This page is tailored for system administrators wishing to install BlueField and perform sample administrative actions on it. For a quick start guide aimed at software developers wishing to develop applications on the BlueField DPU using the DOCA framework, please refer to the NVIDIA DOCA Developer Quick Start Guide.
Not sure which guide to follow? For more details on the different BlueField user types, please refer to the NVIDIA BlueField and DOCA User Types document.
This section takes you through the basic steps of installing BlueField DPU and performing a sample administrative task on it.
Install your DPU into your host server according to the instructions under Hardware Installation.
WarningEnsure your host OS is included in the supported operating systems list and that the BlueField's out-of-band (OOB) management interface is connected to the network. The OOB interface must be connected to a DHCP/DNS server. The MAC address of the OOB port is found on the sticker on the BlueField DPU.
Verify that the host server correctly identifies the BlueField DPU. The following commands rescan the PCIe bus and list the BlueField's name and PCIe address:
# update-pciids # lspci | grep BlueField
The list of identified devices should include a network controller for every physical (Ethernet) port and a DMA controller for DPU management. Expected output example:
b3:00.0 Ethernet controller: Mellanox Technologies MT42822 BlueField-2 integrated ConnectX-6 Dx network controller (rev 01) b3:00.1 Ethernet controller: Mellanox Technologies MT42822 BlueField-2 integrated ConnectX-6 Dx network controller (rev 01) b3:00.2 DMA controller: Mellanox Technologies MT42822 BlueField-2 SoC Management Interface (rev 01)
If an older DOCA software version is installed on your host, make sure to uninstall it before proceeding with the installation of the new version:
For Ubuntu/Debian:
$
forf in $( dpkg --list | grep doca | awk'{print $2}');doecho $f ; apt remove --purge $f -y ; done $ sudo apt-get autoremoveFor CentOS/RHEL/Rocky:
host#
forf in $(rpm -qa |grep -i doca ) ;doyum -y remove $f; done host# yum autoremove host# yum makecache
Download and install the "DOCA for Host" package compatible with your specific operating system and version listed here under the "BlueField Drivers" tab.
WarningMake sure to accept cookies from the website when prompted.
Verify that the RShim tool, which loads BlueField DPU with updated images, is running on the host.
# systemctl status rshim
Expected output example:
rshim.service - rshim driver for BlueField SoC Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/rshim.service; enabled; vendor preset: disabled) Active: active (running) since Thu 2022-11-24 00:05:10 IST; 29 minutes ago
At this stage the host environment is all set and you can now perform administrative tasks on the DPU. The most common task would be to update the BlueField DPU software to the latest version.
These instructions are tailored for installing the BlueField BFB image on the default Ubuntu OS. To install it on other OSs, please contact NVIDIA Support.
The BlueField BFB image includes all the DOCA packages.
Installing a new BFB on the DPU is performed using the bfb-install utility that is included in the RShim tool.
# bfb-install --bfb <BFB-image>.bfb --rshim rshim0
Expected output example:
Pushing bfb Collecting BlueField booting status. Press Ctrl+C to stop… INFO[BL2]: start … INFO[MISC]: Ubuntu installation started INFO[MISC]: Installation finished INFO[MISC]: Rebooting...
Upgrade the firmware of the BlueField DPU:
SSH to your DPU via the OOB IP using the default credentials (ubuntu/ubuntu).
WarningWhen first logging into BlueField after installing the BFB, you must change the default password.
WARNING: Your password has expired. You must change your password now and login again! Changing password for ubuntu. Current password: New password:
Upgrade the BlueField DPU's firmware:
dpu# sudo /opt/mellanox/mlnx-fw-updater/mlnx_fw_updater.pl --force-fw-update
Expected output example:
Device #1: ---------- Device Type: BlueField-2 [...] Versions: Current Available FW <Old_FW_ver> <New_FW_ver> [...] Done
Perform a DPU reset:
dpu# sudo mst start dpu# sudo mlxfwreset -d /dev/mst/mt41686_pciconf0 --sync 1 -y reset
Verify that the BFB has been installed and the firmware has been upgraded successfully by accessing the DPU again:
SSH to the BlueField DPU from the host:
ssh ubuntu@<oob-ip>
Check the versions of the DPU image and firmware:
# sudo bfvcheck
Expected output example:
Beginning version check... -INSTALLED VERSIONS- ATF: v2.2(release):4.0.0-46-g208eda9 UEFI: 4.0.0-262-g314fe1b FW: <New_FW_ver> Version check complete. No issues found.
To learn more about BlueField please see: