BladeCenter web interface: Monitors, Firmware VPD page

The following illustration shows the Firmware Vital Product Data page for an advanced management module.

Graphic illustrating the firmware VPD page for the advanced management module.

Graphic illustrating the I/O module and management module firmware VPD page.

Note: The management module needs to be restarted before it can use a newly downloaded firmware image. This page will display, on separate lines, vital product data about both the current and the pending software loads.

Click Firmware Vital Product Data to view the VPD for the firmware in all blade servers, I/O modules, and management modules in the BladeCenter® unit. The firmware VPD that is collected and stored varies by BladeCenter unit type.

When an advanced management module is installed in some BladeCenter units, you also can view the VPD for the chassis cooling unit and power-supply cooling unit firmware.
For an advanced management module that is installed in a BladeCenter S unit, you also can view the VPD for the storage-module firmware.

Graphic illustrating the storage module VPD page.

The firmware VPD includes the firmware type and version information such as a build ID, release date, and revision number. The VPD information varies by BladeCenter component type; for example, the VPD for the management-module firmware might also include the file name of the firmware components. (After you select Firmware Vital Product Data, it takes up to 30 seconds to refresh and display information.)

For blade servers, the level status compares the firmware build level for all blade servers in a BladeCenter unit and the build levels in the optional Blade Firmware List, providing one of the following indications:

If the level status indication for a blade server is blank, the firmware for the blade server is not being checked.
The icon indicates that like blade servers have the same firmware level or that firmware on the blade server matches the requirements specified in the Blade Firmware List. Click on the icon to view and edit the Blade Firmware List.
The icon indicates that like blade servers have different (mismatched) firmware levels or that the firmware on the blade server does not match the requirements specified in the Blade Firmware List. Click on the icon to update the blade server firmware.
The icon indicates a unique blade server (there is only one blade server of a type installed in the BladeCenter unit) and that no firmware requirements are specified for this blade server type in the Blade Firmware List. Click on the icon to edit the Blade Firmware List, where a new entry will automatically be created for the blade server type. After firmware information is entered for the blade server, the configuration needs to be saved for the changes to take effect.

Click the Graphic illustrating level check configuration. icon at the top of the Level column to view, edit, download, or upload build ID levels in the Blade Firmware List.

The list of blade server firmware VPD is initially generated based on what is detected in the BladeCenter unit and displays in the Blade Firmware List on the Blade Firmware Management page.

Graphic illustrating the blade firmware level management VPD page.

In the Blade Firmware Management page, blade server firmware VPD information can be edited in the Blade Firmware List tab. Clicking Rebuild List will scan the BladeCenter unit and generate a list of blade server firmware VPD based on what is detected. The list contains information for only those blade servers that have VPD which is fully accessible by the advanced management module. Any blade servers with VPD that is unavailable or failed will be ignored and not appear in the list. This list can then be modified manually to specify different requirements. You must make sure to enter information in the manufacturer, machine type, firmware type, and build ID fields.

The Export List and Import List tabs allow the blade server firmware VPD, as seen on the Blade Firmware List tab, to be saved to or loaded from a file. The blade server firmware VPD file filename is automatically named in the form ammName_YYYYMMDD_hhmmss_buildids, where:

The ammName indicates the name of the advanced management module
The YYYYMMDD indicates the date of blade server firmware VPD export in year-month-day format.
The hhmmss indicates the time of blade server firmware VPD export in hour-minute-second 24-hour clock format.

When an optional standby advanced management module is installed, the active advanced management module mirrors data and firmware updates to it. The firmware VPD for both the active and standby advanced management modules are displayed on this page. If the active advanced management module detects that the standby advanced management module is at a different firmware level, it attempts to update the standby advanced management module to the same level. Unless this operation is in progress, the firmware VPD should be identical for the active and standby advanced management modules.

Note: The BladeCenter S unit has one advanced management module and does not support an optional standby advanced management module.

Click Reload VPD to refresh the firmware VPD information for a selected blade server or for all blade servers in the BladeCenter unit.