Rev.

A13

Dell EMC S4048–ON Switch Release Notes

This document describes the new features, enhancements, and fixed issues for the S4048–Open Networking (ON) system.

Document revision history

Table 1. Revision history
Revision Date Description
A00 2015–01 Initial release
A01 2015–05 Updated the upgrade procedure. Added PR# 148445.
A02 2015–06 Updated the DELL-DIAG and CPLD versions.
A03 2016–01 Updated the BIOS version.
A04 2016–02 Updated the DIAG version.
A05 2016–03 Added documentation correction.
A06 2016–06 Updated Supported software, DELL-DIAG, and CPLD versions.
A07 2016-07 Added Pluribus to Supported Software
A08 2017-02 Added the ONIE-based firmware update section. Updated the Software requirement sections.
Removed the CPLD upgrade section. Updated the Installation instructions, Features and
requirements, and Important information sections. Updated the document layout.
A09 2017-05 Updated the version numbers and the Important information section. Also updated the Features
and requirements, New in this release, and Important information sections.
A10 2017-08 Updated the New in this release and Important information sections.
A11 2018-04 Updated the ONIE package upgrade section. Moved the ONIE-based firmware update section
to the S4048-ON FW Updater Release Notes.
A12 2018-10 Updated the Features and requirements, New in this release, and Important information
sections.
A13 2020-07 Updated the ONIE, firmware updater, BIOS, and DND versions. Updated the Features and
requirements section.

Features and requirements

The following features and requirements apply to the S4048–ON system:

Hardware requirements
The following lists the Dell S4048–ON system hardware requirements:
• Forty-eight port 10 Gbps SFP+ ports
• One MicroUSB serial console management port
• One RJ-45 serial console management port
• One USB Type-A port for more file storage
• On-board Intel C2538/8GB DDR3 SDRAM central processing unit (CPU) system
• Two hot-plug redundant power supplies units (PSUs)
• Three removable fan modules

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• Standard 1U chassis
The following lists the individual Dell S4048–ON system hardware components that are available for ordering:
• Fan with airflow from I/O side to PSU side—red indicator is normal air flow direction.
• Fan with airflow from PSU side to I/O side—blue indicator is reversed air flow direction.
• AC Power supply with airflow from I/O side to PSU side
• AC Power supply with airflow from PSU side to I/O side

NOTE: Fan modules and power supplies are field replaceable units.

NOTE: All fans and PSUs MUST have the same airflow direction. If you mix the airflow direction, to avoid heat damage to the
system components, you must correct the mixed airflow direction.

Software requirements
Table 2. Software requirements
Software Minimum Release Requirement
ONIE v3.21.1.0-6—Based on the ONIE forum release 2016.08
Firmware Updater v3.21.5.0-8
DND v1.0.0.15

Firmware requirements
Table 3. Firmware requirements
Firmware Minimum Release Requirement
BIOS v3.21.0.0-7
CPLD v15.2,12,5

New in this release

The S4048–ON offers the following new features and enhancements:

ONIE
• This version enables trim support in SSD for ONIE.
• This version enables openSSL support for ONIE updater.

NOTE: Always update to the latest ONIE version before updating to the latest firmware updater.

FW Updater
ONIE firmware updater to update the BIOS.

DND
None.

CPLD
None.

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BIOS
• Updated Microcode for Spectre/Meltdown from version M01406D8125 to M01406D812A.
• Changed the Intel Reference Code from version 1.0.0.43 to 1.0.0.48 to support higher-density DIMMs.
• Added the critical device feature for POST to detect if an OS-critical device is missing or misconfigured.

Solid-state drive (SSD) card

The SSD card was changed to the 16GB iSLC mSATA Dual-channel SSD (3IE3) in this release.

Table 4. SSD reliability

Transaction type Specification Limits
Reads — unlimited
Writes TBW per JEDEC 218 32.0
TBW per JEDEC 219A 5.3

Documentation correction
There was an error in the Pin Assignments Between the Console and a DTE Terminal Server table of the Dell Networking S4048–Open
Networking (ON) Getting Started Guide, revision A00.
The following shows the corrected Pin Assignments Between the Console and A DTE Terminal Server table.

Table 5. Pin assignments between the console and a DTE terminal server
S4048-ON Console Port RJ-45 to RJ-45 Rollover RJ-45 to RJ-45 Rollover RJ-45 to DB-9 Adapter Terminal Server Device
Cable Cable
Signal RJ-45 Pinout RJ-45 Pinout DB-9 Pin Signal
NC 1 8 8 CTS
NC 2 7 6 DSR
TxD 3 6 2 RxD
GND 4 5 5 GND
GND 5 4 5 GND
RxD 6 3 3 TxD
NC 7 2 4 DTR
NC 8 1 7 RTS

Important information
The following is important information that you need to know when working with your system:

BIOS
Only BIOS upgrade is supported. BIOS downgrade to a previous version is not supported.

USB-B driver
NOTE: The S4048-ON switch uses the Silicon Labs CP2109 USB-B chip. To find the correct USB-B universal asynchronous
receiver-transmitter (UART) driver, see https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-
vcp-drivers.

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ONIE firmware image
Using the onie-firmware-x86_64-VENDOR_MACHINE-r0.bin image only updates the ONIE firmware components, such as BIOS
and CPLD. This image does not update the base ONIE version.

Marginal reset timing change

• Changed the marginal reset timing for out of band (OOB) the management port.

ONIE self-update
WARNING: Do not power-cycle the board when an ONIE self-update is in progress. If the install or upgrade task is interrupted,
the board might have an invalid MBR/GPT/Grub, and would not boot into ONIE. In this case, use a recovery procedure to bring
up the system so long as the BIOS is functional.

DELL-DIAG installation or ONIE self-update

WARNING: Do not power-cycle the board when a DELL-DIAG installation or ONIE self-update is in progress. If the install or
upgrade task is interrupted, the board might have an invalid MBR/GPT/Grub, and would not boot into the OS or ONIE. In this
case, use a recovery procedure to bring up the system so long as the BIOS is functional.

I2C bus
NOTE: After a thermal shutdown, the I2C bus could lock up occasionally. If this action happens, you must manually power cycle
the system.

Direct attach cables (DACs)

CAUTION: When removing optics with DACs from the port, pull the release tab firmly and steadily. If you have difficulties
pulling out the cable, gently push the optic into the port with one hand while simultaneously pulling the release tab slightly
upwards—towards the cable/module center—with the other hand. Do not jerk or tug repeatedly on the tab.

Multiple power cables

The switch has multiple power cables. Before servicing, ensure that all power cables are disconnected.

Fixed issues
Fixed issues are reported using the following definitions:

Category Description
PR# Problem Report number that identifies the issue.
Synopsis Synopsis is the title or short description of the issue.
Release Notes Release Notes description contains more detailed information about the issue.
Work around Work around describes a mechanism for circumventing, avoiding, or recovering from the issue. It might not be a
permanent solution.

Severity S1—Crash: A software crash occurs in the kernel or a running process that requires a restart of AFM, the router,
switch, or process.
S2—Critical: An issue that renders the system or a major feature unusable. The issue can have a pervasive impact
on the system or network, and for which there is no work-around acceptable to the customer.

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Category Description
S3—Major: An issue that affects the functionality of a major feature or negatively effects the network. However,
there exists a work-around that is acceptable to the customer.
S4—Minor: A cosmetic issue or an issue in a minor feature with little or no network impact for which there might
be a work-around.

Fixed issues in this release

There were no issues fixed in this release.

Fixed issues in previous releases

Category Description
PR# 146474
Synopsis onie-syseeprom doesn't display the base mac address.
Release Notes Intermittent i2c errors are seen in system eeprom access.
Work around N/A
Severity 2

Category Description
PR# 148445
Synopsis ONIE scripts - DELL DIAG is being uninstalled during OS uninstallation (Uninstall OS option)
Release Notes In ONIE, uninstallation is based on the partition attribute flag (0x1) value. Hence, for DELL-DIAG partition, the
attribute flag has been added during partition creation.
Work around N/A
Severity 3

Category Description
PR# 149855
Synopsis When SFP+ transceivers are used, ports are not coming up.
Release Notes Enabling the TX-DISABLE CPLD Register to turn on SFP+ transmitter.
Work around None
Severity 3

Category Description
PR# 149206
Synopsis PCIe Preemphasis settings are changed.
Release Notes BCM Preemphsis Setting required for PCIe Communication.
Work around N/A
Severity 3

Category Description
PR# 150708
Synopsis In rare instances, S4048 system may detect the NPU incorrectly after a power cycle.
Release Notes When an S4048 (fully populated with SFP and QSFP optics) is power cycled, the system may experience a timing
issue during power-on sequence which may cause the software (BIOS/ONIE/OS) to detect the NPU incorrectly.

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Category Description
The issue is intermittent in nature and is seen only after an S4048 is power cycled (i.e. power to installed PSUs is
switched off/on or power-cords are disconnected/reconnected).
Work around Power cycle the switch.
Severity 1

Known issues
Known issues are reported using the following definitions:

Category Description
PR# Problem Report number that identifies the issue.
Synopsis Synopsis is the title or short description of the issue.
Release Notes Release Notes description contains more detailed information about the issue.
Work-around Work around describes a mechanism for circumventing, avoiding, or recovering from the issue. It might not be a
permanent solution.

Severity S1—Crash: A software crash occurs in the kernel or a running process that requires a restart of AFM, the router,
switch, or process.
S2—Critical: An issue that renders the system or a major feature unusable. The issue can have a pervasive impact
on the system or network, and for which there is no work-around acceptable to the customer.
S3—Major: An issue that effects the functionality of a major feature or negatively effects the network. However,
there exists a work around that is acceptable to the customer.
S4—Minor: A cosmetic issue or an issue in a minor feature with little or no network impact for which there might
be a work-around.

Known issues in this release

Category Description
PR# 155867
Synopsis PsuSourceTypeTest execution is based on two PSU EEPROM content, but test result shows PASS even when
one PSU is not programmed.
Release Notes PsuSourceTypeTest execution is based on two PSU EEPROM content, but test result shows PASS even when
one PSU is not programmed.
Work around If the following error message is seen then the test should be considered as fail: ERROR:EEPROM does not
contain data in a valid TlvInfo format.
Severity S2

Known issues in previous releases

None.

Installation instructions
For installation instructions, see the Installation Guide for the S4048–ON System.

NOTE: To access ONIE, use the RJ-45 console port.

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ONIE package upgrade
To upgrade the ONIE package you have installed, use one of the following two processes: automatic update or manual update:

1. Automatic update process:: Copy the upgrade ONIE installer and the DELL-DIAG installer for your system to the TFTP/HTTP server.
2. Configure a DHCP server and set option 2, Updater URL.
3. Select ONIE: Update ONIE from the ONIE boot menu.
ONIE Update uses the ONIE Service Discovery to obtain the onie-updater image. The Discovery methods are tried in this order:
a. Passed from the boot loader.
b. Search locally attached storage devices for one of the ONIE default installer filenames—for example, USB.
c. Exact URL from DHCPv4.
d. Report inexact URLs based on the DHCPv4 responses.
e. Query to the IPv6 link-local neighbors using HTTP for an installer.
f. Start TFTP waterfall from the DHCPv4 option 66.

4. Manual update process: Set onie-boot-mode to Update mode before proceeding to self-update.onie Boot mode, if necessary.
You can set Update mode in two ways:
• Use the onie-boot-mode -o update command.
• Select ONIE: update ONIE from the ONIE boot menu.
NOTE: After installing the NOS/DND, if you boot into ONIE Install mode, ONIE assumes ownership of the system—ONIE
Install mode is sticky. In this situation, ONIE stays in Install mode until NOS/DND is successfully installed again. If you want
to boot into ONIE for any reason other than installation, use Rescue mode or Update mode.

WARNING: Previous NOS installations are lost after you select ONIE Install mode.

To update your existing ONIE image, boot into ONIE Update mode and run the following command to upgrade ONIE using TFTP:
Boot into ONIE Install mode and run the following command to update your existing ONIE image. The following example uses TFTP to
upgrade ONIE.

ONIE:/ # onie-self-update tftp:x.x.x.x/ONIE installer image path>

ONIE:/ # onie-self-update tftp://x.x.x.x/onie-updater-x86_64-dell_<platform>_c2338-r0
Info: Fetching tftp://x.x.x.x/onie-updater-x86_64-dell_<platform>_c2338-
r0 ...onie-updater-x86_64- 100% |*******************************| 8541k 0:00:00 ETA
ONIE: Executing installer: tftp://x.x.x.x/onie-updater-x86_64-dell_<platform>_c2338-r0
...
...
Reboot.

The following example uses HTTP to upgrade ONIE.

ONIE:/ # onie-self-update http://x.x.x.x/onie-updater-x86_64-dell_<platform>_c2338-r0

Stopping: discover... done.
Info: Fetching http://x.x.x.x/onie-updater-x86_64-dell_<platform>_c2338-r0 ...
Connecting to x.x.x.x (x.x.x.x:x)
installer 100% |*******************************| 9021k 0:00:00
ETA
ONIE: Executing installer: http://x.x.x.x/onie-updater-x86_64-
dell_<platform>_c2338-r0
Verifying image checksum ... OK.
Preparing image archive ... OK.
ONIE: Version : x.xx.x.x
ONIE: Architecture : x86_64
ONIE: Machine : dell_<platform>_c2338
ONIE: Machine Rev : 0
ONIE: Config Version: 1
Installing ONIE on: /dev/sda
Rebooting...
ONIE:/ # umount: can't remount rootfs read-only
The system is going down NOW!
Sent SIGTERM to all processes
Sent SIGKILL tosd 4:0:0:0: [sda] Synchronizing SCSI cache

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 Restarting system.
machine restart

5. If an updated version of the S4048-ON DELL-DIAG is available, you can upgrade the DELL-DIAG installer package using the onie-
nos-install command. Boot to ONIE Rescue mode and install the onie diag installer.
NOTE: When you update ONIE, the DELL-DIAG option is removed. To recreate the DELL-DIAG option in the ONIE boot
menu, you must install the Dell Diag Entry updater, as shown.

ONIE:/ # onie-nos-install tftp://x.x.x.x/DND-SK-DELL-DIAG-ENTRY-UPDATER Stopping: discover... done.

Info: Fetching tftp://x.x.x.x/DND-SK-DELL-DIAG-ENTRY-UPDATER ...
DND-SK-DELL-DIAG-ENT 100% |*******************************| 15444 0:00:00 ETA
ONIE: Executing installer: tftp://x.x.x.x/DND-SK-DELL-DIAG-ENTRY-UPDATER
Verifying image checksum ... OK.
Preparing image archive from /installer ... Done.
Installing Menu Entry ...Done
ONIE:/ # umount: can't remount rootfs read-only
The system is going down NOW!
Sent SIGTERM to all processes
Sent SIGKILL tosd 4:0:0:0: [sda] Synchronizing SCSI cache
Restarting system.
machine restart

BIOS (Dell Inc) Boot Selector

<platform> 54-port 10G/40G <BIOS number x.x.x.x>

POST Configuration
CPU Signature 406D8
CPU FamilyID=6, Model=4D, SteppingId=8, Processor=0
Microcode Revision 121

GPIO_Init()
gpio_sus_usesel=0x180004 changing to 0x180004
gpio_sus_io_lvl=0x180004 changing to 0x4
gpio_sus_lvl=0x4 changing to 0x4

ONIE-based firmware update

For ONIE-based firmware update information, see the S4048-ON FW Updater Release Notes.

ONIE-based firmware troubleshooting

Use the following sections to troubleshoot the ONIE-based firmware upgrade process.

S4048-ON BIOS Updater

If there is an error with the BIOS updater, use this alternative process for the BIOS update.
1. Upgrade the BIOS image using the BIOS image and Flashrom utility included with ONIE package.

ONIE:/ # tftp -g -r <platform>-BIOS-x.x.x.x-16MB.bin x.x.x.x

<platform>-BIOS-x.x.x.x. 100% |*******************************|
8192k 0:00:00 ETA ONIE:/ #
ONIE:/ #
ONIE:/ # flashrom -w ./ <platform>-BIOS-x.x.x.x-16MB.bin -p internal
Erasing and writing flash chip... Erase/write done.
Verifying flash... VERIFIED.
ONIE:/ #

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S4048-ON CPLD Updater
If there is an error with the CPLD updater, use this alternative process for the CPLD update. You can upgrade the CPLD from the Dell
diagnostic command line interface (DCLI) prompt. For the running Dell Diagnostics, see the Open Networking Hardware Diagnostic Guide.

WARNING: Do not powercycle or power off your system when you upgrade the CPLD image.

NOTE: Upgrading the CPLD may take up to 10 minutes.

1. At the DCLI prompt, use the showSystemInfo command to confirm your system’s CPLD program and image versions.

DCLI-> help
help
- Print list of system commands.
testall - Run all tests with RUN flag if W/O args, otherwise shows
or sets ALL/RUN flags.
reload - Reload the card.
showSystemInfo - Shows system Info

DCLI-> showSystemInfo
*************** <platform> SYSTEM INFO ****************

Software Info:
SW Name : Dell Networking OS
SW Version : x.x(x.x)

Board Info:
Board Revision : 0x2
Board Service Tag : CLD7VS1

CPLD Info:
System CPLD Version : x
Master CPLD Version : x
Slvae CPLD Version : x

Packed CPLD image Info:

Packed System CPLD Version : xx
Packed Master CPLD Version : x
Packed Slave CPLD Version : x

PPId Info:
PPId : TW04NM4C2829849Q0032
PPId Revision : X01

SysEeprom Info:
Base MAC Address : 34:17:eb:f2:04:c4
Country Code : TW
Part Number : 04NM4C
Manufacturer : 28298
Manufacture Date : 10/02/2014 14:46:25
Product Name : <platform>

Power Supply Info:

Power Supply : 1
AirFlow Direction : AC-NORMAL
Part Number : 02RH8M
Serial Number : TW02RH8M2829849Q0020
Sevice Tag : AEIOU##

Fantray Info: FanTray[1]

AirFlow Direction : NORMAL AIRFLOW Part Number : 0743WY
Serial Number : TW0743WY2829849Q0096
Sevice Tag : AEIOU##
FanTray[2]
AirFlow Direction : NORMAL AIRFLOW
anTray[2]
AirFlow Direction : NORMAL AIRFLOW
Part Number : 0743WY
Serial Number : TW0743WY2829849Q0095
Sevice Tag : AEIOU##
FanTray[3]

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 AirFlow Direction : NORMAL AIRFLOW
Part Number : 0743WY
Serial Number : TW0743WY2829849Q0094
Sevice Tag : AEIOU##
*********************************************************

2. At the DCLI prompt, use the upgradeCPLDImage command to start the CPLD upgrade.

DCLI-> upgradeCPLDImage
WARNING: Please do not POWERCYCLE or POWER OFF the system! CPLD upgrade started ... (May
take upto
10 minutes!)
CPLD Upgrade done, comment = CREATED BY: ispVM(R) System Version 18.1
CREATION DATE: 12/05/14 13:56:57
DCLI->

NOTE: After you have successfully upgraded your system, Dell recommends power cycling the system.

Support resources
The following support resources are available for the S4048–ON system:

Documentation resources
This document contains operational information specific to the S4048–ON switch.
For information about using the S4048–ON, see the following documents at http://www.dell.com/support:
• Installation Guide for the S4048-ON System
• Getting Started Guide for the S4048-ON System
• Dell Open Networking (ON) Troubleshooting Guide
If you have the Dell Networking operating software installed on your switch, also see these documents:
• Dell Command Line Reference Guide for the S4048–ON System
• Dell Configuration Guide for the S4048–ON System
For more information about hardware features and capabilities, see the Dell Networking website at https://www.dell.com/networking.
For more information about the open network installation environment (ONIE)-compatible third-party operating system, see http://
onie.org.

Issues
Issues are unexpected or incorrect behavior and are listed in order of Problem Report (PR) number within the appropriate sections.

Finding documentation
This document contains operational information specific to the S4048–ON system.
• For information about using the S4048–ON, see the documents at http://www.dell.com/support.
• For more information about hardware features and capabilities, see the Dell EMC Networking website at https://www.dell.com/
networking.
• For more information about the open network installation environment (ONIE)-compatible third-party operating system, see http://
onie.org.

Contacting Dell EMC

NOTE: If you do not have an active Internet connection, you can find contact information on your purchase invoice, packing
slip, bill, or Dell EMC product catalog.
Dell EMC provides several online and telephone-based support and service options. Availability varies by country and product, and some
services may not be available in your area. To contact Dell EMC for sales, technical support, or customer service issues:

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Go to support.dell.com.

11
Notes, cautions, and warnings

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of your product.

CAUTION: A CAUTION indicates either potential damage to hardware or loss of data and tells you how to avoid the problem.

WARNING: A WARNING indicates a potential for property damage, personal injury, or death.

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