EqualLogic PS Series Firmware update using the CLI
After our EqualLogic PS6000 decided to go into a NetBSD Kernel Panic (crash) while performing a firmware update from version 5.1.1 to 5.1.2 using the Group Manager GUI, resulting in a firmware mismatch on our controllers, As advised by EqualLogic Tech support I performed another update to FW 5.1.2 using the CLI, with success.
Using the CLI has its advantages, altough the process is a little more involved, ie copying the firmware to the array member using FTP then SHH to the member to execute the update, you do get to see what happens during a firmware update in more detail.
Here is the process of performing a Firmware update using the CLI.
I will be using winscp to copy the firmware TGZ file to the group member, winscp can be downloaded here, and PuTTY a free Telnet/SSH client which can be found here.
Firstly download the firmware from EqualLogic Support https://support.equallogic.com
Lets update the firmware.
EqualLogic Kernel Panic on a NetBSD Processor
After running EqualLogic for a couple of years now, I have never experienced any real issues with the boxes. Running what seems to be a customized version of NetBSD they have proven to be fast, and reliable systems.
I was performing what is now a routine Firmware update from version 5.1.1 to 5.1.2, I have already done this on a PS6000 we have setup for Replication with no issue what so ever, and left upgrading our production Array untill I was happy that the Replication Array was working fine with the new firmware. Satisfied I decided to update our production PS6000 to FW 5.1.2. During the upgrade I recieved a Kernel Panic and subsequent Panic Recovery, looks like the controller crashed during the update this resulted in the iSCSI targets being unavailable for a couple of minutes, the controllers did not fail over and I now have a Firmware mismatch.