HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 5.3.x administrator guide (5697-0244, November 2009)

Fabric OS 5.3.0 administrator guide 189
NOTE: You cannot perform a firmware downgrade from Fabric OS 5.2.x or higher if administrative
domains are configured in the fabric. See ”Managing administrative domains” on page 157 for details.
When the primary and secondary CPs in a 4/256 SAN Director are running pre-Fabric OS 5.2.x and
are in HA-Sync, if firmware is downloaded to upgrade only one CP (using the firmwareDownload –s
option), that CP will run in an AD-unaware mode (AD creation operations will fail and the local switch will
appear as an AD-unaware switch in the fabric).
If primary and secondary CPs are running Fabric OS 5.2.x and if ADs are configured, any attempt to
downgrade one or both CPs to a pre-Fabric OS 5.1.x version will fail.
See ”Troubleshooting firmware download” for exception cases and associated error messages generated
from the preinstallaton check.
Troubleshooting firmware download
Starting in Fabric OS v5.2.0 a network diagnostic script and preinstallation check was added as a part of
the firmwareDownload procedure. The script and preinstallation check performs troubleshooting and
automatically checks for any blocking conditions. However, you should follow these good practices for
firmware download before you start the procedure:
• Keep all telnet sessions and serial console logs.
• Enter the supportSave (for Fabric OS 4.4.x or later) or the supportShow command (for Fabric OS
4.2.x or earlier) before and after entering the firmwareDownload command.
• If a problem persists, package together all of the information (the telnet session logs and serial console
logs, output from the supportSave command) for support. Make sure you identify which information
was gathered before and after issuing the firmwareDownload command.
If the firmware download fails to complete, refer to the Fabric OS System Error Message Reference Manual
for details about any error messages.
If a firmware download fails in a Director, the firmwareDownload command synchronizes the firmware
on the two partitions of each CP by starting a firmware commit operation. Wait at least 10 minutes for this
commit operation to complete before attempting another firmware download.
If the firmware download fails in a Director, then the CPs may end up with different versions of firmware
and be unable to achieve HA synchronization. In such cases, issue the firmwareDownload -s
command; the single mode (-s) option upgrades the firmware on the standby CP to match the firmware
version running on the active CP. Then re-issue the firmwareDownload command to download the
desired firmware version to both CPs. For example, if CP0 is running v5.0.1 on the primary and secondary
partitions, and CP1 is running v4.4.0e on the primary and secondary partition, then synchronize them by
issuing the firmwareDownload -s command.
Refer to the Fabric OS System Error Message Reference Manual for detailed information about .plist-related
error messages.
Downgrading firmware from Fabric OS 5.2.x
Because of significant features added to Fabric OS 5.2.x, such as administrative domains, constraints for
downgrading firmware exist. Attempts to downgrade from 5.2.x are blocked if any of the following
conditions are true:
• Administrative domains are enabled.
• Port mirroring, fastwrite, or tape pipelining is enabled.
• The zone database is greater than 256 KB. To discover the size of the zone database, use the
cfgSize command.
• The timeZone command has been set to new values.
• RADIUS configuration is set to Remote and Local.
• EX_Port trunking is enabled (feature not supported in Fabric OS 5.1.x).