R710 Updating

The people at serverfault don't know what they are talking about, and they are notorious forum bullies.

Easiest way? Install Windows temporarily to run SUU from there. Takes 15 minutes to install it.

Next easiest would probably be Repository Manager - create a bootable ISO with the relevant updates (linux only packages).

I've downloaded and installed the Dell Repository Manager on my Window machine - but I can't seem to generate a repository for the R710 - I found it in an older Server update revision in the software, made a bundle for it - and even pushed it to a FTP directory.  The machine complains that the catalog file is missing, and no updates could be found.  I've tried putting these files to a USB thumb drive, but it states they are not authentic updates and will not install them.  I've tried the bootable ISO on a thumb drive, but all I get is a strange error and get dumped to an emergency shell.  I've tried booting with a newer SUU CD but mount the older SUU - no dice either.

I've also tried to install the 1.7.0 Repair for the Lifecycle Controller in the hopes that bringing it more current would enable some of the aforementioned options - but it did not.  I did manage to update iDRAC to 2.90 through the iDRAC interface - so I can at least celebrate that success.  I am currently trying to burn the ISOs the DRM generated to DVDs to give them a try proper in the optical drive before I declare defeat.  I just can't believe this is so hard - a business would have tossed this machine by now as I've spent nearly four days on this.  If I wasn't the boss in my consulting business, I would have been fired by now.  :<

Someone did tell me to try to run OpenManage - but I don't have a HyperV equipped machine to run the appliance on so I am SOL there in terms of giving it a try.

I would give Windows Server a try but I don't even have media for it - my consulting business uses Mac and Linux for the most part, I don't have the money to buy a server license I would only use for five to ten minutes.  :<

Hi,

thx @theflash1932 for the first answer here, very appreciated!

One idea from my end, you might try our SLI (Support Live Image). It is a disc-based Live OS (CentOS) that brings some tools including the SUU (Server Update Utility).

Give this article a read: Dell PowerEdge: How to download and use the Support Live Image? (https://dell.to/3i0XOVj) and also check put the SLI User Guide (https://dell.to/3jZo58i).

As you already mentioned, 11G servers are very old. We already removed them from the actual download repository - this is the reason, why the system does not find any updates.

But the SLI might help out.

Let me know about the results.

Best regards,

Stefan

I managed to update everything. Took a full day of trial and error.

Step 1:

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/driversdetails?driverid=chck1&oscode=sle12&productcode=poweredge-r710

* Extracted (using 7zip) ^ files from ISO of SUU and put on USB drive. (SUU-LIN32_17.12.200.229.ISO)

(I did not burn as an ISO - just copied files - most importantly the "/repository/" directory.)

Step 2:

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/drivers/DriversDetails?driverId=YH0GX&fileId=3406550491

^ Booted with Dell SBUU disk. (sbuu_2.4_1294_A01.iso)

Choose 'Config' under firmware updates.

Step 3:

Pulled my mouse and inserted USB drive with SUU files copied from Step 1.

Choose USB drive as the location. It should give you a list to update from.

Update iDRAC to v2.92 first. (If you cannot update it directly.*) Update nothing else yet.

Apply update and let it reboot/cycle. But, leave the SBUU disk in to boot off of till you are completely done and have verified all updates have checkmarks. 

At this point, you may have to remove power from unit for a minute so iDRAC 'resets'. Also may be advisable to hard reset iDRAC using the setup utility during boot/POST. NOTE: You may have to set your network settings again using the same utility to access it again. Mine defaulted to a  static 192.168 IP on update. (I needed DHCP and completely different network IP.) So, that was weird.

Step 4:

Do Lifecycle update next (only). Apply/let it reboot. 

Step 5:

Do the BIOS and any others if needed. (Reference pg. 7: Order of firmware updates.)

Done.
It should now show all checkmarks / no updates needed if you repeat the process.

*This was the only way I could also update my iDRAC to newest version. Kept failing at 30% when doing it directly in web console. Tried Lifecycle. It gave mismatch/crc errors on files (I do not remember exact errors) on SUU repository/USB drive. (From what I read it was because my iDRAC was an ancient version)

The SLI disk will not work for this. AFAIK it does not come with SUU.

You have to boot SLI and then try and run SUU from another mount point.

Tried that. Bad permissions (no execute) on suu/java/etc binaries as extracted from ISO.

Wasted 1-2 hours trying to get it to work.

Please see my post on how I finally got it updated. (SBUU/SUU combo)

I mean to add-

You can also extract files to a network share and use SMB/CIFS or NFS under SBUU as the location instead of USB drive.

Thanks for posting your solution! Am wokring through this now on two of these which seem pretty much factory-default.

Would there be a way to automate this process to run on, say, a few hundred poweredge servers? If I set up automation to mount an smb/cifs share containing the ISO, then mount the ISO ( double mount! ) and finally run the suu utility ,  can the suu utility be run non-interactively by an config manager such as Puppet or Ansible ?

Hi all,

this system seems to work, but when I got to the bios/firmware comparison, I can't do anything else if not to choose the updates. only back and update home buttons are avalable!

Any suggestion? 

Hi Guys,

I have recently done the same, acquired two R710's for use in a home lab, hoping to learn some new skills!

I have very little experience with servers, so this post helped a lot after several attempts using other guides about updating firmware etc.

I have followed the guide above and all seemed great until I installed the USB with the SUU on it.

The SBUU sees the USB but I get the following error:-

"USB key does not contain Server Update Utility (SUU) Repository in the correct format. Unable to proceed!"

Not being proficient in any way with this gear, could someone please explain (in plain english if possible) how i get around this?

many thanks for your patience and any help is greatly appreciated!

Mel.

Hello MelBul,

The R710's should make for good home lab.

You may download the SUU again to make sure you got a good download.

Make sure you make the USB as an image and didn't just copy the .iso to the USB drive.

Try a different USB drive.

Alternately you can install your OS and apply updates from within the OS.

To anyone who needs this information:

I had an R710 with an ancient BIOS (version 2.x!), ancient iDRAC6 (version 1.5x!), and ancient Lifecycle Controller (version 1.4.0.x!). I was able to upgrade ALL of these to the most current versions as of January 2023 on the Dell Website: BIOS 6.6.0, iDRAC6 2.92, and Lifecycle Controller 1.7.5.4, all using only USB media through the Unified Server Configurator via the "Install Platform Update" utility ... but it was a slog.

BIOS: When I started, none of the Win32 BIOS updates were recognized on my USB flash drive. However, I downloaded the R710-060600C.exe file, copied it to a bootable USB (made with Rufus), and executed it in DOS mode using the System BIOS boot (UEFI boot was not supported on my flash drive) and it updated properly.

iDRAC6: The Win32 updates were not cumulative, so given that I had an old Lifecycle version, it only let me update to 1.85 (ESM_Firmware_3VM7N_WN32_1.85_A00.EXE) and then 1.90 (ESM_Firmware_Y9V1G_WN32_1.90_A00.EXE) before telling me that the other files were not supported. 

Lifecycle Controller: This was the longest process, as the Dell website only gave me specific versions of the Win32 updates - none of which were allowed through the update process! I Google searched and found every update I could find, and painstakingly tried each one. I had success with this specific sequence:

• 1.4.0.586 (LC_APP_WIN_R284305-1.4.0.586.EXE)
• 1.5.0.672 (LC_APP_WIN_R300967-1.5.0.672.EXE)
• 1.5.2.32 (Lifecycle-Controller_Application_F0D50_WN32_1.5.2.32_A00.EXE)
• 1.7.5.4 (Lifecycle-Controller_Legacy_Application_0WFGM_WN32_1.7.5.4_A00.EXE)

iDRAC6 again: With the Lifecycle Controller updated, I was finally able to update iDRAC6 to 2.92 (ESM_Firmware_KPCCC_WN32_2.92_A00.EXE).

I hope this helps someone who might have a hard time trying to hack the SLI / SUU / SBUU stuff.