USB Updates for ESXi 4.1 -Repository Manager with Lifecycle Controller

You can use the vCenter Plug-in to update BIOS and Firmware for ESXi 4.1

"You can use the vCenter Plug-in to update BIOS and Firmware for ESXi 4.1"

Sure I can do that for Dell 11G servers but first, in order to install the Dell vCenter plugin I need to update both the iDRAC6 and Lifecycle Controller to the latest versions on the ESXi v4.1 hosts - which is why I was asking about using Repository Manager to generate an SUU for this - but RM only support Windows and Linux/ESX *not* ESXi which unlike ESX does not have a full Linux distro underneath.

What Servers are you trying to update? If they are 11g systems, you can update the iDRAC6 and the LCC from booting into the USC, and then do a platform update. Keep in mind, that both the vCenter Plug-In and Repository Manager use the "Windows Bundles" for updates, not the Linux ones.

"What Servers are you trying to update? If they are 11g systems, you can update the iDRAC6 and the LCC from booting into the USC, and then do a platform update. Keep in mind, that both the vCenter Plug-In and Repository Manager use the "Windows Bundles" for updates, not the Linux ones."

R710, so 11G, running ESXi4.1 with UEFI v2.1 and USC v 1.3.0.350

I make the update bundle and create the SUU using RM to either USB , ISO or DVD. Top-level contains \repository\Catalog.xml

Using the iDRAC console I attach the SUU USB | ISO| DVD, reboot and F10 to drop into USC and select Platform Update, which finds the SUU fine, but when I enter Catalog Location as \repository as per the docs then in all instances it comes back with:

"Catalog file not authenticated correctly: do you want to porceed?". I've also tried repository\Catalog.xml etc. as the path with no luck.

Exactly the same result when using a USB stick in the server itself - recognised OK then fails as above.

Looking at the SUU_readme produced as part of the SUU by RM I see that ESX 4.1 *is* supported but ESXi 4.1 *is not* listed. any suggestions? Ireally don't want to spend ages on the console using ftp.dell as the source for the Platform Update.

When you boot into USC (Using F10) the Operating System isn't even running. The Update bundles are based on the Windows Bundles, so what I've done on my local Repository Manager, is to create a unique Repository, and share that unique directory, and during the platform update, I point it to that CIFS share.

"When you boot into USC (Using F10) the Operating System isn't even running. The Update bundles are based on the Windows Bundles, so what I've done on my local Repository Manager, is to create a unique Repository, and share that unique directory, and during the platform update, I point it to that CIFS share. "

Unfortunately there is no Network Share option displayed with Platform Update on USC v1.3 , only FTP Server and Local Drive (CD/DVD/USB) so using CIFs share is not an option. I'll attempt to update the USC to v1.4 - using USC v1.3 - should be fun!

My bad, I've been working with the Vmware Plug-In for so long. That network share feature is great to point either to a CIFS or an NFS share for "local" update files

Indeed, I'm trying to use USC to update iDRAC6 and LCC to the latest revs so that I can install the Dell Management Plugin for VMware. Many thanks for you answers which have clarified matters for me.

"My bad, I've been working with the Vmware Plug-In for so long. That network share feature is great to point either to a CIFS or an NFS share for "local" update files"

Managed to update LCC from v1.3 to v1.4 using FTP to ftp.dell.com. However on v1.4 FTP has now stopped working!