Updating the Firmware on Cisco UCS C-Series Servers

This chapter includes the following topics:

Upgrading the Firmware on a Cisco UCS C-Series Server Using the HUU

You can use the HUU ISO to upgrade components of the server from the host locally with an externally connected writable DVD or CD USB device, or remotely by mounting the HUU ISO as a virtual device. This following procedure explains how to upgrade the firmware using the HUU:

    Step 1   Download the HUU ISO file:
    1. Navigate to the following URL: http:/​/​www.cisco.com/​cisco/​software/​navigator.html.
    2. In the middle column, click Servers – Unified Computing.
    3. In the right-hand column, click Cisco UCS C-Series Rack-Mount Standalone Server Software.
    4. Choose the name of your model of server in the right column.
    5. Click Unified Computing System (UCS) Server Firmware.
    6. Choose the release number.
    7. Click Download Now to download the ucs-server platform-huu-version_number.iso file.
    8. Verify the information on the next page, and click Proceed With Download.
    9. Continue through the subsequent screens to accept the license agreement and browse to a location where you want to save the file.
    Step 2   If you want to prepare the ISO for a local upgrade, complete this step; Otherwise, go to Step 3.
    1. Burn the ISO image onto a writable disk (CD).
    2. Connect a VGA monitor and USB keyboard to the Cisco C-Series server.
    3. Insert the disk into the USB DVD drive of the Cisco C-Series server.
    4. Go to Step 4.
    Step 3   Prepare the ISO for a remote upgrade using the KVM Console.
    1. Use a browser to connect to the Cisco IMC GUI software on the server that you are upgrading.
    2. In the address field of the browser, enter the Cisco IMC IP address for that server, and then enter your username and password.
    3. Click Launch KVM Console on the toolbar to launch the KVM Console.
    4. In the KVM Console, click the Virtual Media.
    5. Click Add Image and click the ucs-server-name-huu-version_number.iso file.
    6. In the Client View area, in the Mapped column, check the check box for the ISO file that you added and then wait for mapping to complete.
    7. After the ISO file appears as a mapped remote device, go to Step 4.
    Step 4   Boot the server and press F6 when prompted to open the Boot Menu screen.
    Step 5   In the Boot Menu screen, choose the prepared ISO:
    • For a local upgrade, choose the physical CD/DVD USB device and then press Enter.
    • For a remote upgrade, choose Cisco vKVM-Mapped vDVD1.22, and press Enter.

    The server boots from the selected device.

    Step 6   After the HUU boots, Cisco End User License Agreement (EULA) appears, read the EULA and click:
    • I Agree to agree with the license agreement and proceed with the update.
    • I Disagree to cancel.

    After you accept the EULA, when the Cisco Host Upgrade Utility window appears with a list of all the components that are available for update.

    Step 7   If you want to update all the listed components, click Update all.
    Note   

    • If you are updating to 2.0 (x) from versions 1.5(1l) and before, or from version 1.5.3 both the active and the backup versions of Cisco IMC will be updated to 2.0(x).

    • During update the KVM connection will be lost, you have to reconnect to view the progress of the updates.

    Enabling Cisco IMC Secure Boot confirmation dialog box appears.
    Note   

    This warning message is displayed only on C22 M3, C24 M3, C220 M3 and C240 M3 servers.

    Step 8   Read the content on the confirmation box carefully and click Yes, if you want to go ahead and update the firmware and enable Cisco Secure Boot.
    Note   

    • If you are updating from a version below 2.0 (x) to 2.0(x), when you click YES both the active and the backup versions of Cisco IMC will be updated to 2.0(x).

    • During update the KVM connection will be lost, you have to reconnect to view the progress of the updates.

    For more information on Cisco IMC secure boot, refer to the Introduction to Cisco IMC Secure Boot section in the Cisco UCS C-Series Servers Integrated Management Controller GUI Configuration Guide, Release 2.0(1).

    Step 9   If you want update specific components from the list, choose the components that you want to update.
    Step 10   Click Update.
    Note   

    • We recommend you update the firmware on all components using the Update all option, unless you want to specifically update the firmware of a component.

    • We recommend that you update the BIOS each time that you update the Cisco IMC firmware. We also recommend that you update the Cisco IMC each time that you update the BIOS firmware.

    • If you update the Cisco IMC firmware, click Exit and then Ok to activate the Cisco IMC firmware.

    • If you choose to update Cisco IMC and any other component with it and if you have not chosen BIOS, then on exit, you will be prompted to update the Chassis Firmware, click Yes in the confirmation box to update the chassis firmware.

    This initiates the update and the status of the update is displayed in the Update Status column. You can also view a more detailed log of a series of activities and statuses that are involved while updating the firmware in the Execution Logs section.

    Step 11   If you want to update the firmware of the hard disk of a server, click Update HDD Firmware. A window displays a list of hard disk drives on the server that support new firmware. Hard disk drives that do not support firmware upgrades are not listed.
    Important:

    Updating the firmware of the hard disk drive could result in data loss. Cisco recommends that you take a complete system backup prior to updating the firmware.

    1. To update the firmware of all the hard disks, click Update All.

      With this option, HDDs with the latest firmware installed are not updated.

    2. To update a specific HDD, choose the HDD and click Update.
    Step 12   Reboot the server.
    Step 13   Reboot the server, and click Last Update Verify to verify if the update was successfully completed.

    This action compares the previously updated firmware version for each component that was updated using the HUU with the current version of the firmware on the components and provides the status of the update.

    Step 14   If you want to save the log files of the update status for later use, click Save Logs.

    Log files that contain a detailed status of the update are saved to an external USB device that is connected to the server physically or through the KVM vMedia.

    Note   

    If an error occurs while updating the firmware, you are prompted to save the error log. Click Save Logs to save the log to an externally connected USB. This log can be used for identifying the cause of the error and troubleshooting.

    Step 15   Click Exit to exit from the HUU.
    Note   
    • If you have updated the Cisco IMC and not the BIOS, when you click Exit, Cisco IMC gets activated and you lose connectivity to the Cisco IMC and KVM.
    • If you have selected LOM for update and you are on shared LOM mode, when you click Exit, you lose connectivity to the Cisco IMC and KVM.