Intel X710-T2L NVM Update to 7.3 Failing

[Reuben_Farrelly]

An update to the X710 series products was released about 5 days ago (drivers 25.1 and NVM 7.3), and I've upgraded all of the drivers succesfully on my systems that have Intel cards.

There is also an NVM upgrade for these cards to bring them to NVM version 7.3, but one card (my X710-T2L) is refusing to update.

The message when upgrading is:

PS C:\Users\reuben\Desktop\700Series\Winx64> .\nvmupdatew64e.exe

Intel(R) Ethernet NVM Update Tool

NVMUpdate version 1.35.23.3

Copyright (C) 2013 - 2020 Intel Corporation.

WARNING: To avoid damage to your device, do not stop the update or reboot or power off the system during this update.

Inventory in progress. Please wait [+.........]

Num Description             Ver.(hex) DevId S:B  Status

=== ================================== ============ ===== ====== ==============

01) Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (2)   n/a(n/a)  15B8 00:000 Not supported

  I219-V

02) Intel(R) Ethernet Network Adapter  7.33(7.21)  15FF 00:023 Update not

  X710-T2L                           available

Tool execution completed with the following status: Device not found.

Press any key to exit.

PS C:\Users\reuben\Desktop\700Series\Winx64>

My other X710 cards (not T2L's though) have upgraded succesfully.

Can Intel Support advise why this might be the case? We know that the firmware that was released is newer than that which is installed on the card yet it still won't upgrade?

The card is validated as genuine and has the sticker on it with the unique number so I'm convinced this is not a pre-release version of the card.

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Thank you for posting in Intel Ethernet Communities. 

Please provide the following information that would help us in checking your request.

1.) PBA and serial number of the adapter. You may refer to the link below on where to find the PBA number. Providing photos of the adapter focusing on the markings (white sticker) found on the physical card will be highly appreciated for us to double check on it. The PBA consists 6-digit number located at the last part of the serial number.

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000007022/network-and-i-o/ethernet-products...

2.) Please share the link where the NVM package was downloaded from.

3.) System Support Utility log of your system. This will allow us to check your Adapter details and configuration. Kindly refer to the steps below.

a- Go to https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility-for-Windows-?product=91...

b- Open SSU.exe

c- Mark the box "Everything" and then click "Scan".

d- When finished scanning, click "Next".

e- Click on "Save" and attach the file to a post.

Awaiting to your reply.

In case we don't hear from you, we will follow up after 3 business days.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[Reuben_Farrelly]

Hi Crisselle,

1. Photos attached
2. https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/82947/Intel-Ethernet-Controller-X710-Series
3. Also uploaded.

Thanks,

Reuben

[Reuben_Farrelly]

SSU output

[Reuben_Farrelly]

Identity verification

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Appreciate your swift response.

Please allow us to check on the information you have provided. We will give you an update as soon as possible but no later than 3 business days.

Hoping for your kind patience.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Good day!

While we are still checking on your query, we hope you don't mind providing the following information as this would help us in further investigating your query.

1.) Have you tried updating the driver to latest version 1.12.171.0 from SW package 25.1 then try to update the NVM to its latest version?

Intel® Ethernet Adapter Complete Driver Pack

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/22283/Intel-Ethernet-Adapter-Complete-Driver-Pack?product=...

2.) You mentioned that you have multiple X710 adapters, can you share the Operating System used on your other systems?

Looking forward to hear from you.

Should there be no response, we will follow up after 3 business days.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[Reuben_Farrelly]

Hi CrisselleC

1. Yes. I've just checked and confirmed in Windows Device Manager that the drivers are now on 1.12.171.0. I had to manually update the driver but it is now running that specific version. Note that driver pack 25.1 was already installed. No change when I run the nvmupdatew64e.exe binary - still tells me "Update not available".
2. VMware and Linux. But these are much older X710-DA2 cards, not the T2L, so completely different IDs.

Thanks,

Reuben

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Thank you for the prompt reply.

Just to clarify, were you able to update the NVM before using your system with Windows 10 OS or is it already in version 7.21 when the X710-T2L was installed? We are currently looking if the issue you encountered has something to do with your OS as Windows 10 is not in the list of Supported Operating System for your adapter.

You may check this link for the list of Supported Operating Systems for Retail Intel® Ethernet Adapters

https://www.intel.sg/content/www/xa/en/support/articles/000025890/network-and-i-o/ethernet-products....

Please also share the exact version of VMware and Linux OS's on your other system.

Awaiting to your reply.

In case we don't hear from you, we will follow up after 3 business days.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[Reuben_Farrelly]

Hi Criselle,

This card is a very newly released Intel card, it has only been available for purchase for a couple of months now. The NVM version it has now is the one that it shipped with, I have never been able to update it because it was already running a recent version when it shipped.

ESXi is version 7.0, and the Linux box I was using is running Gentoo Linux. There is no version with Gentoo as it is a rolling release however it is very up to date.

I have also tried the upgrade from that Linux box, and it failed with the same reason:

nas /tmp/700Series/Linux_x64 # ./nvmupdate64e 

Intel(R) Ethernet NVM Update Tool

NVMUpdate version 1.35.23.3

Copyright (C) 2013 - 2020 Intel Corporation.

WARNING: To avoid damage to your device, do not stop the update or reboot or power off the system during this update.

Inventory in progress. Please wait [|.........]

Num Description             Ver.(hex) DevId S:B  Status

=== ================================== ============ ===== ====== ==============

01) Intel(R) Ethernet Network Adapter  7.33(7.21)  15FF 00:007 Update not   

  X710-T2L                           available

Tool execution completed with the following status: Device not found.

Press any key to exit.

nas /tmp/700Series/Linux_x64 # 

The kernel logs for the driver and card look like this:

nas /tmp/700Series/Linux_x64 # dmesg -t | grep i40e

i40e: Intel(R) Ethernet Connection XL710 Network Driver - version 2.8.20-k

i40e: Copyright (c) 2013 - 2019 Intel Corporation.

i40e 0000:07:00.0: fw 7.2.60285 api 1.9 nvm 7.21 0x80007a1a 1.2585.0 [8086:15ff] [8086:0003]

i40e 0000:07:00.0: MAC address: 68:05:ca:b9:34:82

i40e 0000:07:00.0: FW LLDP is enabled

i40e 0000:07:00.0: PCI-Express: Speed 8.0GT/s Width x8

i40e 0000:07:00.0: Features: PF-id[0] VSIs: 66 QP: 8 RSS FD_ATR FD_SB NTUPLE VxLAN Geneve PTP VEPA

i40e 0000:07:00.1: fw 7.2.60285 api 1.9 nvm 7.21 0x80007a1a 1.2585.0 [8086:15ff] [8086:0000]

i40e 0000:07:00.1: MAC address: 68:05:ca:b9:34:83

i40e 0000:07:00.1: FW LLDP is enabled

i40e 0000:07:00.1: PCI-Express: Speed 8.0GT/s Width x8

i40e 0000:07:00.1: Features: PF-id[1] VSIs: 66 QP: 8 RSS FD_ATR FD_SB NTUPLE VxLAN Geneve PTP VEPA

i40e 0000:07:00.1 enp7s0f1: renamed from eth1

i40e 0000:07:00.0 enp7s0f0: renamed from eth0

nas /tmp/700Series/Linux_x64 # 

I think it's very safe to say that this problem has nothing to do with Windows 10 and nothing to do with supported operating systems. Remember all of my X710 cards update fine both in Windows 10, the same Linux box and VMware. Just not this model. So it looks to me like there was no testing of this newly released card with the NVM upgrade process and files before the 25.1 code was released.

Are you able to get someone to reproduce this problem? It should be trivially easy to do so.

Thanks,

Reuben

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Appreciate your response.

We will further investigate on this issue and give you an update as soon as there is any findings but no later than 3 business days.

Hoping for your kind understanding.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Apologies for the delay on this matter.

While we are still checking on this, we hope you don't mind sharing the additional details below that would help in further investigating the issue.

1.) Why do you need to update the NVM to version 7.3? Do you encounter any issues with version 7.2?

2. How many X710-T2L are affected?

Awaiting to hear from you.

Should there be no reply, we will follow up after 3 business days.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[Reuben_Farrelly]

Hi Crisselle,

(1) No specific issues with 7.2 however I understood there was a requirement to keep the driver and firmware versions in sync as much as possible

(2) I only have one X710-T2L, potentially may purchase a couple more in the future

From Intel Support perspective, what have you been able to determine so far? Should this firmware update process have worked on this card?

Thanks,

Reuben

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Thank you for the prompt reply.

We are still checking this issue with our engineers. Rest assured that we will provide an update as soon as there is any findings but no later than 3 business days.

We appreciate your kind understanding.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Thank you for the patience on this matter. 

Please see below information for the details from our engineering team.

1. We have been informed that there are two BIN files for X710-T2L in the 7.3 NVM Package. So you should be able to use it to update to 7.3.

2. Please be reminded that this procedure might not work on Windows 10 because the OS is not supported. You may consider trying the Linux procedure first.

Supported Operating Systems for Retail Intel® Ethernet Adapters

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000025890/network-and-i-o/ethernet-products...

3. Here is the Linux base procedure.

You must know the ETRACKID of your X710-T2L using ethtool -i command

(I have also checked the ETRACKID based on the SSU logs provided and it is 0x80007A1A. You may also run the command above to confirm.)

Please refer to page 4 with title 4.0 Verifying Driver, Image Version, and Package Inventory

Follow the procedures from page 7 to 9

6.0 Create/Edit nvmupdate.cfg for Custom NVM Images to 6.3 Steps to Create/Edit nvmupdate.cfg File to Update Custom NVM Image 

Here's the link for Intel® Ethernet NVM Update Tool 

Quick Usage Guide for Linux

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/embedded/products/networking/nvm-update-tool-quick-linux-usa...

4. Attaching Windows procedure for your reference.

Intel® Ethernet NVM Update Tool 

Quick Usage Guide for Microsoft® Windows

https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/embedded/products/networking/nvm-update-tool-quick-windows-u...

Please share the results with us once the steps above have been performed.

Looking forward to your update.

Should there be no response from you, I’ll make sure to reach out after 3 business days.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[Reuben_Farrelly]

Hi again Crisselle,

Can you please confirm exactly what the change should be? So far what I have done is:

1. Editing nvmupdate.cfg file
2. Find the following section:

BEGIN DEVICE

DEVICENAME: XL710

VENDOR: 8086

DEVICE: 15FF

NVM IMAGE: X710_T2L_7p30_CFGID14p3_OEMGEN_K31193.bin

OROM IMAGE: BootIMG.FLB

EEPID: 8000840B

REPLACES: 80004C15 80006715 80007951

RESET TYPE: REBOOT

END DEVICE

3. Replace the EEPID with value 80007A1A

4. Save config

5. Run nvmupdatew64.exe

This doesn't work, the error I get is: "Tool execution completed with the following status: The configuration file could not be opened/read, or a syntax error was discovered in the file."

What I need clarification from you is:

• Is this the right entry to be editing? There are two for the T2L and two binary files. I'm not very keen on bricking the card if I choose the wrong one.
• What should the REPLACES: section have in it given it looks like older versions of NVM?
• Can you send me exactly the block of text to be having in the .cfg file? I also tried adding a new section below the two existing T2L ones but it also failed with a syntax error. I don't see how changing digits results in a Syntax Error but ... it does.

Thanks,

Reuben

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Reuben,

Apologies if I was not able to provide the detailed steps.

We hope you don't mind giving us some time to gather the exact steps to be performed. We will get back to you as soon as possible but no later than 2-3 business days.

Hoping for your kind understanding.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support

[Abhi · Accepted solution]

Don't change the EEPID (That is the new ETID), add your card ETrack ID in the "REPLACES" section (This is where the ETID of cards to be updated goes), either add yours after a space from the last entry or replace an entry. Then flash, it will work.

FYI I have the same card and ran into the same 7.3 nvm update issue as you. I also chose the same T2L binary as you selected above, it worked for me so you should be good to go.

[Reuben_Farrelly]

This was it. Thankyou Abhi for posting the solution - it worked for me and I've now been able to update the NVM.

CrisselleC I assume that Intel Support has/will acknlowledged that this is a problem and it will be fixed in the next official release of code?

[CrisselleF_C_Intel]

Hello Abhi,

Thank you for sharing the issue resolution with us. This is indeed a great help for other customer having the same issue.

Hello Reuben, 

Please allow me to check with our engineers if the fix will be incorporated on the next release. We will give you an update within 3 business days.

Best Regards,

Crisselle C

Intel Customer Support