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Firmware Update Instructions
The following sections provide instructions for updating your system
firmware.
2.1 Updating Your System Firmware
The SRM console’s built-in loadable firmware update utility (LFU) is used
to update your console firmware (SRM and AlphaBIOS consoles). LFU
can also be booted as a monolithic image off an update CD (e.g. using the
Alpha Firmware Systems Update CD-ROM).
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Beginning with SRM V5.3 console firmware the AlphaBIOS image was
relocated to a different sector in flash ROM. Use of the built-in LFU
required that the update procedure be repeated a second time to ensure
the AlphaBIOS was properly relocated in flash ROM. Executing the update
twice applies to SRM V5.4 or later console firmware if updating from a
version of console earlier than V5.3. If updating from SRM V5.3 console
firmware then the update does not need to be executed twice. Please read
on for more details on the update changes listed in this chapter.
Note: The LFU update method to update SRM firmware to V5.4 or later
requires the system being updated to be at or above SRM firmware
version V5.2. LFU updates from a system with SRM firmware
version V5.1 or earlier will fail to update properly and should
not be attempted. There is no problem with the Boot command
methods of update (eg. booting the CD).
The SRM firmware V5.3 files are posted to the /interim webpage
for users that do not have access to the Alpha Systems Update
Firmware CD and are updating a system, running SRM V5.1 or
earlier, via the LFU update method.
The LFU utility can also be used to update KZPSA, DEFPA, and CIPCA
firmware. Mylex DAC960 RAID options such as KZPSC and KZPAC are
not supported by LFU. Refer to the Controller Installation and Standalone
Utility User’s Guide for your particular StorageWorks RAID Array
subsystem should you need to update your RAID subsystem’s firmware.
LFU supports multiple update devices: local SCSI CD-ROM (CDA0), local
floppy (DVA0), and local network - Ethernet (EWA0) and FDDI (FWA0).
Other load devices are supported for the advanced user. Refer to the
AlphaServer 4100 System Drawer User’s Guide for more information about
LFU and other console commands, environment variables to set when
performing updates off a network device, and update procedures.
Over time, you may wish to update to newer firmware versions as features
are added, new I/O option support is added, and bug fixes are made.
Updates are typically issued about once per quarter.
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