POWER Code Matrix - Terminology

General Page

Firmware release terminology and concepts

Firmware file names
HMC FW level recommendation
Key to HMC & POWER FW levels
HMC Virtual Software Appliance Life Cycle and Versioning
FW update and upgrade strategies
Glossary of firmware terms
Impact statements
Severity definitions

System Firmware is delivered as a Release Level or a Service Pack. Release Levels support the general availability (GA) of new function or features, and new machine types or models. Upgrading to a higher Release Level is disruptive to customer operations. IBM intends to introduce no more than two new Release Levels per year. These Release Levels are supported by Service Packs. Service Packs typically contain only firmware fixes and do not introduce new function. A Service Pack is an update to an existing Release Level.

Note: Installing a Release Level is also referred to as upgrading your firmware. Installing a Service Pack is referred to as updating your firmware.

Firmware file names

POWER8, POWER9, and POWER10

The firmware level naming convention is as follows:

Example:

FW830.10 = FWXXX.YZ

FW930.20 = FWXXX.YZ

FW1010.00 = FWXXXX.YZ

where
XXX = Release (Engineering Change, EC, Version)
YZ = Service Pack (Planned, off-cycle)
Y = Service Pack number; planned Service Pack number
Z = Typically zero. If nonzero, designates off-cycle, targeted fixes

The firmware readme also describes the firmware filename. The file naming convention is as follows:

AAxxxx_yyy_zzz

where

AA is the unique family and platform identifier (for 9080-HEX this is MH)

xxxx is the release level

yyy is the service pack level

zzz is the last disruptive service pack level

For example, FW1030.00 for 9080-HEX system is also named MH1030_038_038

HMC firmware level recommendation

IBM support requires that the HMC firmware level is equal to or higher than the firmware level of the systems it is managing.

Key to HMC and POWER firmware levels

Use the following information to read the matrix tables for HMC and System firmware Release Levels and supported code combinations. You can also refer to the color key on the supported code level tables.

Latest Release Level

The most current Release Level available. This level of firmware is installed and shipped on newly built machines. During the first two to three months that a Release Level is available, Product Development Engineering assesses the quality and stability of the release. During this time, the release is designated the Latest Release Level.

Maximum Stability Release Level

When the Latest Release Level of firmware is assessed as stable, it becomes the Maximum Stability Release Level. This Release Level is recommended to customers who require the highest level of stability.

End of Release Support

There are no more planned service packs on a firmware release. This release level is still supported, but fixes can be limited to only the most severe problems. Examples of problems that would be fixed are:

Data Integrity problems
Problems that result in unscheduled outages
Breakage in base functionality
Reliability, Availability, and Serviceability (RAS) function

Problems that would not be fixed during Reduced Fix Support mode are:

Low or non-impacting problems
Problems with a valid workaround
Non-pervasive problems

NOTE: The final firmware release on a hardware generation might get extra service packs after End of Release Support date when required due to pervasive issues data corruption or security exposures. Extra service packs might continue until the hardware generation itself is End of Support.

HMC Virtual Software Appliance Life Cycle and Versioning

Starting with Version 9, the HMC Virtual Software Appliance follows the IBM continuous delivery (2+1) support policy:
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/718163

The HMC Virtual Software Appliance followed the IBM standard "3+2" lifecycle support policy:
http://www.ibm.com/software/support/lifecycle/lc-policy.html

More VRM details on the HMC Virtual Software Appliance:

Version (V): Version tracks to Power server family levels.
Release (R): Releases of both the HMC Virtual Software Appliance and the HMC track directly to Power server firmware levels. The HMC Virtual Software Appliance manages Power Systems at and below their corresponding firmware release levels.
Mod. Level (M): The Mod Level for HMC Virtual Software Appliance corresponds to the middle digit of the highest Power server FW level it supports. For example: vHMC 8.8.4.0 supports the Power 8 server family with FW levels 840 and below. The middle digit of the FW level represents the mod level. Mod Levels are supported for at least 2 years. Customers might need to upgrade to a new mod level to get a fix.

Refer to the Fix Level Recommendation Tool (FLRT) for more information on cross-compatibility and code levels:
Fix Level Recommendation Tool Lite

Firmware update and upgrade strategies

Upgrade strategy (Release Level)

New functions are released in firmware Release Levels. Installation of a new Release Level is disruptive.

Unless you require the functions or features introduced by the latest Release Level, it is generally prudent to wait one to three months until Release Level stability has been demonstrated in the field. Release Levels are supported with fixes (delivered in Service Packs) for approximately two years. Supported releases often overlap, so fixes are usually made in multiple service packs. Typically, customers are not required to upgrade to the latest level to obtain fixes. The exception to this rule is when the customer's Release Level is at End of Service. This fix strategy allows customers to stay on an older (typically more stable) Release Level and still obtain fixes (in Service Packs) for problems. Since the number of changes in a Service pack is substantially less than a Release Level, the risk of destabilizing the firmware by a Service Pack Update is reduced.

Update strategy (Service Pack within a Release)

The strategy to update to the latest Service Pack needs to be more aggressive than upgrading to the latest Release Level. Service Packs contain fixes to problems discovered in testing and reported from the field. The IBM fix strategy is to encourage the installation of a fix before the problem is encountered in the field. The Firmware Download page provides downloads for the N and N-1 Service Packs, unless a problem was introduced with the N-1 service pack. In such cases only the latest level would be available. Our goal is to prevent the installation of a broken Service Pack. When Product and Development Engineering determines that the latest available (N) Service Pack has sufficient field penetration and experience (30 - 60 days), the download for the older (N-1) Service Pack is removed from the Firmware Download web page.

Glossary of firmware terms

Concurrent fix: A fix that can be installed and activated on a running system without impacting customer operations.

Deferred fix: The installation of a deferred fix is concurrent (nondisruptive) to customer operations. However, the fix does not become active until an IPL (system level) is performed. The fix description in a service pack readme indicates whether the fix is deferred.

Disruptive fix: A fix that requires a server IPL to install and activate. The fix description in a service pack readme indicates whether the fix is disruptive.

N Release Level: The latest Release Level available for installation in the field as well as the Release Level that is shipping from the factory.

N-1 Release Level: Normally the firmware level released immediately before the current Release Level. However, if the N-1 Release Level introduced problems and was removed (from manufacturing and/or the Firmware Download page), then the N-2 level (released immediately before the N-1 level) would become the N-1 Level.

No Longer Supported with Service Packs: Although problems reported from the field continue to be analyzed, Service Packs (fixes for these problems) are not released at this level. The system would have to be upgraded to a supported level to obtain the fix.

Not a Supported Combination

Any of the following examples:

A combination of System Firmware and HMC code that could introduce problems if installed (usually on a particular machine type/model).
A combination of System firmware and HMC code that was not tested and released together.
A combination of a higher level of system firmware installed with HMC code that is at a lower level than what is recommended.

Note: IBM recommends that the HMC level is equal to or higher than the system firmware level it is intended to support.

Partition-Deferred: A fix that can be installed concurrently but that only becomes active when a partition reactivate is performed.

Note: The HMC may not be applicable to some machines types and models or customer configurations.

Recommended: These are the specific levels Product and Development Engineering have assessed the stability and would 'recommend' being installed during a firmware maintenance window. The recommended levels may also include Release Levels and Service Pack 'levels' as well as a recommended combination of System Firmware and HMC code.


Release Level: A Release Level is the term for firmware that is released to support major new function (introduction of new hardware models and significant function/features enabled with firmware. IBM intends to limit the introduction of Release Levels to no more that two times per year. In addition to the new function/hardware support, Release Levels also contain fixes. In the past, we have used the term Firmware GA to describe these Release Levels internally within IBM.

Upgrading from one release level to another is alway disruptive to customer operations. You can skip release levels. Meaning you can upgrade from release level A to release level D without having to install release level B & C.


Service Pack: A Service Pack contains a group of fixes within a specific release level. Service packs primarily contain only fixes however, minor function changes might be released within a service pack. These fixes are for highly pervasive, critical, or security-related issues. Release levels are supported by Service Packs for one year following the release level. This allows you to stay on a particular release level and still receive fixes without having to upgrade to a later release level. Service Packs are cumulative, so if Service Pack 3 is applied, all of the previous fixes contained within Service Packs 1 and 2 are also be applied.

Supported: This is a supported level (Release Level and Service pack) or combination of System Firmware and HMC code. These are levels that have completed testing as a package and released (made available to the field) together. A supported level is usually a level (or combination of levels) that is either the latest release level (N) or an older release level (N-2) and is typically a recommended level. Service Packs (fixes) are also released for supported levels.


Update: Refers to installing a Service Pack. In many cases, this update can be done concurrently. This allows you to make firmware updates without requiring an IPL thus, reducing downtime to install firmware maintenance.

Service Packs are cumulative, so if Service Pack 3 is applied, all of the previous fixes contained within Service Packs 1 and 2 are also included.


Upgrade: Refers to installing a new 'Release Level'. Upgrading from one release level to another is always disruptive to customer operations. You can skip release levels. Meaning you can upgrade from release level A to release level D without having to install release levels B & C.

Impact statements

Availability: Fixes that improve the availability of resources.

Data: Fixes that resolve customer data errors.

Function: Fixes that add (introduce) or affect system or machine operation related to features, connectivity or resource.

NEW: New Firmware Release level for a product.

Security: Fixes that improve or resolve security issues.

Serviceability: Fixes that influence problem determination or fault isolation and maintenance related to diagnostic errors, incorrect FRU calls or false error (no operational impact).

Performance: Fixes that improve or resolve throughput or response times.

Usability: Fixes that improve user interfaces or messages.

**Severity definitions**
HIPER	High Impact/PERvasive	Should be installed as soon as possible.
SPE	SPEcial Attention	Should be installed at earliest convenience. Fixes for low potential high impact problems.
ATT	ATTention	Should be installed at earliest convenience. Fixes for low potential low to medium impact problems.
PE	Programming Error	Can install when convenient. Fixes minor problems.
NEW	NEW	New Firmware Release level for a product.

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