Dell 1855 User Manual

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SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

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hassis and Server Blade

Many hardware components in the Dell™ PowerEdge™ 1855 blade server have been

designed with a firmware upgrade option—including the Dell Remote Access Controller/

Modular Chassis (DRAC/MC) management module; server baseboard management

controllers; I/O modules; and keyboard, video, mouse modules. This article discusses

standards-based frameworks for updating individual server blades and available

software utilities as well as recommended methods and best practices for updating

chassis component firmware.

BY NARAYAN DEVIREDDY AND RUOTING HUAN

uipped with 10 server blades and several I/O mod

ules and management modules, the Dell PowerEdge

855 blade server contains numerous system software

components to update durin

rocess. Although best practices dictate careful planning

and methodical implementation when deployin

software updates for the PowerEdge 1855 blade server,

such chan

e case with other PowerEdge servers, administrators

can mana

blade server using standards-based Dell OpenManag

ools, third-party enterprise change-management

ools, or both.

e management need not be difficult. As is

e software updates for the PowerEdge 1855

the change-management

system

ating server blade

he process for updating system software components on

PowerEdge 1855 server blades is designed to be the same

as on ot

administrators to levera

er PowerEdge servers. This similarity allows

e existing change-management

rocesses in their IT organization to manage updates to

owerEdge 1855 server blades. On PowerEdge 1855 server

lades, administrators can typically update firmware on

the

ollowing system software components

•

erver system BIO

•

Baseboard management controller (BMC

•

PowerEdge Expandable RAID Controller 4,

Integrated Mirroring

•

Adaptec SCSI Card 3916

•

CSI hard disk drives

•

-level driver

As part of the change-management planning

rocess, administrators must decide which update

ethod best fits their environment. System software

components on a PowerEdge 1855 server blade can be

updated using one o

online updates.

PERC 4/IM

two methods: offline updates or

DELL POWER SOLUTIONS Re

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dell

Note:

)

2003 and Red Hat

Note:

ffline updates

o perform an offline update, administrators must schedule server

downtime. Most offline update utilities boot into a pre-OS environ

ment such as DOS to perform the update. These update utilities may

also require multiple system reboots to complete the update process.

Although the offline update

rocess is time-consumin

and requires several manua

steps, this is a safe method

o update system software on

irtually any server because

e network is not involved.

In contrast, network traffic

rivial FTP (TFTP) server

esponse time, packet loss,

and link loss can affect firm

are updates that are per

rmed over a network

n a PowerEdge 1855

server blade, administrator

can update BIOS, BMC firmware, RAID firmware, SCSI hard disk

drive firmware, SCSI controller firmware, and OS-level drivers

sing DOS-based update utilities found on the Dell support Web

site (support.dell.com).

he PowerEdge 1855 server blade motherboard, so PERC 4/IM

irmware is included as part of the system BIOS update package.

Although the offline update

process is time-consuming

and requires several manual

steps, this is a safe method

to update system software on

virtually any server because

the network is not involved.

The PERC 4/IM is integrated into

nline update

nlike an offline update, the online update process minimizes server

owntime by allowing the process to run in a normal OS environ

ment. The greatest advantage of the online approach is its capability

o automate the update process. Online updates enable organiza

ions to update multiple server blades from a central console usin

Dell OpenManage change-management tools or third-party change

management frameworks.

ell OpenManage change-management tools for the PowerEdge

855 blade server comprise the following

•

ell Update Packages

•

ell OpenManage Server Update Utility (SUU

•

ell OpenManage IT Assistant (ITA) 7

Dell Update Packages.Dell Update Packages are self-contained,

easy-to-use programs; each package updates a single system software

component on the server on which it is executed. Each Dell Update

ackage contains the logic to verify that the update will work on a

iven system. Dell Update Packages support both a graphical user

interface (GUI) and a command-line interface (CLI). BIOS and BMC

irmware Dell Update Packages are available for PowerEdge 1855

server blades. Dell Update Packages are supported on Microso

Windows Serv

systems. In addition, Dell Update Packages can be integrated into

third-party or custom software distribution application frameworks

such as Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) 2003, Altiri

eployment Solution, and others

ell OpenManage Server Update Utility. SUU is a comprehen-

sive system update utility that provides a mechanism to update several

system software components at once. It is a CD-based application that

can identify systems and apply the appropriate updates. For example,

on a PowerEdge 1855 blade server, administrators can use the SUU CD

to update all system software on a server blade. The SUU update pro-

cess requires administrators to update one server blade at a time.

ell OpenManage IT Assistant.ITA 7 provides centralized soft-

ware update capability for Dell servers. IT Assistant allows admin-

istrators to load Dell Update Packages and Dell System Update Sets

into a central repository and then compare the packages to the

software versions currently running on PowerEdge systems. Admin-

istrators can then decide whether to update systems that are not in

compliance, either immediately or according to an administrator-

defined schedule.

Enterprise Linux® operating

MC flash update

The BMC does not disable the power button on the front of an

individual PowerEdge 1855 server blade during a flash update. If

an administrator presses the power button during a flash update,

the server blade will power off and leave the BMC in an unknown

state. To recover the server blade, an administrator should remove

the server blade from the PowerEdge blade server chassis, wait five

seconds, reinsert the server blade, and allow the server blade to

oot. Then the flash update can be performed again

Keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) hot-key keyboard

sequences are not supported during a BMC flash update. If an

administrator attempts a hot-key sequence from a server blade

that is performing a BMC flash update, the flash update may fail.

To recover, the administrator must execute the flash update again

ating chassis components

Because individual server blades in the PowerEdge 1855 blade server

share common chassis infrastructure components, keeping the system

software of the chassis components up-to-date can play a critical role in

www.

For more information about how Dell Update Packages are designed to work in third-party software distribution applications, see “Scripting Dell Update Packages on Windows and Linux” by Manoj Gujarathi, Pritesh Prabhu, and

ubbu Ganesan in Dell Power Solutions, October 2004, www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps4q04-20040125-Gujarathi.pdf; and “Deploying Dell Update Packages Using Microsoft Systems Management Server 2003” by Sand

eep Karandikar and Manoj Gujarathi in Dell Power Solutions, February 2005, www.dell.com/downloads/global/power/ps1q05-20040111-Gujarathi.pdf.

.com/powersolution

eprinted from

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odules

Note:

provides specific instructions on how to set up the TFTP

oot of the

is the IP address of the TFTP server and

lose Web access and network connections such as Telnet.

the network.

ote:

A p

)

at support.dell.com/support/

e overall PowerEdge 1855 blade server change-management process.

However, the frameworks that are used to update individual server

blades do not scale to manage the updates of chassis components.

his section describes how to update components in the PowerEdge

855 blade server chassis that have administrator-upgradeable system

software. These firmware components include

•

Management module

•

VM m

•

O modules

ministrators can update the PowerEdge 1855 blade server

chassis module firmware using either the GUI or the CLI of the Dell

Remote Access Controller/Modular Chassis (DRAC/MC). Both inter-

faces require administrators to download the firmware image from

TFTP or an FTP server. The updated firmware image should be

made available in a designated directory on the TFTP or FTP server.

ell Remote Access Controller/Modular Chassis User’s

Gui

or FTP server for a firmware update at support.dell.com/support

edocs/software/smdrac3/dracmc

Management module firmware updates

e DRAC/MC is the management module that allows administra-

ors to monitor and manage chassis components in a Dell PowerEdge

855 blade server. The PowerEdge 1855 blade server offers two dif-

erent configurations for management module firmware

•

Single DRAC/MC

•

edundant DRAC/MC

Single DRAC/MC firmware. DRAC/MC firmware can be

pgraded using the GUI, CLI, or DRAC/MC firmware recovery

console.

process. For all three DRAC/MC firmware update methods, adminis-

rators must complete the following setup procedures before startin

he firmware update process:

1. Set up a TFTP server and copy the

3. Lo

navigate to the Update tab and select “Firmware Update.” Next,

The DRAC/MC firmware update is a TFTP-based update

irmware image to the

TFTP server.

ecord the IP address of the TFTP server and the file name

of the updated firmware image.

in to the DRAC/MC, using either the GUI or CLI

To update the firmware using the GUI, administrators should

hey should enter the TFTP IP address of the firmware image file

name and start the DRAC/MC firmware update process by clickin

Update Firmware.”

To update the firmware using the CLI, administrators should enter

he following Racadm command at the DRAC/MC console prompt

DRAC/MC: racadm fwupdate -a

-d mgmt.bi

FTP_IP_ADDRESS

ere

mgmt.bi

is the name of the firmware image file

ote: This Racadm command can be entered at the DRAC/MC

serial console or at a Telnet session. Best practices recommend usin

he serial console because, if a TFTP download fails, administra-

rs will

DRAC/MC will boot to the DRAC/MC firmware recovery console,

hich can be accessed only at the serial console. The firmware

ecovery console provides the following options

•

pgrade firmware from the serial por

•

pgrade firmware from the networ

•

Configure network parameter

sing the DRAC/MC firmware recovery console, administra-

ors can restart the firmware update process either via serial port

While in recovery mode, the DRAC/MC does not moni-

or chassis components of the PowerEdge 1855 blade server. For

hat reason, administrators should take extra care to minimize the

mount of time that the DRAC/MC spends in recovery mode.

Redundant DRAC/MC firmware.In a redundant configuration,

wo separate DRAC/MC modules are installed in a chassis

•

rimary DRAC/MC module, which actively monitors the

•

standby DRAC/MC module, which monitors the active

signal from the primary DRAC/MC module (If a failure in the

rimary DRAC/MC module occurs for more than five sec-

onds, the standby DRAC/MC module is designed to become

he active, primary DRAC/MC module.

The PowerEdge 1855 blade server supports redundant DRAC/MC

mode if the DRAC/MC is running firmware version 1.1 or higher.

Although redundant DRAC/MC modules can be updated with a single

irmware package, the DRAC/MC goes through the following steps

o complete the firmware update process once the administrator

For more information about how to access the DRAC/MC GUI and the CLI (also known as the Racadm command-line utility), refer to the

docs/software/smdrac3/dracmc.

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dell

command from the CLI:

oot of the

thernet

tation.

nitiates a firmware update task, using either the GUI or the racadm

fwupdat

1. The primary DRAC/MC module starts the TFTP firmware update.

2. The standb

rimary DRAC/MC module is updated. At this time, neither

RAC/MC is accessible, either through Telnet or the GUI.

3. W

en the primary DRAC/MC module completes the TFTP

update, the TFTP update on the standby DRAC/MC module

egins. The primary DRAC/MC module continues to moni

or the chassis while the standby module is updating the

irmware. At this time, neither DRAC/MC is accessible, either

hrough Telnet or the GUI

4. When the standb

update process, the primary DRAC/MC module is available for

network access. Telnet and the GUI become available

DRAC/MC module monitors the chassis while the

DRAC/MC module completes the firmware

KVM module firmware update

e KVM module enables administrators to access server blades in

he PowerEdge 1855 blade server by providing keyboard, monitor,

nd mouse functions as if the administrator were directly connected

o the module. The PowerEdge 1855 blade server provides a built-

n analog KVM module and an optional digital KVM module. Both

KVM modules are flash-upgradeable.

nalog or digital KVM module firmware can also be updated

sing the DRAC/MC GUI or CLI. For both firmware update methods,

dministrators must complete the following setup procedures before

starting the firmware update process:

1. Set up a TFTP server, and copy the

ecord the IP address of the TFTP server and the file name

of the new firmware image

3. Lo

To update the firmware using the GUI, administrators should

navigate to the Update tab and select “KVM Firmware Update.”

hey should then enter the TFTP server IP address of the firmware

mage file name, and start the KVM firmware update process by

clicking “Update Firmware.” The TFTP download and firmware

date process may take up to six minutes. After the update com

pletes, the KVM will reset.

To update the firmware using the CLI, administrators should enter

he following Racadm command at the DRAC/MC console prompt

DRAC/MC: racadm fwupdate -a

TFTP server.

in to the DRAC/MC, using either the GUI or CLI

-dvm_firmware_name -mkvm

irmware image to the

FTP_IP_ADDRES

I/O module firmware updates

he PowerEdge 1855 blade server chassis provides extensible I/O

unctionality such as networking, Fibre Channel, or InfiniBand

connectivity. The McDATA 4314 Fibre Channel switch and

rocade Silkworm 3014 Fibre Channel switch provide Fibre

Channel connectivity. The Dell PowerConnect5316M E

switch, a managed Layer 2 network switch, provides network

functionality

To update the firmware of the preceding I/O modules, admin-

strators need to procure the IP addresses of the switches. As part

of the installation of the McDATA, Brocade, and PowerConnect

switches, administrators must configure the IP address using the

corresponding switch configuration application. However, admin-

strators can obtain the IP address of the Brocade switch using the

DRAC/MC CLI as follows:

1. Log in to t

DRAC/MC: connect switch-

og in to the switch with the username “admin” and pass

e DRAC/MC and connect to the switch using the

comman

word “password.”

nter the i

addrshow comman

to obtain the IP address.

nlike the TFTP-based DRAC/MC firmware update process, the

cDATA and Brocade Fibre Channel switch module firmware update

process is FTP based. Administrators must complete the following

setup procedures before starting the firmware update process

1. Set up an FTP server on t

e management station, and unzip

he firmware in a local director

ecord the IP address of the switch and the FTP server

3. Ensure that the switch is in normal operation mode by

inspecting the status LEDs

cDATA 4314 Fibre Channel switch firmware. To provide

consistent performance throughout the fabric, administrators

should ensure that all switch modules are running the same

ersion of firmware. Installing updated firmware requires a

switch reset. A stable fabric is required to successfully activate

he firmware on a switch without disrupting traffic. Therefore,

dministrators must ensure that no administrative changes are

n progress anywhere in the fabric before installing the Fibre

hannel switch firmwar

McDATA provides management station software called

Enterprise Fabric Connectivity Manager (EFCM), which provides

GUI to update the switch firmware. Detailed instructions on

ow to use EFCM can be found in the McDATA 4314 switch

men

For more information about EFCM, refer to the

www.

.com/powersolution

on the CD that ships with the McDATA 4314 Fibre Channel switch

eprinted from

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SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

start

command.

com-

the switch CLI.

aredownload

command loads the

eco

edownloadstatus

command to monitor the download

lash

}

on the CD that ships with the McDATA switch.

and the

at support.dell.com/support/edocs/network/PC5316M/en.

or the firmware update process, the McDATA management

nterface requires administrators to log in to the switch using the

admin” account and access the advanced configuration console

mode using the

min

Brocade Silkworm 3014 Fibre Channel switch firmware. Brocade

Fibre Channel switch firmware can be upgraded using either a

eb-based GUI or a CLI. To update the fabric OS in command

ine mode, administrators should execute the firmwaredownloa

command from an FTP server or from a local Network File System

(NFS) directory while in

irmwaredownload options

path/to/the/pfileassw

dmi

mode:

ost_or_IP,use

The updated firmware is in the form of Red HatPackage

anager (RPM

packages with names defined in pfile, a binary

file that contains specific firmware information and the names of

irmware packages to be downloaded.

n dual-domain systems, the

irmwaredownload comman

downloads the firmware image by default to both control proces-

sors (CPs) in rollover mode, which helps prevent disruption to

pplication services. This operation depends on support for the

High-Availability (HA) fea

ure, which can be enabled

hrough the

nabl

mand in

To provide consistent

performance throughout the

If HA support is not avail

e, administrators can still

fabric, administrators should

pgrade the CPs one at a

ime, using the

option

ensure that all switch modules

Systems supported by the

rocade firmware have two

are running the same version

partitions of nonvolatile stor

e areas—a primary and a

of firmware.

secondary partition—to store

wo firmware images. The firmw

pdated image into the secondary partition and swaps the second-

ry partition to be the primary partition. The command then reboots

he CP and activates the updated image. Finally, it performs the

firmwar

mage to the other partition (unless the –

mmi

procedure automatically to copy the updated

option is used

To update the firmware using the GUI, administrators should

aunch the Brocade Web console by entering the IP address of

e switch in the browser address line. They should then log in

s “admin” and navigate to the Firmware tab. On the Firmware

page, administrators should enter the FTP server’s IP address

nd the path to the firmware image file, then begin the firmware

pdate process.

t the switch console, administrators can use the

firmwar

rocess. After the download is finished, administrators can enter

irmwareshow command to verify that the firmware update

completed successfully.

Dell PowerConnect 5316M Ethernet switch firmware.

wo firmware images can be stored in the flash memory of the

PowerConnect 5316M switch module. The images are called active

nd nonactive, depending on which image the switch is currently

unning. The switch also supports two protocols to download the

mages: network-based TFTP and serial port–based xmodem

To use the TFTP method, administrators must complete the

following setup procedures before starting the firmware update

1. Set u

a TFTP server

nstall the updated firmware image on the TFTP server.

og in to the switch, and enter the privileged EXEC mode.

fter logging in, administrators can execute the following com-

mand in privileged EXEC mode to copy the file named “image” to

he nonactive image file

console# copy tftp://ostname/path/to/the/

systemimagef

fter the flash update is complete, the switch can be instructed

o boot from either of the two images by executing the following

command in privileged EXEC mode

console# boot system {image1 | image2

dministrators should enter the following command to verify

he ther the switch successfully booted into the updated system

mage

console# show versio

lthough administrators may never need to upgrade the switch

boot image, they can do so by executing the following command

For more information about the CLI-based firmware update process for the McDATA 4314 switch, refer to the

or more information about command options for Brocade Silkworm 3014 Fibre Channel switch firmware, refer to the

For more information about the operation modes of the PowerConnect 5316M switch and how to configure the system identity, refer to the

DELL POWER SOLUTIONS Re

on the CD that ships with the Brocade switch.

ugust 2005

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SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

dell

boot

ote:

ote:Press the

is the chassis I/O module bay number in which the

blad

at support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/dracmc.

console# copy tftp://ostname/path/to/the/

ootimage

Best practices recommend saving extra copies of the

switch configurations on a TFTP server, especially before a firm-

are upgrade

The PowerConnect 5316M Ethernet switch module used in

e PowerEdge 1855 blade server chassis does not come equippe

ith its own serial console port. Instead, the serial console can

e accessed as a module to which the DRAC/MC is connected.

herefore, to use xmodem as the source for the management

station where the firmware image is stored, administrators must

perform the following steps from the DRAC/MC

nsure that the current shell interface is already at the

RAC/MC command prompt. If not, switch back to the con

ext of the DRAC/MC command prompt by pressing the

nter key, the tilde key, and the period key. N

Shift key if the tilde character is located in the upper register

of the keyboard, and then press the period key.

2. At the DRAC/MC command prompt, issue the

ollowing

mman

ote:To terminate the binary mode connection to the PowerConnect

316M Ethernet switch module’s serial console, disconnect the

current session of the terminal

Keeping blade server system software components up-to-date

he modular design of blade servers, such as the Dell PowerEdge 1855

e server, brings an added dimension to the traditional change-

management process. Today’s industry-leading change-management

nd software distribution frameworks such as Altiris Patch Management

olution and Microsoft SMS are designed to provide robust auto-

mated tools to manage updates on modules that reside on server

blades. Because these frameworks do not scale to manage the updates

of chassis management modules and I/O modules, updating blade

server chassis modules requires careful planning and deployment

such as the approach described in this article

Narayan Devireddy is a development manager in the Dell Enterprise Systems Management Software organization. He has 14 years of systems management product development experience. Before joining Dell, Narayan worked for Novell, Compaq, and Computer Associates in different capacities. He has an M.S. in Computer Science from Alabama A&M University.

DRAC/MC: racadm config –g cfgSerial

o cfgSerialConsoleIdleTimeout 0x300

edirect the DRAC/MC serial console to the internal serial

console interface of the PowerConnect 5316M Ethernet switch

module in binary mode by entering the following command:

DRAC/MC: connect –b switch-N

wher

owerConnect 5316M Ethernet switch module is inserted.

ress the Enter key several times to ensure that the termina

connection is successfully established and that the Ethernet

switch module prompt appears

For more information about configuring and using the DRAC/MC, refer to the

Ruoting Huang is a development engineer in the Dell Enterprise Systems Management Software organization. He focuses on parallel processing and internetworking. Ruoting has an M.S. in Computer Science from the Asian Institute of Technology.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Dell PowerEdge 1855 Systems User’s Guide:

support.dell.com/support/edocs/systems/pe1855

Dell OpenManage:

www.dell.com/openmanage

Dell servers:

www.dell.com/servers

.com/powersolution

www.

eprinted from

ELL POWER SOLUTIONS