Field Notice: FN - 63939 - HDD Disabled Due to Automatic Firmware Downgrade - Configuration Change Recommended

Notice

THIS FIELD NOTICE IS PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS AND DOES NOT IMPLY ANY KIND OF GUARANTEE OR WARRANTY, INCLUDING THE WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY. YOUR USE OF THE INFORMATION ON THE FIELD NOTICE OR MATERIALS LINKED FROM THE FIELD NOTICE IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. CISCO RESERVES THE RIGHT TO CHANGE OR UPDATE THIS FIELD NOTICE AT ANY TIME.

Revision History

Revision	Publish Date	Comments
1.0	11-May-15	Initial Release
10.0	16-Oct-17	Migration to new field notice system
10.1	22-May-18	Fixed Broken Image Links

Products Affected

Affected Product ID	Comments
A03-D300GA2
A03-D600GA2
A03V-D300GA2=
A03V-D600GA2=
UCS-EZ-300GB-HDD
UCS-EZ-600GB-HDD
UCS-EZ7-300GB-HDD1
UCS-EZ7-300GB-HDD3
UCS-EZ7-600GB-HDD2
UCS-HDD900GI2F106
UCS-SP-600GB-HDD
UCS-SP-A03-D300G
UCSV-HD900GI2F106=

Defect Information

Defect ID	Headline
CSCus51733	Toshiba HDD firmware downgrade issue - unconfigured bad

Problem Description

Certain hard disk drives (HDDs) with new firmware might be automatically downgraded by Unified Computing System (UCS) Manager, which causes the drive to become unusable. The issue affects certain hard drives manufactured by Toshiba under the Product IDs listed in the Products Affected section. The issue affects UCS B-Series and UCS C-Series, only in environments managed through UCS Manager Version 2.2(3).

Background

Cisco UCS Manager automatically detects the vendor and model of installed hard drives, and updates the firmware if there is a mismatch. At the time of this Field Notice release, UCS Manager includes firmware version 5705. Since November 2014, Cisco has shipped Toshiba drives with the newer firmware version 5706 that also includes a hardware update that is not compatible with firmware 5705. If a drive with firmware other than 5705 is detected, UCS Manager automatically changes the firmware to 5705. In this case, the drive becomes nonoperational because the hardware is not compatible. This situation can occur when a replacement drive with firmware 5706 is installed, or any time UCS Manager newly discovers a Toshiba AL13SE hard drive that runs 5706 firmware.

Problem Symptom

If your drive is impacted, these four items should all be noted for your disk:

• Drive State : unconfigured-bad
• Size (MB) : Unknown
• Number of Blocks : Unknown
• Running Version : 5705

Workaround/Solution

Note: If a hard drive becomes downgraded from firmware version 5706 to 5705 and becomes unusable, the hard drive must be returned via Return Material Authorization (RMA). There is no way to recover the drive in the field in this case.

Short Term Workaround for those without a Bundle-Based Host Firmware Policy

Notes:

• If the host firmware package is created and managed by UCS Central, then the short-term workaround here will not be applicable as you are unable to uncheck individual hardware items from the package.
• If the host firmware package was created within UCSM locally with the blade package version (choose the "Simple" option when created), then you will not be able to uncheck the hardware items from the package and will have to create a new package.
• It is not possible to download the UCSM 2.2.3e B Series bundle if you run a UCSM version earlier than 2.2.3e and use it's Host Firmware policy. It is required that customers upgrade the entire infrastructure to 2.2.3e.

Disable the Automatic HDD Firmware Update

1. Select the server and click the service profile link (mid-right):

   

2. Select the policies tab (mid-top):

   

3. Expand Firmware Policies and click the Host Firmware Instance link (middle):

   

4. Unselect the check box (left column) for the Toshiba drives (AL13SEB300, AL13SEB600, AL13SE900):

   

Short Term Workaround for those with a Bundle-Based Host FirmWare Policy

The steps to create the custom Host Firmware Package Policy and apply it to the Service Profile are listed in this section.

Change the Reboot Policy of the "Default" Maintenance Policy

1. Choose the Server tab > Servers > Policies > Maintenance Policies.
2. Choose the "default" policy.
3. Go to the Main Tab of the "default" policy.
4. In the Reboot Policy field, click the User Ack radio button.
5. Click Save Changes in the Main Tab of the "default" policy.

   

Note: This allows any blades that require a reboot after application of the "Customer Host Firmware Package" to prompt for user acknowledgement. Therefore, they will not reboot automatically/immediately.

Create a Custom Host Firmware Package Policy

1. Choose the Server tab > Servers > Policies > Host Firmware Packages.
2. Right-click Host Firmware Packages.
3. Choose Create Host Firmware Package. The Create Host Firmware Package wizard displays.

   

4. In the Name field, enter the name for Host Firmware Package.

   

5. DO NOT choose anything in the Blade Package and Rack Package drop-down lists.
6. Click the Advanced radio button. The server components tabs display. By default, all options are NOT checked.
7. Check the check boxes for ONLY the components that need to be upgraded. Do not check any check boxes for components that DO NOT need to be upgraded. For example, if you want to upgrade the firmware for all the SEAGATE hard disk drives choose the Local Disk tab and then check the check boxes for all the SEAGATE hard disk drives.

   

8. Choose the firmware version to upgrade the SEAGATE hard disk drives to.
9. Ensure that the TOSHIBA hard disk drive check boxes are not checked.
10. Click OK.

    

    The new custom Host Firmware Package is created and located under Host Firmware Packages Policy (Server tab > Servers > Policies > Host Firmware Packages).

    

11. Click the newly created custom Host Firmware Package then choose the Local Disk tab.

    

12. Verify that all the TOSHIBA hard disk drives are NOT checked.

Apply the Host Firmware Package Policy to the Service Profile

1. Choose the Equipment tab and choose the server that needs to be upgraded.

   

2. Choose the Service Profile of the server that needs to use/apply the custom Host Firmware Package. The selected Service Profile Properties menu displays.

   

3. Chooose the Policies Tab.

   

4. Choose Firmware Policies.

   

5. Click the Host Firmware drop-down list.

   

6. Choose the custom firmware package from the drop-down list.

   

7. Click OK.

   Note: At this state, only the SEAGATE hard disk drives will be upgraded and not the TOSHIBA hard disk drives.

Long Term Solution

Install UCS Manager Version 2.2(3e) or later. For upgrade instructions, refer to the Install and Upgrade link on Cisco Connection Online.

How To Identify Affected Products

Note: This issue only exists in environments managed by UCS Manager Version 2.2(3). The software package version can be identified if you select the Fabric Interconnect in UCS Manager, and then select the General tab.

In order to identify the hard drive firmware level, complete these steps:

1. Start UCSM.
2. Select the blade.
3. Select the "Inventory" tab.
4. Select the "Storage" tab.
5. Expand the "Disks" section.

   

For More Information

If you require further assistance, or if you have any further questions regarding this field notice, please contact the Cisco Systems Technical Assistance Center (TAC) by one of the following methods:

• Open a service request on Cisco.com
• By email
• By telephone

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