Upgrading the SAN Volume Controller cluster software using the SAN Volume Controller Console

You can upgrade the cluster software using the SAN Volume Controller Console.

Attention: Before you start a software upgrade, you must check for offline or degraded VDisks. An offline VDisk can cause write data that has been modified to be pinned in the SAN Volume Controller cache. This prevents VDisk failover and causes a loss of I/O access during the software upgrade. If the fast_write_state is empty, a VDisk can be offline and not cause errors during the software upgrade.
The software upgrade files can be quite large. To shorten upload times, you should disable proxies on the Web browser from where you will upload the file. If you disable proxies, you might not be able to connect to external Web sites. Therefore, you must make a record of your existing settings before you disable proxies in case you have to restore access to other Web sites. To disable proxy settings if you are using Internet Explorer, complete the following steps:
  1. Click Tools in the menu bar.
  2. Select the Internet Options > Connections tab.
  3. Click on LAN Settings... and ensure that the box marked Use a proxy server for your LAN (These settings will not apply to dial-up or VPN connections) is unchecked.
  4. Click OK twice to accept the settings.
To disable proxy settings if you are using Netscape, complete the following steps:
  1. Click Edit in the menu bar.
  2. Click on Preferences.... Expand the Advanced section and select Proxies.
  3. Select the Direct connection to the Internet button and click OK to accept the settings.
To disable proxy setting if you are using Mozilla Firefox, complete the following steps:
  1. Open your Firefox browser and click Tools > Options > Advanced. The Advanced window displays.
  2. Select the Network tab and click Settings under Connections heading. The Connection Setting panel displays
  3. Under Configure Proxies to Access the Internet, ensure that No Proxies is selected.
  4. Click OK.
When using Firefox 3 to navigate the SAN Volume Controller Console, and you select Service and Maintenance > Upgrade Software for the first time, you might see the following pop-up error: 
hostname.ibm.com:443 uses an invalid security certificate

The certificate is not trusted because it is self signed.
The certificate is only valid for <a id="cert_domain_link" title="2145">2145</a>

(Error code: sec_error_ca_cert_invalid)
Click Or you can add an exception if the browser presents that option and complete the following steps:
  1. Click Add Exception...
  2. Click Get Certificate.
  3. Click Confirm Security Exception
If the browser does not present this option, you can add the exception manually by completing the following steps:
  1. Click Tools > Options > Advanced. The Advanced window displays.
  2. Click the Encryption tab and click View Certificates.
  3. Click Servers tab.
  4. Click Add Exception... and enter https://hostname.ibm.com:443 for the location and click Get Certificate.
  5. Click Confirm Security Exception.
If you are using Internet Explorer 8, you see the message: Content was blocked because it was not signed by a valid security certificate. To display blocked content, complete the following steps:
  1. Click the Internet Explorer Information Bar, and select Display Blocked Content.
  2. Close the Information Bar. The Software Upgrade panel now displays.

This task assumes that you have already launched the SAN Volume Controller Console.

Complete the following steps to upgrade the software:

  1. Download the SAN Volume Controller code from the following Web site:

    Support for SAN Volume Controller (2145) Web site

    • If you want to write the SAN Volume Controller code to a CD, you must download the CD image.
    • If you do not want to write the SAN Volume Controller code to a CD, you must download the install image.
  2. Click Service and Maintenance in the portfolio.
  3. Click Upgrade Software to install a new level of software on the cluster. The Software Upgrade panel is displayed. The Software Upgrade panel displays different information depending upon the current state of the cluster. If the cluster is currently in the middle of a cluster software upgrade, the panel displays a Check Upgrade Status button that allows you to view information about the current state of the upgrade. See step 8 for details of upgrade status information. Otherwise, you are presented with options to upgrade the SAN Volume Controller cluster software or upgrade the firmware on solid-state drives (SSDs) in the SAN Volume Controller nodes.
  4. From the task list, select Upload File and click Go. The File Upload panel displays.
  5. Click Browse and select the SAN Volume Controller cluster software file that you downloaded in step 1.
  6. Click OK to copy the SAN Volume Controller software file to the cluster. After the file uploads, the Software Upgrade panel is displayed. The new uploaded file should be displayed in the list.
    Before you begin the software upgrade, you must be aware of the following:
    • The installation process fails under the following conditions:
      • If the software that is installed on the remote cluster is not compatible with the new software or if there is an intercluster communication error that does not allow the software to check that the software is compatible.
      • If any node in the cluster has a hardware type that is not supported by the new software.
      • If the SAN Volume Controller software determines that one or more virtual disks (VDisks) in the cluster would be taken offline by rebooting the nodes as part of the upgrade process. Details about which VDisks would be affected can be found by using the svcinfo lsnodedependentvdisks command or the View Dependent VDisks action from the Viewing Nodes panel. You can use the force flag to override this restriction if you are prepared to lose access to data during the upgrade.
    • The software upgrade is distributed to all the nodes in the cluster using fibre-channel connections between the nodes.
    • Nodes are updated one at a time.
    • Nodes will run the new software, concurrently with normal cluster activity.
    • While the node is updated, it does not participate in I/O activity in the I/O group. As a result, all I/O activity for the VDisks in the I/O group is directed to the other node in the I/O group by the host multipathing software.
    • There is a 30 minute delay between node updates. The delay allows time for the host multipathing software to rediscover paths to the nodes which have been upgraded, so that there is no loss of access when another node in the I/O group is updated.
    • The software update is not committed until all nodes in the cluster have been successfully updated to the new software level. If all nodes successfully restart with the new software level, the new level is committed. When the new level is committed, the cluster vital product data (VPD) is updated to reflect the new software level.
    • You cannot invoke the new functions of the upgraded software until all member nodes are upgraded and the update has been committed.
    • Because the software upgrade process takes some time, the install command completes as soon as the software level is verified by the cluster. To determine when the upgrade has completed, you can use the Check Upgrade Status button available from the Upgrade Software panel. See step 8 for more details.
    • During a software upgrade the version number of each node is updated when the software has been installed and the node has been restarted. The cluster software version number is updated when the new software level is committed.
    • When the software upgrade starts an entry is made in the error or event log and another entry is made when the upgrade completes or fails.
  7. Select the cluster software file that you uploaded from the list of files and select Click Apply Cluster Software from the task list and click Go. The Applying Software Upgrade panel is displayed. The Applying Software Upgrade panel enables you to select the upgrade and apply it to the cluster. A list of the software levels that you can apply to the cluster is displayed.
  8. To monitor the upgrade, select Check Upgrade Status on the Upgrade Software panel. The panel displays the current software running on every node in the cluster, as well as the software level of the cluster. The upgrade is complete when every node in the cluster is running the new level of software, and the cluster software version has been updated to match that of the node software versions.
    Attention: If the cluster upgrade process stalls and has the status of stalled or stalled_non_redundant you should contact IBM Support for guidance about the best procedure to restore your cluster to a fully operational state with the least disruption to hosts. Starting the abort procedure without guidance from IBM Support may cause a preventable loss of I/O access.
When a new software level is applied, it is automatically installed on all the nodes that are in the cluster.
Note: The software upgrade can take up to 30 minutes per node.
Parent topic: Upgrading the SAN Volume Controller software
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