Running IBM UpdateXpress System Pack from the Service Console of ESX4

When you download the UpdateXpress System Pack you have get a package with a bunch of files. Make sure to unpack all this package on the local file system of the Service Console because it will not run from VMFS.


Updating the firmware of the BIOS, DSA and IMM can be easily done from the Service Console of ESX, but if applied in the wrong order you may be unable to apply them all and get the error message: "Failed to acquire positive status from the IMM on multiple attempts. The IMM has reported a update_error (0xd) error. (0x0, 0xd)":


It's important that the UEFI BIOS is updated after the IMM. You can for example run all updates sequentially with the following:

vimsh -n -e /hostsvc/maintenance_mode_enter ./ibm_fw_imm_yuoo84c_linux_32-64.bin -u; ./ibm_fw_dsa_3.20_dsyt75x_linux_32_64.bin -u;./ibm_fw_uefi_d6e149a_linux_32-64.bin -u

The update procedure has added a new vSwitch to your system, and unless you remove it you will have problems with VMware HA, so make sure you remove this virtual switch before leaving maintenance mode. If you forgot to enter maintenance mode before running the updates you will not see this new virtual switch until you reboot.