Upgrading your HMC software

Learn how to upgrade the software on an HMC from one release to the next while maintaining your HMC configuration data.

To upgrade machine code on an HMC, perform steps 1 through 9.

Note: If you are upgrading from HMC with Version 6 with HMC Version 7, refer to Migrating the machine code on an HMC from Version 6 to Version 7.

Parent topic: Updating, upgrading, and migrating your HMC machine code

Step 1. Obtain the upgrade

You can order the HMC machine code upgrade through the Fix Central Web site.

To obtain the upgrade through the Fix Central Web site, do the following:

1. From a computer or server with an Internet connection, go to the Hardware Management Console Web site at http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/sas/f/hmc/home.html.
2. Click Continue. The Hardware Management Console site is displayed.
3. Navigate to the HMC version you want to upgrade to.
4. Locate the download and ordering section.
   Note: If you do not have access to the Internet, contact IBM® service and support to order the upgrade on DVD.
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to submit your order.
6. After you have the upgrade, continue with Step 2. View the existing HMC machine code level.

Step 2. View the existing HMC machine code level

To determine the existing level of machine code on an HMC, follow these steps:

1. In the Navigation area, click Updates.
2. In the Work area, view and record the information that appears under the HMC Code Level heading, including the HMC version, release, maintenance level, build level, and base versions.
3. Continue with Step 3. Back up the managed system's profile data.

Step 3. Back up the managed system's profile data

To back up the managed system's profile data, do the following:

1. In the Navigation area, select Systems Management.
2. Select Servers.
3. Select the server and ensure the state is Operating or Standby.
4. Under Tasks, select Configuration > Manage Partition Data > Backup.
5. Type a backup file name and record this information.
6. Click OK.
7. Repeat these steps for each managed system.
8. Continue with Step 4. Back up HMC data.

Step 4. Back up HMC data

Back up HMC data before installing a new version of HMC software so that previous levels can be restored in the event of a problem while upgrading the software. Do not use this critical console data after a successful upgrade to a new version of the HMC software.

Note: To back up to removable media, you will need to have that media available.

To back up HMC data, do the following:

1. If you plan to back up to media, perform the following steps to format the media:
   1. Insert the media into the drive.
   2. In the Navigation Pane, select Service Management
   3. Select Format Media.
   4. Select the media type.
   5. Select the format type.
   6. Click OK.
2. In the Navigation area, select HMC Management.
3. Select Back up HMC Data. The Back up HMC Data window opens.
4. Select an archive option. You can back up to media on a local system, a remote system mounted to the HMC file system (for example, NFS), or send the backup to a remote site using File Transfer Protocol (FTP).
   • To back up to a local system, choose Back up to media on local system and follow the instructions.
   • To back up to a mounted remote system, choose Back up to mounted remote system and follow the instructions.
   • To back up to a remote FTP site, choose Send back up critical data to remote site and follow the instructions.
5. Continue with Step 5. Record the current HMC configuration information.

Step 5. Record the current HMC configuration information

Before you upgrade to a new version of HMC software, as a precautionary measure, record HMC configuration information.

To record the current HMC configuration, do the following:

1. To view scheduled operations for a managed system or its logical partitions, open Systems Management. If you want to record scheduled operations for the HMC itself, select HMC Management and skip to step 3.
2. Select a managed system and any partitions for which you want to record HMC configuration information.
3. In the tasks list, select Schedule Operations. All scheduled operations for the target you selected are displayed.
4. Select Sort > By Object.
5. Select each object and record the following details:
   • Object Name
   • Schedule date
   • Operation Time (displayed in 24-hour format)
   • Repetitive (if Yes, perform the following steps):
     1. Select View > Schedule Details.
     2. Record the interval information.
     3. Close the scheduled operations window.
     4. Repeat for each scheduled operation.
6. Close the Customize Scheduled Operations window.
7. Continue with Step 6. Record remote command status.

Step 6. Record remote command status

To record remote command status, do the following:

1. In the navigation area, select HMC Management.
2. In the tasks list, click Remote Command Execution.
3. Record whether the Enable remote command execution using the ssh facility check box is selected.
4. Click Cancel.
5. Continue with Step 7. Save upgrade data.

Step 7. Save upgrade data

You can save the current HMC configuration in a designated disk partition on the HMC or to local media. Save upgrade data only immediately prior to upgrading your HMC software to a new release. This action allows you to restore HMC configuration settings after upgrading.

Note: Only one level of backup data is allowed. Each time you save upgrade data, the previous level is overwritten.

To save upgrade data, do the following:

1. In the Navigation area, select HMC Management.
2. In the contents area under Operations, select Save Upgrade Data. The Save Upgrade Data Wizard opens.
3. Select the media on which you want to save the upgrade data. If you choose to save to removable media, insert the media now. Click Next.
4. Click Finish.
5. Wait for the task to complete. If the Save Upgrade Data task fails, contact your next level of support before proceeding.
   Note: If the save upgrade data task fails, do not continue the upgrade process.
6. Click OK.
7. Continue with Step 8. Upgrade the HMC software.

Step 8. Upgrade the HMC software

To upgrade the HMC software, restart the system with the removable media in the DVD drive.

1. Insert the HMC Product Installation media into the DVD drive.
2. In the Navigation bar, select HMC Management.
3. In the contents area, select Shutdown or Restart HMC.
4. Ensure Restart the HMC is selected.
5. Click OK. The HMC restarts and system information scrolls on the window.
6. Select Upgrade and click Next.
7. Choose from the following options:
   • If you have saved upgrade data during the previous task, continue with the next step.
   • If you did not save upgrade data previously in this procedure, you must save the upgrade data now before you continue.
8. Select Upgrade from media and click Next.
9. Confirm the settings and click Finish.
10. Follow the prompts.
    Note:

    • If the screen goes blank, press the space bar to view the information.
    • The first DVD can take approximately 20 minutes to install.
11. At the login prompt, log in using your user ID and password. The HMC code installation is complete.
12. Continue with Step 9. Verify that the HMC machine code upgrade installed successfully.

Step 9. Verify that the HMC machine code upgrade installed successfully

To verify that the HMC upgrade installed successfully, do the following:

1. In the Navigation area, click Updates. In the Work area, the HMC version, release, maintenance level, build level, and base versions are displayed under the HMC Code Level heading.
2. Verify that the version and release match the update that you installed.
3. If the level of code displayed is not the level that you installed, retry the upgrade task using a new DVD. If the problem persists, contact your next level of support.