Getting server firmware fixes through IBM i for a system managed by an HMC

If you have IBM® i and it is managed by a Hardware Management Console (HMC), you can either install the server firmware fixes through the HMC, or install the server firmware fixes and IBM i fixes at the same time.

Important: If you have a POWER6® Power Systems™ server that is managed by an HMC, you must install server firmware fixes through the HMC.

Notes:

Because systems running the IBM i operating system are set up, by default, to download and install the server firmware fixes using your HMC, you must use this procedure to change the default to IBM i. In addition, you need to ensure that one of your logical partitions is designated to be a service partition.
If your hardware is not connected to the Internet, you need to obtain a CD that contains the server firmware fix file.
If a concurrent server firmware fix is available through the HMC, you might choose to use the HMC. Installing the server firmware fixes through the operating system is a disruptive (nonconcurrent) process.
Do not interrupt this process after you begin.

To get server firmware through IBM i, follow these steps:

If you have more than one IBM i logical partition, designate one of your IBM i logical partitions to be the service partition by performing the following steps:
1. In the navigation pane, open Systems Management and click Servers.
2. In the contents pane, click the managed system for the service partition you want to designate, click Tasks > Properties.
3. In the Service partition field, select the logical partition that you want to designate as the service partition. If you do not want to designate another logical partition as the service partition, select None.
4. Click OK.
Prepare to change the update policy from the HMC to the IBM i operating system:
1. Determine the level of server firmware that is on your managed system, and determine if any server firmware fixes are installed on your service partition. For instructions on how to check the level of server firmware on the managed system and service partition, see the IBM i Information Center Web site at http://www.ibm.com/systems/i/infocenter. Select from the following options:
  - If you select V6R1, expand IBM i 6.1 Information Center.
  - If you select V5R4, expand i5/OS Information Center.
2. Expand i5/OS and related software > Maintaining and managing i5/OS and related software > Using software fixes > Displaying fixes information on your system > Displaying level of fixes.
3. Choose from the following options:
  - If server firmware fixes are installed on the service partition, continue with step 2.d.
  - If no server firmware fixes are installed on the service partition, continue with step 3.
4. Before changing your firmware update policy to IBM i, ensure that the correct server firmware fixes are installed on your service partition. The server firmware fixes installed on the service partition must be at the same or a higher level than the server firmware running on the managed system before you change the firmware update policy to the operating system.
  Important: When you set the firmware update policy to IBM i, the current level of the server firmware fixes installed on the service partition is used to update the server firmware that is running on the managed system. Consequently, if the server firmware fix installed on the service partition are at a lower level than the server firmware running on the managed system, the installation process could install a lower level of server firmware on the managed system.
Change the firmware update policy from the HMC to the IBM i operating system using one of the following methods:
- Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI): To use the ASMI to change the firmware update policy from the HMC to the operating system, see Changing firmware update policy.
  Note: You can access the ASMI through the HMC interface or through your browser. Use the ASMI administrator login and password to access these menus.
- HMC remote command line: To change the firmware update policy by using the HMC remote command line, use the Update Licensed Internal Code (UPDLIC) command.
  Use the following examples to change the firmware update policy using the UPDLIC command:
  - To change the firmware update policy to the operating system, enter the following command:
```
updlic -m xxxx -o o
```
    where xxxx is either the machine type, model, and serial number or the name of the managed system.
  - To change the firmware update policy to HMC, enter the following command:
```
updlic -m xxxx -o h
```
    where xxxx is either the machine type, model, and serial number or the name of the managed system.
To automatically create the IBM i server firmware product 57339xx to install server firmware fixes, enter the Display Firmware Status (DSPFMWSTS) command from the IBM i service partition.
Use the IBM i fix installation functions on your service partition to update the server firmware.
- For details on using fixes, from the IBM i Information Center or the IBM i5/OS® Information Center, as applicable, expand i5/OS and related software > Maintaining and managing i5/OS and related software > Using software fixes.
- For details on ordering fixes, from the IBM i Information Center or the IBM i5/OS Information Center, as applicable, expand i5/OS and related software > Maintaining and managing i5/OS and related software > Using software fixes > Ordering fixes
When you shut down the IBM i service partition to install the server firmware fix, system reference code (SRC) D6xx430B or D6xx430A might be displayed for an extended period. The xx might increment periodically and is a normal part of processing when server firmware fixes are being installed. Allow the server to complete the processing; do not interrupt this process.
To verify that the fix is installed correctly, from the IBM i Information Center or the IBM i5/OS Information Center, as applicable, expand i5/OS and related software > Maintaining and managing i5/OS and related software > Using software fixes > Installing fixes > Verifying fix installation.

For information on maintaining and managing IBM i and related software, from the IBM i Information Center or the IBM i5/OS Information Center, as applicable, expand i5/OS and related software and select Maintaining and managing i5/OS and related software.

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Last updated: Wed, March 28, 2012