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Dell PowerFlex 4.5.x Administration Guide

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Upgrading PowerFlex Manager using Dell SupportAssist

Upgrading the management software using SupportAssist is the recommended method of upgrading. SupportAssist refers to Secure Connect Gateway, which is used for call home functionality and remote connectivity.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure that you:

  • Take a backup of PowerFlex Manager settings.
  • Configure SupportAssist.
  • Upload the latest compatibility matrix file to ensure that PowerFlex Manager has access to the latest upgrade information.

About this task

When you attempt an upgrade, PowerFlex Manager warns you if the current version of the software is incompatible with the target version, or if any of the RCM or IC versions that are currently loaded on the management software are incompatible with the target compliance versions. To determine which paths are valid and which are not, PowerFlex Manager uses information that is provided in the compatibility matrix file. The compatibility matrix file maps all the known valid and invalid paths for all previous releases of the software. Before proceeding with an upgrade, PowerFlex Manager notifies you if any of the following situations is detected:

  • No upgrade is required. This situation occurs when the current and target versions are the same. You can still force an upgrade, if needed.
  • The upgrade path that you are attempting to perform is a valid path. The source version of PowerFlex Manager is compatible with the target version and the source version of the RCM or IC is also compatible with the target version.
  • The source version of PowerFlex Manager is compatible with the target version. However, the source version of the RCM or IC is not compatible with the target version. Your resource groups may go into lifecycle mode until you perform an RCM or IC upgrade. PowerFlex Manager puts a resource group in lifecycle mode if the RCM or IC for a resource group is not within a year of the target PowerFlex Manager launch. You can mitigate a resource group that is in lifecycle mode by upgrading to a compliance version that is within a year of the current PowerFlex Manager launch.
  • The upgrade path that you are attempting to perform is not supported.

The compatibility matrix file is required for all upgrades. When you first install PowerFlex Manager, the software does not have the compatibility matrix file, so you must upload the file before performing any upgrades.

Whenever a new version of the management software is available, PowerFlex Manager displays a banner at the top of all pages to notify you of the new release. The banner appears only if you have registered with SupportAssist.

Steps

  1. On the menu bar, click Settings, and click Software Upgrade.

    Alternatively, click View Details on the notification banner at the top of the page.

  2. Click Management Software Upgrade.
  3. On the Management Software Upgrade page, you can see the Current Management Software Version and check the Available Management Software Version field to see if a newer version of PowerFlex Manager is available.
  4. Click Edit Settings.

    Select Update Software from configured Dell SupportAssist (Recommended) and click Save.

    The Repository Path field on the Management Software Upgrade page shows your saved changes.

  5. At the top of the Management Software Upgrade page, click Upgrade Now.
    After you click Upgrade Now, a dialog box displays with a warning message indicating whether the upgrade path is valid.
  6. Under Management Credentials, optionally override the default username and password for the nodes hosting PowerFlex Manager. The upgrade requires access to the nodes that are hosting PowerFlex Manager. Provide a single user that has superuser privileges for all nodes. You can enter the username for the first row in the table, and the changes you make will be applied to all the nodes. Enter the password for each of the nodes.
  7. Type UPDATE POWERFLEX MANAGER if you want to proceed with the update. If you want to perform an update even if none is required, type FORCE UPDATE.
  8. Click Yes to update PowerFlex Manager.
    The update process displays messages indicating the progress of the update. Depending on which services were upgraded, you may be required to log in once again, after the upgrade process is complete.

Next steps

After upgrading to PowerFlex Manager, you may notice that resource groups that are tied to the PowerFlex gateway are no longer in compliance. To bring the resource groups into compliance, you may need to upgrade them. In this case, you must change to a later RCM or IC and upgrade the resource groups.

If you do not want to upgrade the resource groups, you do not need to perform the upgrade.

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