9009-42G (Doc Number=6731): Microcode update for MTMs 9009-22G; 9009-41G; 9009-4G; 5105-22E

Content

Updated microcode for Machine-Type Models: 9009-22G; 9009-41G; 9009-42G; 5105-22E

System Firmware Level: VL941_045

This package provides firmware for Power Systems S922/L922 (9009-22G), Power System S914 (9009-41G), Power System S924 (9009-42G), Power System ESS (5105-22E ) servers only.

Note: This Service Pack addresses the following HIPER issues:

• HIPER/Pervasive:DEFERRED: A security problem was fixed for the case where "Speculative execution controls to mitigate user-to-kernel side channel attacks" was selected in ASMI, but the system was instead running with full speculative execution.  When this fix is applied concurrently, ASMI will prematurely show for this case (until a re-IPL is performed) that speculative execution controls are fully mitigated, when actually the system is still running with full speculative execution.  The system must be re-IPLed for this change to take effect such that the new security setting will be "Speculative execution controls to mitigate user-to-kernel and user-to-user side-channel attacks" to provide full speculative execution mitigation.
• HIPER/Pervasive:  A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters for a condition that may result from frequent resets of adapter Virtual Functions (VFs), or transmission stalls and could lead to potential undetected data corruption.
  The following additional fixes are also included:
  1) The VNIC backing device goes to a powered off state during a VNIC failover or Live Partition Mobility (LPM) migration.  This failure is intermittent and very infrequent.
  2) Adapter time-outs with SRC B400FF01 or B400FF02 logged.
  3) Adapter time-outs related to adapter commands becoming blocked with SRC B400FF01 or B400FF02 logged.
  4) VF function resets occasionally not completing quickly enough resulting in SRC B400FF02 logged.
  This fix updates the adapter firmware to 11.4.415.33 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs:  #EN15/#EN16 with CCIN 2CE3, #EN17/#EN18 with CCIN 2CE4, #EN0H/#EN0J with CCIN 2B93, #EN0M/#EN0N with CCIN 2CC0, #EN0K/#EN0L with CCIN 2CC1, #EL56/#EL38 with CCIN 2B93, and #EL57/#EL3C with CCIN 2CC1.
  The SR-IOV adapter firmware level update for the shared-mode adapters happens under user control to prevent unexpected temporary outages on the adapters.  A system reboot will update all SR-IOV shared-mode adapters with the new firmware level.  In addition, when an adapter is first set to SR-IOV shared mode, the adapter firmware is updated to the latest level available with the system firmware (and it is also updated automatically during maintenance operations, such as when the adapter is stopped or replaced).  And lastly, selective manual updates of the SR-IOV adapters can be performed using the Hardware Management Console (HMC).  To selectively update the adapter firmware, follow the steps given at the IBM Knowledge Center for using HMC to make the updates:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
  Note: Adapters that are capable of running in SR-IOV mode, but are currently running in dedicated mode and assigned to a partition, can be updated concurrently either by the OS that owns the adapter or the managing HMC (if OS is AIX or VIOS and RMC is running).
  This pertains to 9009-xxG models only.

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