PowerEdge: Boot Device FQDD Name Changes in 15G BIOS UEFI Boot Sequence After BIOS Update

Dell PowerEdge 15G March 2022 BIOS updates introduced a feature affecting the FQDD list in UEFI boot sequence output. Boot sequence attribute output" to 26 words. Dell 15G BIOS releases historically populated the FQDD of the bootable storage controller within the UEFI boot sequence (ex: RAID.SL.8-1) The controller FQDD was used as a placeholder in the boot sequence for the volume hosted on the storage controller. When multiple boot volumes are on the same controller, the same FQDD appears multiple times in the boot sequence (see BIOS 2.5.6 example below). 
 
R7525 BIOS 2.5.6 Example:

racadm get BIOS.biosbootsettings.uefibootseq
[Key=BIOS.Setup.1-1#biosbootsettings]
UefiBootSeq=RAID.SL.8-1,RAID.SL.8-1,NIC.PxeDevice.1-1,NIC.HttpDevice.1-1,Floppy.iDRACVirtual.1-1,Optical.iDRACVirtual.1-1,AHCI.Slot.4-2

In order to allow configuration of the boot volume sequences through iDRAC9 management interfaces in this scenario, the March 2022 server BIOS appended the existing controller FQDD to specify the disk volume within the sequence (see BIOS 2.6.6 example below).
 
R7525 BIOS 2.6.6 Example:

racadm get BIOS.biosbootsettings.uefibootseq
[Key=BIOS.Setup.1-1#biosbootsettings]
UefiBootSeq=RAID.SL.8-3,RAID.SL.8-2,NIC.PxeDevice.1-1,NIC.HttpDevice.1-1,Floppy.iDRACVirtual.1-1,Optical.iDRACVirtual.1-1,AHCI.Slot.4-2

In the R7525 BIOS 2.5.6 example above, both bootable virtual disks on the PERC H745 controller are defined by the FQDD of the PERC (RAID.SL.8-1). In this scenario, modifying the virtual disk sequence is not possible through iDRAC9 management interfaces. In the R7525 BIOS 2.6.6 example above, the BIOS is appending the last integer to differentiate the bootable virtual disk volumes. RAID.SL.8-2 would be used for the first bootable virtual disk that is added to the boot sequence. Each bootable virtual disk volume increments the last integer +1. In this example, RAID.SL.8-3 would be the second bootable volume that is added to the boot sequence. This feature now allows the server administrator to modify multiple bootable disk volumes within the boot sequence through the iDRAC9 management interfaces.
 
These FQDD changes are propagated within all iDRAC9 management interfaces (UI, RACADM, WS-MAN, and REDFISH) where the UEFI boot sequence can be managed, while the BIOS Setup and Boot Menus remain unchanged.
 
iDRAC9 web UI > Configuration > BIOS Settings > Boot Settings Example:
 

The following Dell PowerEdge 15G server BIOS releases introduced this change in behavior:

• 15G Intel 1S BIOS version 1.2.5 (R250, R350, T150, and T350)
• 15G Intel 2S BIOS version 1.5.4 (C6520, MX750c, R450, R550, R650, R750, and T550)
• 15G AMD BIOS version 2.6.6 (C6525, R6515, R6525, R7515, and R7525)

Systems Management applications, like Dell OpenManage Enterprise, that leverage the iDRAC9 for compliance management may report noncompliant devices after the referenced March BIOS releases are deployed. Deployment jobs that leverage Server Configuration Profile templates that are based on previous BIOS releases fail to apply the UEFI boot sequence settings. Scripts and runbooks that leverage the storage controller FQDD within the UEFI boot sequence are unable to successfully apply changes.