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Interim updates of PowerMaxOS can be performed remotely by the Remote Change Management (RCM) team. These updates provide enhancements to performance algorithms, error recovery and reporting techniques, diagnostics, and PowerMaxOS fixes. They also provide new features and functionality for PowerMaxOS.
During an online PowerMaxOS code load, a member of the RCM team downloads the new PowerMaxOS code to the MMCS. The new PowerMaxOS code loads into the EEPROM areas within the directors and remains idle until requested for a hot load in the control store. The system loads executable PowerMaxOS code within each director hardware resource until all directors are loaded.
Once the executable PowerMaxOS code is loaded, the new code becomes operational in 6 seconds or less through an internal processing operation that is synchronized across all directors.
The system does not require customer action during the upgrade. All directors remain online to the host processor and maintain application access. There is no component downtime, no rolling outage upgrade, no failover or failback processes involved, and switching LUN ownership or trespass is not required. The Fibre Channel port never drops, and the servers never see a logout or login (no fabric RSCN).
This upgrade process, which has been transparent to applications for many years, is continually improved upon and provide the means to perform downgrades in the same, non-disruptive manner.