IBM eX5 Implementation Guide

Chapter 6. IBM System x3850 X5 and x3950 X5 293

򐂰 The recommendation is to review all Retain Tips related to this system and the OS you are

installing. See the following website:

http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/Problem_resolution/Hardware/Systems/System_

x/System_x3850_X5

6.10.5 Downloads and fixes for x3850 X5 and MAX5

Typically, updates are released to provide clients with enhanced capabilities, extended

functions, and problem resolutions. Most of the updates are firmware, drivers, and OS

patches.

We recommend performing a scheduled review of available updates to determine if they are

applicable to the systems that are used in your environment.

Server firmware

Software that resides on flash memory and controls the lower-level function of server

hardware is called

server firmware. An IBM System, such as the x3850 X5, runs a number of

firmware images that control separate components of the server.

This list shows the primary firmware for the x3850 X5:

򐂰 Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

򐂰 Integrated Management Module (IMM)

򐂰 Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)

򐂰 Preboot Dynamic System Analysis (DSA)

Additional devices, such as network cards and RAID controllers, also contain their own

firmware revisions.

Firmware updates are provided by IBM and can be downloaded from the IBM website,

including proven firmware from other manufacturers to be applied on IBM systems. We

describe several methods of performing firmware updates on IBM eX5 servers in Chapter 9,

“Management” on page 447.

Device drivers

Device drivers are software that controls hardware server components on the OS level. They

are specific to the OS version, and therefore, critical device drivers are included with the

installation media.

Device driver updates are provided by IBM, OS vendors, and component device vendors.

They are mostly downloadable from each company’s support website.

Whenever possible, we recommend using the tested and approved driver updates from IBM.

Tip: It is a recommended practice to update all System x firmware to the latest level prior to

performing an OS or application installation.

Tip: IBM Bootable Media Creator (BoMC) is a tool that simplifies the IBM System x

firmware update process without an OS running on the system. More information about

this tool is available at the following website:

http://ibm.com/support/entry/portal/docdisplay?lndocid=TOOL-BOMC