How to update firmware and drivers on PowerEdge Servers running VMware

This article provides a baseline to maintain and update multiple PowerEdge servers running under VMware ESXi.

On a server, drivers and firmware can be updated. To learn more about the difference please read the article SLN300662

Drivers are provided by VMware and are not listed on the Dell Support site. Only Windows and certified Linux drivers are available on the Dell Website. To update drivers, it is advised to use the VMware Update Manager.

Firmware are provided by Dell. There are several ways to update them:

If the ESXi Server can be powered off, it is advised to use the Dell ISO update. Booting on this file will automatically update all the firmware. The download link and the steps are provided in the article SLN296511 Updating Dell PowerEdge servers via bootable media / ISO.
Alternatively, using the iDRAC web interface, it is possible to update one per one the firmware.

If you manage multiple servers, it is recommended to use the Dell Management tool : OpenManage Essentials, which allow to discover, monitor and update multiple servers in the same time. A connection with the remote iDRAC will be established to manage the remote server. More information about OME is available here SLN129295 How configure iDRAC & System Management Options on PowerEdge Servers.

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