Upgrading HMC for Power to V11R2M1120

Overview

Environment

Hardware

Software

Supported Managed Systems

• Power11
• Power10
• POWER9

Warning: HMC V11R2M1120 does not support management of POWER8 or older servers. Attempts will result in connection state Version Mismatch with error code 0009-0008-00000000.

Supported Hypervisors (vHMC x86)

• VMware ESXi 8.0.3
• KVM on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• KVM on Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9.7
• Xen 4.16 or later on SLES 12 / Ubuntu 24.04 LTS

Supported Product Models

• IBM Power E1050 (9043-MRX)
• IBM Power S1014 (9105-41B)
• IBM Power S1022 (9105-22A)
• IBM Power S1022s (9105-22B)
• IBM Power S1024 (9105-42A)

Choosing an Upgrade Method

Warning — Virtual Media Not Supported on 7063-CR2: Do not use Virtual Media for installing or upgrading to HMC V11R2M1120 on the 7063-CR2. The V11R2M1120 recovery image does not support this installation method. Use one of the following supported methods instead:

• Fresh installation: Use the bootable HMC V11R2M1120 USB media. Alternatively, perform a fresh installation using the HMC V11R1M1110 recovery image via Virtual Media, then complete a network upgrade to HMC V11R2M1120.
• Upgrade from a supported HMC release: Use a network upgrade (recommended) or the bootable HMC V11R2M1120 USB media.

Prerequisites

Complete all of the following checks before beginning the upgrade. These steps apply regardless of upgrade method (GUI or CLI). If you contact IBM Support after a failed upgrade, support will ask you to confirm each item was reviewed.

1. Verify HMC Model Compatibility

Not supported: 7063-CR1, 7042 models, x86 bare metal, and vHMC running on a POWER8 server.

2. Verify Minimum Source HMC Level

Minimum source level: HMC V10R3 (any maintenance level). Verify with:

lshmc -V

If the HMC is running below V10R3, upgrade to V10R3 or later before proceeding.

3. Verify Managed System Support

HMC V11R2M1120 supports managing Power11, Power10, and POWER9 processor-based systems only. POWER8 and older are not supported.

Review supported HMC and system firmware combinations before upgrading:
HMC and System Firmware Supported Combinations

4. Dual HMC Environments

If two HMCs manage the same server, both HMCs must be upgraded to the same Version, Release, and Maintenance level. After one HMC is upgraded, servers on the redundant HMC may enter a Version Mismatch — Save area version mismatch state. This clears when the second HMC is upgraded.

Recommended order: Upgrade the backup HMC first, set it as primary, then upgrade the previous primary.

5. vHMC Minimum Resource Requirements

6. vHMC on x86 — Entitlement and Image Source

The vHMC on x86 is a licensed program product (Product ID 5765-HMU). Fresh deployment images require entitlement from IBM ESS: http://www.ibm.com/eserver/ess

Network upgrade images for upgrading an existing vHMC x86 are available on IBM Fix Central under PTF vMF71771.

Note: vHMC for PowerVM uses Product ID 5765-HMD. Upgrade of 5765-HMB to 5765-HMD is supported.

7. vHMC on KVM — CPU Configuration Requirement

For KVM-hosted vHMCs (RHEL8, RHEL9, or Ubuntu) upgrading from a level prior to V11R2M1120, the virtual machine CPU must be configured for host-passthrough mode before running Save Upgrade Data:

<cpu mode='host-passthrough'>
  <cache mode='passthrough'/>
</cpu>

Important: If this is not updated before Save Upgrade Data, the upgrade may fail.

8. Virtual Media Not Supported on 7063-CR2

Installation or upgrade to V11R2M1120 on the 7063-CR2 using Virtual Media is not supported. Use one of the following methods instead:

• Network upgrade (recommended) — use getupgfiles with alt-disk upgrade.
• Bootable USB media — use HMC_1120_USB.zip from Fix Central.
• Fresh installation path — install V11R1M1110 via virtual media, then network upgrade to V11R2M1120.

9. VIOS Level Recommendation

IBM recommends all connected Virtual I/O Server (VIOS) systems be at VIOS 4.1.2.x or later before upgrading the HMC. All new HMC V11 features require VIOS 4.1.2.x or later.

10. RSCT Version for Managed Partitions

All running partitions (AIX, Linux, and VIOS) should be at RSCT version 3.2.0.0 or later.

• Recommended: AIX 7.1 TL4+ or AIX 7.2 TL0+ (includes RSCT 3.2.1.0)
• If partitions use TLS for RMC communication: RSCT 3.3.2.0 or later required (default in AIX 7.3 TL2)

11. Review LDAP and Kerberos Configuration Changes

V11R2M1120 introduces breaking changes to external authentication. Review before upgrading if your environment uses LDAP or Kerberos:

New LDAP parameters added: --searchtimeout, --networktimeout, --opttimeout, --connectiontimeout, --pagesize, --trace, --level.

Validate external authentication immediately after the upgrade if configured.

12. SNMP Configuration — SNMPv3 Required

If SNMP traps are enabled and configured on a managed system, update the SNMP server configuration to use SNMPv3 with SHA/AES credentials. The legacy MD5/DES algorithms are no longer acceptable.

createUser -e <HMC_EngineId> hmcuser SHA "abc12345" AES "abc12345"

13. Old GUI Dashboard Removed

Access to the old GUI dashboard was removed in HMC V11R1M1120 and is not present in V11R2M1120. Ensure users are familiar with the current HMC V11 GUI before upgrading.

14. Verify Web Browser Compatibility

Clear the browser cache after the upgrade before connecting to the upgraded HMC.

15. Verify Downloaded Upgrade Images (Code Signing)

Before staging upgrade images, verify that downloaded HMC drivers are authentic and have not been tampered with. Use Cosign or OpenSSL to verify.

How to Verify Downloaded HMC Drivers are Trusted and Code Signed for V11 and higher

16. Review and Close All Serviceable Events

chsvcevent -o closeall

Preparing to upgrade or install the HMC — IBM Support

17. Verify File System Utilization

monhmc -r disk -n 0

Ensure / and /var are not near capacity. Contact your next level of support if either is.

18. Verify Date and Time

date

Incorrect date/time can cause certificate or authentication failures during and after the upgrade.

19. Review the V11R2M1120 Readme

• HMC Version 11 Release 2 Maintenance 1120 Recovery Media Readme — 7063-CR2, vHMC PowerVM, and vHMC x86 (APAR MB04537 / PTF MF71772)

20. Reboot the HMC Before Upgrading (Recommended)

If the HMC has not been restarted recently, reboot it to ensure a clean state:

hmcshutdown -t now -r

Allow the HMC to fully restart and verify all managed systems have reconnected before continuing.

21. Perform Save Upgrade Data (Required)

A Save Upgrade Data task must be completed immediately before beginning the upgrade.

Important: Run saveupgdata immediately before the upgrade. If the HMC restarts after running it without upgrading, you must run it again before proceeding.

Recommended — save to HMC disk and a remote SFTP server:

saveupgdata -r disksftp -h <server> -u <user> -k <ssh_key> -d <directory>

Example:

saveupgdata -r disksftp -h 9.3.123.25 -u hmcuser -k /home/hscroot/.ssh/id_rsa -d /backup/hmc

Alternatives:

saveupgdata -r disk
saveupgdata -r diskusb
saveupgdata -r diskftp -h <server> -u <user> -d <directory>

GUI Upgrade

If your HMC can communicate with IBM Fix Central, the easiest upgrade method is to use the HMC GUI and select IBM Website as the upgrade source. This method applies to all three platforms and requires no manual downloading or staging of upgrade images:

• IBM 7063-CR2 Hardware Management Console
• Virtual HMC (vHMC) for PowerVM
• Virtual HMC (vHMC) on x86

The HMC automatically selects and downloads the correct upgrade package for your platform — no manual PTF selection is required.

NOTE: If your are upgrading from HMC V10R3 the HMC needs to be at V10R3M1060 or higher to have the download location option of "IBM website" that can be used if your HMC is able to connect to IBM Services. Using the IBM website option will avoid having to manually download and stage the network install images.  If the HMC is at V10R3M105x you will have to manually stage the fixes as described in the CLI option.

Before you begin: Complete all items in the Prerequisites tab, including Save Upgrade Data (item 21) and, for KVM-hosted vHMCs, the CPU configuration check (item 7).

Air-gapped environments: If your HMC cannot reach IBM Fix Central, use the CLI Upgrade tab for staged-image methods.

7063-CR2 note: Virtual Media is not supported for V11R2M1120 on the 7063-CR2. This GUI network upgrade method is fully supported.

PTF Reference by Platform

Steps

Step 1 — Navigate to Upgrade HMC

In the HMC GUI, navigate to HMC management, then open the HMC actions drop-down menu in the top right and select Upgrade HMC.

Step 2 — Save Upgrade Data

The Upgrade HMC wizard opens at the Save HMC upgrade data step. Select Save HMC upgrade data and restore after upgrade. Choose a save location — SFTP server is recommended. Enter the server hostname, directory, user ID, and password, then click Next.

Important: If Save Upgrade Data fails, contact your next level of support before continuing.

Step 3 — Select Upgrade Source and Download

On the Download upgrade files step, set the Download location to IBM website. The HMC queries IBM Fix Central and displays the available PTF for your platform. Confirm the correct PTF is listed, then click Next to begin the download.

Step 4 — Review Summary and Reboot

The Summary screen shows a confirmation of all selections: Save HMC upgrade data settings, Download upgrade files settings, and any currently logged-in users. Review all details, notify any active users, then click Restart HMC and upgrade.

Step 5 — Wait for Upgrade to Complete

The wizard shows progress for each phase: Save HMC upgrade data, Download upgrade files, and Upgrade HMC. Once all phases complete the HMC restarts automatically into V11R2M1120. The process can require up to two hours.

Important: Do not interrupt the upgrade. Active sessions will disconnect during the reboot.

Verify the Upgrade

After the HMC becomes available, navigate to Help → About HMCv11 and verify:

• Version: 11
• Release: 2
• Maintenance: 1120
• Build: 2607082225

Confirm all managed systems have reconnected. Also complete the post-upgrade checks in the CLI Upgrade tab (LDAP, Kerberos, scheduled tasks, managed system validation) — these apply regardless of upgrade method used.

CLI Upgrade

This procedure covers CLI-only upgrade to V11R2M1120 for all supported platforms using the network-based alternate disk (alt-disk) upgrade method. The steps are identical across all platforms — the only differences are the PTF name used with getupgfiles -r ibmwebsite and the network image ZIP filename when staging manually.

Before you begin: Complete all items in the Prerequisites tab, including Save Upgrade Data (item 21) and, for KVM-hosted vHMCs, the CPU configuration check (item 7).

Upgrade Procedure

Step 1 — Retrieve Upgrade Files

Recommended — IBM Website

If the HMC can reach IBM Fix Central, use the appropriate PTF for your platform.

7063-CR2 / vHMC PowerVM:

getupgfiles -r ibmwebsite --ptf MF71772

vHMC x86:

getupgfiles -r ibmwebsite --ptf vMF71771

Alternate — Staged Images

If the HMC cannot reach IBM Fix Central, download and extract the appropriate network image ZIP from Fix Central, then stage using one of the following methods.

Important: The ZIP archive cannot be used directly. Extract it first. All extracted files must be staged together at the same location before running getupgfiles.

SFTP:

getupgfiles -r sftp -h <server> -u <user> --passwd <password> -d <directory>

FTP:

getupgfiles -r ftp -h <server> -u <user> -d <directory>

NFS:

getupgfiles -r nfs -h <server> -l <mount_location> -d <directory>

Local HMC Disk:

getupgfiles -r disk -d <directory>

Step 2 — Check Active Sessions

Web UI sessions:

lslogon -r webui -t

SSH sessions:

lslogon -r ssh -u

IBM i 5250 Proxy sessions:

netstat -an | grep 2301

Coordinate with users before continuing if active sessions are present.

Step 3 — Enable Alternate Disk Boot

chhmc -c altdiskboot -s enable --mode upgrade

Step 4 — Restart the HMC

hmcshutdown -t now -r

Important: Active SSH sessions will disconnect. The upgrade takes 30–60 minutes. Do not interrupt.

Post-Upgrade Validation

1. Verify HMC Level

lshmc -V

Expected output:

Version: 11
Release: 2
Service Pack: 1120
HMC Build level 2607082225

2. Verify Managed Systems

lssyscfg -r sys -F name,state

3. Verify Network Configuration

lshmc -n

4. Verify User Configuration

lshmcusr

5. Verify LDAP and Kerberos (if configured)

See Prerequisites item 11 for the full list of V11R2M1120 authentication changes. Validate external authentication after the upgrade.

6. Verify Scheduled Service Tasks

Heartbeat, VPD, and UAK tasks may stop after upgrading to V11. Modify each task's scheduled time by one minute and re-save to restore them.
Reference: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7281104

7. Verify Managed System Connectivity

lssysconn -r all

Reference

Recovery Media — Package Information

Fix Central Packages — MF71772 (7063-CR2 / vHMC PowerVM)

Fix Central Packages — vMF71771 (vHMC x86)

vHMC x86 Deployment Images (ESS — fresh install only)

Requires entitlement to Product ID 5765-HMU: http://www.ibm.com/eserver/ess

vHMC PowerVM Packages (ESS)

Requires entitlement to Product ID 5765-HMD: http://www.ibm.com/eserver/ess

LDAP / Kerberos Changes in V11R2M1120

Known Issues

Scheduled Service Tasks Stop After Upgrade
Heartbeat, VPD, and UAK tasks may stop running after upgrading to V11. Modify each task's scheduled time by one minute and re-save.
Reference: https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/node/7281104

Call Home Server — Scheduled Tasks Stop
After configuring a call home server, all Schedule service data tasks may stop. Go to Service management > Schedule service data, change each item's time by one minute, and click Save.

7063-CR2 — Virtual Media Install Not Supported
Scratch installation or upgrade to V11R2M1120 on the 7063-CR2 using Virtual Media is not supported. Use network upgrade or bootable USB media instead. For USB media instructions, see Upgrade HMC software in the Additional Information section below.

Additional Information

Review the HMC V11R2M1120 Recovery Media Readme before beginning the upgrade:

• HMC Version 11 Release 2 Maintenance 1120 Recovery Media Readme — 7063-CR2, vHMC PowerVM, and vHMC x86 (APAR MB04537 / PTF MF71772)

If your HMC cannot access IBM Services or IBM Website update repositories, use one of the following procedures instead:

• Upgrade HMC software — IBM Documentation
• Remote HMC upgrade using network upgrade images — IBM Documentation

Physical Media Upgrade

This procedure covers upgrading the HMC to V11R2M1120 using removable physical media — either a bootable USB flash drive (created from Recovery Media) or HMC Product Installation media inserted into a USB-connected DVD drive. Use this method when the HMC cannot reach IBM Fix Central (air-gapped environments) or when a physical media upgrade is preferred.

Note: For HMC model 7063-CR2, connect an external USB DVD drive if using DVD media. A bootable USB flash drive created from Recovery Media is also supported and does not require a DVD drive.

Before you begin: Complete all items in the Prerequisites tab before starting this procedure.

For the full IBM Documentation reference for this procedure, see: Upgrade HMC software — IBM Documentation

Step 1 — Obtain and Prepare the USB Upgrade Media

a. Download HMC_1120_USB.zip from Fix Central

1. Go to IBM Fix Central.
2. Select PTF MF71772 (HMC Recovery V11R2M1120 for 7063-CR2 / vHMC PowerVM) and click Continue.
3. Set the download option to HTTPS.
4. Locate HMC_1120_USB.zip and download it to your workstation.
5. Unzip the file to obtain the .img image file.

b. Create a Bootable USB Flash Drive

Use the following IBM Support procedure to write the .img file to a USB flash drive. This procedure works on both Windows and macOS:

How to create a bootable HMC USB flash drive — IBM Support

Step 2 — Save Profile Data

Save a copy of partition and profile configurations for each managed system before upgrading.

Note: In dual-HMC environments, this step is only required when upgrading the first HMC. It cannot be performed on an HMC where a managed server is in Version Mismatch — Save area version mismatch state.

Option 1 — HMC GUI

1. Expand Resources, then select All Systems.
2. Select the first managed system by checking the box next to the server name.
3. Under Actions, select View All Actions > Legacy > Manage Partition Data > Backup.
4. In the Profile Data Backup window, type a name for the backup file and click OK.
5. Click OK on the confirmation popup.
6. Repeat for each additional managed system.

Option 2 — CLI

The following command saves profile data for all managed servers in a single operation:

lssyscfg -r sys -F type_model*serial_num | while read machine; do bkprofdata -m "$machine" -f Beforeupgrade$(date +%Y%m%d) ; done

Step 3 — Save Upgrade Data

Save Upgrade Data must be completed immediately before the upgrade. If the HMC restarts after this step without upgrading, you must run Save Upgrade Data again before proceeding.

a. Prepare USB Flash Drive for Save Upgrade Data

The USB flash drive used for Save Upgrade Data must be:

• Formatted FAT32 with a single partition
• Not password protected

Insert the flash drive into a USB port on the front of the HMC. Wait until you hear 3 beeps (approximately 1 minute) for the HMC to detect the drive.

Note: Save Upgrade Data will overwrite any existing Save Upgrade Data on the media. It will not overwrite any existing Management Console Data backup already on the media.

b. Run Save Upgrade Data

GUI:

1. Select HMC Management > Console Management.
2. Select Save Upgrade Data.
3. Select media type USB flash drive, click Next, then click Finish.

CLI:

saveupgdata -r diskusb

c. Verify Save Upgrade Data (Optional)

1. Open a Restricted Shell Terminal:
     • Local HMC: Select HMC Management > Console Management > Open a Restricted Shell Terminal
     • Remote: Log in via SSH.

2. Determine the USB mount point:

   lsmediadev

   Identify the entry with type=3 (USB flash memory device), for example /media/sda1.

3. Mount the drive (substitute your mount point):

   mount /media/sda1

4. List the contents:

   ls -l /media/sda1

   Verify that the following five tar files are present:

   ACMSaveData.tar
   RSCTSaveUpgrade.tar
   SaveCCFWUpgradeData.tar
   SaveHSCSystemUpgradeData.tar
   SaveProfileDataUpgrade.tar

   If any file is missing, contact your next level of support before continuing.

5. Unmount the drive:

   umount /media/sda1

Note: Save Upgrade Data is also written to the HMC internal hard disk. The copy on the USB media is used only for recovery under the direction of IBM Support.

d. Remove the Save Upgrade Data USB Flash Drive

Once Save Upgrade Data completes successfully, remove the USB flash drive.

Step 4 — Upgrade HMC to V11R2M1120 from Removable Media

a. Insert the Upgrade Media

Choose one of the following media options:

• Bootable USB flash drive — Insert the USB flash drive created in Step 1 into a USB port on the HMC.
• DVD media — Insert the HMC Product Installation media into a USB-connected DVD drive with dual layer support. For HMC model 7063-CR2, connect an external USB DVD drive.

b. Reboot the HMC

On HMC V11R2M1110:

1. In the navigation area, click HMC management.
2. Select HMC actions > Shutdown HMC.
3. Check the Confirm the HMC to shutdown <HMC machine> checkbox to confirm the action.
4. Click Shutdown.

The HMC restarts and the system information is displayed.

c. Select the Install Boot Option from the Boot Menu

At the boot menu (Petitboot), select the Install Hardware Management Console boot option.

• For a bootable USB flash drive: select the option listed under USB and press Enter.
• For DVD media: select the option listed under the DVD device and press Enter.

d. Select Upgrade to a New Version

Verify that the Upgrade to a new version checkbox is selected (an asterisk must appear next to this option):

( * ) Upgrade to a new version
(   ) Install

Highlight Next (use Tab, Alt-Tab, or arrow keys to move; Space bar or Enter to select) and press Enter.

Note: If Save Upgrade Data (Step 3) was not completed, a warning will appear indicating that no Save Upgrade Data was found on the hard disk. Cancel the upgrade, remove the media, reboot the HMC, complete Step 3, and then restart this procedure from Step 4b.

e. Select Upgrade from Media and Confirm

Select Upgrade from media and click Next. Review the settings on the Upgrade Confirmation screen, then click Finish to start the upgrade.

f. Wait for the Upgrade to Complete

The HMC installs V11R2M1120 from the media, restores the data preserved by Save Upgrade Data, and completes the boot process.

Important: The initial reboot can take 30–60 minutes. Do not reboot or power off the HMC during this time.

g. Log In and Verify

Enter your credentials to log in to the system. Select Log on and launch the Hardware Management Console Web application.

Verify the upgraded level via Help → About HMCv11 or CLI:

lshmc -V

Expected output:

Version: 11
Release: 2
Service Pack: 1120
HMC Build level 2607082225

Confirm all managed systems have reconnected, then complete the post-upgrade validation checks in the CLI Upgrade tab.