R620 Firmware updates from network share

Question

For two days I have been trying get the LifeCycle controller to recognize and utilize a network share created by the Dell Repository Manager.

After several hours of searching and finding nearly useless links to Youtube videos, all showing the same example of connecting to ftp.dell.com, I finally located a PDF with the following title:

Lifecycle Controller Platform Update/Firmware Update in Dell PwerEdge 12th Generation Servers.

Which shows an example that finally cleared up the authentication errors because the developers thought it was good idea that the userid should be in the userid@domain forma, instead of the domain\userid format which has been in use since. . . Really?

So, on to the next problem:

Now that I can successfully authenticate, the Lifecycle controller finds and downloads the catalog, then update process promptly fails with:

SUP0531 Error.

Enter another repository location that has the Update Packages and retry the operation.

I have tried using Dell Repository Manager 2.0, 2.3, 3.0 & 3.01. Deleting all the Repositories and creating new ones from scratch makes no difference. I have tried both exporting to a Share option and Downloading.

Exporting to a share in DRM 3.0 creates a ridiculous folder structure with every file in its own folder and a catalog file with the name of the repository as part of the file name.

The Downloading option puts all the files in one folder, but fails to create a catalog.xml file.

In case any one cares. All of the DRM plugins were updated to the latest version.

Dell EMC System Update (Bin) 1.5.3

Dell EMC Server Update Utility x64 Plug-in 781

Dell EMC Bootable ISO Plug-in 902.1

Dell EMC System Update (EXE) 1.5.3

There is clearly a problem with the Export to Share and Download options. For now the only way to Update the Firmware on an ESXi host is to create an ISO and mount it. Not an ideal solution when the ESXi host is in another city and across a Wide Area Network with limited network bandwidth.

Please fix this and for crying out loud, Please UPDATE the Documentation to show real Working examples of what *Exactly* should be entered into the fields.

DELL-Josh Cr · Answer

Hi,

Is the repository that you created on the same network as the servers that you are updating? You could also use openmanage essentials to push updates to servers. http://en.community.dell.com/techcenter/systems-management/w/wiki/1989.openmanage-essentials/

cstuettgen · Answer

Depends on how you define the same network. :-)

The share is on the Repository Manager server which is on a 172.16.xxx.xxx network with a /16 Mask. The Host is on the 172.23.x.x with a /16 Mask which is across an MPLS WAN link. So technically they are on the same network, just different segments.

The Network Test in the Life Cycle controller returns a success result for all three tests so I know the host can see the share.

But your question has me wondering whether the host and the share need to be on the same segment?

DELL-Josh Cr · Answer

Are you able to try updating from the same physical location as the server? You can also try uninstalling all of the plugins and repository manager 3 and then reinstalling 2.2 and see if that works.

cstuettgen · Answer

@DELL-Josh Cr wrote:

Are you able to try updating from the same physical location as the server? You can also try uninstalling all of the plugins and repository manager 3 and then reinstalling 2.2 and see if that works.

I gave up trying to get the Lifecycle controller to use a CIFS share. No matter where the CIFS share was located the LC controllers in both 11Gen and 12Gen servers would fail to find any updates.

Instead of using a CIFS share, I installed FTP services on the server (Win12K) with the Repository Manager and set the FTP root to the same folder configured as the share.

Using Dell Repository Manager 2.2, I then created a Windows SUU ISO for each of the server models we have. Mounted each ISO and copied the entire contents of the repository folder from the ISO to a folder in the FTP Root where each folder was named for the model of the server. R610, R620, R630, etc.

Once that process was complete, every generation of Dell server from 11gen up are able to successfully access the internal FTP site and update their firmware through the LifeCycle Controller.

You may be wondering why I didn't choose SUU to Directory? I tried, but for some models LifeCycle Controller would report the following error when loading the Catalog.

# # #

No update is available. Make sure that the Windows catalog and Dell Update Packages for Windows are used.

# # #

The only process that worked consistently was to create an ISO then copy the files from it.

For those who wish to replicate what I've done, I'm using DRM 2.2 sync'd to the Dell Repository Release 18.06

Plugin versions are as follows.

Dell Server Update Utility x32 Plug-in 774

Dell Server Update Utility x64 Plug-in 781

Dell Bootable ISO Plugin 902

There is still one issue remaining, but I will start a different thread for it.

If any one has any questions please feel free to contact me.

Thanks

Matt5353 · Answer

Thanks for the info cstuettgen.  This worked for me too.  I had first exported all of the packages and the catalog to a folder and tried it with CIFS and it wouldn't even connect.  Then tried it with the FTP method and kept getting, 'failed during download or installation'.  I then did what you did -> exported to a SUU -> extract -> place on ftp.  I was able to put it in a subfolder of the root.  So I have a ROOT\M610 folder (and just put the IP in the server name field and '/M610' in the path field).

pseud0 · Answer

I wonder if your CIFS issue is down to SMB version. The latest iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller v. 2.60.60.60 for the R720 ( which is probably common to the R620 ) says in Enhancements section of the release notes.

Added support for SMBv2 protocol in LC. SMBv1 is no longer supported.

What release are you running?

yjd333 · Answer

thank! Solve my problem

Rack Servers

R620 Firmware updates from network share

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