Firmware and software requirements

Firmware and software version requirements

The following table summarizes the gFiler system firmware and Data ONTAP software upgrade paths for upgrading to Data ONTAP 6.5.1.

If you are upgrading from this Data ONTAP release...	Your upgrade requirements are...
6.4 or 6.4.1	System firmware Upgrade to 4.2.2 or later. See Requirements if you are upgrading from 6.4.1. Data ONTAP Upgrade to a version of Data ONTAP 6.4.2 first, then upgrade to 6.5.1 (or later).
6.4.2 (any version of)	System firmware Upgrade to 4.2.2 or later. Data ONTAP Upgrade directly to 6.5.1 (or later, for example, to a 6.5.1R release).
6.5 or 6.5R1	System firmware Optionally upgrade to a version later than 4.2.2. Data ONTAP Upgrade directly to 6.5.1 (or later).

If you are upgrading from this Data ONTAP release...

Your upgrade requirements are...

6.4 or 6.4.1

System firmware

Upgrade to 4.2.2 or later.
See Requirements if you are upgrading from 6.4.1.

Data ONTAP

Upgrade to a version of Data ONTAP 6.4.2 first, then upgrade to 6.5.1 (or later).

6.4.2 (any version of)

System firmware

Upgrade to 4.2.2 or later.

Data ONTAP

Upgrade directly to 6.5.1 (or later, for example, to a 6.5.1R release).

6.5 or 6.5R1

System firmware

Optionally upgrade to a version later than 4.2.2.

Data ONTAP

Upgrade directly to 6.5.1 (or later).

Requirements if you are upgrading from 6.4.1

Requirements when upgrading from Data ONTAP 6.4.1 are as follows.

Service partition

You must manually format the service partition before upgrading the system firmware to version 4.2.2 or later. Otherwise, the gFiler cannot upgrade to 4.2.2 and future firmware releases. See Installing the firmware/diagnostic service image--GF800 series or Installing the firmware/diagnostic service image--GF900 series for information about how to manually format the service partition.

Progressive upgrade path

If your gFiler is running a version of Data ONTAP earlier than 6.4.2, you must install Data ONTAP 6.4.2 or the latest Data ONTAP 6.4.x version before upgrading to Data ONTAP 6.5.1. If you attempt to download Data ONTAP 6.5.1 on your gFiler before installing the latest version of Data ONTAP 6.4.x, the download stops and the gFiler displays a message similar to the following:

hw-173> download

download: Depending on system load, it may take many minutes

download: to complete this operation.  Until it finishes, you will

download: not be able to use the console. You can cancel this

download: operation by hitting Ctrl-C in the next 6 seconds.

Mon Dec 15 20:55:46 GMT [download.request:notice]: Operator 
requested download initiated

download: Files /etc/boot/netapp-x86 and /etc/boot/na_bootcard-x86 
are not the same version.

hw-173> Mon Dec 15 20:55:47 GMT [download.requestDone:notice]: 
Operator requested download completed

Sources of upgrade firmware and Data ONTAP software

The following sources are for upgrading firmware and system software:

The NetApp on the Web (NOW) site at http://now.netapp.com.
NOW login information is on the protocol license sheet sent with the gFiler.
The CD-ROM supplied in the media package
Your authorized reseller