Getting server firmware fixes through AIX or Linux without a management console

Learn how to obtain server firmware fixes through AIX® or Linux without a management console.

Installing server firmware fixes through the operating system is a disruptive process. You will need to restart the system.

Notes:

If your system is managed by a management console, you must apply server firmware through the management console. For details, see Managed system updates.
By default, the server firmware is installed on the temporary side only after the existing contents of the temporary side are permanently installed on the permanent side. (This process is performed automatically when you install a server firmware fix.)
If you are unable to start your AIX or Linux operating system or server, see Obtaining fixes through AIX or Linux when you are unable to start the system.

Perform Steps 1 through 6 to get server firmware fixes through AIX or Linux when you do not have a management console.

Step 1. View existing firmware levels for AIX or Linux

The Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) is the user interface to access the server firmware. You can also use the AIX or Linux operating system to view the firmware levels.

Select from the following options:
- To use the ASMI (AIX or Linux): On the ASMI Welcome pane, view the existing level of server firmware in the upper-right corner below the copyright statement, for example, Ax710_025_025.
- To use the AIX command prompt (you must have AIX diagnostics installed on your server), continue with step 2.
- To use the Linux command prompt, continue with step 4.
At an AIX command prompt, enter the following command:
```
lsmcode
```
The existing levels of server firmware are displayed. For example, you might see output similar to the following:
```
The current permanent system firmware image is Ax710_025_025.
The current temporary system firmware image is Ax710_025_025.
The system is currently booted from the temporary image.
```
Notes:
- The permanent level is also known as the backup level.
- The temporary level is also known as the installed level.
- The system was booted from the temporary side, so at this time, the temporary level is also the activated level.
Continue with Step 2. View or download the firmware fix.
To view existing levels of server firmware for Linux operating system, you must have the following service tools installed on your server:
- Platform Enablement Library – librtas-xxxxx.rpm
- Service Aids – ppc64-utils-xxxxx.rpm
- Hardware Inventory – lsvpd-xxxxx.rpm
where xxxxx represents a specific version of the RPM file.
Note: If you do not have the service tools on your server, see Obtaining service and productivity tools for Linux.

After the service tools are installed on the server running Linux, enter the following at a Linux command prompt:

lsmcode

The existing level of server firmware is displayed. For example, you might see output similar to the following:

Version of system firmware is: Ax710_025_025 (t)  Ax710_025_025 (p)  Ax710_025_025 (t)

The following table provides descriptions for each of the server firmware levels displayed in the output.

Table 1. Server firmware levels
Server firmware levels displayed
A`x`710_025_025 (t)	A`x`710_025_025 (p)	A`x`710_025_025 (t)
The installed level. Also known as the temporary level.	The backup level. Also known as the permanent level.	The activated level. The level on which the server is currently running.

Continue with the next step.

Step 2. View or download the firmware fix

Follow this procedure to view or download the firmware fix. You can download the fix directly to your server, or you can download it to a computer with an Internet connection and create a fix CD that you apply on the server. If necessary, contact service and support to order the fix on CD. You can also download the firmware fix to a computer that has a network connection to your server and use FTP to download the firmware fix from the computer to the server.

Note: If you plan to create a CD, you will need a CD burner and software.

From a computer or server with an Internet connection, go to the Fix Central website.
From the Product Group list, select Power.
From the Product list, select your Machine Type-Model.
From the Select from Machine Type-Model list, select the required fix and click Continue.
Follow the on-screen prompts to download the fix file.
Do you have an installation of any of the following operating system versions?
- AIX Version 7.2 with the 7200-05 Technology Level, or later
- AIX Version 7.2 with the 7200-04 Technology Level, and Service Pack 3, or later
- AIX Version 7.2 with the 7200-03 Technology Level, and Service Pack 6, or later
- AIX Version 7.1 with the 7100-05 Technology Level, and Service Pack 7, or later
Yes: Continue with step 7.

No: Continue with step 8.
You do not need to extract the RPM file. Go to Using the AIX diagnostics to install the server firmware fix through AIX.
Select from the following options:
- If you downloaded the RPM file to your server, continue with Step 3. View and extract the RPM file that contains the server firmware.
- If you downloaded the RPM file to a different computer and used FTP to download the RPM file to your server, continue with Step 3. View and extract the RPM file that contains the server firmware.
  Note: Select binary mode before using FTP to download the RPM file from a different computer to your server.
- If you want to create a CD containing the RPM file, follow the instructions for your CD program and then continue with Step 3. View and extract the RPM file that contains the server firmware.

Step 3. View and extract the RPM file that contains the server firmware

If you created a CD with the RPM file, you will need to view and extract the RPM file that contains the server firmware.

Select from the following options:
- If you created a CD with the RPM file, continue with the next step.
- If you downloaded the RPM file to your server from the Fix Central website or by using the FTP method, continue with step 6.
Insert the CD that contains the RPM file into the media drive on your server.
To mount the CD, select from the following options (you need root user authority):
- If you are working on an AIX system, enter the following at an AIX command prompt:
```
mount /dev/cd0 /mnt
```
- If you are working on a Linux system, enter one of the following commands at a Linux command prompt:
```
mount -t iso9660 /dev/cdrom /mnt 
```
  or
```
mount -t iso9660 /dev/dvdrom /mnt
```
Select from the following options:
- If the mount was successful, continue with step 6.
- If the mount was unsuccessful, continue with the next step.
If you received an error message from the mount command, enter this command to mount the CD:
```
/usr/sbin/mount -v 'cdrfs' -f'' -p'' -r'' /dev/cd0 /mnt
```
The quotation marks following the f, p, and r are two single quotation marks with no space between them.

Note: If you prefer, you can use the System Management Interface Tool (SMIT) to mount the CD.
To view the RPM file name, enter the following command at the AIX or Linux command prompt:
- If the RPM file is on CD, type:
```
ls /mnt
```
- If the RPM file is on the server, type:
```
ls /tmp/fwupdate
```
The name of the RPM file is displayed. For example, you might see output similar to the following:
```
Ax710xx_yyy_zzz.rpm
```
To extract the RPM file, enter one of the following commands at the AIX or Linux command prompt:
- If you want to extract the RPM file from a CD, enter:
```
rpm -Uvh --ignoreos /mnt/filename.rpm
```
- If you want to extract the RPM file from the server's hard drive, enter:
```
rpm -Uvh --ignoreos /tmp/fwupdate/filename.rpm
```
  where filename is the name of the RPM file that contains the server firmware. For example, Ax710xx_yyy_zzz.rpm.
  Note: When you extract the RPM file, the server firmware fix file is saved in the /tmp/fwupdate directory on the hard drive of the server in the following format: Ax710_yyy_zzz.img.
Continue with the next step.

Step 4. Apply server firmware fixes through AIX or Linux to the temporary side of the service processor

Important:

Do not interrupt this process after you begin.
Do not attempt to log into the ASMI, or use any of the functions on the ASMI, while a firmware installation is in progress.

Ensure you are starting the system from the temporary side of the service processor; the firmware installation will fail if the system has booted from the permanent side. To learn which side you are starting from, and how to change to the other side if necessary, see Working with the temporary and permanent side of the service processor.
To use the update_flash command (AIX or Linux) to install the server firmware, continue with step 3.
Note: If you have AIX installed, you can choose to use the AIX diagnostics to install the fix.
You will need the server firmware fix file name in the next step. To view the name, enter the following at an AIX or Linux command prompt:
Note: To perform this step, you must have root user authority.
```
ls /tmp/fwupdate
```
The name of the server firmware fix file is displayed. For example, you might see output similar to the following:
```
Ax710xx_yyy_zzz.img
```
To install the server firmware fix, select from the following options:
- If you are updating AIX, enter the following at an AIX command prompt:
```
cd /tmp/fwupdate
/usr/lpp/diagnostics/bin/update_flash -f fwlevel
```
  where fwlevel is the specific file name of the server firmware fix, such as Ax710xx_yyy_zzz.img
- If you are updating Linux operating system, enter the following at a Linux command prompt:
```
cd /tmp/fwupdate
/usr/sbin/update_flash -f fwlevel
```
  where fwlevel is the specific file name of the server firmware fix, such as Ax710xx_yyy_zzz.img
During the server firmware installation process, reference codes CA2799FD and CA2799FF are alternately displayed on the control panel. After the installation is complete, the system is automatically powered off and powered on.
Note: If you receive a message stating: This partition does not have the authority to perform the requested function, see Message regarding a server that was previously managed by a management console.
Continue with the next step.

Step 5. Verify that the fix installed correctly

Select from the following options:
- To use the AIX or Linux command prompt (the operating system must be running and the diagnostics must be available), continue with the next step.
- To use the ASMI, view the level of server firmware displayed in the upper-right corner below the copyright statement on the ASMI Welcome pane, for example, Ax710_025_025. If the level of server firmware displayed is not the level that you installed, see step 4.
Enter the following at a command prompt:
```
lsmcode
```
The existing levels of server firmware are displayed. For example, you might see output similar to the following:
```
The current permanent system firmware image is Ax710_025_025.
The current temporary system firmware image is Ax710_025_025.
The system is currently booted from the temporary image.
```
Notes:
- The permanent level is also known as the backup level.
- The temporary level is also known as the installed level.
- The system was booted from the temporary side, so at this time, the temporary level is also the activated level.
Verify that the level of server firmware displayed is the level that you installed.
If the level of server firmware displayed is not the level that you installed, perform the following steps:
1. Retry the fix procedure. If you created a CD or DVD for this procedure, use a new media.
2. If the problem persists, contact your next level of support.

Step 6. (Optional) Install the server firmware fix permanently

You might want to use the new level of server firmware for a period of time to verify that it works correctly. When you are sure that the new level works correctly, you can permanently install the server firmware fix.

Note: If you install the server firmware fix permanently (copy the temporary firmware level from the temporary side to the permanent side, so that the temporary and permanent sides contain the same level of firmware), you cannot return to the level that was previously on the permanent side.

Last updated: Thu, October 15, 2020