1. HP BladeSystem Firmware Release Sets
Business success: Grow revenue, profit, faster response, efficient, predictable transactions, faster development
IT success: Hit project design timelines
Presenter’s Name
January 4, 2010

2. Confidential Disclosure Agreement
The information contained in this presentation is proprietary to Hewlett-Packard Company and is offered in confidence, subject to the terms and conditions of a Confidential Disclosure Agreement.
HP makes no warranties regarding the accuracy of this information. HP does not warrant or represent that it will introduce any product to which the information relates. It is presented for evaluation by the recipient and to assist HP on defining product direction
9/19/2018

3. Agenda Customer Needs Firmware Release Sets
Defining a Release Set and Support Strategy
One Step Update
Simplified Firmware Deliverable
HP Smart Update Technology and Roadmap
HP Systems Insight Manager and HP Smart Update Manager Integration Roadmap
Q&A
19 September 2018

4. Customer Needs Quality Firmware and System Software releases
Regular and less frequent releases
Improved release information
Support without having to update if not needed
Information on what was qualified together
Easy to use tools and reports
Best Practices information on maintaining firmware proactively
9/19/2018

5. New BladeSystem Firmware Release Sets
Phase 1, January 2009
Regularly Scheduled Release sets 
Solution oriented configuration testing
Support Process Changes
Phase 2, March/April 2010
Consolidation of Firmware Deliverables into one
DVD
One Step Update of the BladeSystem Enclosure
Regularly Scheduled Release sets
Allows for fewer updates and more predictable maintenance scheduling
Improved confidence in release updates
Customer oriented configuration testing
Representative configuration and Integrated release testing of Firmware, Operating Systems, Drivers, Tools and Management support with version information
Deployment Deliverable Enhancements
Consolidation of deliverables for ease of use and acquisition
Reports on available, installed, and installation firmware sets per target
Support Process Changes
Support for multiple generations of quarterly releases
BladeSystem Compatibility Chart represents the release sets and deliverables
Improved and standardized release notes/criticality, documentation and web presence
Less Disruptive Firmware update R&D programs
Integrated BladeSystem Onboard Administrator Firmware Updates
9/19/2018

6. Defining a Release Set FW types
BIOS SA
NIC OA VC
iLO
Other
Validated
Collected
FW Release point
Validated
Collected
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
Collect and test period
Release Set available
Updates collected and “Solution Stack” tested for ~8 weeks
Release Set launches
Subsequent updates validated against current Release Set
Cycle repeats
Start of next Release Set
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7. Handling out of cycle Component Releases
Z and A included in Release Set C
Nov
May
Feb X Z
Release Set A Note: Customers that have not performed maintenance in the past year need to refer to the Implementers Guide
Release Set B
Release Set C
Individual firmware component releases outside of a release set will be tested with the most current release set and incorporated into the subsequent release set. Y A
X and Y included in Release Set B
Components released out of the normal quarterly cycle will be tested and certified on the previous release set
The components will be integrated into the upcoming release set
19 September 2018
HP CONFIDENTIAL

8. Support Strategy (Current and 2 back)
Nov
May
Feb
Aug
Release Set A Note: Customers that have not performed maintenance in the past year need to refer to the Implementers Guide
Release Set B
Release Set C
Release Set D
Will this initiative impact the HP BladeSystem support model? Yes.
HP will provide support for the current release set and two previous release sets. For example, if HP delivers three release sets (A, B, and C) over three calendar quarters, any of the three releases represent a supported configuration.
If a customer has standardized on release set A, for example, and experiences a problem that is only solved on a later release set, the customer may be asked to move to the new release set to fix the problem
In a more complicated example, assume the customer is on release set A and experiences an issue that appears to be corrected with a firmware component that was released as an exception release after release set C. The customer will most likely be asked to move to release set C including the indicated firmware component. The customer will not be asked to move off a supported release set (A, B, or C), unless the problems they are experiencing have a high probably of being fixed with a later release set and/or exception release.
The Support organization will not “shotgun” the problem by issuing a blanket request to move to the latest firmware. Also, to help the decision to upgrade, the release notes associated with each component will allow the Support organization and customers to be aware of bug fixes or new features within that component.
Release Set A customer: 3 months to update to stay in support window without multi-step updates
Upgrade
Upgrade
Current release and two back will be supported
Upgrades are supported within two full releases, multi-step updates could be needed for older releases
19 September 2018
HP CONFIDENTIAL

9. One Step Update of the BladeSystem Enclosure
HP Smart Update Firmware DVD/ISO BladeSystem all blade local update with USB key OA
ILO on blade
BladeSystem FDT ISO
(Place ISO image on USB key and insert into OA USB key drive)
ILO on blade
ILO on blade
ILO on blade
Assembled and OA Wizard performed:
Insert FDT CD or USB with ISO
From Onboard Administrator
Device Bays and select all blade bays
DVD pull down and Connect to Enclosure DVD
Device Bays and select all blade bays again because it gets deselected
One Time Boot pull down – CDROM
Virtual Power pull down – Momentary Press
The Blades boot the FDT and flashes UID when updating
Any updates failures will automatically open log in vim
One step update …..
(Using OA USB key port to mount image for deployment through ILO Virtual Media to an entire enclosure at once – can also be scripted using HPONCFG) 9
9/19/2018

10. HP Smart Update Firmware DVD ISO
NEW HP Smart Update Firmware DVD ISO
Firmware Maintenance CD
BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool ISO (FDT)
BladeSystem Online Firmware Bundles for Windows/Linux
HP Smart Update Firmware DVD ISO
Can be used locally or remotely in a one-to-many mode
Can be PXE, DVD, USB booted or used directly from network resource from Windows and Linux
Supports Server and network target Based updates
Interactive, Scripted or Automatic mode of execution
Defaults to automatic upon boot
Full interactive GUI mode available
- Includes key SW drivers for Server FW updates
One stop location
Full ProLiant and option coverage
Easy to add components when used as USB Key
Before:
Software
ProLiant Support Pack (PSP)
Individual Smart Components (CP0xxxxx.exe)
Firmware (ML/DL)
HP ProLiant Firmware Maintenance CD
Individual Smart Components (CP0xxxxx.exe or CP0xxxxx.scexe)
Firmware (BladeSystem)
BladeSystem Firmware Update Bundles for Windows and Linux
BladeSystem Firmware Deployment Tool
Virtual Connect Support Utility (VCSU) for Virtual Connect Firmware
Softpaqs
After:
Firmware (ML/DL, BladeSystem, 100 series)
HP ProLiant Firmware Maintenance DVD

11. HPSUM – Prototype Component Criticality Classification
Current  icons
Tick – for optional
Square bang – critical
Triangle bang – recommended
Question mark – I was not able to get the criticality of the version
19 September 2018

12. HPSUM – Reporting of Inventory, Installed, and Installation Set on a per target basis to HTML (viewing) or XML (exporting)
19 September 2018

13. Firmware Best Practices Implementer’s Guide
Comprehensive information including:
Quick start
Example scripts
Best practices scenarios
Troubleshooting
Step-by-step installation instructions
A living document that gets rev’d with every release
9/19/2018

14. HP Smart Update Strategy
Deliverable/Segment
SMB
HP FW DVD, SmartStart, Easy, etc.
Enterprise
HP SIM, RDP, Scripting,etc.
Unified Deployment Engine
HP SUM
System ROM
iLO FW
Smart Array FW
SAS/SATA HDD FW
Onboard Administrator
FC HBA FW
Agents
Drivers
Tools
Firmware release set
Virtual Connect
Networking FW
ProLiant Support Pack
Smart Components

15. Building on HPSUM
HPSUM is the deployment engine – Windows, Linux, Virtualization, Software, Firmware, 100, BladeSystem Matrix, and Converged Infrastructure
Started as offline local execution only and then we added online Windows SW/FW and Linux FW
Added one-to-many support, enhanced Discovery/Dependency and network Target based support (OA and iLO)
Virtualization detection and blocking, TPM, Linux RPM’s, Virtual Connect and broader component support
Converged, Hierarchical, Enclosure, Infrastructure, Storage, Network, and Virtualization Support
2005/2006
2007/2008
2009
2010
The firmware management paradigm is being enhanced and expanded to go beyond Server and Network Target based Management to Enclosure and Hierarchical Target Groups in support of Converged Infrastructure and seamless Virtualization Support.

16. For the latest BladeSystem Firmware Maintenance information and Compatibility Chart please visit:
9/19/2018

17. HPSUM Deployment Roadmap
Presentation Title
HPSUM Deployment Roadmap
Aug. 2009
Nov. 2009
Feb. / March 2010
V4.0.0
Linux RPMs (completes leading OS FW/SW)
Report Generation
BCS Integrity Server support for ILO, FPGA, System ROM and Power Management Controller firmware
VCSU Based VC Firmware updates
Native x64 – Windows
Firmware DVD support
V3.6.0
FTP Proxy Authentication for pull from web
Power PIC Firmware support
Brocade FC HBA Support
V3.7.0
SIM integration (optional replacement of VCA with HPSUM – Network based firmware updates)
Enhanced scripting support
Report Generation Inventory Per-Target Installation Set
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18. HP SIM and HP SUM Integration Roadmap
4q ‘09
1h ‘10
Phase 1 (4Q09)
Initial HP SUM integration, providing
FW upgrade to iLO, OA, VC
OS deployment to servers w/o VCA
Not promoted until ’10, since VCA is required for SW Status
Phase 2 (2Q10)
SW Baselines in SIM
HP SUM will act as a repository, using pull-from-web
HP SUM deploys Linux SW (RPM’s)
HP SUM reports SW/FW versions
Update all FW in an enclosure (or group of enclosures)
SIM support for deployment of Firmware DVD ISO for offline firmware updates
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19. Q&A
9/19/2018