Hello Sunners...This is a SUMMARY of my original post, "Mixing SSA
Firmware Versions"
To reply to this messages write to me at:
mecksp@state.mi.us
Now for the original question:
We have two separate Sparc Storage Arrays, one which arrived with
firmware 3.6 already loaded,
the older model is running at 2.1
We have two Sparc1000e servers which are now attached to both the
old and new arrays.
Will these mixing of firmware levels be a problem?
I know that the easy answer is just upgrade the firmware, but the
management here doesn't want
to bring down the servers....that's the reason the old array is still at 2.1
firmware.
We are running Solaris 2.4 with Open Disk Suite 4.0.
I will appreciate any info and attemp to summarize.....
Thanks,
Stevan Meck
Here are the responses from:
Glenn Satchell, Jim Seavey, and Mathew Stier.....Thanks for your help
and support!
my comments are in italics....
Wel, if they don't do a planned upgrade to the firmware then they will
get a random downtime when your filesystems get trashed. Just look at
the bug fixes in the patch to the firmware and you will see why you
should install the patch. Installing the new firmware takes only a few
minutes, plus a system reboot. Surely 10 minutes planned downtime is
better than a day of downtime at some inopportune time? That was my
point to management.
regards,
-- Glenn Satchell glenn@uniq.com.au | There's a fine line Uniq Professional Services Pty Ltd ACN 056 279 335 | between fishing and PO Box 70, Paddington, NSW 2021, (Sydney) Australia | standing on the shore Phone 02 380 6360 Pager 016 287 000 Fax 02 380 6416 | looking like an idiot.i would suggest that you are in much greater risk of bringing down your system by leaving the older version of the firmware running than any risk you would encounter by running the new version. tell your management that the newer versions are developed to fix problems; look at them as patches to the existing firmware levels. We are still at 10945-27 because they don't like to bring down the system.
i have multiple disk arrays (mirrors of each other) on multiple ss1000's and i have had problems with the older rev's of firmware.
also take a look ar the rev of rimware that the disks in your array's are set at. there is a patch out for two of sun's disks which upgrades the level of firmware on the disk. i had the problem that the upgrade to the disk formware corrects on several disk in my disk array's.
jim
_ /| ___ Jim Seavey \`o.O' | . ___ Computer Systems Consultant =(__+)= (__)_|_| | | Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories U 1 Cyclotron Raod, Mail Stop 938B Berkeley, CA 94720
My site had a number of reliability problems with the pre-3.6 firmware, but it shouldn't cause you problems until you have the opportunity to do the upgrade.
-- Matthew.Stier@imonics.com | Senior Unix Systems Administrator | Imonics Corporation | "Wisconsin Escapee" Cary, NC 27511, (919) 461-6000 |
Thanks to all of you, this list has answered many questions I have, just by browsing the list!!
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