Article 124760 of comp.os.vms:
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From: dshort@nova.wright.edu
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
Subject: DEC3000 to VMS6.2: Warning.
Message-ID: <1995Jul12.110340.41563@nova.wright.edu>
Date: 12 Jul 95 11:03:40 EST
References: <3tnpjs$pjq@jaws.cs.hmc.edu> <3tpf7i$32q@tattoo.sccsi.com> <1995Jul10.181247.20653@montagar>
Organization:  Wright State University 
Lines: 78


A cautionary tale

If you're upgrading your os to VMS 6.2 on a DEC3000, beware the
firmware update.

If you're upgrading the firmware of a DEC3000 with the update disk
labeled may1995( or after ) check the rev #'s on your system PROM.
The relevant PROM is on the system board, the bottem board. 
It is near the front right of the board, below where the
CD player is on my units.  If the PROM is at rev 309E7, do 
not upgrade your firmware!  The PROM needs to be at rev 333E7.

My story,

I received my upgrade kit to go from openVMS6.1 to 6.2 on a pair of 
3000axp400 s.  Looking through the manuals I found I needed to upgrade
my firmware before I upgraded the OS. OK, this is not a problem.
I start with my nonproduction machine.

I take the machine down, 
move the firmware jumper, 
boot the firmware upgrade utility, 
check the current firmware, 
upgrade the firmware, 
verify the firmware upgrade, 
leave the firmware upgrade utility,
boot openvms6.1 with new firmware,
upgrade the os to 6.2, 
thrash the system to please autogen,
upgrade the layered products, 
verify the layered product upgrades.

   Life is good. Everything is peaches and cream. Simplest upgrade I've 
ever had. Then I take the machine down and turn it off so I can 
replace the firmware protection jumper. Ok, I'm done. Almost time
to go for a cold one.

   Power it back on and the machine never comes back....
Damn thing doesn't even come to a console prompt.
I talk with DEC maintenence in Colorodo and tell them
the diagnostic light pattern. They tell me the system
can't stop there.

   Dec service arrives the next day.  He replaces the I/O board and 
the machine comes back up.  The new I/O board has old firmware in it.
He upgrades the firmware on the new I/O board to the new version.
He powers off the machine and it dies.  Dec service leaves.

   Dec service arrives the next day.  He replaces the I/O board and 
the machine comes back up.  The new I/O board has old firmware in it.
He upgrades the firmware on the new I/O board to the new version.
He powers off the machine and it dies.  Dec service leaves. Not a typo.

   He upgrades the firmware on the I/O board of his test machine at 
the localoffice to the new version. 
He powers off the machine and it dies.

   Dec service arrives that afternoon.  He replaces the I/O board 
and the machine comes back up.  The new I/O board has old firmware in it.
I run OpenVMS6.2 with old firmware and wait for a real answer.
Dec service leaves.

   It turns out that a PROM on the system board needs to be upgraded
in order to work with the new firmware.  I still haven't found anything
about this in the release notes.  Dec service didn't know about it 
two weeks ago.

   If you're upgrading the firmware of a DEC3000 with the update disk
labeled may1995( or after ) check the rev #'s on your system PROM.
The relevant PROM's are on the system board, the bottem board. 
They are near the front right of the board, right below where the
CD player is on my units.  If the PROM is at rev 309E7, do not upgrade 
your firmware.  The PROM needs to be at rev 333E7.

I lost my test machine for a couple of days, and that is not a problem 
for me, but I realize not every shop can afford that kind of down time.