I have some Sun Fire X4150 servers with a very old BIOS release (1ADQW015), which seems to have some compatibility problems with WMware ESX Server 3.5 and Windows 2008 R2 virtual machines; so I want to update the BIOS on them.The problem: according to, if your servers run ELOM (mine do), you first need to update to the latest ELOM release, then to the interim transition release, then finally you can update to the latest one.Ok, I'm willing to do that. But it looks like Sun (now Oracle) will happily let you download the latest firmware DVD (3.3.0), but it will not let you download the transition release (2.0) if you don't have a support contract.Well, I actuall don't care at all about the servers' management controllers (we don't even use them), so upgrading from ELOM to ILOM is totally irrelevant to me; but I need to update the servers' BIOS. So my question is: can I update the servers' BIOS to the latest version without doing the full ELOM-to-ILOM migration, or will this not work (or even make the servers unusable)? Do BIOS versions and SP ones need to be matched, or can one be updated without bothering with the other?Bonus question: if this whole ELOM-to-ILOM thing actually is needed in order to update the BIOS, can that 2.0 CD-ROM be obtained without having a support contract with Sun/Oracle (which we are definitely not going to sign, being that quite old hardware)?Update:I tried upgrading only the BIOS on one of the servers, and it didn't boot anymore.
So it really looks like a full firmware upgrade is needed, and the management controller and BIOS versions should be kept in sync.So. Where can I find that.&!£%$% 2.0 CD-ROM? Or at least the transition firmware that can be found on it?
1.2Sun Fire X4150 Server Chassis OverviewThe Sun Fire X4150 Server is based on an all-new chassis family.1.2.1Infrastructure BoardsThe Sun Fire X4150 Server has the following boards installed in the chassis. The boards are listed in.TABLE 1-2 Infrastructure BoardsBoardDescriptionReferenceMotherboardFRUThe motherboard includes CPU modules, slots for 16 DIMMs, memory control subsystems, and the service processor subsystem (ILOM).The ILOM service processor subsystem controls the host power and monitors host system events (power and environmental). The ILOM controller draws power from the host’s 3.3V standby supply rail, which is available whenever the system is receiving AC input power, even when the system is turned off.Power distribution boardFRUThis board distributes main 12V power from the power supplies to the rest of the system. It is directly connected to the paddle card, and to the motherboard via a bus bar and ribbon cable.
It also supports a top cover interlock (“kill”) switch.In the Sun Fire X4150 Server, the power supplies connect directly to the power distribution board.Paddle cardFRUThis board serves as the interconnect between the power distribution board and the fan power boards, Drives backplane, and I/O board.Fan power boards (2) FRUThese boards carry power to the system fan modules. In addition, they contain fan module status LEDs, and transfer I 2C data for the fan modules.Drives backplaneFRUThis board includes the connectors for the drives, as well as the interconnect for the I/O board, Power and Locator buttons, and system/component status LEDs. The Sun Fire X4150 Server has an eight-disk backplane. Each drive has an LED for power/activity, fault, and ok-to-remove.Front I/O boardFRUThis board connects directly to the drives backplane. It is packaged with the DVD drive as a single unit.PCIe risersFRUThere are three risers per system, each attached to the rear of the motherboard. 1.4Sun Fire X4150 Server Rear Panel Featuresshows rear panel features on the Sun Fire X4150 Server. For more detailed information about ports and their uses, see the Sun Fire X4150 Server Installation Guide.FIGURE 1-2 Rear Panel FeaturesFigure Legend1PSU 07Serial Management Port2PSU 18Network Management Port3PCIe 09Gbit Ethernet Ports (0, 1, 2, 3)4PCIe 110USB Ports (0, 1)5PCIe 211HD-15 Video Port6Rear Panel System Status LEDs- Locator LED/Locator button (white)- Service Action Required LED (amber)- Power/OK LED (green)For a detailed description of PCIe slots, see.
Drivers Sun Fire X4150 Server
1.5Illustrated Parts BreakdownThe following illustrations provide exploded views of Sun Fire X4150 Server system components.