Have an account?

  •   Personalized content
  •   Your products and support

Need an account?

Create an account

Cisco HyperFlex Systems Upgrade Guide, Release 1.7

Book Contents
Find Matches in This Book
Available Languages
Download Options

Book Title

Cisco HyperFlex Systems Upgrade Guide, Release 1.7

Chapter Title

Cisco HyperFlex Systems Upgrade Overview

Results

Updated:
August 7, 2018

Chapter: Cisco HyperFlex Systems Upgrade Overview

Cisco HyperFlex Systems Upgrade Overview

HyperFlex Upgrade Overview

Cisco HyperFlex System has several components that may be upgraded depending on your environment. The entire HyperFlex cluster and its various components such as Cisco UCS server firmware, the Fabric Interconnects, HX Data Platform software, ESXi hypervisor, can be upgraded while the VMs are in production. This is achieved by performing a rolling upgrade of each node in the HX cluster. However, it's preferable to perform the upgrade during a planned maintenance window with low system load.

The upgrade order for the endpoints depends upon the upgrade path. Refer to the workflow tables to determine the appropriate new deployment or upgrade path.

Overview

An upgrade requires that all nodes in the storage cluster are online. Depending upon the starting version of the Cisco HX Data Platform, the storage cluster can be either online or offline.

When an upgrade is performed in an offline mode, this means the Cisco HX Data Platform is offline, however the storage controller VMs are up and Cisco HX Data Platform management is viewable through both the stcli command line access and the vSphere Web Client HX Data Platform plug-in. The vSphere Web Client can report on the storage I/O layer. The stcli cluster info command returns that the overall storage cluster status is offline.

Upgrading the storage cluster is performed from a storage controller VM on one of the nodes in the storage cluster. All the nodes in the storage cluster are upgraded serially from the initiating storage cluster node. Upgrading your Cisco HX Data Platform includes the following:

  1. Obtain the latest software version from Cisco Support.

  2. Ensure the storage cluster is healthy

  3. Handle the user VMs. Choose a method or combination of methods. Do not perform this on the storage controller VM.

    • Shutdown the user VMs. This keeps the data in place.

    • Move to another storage cluster, use VMware storage vMotion. This keeps the VMs active, but not under Cisco HX Data Platform storage control.

  4. Shutdown the storage cluster. Keep the vCenter cluster ESX hosts and storage controller VMs online.

  5. Run the upgrade command from a storage controller VM in the storage cluster.

    • The upgrade process occurs sequentially on nodes in the storage cluster. The last node to upgrade is the one used to run the upgrade command.

    • During the upgrade process, each node while upgrading goes offline and then comes back online. Only after a node returns to online status is the next node upgraded.

    • While the node running the upgrade command is upgraded, direct communication to that node is temporarily disconnected. While this node is upgrading, to view status of the upgrade, you can login to the storage controller VM of another upgraded node.

Deployment and Upgrade Workflows for Intel Broadwell and Haswell CPU based HX Clusters

Cisco HyperFlex System supports both the Intel Haswell and Broadwell CPUs. Based on your environment, refer to the table below and review the action column to determine whether an upgrade is required and for which specific components.


Note

  1. This workflow is applicable to HX220, HX240 and B200 M4 only HX nodes.

  2. Fabric Interconnect version has to be GREATER than HX node Firmware version of all nodes.

  3. If the HX nodes have Intel Broadwell CPU, then the downgrade of HX node is not supported. Therefore, the fabric interconnects and any HX nodes with lower version of software, must be upgrade. Refer to the Cisco HCL documentation for supported firmware matrix.

  4. Components that may require an upgrade:

    • Cisco UCS Manager

    • HX node Firmware

    • HX Installer

    • HX Data Platform Software

    • ESXi

Upgrade Workflow

User Environment

Action: Upgrade

From Existing Cluster Software Component versions

Upgrade To Component Versions

New Intel v4 Broadwell nodes with existing Haswell cluster

Create a separate cluster for the Broadwell nodes, under the same FI domain. Follow the steps below:

  1. Upgrade UCS Manager on the existing FIs. See section Upgrading UCS Manager on the Fabric Interconnects

  2. Upgrade the HX node firmware for each Haswell node. See section Upgrading HX Node Firmware

  3. Download the HX Installer 1.7.1-14835 version.

  4. Proceed with adding a new cluster of Intel Broadwell nodes. See for Getting Started Guidefurther details.

  • UCS Manager version = 2.2(6f)

  • HX node FW = 2.2(6f)

  • HX Data Platform version = 1.7.1

  • ESXi = 6.0U1b

  • UCS Manager version = 2.2(7c)

  • HX node FW = 2.2(7c)

  • HX Data Platform = none

  • ESXi = none

Expand existing Haswell cluster by adding new Intel v3 Haswell nodes

Upgrade current Haswell cluster to new software versions

  1. Upgrade UCS Manager on the existing FIs. See section Upgrading UCS Manager on the Fabric Interconnects

  2. Upgrade the HX node firmware for each Haswell node. See section Upgrading HX Node Firmware

  3. Download the HX Installer 1.7.1-14835 version.

  4. Proceed with adding a new cluster of Intel Broadwell nodes. See for Getting Started Guidefurther details.

  • UCS Manager version = 2.2(6f)

  • HX node FW = 2.2(6f)

  • HX Data Platform version = 1.7.1

  • ESXi = 6.0U1b

  • UCS Manager version = 2.2(7c)

  • HX node FW = 2.2(7c)

  • HX Data Platform = none

  • ESXi = none

Add another Intel v3 Haswell cluster to an existing Haswell cluster

Upgrade current Haswell cluster to new software versions

  1. Upgrade UCS Manager on the existing FIs. See section Upgrading UCS Manager on the Fabric Interconnects

  2. Upgrade the HX node firmware for each Haswell node. See section Upgrading HX Node Firmware

  3. Download the HX Installer 1.7.1-14835 version.

  4. Proceed with adding a new cluster of Intel Broadwell nodes. See for Getting Started Guidefurther details.

  • UCS Manager version = 2.2(6f)

  • HX node FW = 2.2(6f)

  • HX Data Platform version = 1.7.1

  • ESXi = 6.0U1b

  • UCS Manager version = 2.2(7c)

  • HX node FW = 2.2(7c)

  • HX Data Platform = none

  • ESXi = none

Was this Document Helpful?

FeedbackFeedback

Contact Cisco

Related Cisco Community Discussions

About Us
Contact Us
Work with Us