QRadar M8 ThinkSystem firmware V1.3.0 for 1U and 2U appliances (ISO/XClarity Controller remote installs)

Part 1: About the M8 firmware V1.3.0 update

The M8 firmware v1.3.0 ISO is intended to remotely update software through the XClarity Controller (XCC) user interface. Administrators must extract the EXE file and apply the uxz file to update their XClarity Controller, then the ISO can be mounted to apply the remainder of the firmware updates. The installation instructions are provided on tab named 'Part 2. Installing Firmware Updates'. These instructions guide customers through a remote upgrade of their firmware. If you are local to your appliances or have issues with your XClarity configuration.
  

Limitation: Due to changes in the bundled software, a USB firmware update method is not available on IBM Fix Central at this time. Administrators must use the XCC method to update their M8 firmware to the latest version. 

Important: If your appliance is in a HA pair, there are configuration steps required to set the status properly for your primary and secondary high-availability appliances. For more information, see: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27047121#HA.
 

Supported appliances, types, and model information

This firmware update applies to the following IBM Security QRadar M8 (1U and 2U form factor) appliance types:

Table 1: List of appliances the M8 appliance firmware V1.3.0 can update.
 

Important information and prerequisites in this firmware update

• A number of hard disk drives can be installed in this appliance. The HDD update tool examines the hard disk drives that are present and selects the latest firmware version that is available for your drive.
• The base system pack might contain other firmware packages that are not present in QRadar appliances. Firmware updates from the base system pack might be displayed with a status of "undetected" when the tool compares available firmware to the hardware in the appliance.
• For general firmware questions and information, see our FAQ page at http://ibm.biz/qradarfirmware.

Security issues resolved in this firmware update

The table lists the software versions and CVEs addressed in the firmware release.

A. Before you begin

• This installation method uses the hardware's integrated XCC interface to remotely update firmware.
• If your appliances are in a HA pair, you must prepare your high-availability appliances by using the instructions found here: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27047121#HA .
• A number of hard disk drives can be installed in this appliance. The HDD update tool examines the hard disk drives that are present and selects the most current firmware level that is available.

• Required UEFI Settings:  Workload Profile → Custom ,  Processors → Uncore Frequency Scaling → Disabled , Processors → UPI Power Management (L0p) → Disabled

• Enable Ethernet over USB to support ISO image mounting during deployment

B. Downloading and extracting the firmware update

1. Download the QRadar M8 appliance firmware from IBM Fix Central: M8 firmware 1.3.0 EXE download.
2. Copy the M8 appliance firmware EXE to a directory on the Windows host.
3. Double-click the file Qradar_EXE_M8_1U_SR630V4_7DG9_2U_SR650V4_7DGD_1_3_0.exe.
4. Select or type a directory path for the firmware update and click Extract.
    
5. The following files are extracted:
    

C. Updating the XCC firmware

1. Log in to the XClarity interface on your QRadar M8 appliance.
2. From the navigation sidebar, click Firmware Update.
   
3. Click Update Firmware.
   
4. Click Browse and choose the XClarity (XCC) firmware update lnvgy_fw_xcc_ihx430y-2.03_anyos_comp.uxz.
   
5. Click Next to upload and verify the XCC firmware file.
   
6. Select the BMC (Primary) check box and click Next.
   Important: The backup firmware bank is automatically updated. Administrators must ensure the BMC (Backup) check box is cleared (not selected). Administrators who select both check boxes must reinstall their firmware to ensure the primary bank updates properly.
   
7. Wait for the update the primary firmware banks to complete.
   
8. Click Restart BMC and clear your browser cache.
   
   
   Results
   Wait for 5 minutes for the XCC interface to restart and log in. Continue to the next section to mount the firmware ISO and configure the boot options.

D. Mounting the M8 Firmware ISO

1. From the OEM Controller menu, click Remote Console.
2. Click Remote Console Preview.
   IMPORTANT: Confirm the following parameters:
   2a. Launch the session in Single User Mode.
   2b. Clear the Allow others to request my remote session disconnect check box.
   2c. Click Launch Remote Console to connect to the appliance.
   
3. To boot to the QRadar firmware update package ISO, click Media to mount the ISO image.
   
4. In the Mount Virtual Media window, click Activate.
   
5. Click Browse to select Qradar_ISO_M8_1U_SR630V4_7DG9_2U_SR650V4_7DGD_1_3_0.iso.
6. Click Mount all local media.
    
7. Note: If successful, a checkmark appears next to the uploaded ISO file.
   Click the X to close the Mount Virtual Media window.
   
8. Select Power > Restart Server Normally
9. When the machine powers back on, press F12 to select F12: One Time Boot Device.
   Note: The field F12: One Time Boot Device displays with a blue background to indicate the virtual keyboard is selected.
10. Optional. If the F12: One Time Boot Device field is not selected, launch the virtual keyboard to press the F12 key.
11. From the Boot Devices Manager menu:
    1. In the Legacy Mode field, press the Space Bar to clear the value. Legacy Mode is selected by default and you must be clear the value before you continue.
    2. Select XCC Virtual Media and press Enter.
12. The Lenovo XClarity Essentials UpdateXpress System Pack Installer is launched. This may take 15-20 minutes to boot.
13. In the Target Server - Setting menu, verify that Input BMC access check boxes is cleared (not selected) and click Next.
    
14.  In the Update Setting menu, verify that all check boxes are cleared (not selected) and click Next.
15. From the Update Recommendation menu, click Begin.
    
16. The Lenovo XClarity Essentials UpdateXpress System Pack Installer compares the current package with the installed firmware.
17. Review the list of updates.
    Important: In the next step, administrators must confirm that all recommended updates are CHECKED, and also keep  UEFI, FPGA, RAID controllers, Adapters, and Drives checked except for Lenovo/XClarity Controller XCC as this firmware was updated manually by the administrator in previous steps.
18. Confirm the Lenovo Storage Linux Firmware Update is selected (checked). Users reported an issue were the New Version column displays an update from the Installed Version column, but the check box was not selected by default.
    
19. Verify the check box for Lenovo/XClarity Controller (XCC) is clear (not selected).
    
20. Click Next.
21. If you manually selected the Lenovo Storage Linux Firmware update, a confirmation is displayed. Select the Proceed anyway check box and click Proceed.
    Note: The pop-up message states there is a missing prerequisite for the fw_drives_all-1.50.58.0 package. However, this is a false alert for the Lenovo Storage Linux Firmware update.
    
22. Wait for the firmware updates to load.
    
23. Click Begin Update to install the firmware.
    
24. At the update confirmation dialogue window, click Yes to continue.
    
25. Confirm all updates completed successfully and click Next.
    
26. Click Close to exit.
    
27. The appliance must reboot to complete the firmware installation.
    
28. Click Media to open the Mount Virtual Media window, and click Unmount.
    
    
    Results
    After the ISO file is unmounted, the administrator can log out and complete this procedure on other QRadar appliances. If you experience any installation issues, you can contact QRadar Support for assistance and open a software support case for your appliance. The support representative can request the firmware logs for review to determine the root cause of the issue or if replacement hardware is required. If the issue is hardware-related, the support representative can change the case type and involve the proper teams to schedule replacement parts.