Data Center · UCS Manager
Plan a UCS Fabric Interconnect firmware upgrade safely: bundle compatibility (A-bundle + B-bundle), Host Firmware Package, auto-install sequence, and the rollback gates you actually need to set.
Failed UCS upgrades usually aren't because the bundle was bad — they're because someone skipped the host firmware policy refresh, rolled a service profile mid-upgrade, or didn't verify NTP before starting. This planner generates the correct sequence for your FI model and service profile count.
You get the upgrade sequence (infrastructure bundle first, then server bundles via HFP), estimated maintenance window length, pre-flight gates (NTP, UCSM backup, no pending service profile changes), and rollback triggers.
For UCSM: (1) stage A-bundle on both FIs, (2) activate IO module firmware from the A-bundle (5108 FEX upgrades), (3) activate FI-B then FI-A, (4) update the Host Firmware Package reference to the new B-bundle, (5) servers reboot in maintenance groups.
Intersight Managed Mode: (1) push infrastructure firmware to the domain profile (affects FIs and chassis IOMs), (2) update server profile templates with new firmware policy, (3) apply to server profiles in waves via maintenance groups. IMM is simpler because bundles are unified.
Within a minor release (e.g. 4.2(3x) → 4.2(3l)) yes. Across majors (4.3 → 4.2) requires TAC guidance.
Usually yes within the same generation (4.1 → 4.3). Check the Cisco UCS Upgrade Path tool for your specific combo before scheduling.
~6 hour window: infra upgrade 90 min, HFP cascade over 8 waves of 10 SPs × 30 min each. Maintenance groups recommended: auto-ack disabled, manual per-wave approval.
~3 hour window. Intersight pushes domain profile firmware, then server profile templates cascade. Rollback trigger: any HBA firmware mismatch post-upgrade.