Power9 System Firmware

Applies to:   9008-22L; 9009-22A; 9009-41A; 9009-42A; 9223-22H; 9223-42H; 9009-41G; 9009-22G; 9009-42G; 9223-22S; 9223-42S and 5105-22E .

This document provides information about the installation of Licensed Machine or Licensed Internal Code, which is sometimes referred to generically as microcode or firmware.


Contents


1.0 Systems Affected

This package provides firmware for Power Systems L922 (9008-22L), Power System S922 (9009-22A), Power System S914 (9009-41A), Power System S924 (9009-42A), Power System H922 (9223-22H) Power System H924 (9223-42H), Power Systems S922 (9009-22G), Power Systems S914 (9009-41G), Power Systems S924 (9009-42G), IBM Power System H922 for SAP HANA  (9223-22S), IBM Power System H924 for SAP HANA  (9223-42S), and IBM ESS (5105-22E) servers only.

The firmware level in this package is:

1.1 Minimum HMC Code Level

This section is intended to describe the "Minimum HMC Code Level" required by the System Firmware to complete the firmware installation process. When installing the System Firmware, the HMC level must be equal to or higher than the "Minimum HMC Code Level" before starting the system firmware update.  If the HMC managing the server targeted for the System Firmware update is running a code level lower than the "Minimum HMC Code Level" the firmware update will not proceed.

The Minimum HMC Code levels for this firmware for HMC x86,  ppc64 or ppc64le are listed below.

x86 -  This term is used to reference the legacy HMC that runs on x86/Intel/AMD hardware for the Virtual HMC that can run on the Intel hypervisors (KVM, XEN, VMWare ESXi).
ppc64 or ppc64le - describes the Linux code that is compiled to run on Power-based servers or LPARS (Logical Partitions)
The Minimum HMC level supports the following HMC models:
x86 - KVM, XEN, VMWare ESXi (6.0/6.5)
ppc64le - 7063-CR1,vHMC on PowerVM (POWER8 and POWER9 systems

For information concerning HMC releases and the latest PTFs,  go to the following URL to access Fix Central:
http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

For specific fix level information on key components of IBM Power Systems running the AIX, IBM i and Linux operating systems, we suggest using the Fix Level Recommendation Tool (FLRT):
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/flrt/home

NOTES:

                -You must be logged in as hscroot in order for the firmware installation to complete correctly.
                - Systems Director Management Console (SDMC) does not support this System Firmware level

1.2 IBM i Minimum Levels

Reference the following URL for IBM i Support: Recommended fixes:

https://www-01.ibm.com/support/docview.wss?uid=nas8N1021194

2.0 Important Information

Boot adapter microcode requirement

Update all adapters which are boot adapters, or which may be used as boot adapters in the future, to the latest microcode from IBM Fix Central.  The latest microcode will ensure the adapters support the new Firmware Secure Boot feature of Power Systems. This requirement applies when updating system firmware from a level prior to FW940 to levels FW940 and later.
The latest adapter microcode levels include signed boot driver code. If a boot-capable PCI adapter is not installed with the latest level of adapter microcode, the partition which owns the adapter will boot, but error logs with SRCs BA5400A5 or BA5400A6 will be posted.  Once the adapter(s) are updated, the error logs will no longer be posted.

Downgrading firmware from any given release level to an earlier release level is not recommended

Firmware downgrade warnings:
1) Adapter feature codes (#EC2R/#EC2S/#EC2T/#EC2U and #EC3L/#EC3M and #EC66/EC67) when configured in SR-IOV shared mode in FW930 or later, even if originally configured in shared mode in a pre-FW930 release, may not function properly if the system is downgraded to a pre-FW930 release. The adapter should be configured in dedicated mode first (i.e. take the adapter out of SR-IOV shared mode) before downgrading to a pre-FW930 release.
2) If partitions have been run in POWER9 compatibility mode in FW940, a downgrade to an earlier release (pre-FW940) may cause a problem with the partitions starting.  To prevent this problem, the "server firmware" settings must be reset by rebooting partitions in "Power9_base" before doing the downgrade.

If you feel that it is necessary to downgrade the firmware on your system to an earlier release level, please contact your next level of support.

Upgrade from FW941.00 to FW950 will change the QPRCFEAT QMODEL code for the 9009-22G, 9009-41G, and 9009-42G models.

If updating from FW941.00 to FW950 for IBM i, there is a fix for incorrect QPRCFEAT QMODEL values for the 9009-xxG models.  If 3rd party software licenses were installed based on the old incorrect QPRCFEAT QMODEL value, new licenses will be needed to work with the updated value:  The QPRCFEAT QMODEL IBM System Value was showing the 9009-xxG models as 9009-xxA models.  For example, the 9009-22G reported as "EP11" instead of "EP51".  This mismatch can prevent 3rd party software licenses from working.

2.1 IPv6 Support and Limitations

IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) is supported in the System Management Services (SMS) in this level of system firmware. There are several limitations that should be considered.

When configuring a network interface card (NIC) for remote IPL, only the most recently configured protocol (IPv4 or IPv6) is retained. For example, if the network interface card was previously configured with IPv4 information and is now being configured with IPv6 information, the IPv4 configuration information is discarded.

A single network interface card may only be chosen once for the boot device list. In other words, the interface cannot be configured for the IPv6 protocol and for the IPv4 protocol at the same time.

2.2 Concurrent Firmware Updates

Concurrent system firmware update is supported on HMC Managed Systems only.

Ensure that there are no RMC connections issues for any system partitions prior to applying the firmware update.  If there is a RMC connection failure to a partition during the firmware update, the RMC connection will need to be restored and additional recovery actions for that partition will be required to complete partition firmware updates.

2.3 Memory Considerations for Firmware Upgrades

Firmware Release Level upgrades and Service Pack updates may consume additional system memory.
Server firmware requires memory to support the logical partitions on the server. The amount of memory required by the server firmware varies according to several factors.
Factors influencing server firmware memory requirements include the following:
Generally, you can estimate the amount of memory required by server firmware to be approximately 8% of the system installed memory. The actual amount required will generally be less than 8%. However, there are some server models that require an absolute minimum amount of memory for server firmware, regardless of the previously mentioned considerations.

Additional information can be found at:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9009-22A/p9hat/p9hat_lparmemory.htm

2.4 SBE Updates

Power 9 servers contain SBEs (Self Boot Engines) and are used to boot the system.  SBE is internal to each of the Power 9 chips and used to "self boot" the chip.  The SBE image is persistent and is only reloaded if there is a system firmware update that contains a SBE change.  If there is a SBE change and system firmware update is concurrent, then the SBE update is delayed to the next IPL of the CEC which will cause an additional 3-5 minutes per processor chip in the system to be added on to the IPL.  If there is a SBE change and the system firmware update is disruptive, then SBE update will cause an additional 3-5 minutes per processor chip in the system to be added on to the IPL.  During the SBE update process, the HMC or op-panel will display service processor code C1C3C213 for each of the SBEs being updated.  This is a normal progress code and system boot should be not be terminated by the user. Additional time estimate can be between 6-10 minutes.

The SBE image is only updated with this service pack if the starting firmware level is less than FW950.10.

2.5 NVDIMM Updates

Power 9 ESS 5010-22E servers contain NVDIMMs that may be updated with a service pack. Updating NVDIMM firmware takes approximately 8 minutes per NVDIMM on ESS I/O servers 5105-22E. If an NVDIMM firmware update is required, then this would be incurred only on the initial system boot when updating system firmware or replacing an NVDIMM. There are 4 NVDIMMs per server, so up to an additional 32 minutes might be needed to complete the system boot in these cases.

The NVDIMM firmware is updated with this service pack only when updating from a firmware level less than FW950.10.

3.0 Firmware Information

Use the following examples as a reference to determine whether your installation will be concurrent or disruptive.

For systems that are not managed by an HMC, the installation of system firmware is always disruptive.

Note: The concurrent levels of system firmware may, on occasion, contain fixes that are known as Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred. Deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until the next IPL. Partition-Deferred fixes can be installed concurrently, but will not be activated until a partition reactivate is performed. Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred fixes, if any, will be identified in the "Firmware Update Descriptions" table of this document. For these types of fixes (Deferred and/or Partition-Deferred) within a service pack, only the fixes in the service pack which cannot be concurrently activated are deferred.

Note: The file names and service pack levels used in the following examples are for clarification only, and are not necessarily levels that have been, or will be released.

System firmware file naming convention:

01VLxxx_yyy_zzz

NOTE: Values of service pack and last disruptive service pack level (yyy and zzz) are only unique within a release level (xxx). For example, 01VL900_040_040 and 01VL910_040_045 are different service packs.

An installation is disruptive if:

            Example: Currently installed release is 01VL900_040_040, new release is 01VL910_050_050.

            Example: VL910_040_040 is disruptive, no matter what level of VL910 is currently installed on the system.

            Example: Currently installed service pack is VL910_040_040 and new service pack is VL910_050_045.

An installation is concurrent if:

The release level (xxx) is the same, and
The service pack level (yyy) currently installed on the system is the same or higher than the last disruptive service pack level (zzz) of the service pack to be installed.

Example: Currently installed service pack is VL910_040_040, new service pack is VL910_041_040.

3.1 Firmware Information and Description

 
Filename Size Checksum md5sum
01VL950_105_045.rpm 170817924
18876
8bdb79308bb37910954459c01f4e6d34

Note: The Checksum can be found by running the AIX sum command against the rpm file (only the first 5 digits are listed).
ie: sum 01VL950_105_045.rpm

VL950
For Impact, Severity and other Firmware definitions, Please refer to the below 'Glossary of firmware terms' url:
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/power5cm/home.html#termdefs

The complete Firmware Fix History for this Release Level can be reviewed at the following url:
https://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/firmware/VL-Firmware-Hist.html
VL950_105_045 / FW950.50

07/29/22
Impact: Availability    Severity:  HIPER

New Features and Functions
  • Support for the 1.2, 3.2, and 6.4 TB 15mm SSD PCIe4 NVMe U.2 module for systems with AIX/Linux and IBM i partitions.   For AIX, Linux, or VIOS, the SSD is formatted in 4096 sectors.  For IBM i, the SSD is formatted in 4160 sectors  The 3,2 and 6.4 TB sizes are considered hot PCIe adapters so fan speeds are increased when these are installed.  These adapters have the following Feature Codes and CCINs:
    #ES3B/#ES3C with CCIN 5B52: 1.2 TB with #ES3B for AIX, Linux and VIOS and #ES3C for IBM i.
    #ES3D/#ES3E with CCIN 5B51: 3.2 TB with #ES3D for AIX, Linux and VIOS and #ES3E for IBM i.
    #ES3F/#ES3G with CCIN 5B50:  6.4 TB with #ES3F for AIX, Linux and VIOS and #ES3G for IBM i.
    This support only pertains to models S914 (9009-41G), S922 (9009-22G), S924 (9009-42G), H922 (9223-22S), and H924 (9223-42S).
System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • HIPER/Non-Pervasive: A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters in shared mode when the physical port is configured for Virtual Ethernet Port Aggregator (VEPA). Packets may not be forwarded after a firmware update, or after certain error scenarios which require an adapter reset. Users configuring or using VEPA mode should install this update.  
    This fix pertains to adapters with the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EC2R/#EC2S with CCIN 58FA; #EC2T/#EC2U with CCIN 58FB; #EC3L/#EC3M with CCIN 2CEC; and #EC66/#EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
    Update instructions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E
  • A problem was fixed for a rare service processor core dump for NetsCommonMsgServer with SRC B1818611 logged that can occur when doing an AC power-on of the system.  This error does not have a system impact beyond the logging of the error as an auto-recovery happens.
  • A problem was fixed for the wrong IBM part number (PN) being displayed in inventory reports and callouts for the 16GB-based Samsung 128 GB DIMM with IBM part number 78P7468 and Samsung part number: M393AAG40M32-CAE. The PN 78P7468 should be shown for the Samsung memory DIMM instead of PN 78P6925 which is specific to the Hynix 128GB memory DIMM.
  • A problem was fixed for an apparent hang in a partition shutdown where the HMC is stuck in a status of "shutting down" for the partition.  This infrequent error is caused by a timing window during the system or partition power down where the HMC checks too soon and does not see the partition in the "Powered Off" state. However, the power off of the partition does complete even though the HMC does not acknowledge it.  This error can be recovered by rebuilding the HMC representation of the managed system by following the below steps:
    1) In the navigation area on the HMC, select Systems Management > Servers.
    2) In the contents pane, select the required managed system.
    3) Select Tasks > Operations > Rebuild.
    4) Select Yes to refresh the internal representation of the managed system.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a hypervisor task failure with SRC B7000602 logged when running debug macro "sbdumptrace -sbmgr -detail 2" to capture diagnostic data.  The secure boot trace buffer is not aligned on a 16-byte boundary in memory which triggers the failure. With the fix, the hypervisor buffer dump utility is changed to recognize 8-byte aligned end of buffer boundaries.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for Predictive Error (PE) SRCs B7006A72 and B7006A74 being logged too frequently. These SRCs for PCIe correctable error events called for a repair action but the threshold for the events was too low for a recoverable error that does not impact the system. The threshold for triggering the PE SRCs has been increased.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a system crash with SRC B7000103 that can occur when adding or removing FRUs from a PCIe3 expansion drawer (Feature code #EXM0). This error is caused by a very rare race scenario when processing multiple power alerts from the expansion drawer at the same time.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for an HMC incomplete state for the managed system after a concurrent firmware update.  This is an infrequent error caused by an HMC query race condition while the concurrent update is rebooting tasks in the hypervisor.  A system re-IPL is needed to recover from the error.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for an On-Chip Controller (OCC) and a Core Management Engine ( CME) boot failure during the IPL with SRC BC8A090F and a RC_STOP_GPE_INIT_TIMEOUT error logged.  This is an intermittent IPL failure. The system can be recovered by retrying the IPL.  This fix reduces the frequency of the error but it may still rarely occur.  If it does occur, the retry of the IPL will be successful to recover the system.
  • A problem was fixed for a failed correctable error recovery for a DIMM that causes a flood of SRC BC81E580 error logs and also can prevent dynamic memory deallocation from occurring for a hard memory error. This is a very rare problem caused by an unexpected number of correctable error symbols for the DIMM in the per-symbol counter registers.
VL950_099_045 / FW950.40

05/06/22
Impact: Security    Severity:  HIPER

New Features and Functions
  • Support has been added for a new 16GB-based Samsung 128 GB DIMM with IBM part number 78P7468 and Samsung part number: M393AAG40M32-CAE.  This is replacing the 128GB Hynix with IBM part number 78P6925 for new memory installs.
System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • HIPER/Non-Pervasive: A problem was fixed for a flaw in OpenSSL TLS which can lead to an attacker being able to compute the pre-master secret in connections that have used a Diffie-Hellman (DH) based ciphersuite. In such a case this would result in the attacker being able to eavesdrop on all encrypted communications sent over that TLS connection.  OpenSSL supports encrypted communications via the Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocols.  With the fix, the service processor Lighttpd web server is changed to only use a strict cipher list that precludes the use of the vulnerable ciphersuites.  The Common Vulnerability and Exposure number for this problem is CVE-2020-1968.
  • A problem was fixed for a change made to disable Service Location Protocol (SLP) by default for a newly shipped system so that the SLP is disabled by a reset to manufacturing defaults on all systems and to also disable SLP on all systems when this fix is applied by the firmware update. The SLP configuration change has been made to reduce memory usage on the service processor by disabling a service that is not needed for normal system operations.  In the case where SLP does need to be enabled, the SLP setting can be changed using ASMI with the options "ASMI -> System Configuration -> Security -> External Services Management" to enable or disable the service.  Without this fix, resetting to manufacturing defaults from ASMI does not change the SLP setting that is currently active.
  • A problem was fixed for ASMI TTY menus allowing an unsupported change in hypervisor mode to OPAL.  This causes an IPL failure with BB821410 logged if OPAL is selected.  The hypervisor mode is not user-selectable in POWER9 and POWER10.  Instead, the hypervisor mode is determined by the MTM of the system. With this fix, the "Firmware Configuration" option in ASMI TTY menus is removed so that it matches the options given by the ASMI GUI menus.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for correct ASMI passwords being rejected when accessing ASMI using an ASCII terminal with a serial connection to the server.  This problem always occurs for systems at firmware level FW950.10 and later.
  • A problem was fixed for a flaw in OpenSSL certificate parsing that could result in an infinite loop in the hypervisor, causing a hang in a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) target partition. The trigger for this failure is an LPM migration of a partition with a corrupted vTPM certificate. This is expected to be a rare problem  The Common Vulnerability and Exposure number for this problem is CVE-2022-0778.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a flaw in OpenSSL certificate parsing that could result in an infinite loop in the hypervisor, causing a hang in a Live Partition  Mobility (LPM) target partition.   The trigger for this failure is an LPM migration of a partition with a corrupted physical trusted platform module (pTPM) certificate.
    This is expected to be a rare problem  The Common Vulnerability and Exposure number for this problem is CVE-2022-0778.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a partition with an SR-IOV logical port (VF) having a delay in the start of the partition. If the partition boot device is an SR-IOV logical port network device, this issue may result in the partition failing in boot with SRCs BA180010 and BA155102 logged and then stuck on progress code SRC 2E49 for an AIX partition.  This problem is infrequent because it requires multiple error conditions at the same time on the SR-IOV adapter.  To trigger this problem, multiple SR-IOV logical ports for the same adapter must encounter EEH conditions at roughly the same time such that a new logical port EEH condition is occurring while a previous EEH condition's handling is almost complete but not notified to the hypervisor yet.  To recover from this problem, reboot the partition.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for errors that can occur if doing a Live Partition Mobility (LPM)  migration and a Dynamic Platform Optimizer (DPO) operation at the same time.  The migration may abort or the system or partition may crash.  This problem requires running multiple migrations and DPO at the same time.  As a circumvention, do not use DPO while doing LPM migrations.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a secondary fault after a partition creation error that could result in a Terminate Immediate (TI) of the system with an SRC B700F103 logged.  The failed creation of partitions can be explicit or implicit which might trigger the secondary fault.  One example of an implicit partition create is the ghost partition created for a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) migration.  This type of partition can fail to create when there is insufficient memory available for the hardware page table (HPT) for the new partition.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a partition reboot recovery for an adapter in SR-IOV shared mode that rebooted with an SR-IOV port missing.  Prior to the reboot, this adapter had SR-IOV ports that failed and were removed after multiple adapter faults,  This problem should only occur rarely as it requires a sequence of multiple faults on an SR-IOV adapter in a short time interval to force the SR-IOV Virtual Function (VF) into the errant unrecoverable state.  The missing SR-IOV port can be recovered for the partition by doing a remove and add of the failed adapter with DLPAR, or the system can be re-IPLed.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • The following problems were fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters:
    1) A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters that occurs during a VNIC failover where the VNIC backing device has a physical port down due to an adapter internal error with an SRC B400FF02 logged.  This is an improved version of the fix delivered in earlier service pack FW950.10 for adapter firmware level 11.4.415.37 and it significantly reduces the frequency of the error being fixed.
    2) A problem was fixed for an adapter issue where traffic doesn’t flow on a VF when the VF is configured with a PVID set to zero and using OS VLAN tagging is configured on a physical port where a VF with a PVID set to the same VLAN ID already exists. This problem occurs whenever this specific VF configuration is dynamically added to a partition or is activated as part of a partition activation.
    This fix updates the adapter firmware to 11.4.415.43 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EN15/#EN16 with CCIN 2CE3, #EN17/#EN18 with CCIN 2CE4, #EN0H/#EN0J with CCIN 2B93, #EN0M/#EN0N with CCIN 2CC0, #EN0K/#EN0L with CCIN 2CC1, #EL56/#EL38 with CCIN 2B93, and #EL57/#EL3C with CCIN 2CC1.
    Update instructions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for multiple  incorrect informational error logs with Thermal Management SRC B1812649 being logged on the service processor, These error logs are more frequent on multiple node systems, but can occur on all system models.  The error is triggered by a false time-out and does not reflect a real problem on the service processor.
System firmware changes that affect certain systems
  • For a system with an AIX or Linux partition, a problem was fixed a partition start failure for AIX or Linux with SRC BA54504D logged.  This problem occurs if the partition is an MDC default partition with virtual Trusted Platform Module (vTPM) enabled.  As a circumvention, power off the system and disable vTPM using the HMC GUI to change the default partition property for Virtualized Trusted Platform Module (VTPM) to off.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For a system with vTPM enabled,  a problem was fixed for an intermittent system hang with SRCs 11001510 and B17BE434 logged and the HMC showing the system in the "Incomplete" state. This problem is very rare.  It may be triggered by different scenarios such as a partition power off; a processor DLPAR remove operation; or a Simultaneous Multi-threading (SMT) mode change in a partition.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For an S922 (9009-22G) system with an IBM i partition,  a problem was fixed for the Processor Feature system value in IBM incorrectly showing "P20 EP5G" instead of "P10 EP5W".  This only applies to systems that have a Processor DD2.2 with CCIN=5C26. Systems with Processor DD2.3 with CCIN=5C3D already show the "P10 EP5W" Processor Feature correctly.
  • For an S922 (9009-22G) system with an IBM i partition, a problem was fixed for an informational SRC A7004731 being logged incorrectly when servers with the EP5Y processor feature are using Physical I/O for IBM i.  Physical I/O on IBM i is allowed for the servers with the EP5Y processor, so the SRC A7004731 can be safely ignored.  No loss of function occurs, and this message about a possible configuration compliance issue is not a real issue.
  • For a system that does not have an HMC attached, a problem was fixed for a system dump 2GB or greater in size failing to off-load to the OS with an SRC BA280000 logged in the OS and an SRC BA28003B logged on the service processor.  This problem does not affect systems with an attached HMC since in that case system dumps are off-loaded to the HMC, not the OS, where there is no 2GB boundary error for the dump size.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
VL950_092_045 / FW950.30

12/09/21
Impact: Data    Severity:  HIPER

System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • HIPER/Non-Pervasive:  For systems using OPAL firmware, a problem was fixed for a potential problem with I/O adapters that could result in undetected data corruption.
    This problem only pertains to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • HIPER/Non-Pervasive:  A security problem was fixed to prevent an attacker that gains service access to the FSP service processor from reading and writing PowerVM system memory using a series of carefully crafted service procedures.  This problem is Common Vulnerability and Exposure number CVE-2021-38917.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • HIPER/Non-Pervasive:  A problem was fixed for the IBM PowerVM Hypervisor where through a specific sequence of VM management operations could lead to a violation of the isolation between peer VMs.  The Common Vulnerability and Exposure number is CVE-2021-38918.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • HIPER/Non-Pervasive:  For systems with IBM i partitions,  the PowerVM hypervisor is vulnerable to a carefully crafted IBM i hypervisor call that can lead to a system crash  This Common Vulnerability and Exposure number is CVE-2021-38937.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a possible denial of service on the service processor for ASMI and Redfish users.  This problem is very rare and could be triggered by a large number of invalid log in attempts to Redfish over a short period of time.
  • A problem was fixed for a service processor hang after a successful system power down with SRC B181460B and SRC B181BA07 logged.  This is a very rare problem that results in a fipsdump and a reset/reload of the service processor that recovers from the problem.
  • A problem was fixed for system fans not increasing in speed when partitions are booted with PCIe hot adapters that require additional cooling.  This fan speed problem can also occur if there is a change in the power mode that requires a higher minimum speed for the fans of the system than is currently active.  Fans running at a slower speed than required for proper system cooling could lead to over-temperature conditions for the system.
  • A problem was fixed for a hypervisor hang and HMC Incomplete error with SRC B17BE434 logged on a system with a virtual Network Interface Controller (vNIC) adapters.   The failure is triggered by actions occurring on two different SR-IOV logical ports for the same adapter in the VIOS that is backing the vNIC that result in a deadlock condition.  This is a rare failure that can occur during a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) migration for a partition with vNIC adapters.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a longer boot time for a shared processor partition on the first boot after the processor chip 0 has been guarded.  The partition boot could stall at SRC C20012FF but eventually complete.  This rare problem is triggered by the loss of all cores in processor chip 0.  On subsequent partition boots after the slow problem boot, the boot speeds return to normal.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) hang during LPM validation on the target system.  This is a rare system problem triggered during an LPM migration that causes LPM attempts to fail as well as other functionality such as configuration changes and partition shutdowns.
    To recover from this problem to be able to do LPM and other operations such as configuration changes and shutting down partitions, the system must be re-IPLed.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for incorrect Power Enterprise Pools(PEP) 2.0 throttling when the system goes out of compliance.  When the system is IPLed after going out of compliance, the amount of throttled resources is lower than it should be on the first day after the IPL.  Later on, the IBM Cloud Management Console (CMC) corrects the throttle value.  This problem requires that a PEP 2.0 system has to go out of compliance, so it should happen only rarely.  To recover from this problem, the user can wait for up to one day after the IPL or have the CMC resend the desired PEP Throttling resource amount to correct it immediately.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for the system powering off after a hardware discovery IPL.  This will happen if a hardware discovery IPL is initiated while the system is set to "Power off when last partition powers off".  The system will power off when the Hardware Discovery Information (IOR) partition that does hardware discovery powers off.  As a workaround, one should not use the "Power off when last partition powers off" setting when doing the hardware discovery IPL. Alternatively, one can just do a normal IPL after the system powers off, and then continue as normal.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for system NVRAM corruption that can occur during PowerVM hypervisor shutdown.  This is a rare error caused by a timing issue during the hypervisor shutdown.   If this error occurs, the partition data will not be able to read from the invalid NVRAM when trying to activate partitions, so the NVRAM must be cleared and the partition profile data restored from the HMC.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for the HMC Repair and Verify (R&V) procedure failing with "Unable to isolate the resource" during concurrent maintenance of the #EMX0 Cable Card.  This could lead one to take disruptive action in order to do the repair. This should occur infrequently and only with cases where a physical hardware failure has occurred which prevents access to the PCIe reset line (PERST) but allows access to the slot power controls.
    As a workaround, pulling both cables from the Cable Card to the #EMX0 expansion drawer will result in a completely failed state that can be handled by bringing up the "PCIe Hardware Topology" screen from either ASMI or the HMC. Then retry the R&V operation to recover the Cable Card.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed to prevent a flood of informational PCIe Host Bridge (PHB) error logs with SRC B7006A74 that cause a wrap of internal flight recorders and loss of data needed for problem debug.  This flood can be triggered by bad cables or other issues that cause frequent informational error logs. With the fix, thresholding has been added for informational PHB correctable errors at 10 in 24 hours before a Predictive Error is logged.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for vague and misleading errors caused by using an invalid logical partition (LP) id for a resource dump request.  With the fix, the invalid LP id is rejected immediately as a user input error instead of being processed by the main storage dump to create what appear to be severe errors.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters that encountered a rare adapter condition, had some response delays, and logged an Unrecoverable Error with SRC B400FF02.  With the fix, handling of this rare condition is accomplished without the response delay and an Informational Error is logged. and the adapter initialization continues without interruption.  This fix pertains to adapters with the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EC2R/EC2S with CCIN 58FA; #EC2T/EC2U with CCIN 58FB; #EC3L/EC3M with CCIN 2CEC; and #EC66/EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
    Update instructions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A change was made for certain SR-IOV adapters to move up to the latest level of adapter firmware.  No specific adapter problems were addressed at this new level.  This change updates the adapter firmware to XX.30.1004 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EC2R/EC2S with CCIN 58FA; #EC2T/EC2U with CCIN 58FB; #EC3L/EC3M with CCIN 2CEC; and #EC66/EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
    Update instructions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for an SR-IOV adapter in shared mode configured as Virtual Ethernet Port Aggregator (VEPA) where the SR-IOV adapter goes through EEH error recovery, causing an informational error with SRC B400FF04 and additional information text that indicates a command failed.  This always happens when an adapter goes through EEH recovery and a physical port is in VEPA mode.  With the fix, the informational error is not logged.
    Update instructions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters where Virtual Functions (VFs) failed to configure after an immediate restart of a logical partition (LPAR) or a shutdown/restart of an LPAR.  This problem only happens intermittently but is more likely to occur for the immediate restart case.  A workaround for the problem is to try another shutdown and restart of the partition or use DLPAR to remove the failing VF and then use DLPAR to add it back in.  This fix pertains to adapters with the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EC2R/EC2S with CCIN 58FA; #EC2T/EC2U with CCIN 58FB; #EC3L/EC3M with CCIN 2CEC; and #EC66/EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
    The fix is in the Partition Firmware and is effective immediately after a firmware update to the fix level.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a system hypervisor hang and an Incomplete state on the HMC after a logical partition (LPAR) is deleted that has an active virtual session from another LPAR.  This problem happens every time an LPAR is deleted with an active virtual session.  This is a rare problem because virtual sessions from an HMC (a more typical case) prevent an LPAR deletion until the virtual session is closed, but virtual sessions originating from another LPAR do not have the same check.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.

System firmware changes that affect certain systems

  • For a system with an IBM i partition, a problem was fixed for memory-mapped I/O and interrupt resources not being cleaned up for an SR-IOV VF when an IBM i partition is shut down.  This is a rare problem that requires adapters in SR-IOV shared mode to be assigned to the partition and certain timings of activity on the adapter prior to a shutdown of the partition.  The lost resources are not available on the next activation of the partition, but in most cases, this should not result in a loss of function.  The lost resources are recovered on the next re-IPL of the system.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For systems with IBM i partitions, a problem was fixed for incorrect Power Enterprise Pools(PEP) 2.0 messages reporting "Out of Compliance" with regards to IBM i licenses.  These messages can be ignored as there is no compliance issue to address in this case.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For a system with a Linux partition using an SR-IOV adapter, a problem was fixed for ping failures and packet loss for an SR-IOV logical port when a Dynamic DMA Window (DDW) changes from a bigger DMA window page size (such as 64K) back to the smaller default window page size (4K).  This can happen during an error recovery that causes a DDW reset back to the default window page size.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For a system with an IBM i partition. a problem was fixed for an IBM i partition running in P7 or P8 processor compatibility mode failing to boot with SRCs BA330002 and B200A101 logged.  This problem can be triggered as larger configurations for processors and memory are added to the partition.  A circumvention for this problem could be to reduce the number of processors and memory in the partition, or booting in P9 or later compatibility mode will also allow the partition to boot.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For a system with an AIX or Linux partition. a problem was fixed for Platform Error Logs (PELs) that are truncated to only eight bytes for error logs created by the firmware and reported to the AIX or Linux OS.  These PELs may appear to be blank or missing on the OS.  This rare problem is triggered by multiple error log events in the firmware occurring close together in time and each needing to be reported to the OS, causing a truncation in the reporting of the PEL.  As a problem workaround, the full error logs for the truncated logs are available on the HMC or using ASMI on the service processor to view them.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For systems with NVDIMMs, a problem was fixed for a false BC8A43FC information log generated on each IPL, indicating a successful BPM update was completed for the NVDIMMs in the system. This error log should be ignored as there is not a BPM update occurring on every IPL.
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
VL950_087_045 / FW950.20

09/16/21
Impact: Data    Severity:  HIPER

New Features and Functions
  • Support added for a mainstream 800GB NVME U.2 7 mm SSD (Solid State Drive) PCIe4 drive in a 15 mm carrier with Feature Code #EC7T and CCIN 59B7 for AIX, Linux, and VIOS.  This PCIe4 drive requires a PCIe4 slot on the system.
    This feature pertains only to the S914 (9009-41G), S922 (9009-22G), S924 (9009-42G), H922 (9223-22S), and H924 (9223-42S) models.
  • Support was changed to disable Service Location Protocol (SLP) by default for newly shipped systems or systems that are reset to manufacturing defaults.  This change has been made to reduce memory usage on the service processor by disabling a service that is not needed for normal system operations.  This change can be made manually for existing customers by changing it in ASMI with the options "ASMI -> System Configuration -> Security -> External Services Management" to disable the service.
  • Support was added to generate a service processor fipsdump whenever there is Hostboot (HB) TI and HB dump.  Without this new support, a HB crash (with a HB dump) does not generate a fipsdump and the FSP FFDC at that point in time. So it was difficult to correlate what was seen in the HB dump to what was happening on the FSP at the time of the HB fail.

System firmware changes that affect all systems

  • HIPER:  A problem was fixed which may occur on a target system following a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) migration of an AIX partition utilizing Active Memory Expansion (AME) with 64 KB page size enabled using the vmo tunable: "vmo -ro ame_mpsize_support=1".  The problem may result in AIX termination, file system corruption, application segmentation faults, or undetected data corruption.
    Note:  If you are doing an LPM migration of an AIX partition utilizing AME and 64 KB page size enabled involving a POWER8 or POWER9 system, ensure you have a Service Pack including this change for the appropriate firmware level on both the source and target systems.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed to reduce system fan speeds for systems with hot PCIe I/O adapters.  The fan floor speeds have been slightly lowered for certain ambient temperatures.  A reduction of fan speed as well as fan noise is expected with the system fans allowed to run at lower than the maximum speed setting in more cases.
    This fix pertains to the S924 (9009-42A), H924 (9223-42H), H924 (9223-42S), and S924 (9009-42G) models.
  • A problem was fixed for a missing hardware callout and guard for a processor chip failure with SRC BC8AE540 and signature "ex(n0p0c5) (L3FIR[28]) L3 LRU array parity error".
  • A problem was fixed for a missing hardware callout and guard for a processor chip failure with Predictive Error (PE) SRC BC70E540 and signature "ex(n1p2c6) (L2FIR[19]) Rc or NCU Pb data CE error".  The PE error occurs after the number of CE errors reaches a threshold of 32 errors per day.
  • A problem was fixed for an infrequent SRC of B7006956 that may occur during a system power off.  This SRC indicates that encrypted NVRAM locations failed to synchronize with the copy in memory during the shutdown of the hypervisor. This error can be ignored as the encrypted NVRAM information is stored in a redundant location, so the next IPL of the system is successful.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a service processor mailbox (mbox) timeout error with SRC B182953C during the IPL of systems with large memory configurations and "I/O Adapter Enlarged Capacity" enabled from ASMI.  The error indicates that the hypervisor did not respond quickly enough to a message from the service processor but this may not result in an IPL failure.  The problem is intermittent, so if the IPL does fail, the workaround is to retry the IPL
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a misleading SRC B7006A20 (Unsupported Hardware Configuration) that can occur for some error cases for PCIes #EMX0 expansion drawers that are connected with copper cables.  For cable unplug errors, the SRC B7006A88 (Drawer TrainError) should be shown instead of the B7006A20.   If a B7006A20 is logged against copper cables with the signature "Prc UnsupportedCableswithFewerChannels" and the message "NOT A 12CHANNEL CABLE", this error should instead follow the service actions for a B7006A88 SRC.   
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • Problems were fixed for DLPAR operations that change the uncapped weight of a partition and DLPAR operations that switch an active partition from uncapped to capped.  After changing the uncapped weight, the weight can be incorrect.  When switching an active partition from uncapped to capped, the operation can fail.
    These problems do not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed where the Floating Point Unit Computational Test, which should be set to "staggered" by default, has been changed in some circumstances to be disabled. If you wish to re-enable this option, this fix is required.  After applying this service pack, do the following steps:
    1) Sign in to the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI).
    2) Select Floating Point Computational Unit under the System Configuration heading and change it from disabled to what is needed: staggered (run once per core each day) or periodic (a specified time).
    3) Click "Save Settings".
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a hypervisor hang and HMC Incomplete error as a secondary problem after an SR-IOV adapter has gone into error recovery for a failure.  This secondary failure is infrequent because it requires an unrecovered error first for an SR-IOV adapter.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a system termination with SRC B700F107 following a time facility processor failure with SRC B700F10B.  With the fix, the transparent replacement of the failed processor will occur for the B700F10B if there is a free core, with no impact to the system.  
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for an incorrect "Power Good fault" SRC logged for an #EMX0 PCIe3 expansion drawer on the lower CXP cable of B7006A85 (AOCABLE, PCICARD).  The correct SRC is B7006A86 (PCICARD, AOCABLE).
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for an incorrect "Power Good fault" SRC logged for an #EMX0 PCIe3 expansion drawer on the lower CXP cable of B7006A85 (AOCABLE, PCICARD).  The correct SRC is B7006A86 (PCICARD, AOCABLE).
  • A problem was fixed for a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) migration that failed with the error "HSCL3659 The partition migration has been stopped because orchestrator detected an error" on the HMC.  This problem is intermittent and rare that is triggered by the HMC being overrun with unneeded LPM message requests from the hypervisor that can cause a timeout in HMC queries that result in the LPM operation being aborted.  The workaround is to retry the LPM migration which will normally succeed.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for an SR-IOV adapter in shared mode configured as Virtual Ethernet Port Aggregator (VEPA) where unmatched unicast packets were not forwarded to the promiscuous mode VF.
    Update instructions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters in SR-IOV Shared mode which may cause a network interruption and SRCs B400FF02 and B400FF04 logged.  The problem occurs infrequently during normal network traffic.
    This fix updates the adapter firmware to 11.4.415.38 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EN15/#EN16 with CCIN 2CE3, #EN17/#EN18 with CCIN 2CE4, #EN0H/#EN0J with CCIN 2B93, #EN0M/#EN0N with CCIN 2CC0, #EN0K/#EN0L with CCIN 2CC1, #EL56/#EL38 with CCIN 2B93, and #EL57/#EL3C with CCIN 2CC1.
    Update instructions:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for the Device Description in a System Plan related to Crypto Coprocessors and NVMe cards that were only showing the PCI vendor and device ID of the cards.  This is not enough information to verify which card is installed without looking up the PCI IDs first.  With the fix, more specific/useful information is displayed and this additional information does not have any adverse impact on sysplan operations.  The problem is seen every time a System Plan is created for an installed Crypto Coprocessor or NVMe card.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for some serviceable events specific to the reporting of EEH errors not being displayed on the HMC.  The sending of an associated call home event, however, was not affected.  This problem is intermittent and infrequent.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for possible partition errors following a concurrent firmware update from FW910 or later. A precondition for this problem is that DLPAR operations of either physical or virtual I/O devices must have occurred prior to the firmware update.  The error can take the form of a partition crash at some point following the update. The frequency of this problem is low.  If the problem occurs, the OS will likely report a DSI (Data Storage Interrupt) error.  For example, AIX produces a DSI_PROC log entry.  If the partition does not crash, it is also possible that some subsequent I/O DLPAR operations will fail.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for Platform Error Logs (PELS) not being logged and shown by the OS if they have an Error Severity code of "critical error".   The trigger is the reporting by a system firmware subsystem of an error log that has set an Event/Error Severity in the 'UH' section of the log to a value in the range, 0x50 to 0x5F.  The following error logs are affected:
    B200308C ==> PHYP ==>  A problem occurred during the IPL of a partition.  The adapter type cannot be determined. Ensure that a valid I/O Load Source is tagged.
    B700F104 ==> PHYP ==> Operating System error.  Platform Licensed Internal Code terminated a partition.
    B7006990 ==> PHYP ==> Service processor failure
    B2005149 ==> PHYP ==>  A problem occurred during the IPL of a partition.
    B700F10B ==> PHYP ==>  A resource has been disabled due to hardware problems
    A7001150 ==> PHYP ==> System log entry only, no service action required. No action needed unless a serviceable event was logged.
    B7005442 ==> PHYP ==> A parity error was detected in the hardware Segment Lookaside Buffer (SLB).
    B200541A ==> PHYP ==> A problem occurred during a partition Firmware Assisted Dump
    B7001160 ==> PHYP ==> Service processor failure.
    B7005121 ==> PHYP ==> Platform LIC failure
    BC8A0604 ==> Hostboot  ==> A problem occurred during the IPL of the system.
    BC8A1E07 ==> Hostboot  ==>  Secure Boot firmware validation failed.
    Note that these error logs are still reported to the service processor and HMC properly.  This issue does not affect the Call Home action for the error logs..
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for Live Partition Mobility (LPM) migrations from non-trusted POWER9 systems to POWER10 systems.  The LPM migration failure occurs every time an LPM migration is attempted from a non-trusted system source to FW1010 and later.  For POWER9 systems, non-trusted is the default setting.  The messages shown on the HMC for the failure are the following:
     HSCL365C The partition migration has been stopped because platform firmware detected an error (041800AC).
     HSCL365D The partition migration has been stopped because target MSP detected an error (05000127).
     HSCL365D The partition migration has been stopped because target MSP detected an error (05000127).
    A workaround for the problem is to enable the trusted system key on the POWER9 FW940/FW950 source system which can be done using an intricate procedure.  Please contact IBM Support for help with this workaround.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a missing error log SRC for an SR-IOV adapter in Shared mode that fails during the IPL because of adapter failure or because the system has insufficient memory for SR-IOV Shared mode for the adapter.  The error log SRC added is B7005308, indicating a serviceable event and providing the adapter and error information.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) migration failure from a POWER9 FW950 source to a POWER10 FW1010 target.  This will fail on every attempt with the following message on the HMC:
    "HSCLA2CF The partition migration has been stopped unexpectedly.  Perform a migration recovery for this partition, if necessary."
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for error logs not being sent over to HMC when disconnecting/reconnecting power cords that caused a flood on informational SRCs of B1818A37 and B18187D7.  After the flood of error logs, the reporting of error logs to the HMC stopped, which also prevented Call Home from working.  To recover from the error, the service processor can have a reset/reload done using ASMI.

System firmware changes that affect certain systems

  • For a system with a partition running AIX 7.3, a problem was fixed for running Live Update or Live Partition Mobility (LPM).  AIX 7.3 supports Virtual Persistent Memory (PMEM) but it cannot be used with these operations, but the problem was making it appear that PMEM was configured when it was not.  The Live Update and LPM operations always fail when attempted on AIX 7.3.  Here is the failure output from a Live Update Preview:
    "1430-296 FAILED: not all devices are virtual devices.
    nvmem0
    1430-129 FAILED: The following loaded kernel extensions are not known to be safe for Live Update:
    nvmemdd
    ...
    1430-218 The live update preview failed.
    0503-125 geninstall:  The lvupdate call failed.
    Please see /var/adm/ras/liveupdate/logs/lvupdlog for details."
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For systems with an AIX partition and Platform Keystore (PKS) enabled for the partition, a problem was fixed for AIX not being able to access the PKS during a Main Store Dump (MSD) IPL.  This may prevent the dump from completing.  This will happen for every MSD IPL when the partition PKS is enabled and in use by the AIX OS.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For a system with an AIX or Linux partition, a problem was fixed for a boot hang in RTAS for a partition that owns I/O which uses MSI-X interrupts.  A BA180007 SRC may be logged prior to the hang.  The frequency of this RTAS hang error is very low.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • For an IBM i partition on a model S922 (9009-22G) or H922 (9223-22S)  system, a problem was fixed for the built-in configuration rules for IBM i partitions.  Without this fix, it is possible to define and build an IBM i configuration of LPARs and be outside of limits or constraints of what IBM i supports. Examples of this situation would be having more IBM i cores per partition than IBM i officially supports on this server or not enabling the restricted I/O partition attribute.
    A workaround to this problem is to follow the IBM i Sales manuals when building 22G or 22S configurations for IBM i.
    With the fix, existing IBM i partitions are checked for compliance and, if needed, flagged with "Out of Compliance" with an SRC A7004731 logged.  This compliance checking continues on a regular basis until compliance is achieved, and any new IBM i partitions created will have the rules enforced.
    This problem only pertains to models S922 (9009-22G) and H922 (9223-22S).
VL950_075_045 / FW950.11

06/08/21
Impact:  Availability     Severity:  HIPER

System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • HIPER/Pervasive:  A problem was fixed for a checkstop due to an internal Bus transport parity error or a data timeout on the Bus.  This is a very rare problem that requires a particular SMP transport link traffic pattern and timing.  Both the traffic pattern and timing are very difficult to achieve with customer application workloads.  The fix will have no measurable effect on most customer workloads although highly intensive OLAP-like workloads may see up to 2.5% impact.
VL950_072_045 / FW950.10

04/28/21
Impact: Data      Severity:  HIPER

New Features and Functions
  • Support added to Redfish to provide a command to set the ASMI user passwords using a new AccountService schema. Using this service, the ASMI admin, HMC, and general user passwords can be changed.
  • PowerVM support for the Platform KeyStore (PKS) for partitions has removed the FW950.00 restriction where the total amount of PKS for the system that could be configured was limited to 1 MB across all the partitions.  This restriction has been removed for FW950.10.
    This feature does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • Support was added for a 12-core 2.3G/2.7G 190W/225W processor module with feature codes #EP5W and #EP5X.  This processor has CCIN 5C3D and runs in DD2.3 mode.
    This feature pertains only to IBM Power System models S922(9009-22G) and H922(9223-22S).
  • Support was added for Samsung DIMMs with part number 01GY853.  If these DIMMs are installed in a system with older firmware than FW950.10, the DIMMs will fail and be guarded with SRC BC8A090F logged with HwpReturnCode " RC_CEN_MBVPD_TERM_DATA_UNSUPPORTED_VPD_ENCODE".
  • Support was added for a new service processor command that can be used to 'lock' the power management mode, such that the mode can not be changed except by doing a factory reset.
  • Support for new mainstream 931 GB, 1.86 TB, 3.72 TB, and 7.44 TB capacity SSDs.  A 2.5-inch serial-attached SCSI (SAS) SSD is mounted on an SFF-3 carrier or tray for a POWER9 system unit or mounted on an SFF-2 for placement in an expansion drawer, such as the EXP24SX drawer, when attached to a POWER9 server. The drive is formatted to use 4224-byte (4k) sectors and does not support the 4k JBOD 4096-byte sector.  Firmware level FW950.10 or later is required for these drives.  The following are the feature codes and CCINs for the new drives:
    #ESKJ/#ESKK with CCIN 5B2B/5B29 – 931 GB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESKL/#ESKM with CCIN 5B2B/5B29 - 931GB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for IBM i
    #ESKN/#ESKP with CCIN 5B20/5B21- 1.86TB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESKQ/#ESKR with CCIN 5B20/5B21- 1.86TB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for IBM i
    #ESKS/#ESKT with CCIN 5B2C/5B2D - 3.72TB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESKU/#ESKV with CCIN 5B2C/5B2D - 3.72TB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for IBM i
    #ESKW/#ESKX with CCIN 5B2E/5B2F- 7.44TB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESKY/#ESKZ with CCIN 5B2E/5B2F -7.44TB Mainstream SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for IBM i
  • Support for new enterprise SSDs refresh the previously available 387 GB, 775 GB, and 1550 GB capacity points for POWER9 servers. These are 400 GB, 800 GB, and 1600 GB SSDs that are always formatted either to 4224 (4k) byte sectors or to 528 (5xx) byte sectors for additional protection, resulting in 387 GB, 775 GB, and 1550 GB capacities. The 4096-byte sector, the 512-byte sector, and JBOD are not supported.  Firmware level FW950.10 or later is required for these drives. The following are the feature codes and CCINs for the new drives:
    #ESK0/#ESK1 with CCIN 5B19/ 5B16  - 387GB Enterprise SAS 5xx SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESK2/#ESK3 with CCIN 5B1A/5B17 - 775GB Enterprise SAS 5xx SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESK6/#ESK8 with CCIN 5B13/5B10.- 387GB Enterprise SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESK7/#ESK9 with CCIN 5B13/5B10- 387GB Enterprise SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for IBM i
    #ESKA/#ESKC with CCIN 5B14/5B11- 775GB Enterprise SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESKB/#ESKD with CCIN 5B14/5B11- 775GB Enterprise SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for IBM i
    #ESKE/#ESKG with CCIN 5B15/5B12- 1.55TB Enterprise SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for AIX/Linux
    #ESKF/#ESKH with CCIN 5B15/5B12- 1.55TB Enterprise SAS 4k SFF-3/SFF-2 SSD for IBM i
  • Support for new PCIe 4.0 x8 dual-port 32 Gb optical Fibre Channel (FC) short form adapter based on the Marvell QLE2772 PCIe host bus adapter (6.6 inches x 2.731 inches). The adapter provides two ports of 32 Gb FC capability using SR optics. Each port can provide up to 6,400 MBps bandwidth. This adapter has feature codes #EN1J/#EN1K with CCIN 579C. Firmware level FW950.10 or later is required for this adapter.
  • Support for new PCIe 3.0 16 Gb quad-port optical Fibre Channel (FC)l x8 short form adapter based on the Marvell QLE2694L PCIe host bus adapter (6.6 inches x 2.371 inches). The adapter provides four ports of 16 Gb FC capability using SR optics. Each port can provide up to 3,200 MBps bandwidth. This adapter has feature codes #EN1E/#EN1F with CCIN 579A. Firmware level FW950.10 or later is required for this adapter.
  • Support for Enterprise 800 GB PCIe4 NVMe SFF U.2 15mm SSD for IBM i. The SSD can be used in any U.2 15mm NVMe slot in the system. This drive has feature code #ES1K and CCIN 5947. Firmware level FW950.10 or later is required for this drive.
System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • HIPER/Pervasive: A problem was fixed for a system IPL failure when DIMMs (RDIMMs or NVDIMMs) have mixed configurations with dual populated memory channels and single populated memory channels.  This problem occurs If there are dually populated memory channels that precede a single DIMM memory channel for a processor.  This causes the IPL to fail with B150BA40 and BC8A090F logged with HwpReturnCode "RC_MSS_CALC_POWER_CURVE_NEGATIVE_OR_ZERO_SLOPE " and HWP Error description "Power curve slope equals 0 or is negative".  A workaround for this problem is to reconfigure the memory to have the single DIMM memory channels be in front of memory channels that have both DIMM slots occupied.
  • A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters that have a rare, intermittent error with B400FF02 and B400FF04 logged, causing a reboot of the VF.  The error is handled and recovered without any user intervention needed.  The SR-IOV adapters affected have the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EC2R/#EC2S with CCIN 58FA; #EC2T/#EC2U with CCIN 58FB; #EC3L/#EC3M with CCIN 2CE; and #EC66/#EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for initiating a Remote Restart from a PowerVC/NovaLink source system to a remote target. This happens whenever the source system is running FW950.00. The error would look like this from PowerVC (system name, release level would be specific to the environment):
    "Virtual machine RR-5 could not be remote restarted to Ubu_AX_9.114.255.10. Error message: PowerVM API failed to complete for instance=RR-5-71f5c2cf-0000004e.HTTP error 500 for method PUT on path /rest/api/uom/ManagedSystem/598c1be4-cb4c-3957-917d-327b764d8ac1/LogicalPartition: Internal Server Error -- [PVME01040100-0004] Internal error PVME01038003 occurred while trying to perform this command.".
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a B1502616 SRC logged after a system is powered off.  This rare error, "A critical error occurred on the thermal/power management device (TPMD); it is being disabled. " is not a real problem but occurred because the Power Management (PM) complex was being reset during the power off.  No recovery is needed as the next IPL of the system is successful.
  • A problem was fixed for the error handling of a system with an unsupported memory configuration that exceeds available memory power. Without the fix, the IPL of the system is attempted and fails with a segmentation fault with SRCs B1818611 and B181460B logged that do not call out the incorrect DIMMs.
  • A problem was fixed for an error in the HMC GUI (Error launching task) when clicking on "Hardware Virtualized IO". This error is infrequent and is triggered by an optical cable to a PCIe3 #EMX0 expansion drawer that is failed or unplugged.  With the fix, the HMC can show the working I/O adapters.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for performance degradation of a partition due to task dispatching delays. This may happen when a processor chip has all of its shared processors removed and converted to dedicated processors. This could be driven by DLPAR remove of processors or Dynamic Platform Optimization (DPO).
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for an unrecoverable UE SRC B181BE12 being logged if a service processor message acknowledgment is sent to a Hostboot instance that has already shutdown.  This is a harmless error log and it should have been marked as an informational log.
  • A problem was fixed for Time of Day (TOD) being lost for the real-time clock (RTC) with an SRC B15A3303 logged when the service processor boots or resets.  This is a very rare problem that involves a timing problem in the service processor kernel.  If the server is running when the error occurs, there will be an SRC B15A3303 logged, and the time of day on the service processor will be incorrect for up to six hours until the hypervisor synchronizes its (valid) time with the service processor.  If the server is not running when the error occurs, there will be an SRC B15A3303 logged, and If the server is subsequently IPLed without setting the date and time in ASMI to fix it, the IPL will abort with an SRC B7881201 which indicates to the system operator that the date and time are invalid.
  • A problem was fixed for the Systems Management Services ( SMS) menu "Device IO Information" option being incorrect when displaying the capacity for an NVMe or Fibre Channel (FC) NVMe disk.  This problem occurs every time the data is displayed.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for intermittent failures for a reset of a Virtual Function (VF) for SR-IOV adapters during Enhanced Error Handling (EEH) error recovery. This is triggered by EEH events at a VF level only, not at the adapter level. The error recovery fails if a data packet is received by the VF while the EEH recovery is in progress. A VF that has failed can be recovered by a partition reboot or a DLPAR remove and add of the VF.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a logical partition activation error that can occur when trying to activate a partition when the adapter hardware for an SR-IOV logical port has been physically removed or is unavailable due to a hardware issue. This message is reported on the HMC for the activation failure:  "Error:  HSCL12B5 The operation to remove SR-IOV logical port <number> failed because of the following error: HSCL1552 The firmware operation failed with extended error" where the logical port number will vary.  This is an infrequent problem that is only an issue if the adapter hardware has been removed or another problem makes it unavailable.  The workaround for this problem is to physically add the hardware back in or correct the hardware issue.  If that cannot be done, create an alternate profile for the logical partition without the SR-IOV logical port and use that until the hardware issue is resolved.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for incomplete periodic data gathered by IBM Service for #EMXO PCIe expansion drawer predictive error analysis.  The service data is missing the PLX (PCIe switch) data that is needed for the debug of certain errors.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a partition hang in shutdown with SRC B200F00F logged.  The trigger for the problem is an asynchronous NX accelerator job (such as gzip or NX842 compression) in the partition that fails to clean up successfully.  This is intermittent and does not cause a problem until a shutdown of the partition is attempted.  The hung partition can be recovered by performing an LPAR dump on the hung partition.  When the dump has been completed, the partition will be properly shut down and can then be restarted without any errors.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a rare failure for an SPCN I2C command sent to a PCIe I/O expansion drawer that can occur when service data is manually collected with hypervisor macros "xmsvc -dumpCCData and xmsvc -logCCErrBuffer".   If the hypervisor macro "xmsvc "is run to gather service data and a CMC Alert occurs at the same time that requires an SPCN command to clear the alert, then the I2C commands may be improperly serialized, resulting in an SPCN I2C command failure.  To prevent this problem,  avoid using xmsvc -dumpCCData and xmsvc -logCCErrBuffer to collect service data until this fix is applied.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • The following problems were fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters:
    1) An error was fixed that occurs during a VNIC failover where the VNIC backing device has a physical port down or read port errors with an SRC B400FF02 logged.
    2) A problem was fixed for adding a new logical port that has a PVID assigned that is causing traffic on that VLAN to be dropped by other interfaces on the same physical port which uses OS VLAN tagging for that same VLAN ID.  This problem occurs each time a logical port with a non-zero PVID that is the same as an existing VLAN is dynamically added to a partition or is activated as part of a partition activation, the traffic flow stops for other partitions with OS configured VLAN devices with the same VLAN ID.  This problem can be recovered by configuring an IP address on the logical port with the non-zero PVID and initiating traffic flow on this logical port.  This problem can be avoided by not configuring logical ports with a PVID if other logical ports on the same physical port are configured with OS VLAN devices.
    This fix updates the adapter firmware to 11.4.415.37 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs:  #EN15/#EN16 with CCIN 2CE3, #EN17/#EN18 with CCIN 2CE4, #EN0H/#EN0J with CCIN 2B93, #EN0M/#EN0N with CCIN 2CC0, #EN0K/#EN0L with CCIN 2CC1, #EL56/#EL38 with CCIN 2B93, and #EL57/#EL3C with CCIN 2CC1.
    The SR-IOV adapter firmware level update for the shared-mode adapters happens under user control to prevent unexpected temporary outages on the adapters.  A system reboot will update all SR-IOV shared-mode adapters with the new firmware level.  In addition, when an adapter is first set to SR-IOV shared mode, the adapter firmware is updated to the latest level available with the system firmware (and it is also updated automatically during maintenance operations, such as when the adapter is stopped or replaced).  And lastly, selective manual updates of the SR-IOV adapters can be performed using the Hardware Management Console (HMC).  To selectively update the adapter firmware, follow the steps given at the IBM Knowledge Center for using HMC to make the updates:  https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    Note: Adapters that are capable of running in SR-IOV mode, but are currently running in dedicated mode and assigned to a partition, can be updated concurrently either by the OS that owns the adapter or the managing HMC (if OS is AIX or VIOS and RMC is running).
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for certain PCIe adapters and NVMe U.2 devices to lower fan speeds where additional cooling is not needed. The following feature codes are affected in the  9009-22G, 9009-41G, 9009-42G, and 5105-22E servers:  #EC5J with CCIN 59B4;  #EC5X with CCIN 59B7; and #ES1E/#ES1F with CCIN 59B8.
  • A problem was fixed for a system hang or terminate with SRC B700F105 logged during a Dynamic Platform Optimization (DPO) that is running with a partition in a failed state but that is not shut down.  If DPO attempts to relocate a dedicated processor from the failed partition, the problem may occur.  This problem can be avoided by doing a shutdown of any failed partitions before initiating DPO.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for a system crash with HMC message HSCL025D and SRC B700F103 logged on a Live Partition Mobility (LPM) inactive migration attempt that fails. The trigger for this problem is inactive migration that fails a compatibility check between the source and target systems.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters not being able to create the maximum number of VLANs that are supported for a physical port. There were insufficient memory pages allocated for the physical functions for this adapter type. The SR-IOV adapters affected have the following Feature Codes and CCINs:  #EC66/#EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
  • A problem was fixed for certain SR-IOV adapters that can have B400FF02 SRCs logged with LPA dumps during a vNIC remove operation.  The adapters can have issues with a deadlock in managing memory pages.  In most cases, the operations should recover and complete.  This fix updates the adapter firmware to XX.29.2003 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EC2R/EC2S with CCIN 58FA; #EC2T/EC2U with CCIN 58FB; #EC3L/EC3M with CCIN 2CE; and #EC66/EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
    The SR-IOV adapter firmware level update for the shared-mode adapters happens under user control to prevent unexpected temporary outages on the adapters.  A system reboot will update all SR-IOV shared-mode adapters with the new firmware level.  In addition, when an adapter is first set to SR-IOV shared mode, the adapter firmware is updated to the latest level available with the system firmware (and it is also updated automatically during maintenance operations, such as when the adapter is stopped or replaced).  And lastly, selective manual updates of the SR-IOV adapters can be performed using the Hardware Management Console (HMC).  To selectively update the adapter firmware, follow the steps given at the IBM Knowledge Center for using HMC to make the updates:   https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/POWER9/p9efd/p9efd_updating_sriov_firmware.htm.
    Note: Adapters that are capable of running in SR-IOV mode, but are currently running in dedicated mode and assigned to a partition, can be updated concurrently either by the OS that owns the adapter or the managing HMC (if OS is AIX or VIOS and RMC is running).
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • HIPER/Pervasive: A problem was fixed for a very small timing window which may prevent the saving of volatile write cache in the NVDIMM in the event of a surprised/unscheduled power down of the system or power down with the SBE in an error state. This may result in data loss for the storage system.
    The update of the NVDIMM firmware takes approximately 8 minutes per NVDIMM. This is incurred only on the initial system boot after updating system firmware or replacing an NVDIMM. There are 4 NVDIMMs per server so up to an additional 32 minutes could be needed to complete the system boot in these cases. Please refer to section 2.5 of the readme for more information on updates to NVDIMMs. 
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • HIPER/Pervasive: On systems with OPAL firmware, a problem was fixed for intermittent B150DAA0 and/or B181DA93 errors during power off.  On the subsequent IPL, the system will terminate with an SRC BC23352C pointing to an NVDIMM.  An NVDIMM factory reset is then required to clear that condition. Because of this error, the SBE was unable to save NVDIMM data, resulting in a loss of data.
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • HIPER/Pervasive: On systems with OPAL firmware, a problem was fixed for a processor core checkstop with SRC BC70E540 logged with Signature Description " ex(n0p1c4) (NCUFIR[11]) NCU no response to snooped TLBIE".  This problem is intermittent and random but occurs with relatively high frequency for certain workloads.  The trigger for the failure is one core of a fused core pair going into a stopped state while the other core of the pair continues running.
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • On systems with OPAL firmware, a problem was fixed for sporadic error messages in the OPAL log for xscom read/write calls.  These calls are handled internally and are not in the error log, so these informational messages should not be printed in the OPAL log.  
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • On systems with OPAL firmware, a problem was fixed for a Linux OS hang on reboot that can occur if there is an error during fast reboot.  With the fix, if a fast reboot cannot be supported, a normal reboot is done instead.  
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • A problem was fixed for a fast automatic recovery for an NVDIMM slot 0 error with SRC BC23550 logged. This is a recovery fix that changes recovery from many minutes (approximately 10 minutes per NVDIMM) with a re-IPL going through NVDIMM firmware reload, to less than 10 seconds with no re-lPL required.
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • A problem was fixed for a missing SRC and callout for when an NVDIMM does not have enough energy is save the NVDIMM image on a loss of power for the system. Although the NVDIMM data loss is recognized by the storage system, the lack of an SRC makes it difficult to isolate the failing hardware for repair or replacement.
    This problem pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • On systems with an IBM i partition, a problem was fixed for physical I/O property data not being able to be collected for an inactive partition booted in "IOR" mode with SRC B200A101 logged. This can happen when making a system plan (sysplan) for an IBM i partition using the HMC and the IBM i partition is inactive.  The sysplan data collection for the active IBM i partitions is successful.
    This problem does not pertain to model ESS 5105-22E.
VL950_045_045 / FW950.00

11/23/20
Impact:  New      Severity:  New

GA Level with key features included listed below
  • All features and fixes from the FW930.30, FW940.20, and FW941.03 service packs (and below) are included in this release.
New Features and Functions
  • Host firmware support for anti-rollback protection.  This feature implements firmware anti-rollback protection as described in NIST SP 800-147B "BIOS Protection Guidelines for Servers".  Firmware is signed with a "secure version".  Support added for a new menu in ASMI called "Host firmware security policy" to update this secure version level at the processor hardware.  Using this menu, the system administrator can enable the "Host firmware secure version lock-in" policy, which will cause the host firmware to update the "minimum secure version" to match the currently running firmware. Use the "Firmware Update Policy" menu in ASMI to show the current "minimum secure version" in the processor hardware along with the "Minimum code level supported" information. The secure boot verification process will block installing any firmware secure version that is less than the "minimum secure version" maintained in the processor hardware.
    Prior to enabling the "lock-in" policy, it is recommended to accept the current firmware level.
    WARNING: Once lock-in is enabled and the system is booted, the "minimum secure version" is updated and there is no way to roll it back to allow installing firmware releases with a lesser secure version.
    Note:  If upgrading from FW930.30 or FW940.20, this feature is already applied.
  • Support added for IBM Power System H922 for SAP HANA ((9223-22S) and IBM Power System H924 for SAP HANA ((9223-22S).  These models have integrated PCIe Gen4 switches.
  • OPAL is supported with skiboot level v6.6.4 and petitboot level v1.12.  This pertains to model ESS 5105-22E only.
  • This server firmware level includes the SR-IOV adapter firmware level 11.4.415.33 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EN15/EN16 with CCIN 2CE3, #EN17/EN18 with CCIN 2CE4, #EN0H/EN0J with CCIN 2B93, #EN0M/EN0N with CCIN 2CC0, #EN0K/EN0L with CCIN 2CC1, #EL56/EL38 with CCIN 2B93, and #EL57/EL3C with CCIN 2CC1.
  • This server firmware includes the SR-IOV adapter firmware level 1x.25.6100 for the following Feature Codes and CCINs: #EC2R/EC2S with CCIN 58FA; #EC2T/EC2U with CCIN 58FB; #EC3L/EC3M with CCIN 2CEC; and #EC66/EC67 with CCIN 2CF3.
  • Support added for a 110V/900W power supply on the 9009-22G model.
  • Support added for IBM i 7.1 (Tech Refresh 11 + PTFs) for restricted I/O only on the S922 (9009-22A) model.
  • Support for PCIe4 x8 1.6/3.2/6.4 TB NVMe Adapters that are Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCIe) Generation 4 (Gen4) x8 adapters with the following feature codes and CCINs:
    #EC7A/#EC7B with CCIN 594A ; #EC7C/#EC7D with CCIN 594B; and #EC7E/#EC7F with CCIN 594C for AIX/Linux.
    #EC7J/#EC7K with CCIN 594A ; #EC7L/#EC7M with CCIN 594B; and #EC7N/#EC7P with CCIN 594C for IBM i.
  • PowerVM boot support for AIX for NVMe over Fabrics (NVMf) for 32Gb Fibre Channel.  Natively attached adapters are supported with the following feature codes and CCINs: #EN1A/#EN1B with CCIN 578F.
  • Support added for a PCIe2 2-Port USB 3.0 adapter with the following feature codes and CCIN: #EC6J/#EC6K with CCIN 590F.
  • Support added for dedicated processor partitions in IBM Power Enterprise Pools (PEP) 2.0.  Previously, systems added to PEP 2.0 needed to have all partitions as shared processor partitions.
  • Support added for SR-IOV Hybrid Network Virtualization (HNV) for Linux.   This capability allows a Linux partition to take advantage of the efficiency and performance benefits of SR-IOV logical ports and participate in mobility operations such as active and inactive Live Partition Mobility (LPM) and Simplified Remote Restart (SRR).  HNV is enabled by selecting a new Migratable option when an SR-IOV logical port is configured. The Migratable option is used to create a backup virtual device.  The backup virtual device must be a Virtual Ethernet adapter (virtual Network Interface Controller (vNIC) adapter not supported as a backup device). In addition to this firmware, HNV support in a production environment requires HMC 9.1.941.0 or later, RHEL 8., SLES 15, and VIOS 3.1.1.20 or later.
  • Enhanced  Dynamic DMA Window (DDW) for I/O adapter slots to enable the OS to use 64KB TCEs.   The OS supported is Linux RHEL 8.3 LE.
  • PowerVM support for the Platform KeyStore (PKS) for partitions.  PowerVM has added new h-call interfaces allowing the partition to interact with the Platform KeyStore that is maintained by PowerVM.  This keystore can be used by the partition to store items requiring confidentiality or integrity like encryption keys or certificates.
    Note:  The total amount of PKS for the system is limited to 1 MB across all the partitions for FW950.00.
  • Support for 64 GB 16Gbit DDR4 system memory running at 2666 Mhz with feature code #EM7B and part number 78P6815.
  • Support for 128 GB 16Gbit DDR4 system memory running at 2666 Mhz with feature code #EM7C and part number 78P6925.
System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • HIPER/Pervasive:  A problem was fixed to be able to detect a failed PFET sensing circuit in a core at runtime, and prevent a system fail with an incomplete state when a core fails to wake up.  The failed core is detected on the subsequent IPL.  With the fix. a core is called out with the PFET failure with SRC BC13090F and hardware description "CME detected malfunctioning of PFET headers." to isolate the error better with a correct callout.
  • A problem was fixed in ASMI for the Update Access Key (UAK) displaying as "0000-00-00" on the OPAL systems.  With the fix, the UAK displays as "NA" since it is not used for this type of system during the firmware update.  This problem pertains only to the 5105-22E model.
  • A problem was fixed for a VIOS, AIX, or Linux partition hang during an activation at SRC CA000040.  This will occur on a system that has been running more than 814 days when the boot of the partition is attempted if the partitions are in POWER9_base or POWER9 processor compatibility mode.
    A workaround to this problem is to re-IPL the system or to change the failing partition to POWER8 compatibility mode.
    Note:  If upgrading from FW930.30, this fix is already applied.
  • A problem was fixed for certain PCIe adapters and NVMe U.2 devices. The following feature codes are affected and the presence of these features in the 9009-41G and 9009-41A  servers can result in higher fan speeds and therefore higher acoustic levels after upgrading the firmware (the other models are also affected but to a lesser extent).  Refer to the acoustic levels published in the IBM Knowledge Center currently located at ===> https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9009-41A/p9had/p9had_90x.htm:
    #EC5J witn CCIN 59B4;  #EC5K with CCIN 59B5; #EC5L with CCIN 59B6; #EC5X with CCIN 59B7; #EC7A/#EC7B with CCIN  594A; #EC7C/#EC7D with CCIN 594B; #EC7E/#EC7F with CCIN 594C; #EC7J/#EC7K  with CCIN  594A; #EC7L/#EC7M  with CCIN 594B; #EC7N/#EC7P with CCIN 594C; #ES1E/#ES1F with CCIN 59B8; #ES1G/#ES1H with CCIN 59B9;  #EC5V/#EC5W with CCIN 59BA; #EC5G/#EC5B and #EC6U/#EC6V with CCIN 58FC;  #EC5W/#EC5D and #EC6W/#EC6X with CCIN 58FD; and #EC5G/#EC5B and #EC6Y/#EC6Z with CCIN 58FE.
    Note:  A version of this fix in earlier service pack FW941.03 did not add cooling for the 9009-22A and 9009-22G models for the following adapters: #EC5G/#EC5B and #EC6U/#EC6V with CCIN 58FC;  #EC5W/#EC5D and #EC6W/#EC6X with CCIN 58FD; and #EC5G/#EC5B and #EC6Y/#EC6Z with CCIN 58FE.
System firmware changes that affect all systems
  • On systems with an IBM i partition, a problem was fixed for the QPRCFEAT QMODEL IBM System Value showing the 9009-xxG models as 9009-xxA models.  For example, the 9009-22G reports as "EP11" instead of "EP51".  This mismatch can prevent 3rd party software licenses from working.
    The system has to be re-IPLed for the fix to take effect.  This pertains to 9009-xxG models only that are being upgraded from FW941.00.
    Note: If 3rd party software licenses were installed based on the old incorrect QPRCFEAT QMODEL value, new licenses will be needed to work with the updated value.

4.0 How to Determine The Currently Installed Firmware Level

You can view the server's current firmware level on the Advanced System Management Interface (ASMI) Welcome pane. It appears in the top right corner. Example: VL910_123.


5.0 Downloading the Firmware Package

Follow the instructions on Fix Central. You must read and agree to the license agreement to obtain the firmware packages.

Note: If your HMC is not internet-connected you will need to download the new firmware level to a USB flash memory device or ftp server.


6.0 Installing the Firmware

The method used to install new firmware will depend on the release level of firmware which is currently installed on your server. The release level can be determined by the prefix of the new firmware's filename.

Example: VLxxx_yyy_zzz

Where xxx = release level

HMC Managed Systems:

Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems managed by an HMC can be found at:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9009-22A/p9eh6/p9eh6_updates_sys.htm


NovaLink Managed Systems:

A NovaLink managed system does not have a HMC attached and is managed either by PowerVM Novalink or PowerVC using PowerVM Novalink.
Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems managed by PowerVM NovaLink can be found at:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9009-22A/p9eig/p9eig_updating_firmware.htm


HMC and NovaLink Co-Managed Systems (Disruptive firmware updates only):

A co-managed system is managed by HMC and NovaLink, with one of the interfaces in the co-management master mode.
Instructions for installing firmware updates and upgrades on systems co-managed by an HMC and Novalink is the same as above for a HMC managed systems since the firmware update must be done by the HMC in the co-management master mode.  Before the firmware update is attempted, one must be sure that HMC is set in the master mode using the steps at the following IBM KnowledgeCenter link for NovaLink co-managed systems:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9009-22A/p9eig/p9eig_kickoff.htm

Then the firmware updates can proceed with the same steps as for the HMC managed systems except the system must be powered off because only a disruptive update is allowed.   If a concurrent update is attempted, the following error will occur: " HSCF0180E Operation failed for <system name> (<system mtms>).  The operation failed.  E302F861 is the error code:"
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9009-22A/p9eh6/p9eh6_updates_sys.htm


Systems not Managed by an HMC or NovaLink:

Power Systems:

Instructions for installing firmware on systems that are not managed by an HMC can be found at:
https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/9009-22A/p9ha5/fix_serv_firm_kick.htm


Systems running Ubuntu operating system:


If Ubuntu will be used to update the system firmware, please follow these instructions to extract the installable binary and update/upgrade the firmware:

1) Download the .gz (tarball) from Fix Central to your Ubuntu system (ie, to /tmp/fwupdate).

2) Extract the .gz file to /tmp/ on the Ubuntu system:

Example:
    tar -xzf /tmp/fwupdate/01VL910_040_040.tar.gz -C /tmp/fwupdate

3) Use update_flash -v -f <extracted file name> to verify the package.

4) Update your firmware using update_flash:

/usr/sbin/update_flash  -f <extracted file name>

System will reboot during the firmware update. When the system reaches Ubuntu run-time state, you can then commit or reject the firmware update:
Commit: /usr/sbin/update_flash -c
Reject:   /usr/sbin/update_flash -r

IBM i Systems:

For information concerning IBM i Systems, go to the following URL to access Fix Central: 
http://www-933.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

Choose "Select product", under Product Group specify "System i", under Product specify "IBM i", then Continue and specify the desired firmware PTF accordingly.

7.0 Firmware History

The complete Firmware Fix History (including HIPER descriptions)  for this Release level can be reviewed at the following url:
https://public.dhe.ibm.com/software/server/firmware/VL-Firmware-Hist.html