UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

Hi, am a new comer to the AIX side.
i had 3 specific questions.
1) what is firmware
2) how to locate the firmware running on a unix server
3) how to do firmware update(is it something i download from IBM site)

thanks everybody for taking the time and plz reply.

karthik

1. Firmware is a small pice of machine code which runs on the hardware to provide basic functionality to the operating system. It is the same as BIOS in Intel based machines.

2. Running firmware can be found using lsmcode which will give you the firmware version.

3. When downloading the firmware for your machine instructions are provided at IBM's website.

thank u for ur answer.
so to proceed with the firmware udpate
1) should i first check the model number
2) download and install the updates??

Thanks!

First check the model number and firmware revision of the device.
Then see if there are updates available - and if these are necessary.
By the way, IBM calls it "microcode" instead of firmware or BIOS.
You can find updates here:
http://www14.software.ibm.com/webapp/set2/firmware/gjsn

thanks for ur answers.

k

Be careful updating microcode. Its best to determine what the latest levels are for your hardware, then verify compatibility between connecting hardware.

For example, before upgrading the microcode on your HBA, you might want to make sure what level of firmware is required on your DS4300 or you McData SAN switch to maintain compatability.

You should never assume you can update one component and all others will continue to work properly.

Microde updates require research and planning. Take the time to do the extra work to ensure success.
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