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Choice of upgrade path from v2.6.0.3 to v2.6.1(.1?)...

sdo
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N5230 v2.6.0.3 - new build

I have the choice of upgrading:

a) From v2.6.0.3 to v2.6.1 to v2.6.1.1... which will allow a downgrade to v2.6.1, if issues are experienced.

...or:

b) From v2.6.0.3 direct to v2.6.1.1... which will NOT allow a downgrade to v2.6.1, if issues are experienced.

Any advice on upgrade path a) or b) ?

Thank you.

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RiaanBadenhorst
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Hi sdo

 

I would skip 2.6.1 as it was the GA, and 2.6.1.1 would have a lot of fixes for 2.6.1.

View solution in original post

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RiaanBadenhorst
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Hi sdo

 

I would skip 2.6.1 as it was the GA, and 2.6.1.1 would have a lot of fixes for 2.6.1.

sdo
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Ok - I guess going direct to v2.6.1.1 involves less work.

The appliances are brand new, all configured up, but no backups at all have been performed yet, so they are completely empty.

My only thinking was that... if I discover something bad in v2.6.1.1 - then... if I had upgraded in steps from v2.6.0.3 to v2.6.1 to v2.6.1.1 - then... at least I would have the opportunity to rollback to v2.6.1.

 

RiaanBadenhorst
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I get that, but you'll probably want to downgrade to 2.6.0.3 instead of 2.6.1 if you discover something ;)

sdo
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The v2.6.1.1 release page:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH227005

...says a roll-back from v2.6.1.1 to lower than v2.6.1 is not possible.

...and the v2.6.1 release page:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH215210

...says that a roll-back to any previous version is not possible.

Hmmm.

RiaanBadenhorst
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Meant you could re-image since its new/unused appliances.

 

Personally I don't see much new in 7.6.1.1/2.6.1.1 that will push me to upgrade to it. Except of course the hierachial view of the activity monitor :)
 

sdo
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Went for upgrade - as I didn't have a reason not to - after checking compatibility matrices etc..

Went for the path of least resistance - so from 2.6.0.3 direct to 2.6.1.1

Upgrade of an empty 5230 took 1 hour and 20 minutes.

CLIsh > Support > Test Hardware - pass OK

CLIsh > Support > Test Software - now says the installed version of the BIOS is incorrect.

'Test Software' was fine before the upgrade.  I wonder if skipping v2.6.1 causes this.  And now I need to research what this is all about.  Sighs.

jandersen1
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Hi

We have just experienced unsuccesful upgrades on two 5230 appliances from 2.6.0.3 to 2.6.1.1 when SYMC_NBAPP_EEB_ET3592475-2.6.0.3-1 or SYMC_NBAPP_EEB_ET3592475-2.6.0.3-2 were installed. (They should both actually enable a successful upgrade, when an EEB (the VMware EEB for 2.6.0.3) was installed.

All three times we restarted the appliance and was able to get back to 2.6.0.3-

 

Has anyone here been able to du a successful  upgrade from 2.6.0.3 with EEB's to 2.6.1.1?

What was the upgrade path then? 

--jakob;

 

 

 

 

sdo
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@Jakob - I think maybe you'd be better placed opening a new post - as it looks like your issue is different.

.

...re my situation:  looks like someone else has before seen what I now see:

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/5230-appliance-bios-warning

 

jandersen1
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@sdo

 

Yes you might be right. However everyone running with 2.6.0.3 in a VMware environment most likely will run into the exact same problem (and then I would say it is not a different issue).
And no it is not BIOS related as mentioned in your link

And then the advice here regarding going directly from 2.6.0.3 to 2.6.1.1 which I actually sort of followed is maybe not so good.

I simply wanted to prevent others from falling into the same (maybe) pitfall.

And I haven't seen any positive feedback here yet regarding the direct upgrade
But again you are right - I should maybe create a new post with a link to this one

--jakob;

sdo
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I think your issue is different, because your upgrade fails for some reason, whereas my upgrade essentially worked.

BTW - I did check before doing the upgrade, and there were not any factory pre-loaded EEBs - and I hadn't loaded any EEBs - so my upgrade was from a fully configured native v2.6.0.3 direct to v2.6.1.1 - and it all went smoothly.

I raised a case re BIOS warning, and was told that even if I had upgraded from v2.6.0.3 to v2.6.1 first, then I would still have seen this BIOS warning.

Anyway, after sending DataCollect, Symantec Support have confirmed that a BIOS update is required.

I got the impression that there wasn't anything super critical in the BIOS update, i.e. I do not believe that there is a risk of data loss - but Symantec were fairly keen that we get the BIOS updated - so I'll be doing that next week.  They seem to be on top this, and seem to have a well established process for dealing with it.

.

The rest of what I have to say, is from my own musings... and not from Symantec...

I looked up the Intel S2600GZ motherboard/chassis that the particular 5230 Appliances that I have are based on... and on Intel's site I can see several advisories from about November 2014 onwards.

And, looking in the logs folder of these appliances I can see that they were first booted around November 2014 time (obvioulsy as part of manufacturer build/image/test) before being shipped - so it would seem to me, that some appliances missed the boat on being updated ready for v2.6.1(.1).  I would have thought that any new appliances being ordered at some point after v2.6.1.1 was released will probably have their BIOS updated at the factory before shipping.

sdo
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FYI - upgraded a second appliance and same issue.  Both appliances are now configured, and replicating test backups to each other.  They will not be productionized until I'm totally 100% happy that the BIOS, and any other hardware components, all have the correct/up-to-date/required revision of firmware.

arctics2
Level 5

Jakob,

Did you ever end up resolving your issue?  We are running into the exact same problem and there seems to be very little info out there about it. 

The first installation attempt failed, and we had SYMC_NBAPP_EEB_ET3592475-2.6.0.3-1 installed.

After speaking with support, they suggested installing SYMC_NBAPP_EEB_ET3592475-2.6.0.3-2 and trying again.  But reading your post, it sounds like this is going to fail as well.

Aly

jandersen1
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Aly (And I think others as well),

Yes we did (finally)!
The recipie waa

1) Rollback version 1 of the EEB (on one appliance we had to remove it with rpm as the rollback script was missing - then we reinstalled version 1 and made the rollback)
2) Install version 2 of the EEB.
3) Check if files are missing under /inst/patch/appliance/installed/2.6.0.3/scripts. There should be around 500 Mbytes, but they must likely get deleted if you try the direct upgrade to 2.6.1.1 with only the version 1 of the EEB installed
(This is where I think this information is important in this thread! We got a little mislead by The Late Breaking News: They state that the problem is solved in 2.6.1.1 - and we then thought we didn't need the version 2 of the script)
If the script files are missing then this is most likely the root cause of your problem. You will need to copy them from another (functioning) appliance. (or get them to support)
4) Upgrade to 2.6.1.1

If the files mentioned under 3) are not missing - then I don't have the solution.

For your information we have been able to reproduce the problem.

--jakob;
 

RiaanBadenhorst
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Hi SDO,

 

I integrated a 5330 today. Its shipped with 2.6.1 and after adding it to the master is also complained about the BIOS version. We think we found an EEB for this.

 

Will let you know if it resolves it.

 

sdo
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When I contacted Symantec Support, the sent me two files.

1) A text file describing the process for the BIOS and other firmware updates.

2) A 28 MB zip file named:  S2600GZ_BIOS02040003SYM_ME20107328_BMC1226890_FRUSDR113_EWS_NEISYMC3.zip

.

The first step in the process was to extract the contents of the zip file, into a subfolder, on an otherwise empty FAT32 USB stick.

I wasn't able to write to a USB stick on my work laptop (locked down USB) - so I had to copy the zip file to the appliance, and extract the files into an empty folder, and then on the appliance mount the USB stick, create a folder on the USB stick, and copy the extracted files to the folder on the USB stick.

Then follow the process described in the text file.

The flashing of the BIOS and firmware must be done using a physical KVM at the back of the appliance, because the process will also re-flash the BMC board, which would reset any IPMI session.

The process will update BIOS, BMC, ME (Managebility Engine), and FRU/SDR.

The update process did prompt three times - and be careful here, the pompts do not wait for an enter key, they are keystroke based.

Both updates ran fine, and each took about 20 minutes to do.

RiaanBadenhorst
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This one does not follow that process, I had to do that for a RAID controller upgrade last week.

 

Here is the note

 

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH227967

 

 

sdo
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I think this thread has morphed into two separate streams of issues - and now possibly a third issue/stream/topic (i.e. your issue with 5330) (FYI, mine were 5230's).

I never had an EEB issue, nor I have needed an EEB, nor was I supplied with an EEB from Symantec Support.

My upgrade from v2.6.0.3 to v2.6.1.1 went smoothly, first time - but then I didn't have any EEBs already loaded - it was a clean slate.

And other poeple's problems were not the same as my problem.

.

Yes, I've seen a TN too re an EEB which seemed to have something to do with BIOS updates, but Symantec Support didn't send me that - they sent me something else entirely - a zip file of a bunch of files which can be run when the appliance is booted in to the EFI shell.

sdo
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Ok - that TN covers an EEB for either:

a) BIOS update for 5230

...or:

b) BIOS update for 5330, plus a NetApp RAID controller update for 5330.

.

Like I previously said, my process involved a BIOS update and an BMC update, and an ME update, and an FRU/SDR update - and so my bunch of updates had to be done whilst booted in EFI mode.

The procedure that I was given did not involve an EEB update.

.

Interestingly the EFI based update process that I was supplied with... has updated the BIOS to what appears to be the same new version as mentioned in the TN - assuming that the BIOS version of "2.04.0003" that the TN mentions is essentially the same as the "02.04.0003" segment shown in the command output below.

CLIsh > Monitor > Hardware ShowHealth Appliance CPU

...now shows, on our 5230's, a BIOS revision level of:

SE5C600.86B.02.04.0003.102320141138

.

HTH.

RiaanBadenhorst
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FYI, after upgrading to 2.6.1.1 the BIOS WARNING has dissappeared. Didnt need the EEB :)