TS4500 firmware upgrade

[TechyG]

Hi there

I need some info to ugrade the firmware on our ts4500 tape library, according to the manual it's is a customer responsibility. It can be done via the management GUI.

https://www.ibm.com/support/knowled....storage.ts4500.doc/ts4500_update_lib_fw.html

I have some questions for our planning.
1. where do you check for the latest level of firmware for drives\library?
2. can i do it via the web gui or the library operator panel or is there a fw update wizard?
3. is it best to do library on its own and the one drive at a time or th all in one package?
4. is the firmware package free or must it be bought from IBM?
5. must all activity to the library be stopped?
6. is a reboot required after it completes succesfully?
7. is there perhaps a ts4500 service manual?

sorry for all the questions but we want to make sure we following correct steps.

thank you

 

[marclant]

I don't know the answer to most of your questions, here's the ones I know:

1. where do you check for the latest level of firmware for drives\library?

https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

7. is there perhaps a ts4500 service manual?

https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

 

[TechyG]

I don't know the answer to most of your questions, here's the ones I know:

https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

https://www-945.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/

Thank you for the message and links.

i wanted to ask... where do you check for the latest level of firmware for drives\library on the library..

 

[marclant]

Thank you for the message and links.

i wanted to ask... where do you check for the latest level of firmware for drives\library on the library..

You check Fix Central, the latest will be available to download.

 

[TechyG]

You check Fix Central, the latest will be available to download.

Hi Marciant

Thank you.

 

[RecoveryOne]

To lend a hand to the best of my ability:

2: You should be able to upgrade the library firmware from the webgui. The URL you posted tells you how to navigate to the update page.
3: Depends. Some drive firmware requires specific library firmware. Check the firmware requirements. Small chance you might have to do an incremental upgrade to one or the other.
4: Library FW is provided by IBM if the library is under contract.
4a: Drive FW is provided by IBM if the drives are under contract.
5: YES! (and no -- read on. if you have 2 logical library's with one dedicated to LTO6 and say another to LTO7 drives and you are only updating the FW of LTO7 drives, it should not affect the other logical library. Also, you don't want any tape ops to occur on the drive(s) you are updating. Something else one could do is disable a path/drive in TSM and apply firmware to that singular tape drive. I do not recommend this action. Do all like for like drives in one upgrade block in the same library. This way you are not mixing tape1 with drive01 with firmwareX on one write session, then tape1 with drive02 with firmwareY on the next write session. That is just asking for trouble in my opinion.
5b: Library level firmware generally should be done when there's no operations taking place in your library.
6: Drive firmware not likely.
6a: Library firmware, in my experience yes.

I would love to give you times, but it varies so much. Figure an hour for library firmware, and 20 mins per drive. Give or take.

My sources are myself working with my 3584 L32/D32 frames and two TS3310's and reading the docs for associated libraries
Oh read the firmware docs and change history. It may be a long read, but I've found it to be helpful if you have to sell a maintenance window.

 

[TechyG]

To lend a hand to the best of my ability:

2: You should be able to upgrade the library firmware from the webgui. The URL you posted tells you how to navigate to the update page.
3: Depends. Some drive firmware requires specific library firmware. Check the firmware requirements. Small chance you might have to do an incremental upgrade to one or the other.
4: Library FW is provided by IBM if the library is under contract.
4a: Drive FW is provided by IBM if the drives are under contract.
5: YES! (and no -- read on. if you have 2 logical library's with one dedicated to LTO6 and say another to LTO7 drives and you are only updating the FW of LTO7 drives, it should not affect the other logical library. Also, you don't want any tape ops to occur on the drive(s) you are updating. Something else one could do is disable a path/drive in TSM and apply firmware to that singular tape drive. I do not recommend this action. Do all like for like drives in one upgrade block in the same library. This way you are not mixing tape1 with drive01 with firmwareX on one write session, then tape1 with drive02 with firmwareY on the next write session. That is just asking for trouble in my opinion.
5b: Library level firmware generally should be done when there's no operations taking place in your library.
6: Drive firmware not likely.
6a: Library firmware, in my experience yes.

I would love to give you times, but it varies so much. Figure an hour for library firmware, and 20 mins per drive. Give or take.

My sources are myself working with my 3584 L32/D32 frames and two TS3310's and reading the docs for associated libraries
Oh read the firmware docs and change history. It may be a long read, but I've found it to be helpful if you have to sell a maintenance window.

Hi Recoveryone
Thank you for the information.