Users Guide

CMC. When both CMCs are updated, you can use the cmcchangeover command to restore the CMCs to their previous roles. CMC
firmware revision 2.x updates both the primary CMC and the redundant CMC without running the cmcchangeover command.
During the final phases of the firmware update process in CMC, the browser session and connection with CMC is lost temporarily as the
CMC is not connected to the network. CMC generates the chassis overall health as critical owing to the temporary network loss. When
CMC restarts after a few minutes, log in to it. The CMC then generates the chassis overall health as healthy and the CMC network link is
up. After CMC resets, the new firmware version is displayed on the Firmware Update page.
To avoid disconnecting other users during a reset, notify authorized users who may log in to CMC and check for active sessions on the
Sessions page. To open the Sessions page, click Chassis Overview in the left pane, click Network, and then click the Sessions.
When transferring files to and from CMC, the file transfer icon spins during the transfer. If your icon is not animated, make sure that your
browser is configured to allow animations. For more information about allowing animations in the browser, see Allow Animations in Internet
Explorer.
NOTE: If you have configured the slot name length to more than 15 characters in the current version of CMC,
downgrading the CMC firmware truncates the slot name length to 15 characters.
Signed CMC Firmware Image
For VRTX CMC 2.0 and later, the firmware includes a signature. The CMC firmware verifies the signature to ensure the authenticity of the
uploaded firmware. The firmware update process is successful only if the firmware image is authenticated by CMC to be a valid image
from the service provider and has not been altered. The firmware update process is stopped if CMC cannot verify the signature of the
uploaded firmware image. A warning event is then logged and an appropriate error message is displayed.
Signature verification can be performed on VRTX firmware versions 1.2 and later. For firmware downgrade to VRTX versions earlier than
1.2, first update the firmware to a VRTX CMC version that is later than or equal to 1.2, but earlier than 2.0. After this update, firmware
downgrade to earlier, unsigned VRTX versions can be performed.
Updating CMC and Mainboard Firmware
The shared capabilities of External Shared PERC 8 card are not available until both CMC and mainboard firmware are updated.
NOTE:
• To view the MD12x0 cabling diagram, refer to Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to Support Shared Storage Expansion
User's Guide or Dell Shared PowerEdge RAID Controller (PERC) 8 Cards For Dell PowerEdge VRTX Systems User’s
Guide available at dell.com/support/manuals.
• The external shared storage adapter requires that you update the CMC v2.20 or later and mainboard v2.21 or later to
support External Shared PERC 8 card.
• You cannot downgrade the CMC firmware prior to 2.2 with external shared adapters.
To update the CMC and mainboard firmware:
1. Update CMC firmware.
2. Update mainboard firmware.
3. Power down the chassis and install shared storage adapters in PCIe slot 5 and slot 6.
4. Power on chassis.
5. After powering on the chassis, update external shared storage adapters.
NOTE:
By default, the external shared External Shared PERC 8 card is in non-fault tolerant mode. It has to be changed
to Fault Tolerant mode after it is cabled appropriately. For more information, refer Upgrading PowerEdge VRTX to
Support Shared Storage Expansion .
In an event, if you want to rollback CMC or MPC/mainboard firmware or CMC and MPC firmware version, do the following tasks:
To Rollback the CMC and mainboard firmware:
1. Power off the chassis.
2. Remove all external storage adapters from the PCI slots.
3. Power on the chassis.
4. Roll back the CMC and/or mainboard firmware.
You cannot downgrade the CMC, if external shared storage adapter is detected.
Updating Firmware
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