Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 9 Version 3.36.36.36 User's Guide

Updating device firmware

CAUTION: The PSU firmware update may take several minutes depending on the system configuration and PSU model. To avoid damaging the PSU, do not interrupt the update process or power on the system during PSU firmware update.

You must upload the required firmware to iDRAC. After the upload is complete, the current version of the firmware installed on the device and the version being applied is displayed. If the firmware being uploaded is not valid, an error message is displayed. Updates that do not require a reboot are applied immediately. Updates that require a system reboot are staged and committed to run on the next system reboot. Only one system reboot is required to perform all updates.

After the firmware is updated, the System Inventory page displays the updated firmware version and logs are recorded.

For files with .exe extension, you must have the System Control privilege. The Remote Firmware Update licensed feature and Lifecycle Controller must be enabled.

For files with .d9 extension, you must have the Configure privilege.

NOTE: After upgrading the iDRAC firmware, you may notice a difference in the time stamp displayed in the Lifecycle Controller log until the iDRAC time is reset using NTP. The Lifecycle log displays the BIOS time until the iDRAC time is reset.

There are multiple tools and interfaces that can be used to update the iDRAC firmware. The following table is applicable only to iDRAC firmware. The table lists the supported interfaces, image-file types, and whether Lifecycle Controller must be in enabled state for the firmware to be updated.

The following table provides information on whether a system restart is required when firmware is updated for a particular component:

NOTE: When multiple firmware updates are applied through out-of-band methods, the updates are ordered in the most efficient possible manner to reduce unnecessary system restart.

* Indicates that though a system restart is not required, iDRAC must be restarted to apply the updates. iDRAC communication and monitoring may temporarily be interrupted.

When you check for updates, the version marked as Available does not always indicate that it is the latest version available. Before you install the update, ensure that the version you choose to install is newer than the version currently installed. If you want to control the version that iDRAC detects, create a custom repository using Dell Repository Manager (DRM) and configure iDRAC to use that repository to check for updates.