SBUU/SUU method to update BIOS and PERC does not work

Thanks,

I did go through and check the md5 checksums on the three SUU images. It turns out that they did not match what was documented on the web site. So instead, I took note of the FTP site that it was referring to and performed a Linux 'wget' on the three image files again. This time the md5 check sums matched what was listed on the web site. I was then able to re-cat them into a single ISO image that I could share as a virtual CD image through the iDRAC. I was not, however, able to build a standard DVD image as they were all 1.6GB in size (and thus 4.8GB total being larger than a 4.7GB DVD platter). At any rate, sharing through the iDRAC for both booting on the SBUU image then using the SUU image to update from was successful on a T710 to update the PERC RAID controller.

However, a second attempt on an R610 that has three components back level from the firmware on the SUU resulted in failure. One of the three components is failing so the entire firmware update process ends. I'm not sure which component it is, the PERC (most likely not as its the same as the T710), the BIOS or the internal 4 port Broadcom NIC.

I'm going to spend time tomorrow going through updates of just one component at a time until I see which one is failing (and which ones are successful). After which I'll at least know what I can and cannot update through the SUU image.

I'll update my successes after tomorrow (or Friday). Any remaining components I cannot upgrade through this method I'll need some assistance with - as this method (SBUU with another ISO image for the firmware updates) will be the only method we can put forward into a full internal support procedure. All other methods will not work within our current support model.

Thanks!

Download Repository Manager, which may show up on the downloads for a Windows server OS rather than Linux.  Build a repository with the updates you want, then Save to ISO and burn it.  That will give you a custom SUU disk.

FYI, the SUU has the quarterly rollup of updates, the website has the latest and greatest, and Repository Manager will get the quarterly rollup plus any Urgent or Critical updates.  The factory ships systems usually with the latest and greatest firmware.  Thus, you can see many different versions depending on where you get your updates.  Most of the time they will be the same.

Here's the status for today.

I am able to update firmware by booting off the SBUU image, then using the SUU ISO image I downloaded from Dell. I was successful by singularly updating the BIOS on a R610 from 2.2.1.0 to 3.0.0. And later re-doing the boot from SBUU ISO image (through iDRAC) and using the SUU to update the PERC from 12.3.0-0032 to 12.10.1-0001.

A third item that was indicated as back level, the "Dell Embedded OpenManage for ESXi 4.0" failed. It is shown as current version of 0 (looks like an error to me), and available version of 6.3-0000.

On this R610, there is one last item I need to update (as I'm not worried about the "Embedded OpenManage for ESXi") and that is the built in Broadcom NIC adapter. It is shown as version 5.2.7, but what is available on the SUU is 5.0.13. Thus what is in the SUU is older than what is on the NIC card. However, the latest version available on the Dell site is 6.4.4. I would like to update the Broadcom to 6.4.4, but since it is not in the SUU I had to resort to attempting to build my own repository ISO image.

I did this by downloading the various BIN version (RedHat update versions) of the firmware. Then creating an ISO image in Linux of the BIN files in a repository directory (with "mkisofs -r -o ./dell_firmware_repos_20110825.iso ./firmware") where the ./firmware directory had a ./firmware/repository directory in it with the various firmware .BIN files within it. I tested the ISO image by mounting it through the loopback device in Linux and verifying that the repository directory was there, and all of the bin files were within it.

Choosing the new ISO image through iDRAC as a virtual CD ends up failing when attempting to configure the firmware update to use it (where it is successful if I use the SUU image).

In short - how do I build my own firmware repository ISO image that can be used with the SBUU?

Thanks in advance!

Thanks Jeff M.

I did put in place the Dell Repository Manager, and downloaded all latest firmware for the T710, R710 and R610. And as well I downloaded the plugins (Dell Server Update Utility Plug-In and the Dell Deployment Media Plug-In) for the Repository Manager.

However, on my Windows XP virtual machine image I'm running Repository Manager through I'm not able to 'export' the repository to an ISO image. The only options I see when using export is the ability to export to another/new repository.

Is there something else I need in this XP image to allow the ability to export into an ISO image?

NOTE: I tried taking all of the firmware that was downloaded for the T710, R710 and R610 and created an ISO image with all of the files in a /repository directory within the ISO image. It was not usable as an SUU after booting from the SBUU. If there is something else I need to create a SUU image (outside of Repository Manager since I can't get that working), what else would be needed so that the SBUU can use it?