SOFTPAQ NUMBER:  SP30410
PART NUMBER:  394092-004
FILE NAME:  SP30410.EXE
TITLE:  Systems ROMPaq Firmware Upgrade Diskette for HP ProLiant
        BL25p/BL45p Servers.

VERSION:  4.02A

LANGUAGE:  English

CATEGORY:  ROMPaqs

DIVISIONS:  Systems

PRODUCTS AFFECTED:  HP ProLiant BL25p/BL45p

OPERATING SYSTEM:  ALL

SYSTEM CONFIGURATION:  N/A

PREREQUISITE:  N/A

EFFECTIVE DATE:  May 16, 2005

ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION ALLOWED:  Yes

SOFTPAQ UTILITY VERSION: 2.X

SUPERSEDES:  SP30318

DESCRIPTION:   This release provides updated system ROM images
               for the latest maintenance releases of HP
               BL25p/BL45p Servers.


New Features -


        ProLiant BL25p/BL45p ROM A02 (05/01/2005)
        ============================================

                1) Added support for ProLiant BL45p server blade that supports 
		   up to four AMD Opteron 800-series dual-core processors.  
		   Note: This ROM does NOT provide support for dual-core 
		   processors on the ProLiant BL25p server blade.

		2) Added enhanced Virtual Serial Port support. This feature was 
		   removed from the 04/22/2005 version of the System ROM due to 
		   a possible issue with corrupted PCI Configuration Cycles. 
		   Corruption of PCI Configuration Cycles could result in 
		   incorrect system operation such as a kernel panic, blue screen, 
		   or exception. This ROM addresses all potential issues with 
		   enhanced Virtual Serial Port. The enhanced Virtual Serial Port 
		   feature allows redirecting serial console through iLO at 
		   standard COM port addresses. For all systems configured to use 
		   standard Virtual Serial Port with the 04/22/2005 System ROM, 
		   this feature will continue to operate in the same manner until 
		   enhanced Virtual Serial Port is configured in RBSU. To enable 
		   enhanced Virtual Serial Port support, configure the Virtual 
		   Serial Port in RBSU to a standard COM port assignment. 
		   For Linux users, the OS should then be configured to direct 
		   serial console to that COM port. For Windows users using 
		   Emergency Management Services (EMS), EMS should be configured
		   in RBSU to that COM port assignment. If it is desired to 
		   redirect BIOS Serial Console through iLO, configure BIOS Serial 
		   Console in RBSU to the same COM port setting as the Virtual 
		   Serial Port. 

		3) Added an RBSU Option to enable/disable Page Directory Cache (PDC). 
		   By default PDC is enabled. This option allows working around 
		   an issue in some Linux kernel versions running in 64-bit mode. 
		   PDC should ONLY be disabled if running in 64-bit mode with 
		   RHEL4, RHEL4 Update 1, or SLES9 with errata kernel earlier 
		   than 2.6.5-7.151 or any kernel.org based kernel earlier than 
		   2.6.12. Disabling PDC with these versions of Linux prevents a 
		   possible but rare possiblity of a Machine Check Error. Newer
		   versions of the Linux kernel will not require that PDC be disabled.


Problems Fixed -


        ProLiant BL25p/BL45p ROM A02 (05/01/2005)
        ============================================

                1) Re-enabled a processor feature known as Page Directory Cache (PDC). 
		   This feature was disabled with the 03/09/2005 version of the 
		   System ROM to work-around an AMD Opteron processor isssue that 
		   may on rare occasion result in a segmentation fault, kernel panic, 
		   or network transfer error. This issue has now been root-caused 
		   and disabling another processor feature known as Flush Filter 
		   instead of PDC effectively eliminates this possible issue. 
		   Although disabling PDC resulted in only minimal performance
		   degradation, disabling Flush Filter results in even less 
		   performance degradation. 

		2) Updated embedded PXE Option ROM to version 7.7.8. This 
		   Option ROM addresses an issue where the NIC could assert 
		   a spurious interrupt during PXE boots. If using a Smart 
		   Array 64X or Smart Array 6i controller with a firmware 
		   version prior to 2.36 and the previous PXE Option ROM, 
		   a lock-up or continuous reboot could occur when 
		   performing a PXE Remote Installation Services (RIS) 
		   installation of Windows.



HOW TO USE:

1.  Obtain a formatted 1.44 MB diskette.

2.  Download the SoftPaq to a directory on your hard drive and change to that directory.
The file that is downloaded is SP30410.EXE.

3.  From that drive and directory, execute the SoftPaq file:
SP30410 [ENTER]
You will be prompted to place the formatted 1.44 MB diskette into a diskette drive to
create diskette.

4.  After the diskette is created, you may delete the downloaded file
SP30410.EXE if you wish.

Copyright 2005, Hewlett-Packard Company.  All rights reserved.

Product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
respective companies