IBM Support

FDT 4.3.X fails to update Emulex NIC with Security Program kernel

Troubleshooting


Problem

Firmware updater fails to update host emulex ethernet device This affects customers running advanced security program kernels, where the native emulex tools do not work correctly You must instead flash by hand using ethtool steps

Symptom

/firmware_updater Host --update-ethernet --skip-driver-update

fails, and subsequent reboots,re-attempts do not resolve the problem

CRM ticket 116424 for reference

Cause

Redhat inbox network driver version not compatible with legacy network adapter firmware updating tools

Environment

Redhat levels in the security program
FDT 4.3.X

Resolving The Problem


Place system into patching state (follow N3001 FDT Users Guide)

1. untar host-firmware to tmp directory
#mkdir /nzscratch/tmpfw
#tar xfv /opt/nz/fdt/common/firmware/host/host_firmware*gz -C /nzscratch/tmpfw



2. Extract emulex code
Note that you have extracted multiple different Emulex firmware payloads. These three correspond to the following:
• elx_fw_cna_BE2*.bin: For VFA-I (BE2) cards only
• elx_fw_cna_BE3_RHEL5-11_RHEL6-6*.bin: For VFA-II cards only, and newer RHEL installs only (5.11+ and 6.6+).
• elx_fw_cna_ibm14a*.bin: For VFA-II cards only, and RHEL installs older than 5.11 and 6.6.
Pick the one that applies to you, and extract it using the unzip command.

For instance, if you have VFA-II cards on a RHEL 6.7 security program system (from tmpfw directory):

#mkdir /nzscratch/tmpfw/emulex
#unzip elx_fw_cna_BE3_RHEL5-11_RHEL6-6_ibm14a-oc11-10.4.303.12-1_linux_32-64.bin -d /nzscratch/tmpfw/emulex


3. flash code
#cp /nzscratch/tmpfw/emulex/image/firmware/oc11-10.4.303.12.ufi /lib/firmware
˜˜pseudocode˜˜
for X in {all affected ethernet ports individually};
do ethtool -f ethX oc11-10.4.303.12.ufi 0
; done

examples:
ethtool -f eth0 oc11-10.4.303.12.ufi 0
ethtool -f eth1 oc11-10.4.303.12.ufi 0
ethtool -f eth8 oc11-10.4.303.12.ufi 0


4.
Reboot server

5.
Complete all steps on peer node after first is back reachable and proven healthy/updated

6.
Follow N3001 FDT Users Guide to bring system back online

7.
Cleanup /nzscratch/tmpfw directory

[{"Product":{"code":"SSULQD","label":"IBM PureData System"},"Business Unit":{"code":"BU053","label":"Cloud & Data Platform"},"Component":"System Upgrade","Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Version":"1.0.0","Edition":"","Line of Business":{"code":"LOB10","label":"Data and AI"}}]

Document Information

Modified date:
17 October 2019

UID

swg21988335