For Data ONTAP 6.0 and later, the firmware is downloaded automatically to disks with previous versions of firmware. For information on automatic firmware update downloads, see AUTOMATIC vs. MANUAL FIRMWARE DOWNLOAD.
On configurations using software-based disk ownership both automatic and manual downloads update firmware only for those disks owned by the local filer. Disks owned by the partner filer are updated when the automatic download or the manual disk_fw_update command is executed on that particular node. Disks that are owned by neither filer are not updated. To update all disks, you must assign ownership to the unowned disks before running the disk_fw_update command.
Ignore any warning messages issued while the disk firmware is being updated.
To download the firmware to every disk, use the disk_fw_update command without arguments. To download the firmware to a particular list of disks, specify the disk names in the command. The disk names are in the form of cahnnel_name.disk_ID. For example, if you want to update firmware on disk ID 0, 1 and 3 on adapter 8, enter the following command:
disk_fw_update 8.0 8.1 8.3
The command applies to both SCSI disks and Fibre Channel disks.
If you need to view the current firmware versions, enter the sysconfig -v command. The following example displays a partial output from the sysconfig -v command, where the firmware version for the disk is NA01:
slot 8: Fibre Channel Host Adapter 8 (QLogic 2200 rev. 5, 64-bit, L-port,) Firmware rev: 2.1.20 Host Loop Id: 7 FC Node Name: 2:000:00e08b:00c702 Cacheline size: 8 FC Packet size: 2048 SRAM parity: Yes External GBIC: Yes 0: NETAPP X225_ST336704FC NA01 34.5GB ( 71687368 512B/sect)
An open-loop condition is characterized by the inability of the filer to access disk drives. Warning messages indicating an open-loop condition, which you need to clear, typically appear on the console that are similar to the following messages:
ispfc: Loop break detected on Fibre Channel adapter 7. If not healed in
30 seconds, the system may be halted.
-or-
[ispfc_main:warning]: Loop break detected on Fibre Channel adapter 7.
-or-
ispfc: Fibre Channel adapter 7 appears to be unattached/disconnected.
If adapter is in use, check cabling and seating of LRC cards
in disk shelves.
- Is not automatically downloaded to the filer's partner filer in
a cluster.
- Is not automatically downloaded to unowned disks on filers
configured to use software-based disk ownership.
Automatic downloads to a cluster are unsuccessful with certain disk drives, such as the Seagate ST118202FC. In such cases, you need to manually execute the disk_fw_update command to update the disks in a cluster.
When you manually key in the disk_fw_update command, the firmware is:
- Updated on every disk regardless of whether it is on the A-loop,
the B-loop, or in a clustered environment.
- If the filer is configured in a software-based disk ownership
system only disks owned by this filer are updated.
Data ONTAP 6.1 and later supports redundant path configurations for disks in a non-clustered configuration. Firmware is automatically downloaded to disks on the Aloop or B-loop of redundant configurations that are not configured in a cluster and are not configured to use software-based disk ownership.
If you use the manual disk_fw_update command on a filer that belongs to a cluster, the filer downloads the firmware to its disks and its partner's disks, unless the filers are configured for software-based disk ownership. In that configuration firmware is only downloaded to disks the filer owns.
The automatic firmware download only takes place on a filer's local disks.
For cluster failover configurations, clustering must be enabled and the CFO interconnect must be linked.
Known disk manufacturer limitations on certain disks further contribute to problems with firmware updates. For this reason, Data ONTAP does not allow firmware updates by automatic download to disk models with known limitations when a filer is configured in a clustered environment.
Disks with known limitations (for example, model ST118202FC) can only accept firmware updates if the disk_fw_update command is executed manually. You need to enter and run the command yourself. However, no matter which disks your clustered filers use, it's safest to update firmware this way.
Use the following procedure to successfully update your disk firmware in a clustered environment:
1. Make sure that the filers are not in takeover or giveback mode.
2. Install the new disk firmware on Filer A's disks by issuing the
disk_fw_update command on Filer A.
3. Wait until the disk_fw_update command completes on Filer A, and
then install the new disk firmware on Filer B's disks by issuing
the disk_fw_update command on Filer B.