System is unable to update UEFI under SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 - IBM System x3550 M2, x3650 M2

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H196270

Symptom

The System fails to update the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) via the UEFI Linux Flash Update utility under SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11 (SLES 11), any version.

The FLASH utility terminates when flashing UEFI. The Prompt message is shown below:

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

• System x3550 M2, type 4198, any model
• System x3550 M2, type 7946, any model
• System x3650 M2, type 4199, any model
• System x3650 M2, type 7947, any model

The system is configured with at least one of the following:

• SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 11, any Service Pack

This tip is not option specific.

Note: This does not imply that the network operating system will work under all combinations of hardware and software.

Solution

This behavior will be corrected in a future release of UEFI.

The target date for this release is scheduled for Fourth Quarter 2009.

The file will be available from the IBM System x Support web site at the following URL:

• http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/

Workaround

There are two (2) workarounds for this issue.

Workaround 1

1. Check the bridge information by running SLES11 (any version). Type the following command:
   
   

   # brctl show

   The following is sample output:
   
   

   bridge name bridge ID STP enabled interfaces br0 8000.021a64e61137 no usb0 The bridge br0 is using usb0 as its interface.

2. Choose one of the following actions, depending on whether you are using base kernel or Xen kernel:
   
   1. With the SLES11 base kernel, if a bridge exists using usb0 as its interface, remove usb0 from this bridge (br0 for example) by running the following command:
      
      

      # brctl delif br0 usb0

   2. With the SLES11 Xen kernel, if usb0 has not be used as an interface for any bridge, set up a bridge to use usb0 (for example, if br1 already exists, choose another name):
      
      

      # brctl addbr br1 # brctl addif br1 usb0

The user should now be able to update firmware (ibm_fw_xxxxxx_linux_32-64.bin) as usual.

Workaround 2

Flash the UEFI via the Integrated Management Module (IMM) Web interface.

Additional information

This issue is corrected in the latest version of the cdc_interface.sh script (0.8.3).