IBM M5015 firmware update on ESXi 5.5 (slow performance on controller)

[alex1002]

I want to try to update the firmware for this card. Can anyone help?

Thank you

[JarryG]

I have IBM M5016, but as both are just re-marketed LSI-controllers (LSI-9260/9266 respectively), I suppose procedure can be the same:

1. First install StorCLI for ESXi (you can use either one from IBM-web, or use LSI-version as I do (it is usually newer than the IBM-one)

2. Download new firmware (not sure about M5015, but for M5016 I'm using LSI-firmware) and upload it to ESXi-datastore

3. Flash the new firmware using ESXi-console (or connect to it using ssh-client) with this command:

/opt/lsi/storcli/storcli /c0 download file=<filename>.rom

This works if you have only one and only controller (that "c0" switch). Otherwise you have to edit "c0" to "c1", "c2", etc. If you want to revert back to older firmware (for whatever reason), use "noverchk" switch.

This is log of my first flashing M5016 controller under ESXi (since then I repeated it many times):

/opt/lsi/storcli # ./storcli /c0 download file=mr2208fw.rom

Download Completed.

Flashing image to adapter...

Controller = 0

Status = Success

Description = F/W Flash Completed. Please reboot the system for the changes to take effect

Current package version = 23.28.0-0015

New package version = 23.29.0-0016

/opt/lsi/storcli #

[alex1002]

I cannot find the firmware in .rom format

I found this .bin

[JarryG]

I vaguely remember IBM distributes firmware as self-running package. So you do not need StorCLI, just upload that bin-package and try to run it (Type "./ibm_fw_sraidmr_m5000-12.13.0-0179-1_linux_32-64.bin -s" at a command prompt).

But as I said, I'm not using IBM-firmware anymore, it is very old. For my M5016, the latest IBM-firmware is 23.16.0, but LSI has the latest version 23.33.0. That's a big difference! A lot of bugs have been fixed since then...

[Bleeder]

Open the .bin file with something like 7-zip.  There will be an image folder, and within that there should be a .rom file.

[eRJe]

Hi JarryG,

I am using the exact same controller as you do, the IBM M5016.

Can I just "rebrand" the controller with the original LSI drivers as you describe in your post? Or are there any other steps to take?

Thanks,

Robbert

[JarryG]

For quite some time I'm using original LSI-driver/firmware/tools/smis for my M5016. The only problem I remember was with some older firmware version where two step flashing was necessary. I forgot to do the 2nd step and thus lost supercap-status in ESXi. But then I checked "readme" in firmware package and fixed it very easily. Otherwise, not a hitch. BTW the same firmware was released as "IBM" year later, and the same two-step flashing was necessary...

But it is up to you, of course. I decided to go with LSI because IBM is always way behind. New driver/firmware always fixes a lot of problems, and I do not want to wait year or longer till IBM releases it...

[verticalsoft]

Sorry for digging up an old thread but I have 2 M5016 Cards and when I upgrade the Bios my BBU / Capacitor is not recognised, can you explain the procedure for the double flash, I've followed the procedure with the Gas Gauge but and still stuck.

Kind regards

David