Recovering from a BIOS update failure

Use this information to recover from a BIOS update failure in the blade server.

The blade server has an advanced recovery feature that will automatically switch to a backup BIOS page if the BIOS code in the blade server has become damaged, such as from a power failure during an update. The flash memory of the blade server consists of a primary page and a backup page. If the BIOS code in the primary page is damaged, the baseboard management controller will detect the error and automatically switch to the backup page to start the blade server. If this happens, a POST message Booted from backup POST/BIOS image is displayed. The backup page version might not be the same as the primary page version.

You can then recover or restore the original primary page BIOS by using a BIOS flash diskette.

To recover the BIOS code and restore the blade server operation to the primary page, complete the following steps:

Note: Changes are made periodically to the IBM Web site. The actual procedure might vary slightly from what is described in this document.
  1. Go to http://www.ibm.com/systems/support/.
  2. Under Product support, click BladeCenter.
  3. Under Popular links, click Software and device drivers.
  4. Click BladeCenter HS12 (8014, 8028, 1916) to display the matrix of downloadable files for the blade server.
  5. Select and download the flash BIOS update for your operating environment.
  6. Update the BIOS code, following the instructions that come with the update file that you downloaded. This automatically restores and updates the primary page.
  7. Restart the blade server.

If that procedure fails, the blade server might not restart correctly or might not display video. To manually restore the BIOS code, complete the following steps:

  1. Before you begin, read Safety and Installation guidelines.
  2. Turn off the blade server (see Turning off the blade server).
  3. Remove the blade server from the BladeCenter unit (see Removing the blade server from the BladeCenter unit).
  4. Remove the cover (see Removing the blade server cover).
  5. If an expansion unit is installed, remove it (see Removing an optional expansion unit).
  6. Locate switch block SW2-1 on the system board (see System-board switches).
  7. Move the BIOS backup page switch (SW3-1) to the On position to enable the backup page.
  8. If you removed an optional expansion unit, replace it (see Installing an optional expansion unit).
  9. Replace the cover and reinstall the blade server in the BladeCenter unit, making sure that the media tray is selected by the relevant blade server. See Installing the blade server cover and Installing the blade server in a BladeCenter unit.
  10. Insert the BIOS flash diskette into the diskette drive.
  11. Restart the blade server (see Turning off the blade server and Turning on the blade server. The system begins the power-on self-test (POST).
  12. Select 1 - Update POST/BIOS from the menu that contains various flash (update) options.
    Attention: Do not type Y when you are prompted to back up the ROM location; doing so causes the damaged BIOS to be copied into the backup page.
  13. When you are prompted whether you want to move the current POST/BIOS image to the backup ROM location, type N.
  14. When you are prompted whether you want to save the current code to a diskette, type N.
  15. Select Update the BIOS.
    Attention: Do not restart the blade server at this time.
  16. When the update is complete, remove the flash diskette from the diskette drive.
  17. Turn off the blade server and remove it from the BladeCenter unit (see Turning off the blade server and Removing the blade server from the BladeCenter unit).
  18. Remove the cover of the blade server (see Removing the blade server cover).
  19. If an expansion unit is installed, remove it (see Removing an optional expansion unit).
  20. Move switch SW3-1 to Off to return to the normal startup mode.
  21. If you removed an optional expansion unit, replace it (see Installing an optional expansion unit).
  22. Replace the cover and reinstall the blade server in the BladeCenter unit. See Installing the blade server cover and Installing the blade server in a BladeCenter unit.
  23. Restart the blade server (see Turning on the blade server).
Parent topic: Troubleshooting