DGX A100 System Firmware Update Container Version 21.03.6
The DGX Firmware Update container version 21.03.6 is available.
Package name:
nvfw-dgxa100_21.03.6_210321.tar.gzRun file name:
nvfw-dgxa100_21.03.6_210321.runImage name:
nvfw-dgxa100:21.03.6ISO image:
DGXA100_FWUI-21.03.6-2021-03-23-22-03-47.isoPXE netboot:
pxeboot-dgxa100-21.03.6.tgz
Highlights and Changes in this Release
This release is supported with the following DGX OS software -
DGX OS 4.99.11
DGX OS 5.0 or later
EL7-21.01 or later (See Special Instructions for Red Hat Enterprise Linux)
EL8-20.11 or later
Added ISO and netboot package for efficiently updating multiple systems.
Added code to prevent use of hardware that is being updated, such as NVIDIA GPUs.
Contents of the DGX A100 System Firmware Container
This container includes the firmware binaries and update utilities for the firmware listed in the following table. The update time for each component is provided for reference. Total update time if all components are updated is approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Component |
Version |
Key Changes |
Update Time |
|---|---|---|---|
BMC (via CEC) |
00.14.16 |
25 minutes |
|
SBIOS |
0.34 |
7 minutes |
|
Broadcom 88096 PCIe switch board |
0.2.0 |
8 minutes |
|
BMC CEC SPI |
v3.28 |
8 minutes |
|
PEX88064 Retimer |
1.2f |
7 minutes |
|
PEX88080 Retimer |
1.2f |
7 minutes |
|
NvSwitch BIOS |
92.10.18.00.01 |
8 minutes |
|
VBIOS (A100 40GB) |
92.00.36.00.04 |
7 minutes |
|
VBIOS (A100 80GB) |
92.00.36.00.01 |
No change |
Same as above. |
U.2 NVMe (Samsung) |
EPK99B5Q |
No change |
6 minutes |
U.2 NVMe (Kioxia) |
0105 |
Added to the container |
Same as above. |
M.2 NVMe (Samsung) |
EDA7602Q |
Added to the container |
3 minutes |
FPGA (GPU sled) |
2.A5 |
40 minutes |
|
CEC1712 SPI (GPU sled) |
3.9 |
7 minutes |
Updating Components with Secondary Images
Some firmware components provide a secondary image as backup. The following is the policy when updating those components:
SBIOS: The two images are referred to as active and inactive, where the active is the currently running image and the inactive is the backup image. When using
update_fw all, the update container updates both active and inactive images.BMC: The two images are referred to as active and inactive, where the active is the currently running image and the inactive is the backup image. The update container can only update the inactive image, and will update it only if the active image needs to be updated. After the update is completed, the updated inactive image becomes the active image. Because the active image is now updated, subsequent
update_fw allcommands will not update the inactive image. To update the inactive image in this case, useupdate_fw BMC --inactive.
Updating the CEC 1712 (Delta-CEC)
The firmware update container may fail to update the Delta_CEC. To work around, perform the following.
sudo ./nvfw-dgxa100_21.03.6_210321.run update_fw CEC -s Delta_CEC -msudo ipmitool chassis power cyclesudo ./nvfw-dgxa100_21.03.6_210321.run update_fw all
DO NOT UPDATE DGX A100 CPLD FIRMWARE UNLESS INSTRUCTED
When updating DGX A100 firmware using the Firmware Update Container, do not update the CPLD firmware unless the DGX A100 system is being upgraded from 320GB to 640GB.
The current DGX A100 Firmware Update Container will not automatically update the CPLD firmware (for example, when running update_fw all). It is possible to update the CPLD firmware using “ update_fw CPLD ”; however, it is strongly recommended that the CPLD firmware not be updated manually unless specifically instructed by NVIDIA Enterprise Support (or email enterprisesupport@nvidia.com). If the DGX A100 is upgraded from 320GB to 640GB, the CPLD firmware update should be performed as instructed.
Special Instructions for Red Hat Enterprise Linux
This section describes the actions that must be taken before updating firmware on DGX A100 systems installed with Red Hat Enterprise Linux. There are two options for meeting these requirements.
Option 1: Update to EL7-21.01 or later
Refer to the DGX Software for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 Release Notes for more information.
Important
Updating the DGX software for Red Hat Enterprise Linux will update the Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation to 7.9 or later. If you do not want to update your Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 installation, then choose Option 2.
Option 2: Install mpt3sas 31.101.01.00-0
These instructions apply if
You do not want to update your Red Hat Enterprise Linux installation, and
Your system is currently installed with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.7 or later.
If your system is installed with Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7.6 or earlier, contact NVIDIA Enterprise Support for assistance.
Perform this step if your system is no longer pointing to the NVIDIA DGX software repository.
On Red Hat Enterprise Linux, run the following commands to enable additional repositories required by the DGX software.
sudo subscription-manager repos --enable=rhel-7-server-extras-rpms sudo subscription-manager repos --enable=rhel-7-server-optional-rpms
Run the following command to install the DGX software installation package and enable the NVIDIA DGX software repository.
Attention
By running these commands you are confirming that you have read and agree to be bound by the DGX Software License Agreement. You are also confirming that you understand that any pre-release software and materials available that you elect to install in a DGX may not be fully functional, may contain errors or design flaws, and may have reduced or different security, privacy, availability, and reliability standards relative to commercial versions of NVIDIA software and materials, and that you use pre-release versions at your risk.
yum install -y \ https://international.download.nvidia.com/dgx/repos/rhel-files/dgx-repo-setup-20.03-1.el7.x86_64.rpm
Install
mpt3sas31.101.01.00-0.sudo yum install mpt3sas-dkmsLoad the
mpt3sasdriver into the Red Hat Enterprise Linux kernel.sudo modprobe mpt3sasYou can verify the correct
mpt3sasversion is installed by issuing the following.yum list installed
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 A100 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-dgxa100:21.03.6_210321.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.
Perform the update for all firmware supported by the container.
$ sudo ./nvfw-dgxa100:21.03.6_210321.run update_fw all
Depending on the firmware that is updated, you may be prompted to either reboot the system or power cycle the system.
If you are prompted to reboot, issue
$ sudo reboot
If you are prompted to power cycle, you can issue the following two commands (there is no output with the first command).
$ sudo ipmitool raw 0x3c 0x04 $ sudo ipmitool chassis power cycle
After rebooting or power cycling the system, you may need to perform another
update_fw allto update other firmware.Either repeat Step 1 to check if updates are needed and then perform Step 2 if needed, or
Repeat Step 2 just in case updates are needed.
If you perform another
update_fw all, you may be prompted again to either reboot the system or power cycle the system.See DGX A100 Firmware Update Process for more information about the update process.
You can verify the update by issuing the following.
$ sudo ./nvfw-dgxa100:21.03.6_210321.run show_version
Example output for a DGX A100 320GB system
CEC
============
Onboard Version Manifest up-to-date
MB_CEC(enabled) 3.28 3.28 yes
Delta_CEC(enabled) 3.09 3.09 yes
BMC DGX
=========
Image Id Status Location Onboard Version Manifest up_to_date
0:Active Boot Online Local 00.14.16 00.14.16 yes
1:Inactive Updatable Local 00.14.16 00.14.16 yes
SBIOS
=======
Image Id Onboard Version Manifest up_to_date
0:Inactive Updatable 0.34 0.34 yes
1:Active Boot Updatable 0.34 0.34 yes
Switches
============
PCI Bus# Model Onboard Version Manifest FUB Updated? up-to-date
DGX - 0000:91:00.0(U261) 88064_Retimer 1.2f 1.2f N/A yes
DGX - 0000:88:00.0(U260) 88064_Retimer 1.2f 1.2f N/A yes
DGX - 0000:4f:00.0(U262) 88064_Retimer 1.2f 1.2f N/A yes
DGX - 0000:48:00.0(U225) 88080_Retimer 1.2f 1.2f N/A yes
DGX - 0000:01:00.0(U1) PEX88096 2.0 2.0 N/A yes
DGX - 0000:b1:00.0(U4) PEX88096 2.0 2.0 N/A yes
DGX - 0000:41:00.0(U2) PEX88096 2.0 2.0 N/A yes
DGX - 0000:81:00.0(U3) PEX88096 2.0 2.0 N/A yes
DGX - 0000:c4:00.0 LR10 92.10.18.00.01 92.10.18.00.01 yes yes
DGX - 0000:c5:00.0 LR10 92.10.18.00.01 92.10.18.00.01 yes yes
DGX - 0000:c8:00.0 LR10 92.10.18.00.01 92.10.18.00.01 yes yes
DGX - 0000:c6:00.0 LR10 92.10.18.00.01 92.10.18.00.01 yes yes
DGX - 0000:c9:00.0 LR10 92.10.18.00.01 92.10.18.00.01 yes yes
DGX - 0000:c7:00.0 LR10 92.10.18.00.01 92.10.18.00.01 yes yes
Mass Storage
==============
Drive Name/Slot Model Number Onboard Version Manifest up-to-date
nvme0n1 Samsung MZWLJ3T8HBLS-00007 EPK99B5Q EPK99B5Q yes
nvme1n1 Samsung MZ1LB1T9HALS-00007 EDA7202Q EDA7202Q yes
nvme2n1 Samsung MZ1LB1T9HALS-00007 EDA7202Q EDA7202Q yes
nvme3n1 Samsung MZWLJ3T8HBLS-00007 EPK99B5Q EPK99B5Q yes
nvme4n1 Samsung MZWLJ3T8HBLS-00007 EPK99B5Q EPK99B5Q yes
nvme5n1 Samsung MZWLJ3T8HBLS-00007 EPK99B5Q EPK99B5Q yes
Video BIOS
============
Bus Model Onboard Version Manifest FUB Updated? up-to-date
0000:07:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
0000:0f:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
0000:47:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
0000:4e:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
0000:87:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
0000:90:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
0000:b7:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
0000:bd:00.0 A100-SXM4-40GB 92.00.36.00.04 92.00.36.00.04 yes yes
FPGA
========
Onboard version Manifest up-to-date
02.A5 02.A5 yes
CPLD
============
Onboard Version Manifest up-to-date
MID_CPLD 1.05 1.05 yes
MB_CPLD 1.05 1.05 yes
* CPLD won't be updated by default (`update_fw all`), use `update_fw CPLD` if it's needed
Known Issues
BMC UI May not be Accessible from Mac OS
Issue
When attempting to connect to the DGX A100 BMC from a system with Mac OS, a “Your connection is not private” message appears that prevents access to the BMC.
Explanation
Starting with version 0.13.6, the BMC provides a self-signed certificate which Mac OS flags in the browser. Most browsers will let you either accept the risk and continue, or add the certificate to the keychain and continue. The Chrome and Opera browsers, however, do not provide these options and so Mac OS users will not be able to access the BMC from the Chrome or Opera browser.
To access the DGX A100 BMC, Mac OS users can use Safari or Firefox, which provide an access path.
Boot Order in the SBIOS Reverts to the Default
Issue
After updating the SBIOS, any changes in the boot order that you have made are not preserved and the boot order specified in the SBIOS reverts to the following.
Boot Option #1 [Hard Disk]
Boot Option #2 [NVME]
Boot Option #3 [USB CD/DVD]
Boot Option #4 [USB Hard Disk]
Boot Option #5 [USB Key]
Boot Option #6 [Network]
Explanation
You will need to prepare for the change when restarting the system, and then enter the SBIOS setup to edit the boot order as needed.
Unable to Launch BMC Dashboard under Pre-84.01 Firefox
Issue
After updating the BMC, attempts to access the BMC dashboard using Firefox versions earlier than 84.01 fail with a “Secure Connection Fail” message.
Explanation
To work around, update Firefox to version 84.01 or later.
The system starts the POST process several times during boot after updating the SBIOS.
Issue
After updating the SBIOS and rebooting the system, the NVIDIA splash screen appears and disappears several times before boot is completed.
Explanation
After updating the SBIOS, several component states are cleared and the system may reboot automatically 3-4 times to reset all the components. This is expected behavior.