Dell Lifecycle Controller 1.2, Lifecycle Controller 1.3, Lifecycle Controller 1.4, Lifecycle Controller 1.5.5, Lifecycle Controller 1.6 Update Manual
...
Sanjeev Nayaka, Anand Devadatta, and
Lifecycle Controller Platform Update
in Dell PowerEdge 1 2th Generation
Servers
This Dell Technical White Paper provides detailed information about
the capabilities of Lifecycle Controller to perform firmware updates on
Dell’s 12th generation servers.
Ravi BS
Learn more
Visit support.dell.com/manuals for more information on Lifecycle Controller.
© 2012 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Dell and its affiliates cannot be responsible for errors or omissions in typography or
photography. Dell and the Dell logo are trademarks of Dell Inc. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are either
registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Intel and Xeon are
registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other trademarks and trade names may be used in
this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Dell disclaims proprietary
interest in the marks and names of others.
April 2012 | Rev 1.0
Executive Summary
Dell regularly releases firmware updates for various server components through the Dell FTP site
and SUU DVD. The firmware has new features and fixes for issues. To maximize system
performance and avoid unnecessary outages, Dell recommends updating your system with the
latest firmware.
This whitepaper aims to provide detailed information about the Platform Update feature
available in the Lifecycle Controller GUI.
Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................... 5
Supported Components ....................................................................... 5
About Platform Update ....................................................................... 6
Platform Update Methods .................................................................... 7
Using FTP Server .................................................................................. 7
Using Non-Proxy FTP Server ................................................................. 7
Using Proxy FTP Server ...................................................................... 13
Using a Local Drive .............................................................................. 17
Using a DVD .................................................................................... 17
Using a USB Flash Drive ...................................................................... 21
Creating a USB Flash Drive Repository ................................................. 25
Using a Network Share (CIFS or NFS) ......................................................... 26
Creating the Local CIFS or NFS Share Repository .................................... 32
Using Single Component Update .............................................................. 32
FTP .............................................................................................. 32
Local Drive (CD/DVD/USB) .................................................................. 34
Network Share (CIFS and NFS) .............................................................. 37
Roll Back to Previous Firmware Version ..................................................... 41
View Current Version ........................................................................... 44
Testing Network Connectivity ................................................................. 47
Checking the signature ......................................................................... 51
Catalog on FTP Server ....................................................................... 51
Single Component DUPs ..................................................................... 53
Platform Update Mechanism ................................................................... 54
Trusted Platform Module Warning ............................................................ 56
Using Dell Repository Manager ................................................................ 59
Saving the Repository Using DRM .......................................................... 59
Component Name
Update (Yes/No)
Rollback (Yes/No)
Reboot (Yes/No)
Lifecycle Controller
Yes
No
Yes
OS Driver Pack
Yes
No
No
Diagnostics
Yes
No
No
BIOS
Yes
Yes
Yes
RAID Controller
Yes
Yes
Yes
NIC
Yes
Yes
Yes
iDRAC
Yes
Yes
Yes
Power Supply
Yes
Yes
Yes
Introduction
Lifecycle Controller allows an IT administrator to perform firmware updates and roll backs, and view
existing firmware versions even if the operating system is not installed or running. Using Lifecycle
Controller, the system can be updated using the repositories accessible through FTP or located on a
locally attached USB flash drive, DVD or network share.
After selecting the update repository, Lifecycle Controller automatically detects the applicable
update. Similarly, Lifecycle Controller can also roll back the component firmware to the previous
firmware version.
The Platform Update feature provides the following benefits:
A simplified system management experience and greater standardization. The update
process operates from a single point in the pre‐OS UEFI environment that works on all
supported servers.
A secure process, the system and data are protected through multiple layers of security
validation.
Reduced downtime - The number of reboots is minimized during the update process.
Further, since the update process runs in the UEFI environment, the boot time on the
system is reduced, eliminating the need to load a running operating system.
Supported Components
The following table lists the components that are supported through the Platform Update feature.
Table 1. Platform Update – Supported Components
About Platform Update
The following figure provides a snapshot of the Platform Update process.
Platform Update Snapshot Figure 1.
FTP
Non-proxy
(Dell, Internal, or Service Provider)
Proxy
(Dell, Internal, or Service
Provider)
Local Drive (SUU DVD or USB Flash Drive)
Virtual Console
(Mapped on Client)
Attached Locally
Network Share (CIFS or NFS)
Platform Update Methods
The following table lists the various methods of performing platform update.
Table 2. Platform Update Methods
Using FTP Server
Lifecycle Controller provides options to update a server using the latest firmware available on the
Dell FTP server or on an internal FTP server.
Using Non-Proxy FTP Server
Lifecycle Controller can access the latest firmware from ftp.dell.com. Lifecycle Controller downloads
the DUPs from this location to perform platform update.
Before performing an update, make sure the following prerequisites are met:
The network settings are configured (Lifecycle Controller Settings Network
Settings).
The updates are downloaded using the Dell Repository Manager, and the repository is
created on an internal FTP server.
To update the platform using Dell FTP, internal, or service provider’s FTP server:
1. Launch Lifecycle Controller: Press <F10> key within 10 seconds of the logo being displayed during
boot.
2. Click Platform Update Launch Platform Update.
Select Platform Update Figure 2.
The Select Update Repository page is displayed.
Select Update Repository Figure 3.
3. Select FTP Server as the source location and click Next.
The Enter Access Details page is displayed.
Enter Access Details Figure 4.
4. In the Address box, type the host name or IP address of the FTP server and click Next:
Dell FTP Server (ftp.dell.com)
Internal or service provider’s FTP server (contact your system administrator or service
provider for the information)
The latest firmware is downloaded from Dell FTP server, internal FTP server, or service
provider’s FTP server, and the Select Updates page is displayed.
Select Updates - FTP Figure 5.
Figure 6.
Connecting to FTP
Downloading Catalog Figure 7.
Downloading Catalog Signature Figure 8.
Verifying Catalog Signature Figure 9.
5. For a component, compare the currently installed firmware version and the later version under
the Current and Available columns.
Components (current and available version) Figure 10.
6. Select the required components.
NOTE: By default, Lifecycle Controller selects the components for which a later version is
available.
7. Click Apply.
After the update process is complete, the system reboots.
NOTE: When applying more than one update, the system may need to reboot between updates.
In this case, the system boots directly into Lifecycle Controller and automatically continues the
update process.
NOTE: If the iDRAC firmware update is interrupted for any reason, wait for up to 30 minutes
before you attempt another firmware update.
NOTE: Do not perform an AC power cycle during the update process. However, if the system is
turned off before the update process is complete, a message Lifecycle Controller update
required may be displayed during Power-On Self-Test (POST). In such cases, use the LC Repair
Package to repair Lifecycle Controller. For more information, see Lifecycle Controller User’s
Guide.
Using Proxy FTP Server
Lifecycle Controller can be used to perform updates with firmware available at ftp.dell.com, or by
using an internal, or service provider’s FTP server when you are connected to the Internet through a
proxy server.
Before performing the update, make sure the following prerequisites are met:
Network settings are configured (Lifecycle Controller Settings Network Settings).
Updates are downloaded using the Dell Repository Manager and the repository is
created on an internal FTP server.
The proxy server supports either HTTP or SOCKS4 protocols.
Information related to proxy server such as IP address or host name of the proxy server,
login credentials, and the port number are readily available.
To update the platform using the Dell FTP server:
1. Launch Lifecycle Controller: Press <F10> key within 10 seconds of the logo being displayed during
boot.
2. Click Platform Update Launch Platform Update.
The Select Update Repository page is displayed.
Select Update Repository Figure 11.
3. Select FTP as the source location and click Next.
The Enter Access Details page is displayed.
Enter Access Details Figure 12.
4. In the Address box, type the host name or IP address of the FTP server.
Dell FTP Server (ftp.dell.com)
Internal or service provider’s FTP server (contact your system administrator or service
provider for the information)
5. Provide the proxy server credentials and click Next.
The latest firmware is downloaded from the Dell FTP server, internal FTP server, or service
provider’s FTP server, and the Select Updates page is displayed.
NOTE: Click Test Network Connection to check the network connectivity between Lifecycle
Controller and the proxy server. For more information, see Testing Network Connectivity.
Select Updates - FTP Figure 13.
Connecting to FTP Figure 14.
Downloading Catalog Figure 15.
Downloading Catalog Signature Figure 16.
Verifying Catalog Signature Figure 17.
6. For a component, compare the currently installed firmware version and the later version under
the Current and Available columns.
Figure 18.
Components (Current and Available Version)
7. Select the required components.
NOTE: By default, Lifecycle Controller selects the components for which a later version is
available.
8. Click Apply.
After the update process is complete, the system reboots.
NOTE: When applying more than one update, the system may need to reboot between updates.
In this case, the system boots directly into Lifecycle Controller and automatically continues the
update process.
NOTE: If the iDRAC firmware update is interrupted for any reason, wait for up to 30 minutes
before you attempt another firmware update.
Using a Local Drive
Lifecycle Controller allows you to perform platform updates using locally available DVDs or USBs, or
by using Virtual Media. This flexibility improves the efficiency of the update process when there is
heavy network traffic. After selecting the update repository, Lifecycle Controller automatically
detects any necessary updates and then performs those updates either on components you
specifically select, or on all components Lifecycle Controller has identified by default.
Using a DVD
Use either Server Update Utility (SUU) DVDs or custom DVDs (SUU ISO downloaded from
support.dell.com and written to a DVD) to perform platform updates. The available DVDs are:
OpenManage SUU DVD to update all the server components such as Lifecycle Controller,
Dell Diagnostics, BIOS, Raid Controller, NIC, iDRAC and Power Supply.
Lifecycle Controller OS Driver Packs DVD to update the operating system driver packs.
To update using SUU DVDs:
1. Launch Lifecycle Controller: Press <F10> key within 10 seconds of the logo being displayed during
boot.
2. Click Platform Update Launch Platform Update.
The Select Update Repository page is displayed.
Select Update Repository Figure 19.
3. Insert the appropriate DVD in the locally-attached CD/DVD drive. Alternatively, insert the
appropriate DVD in the client and use the Virtual Media feature to access the attached CD/DVD
drive. For more information, see iDRAC7 User’s Guide.
DVD Mapped To the Client Drive Figure 20.
4. Select Local Drive (CD/DVD/USB) as the source location and click Next.
The Enter Access Details page is displayed. However, if the catalog is not signed, a warning
message is displayed. Click Yes to continue.
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