Version 23.3.1

The DGX Firmware Update container version 23.3.1 is available.

Package name: nvfw-dgx2_23.3.1_230306
Run file name: nvfw-dgx2_23.3.1_230306
Image name: nvfw-dgx2:23.3.1

Highlights and Changes in this Release

This release is supported with the following DGX OS software:

DGX OS 4.14 Update 1 or later
DGX OS 5.4 Update 1 or later
RHEL7-22.08 Update 1 or later
RHEL8-22.08 Update 1 or later.

The SBIOS and BMC update include software security enhancements. See the NVIDIA Security Bulletin for details.

Resolves intermittent IO timeout issue and NVME controller reset event during high disk load.

Contents of the DGX-2 System Firmware Container

This container includes the firmware binaries and update utilities for the firmware listed in the following table.

Component	Update 7 Version	Key Changes
BMC	1.08.00	See DGX-2 BMC Changes
SBIOS	0.33	No change
M.2 NVMe (Samsung PM963)	CXV8601Q	No change
U.2 SSD (Micron) 9200	SSD 9200: 101008S0	New update
U.2 SSD (Micron) 9300	SSD 9300: 11300DU0	New update
VBIOS (DGX-2)	88.00.6B.00.01	No change
VBIOS (DGX-2H)	88.00.6B.00.08	No change
PSU	3.1	No change
FPGA	3.1	No change Note: There are two FPGA images:

Note

Refer to the instructions in Special Instructions for PSU, SBIOS, and BMC Firmware Updates to determine applicable actions to take.

Change to the Update Process

Originally, only certain firmware components, such as the SBIOS, required power cycling the system after performing the update. In order to ensure that all DGX-2 services continue running, you must power cycle the DGX-2 after any firmware update for any component or group of components.

The addition of Intel ME update capability results in the need to run update_fw all twice when updating all firmware components. Refer to Instructions for Updating Firmware for detailed instructions.

Updating Components with Secondary Images

Some firmware components provide a secondary image as backup. The following is the policy when updating those components:

SBIOS: Only the primary image is updated. To update both images, follow the instructions at Special Instructions for PSU, SBIOS, and BMC Firmware Updates.
BMC: Only the primary image is updated. To update the secondary (backup) image, include the --update-backup-bmc option in the update command.
FPGA: Only the primary image is updated.

Enabling SNMP RO/RW Strings

The SNMP RO/RW strings are disabled by default. The following table provides the ipmitool arguments for enabling the strings. After enabling, disabling, or setting the RO/RW strings, either issue the restart SNMP Server command or reset the BMC for the changes to go into effect.

LUN

CMD

Requested Data

Offset

Description

3Ch/00h

26h

1

00h: Enable RO string

01h: Enable RW string

02h: Disable RO string

03h: Disable RW string

04h: Set RO string

05h: Set RW string

06h: Start SNMP Server

07h: Stop SNMP Server

08h: Restart SNMP Server

2:21

Community string in ASCII code. Maximum string length is 20 characters. If request byte is set to 0x4 or 0x5, but empty from byte 2 to byte 21, then the corresponding community string will be cleared.

For example, to enable the RO String, set the Community to “test”, and then restart the SNMP service on the BMC as follows:

Enable RO.
```
sudo ipmitool raw 0x3c 0x26 0x00
```

Set the RO string to “test”.

sudo ipmitool raw 0x3c 0x26 0x04 0x74 0x65 0x73 0x74

Restart the SNMP service on the BMC.
```
sudo ipmitool raw 0x3c 0x26 0x08
```

Special Instructions for PSU, SBIOS, and BMC Firmware Updates 

Before updating the PSU, SBIOS, or the BMC, refer to the following special instructions for guidance to ensure the updates are successful.

PSU Updates

If the BMC version is older than 01.00.01, then the BMC must be updated first before updating the PSU. See Updating the BMC from Versions older than 01.00.01.

SBIOS Updates

If the current BMC is version 1.05.7, then update the BMC first before updating the SBIOS.
To update both primary and secondary SBIOS (after updating the BMC) using the container, do the following (assumes the primary SBIOS is the current, active SBIOS).
1. Refer to Special Instructions for all Updates to see if services need to be stopped and how to do it.
2. Update the active SBIOS using the update_fw SBIOS argument from the firmware update container.
3. Designate booting from the secondary (inactive) SBIOS on the next boot.
```
sudo docker run --rm --privileged -ti -v /:/hostfs nvfw-dg2:20.08.8 sbios_slot --switch-nextboot-slot
```
4. Reboot the DGX-2 to switch to the secondary SBIOS.
```
sudo telinit 1
sudo umount /raid
sync
sudo ipmitool chassis power cycle
```
5. Update the secondary (now active) SBIOS.
6. Designate booting from the primary SBIOS on the next boot (to restore the primary SBIOS as the active SBIOS).
```
sudo docker run --rm --privileged -ti -v /:/hostfs nvfw-dg2:20.08.8 sbios_slot --switch-nextboot-slot
```
7. Reboot the DGX-2 to switch back to the primary SBIOS.
```
sudo telinit 1
sudo umount /raid
sync
sudo ipmitool chassis power cycle
```

BMC Updates

If the current BMC is older than 01.00.01, then follow the instructions at Updating the BMC from Versions older than 01.00.01.
If the current BMC is 01.00.01, then follow the instructions at Updating the BMC from Version 01.00.01.

Instructions for Updating Firmware

This section provides a simple way to update the firmware on the system using the firmware update container. It includes instructions for performing a transitional update for systems that require it. The commands use the .run file, but you can also use any method described in Using the DGX-2 FW Update Utility.

Caution

Stop all unnecessary system activities before attempting to update firmware.
Stop all GPU activity, including accessing nvidia-smi, as this can prevent the VBIOS from updating.
Do not add additional loads on the system (such as user jobs, diagnostics, or monitoring services) while an update is in progress. A high workload can disrupt the firmware update process and result in an unusable component.
When initiating an update, the update software assists in determining the activity state of the DGX system and provides a warning if it detects that activity levels are above a predetermined threshold. If the warning is encountered, you are strongly advised to take action to reduce the workload before proceeding with the update.

Check if updates are needed by checking the installed versions.
```
sudo ./nvfw-dgx2_23.3.1_230306.run show_version
```
- If there is “no” in any up-to-date column for updatable firmware, then continue with the next step.
- If all up-to-date column entries are “yes”, then no updates are needed and no further action is necessary.
Begin the process of updating all the firmware supported by the container.
```
sudo ./nvfw-dgx2_23.3.1_230306.run update_fw all
```
You will be prompted to power cycle the server.
Power cycle the server.
```
sudo ipmitool chassis power cycle
```
After power cycling the system, perform another update_fw all to update the Intel ME.

Note

Since the Intel ME is part of the SBIOS, the container messaging may indicate that the SBIOS is getting updated. This is expected.

Perform another power cycle.
```
sudo ipmitool chassis power cycle
```
See DGX-2 Firmware Update Process for more information about the update process.

You can verify the update by issuing the following.

./nvfw-dgx2_23.3.1_230306.run show_version

Version 23.3.1

Special Instructions for PSU, SBIOS, and BMC Firmware Updates

Instructions for Updating Firmware

Special Instructions for PSU, SBIOS, and BMC Firmware Updates 