Upgrade ThinkSystem SAN OS

Upgrade one or more storage arrays with the latest software and NVSRAM to make sure that you have all the latest features and bug fixes. Controller NVSRAM is a controller file that specifies the default settings for the controllers.

  • The latestThinkSystem SAN OS files are available on the host system where the ThinkSystem SAN OS Web Services Proxy and SAN Manager are running.
  • You know whether you want to activate your software upgrade now or later.

    You might choose to activate later for these reasons:

    • Time of day – Activating the software can take a long time, so you might want to wait until I/O loads are lighter. The controllers fail over during activation, so performance might be lower than usual until the upgrade completes.
    • Type of package – You might want to test the new OS software on one storage array before you upgrade the files on other storage arrays.
Important: Risk of data loss or risk of damage to the storage array - Do not make changes to the storage array while the upgrade is occurring. Maintain power to the storage array.
  1. If your storage array contains only one controller or you do not have a multipath driver installed, stop I/O activity to the storage array to prevent application errors. If your storage array has two controllers and you have a multipath driver installed, you do not need to stop I/O activity.
  2. From the main view, select Manage, and then select one or more storage arrays that you want to upgrade.
  3. Select Upgrade Center > Upgrade ThinkSystem SAN OS Software.

    The Upgrade ThinkSystem SAN OS software page appears.

  4. Download the latest ThinkSystem SAN OS software package from the Support site to your local machine.
    1. Click Add new file to software repository.
    2. Click the link for finding the latest ThinkSystem SAN OS Downloads.
    3. Click the Download Latest Release link.
    4. Follow the remaining instructions to download the ThinkSystem SAN OS file and the NVSRAM file to your local machine.
    Note: Digitally signed firmware is required in version 8.50 and above. If you attempt to download unsigned firmware, an error is displayed and the download is aborted.
  5. Select the OS software file and the NVSRAM file that you want to use to upgrade the controllers:
    1. From the Select a ThinkSystem SAN OS OS software file drop-down, select the OS file that you downloaded to your local machine.

      If there are multiple files available, the files are sorted from newest date to oldest date.

      Note: The software repository lists all software files associated with the Web Services Proxy. If you do not see the file that you want to use, you can click the link, Add new file to software repository, to browse to the location where the OS file that you want to add resides.
    2. From the Select an NVSRAM file drop-down, select the controller file that you want to use.

      If there are multiple files, the files are sorted from newest date to oldest date.

  6. In the Compatible Storage Array table, review the storage arrays that are compatible with the OS software file that you selected, and then select the arrays you want to upgrade.
    • The storage arrays that you selected in the Manage view and that are compatible with the selected firmware file are selected by default in the Compatible Storage Array table.
    • The storage arrays that cannot be updated with the selected firmware file are not selectable in the Compatible Storage Array table as indicated by the status Incompatible.
  7. (Optional) To transfer the software file to the storage arrays without activating them, select the Transfer the OS software to the storage arrays, mark it as staged, and activate at a later time check box.
  8. Click Start.
  9. Depending on whether you chose to activate now or later, do one of the following:
    • Type TRANSFER to confirm that you want to transfer the proposed OS software versions on the arrays you selected to upgrade, and then click Transfer.

      To activate the transferred software, select Upgrade Center > Activate Staged ThinkSystem SAN OS Software.

    • Type UPGRADE to confirm that you want to transfer and activate the proposed OS software versions on the arrays you selected to upgrade, and then click Upgrade.

      The system transfers the software file to each storage array you selected to upgrade and then activates that file by initiating a reboot.

    The following actions occur during the upgrade operation:

    • A pre-upgrade health check runs as part of the upgrade process. The pre-upgrade health check assesses all storage array components to make sure that the upgrade can proceed.
    • If any health check fails for a storage array, the upgrade stops. You can click the ellipsis (…) and select Save Log to review the errors. You can also choose to override the health check error and then click Continue to proceed with the upgrade.
    • You can cancel the upgrade operation after the pre-upgrade health check.
  10. (Optional) Once the upgrade has completed, you can see a list of what was upgraded for a specific storage array by clicking the ellipsis (…) and then selecting Save Log.

    The file is saved in the Downloads folder for your browser with the name upgrade_log-<date>.json.

Parent topic: How tos