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ML1050_059 / FW1050.10 Release Notes

Fix Readme


Abstract

This document provides information about the installation of Licensed Machine or Licensed Internal Code, which is sometimes referred to generically as microcode or firmware.

This package provides firmware for IBM Power System S1022 (9105-22A), IBM Power System S1024 (9105-42A), IBM Power System S1022S (9105-22B), IBM Power System S1014 (9105-41B), IBM Power System L1022 (9786-22H), and IBM Power System L1024 (9786-42H) servers only.

Release notes for ML1050_059 / FW1050.10.

Read the following important information prior to installing this Service Pack.

Service Pack Summary: Deferred Service Pack.
The Service Pack is Concurrent if the system does not have an attached EMX0 PCIe Gen3 I/O expansion drawer with EMXH fanout modules.

This service pack implements a new Update Access Key (UAK) Policy. See description at https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7131459




When installing the FW1030 (or later) firmware to a system that previously was at a FW1020 level, you need to complete the upgrade then perform the upgrade again consecutively. This to ensure both the T (temporary, also known as current) and P (permanent, also known as backup) are equal. This was previously known as the "Accept" process that was performed automatically. This will be addressed in a newer release/PTF of the HMC to automatically do the accept. Improvements in FW1030.00 and higher to the eBMC will cause any IPL from a backup side that is at a FW1020 firmware level to fail. An AC power cycle would be required to recover from this condition.

For systems with Power Linux partitions, support was added for a new Linux secure boot key. The support for the new secure boot key for Linux partitions may cause secure boot for Linux to fail if the Linux OS for SUSE or RHEL distributions does not have a secure boot key update. The affected Linux distributions as follows need the Linux fix level that includes "Key for secure boot signing grub2 builds ppc64le" : 1) SLES 15 SP4 - The GA for this Linux level includes the secure boot fix. 2) RHEL 8.5- This Linux level has no fix. The user must update to RHEL: 8.6 or RHEL 9.0. 3) RHEL 8.6 4) RHEL 9.0. Please note for this firmware level, any Linux OS partition not updated to a secure boot fix level will fail to secure boot.

Content

Minimum HMC Code Level

This section is intended to describe the "Minimum HMC Code Level" required by the System Firmware to complete the firmware installation process. When installing the System Firmware, the HMC level must be equal to or higher than the "Minimum HMC Code Level" before starting the system firmware update.  If the HMC managing the server targeted for the System Firmware update is running a code level lower than the "Minimum HMC Code Level" the firmware update will not proceed.

The Minimum HMC Code levels for this firmware for HMC x86,  ppc64 or ppc64le are listed below.

x86 -  This term is used to reference the legacy HMC that runs on x86/Intel/AMD hardware for the Virtual HMC that can run on the Intel hypervisors (KVM, XEN, VMWare ESXi).

ppc64 or ppc64le - describes the Linux code that is compiled to run on Power-based servers or LPARS (Logical Partitions)

  • The Minimum HMC Code level for this firmware is: HMC V10R3M1050 (PTF MF71420).
  • The Minimum HMC Code level for vHMC is: HMC V10R3M1050. Download of the Power Hardware Management Virtual Appliance (vHMC) install images for x86 hypervisors and PowerVM are available at the Entitled Systems Support site (ESS).

The Minimum HMC level supports the following HMC models:
HMC models: 7063-CR1 and 7063-CR2
x86 - KVM, XEN, VMWare ESXi (6.0/6.5)
ppc64le - vHMC on PowerVM (POWER8,POWER9, and POWER10 systems)

For information concerning HMC releases and the latest PTFs,  go to the following URL to access Fix Central.

For specific fix level information on key components of IBM Power Systems running the AIX, IBM i and Linux operating systems, we suggest using the Fix Level Recommendation Tool (FLRT).

NOTES:
   - You must be logged in as hscroot in order for the firmware installation to complete correctly.
   - Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) does not support this System Firmware level.

Important Information

FW1030 (and newer) needs to be installed twice when upgrading from FW1020 firmware levels
When installing the FW1030 (and newer) firmware to a system that previously was at a FW1020 level,  you need to complete the upgrade then perform the upgrade again consecutively. This to ensure both the T (temporary, also known as current) and P (permanent, also known as backup) are equal. This was previously known as the "Accept" process that was performed automatically. This will be addressed in a newer release/PTF of the HMC to automatically do the accept.
Improvements in FW1030.00 and higher to the eBMC will cause any IPL from a backup side that is at a FW1020 firmware level to fail. An AC power cycle would be required to recover from this condition.

Concurrent Firmware Updates

Concurrent system firmware update is supported on HMC Managed Systems only.

Ensure that there are no RMC connections issues for any system partitions prior to applying the firmware update.  If there is a RMC connection failure to a partition during the firmware update, the RMC connection will need to be restored and additional recovery actions for that partition will be required to complete partition firmware updates.

Memory Considerations for Firmware Upgrades

Firmware Release Level upgrades and Service Pack updates may consume additional system memory.
Server firmware requires memory to support the logical partitions on the server. The amount of memory required by the server firmware varies according to several factors.
Factors influencing server firmware memory requirements include the following:

  •     Number of logical partitions
  •     Partition environments of the logical partitions
  •     Number of physical and virtual I/O devices used by the logical partitions
  •     Maximum memory values given to the logical partitions

Generally, you can estimate the amount of memory required by server firmware to be approximately 8% of the system installed memory. The actual amount required will generally be less than 8%. However, there are some server models that require an absolute minimum amount of memory for server firmware, regardless of the previously mentioned considerations.

Additional information can be found at: https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/power10/9105-42A?topic=resources-memory

SBE Updates

Power10 servers contain SBEs (Self Boot Engines) and are used to boot the system.  SBE is internal to each of the Power10 chips and used to "self boot" the chip.  The SBE image is persistent and is only reloaded if there is a system firmware update that contains a SBE change.  If there is a SBE change and system firmware update is concurrent, then the SBE update is delayed to the next IPL of the CEC which will cause an additional 3-5 minutes per processor chip in the system to be added on to the IPL.  If there is a SBE change and the system firmware update is disruptive, then SBE update will cause an additional 3-5 minutes per processor chip in the system to be added on to the IPL.  During the SBE update process, the HMC or op-panel will display service processor code C1C3C213 for each of the SBEs being updated.  This is a normal progress code and system boot should be not be terminated by the user. Additional time estimate can be between 12-20 minutes per drawer or up to 48-80 minutes for maximum configuration.

The SBE image is not updated with this service pack.

Firmware Information

Use the following examples as a reference to determine whether your installation will be concurrent or disruptive.

For systems that are not managed by an HMC, the installation of system firmware is always disruptive.

Note: The concurrent levels of system firmware may, on occasion, contain fixes that are known as Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred. Deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until the next IPL. Partition-Deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until a partition reactivate is performed. Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred fixes, if any, will be identified in the "Firmware Update Descriptions" table of this document. For these types of fixes (Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred) within a service pack, only the fixes in the service pack which cannot be concurrently activated are deferred.

Note: The file names and service pack levels used in the following examples are for clarification only, and are not necessarily levels that have been, or will be released.

System firmware file naming convention:

01MLxxxx_yyy_zzz

  • xxx is the release level
  • yyy is the service pack level
  • zzz is the last disruptive service pack level

NOTE: Values of service pack and last disruptive service pack level (yyy and zzz) are only unique within a release level (xxx). For example, 01ML1010_040_040 and 01ML1020_040_040 are different service packs.

An installation is disruptive if:

  • The release levels (xxx) are different.     

            Example: Currently installed release is 01ML1010_040_040, new release is 01ML1020_050_050.

  • The service pack level (yyy) and the last disruptive service pack level (zzz) are the same.     

            Example: ML1020_040_040 is disruptive, no matter what level of ML1020 is currently installed on the system.

  • The service pack level (yyy) currently installed on the system is lower than the last disruptive service pack level (zzz) of the service pack to be installed.

            Example: Currently installed service pack is ML1010_040_040 and new service pack is ML1020_050_045.

An installation is concurrent if:

The release level (xxx) is the same, and
The service pack level (yyy) currently installed on the system is the same or higher than the last disruptive service pack level (zzz) of the service pack to be installed.

Example: Currently installed service pack is ML1010_040_040, new service pack is ML1010_041_040.

Firmware Information and Description

Filename 01ML1050_059_052.img
Size 284208432
Checksum 00311
md5sum a723edcd610c0bb4c7772d7e147dcb38
Filename 01ML1050_059_052.tar
Size 164802560
Checksum 44514
md5sum 1ad5e661cd282c571c19a290f47c5161
Note: The Checksum can be found by running the AIX sum command against the rpm file (only the first 5 digits are listed).
ie: sum    01ML1050_059_052.img
 
ML1050
For Impact, Severity and other Firmware definitions, Please refer to the below 'Glossary of firmware terms' url:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6555136
 
ML1050_059_052 / FW1050.10
Impact: Availability  Severity: SPE

System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • DEFERRED: A problem was fixed in the firmware for the EMX0 PCIe Gen3 I/O expansion drawer calling out cable or other related hardware, possibly leading to link degradation. Most likely System Reference Codes logged can be: SRC B7006A80, SRC B7006A85, SRC B7006A88, SRC B7006A89. This fix only pertains to systems with an attached EMX0 PCIe Gen3 I/O expansion drawer having EMXH fanout modules.
  • A problem was fixed where SRC B7006AC0 could be incorrectly logged following an error condition causing an SRC B7006A88 for a NED24 NVMe expansion drawer. This fix will prevent the B7006AC0 from being logged incorrectly.
  • (Any system with an IO drawer could be impacted) Impact: A change was made to ensure all SRC B7006A32 errors are reported as serviceable events. These errors occur when the PCIe link from the expansion drawer to the cable adapter in the system unit is degraded to a lower speed. After applying this fix, the next system IPL may generate serviceable events for these degraded links which were previously not reported as serviceable events.
  • A firmware problem was fixed for Electronic Service Agent (ESA) reporting a system as HMC managed when the system is not HMC managed. This may impact ESA functionality for systems which are not HMC managed.
  • A problem was fixed where firmware could, on rare occasions, reach an out-of-memory condition which may lead to loss of function or a system outage. The problem can occur when there are frequent queries of system resources such as in PowerVM NovaLink cloud hosting environments.
  • A problem was fixed where activation of Permanent Memory COD (Capacity On Demand) resources on a BMC-based system shows incorrect activated amount on BMC view of Resources. Viewing and managing the Permanent Memory COD via HMC always shows correct values and is not affected here.
  • A problem was fixed that prevents dumps (primarily SYSDUMP files) greater than or equal to 4GB (4294967296 bytes) in size from being offloaded successfully to AIX or Linux operating systems. This problem primarily affects larger dump files such as SYSDUMP files, but could affect any dump that reaches or exceeds 4GB (RSCDUMP, BMCDUMP, etc.) . The problem only occurs for systems which are not HMC managed where dumps are offloaded directly to the OS. A side effect of an attempt to offload such a dump will be the continuous writing of the dump file to the OS until the configured OS dump space is exhausted which will potentially affect the ability to offload any subsequent dumps. The resulting dump file will not be valid and can be deleted to free dump space.
  • A problem was fixed for Logical Partition Migration (LPM) to better handle errors reading/writing data to the VIOS which can lead to a VIOS and/or Hypervisor hang. The error could be encountered if the VIOS crashes during LPM.
  • A problem was fixed for DLPAR add of memory that fails due to lack of configurable memory. As an example, this may fail for an AIX LPAR with error 0931-016 "There are no dynamically reconfigurable LMBs available." This problem only pertains to systems which are configured to use the Active Memory Mirroring feature. As a workaround, the DLPAR add memory operation will succeed after creating a new minimally configured LPAR via the HMC and then deleting it without activating the new LPAR.
  • A problem was fixed that could cause platform dumps to be unusable. The problem only occurs if 128MB Logical Memory Block (LMB) sizes are in use and a rare scenario is encountered. This problem can be avoided by using LMB sizes greater than 128MB.
  • A problem was fixed for partitions configured to use shared processor mode and set to capped potentially not being able to fully utilize their assigned processing units. To mitigate the issue if it is encountered, the partition processor configuration can be changed to uncapped.
  • A problem was fixed where proper error message is not displayed to user on ASM GUI. This problem can occur when user is requesting a resource dump when system is in powered off state.
  • A problem was fixed where user queries for FRU deconfiguration records using a Redfish command within one minute of system state changes to quiesce state. Redfish commands will fail with an internal server error. The fix allows users to query deconfiguration records as soon as the system enters the running/quiesced state.
  • A problem was fixed when using only the Chrome browser as the HMC user interface and then passing through to the ASMI GUI. When the user eventually logs out of ASMI, the HMC also is logged out. This fix corrects that issue, closes the ASMI window but keeps the HMC logged in.
  • A problem was fixed when the BMC does not automatically log out user sessions when their account is deleted or changed. As a workaround, If you delete or modify a BMC user account, consider logging out that user from the BMC ASMi web interface > Security and access > HMC and user sessions.
  • A problem was fixed with the hardware deconfiguration page of the BMC ASM GUI where "Pel ID" column renamed to "Event ID" since that column displays the event id not the Pel Id.
  • A problem was fixed with the Event Logs page of the BMC ASMI, when clicking on Event Logs submenu from other menus. The health status in GUI header will flicker from green to red.
  • A problem was fixed where PCIe Topology table displayed via BMC ASMI was missing an entry for one of the devices.
  • A problem was fixed during BMC reset reload, where the power supply fault LED deactivates for the faulty power supply.
  • A problem was fixed where if a fan is removed (single fan on a low end system and two fans on a mid range system) within 30 seconds after powering on, the system won't power off due to the missing fan.
  • A problem was fixed for the PowerRestorePolicy of “AlwaysOff” to make it effective such that when the system loses power, it does not automatically power on when power is restored. This problem of automatic power on occurs every time the system loses power with “AlwaysOff” set as the power restore policy in the eBMC ASMI.
  • A problem was fixed where the system fans will run faster for a short period when an NVMe drive is removed when system is running.
  • A problem was fixed with the feature to schedule host power on/off's inband through the OS. If a time was scheduled in the future to power on the host and the BMC happened to be rebooted during that scheduled time, the power on would not occur and future scheduling would not be possible.
  • A problem was fixed where HMC status goes to No-connection state, when number of connections between HMC and BMC exceeded the maximum number of connections allowed between HMC and BMC.
  • A new Update Access Key (UAK) Policy was implemented.  See the description at IBM Power System Update Access Key Policy (UAK).
  • A problem was fixed where during selecting the 7th language on the IPS branded system's ASMi Language Setting page, wrong error message was shown which says maximum of five languages are supported. It will now show that maximum of six languages are supported.
  • A problem was fixed where replacing the processor chip likely will not resolve the issue reported by logs with SRC B111E504 and Hex Word 8 in the range of 04D9002B to 04D90032. Instead the recommended service action is to contact next level support.
  • A problem was fixed where a bad core is not guarded and repeatedly causes system to crash. The SRC requiring service has the format BxxxE540. The problem can be avoided by replacing or manually guarding the bad hardware.
  • A security problem was fixed in service processor firmware by upgrading curl library to the latest version beyond 8.1.0. The Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures number for this problem is CVE-2023-28322
  • A problem was fixed where service for a processor FRU was requested when no service is actually required. The SRC requiring service has the format BxxxE504 with a PRD Signature description matching (OCC_FIR[45]) PPC405 cache CE. The problem can be ignored unless the issue is persistently reported on subsequent IPLs. Then, hardware replacement may be required.

How to Determine The Currently Installed Firmware Level

You can view the server's current firmware level on the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) Overview page under the System Information section in the Firmware Information panel. Example: (ML1020_079)

Downloading the Firmware Package

Follow the instructions on Fix Central. You must read and agree to the license agreement to obtain the firmware packages.

Note: If your HMC is not internet-connected you will need to download the new firmware level to a USB flash memory device or ftp server.

Installing the Firmware

The method used to install new firmware will depend on the release level of firmware which is currently installed on your server. The release level can be determined by the prefix of the new firmware's filename.

Example: MHxxx_yyy_zzz

Where xxx = release level

  • If the release level will stay the same (Example: Level ML1020_040_040 is currently installed and you are attempting to install level ML1020_041_040) this is considered an update.
  • If the release level will change (Example: Level ML1020_040_040 is currently installed and you are attempting to install level ML1030_050_050) this is considered an upgrade.

Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades can be found at https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/power10/9105-42A?topic=9105-42A/p10eh6/p10eh6_updates_sys.htm

IBM i Systems:

For information concerning IBM i Systems, go to the following URL to access Fix Central: 
https://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

Choose "Select product", under Product Group specify "System i", under Product specify "IBM i", then Continue and specify the desired firmware PTF accordingly.

HMC and NovaLink Co-Managed Systems (Disruptive firmware updates only):
A co-managed system is managed by HMC and NovaLink, with one of the interfaces in the co-management master mode.
Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems co-managed by an HMC and Novalink is the same as above for a HMC managed systems since the firmware update must be done by the HMC in the co-management master mode.  Before the firmware update is attempted, one must be sure that HMC is set in the master mode using the steps at the following IBM KnowledgeCenter link for NovaLink co-managed systems:
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/power10/9105-42A?topic=environment-powervm-novalink

Then the firmware updates can proceed with the same steps as for the HMC managed systems except the system must be powered off because only a disruptive update is allowed.   If a concurrent update is attempted, the following error will occur: " HSCF0180E Operation failed for <system name> (<system mtms>).  The operation failed.  E302F861 is the error code:"
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/power10/9105-42A?topic=9105-42A/p10eh6/p10eh6_updates_sys.htm

Firmware History

The complete Firmware Fix History (including HIPER descriptions)  for this Release level can be reviewed at the following url:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/6910163

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Document Information

Modified date:
11 July 2024

UID

ibm17114135

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