PowerEdge: BIOS Update Fails from iDRAC with "Failed to Parse Update XML or Empty"

Summary: A BIOS update launched through iDRAC fails, showing the message "Failed to parse Update XML or empty." The failure is caused by an unreadable or missing package.xml, disabled Lifecycle Controller, stuck jobs, or iDRAC XML parser issues. ...

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Symptoms

  • A BIOS update is initiated through the iDRAC web interface, RACADM, Redfish, or a remote update method on a Dell PowerEdge server.
  • The update fails and the error message "Failed to parse Update XML or empty" appears in the iDRAC job queue, Lifecycle Controller log, or update status.
  • The BIOS version does not change after the update attempt.

Cause

This error indicates that iDRAC or Lifecycle Controller could not parse the XML metadata associated with the update package or firmware inventory.

Table 1: Potential causes of the XML parsing failure
Possible Cause Description
Corrupted or incomplete update package The BIOS Dell Update Package (DUP) file was not fully downloaded, was corrupted during transfer, or the embedded package.xml file is invalid or empty.
Lifecycle Controller disabled BIOS updates via iDRAC require Lifecycle Controller to be enabled. If Lifecycle Controller is disabled, the update process cannot access the XML inventory or process update metadata.
Stuck or failed iDRAC job A previously stuck or failed job in the iDRAC job queue can prevent new update operations from completing.
iDRAC XML parser limitation (iDRAC10 on R670 and R770) On Dell PowerEdge R670 and R770 servers with iDRAC10, a known XML parser issue in iDRAC10 firmware versions prior to 1.20.50.50 can cause internal errors when processing the firmware inventory if BIOS version 1.0.1 is present.
Invalid characters in firmware inventory data In some cases, invalid characters reported by a component such as a hard drive or network adapter in the firmware inventory XML can cause the XML parser to fail.

 

Note: The exact root cause may vary by iDRAC generation and server model. Check the Lifecycle Controller log for specific error codes to narrow the cause.

Resolution

Complete the following troubleshooting steps in order. After each step, retry the BIOS update to determine whether the issue is resolved.

Re-download the BIOS update package

  1. Go to Dell Drivers & Downloads and enter the server Service Tag or select the server model.
  2. Download the BIOS update package again.
  3. If a checksum (MD5 or SHA256) is published on the download page, verify that it matches the downloaded file.
  4. If the update package is an .exe file, extract it and confirm that the package.xml file inside is a valid, non-empty XML file appropriate for the target server model and BIOS component.

Verify Lifecycle Controller is enabled

  1. Log in to the iDRAC web interface.
  2. Navigate to iDRAC Settings > Lifecycle Controller.
  3. Confirm that Lifecycle Controller is set to Enabled.
  4. If it was disabled, enable it, save the settings, and retry the update.

Clear stuck iDRAC jobs

  1. Connect to iDRAC using SSH or the virtual console and open a RACADM session.
  2. View the current job queue: 
    racadm jobqueue view
  3. If stuck or failed jobs are present, delete all jobs: 
    racadm jobqueue delete -i JID_CLEARALL
  4. Retry the BIOS update.

Perform an iDRAC reset

  1. Perform a soft reset of iDRAC: 
    racadm racreset soft
  2. Wait for iDRAC to complete the reset. This may take several minutes.
  3. Retry the BIOS update.
  4. If the issue persists, perform a hard reset: 
    racadm racreset hard
  5. Wait for iDRAC to complete the reset and retry the BIOS update.

Update iDRAC firmware (iDRAC10 on PowerEdge R670 and R770)

If the server is a Dell PowerEdge R670 or R770 with iDRAC10, and BIOS version 1.0.1 is installed or present in the firmware inventory:

  1. Update iDRAC10 firmware to version 1.20.50.50 or later. This version includes an enhanced XML parser that addresses a known parsing failure with BIOS 1.0.1 inventory data.
  2. After updating iDRAC firmware, retry the BIOS update.

For details, see article PowerEdge: iDRAC10 - Internal Error Applying R670, R770 Updates with BIOS 1.0.1.

Check the Lifecycle Controller log for specific error codes

  1. In the iDRAC web interface, navigate to Maintenance > Lifecycle Log.
  2. Filter or search for entries related to the failed BIOS update.
  3. Note any specific error message IDs, for example codes starting with RED0.
  4. Search for those error codes on Dell Support for targeted troubleshooting steps.

When to contact Dell Technical Support

If the issue persists after completing the steps above:

  1. Collect a Tech Support Report (TSR) from iDRAC. Include debug logs to provide Dell Technical Support with detailed diagnostic information.
  2. Note the exact error message, iDRAC firmware version, BIOS version, server model, and any Lifecycle Controller log error codes.
  3. Contact Dell Technical Support and provide the TSR and the information collected.
Note: If the BIOS update fails using iDRAC but succeeds through another method such as a bootable USB or operating system DUP execution, this may indicate an iDRAC-specific parsing issue. Include this detail when contacting Dell Technical Support.

Affected Products

Dell Update, iDRAC Tools, iDRAC9 - 7.xx Series, PowerEdge FC640, PowerEdge M640, PowerEdge M640 (for PE VRTX), PowerEdge MX5016s, PowerEdge MX740C, PowerEdge MX750c, PowerEdge MX760c, PowerEdge R670, PowerEdge R770

Products

PowerEdge MX840C, PowerEdge R440, PowerEdge R450, PowerEdge R470, PowerEdge R4715, PowerEdge R540, PowerEdge R550, PowerEdge R570, PowerEdge R5715, PowerEdge R640, PowerEdge R6415, PowerEdge R650, PowerEdge R650xs, PowerEdge R6515, PowerEdge R6525 , PowerEdge R660, PowerEdge R660xs, PowerEdge R6615, PowerEdge R6625, PowerEdge R6715, PowerEdge R6725, PowerEdge R740, PowerEdge R740XD, PowerEdge R740XD2, PowerEdge R7415, PowerEdge R7425, PowerEdge R750, PowerEdge R750XA, PowerEdge R750xs, PowerEdge R7515, PowerEdge R7525, PowerEdge R760, PowerEdge R760XA, PowerEdge R760xd2, PowerEdge R760xs, PowerEdge R7615, PowerEdge R7625, PowerEdge R770AP, PowerEdge R7715, PowerEdge R7725, PowerEdge R7725xd, PowerEdge R840, PowerEdge R860, PowerEdge R940, PowerEdge R940xa, PowerEdge R960, PowerEdge T350, PowerEdge T360, PowerEdge T550, PowerEdge T560 ...
Article Properties
Article Number: 000502513
Article Type: Solution
Last Modified: 13 ربيع الأول 1448
Version:  1
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