QRadar: M4 Firmware 6.0.0 for xSeries 1U Appliances (USB local Install)

 

Part 1: About the M4 firmware 6.0.0 update

Creating your USB flash drive for the firmware update requires a Windows™ host and the administrator must be on-site with the appliance. The firmware update can take up to 60 minutes complete per appliance and the administrator is required to reboot the appliance after the firmware install completes. The firmware upgrade procedures should only be done during a change window or during maintenance time for your QRadar appliances. If your Data Center does not allow USB keys, instructions and a download are available for administrators who have configured their Integrated Management Module (IMM2) interfaces. For information about other installation options, see: http://ibm.biz/qradarfirmware .

 

Supported appliances, types, and model information

This firmware update applies to the following IBM Security QRadar M4 (1U form factor) appliance types:

Hardware	Details	Size
Appliance	QRadar 21xx (4380-Q1C) QRadar Event Collector 1501 G2 (4380-Q2C) QRadar QFlow Collector 1201 G2 (4380-Q2C) QRadar QFlow Collector 1202 G2 (4380-Q3C) QRadar QFlow Collector 1301 G2 (4380-Q4C) QRadar QFlow Collector 1310 G2 (4380-Q5C) QRadar QFlow Collector 1310 SR-C G2 (4380-Q5C) QRadar QFlow Collector 1310 LR-C G2 (4380-Q6C)	1U
Server Type	x3550 M4	1U
Server Machine Type	7914	1U
Machine type models (MTM)	4380-Q1C 4380-Q2C 4380-Q3C 4380-Q4C 4380-Q5C 4380-Q6C	1U

Table 1: List of appliances that the M4 appliance firmware v6.0.0 can update.

Important file changes and prerequisites in this firmware update

Administrators must ensure that their M4 appliance includes the minimum version outlined in the Prerequisite version column. If your M4 appliance does not meet the prerequisite versions outlined in the table, the administrator must contact IBM QRadar Support to discuss a custom upgrade path for your M4 appliance.

Component	Prerequisite version	Firmware version in this update	File name
IMM2	4.35 or later	1aoo88b-7.20	ibm_fw_imm2_1aoo88b-7.20_anyos_noarch.uxz
UEFI/BIOS	None	d7e170c-3.00	ibm_fw_uefi_d7e170c-3.00_anyos_32-64.uxz
DSA	None	dsytd8g-9.54	ibm_fw_dsa_dsytd8g-9.54_anyos_32-64.uxz
RAID Controller M1115	None	20.13.1-0254	ibm_fw_sraidmr_1000-20.13.1-0254_linux_32-64.bin
RAID Controller M1110	None	1.20.02	ibm_fw_mpt2sas_h1110-1.20.02_linux_32-64.bin
HDD Update	None	1.23.02	ibm_fw_hddlenovo_sas-1.23.02_linux_32-64.bin

• 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 can be listed when the tool compares available firmware to the hardware in the appliance and display a status of "undetected".
• For firmware questions and information see: http://ibm.biz/qradarfirmware.

 

Full Release Notes from Lenovo for firmware 6.0.0 updates

 

 

Part 2: Requirements to create a bootable USB drive

To create a bootable USB key, you must have access to the following items:

• An 8 GB or larger USB flash drive.
• Access to IBM Fix Central is required download firmware for QRadar appliances.
• A workstation or laptop running one the following operating systems:
  • Windows™ 10
  • Windows™ 7
  • Windows™ Server 2008R2
  • Windows™ Server 20016
    NOTE: Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

 

Creating the bootable USB drive

1. Download the M3 v6.0.0 firmware IMG file from IBM Fix Central:

   http://www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/swg/quickorder?parent=IBM%20Security&product=ibm/Other+software/IBM+Security+QRadar+SIEM&release=7.3.0&platform=All&function=fixId&fixids=7.3.1-QRADAR-FIRMWARE-M4_1U_USB-QRadar-QNI-PCAP-QIF-6.0.0&includeSupersedes=0&source=fc.

2. Download the  Rufus Bootable USB Tool.
3. Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your Windows™ laptop or workstation.
    
4. Open Rufus and configure the properties.

   Parameter	Value
   Device	Select your USB drive
   Boot Selection	Select Qradar_IMG_M4_1U_MT7914_x3550_6_0_0.img
   Partition scheme	MBR (Default)
   Target system	BIOS (or UEFI-CSM) (Default)
   File system	FAT32 (Default)
   Cluster size	This value defaults to the best option based on size of the USB drive.

    
    
5. Click Start. The image is loaded on the USB drive.
   
6. After the installation finishes, safely eject the USB flash drive from your computer.​
   
   Results
   The bootable drive is ready to be used to install firmware on the M4 appliance.

 

Part 3. Installing the Firmware on the QRadar M4 appliance

The instructions below are intended for M4 appliances that are not configured as HA (high-availability) pairs. If your appliance is in a HA pair, you must use the High-Availability update instructions found here:  http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27047121#HA .

Booting from the USB Drive

1. Insert the USB drive that has the bootable image into the QRadar appliance.
   IMPORTANT: Do not remove the USB flash drive until the IBM ToolsCenter completes the firmware installation.
    
2. From the terminal of the KVM switch for the appliance, log in by using the root credentials.
    
3. From the command prompt, type: reboot.
   
    
4. As the appliance is rebooting, press the F12 key.
    
5. Select the bootable firmware image, for example, USB Storage and Press Enter.
   
    
6. When prompted, select Updates.
   
    
7. Verify that the bootable media shows the correct machine type for the appliance.

   Hardware	Details
   Server Type	x3550 M4 BD
   Server Machine Type	7914



8. To start the update, select Click here to start update.
   NOTE: Verify that the Updates list contains x3550 M4 BD -- machine type 7914 in the updates list.
   
    
9. Select your language and click I accept the terms in the license agreement to continue.
   
    
10. The IBM UpdateXpress System Pack Installer compares the current package with the installed firmware.
    
     
11. **IMPORTANT**. Verify that all Suggested or Critical check boxes are selected. Administrators can use the first check box to select all options and the installer skips any updates that are 'Not Required'.
    
    
     
12. To start applying the updates, click Next on the Update Options page.
    The bootable media creator starts to install firmware on the M4 appliance.
     
13. Verify that all the firmware updates are applied, and click Next to complete the update.
    
     
14. After the update is complete, click Save Log to save the installation log to the USB flash drive. This file can be provided to support in case any issues occurred during the update.
    
     
15. Select a drive to save the logs and click OK.
    
     
16. When all updates are complete, click Finish to reboot the appliance.
    
    Results
    The appliance reboots and is available for use in the QRadar deployment. 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.