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Having the latest version of OpenBoot PROM (OBP) on a SPARC processor-based workstation or workgroup server can be critical when adding new applications or hardware, or when upgrading the machine's Solaris Operating System (OS). Updating may also save some time and difficulty by resolving any latent bugs that have been detected and fixed since the previous releases. The paragraphs that follow guide you through the steps required to do the update.
Note: This Tech Tip does not cover larger servers; for those systems, see SunSolve document #41723 entitled Updating the Sun Fire 3800-6800 series Flash Proms.
How to Check the Revision Level of the OBP in a System
There are several ways to check the level of OBP on a SPARC system -- here are three alternatives:
How to Find Out the Latest Available OBP for a System
Sun publishes the latest versions of OBP as patches on SunSolve: patches are for supported Sun systems based on SPARC technology, including workstations and workgroup servers. To find the latest OBP version, point your browser at the SunSolve site.
At the SunSolve site, type
flash update into the "Search SunSolve" field at left and return. In the results, move to the section entitled "Free Patch Descriptions" and check for patches available for your platform. The most recent patches are generally found in the first set of 10 entries, but if you don't find one for your platform, go to the top or bottom of the page and click to get the next 10 patch entries. If no OBP patch is listed for a given platform, no changes have been issued since its original released version.
When you have found an available patch for your platform, click on the patch number to access the description and download site. Check your OBP version against the version provided by the patch. If the new version is higher, continue with the following steps to download it.
How to Obtain the Latest OBP Image
At the SunSolve site, follow the instructions to download the patch to your local machine through either FTP or HTML, whichever you prefer. If you want to make absolutely sure of its security, choose the signed patch, but note that unpacking the signed patch requires use of the
jar utility. The unsigned patch generally is a zip file or a compressed tar file, and should also be a safe alternative.
At your local site, unpack the patch with
jar xvf (signed patch), unzip, or uncompress and tar xvf (normal patch). Then cd to the resulting patch directory, which will contain the files for updating the OBP from the OK prompt and from the Solaris OS (if .sh file is present), as well as an exhaustive handbook (802-3233-2x). Always check out the README files there for more information about the patch and compatibility issues before starting the update.
How to Update an OBP from the OK Prompt
Copy the latest flash-update image to the
/ directory of the system to be updated and remember the name of the file. Then go to the OK prompt with halt or init 0 or uadmin 2 0. At the OK prompt, type boot disk /<flash-update file name> and hit Return. Follow instructions printed on the screen. Note: When it gives you the available upgrade versions, type sa to select them, then proceed per instructions. When the update is complete, the system should be rebooted and the new OBP is active. See the last paragraph in this Tech Tip if the system can't update the OBP due to jumper or keyswitch settings.
How to Update an OBP from a Solaris Shell
You can also update the OBP from a Solaris window (command line) if the UNIX update (
.sh) file is included in the patch. Log in as root and cd to the patch directory, then run the executable UNIX flash update file by typing sh
<unix.flash-update-filename.sh>. Follow instructions printed on the screen. Note: When it gives you the available upgrade versions, type sa to select them, then proceed per instructions. When the update is complete, the system should be rebooted and the new OBP will be active. See the last paragraph of this document if the system can't update the OBP due to jumper or keyswitch settings.
Finding Documentation for an OBP Update
The README files located in the same patch directory contain detailed information about the patch, including the new OBP level and the bugs addressed by that patch.
In addition, a document entitled "Sun Flash PROM Guide for Workstations and Workgroup Servers - Standalone Version" is included in the patch directory as 802-3233-2x or available for download from the Sun.com Documentation Center. This document provides more detailed instructions on updating OBPs from the
OK prompt, including locating and changing jumpers and keyswitch position, where applicable.
What If the OBP Update Doesn't Work (When PROM Is Protected)?
If a system responds that it cannot update the Flash PROM, and the keylock power switch (if applicable) is not in the locked position, the "Write-Protect" jumper on the system board is probably in the protect position. If it is, you will have to power the system down, open the covers, and carefully move the jumper to the unprotected position. If you don't know how to do that, consult "Sun Flash PROM Guide for Workstations and Workgroup Servers - Standalone Version" (described in the preceding section). That document also contains the platform-specific information on jumper location.
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