question mark in the right upper corner and select "About"
    image 8131
    image 8132
  2. With the command, when logging in the HMC with ssh, lshmc -V:

  3. image 8134
In the example above you see that this is "Release:  1"
Update possibility:
When you want to do an update, then you will stay in this Release 1 and update the HMC with service packs or ifixes
For all type and models the update procedure is the same and need to be done with a running HMC version.
There are two possibilities to update the HMC:
  1. In the GUI there is an option to do an update under:

    image 8135
    You will follow a Corrective Service Wizard that guides you to do the update.
  2. For the CLI there is a command updhmc:


    As an example the following command performs an update using a server and a password prompt.

    updhmc -t s -h hostname -u user1 -i -f /tmp/Update1.zip

    More options can be found in the manpage when running the command "man updhmc"

Upgrade possibility:

When you want to do an upgrade, the HMC operating system must be quiesced.

There are two options to do the upgrade:

  1. Booting from a media device like a DVD, USB or a virtual media player containing the new Release software.
  2. Downloading the network install files for the new Release to the HMC, changing to altdiskboot upgrade, then a reboot the HMC to start the upgrade.

Document Location

Worldwide

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Document Information

Modified date:
19 September 2022

UID

ibm16410502

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