Thinking inside the box...

-
Current Location
-

TriParadigm
  Business Continuity Methdology


Join our Data Center Automation Group on LinkedIn.

The following document describes the procedure to upgrade the Microcode on the IBM p590 systems. Upgrading the microcode requires the each frame in the pair to be powered-down, causing all systems running on the frame to be shutdown. Since production databases are running on each frame, a microcode upgrade requires the coordination of the AIX system administration team, DBA's, and application administrators.

  1. The first phase of this process is to upgrade the HMC associated with the p590 frames.
  2. Then failover all production systems to the alternate frame. Non-production systems will not be failed over, they will simply be shutdown.
  3. Next, power off the p590 frame and perform the Microcode upgrade.
  4. After microcode upgrade is complete and verified, power up the p590 and restart all systems.
  5. Failback all production systems and test.
  6. Repeat this process for the second p590 frame.


    Materials Checklist

  • Latest Microcode DVD
    • Downloaded by:
    • Download Date:
    • Version......:

  • Latest HMC Upgrade DVD's
    • Downloaded by:
    • Download Date:
    • Version......:

  • Latest HMC fixes and patches
    • Downloaded by:
    • Download Date:
    • Version......:
    • Downloaded by:
    • Download Date:
    • Version......:
    • Downloaded by:
    • Download Date:
    • Version......:
    • Downloaded by:
    • Download Date:
    • Version......:


    Special Instructions:
  • Perform simultaneous microcode upgrade of mtxtriparadigmapp81. See separate document for mtxtriparadigmapp81 procedure.


Phase 1

- Upgrade the HMC associated with the Mt Xia p590 frames.


Phase 1 Start Time:
Phase 1 Duration:


  • Shutdown the HMC and boot from latest DVD's, Install HMC Upgrade

    mtxlphmc01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Install latest required HMC patches and fixes

    mtxlphmc01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Restart HMC and verify upgrade, patches, fixes

    mtxlphmc01


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Verify system information, network connectivity, DNS resolution

    mtxlphmc01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


Phase 2

- System Failovers

Failover all production systems to the alternate frame. Non-production systems will not be failed over, they will simply be shutdown.


Phase 2 Start Time:
Phase 2 Duration:



  • Contact p590 DBA's and application admins, failover Oracle databases from mtxapega01 to mtxapega02.

    mtxapega01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Shutdown p590 Oracle database server mtxapega01

    mtxapega01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Other Production System failovers - HACMP shutdown w/ takeover

    mtxapora01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapora03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapsee01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal05:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Non-production system shutdown - No failover

    mtxaaora01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaaora03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn05:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn07:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxeperf:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxlpldap1:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Shutdown VIO Servers

    mtxapvio01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapvio02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Verify application and database integrity and operation on frame 2. Obtain OK to proceed from management, DO NOT POWER OFF YET.

    9119-590-SN51A971E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


Phase 3

- Perform Microcode upgrade


Phase 3 Start Time:
Phase 3 Duration:



  • Prepare HMC/Frame for microcode upgrade

    mtxlphmc01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Perform Microcode upgrade of p590 frame

    9119-590-SN51A971E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Verify Microcode upgrade of p590 frame 9119-590-SN51A971E

    9119-590-SN51A971E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Reconfigure power cable to alternate PDU

    9119-590-SN51A971E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Check HMC Settings for all LPAR's on frame 9119-590-SN51A971E.

    mtxlphmc01


    Start Time:
    Duration:
    Minimum Memory
    Desired Memory
    Maximum Memory
    Minimum Processing Units
    Desired Processing Units
    Maximum Processing Units
    Minimum Virtual Processors
    Desired Virtual Processors
    Maximum Virtual Processors
    Cap Mode
    Weight
    


Phase 4

- Power on p590 Frame and activate systems


Phase 4 Start Time:
Phase 4 Duration:



  • Power-on p590 frame 1 to "standby" state

    9119-590-SN51A971E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Activate the EGATE database server.

    mtxapega01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Activate VIO Servers

    mtxapvio01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapvio02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Activate other Production Systems

    mtxapora01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapora03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapsee01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal05:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Activate Non-production systems

    mtxaaora01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaaora03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn05:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn07:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxeperf:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxlpldap1:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


Phase 5

- Application Failback

Failback the production databases, production application servers, and restart non-production systems.


Phase 5 Start Time:
Phase 5 Duration:



  • Contact p590 DBA's and application admins, failback EGATE databases from mtxapega02 to mtxapega01.

    mtxapega01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Other production system application failbacks

    mtxapora01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapora03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapsee01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal05:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Non-production system application startup and cluster verify

    mtxaaora01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaaora03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn05:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn07:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxeperf:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxlpldap1:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


  • Verify PLM communication with all LPAR's on frame 9119-590-SN51A971E:

    mtxapnim01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:
    tail -f /var/opt/plm/51A971E.log
    




Phase 6

- Frame 51A974E System Failovers

The failover process will now be repeated on the second frame in preparation for performing the microcode upgrade on that frame.


Phase 6 Start Time:
Phase 6 Duration:



  • Contact p590 DBA's and application admins, failover Oracle databases from mtxapega02 to mtxapega01.

    mtxapega02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Shutdown p590 Oracle database server mtxapega02

    mtxapega02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Other Production System failovers - HACMP Shutdown w/ Takeover

    mtxapora02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapora04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaasee01: Shutdown - no failover


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal06:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Non-production system shutdown - No Failover

    mtxaaora02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaaora04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn06:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn08:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxlpadm02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxlpldap2:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Shutdown VIO Servers

    mtxapvio03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapvio04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Verify application and database integrity and operation on frame 1. Obtain OK to preceed from management, DO NOT POWER OFF YET.

    9119-590-SN51A974E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


Phase 7

- Perform Microcode upgrade


Phase 7 Start Time:
Phase 7 Duration:


  • Prepare HMC/Frame for microcode upgrade of p590 51A974E

    mtxlphmc01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Perform Microcode upgrade of p590 frame 2

    9119-590-SN51A974E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Verify Microcode upgrade of p590 frame 2

    9119-590-SN51A974E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Reconfigure power cable to alternate PDU

    9119-590-SN51A974E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Check HMC Settings for all LPAR's on frame 9119-590-SN51A974E.

    mtxlphmc01


    Start Time:
    Duration:
    Minimum Memory
    Desired Memory
    Maximum Memory
    Minimum Processing Units
    Desired Processing Units
    Maximum Processing Units
    Minimum Virtual Processors
    Desired Virtual Processors
    Maximum Virtual Processors
    Cap Mode
    Weight
    


Phase 8

- Power on p590 Frame and activate systems


Phase 8 Start Time:
Phase 8 Duration:


  • Power-on p590 frame 2 to "standby" state

    9119-590-SN51A974E:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Activate the EGATE database server.

    mtxapega02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Activate VIO Servers

    mtxapvio03:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapvio04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Activate other Production Systems

    mtxapora02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapora04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaasee01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal06:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Activate Non-production systems

    mtxaaora02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaaora04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn06:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn08:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxlpadm02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxlpldap2:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


Phase 9

- Application Failback

Failback the production databases, production application servers, and restart non-production systems.


Phase 9 Start Time:
Phase 9 Duration:


  • Contact p590 DBA's and application admins, failback EGATE databases from mtxapega01 to mtxapega02.

    mtxapega02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Other production system application failbacks

    mtxapora02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapora04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaasee01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxapcal06:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Non-production system application startup and cluster verify

    mtxaaora02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxaaora04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn02:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn04:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn06:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    mtxadedn08:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Verify PLM communication with all LPAR's on frame 9119-590-SN51A974E:

    mtxapnim01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:
    tail -f /var/opt/plm/51A974E.log
    


Phase 10

- NIM Server Upgrade

Perform microcode upgrade of NIM Server to latest.


Phase 10 Start Time:
Phase 10 Duration:


  • Shutdown NIM Server

    mtxapnim01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:
    shutdown -Fh
    

  • Perform microcode update from HMC of frame 9111-520-SN105401E

    mtxlphmc01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Restart NIM Server

    mtxapnim01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Verify PLM communication with all LPAR's on frames 9119-590-SN51A971E and 9119-590-SN51A974E

    mtxapnim01:


    Start Time:
    Duration:
    tail -f /var/opt/plm/51A971E.log
    tail -f /var/opt/plm/51A974E.log
    


Phase 11

- Project Completion

Notify all interested parties of project completion.


Phase 11 Start Time:
Phase 11 Duration:


  • Contact p590 DBA's and application admins, failback EGATE databases from mtxapega01 to mtxapega02.

    Application Admins:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    DBA's:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    Operations:


    Start Time:
    Duration:


    Management:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

  • Update change request to completed state.

    CHMN00002331386:


    Start Time:
    Duration:

-
p590 MicroCode Upgrade
-
 

-

digg Digg this page
del.icio.us Post to del.icio.us
Slashdot Slashdot it!