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Oracle Restricts Access To Sun Firmware Downloads

Posted by kdawson on from the where-the-bits-did-once-freely-roam dept.

boer lee writes with the news that you can expect trouble in downloading firmware updates for your Sun server if you purchased it before March 16, 2010. "In a somewhat surprising move (and without any notification to customers), Oracle shut down public access to firmware downloads. I learned this the hard way when I contacted Oracle customer service almost two weeks ago. Yes, it took 13 days for me to get access to the firmware download for systems under the standard warranty (i.e. less than a year old)."

5 of 202 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Purchased Before March 16, 2010? by Too+Much+Noise · · Score: 5, Informative

    Purchased Before March 16, 2010? Doesn't that exclude, like, almost all purchases of Sun hardware?

    No 'almost' about it. According to TFA, systems sold before that date come with the 'old' Sun warranty, while the ones after have the 'Oracle Global Warranty'. The two don't mix and the old systems require 'opening a formal service case' to get the firmware that they're entitled to.

  2. Not entirely unexpected by ilikejam · · Score: 4, Informative

    Linky linky
    http://wikis.sun.com/display/SunSolve/How+Entitlement+Works

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    C-x C-s C-x k
  3. Re:Purchased Before March 16, 2010? by ender- · · Score: 5, Informative

    I just tested this and I was able to download firmware for some of our x86 servers with no issues.

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    Nothing to see here
  4. jonbenson by jonbenson · · Score: 4, Informative

    I am downloading the firmware for my Sparc T5520 server right now. This sounds like a personal problem.

  5. Sun confirmed it to me on April 9th by borcharc · · Score: 5, Informative

    Its not a glitch, I received this email from sun after submitting a ticket that i was unable to download the firmware for my workstation on 04/09/2010:

    Hello,

    As of April 5th customers now need either hardware warranty or a 'system' level contract to download firmware, drivers, etc from either SunSolve or the Download Center.

    Sincerely,

    Sun Web Team
    Sun Microsystems, Inc.

    -

    When trying to download the current bios and driver iso for my Sun Ultra 24 it says i am not authorized. Please advise.