HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 6.x administrator guide (5697-7344, March 2008)

Fabric OS 6.x administrator guide 167
Preparing for firmware downloads
Before executing a firmware download, it is recommended that you perform the tasks listed in this section.
In the unlikely event of a failure or time-out, the preparation tasks that are described in this section will
enable you to provide HP the information required to perform advanced troubleshooting.
It is recommended that you perform a configUpload to back up the current configuration before you
download firmware to a switch. See ”Backing up a configuration” on page 131 for details.
To prepare for a firmware download:
1. Read the HP StorageWorks Fabric OS 6.x release notes to determine if there are any updates related to
firmware download.
2. Connect to the switch and log in as admin. Enter the firmwareShow command to verify the current
version of Fabric OS. HP does not support upgrades from more than one previous release. For example,
upgrading from Fabric OS 5.3.0 to 6.0 is supported, but upgrading from Fabric OS 5.2.x or a previous
release directly to 6.0 is not.
In other words, upgrading a switch from Fabric OS 5.2.x or a previous release to 6.0 is a two-step
process—first upgrade to 5.3.0 and then upgrade to 6.0.
NOTE: IP6 and DNS are supported by firmwareDownload in 6.0. If DNS is enabled and a server
name instead of a server IP address is specified in the command line, firmwareDownload
determines whether IP4 or IP6 should be used.
To be able to mention the FTP server by name, you must enter at least one DNS server using the
dnsconfig command.
3. Perform a configupload prior to the firmwaredownload. Save the config file on your FTP or SSH
server.
4. (Optional) For additional support, connect the switch to a computer with a serial console cable. Ensure
that all serial consoles (both CPs for directors) and all Telnet sessions are logged and included with any
trouble reports.
5. Connect to the switch and log in to the switch as admin. Enter the supportSave command to retrieve
all current core files prior to executing the firmware download. This helps to troubleshoot the firmware
download process if a problem is encountered.
If you are upgrading a Director, log in to both the active and standby CPs and enter the supportSave
command on each CP.
If you do not know the CP address, use the ipAddrShow command to view a list of all CP IP addresses
associated with the switch.
6. (Optional) Enter the errClear command to erase all existing messages in addition to internal
messages.