Edit: Some links no longer work.
Originally posted May 26, 2015 on AIXchange
If you’re new to IBM Power Systems, you’re new to upgrading the HMC (see here and here). Furthermore, you’re new to system firmware updates. I’ve previously discussed firmware, and IBM Systems Magazine has other good articles about it (here and here). There’s also this step-by-step guide to updating your system firmware:
“IBM Power Systems firmware update, which is often referred to as Change Licensed Internal Code (LIC) procedure, is usually performed on the managed systems from the Hardware Management Console (HMC). Firmware update includes the latest fixes and new features. We can use the Change Licensed Internal Code wizard from the HMC graphical user interface (GUI) to apply updates to the Licensed Internal Code (LIC) on the selected managed system.
We can select multiple managed systems to be updated simultaneously. The wizard also allows us to view the current system information or perform advanced operations. This tutorial provides the step-by-step procedure for the IBM Power Systems firmware update from the HMC command line, and the HMC GUI and is targeted for system administrators.
This step-by-step instructions can prepare the newbie for what needs to be done and how it could be done to stay on to the latest firmware level all the time. When you purchase a new hardware, the best [practice] is to upgrade all the firmware to the latest level.
This tutorial provides the following information:
-Current firmware details
-Different kinds of code download and update methods
-Steps to obtain the relevant firmware code updates or releases from the IBM FixCentral website
-Steps to update the firmware concurrently using DVD media, that is, the fixes that can be deployed on a running system without rebooting partitions or performing an initial program load (IPL) within a specific release
-Steps to update the firmware disruptively, that is, update requiring the system IPL within a specific release
-Advanced code update options from the Change Licensed Internal Code wizard
-Steps to upgrade to recent firmware releases disruptively using the File Transfer Protocol (FTP) method
-Steps to upgrade the firmware disruptively through the IBM Service website to a required level.”
Keep in mind that being able to actually get your hands on system firmware requires you to have entitlement for your machines. This means you must make sure you can actually get the code you need, preferably before you actually need it. There’s nothing worse than getting all the necessary approvals for a change window and system downtime, only to have to fail the change and reschedule it because you didn’t have the code you needed.
How do your machines look? Are your HMC, system firmware and device firmware all at their recommended levels? If you aren’t sure what levels they should be running, don’t forget to check the fix level recommendation tool (FLRT).