HP ProLiant BL660c HP ProLiant and Integrity Firmware Management Best Practice - Page 5

Introduction, HP firmware overview, Explanation of guides

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1 Introduction Updating firmware is crucial for maintaining servers, enclosures, and other infrastructure systems within an enterprise. Because updating existing firmware is less expensive than replacing hardware pieces, firmware updates are as important to the hardware health as software and driver updates. This document describes the best practices for using HP SUM, HP SIM, and other tools to update HP ProLiant and Integrity product firmware, including the following: • Information to help identify a firmware maintenance strategy • Determining which firmware to update • Selecting the appropriate tools to perform firmware updates • Considering the process dependencies • Guiding you in performing firmware update NOTE: Not all update tools and procedures work for all servers. The update strategies in this guide are intended to minimize downtime and provide the least intrusive method of updating the OA, VC Ethernet, servers, and other components in your environment. HP firmware overview When updating HP servers, you might need to update the following firmware: • OA firmware • VC firmware • Blade server, Integrity BL8xxc i2/rx28xx i2/Superdome 2, and ProLiant ML/DL/SL server system ROM • Blade server, Integrity BL8xxc i2/rx28xx i2/Superdome 2, and ProLiant ML/DL/SL server iLO firmware • Broadcom, Intel, Mellanox and QLogic NIC firmware • Smart Array Controller firmware • SAS and SATA hard drive firmware • Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade Fibre Channel HBA and CNA firmware • Tape blade firmware • HP 3Gb and 6Gb SAS BL Switch firmware NOTE: BladeSystem interconnect switches are not discussed in this document. To update the firmware for these devices, see the specific product documentation. Explanation of guides These guides have been written to help you create strategies for using the update packages that HP creates. • HP ProLiant and Integrity Firmware Management Best Practices Overview-Provides information about keeping your system environment updated and running at its best. • HP ProLiant and Integrity Firmware Management Best Practices Planning Guide-Provides an outline for creating a firmware update plan to follow before updating your server environment. • HP ProLiant and Integrity Firmware Management Best Practices Implementer Guide-Provides examples of how to implement an update. HP firmware overview 5

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1 Introduction
Updating firmware is crucial for maintaining servers, enclosures, and other infrastructure systems
within an enterprise. Because updating existing firmware is less expensive than replacing hardware
pieces, firmware updates are as important to the hardware health as software and driver updates.
This document describes the best practices for using HP SUM, HP SIM, and other tools to update
HP ProLiant and Integrity product firmware, including the following:
•
Information to help identify a firmware maintenance strategy
•
Determining which firmware to update
•
Selecting the appropriate tools to perform firmware updates
•
Considering the process dependencies
•
Guiding you in performing firmware update
NOTE:
Not all update tools and procedures work for all servers.
The update strategies in this guide are intended to minimize downtime and provide the least
intrusive method of updating the OA, VC Ethernet, servers, and other components in your
environment.
HP firmware overview
When updating HP servers, you might need to update the following firmware:
•
OA firmware
•
VC firmware
•
Blade server, Integrity BL8xxc i2/rx28xx i2/Superdome 2, and ProLiant ML/DL/SL server
system ROM
•
Blade server, Integrity BL8xxc i2/rx28xx i2/Superdome 2, and ProLiant ML/DL/SL server iLO
firmware
•
Broadcom, Intel, Mellanox and QLogic NIC firmware
•
Smart Array Controller firmware
•
SAS and SATA hard drive firmware
•
Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade Fibre Channel HBA and CNA firmware
•
Tape blade firmware
•
HP 3Gb and 6Gb SAS BL Switch firmware
NOTE:
BladeSystem interconnect switches are not discussed in this document. To update the
firmware for these devices, see the specific product documentation.
Explanation of guides
These guides have been written to help you create strategies for using the update packages that
HP creates.
•
HP ProLiant and Integrity Firmware Management Best Practices Overview
–Provides information
about keeping your system environment updated and running at its best.
•
HP ProLiant and Integrity Firmware Management Best Practices Planning Guide
–Provides an
outline for creating a firmware update plan to follow before updating your server environment.
•
HP ProLiant and Integrity Firmware Management Best Practices Implementer Guide
–Provides
examples of how to implement an update.
HP firmware overview
5