QRadar M3 Firmware v2.2 for xSeries 1U 12xx/13xx/15xx/2100 Appliances (On-prem/USB)

Release Notes

Abstract

This firmware update (v2.2) provided by IBM updates QRadar® M3 appliances with UEFI abd IMM2 software updates. This firmware is intended for on-premise local USB updates of M3 1U form factor hardware for QRadar 12xx, 13xx, 15xx, & 2100 appliances.

Content

Important: Select a tab to read each step of the firmware procedure.

Tab 1. About the M3 1U firmware v2.2 update
Tab 2. Installing Firmware Updates

Administrator notes and important information

Administrators should ensure that all firmware check boxes are selected when the comparison screen displays the firmware changes to be installed. We have reports that not all check boxes were selected and administrators had to apply the update again. To prevent additional downtime, administrators should verify all check boxes are selected as defined in the instructions on Tab 2.
If your appliance is in a HA pair, there are configuration steps required to set the status properly for your primary and secondary high-availability appliances. For more information, see: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg27047121#HA .
Administrators must enable IMM.Over.LAN on the xSeries appliance BEFORE the firmware update is applied. For information on how to enable this setting, see: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21982944 .
A new .IMG file is now used to create bootable USB drives for M3 appliances to provide more flexibility for Windows operating systems when creating a USB key for your firmware update. The 2nd tab contains new installation instructions to guide customers through their firmware installations. For M4 or M5 firmware, see our Firmware FAQ page at: https://ibm.biz/qradarfirmware .
No IMM or remote installation option is available for M3 xSeries appliances.

Supported appliances, types, and model information

This firmware update applies to the following IBM Security QRadar M3 (1U form factor) appliances, server type, or Machine type models:

Hardware	Details	Size
Appliance	IBM Security QRadar 2100 G IBM Security Qflow Collector 1201 IBM Security Qflow Collector 1202 IBM Security Qflow Collector 1301 IBM Security Qflow Collector 1310 IBM Security Event Collector 1501 G2	1U
Server Type	x3550 M3	1U
Server Machine Type	7944	1U
Machine type models (MTM)	4378-Q21 4378-C21 4378-QC2 4378-QD1 4378-QSR 4378-QLR	1U

File changes and prerequisites in this firmware update

The table below lists important updates in the Base System Pack and HDD update. Administrators must ensure that their M3 appliance includes the minimum version outlined in the Prerequisite version column. If your M3 appliance does not meet the prerequisite versions outlined in the table below, the administrator will need to contact IBM QRadar Support to have a custom upgrade path defined for the M3 appliance.

Component	Prerequisite version	Firmware version	Name
IMM2	yuoo57h-1.1.0 or later	yuooh4b-1.55	ibm_fw_imm_yuooh4b-1.55_anyos_noarch.chg
UEFI/BIOS	None	d6e164a-1.22	ibm_fw_uefi_d6e164a-1.22_linux_32-64
DSA	None	dsytc5f-9.53	ibm_fw_dsa_dsytc5f-9.53_linux_32-64
Server RAID Controller M5000	None	12.15.0-0248	ibm_fw_sraidmr_m5000-12.15.0-0248_linux_32-64
HDD Update	None	sas-1.22.01	ibm_fw_hddlegacy_sas-1.22.01_linux_32-64.chg

Full Release Notes from Lenovo for firmware 2.2 updates

A full list of changes can be found in the attached change file and opened by any browser or a text editor. These files contain the full release notes provided by Lenovo to IBM for both CVEs and resolved issues that administrators can review for a more detailed fix list.

Change list for M3 1U firmware v2.2.0 (txt file)

Before you begin

IMPORTANT: Administrators must enable IMM.Over.LAN on the xSeries appliance BEFORE the firmware update is applied. For information on how to enable this setting, see: http://www.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=swg21982944 .

Creating your USB flash drive for the firmware update requires a Windows host and the administrator or USB drive must be on-site with the appliance. The firmware update can take up to 60 minutes complete per appliance and the administrator will be 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. There is no IMM or remote option available to apply xSeries M3 v2.2 firmware.

You must have access to the following items:

An 8 GB or larger USB flash drive
A desktop or notebook system running one the following operating systems:
- Windows 10
- Windows 7
- Windows 2008R2
- Windows 2008
- Windows Vista
- Windows XP

Creating the bootable USB drive

Download the M3 v2.2 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=7.2.8-QRADAR-FIRMWARE-1U-M3-2100-1501-QFlow-2.2&includeSupersedes=0&source=fc )
Download the Rufus Bootable USB Tool ( https://rufus.ie/ ).
Insert the USB flash drive into a USB port on your Windows laptop or workstation.

Open Rufus and configure the properties.

Parameter	Value
Device	Select your USB drive
Boot Selection	Select Rradar_1U_M3_MT7944_Qflow_15xxEC_2100_2_2.img
Partition scheme	MBR (Default)
Target system	BIOS (or UEFT-CSM) (Default)
File system	FAT32 (Default)
Cluster size	Use the default value based on your USB drive size

Click Start. The image is loaded on the USB drive.
After the installation finishes, safely eject the USB flash drive from your workstation.

Results
You are now ready to install the firmware update on your QRadar appliance.

Installing the firmware update

This procedure requires you to reboot your QRadar appliance after the firmware update is installed. Administrators should expect a data outage while firmware updates are applied.

Reboot the system to start the software installation process.
As the appliance is rebooting, press the F12 key to select a boot device.
Select the bootable firmware image, for example, USB Storage and Press Enter.
The IBM ToolsCenter Welcome page is displayed.
When prompted, select Updates.
Verify that the bootable media shows the correct machine type for the appliance.
Hardware Value
System Server x3550 M3
Machine type 7944
To start the update, select Click here to start update.
Select your language and click I accept the terms in the license agreement to continue.
The IBM UpdateXpress System Pack Installer compares the current package with the installed firmware
**IMPORTANT:** Review the list of updates and confirm that all Suggested updates are included. It has been reported that some suggested updates are not selected by default. Administrators should verify check boxes are selected to prevent additional downtime.
To apply the firmware updates, click Next on the Update Options page.
Verify that all the firmware updates are applied, and click Next to complete the update.
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.
Select the USB flash drive and click OK.
After the log is saved, click Finish to reboot the appliance.

Results
After the appliance boots, the system is ready to be used normally.

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