Updating the SR-IOV adapter firmware

I/O adapters that are configured to run in Single Root I/O Virtualization (SR-IOV) shared-mode are managed by adapter driver firmware and adapter firmware. Both adapter driver firmware and adapter firmware for the SR-IOV adapter are downloaded with the system firmware updates. If you are updating the system firmware concurrently, the adapter driver firmware and the SR-IOV adapter firmware are not automatically activated for the adapters that are running in SR-IOV shared-mode to prevent any unexpected temporary outage of adapters that are running in SR-IOV shared-mode.

Two types of firmware are required to support adapters that are running in SR-IOV shared-mode. One type is the adapter driver firmware, which is used for configuring and managing the adapter. The second type is the I/O adapter firmware, which enables the adapter to interface with the adapter driver firmware. The following options can be used to activate the adapter driver firmware and the adapter firmware for adapters that are running in SR-IOV shared-mode:
  • A system boot or reboot activates all the adapters that are in SR-IOV shared-mode to the new firmware level.
  • When the adapter is enabled to run in SR-IOV shared-mode, the adapter driver firmware and the adapter firmware are activated to the firmware level that is available with the system firmware. Also, the activation is automatically performed to the SR-IOV adapters during the maintenance operation of an adapter that is in SR-IOV shared-mode. For example, when the SR-IOV adapter is stopped or replaced during a maintenance operation.
  • A selective manual firmware activation of a SR-IOV adapter that is in SR-IOV shared-mode can be performed by using the Hardware Management Console (HMC) graphical user interface or the HMC command-line.
Notes:
  1. You cannot use this procedure to update the firmware for adapters that can run in SR-IOV shared-mode, but are not running in the SR-IOV shared-mode.
  2. The firmware for the adapter that is capable of running in the SR-IOV shared-mode, but currently is running in the dedicated mode and is assigned to a logical partition, can only be updated concurrently either by using the operating system (OS) that owns the adapter or by using the managing HMC (if the OS is AIX® operating system or a VIOS, and when the Resource Monitoring and Control (RMC) is in a running state).

The firmware update process for the SR-IOV adapters is similar to the HMC update process of the other system firmware. When you update the system firmware, the system firmware update might also contain adapter driver firmware updates for the SR-IOV adapters, adapter firmware updates, or both. The firmware for the adapters that are configured to run in SR-IOV shared-mode is not activated automatically while they are running because of a temporary I/O outage that occurs when the firmware is activated. By not automatically activating the firmware immediately, you can schedule the most convenient time for this outage. The outage lasts approximately 1 minute for each adapter that is activated when you activate only the adapter driver firmware, and approximately 5 minutes for each adapter that is activated when you activate both the adapter driver firmware and the adapter firmware. The best practice is to activate both the adapter driver firmware and the adapter firmware simultaneous. You cannot activate only the adapter firmware. To activate the SR-IOV firmware on an adapter that is running in SR-IOV shared-mode, the managed system with the SR-IOV adapter must be powered on and in either the Standby state or the Operating state.