iDRAC 8/7 v2.30.30.30 User’s Guide

Updating device firmware

Using iDRAC, you can update the iDRAC, BIOS, and all device firmware that is supported by using Lifecycle Controller update such as:

Fibre Channel (FC) cards
Diagnostics
Operating System Driver Pack
Network Interface Card (NIC)
RAID Controller
Power Supply Unit (PSU)
NVMe PCIe devices
SAS/SATA hard drives
Backplane update for internal and external enclosures
OS Collector

NOTE: The PSU firmware update may take several minutes depending on the system configuration and PSU model. To avoid damaging the PSU, ensure that you do not remove the PSU before the update is complete.

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.

The supported firmware image file types are:

.exe — Windows-based Dell Update Package (DUP)
.d7 — Contains both iDRAC and Lifecycle Controller firmware

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

For files with .d7 extension, you must have the Configure privilege.

NOTE: You can directly upgrade to firmware version 2.10.10.10 from 2. xx. xx. xx on a 13th generation PowerEdge server, and from 1.5 x.5 x or 1.6 x.6 x on a 12th generation PowerEdge server.

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.

You can perform firmware updates by using the following methods:

Using a firmware image file on a local system or on a network share.
Connecting to the FTP, TFTP, or HTTP site or a network repository that contains a catalog of available updates. You can create custom repositories by using the Dell Repository Manager. For more information, see Dell Repository Manager Data Center User's Guide. iDRAC automatically provides a difference between the BIOS and the firmware that is installed on the server and the repository location or FTP site. All applicable updates contained in the repository are applied to the system. This feature is available with iDRAC Enterprise license.
Scheduling recurring automated firmware updates by using the catalog file in the FTP site or the network repository location.

The following table provides information on whether or not 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.

Table 1. Firmware update — supported components
Component Name	Firmware Rollback Supported? (Yes or No)	Out-of-band — System Restart Required?	In-band — System Restart Required?	Lifecycle Controller GUI — Restart Required?
Diagnostics	No	No	No	No
OS Driver Pack	No	No	No	No
iDRAC with Lifecycle Controller	Yes	No	*No	Yes
BIOS	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
RAID Controller	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Backplanes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Enclosures	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
NIC	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Power Supply Unit	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
CPLD	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
FC Cards	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
NVMe PCIe SSD drives (Dell’s 13th generation of PowerEdge servers only)	Yes	No	No	No
SAS/SATA hard drives	No	Yes	Yes	No
CMC (on PowerEdge FX2 servers)	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
OS Collector	No	No	No	No

* 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 iDRAC is updated from version 1.30.30 or later, a system restart is not necessary. However, firmware versions of iDRAC earlier than 1.30.30 require a system restart when applied by using the out-of-band interfaces.

NOTE: Configuration changes and firmware updates that are made within the operating system may not reflect properly in the inventory until you perform a server restart.

Related concepts

Setting up iDRAC IP address

Setting up managed system

Rolling back device firmware

Downloading device firmware

Updating firmware using iDRAC web interface

Inventorying and monitoring storage devices

Viewing system inventory

Monitoring predictive failure analysis on drives

Blinking or unblinking component LEDs

Enabling or disabling I/O Identity Optimization

Scheduling automatic firmware updates