System shipped with unknown version of IMM - System x3650 M4

Resolving The Problem

Source

RETAIN tip: H213640

Symptom

In the case of the Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) controller missing in x3650 M4, the operating system may not load properly and the ServeRAID M5110e SAS/SATA controller is no longer seen by the server Basic Input/Output System (BIOS).

The issue had been determined as communication issue between the Integrated Management Module (IMM) and RAID controller which associate with RAID-Link feature. IBM released an IMM (64W) version that disabled the RAID-Link feature. This prevents the RAID controller from being missing after system restarts for several times.

The IMM firmware is not released on the web site, but to the manufacture. Users might get the new system with IMM version 64 W that does not have RAID-Link feature.

Affected configurations

The system may be any of the following IBM servers:

• System x3650 M4, type 7915, any model
• System x3650 M4, type 7915 E5-xxxxV2, any model

This tip is not software specific.

This tip is not option specific.

The following system firmware level(s) are affected:

• IMM firmware with version 4.56, Build ID: 1AOO64S
  

Additional information

Users can refer to RETAIN tip H213425 with MIGR-5096525 to get detail on the RAID controller missing issue. The issue fixed in the RAID controller Programmable System-on-Chip (PSoC) firmware. The file will be available from the IBM System x Support web site at the following URL:

• http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/

The system manufacture in November 2014 will use IMM 64W. This results in the RAID-LINK feature being disabled. Users can update the IMM firmware with version 4.56, Build ID: 1AOO64S to recover the RAID-Link function.