Perform Cisco Nutanix HCI Cluster Offline Upgrade Through Intersight
## Introduction
This document describes the process to manually perform an offline firmware upgrade for Cisco Nutanix HCI clusters using Cisco Intersight when LCM is not used.
## Background Information
While it is recommended to use Life Cycle Manager (LCM) when remediating firmware for ISM/IMM Clusters, specific scenarios—such as hitting a bug or Field Notice (FN)—may require selecting a specific version for an upgrade or downgrade. In these cases, firmware changes can be applied through Intersight.
Unlike the LCM process, an offline upgrade requires editing and patching firmware on a per-host basis. It is mandatory to understand the workload and capacity of the cluster before performing these actions. During this process, the user manually places the host in Maintenance Mode, applies the firmware change via Intersight, and then exits Maintenance Mode. This is repeated for each node in the cluster.
## Manual Upgrade Steps at a Glance
1. Edit the Firmware Policy with the new firmware version.
2. Deploy all profiles without an immediate reboot to stage the firmware.
3. Place the node in Maintenance Mode via Prism Element or Prism Central.
4. Activate the profile for the server in Maintenance Mode to power cycle the server and apply firmware.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all nodes in the cluster.
## Modify Firmware Policies
Intersight pushes firmware through a Firmware Policy. Each node has its own policy, and new versions are selected by editing these policies.
The syntax for the firmware policy name is: `ntnx_firmware__`
### Locate and Edit Policies
1. Navigate to **Policies** > Click **Filters** > **Type** > Check **Firmware**.
2. Select the Policy and click **Edit**.
3. Select the desired firmware version from the drop-down list and click **Save & Deploy**.
### Stage the Firmware
When redeploying the server profile, ensure the **Reboot Immediately** option is **unchecked**. This stages the new firmware on the blade; the change is only executed after the next power cycle. This method saves time by staging firmware across all nodes simultaneously.
Once deployment starts:
* A new workflow appears in the **Requests** tab.
* The firmware download is initiated.
* After the server is deployed without an immediate reboot, the Server Profile will show an **Inconsistent** status. This is expected until the profile is activated.
## Place Servers in Maintenance Mode Through Prism Central or Prism Element
To avoid disruption, servers must be placed into Maintenance Mode to migrate workloads before the reboot.
### Using Prism Element
1. Navigate to **Hardware** > **Diagram**.
2. Select the **AHV#**.
3. Select **Enter Maintenance Mode**.
### Using Prism Central
1. Navigate to **Infrastructure** > **Hardware** > **Clusters**.
2. Select the **Cluster**.
3. Select the specific **Node** to place it in Maintenance Mode.
## Activate Profiles and Push Firmware
Once the host is in Maintenance Mode, you can push the firmware.
1. Navigate to the **Profiles** tab.
2. Locate the profile of the server in Maintenance Mode using its Serial Number.
3. Select **Actions** > **Activate**.
4. (Optional) Monitor the firmware upgrade progress through the KVM console.
## Verify Upgrade and Exit Maintenance Mode
Once the activation is complete:
1. The Server Profile status transitions to **OK**.
2. The node can now be taken out of Maintenance Mode.
3. Repeat the process for the remaining nodes until all profiles show an **OK** status.
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