How to update IBM Power 720 firmware:

You will need a IBM ID, the Power 720 serial number and model number, as well know your current version of the firmware.

You can download the ISO at IBM support website. You will also need the diagnostic disk.

Despite what many places say, you don't need IBM i or a mainline version of AIX in order to install the update. The diagnostic disc (a striped down of AIX) can update for you. You also do NOT need a HMC (Hardware Management Console). This is only for some models of POWER hardware (the Power 720 does not support HMC at all) and is not a requirement in this case.

If upgrading from an older AL720_xxx firmware level, the system must first be upgraded to AL730_035 before proceeding to the current AL730 level.

Have the update iso (with the update .rpm file installed) written to a USB and diagnostic disc burned to a CD-R.

Boot to the diagnostic disc and follow these menus:

Boot the Power Blade into the diagnostics utility by inserting the CD and pressing "1" followed by Enter when prompted. Press Enter again when prompted and enter "vt320" if asked for the terminal type.
Once in the diagnostics menu, select "Task Selection", then navigate to "Microcode Tasks" and choose "Update and Manage System Flash".
Select "Validate and Update System firmware" to begin the process.
If using the SADiag CD, insert the CD containing the firmware .img (usually embedded into a .rpm) file into the media tray. Select the appropriate device, such as /dev/usb0 for a USB drive or /etc/microcode if the firmware file is stored in that directory.
Press Esc and then "7" (equivalent to F7) to commit the update.
The update will run and automatically reboot the blade; do not power cycle or restart manually until the Power On Self Test (POST) sequence completes and the blade reboots on its own.
After the update, the Serial over LAN (SoL) session may temporarily disconnect, but a new session can be started after a few minutes.
The same SADiag utility or the diag command can be used to validate the new firmware level by rerunning setup upon reboot and selecting "Validate System Firmware" and confirming the updated level in the Temp bank.

For option card firmware updates, ensure the firmware file name follows the correct format (e.g., 7710322577107601.0317050603) to avoid update failures.

Sources:

https://search.brave.com/search?q=can+i+update+the+ibm+power+720+firmware+through+aix&source=web&summary=1&conversation=01df98fc80af546239dddc
https://search.brave.com/search?q=ibm+power+diagnostics+cd+update+firmware&spellcheck=0&source=alteredQuery&summary=1&conversation=b69796a110605229570281
https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/server-firmware-stand-alone-ibm-i-systems

Date: November 2025

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