Creating Fixlets for firmware updates

You can use the VIOS Deployment Wizard to deploy packages for firmware updates, which are also known as microcode updates, on endpoints that are not managed by IBM Hardware Management Console (HMC). These updates can be in either .rpm or .iso format.

Before you begin

To deploy firmware updates from the VIOS Deployment Wizard, you must first obtain the updates that you want from Fix Central.

Note: Currently, BigFix does not provide any tools to help download firmware updates.
CAUTION: Do not rename any of the downloaded files. The VIOS Deployment Wizard uses the file name when it attempts to parse the new firmware version information.

About this task

Firmware updates are applied to the hardware firmware. The resulting one-time action or Fixlet from this task can be used to deploy firmware updates only on endpoints that are not managed by HMC. If a system is managed by HMC, you must apply the firmware through the management console.

Procedure

  1. From the BigFix console, click Patch Management > OS Vendors > IBM VIOS > VIOS Deployment Wizard.
  2. Click Firmware.
    Firmware option in the VIOS Deployment Wizard
  3. Enter the location of the PowerVM VIOS package that you want to deploy.
  4. Select the check box if you want to create a one-time action rather than a reusable Fixlet.
  5. After you set the necessary parameters, click Finish.

Results

After completion, the generated one-time action or Fixlet displays in the BigFix console. You can use it to deploy the PowerVM VIOS firmware update to the relevant computers.

What to do next

Activate the PowerVM VIOS Firmware Level analysis, which reports the permanent and temporary firmware versions and the system version that it is running on (temporary or permanent).