Network Appliance recommends that you upgrade to the latest system firmware version when you upgrade Data ONTAP. In some upgrade scenarios, system firmware upgrades are mandatory.
Note
There are special system firmware requirements that must be satisfied before upgrading to the Data ONTAP 6.5.x release family. For more information, see Upgrading to Data ONTAP 6.5 or later.
To upgrade system firmware, you must have
Instructions for creating a firmware diskette are in Appendix A, Creating Diskettes.
System firmware updates for CompactFlash-based filers are included with distribution files for Data ONTAP upgrades. When you run the download command, the firmware service image included with the Data ONTAP upgrade is copied to your filer's CompactFlash card.
System firmware updates are also available at the NOW site:
The following filers use firmware that does not need to be upgraded:
The update-flash command loads system firmware from media (CompactFlash card or firmware diskette) into your filer's flash Programmable ROM (PROM). The command must be run from the boot prompt--the ok prompt on F700 series, F800 series, FAS900 series, and NearStore systems or the CFE prompt on FAS200 series systems.
To determine whether your filer needs a system firmware update, compare the version of installed system firmware with the latest version available on the NOW site.
To display the filer's current system firmware, enter the following command:
sysconfig -a
The command output will include an entry similar to the following:
Firmware release: 4.2_i1
To display the most current system firmware available on the NOW site, follow the steps described in Filer firmware availability.
On CompactFlash-based systems, you can also display the system firmware version on the CompactFlash card with the version -b command.
You can run version -b immediately after you run the download command (which copies the new firmware to the CompactFlash card). By comparing the output of the sysconfig -a and version -b commands, you can determine if your system needs a firmware upgrade.
If the version of the newly loaded firmware displayed by the version command is
Caution
If you find that the system firmware version on the CompactFlash card is older than the installed version, do not update system firmware with the update-flash command.
Download and upgrade filer firmware for your filer according to the instructions on the NOW site.
If you are upgrading clustered filers, there are two methods available for upgrading system firmware:
The nondisruptive upgrade method is appropriate when you need to maintain service availability during system firmware upgrades.
The standard upgrade method is appropriate when you can schedule downtime for system firmware upgrades.
For more information about selecting a clustered upgrade method, see Upgrade host requirements.
The following sections describe nondisruptive firmware upgrades and standard upgrades for CompactFlash-based and diskette-based systems. Be sure to refer to the firmware download and installation instructions on the NOW site for details about firmware upgrades on your platform.
To upgrade system firmware using the nondisruptive upgrade process, complete the following steps.
| 1 |
Download the system firmware from the NOW site to your Windows or UNIX client as directed. |
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| 2 |
On each filer, enter the download -d command in priv set advanced mode as directed. If necessary, format the service partition according to the instructions. |
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| 3 | ||
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Go to Step 4. | ||
cifs terminate -t nn where nn is a notification period (in seconds) appropriate for your clients. After that period of time, proceed to Step 4. | ||
| 4 |
At the console of filer B, enter the following command: cf takeover ResultThis command causes filer A to shut down gracefully and leaves filer B in takeover mode. |
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| 5 |
To display the boot prompt (CFE or OK, depending on your filer) at the filer A console, complete one of the following procedures: |
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| 6 |
At the boot prompt, enter bye and continue installing the firmware on Filer A following the directions on the NOW site. ResultAfter completing the firmware installation on Filer A, you see the message Waiting for giveback. |
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| 7 |
At the console of filer B, enter the following command: cf giveback ResultThis command causes filer A to reboot with the new system firmware and resume normal operation as a cluster partner. |
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| 8 |
Repeat Step 4 through Step 7 to update the partner filer; in other words, bring down and update filer B with partner A in takeover mode. |
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To upgrade system firmware using the standard upgrade process, complete the following steps.
To upgrade system firmware on diskette-based systems using the standard upgrade process, complete the following steps.
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Part No. 215-01027
File: ug_fw2.htm
Last updated: Mon Jul 12 17:06:06 2004