When the Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) firmware version 1.08 is applied on an IBM System x 3100 M4 or x3250 M4, users are unable to configure C100 software Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID) via UEFI setup menu due to the 'Create Configuration' being grayed out and not able to be selected.
The issue can be observed when performing the following steps:
- Enter F1 Setup Menu.
- Select System settings.
- Select Devices and I/O Ports.
- Select Configure SATA as 'RAID'.
- Return to System Settings.
- Select Storage.
- Select 'LSI Software RAID Configuration Utility'.
- Select Virtual Drive Management.
This issue will not impact the existing RAID configuration. Once the software RAID is created completely, it will not be affected when applying UEFI firmware version 1.08.
Affected configurations
The system can be any of the following IBM servers:
- System x3100 M4, Type 2582, any model
- System x3250 M4, Type 2583, any model
This tip is not software specific.
This tip is not option specific.
The following system BIOS/uEFI level(s) are affected: ibm_fw_uefi_jqe166f-1.08
The system has the symptom described above.
Solution
This behavior will be corrected in a future release of fourth quarter UEFI LFC.
The target date for this release is scheduled for Fourth Quarter 2014.
The file will be available by selecting the appropriate Product Group, type of System, Product name, Product machine type, and Operating system on IBM Support's Fix Central web page, at the following URL:
//www.ibm.com/support/fixcentral/
Workaround
Users can downgrade the UEFI by applying either of the following methods:
- Obtain the following downgrade UEFI firmware version from IBM Support's Fix Central web page and apply it before configuring C100 SW RAID.
- ibm_fw_uefi_jqe164a-1.07_anyos_32-64
- Refer to the'Creating bootable media for a specific firmware update' section listed in IBM ToolsCenter Bootable Media Creator Installation and User's Guide to customize a bootable media that contains ibm_fw_uefi_jqe164a-1.07_anyos_32-64 binary and XML files and boot the target server from it.
Additional information
This issue is induced due to some variable settings in UEFI Human Interface Infrastructure (HII) that were mixed up in UEFI v1.08.
Document Location
Worldwide
Operating System
System x:All operating systems listed
[{"Type":"HW","Business Unit":{"code":"BU016","label":"Multiple Vendor Support"},"Product":{"code":"QU90ACJ","label":"System x->System x3100 M4->2582"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Line of Business":{"code":"","label":""}},{"Type":"HW","Business Unit":{"code":"BU016","label":"Multiple Vendor Support"},"Product":{"code":"QU90ACK","label":"System x->System x3250 M4->2583"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Line of Business":{"code":"","label":""}}]
In the Setup menu item iSCSI Configuration -> Connection Establishing Timeout, the reference shows that the minimum value is 100 milliseconds, but the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) options have a minimum value of 1 millisecond. This is a network stack limitation.
Resolving The Problem
Source
RETAIN tip: H211536
Symptom
In the Setup menu item iSCSI Configuration -> Connection Establishing Timeout, the reference shows that the minimum value is 100 milliseconds, but the Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) options have a minimum value of 1 millisecond.
This is a network stack limitation.
Affected configurations
The system can be any of the following IBM servers:
- System x3100 M4, type 2582, any model
- System x3250 M4, type 2583, any model
This tip is not software specific.
This tip is not option specific.
The following system BIOS/uEFI level is affected:
Build ID: JQE145A
Workaround
For Connection Establishing Timeout, set the value to greater than 99 milliseconds.
Document Location
Worldwide
Operating System
System x:Operating system independent / None
[{"Type":"HW","Business Unit":{"code":"BU016","label":"Multiple Vendor Support"},"Product":{"code":"QU90ACJ","label":"System x->System x3100 M4->2582"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Line of Business":{"code":"","label":""}},{"Type":"HW","Business Unit":{"code":"BU016","label":"Multiple Vendor Support"},"Product":{"code":"QU90ACK","label":"System x->System x3250 M4->2583"},"Platform":[{"code":"PF025","label":"Platform Independent"}],"Line of Business":{"code":"","label":""}}]