Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Version 1.2 User Manual

Dell™ Systems Build and Update Utility 1.2

User’s Guide

www.dell.com | support.dell.com

Notes

NOTE: A NOTE indicates important information that helps you make better use of

your computer.

___________________

Information in this document is subject to change without notice.
© 2009 Dell Inc. All rights reserved.

Reproduction of these materials in any manner whatsoever without the written permission of Dell Inc.
is strictly forbidden.

Trademarks used in this text: Dell, the DELL logo, PowerEdge, and OpenManage are trademarks of
Dell Inc.; Microsoft, Windows, and Windows Server, are either trademarks or registered trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries; VMware is a registered trademark
and ESX Server is a registered trademark of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other
jurisdictions; SUSE is a registered trademark of Novell, Inc. in the United States and other countries;
Red Hat and Red Hat Enterprise Linux are registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. 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 Inc. disclaims any proprietary interest in trademarks and
trade names other than its own.

March 2009

Contents

1 About This Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Who Should Read This Document? . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

How Will This Document Help Me?

How Do I Use This Document?

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

2 Dell Systems Build and

Update Utility Overview

What is the Systems Build and
Update Utility?

What’s New in This Release

Overview of Functionalities

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

3 Before You Begin Using the

Systems Build and Update Utility

Prerequisites and Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Supported Operating Systems

Supported Systems

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

. . . . . . . . . . . 7

. . . . . . 15

Are There Other Dell Documents I Might Need?

How Do I Get Technical Assistance?

. . . . . . . . . . 19

. . . . 18

Contents 3

4 Launching the Systems Build

and Update Utility

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

5 Using the Systems Build

and Update Utility

Flexibility That the Systems Build
and Update Utility Offers

Using the Systems Build and
Update Utility in Different Scenarios

Updating Your System Firmware

Configuring Your System Hardware

Installing the Operating System

Deploying Your Current ("Bare-Metal")
Dell System

Deploying More Than One System
With the Same Configuration

Deploying More Than One System
With Slightly Different Configurations

Deploying Multiple Systems of
Different Models

Deploying Multiple Systems
With the Same Configuration for
Different Operating Systems

Reusing Configuration Files

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

. . . . . . . . . . . . 36

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

. . . . . . . . . . . . 39

. . . . . . . . . . . . 41

. . . . . . . . . . 26

. . . . . . . . . . 27

. . . . . . . . 28

. . . . . . . . . . 30

. . . . . . . 38

4 Contents

6 Important Information and

Frequently Asked Questions

Firmware Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Important Information

Frequently Asked Questions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . . 45

. . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Hardware Configuration

Server Operating System Installation

Important Information

Frequently Asked Questions

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

. . . . . . . . . . 50

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

. . . . . . . . . . . . 50

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Index

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Contents 5

6 Contents

About This Document

It is strongly recommended that you read the current chapter, the "Dell
Systems Build and Update Utility Overview" chapter, and the "Before You
Begin Using the Systems Build and Update Utility" chapter before proceeding.

Who Should Read This Document?

This document is for system administrators who are responsible for deploying
and updating Dell™ PowerEdge™ systems in their organizations.

How Will This Document Help Me?

This document introduces you to the Dell Systems Build and Update Utility,
and includes best practices on how to make the product effective in helping
you streamline your deployment and update procedures for Dell systems.

• If you are a first-time user of this product, this document will help you set
up your systems prior to, while, and after using the Systems Build and
Update Utility.

• If you are an existing user of the Systems Build and Update Utility, this
document will help you understand how to leverage the utility modules in
an interlinked manner to create a customized deployment media.

How Do I Use This Document?

This document helps you set up your Dell systems to use the Systems Build
and Update Utility effectively and efficiently and provides an overview of the
various modules of the Systems Build and Update Utility and the possible
scenarios in which you might use them. However, it does not cover all
scenarios and possibilities. For specific information on Dell products whose
functionalities are now provided by the Systems Build and Update Utility,
see "Are There Other Dell Documents I Might Need?"

Depending on the Dell systems you want to deploy, redeploy or update, it is
recommended that you use the document as follows.

About This Document 7

Table 1-1. Organization of Information in This Guide

Topics For Dell systems For Dell PowerEdge SC

systems

Information on this
document, its intended
audience, purpose, and
organization

Overview of the Systems
Build and Update Utility
and what functionalities
it offers

What you need before
proceeding to use the
Systems Build and Update
Utility and where to get
other information that you
may need while using this
utility

Important information
about launching the
Systems Build and
Update Utility and pointers
to user scenarios

Possible scenarios in which
you can use the Systems
Build and Update Utility

"About This Document" "About This Document"

"Dell Systems Build and
Update Utility Overview"

"Before You Begin Using
the Systems Build and
Update Utility"

"Launching the Systems
Build and Update Utility"

"Using the Systems Build
and Update Utility"

"Dell Systems Build and
Update Utility Overview"

"Before You Begin Using
the Systems Build and
Update Utility"

"Launching the Systems
Build and Update Utility"

"Using the Systems Build
and Update Utility"
(as applicable)

Important information and
frequently asked questions
(FAQs) about the Firmware
Update module

"Firmware Update" Not applicable

8 About This Document

Table 1-1. Organization of Information in This Guide (continued)

Topics For Dell systems For Dell PowerEdge SC

systems

Important information
and FAQs about the
Hardware Configuration
module

Important information
and FAQs about the
Server Operating System
Installation module

"Hardware Configuration" Not applicable

"Server Operating System
Installation"

"Important Information
and Frequently Asked
Questions"

Now that you have an idea of what this document is about and how to use it
to easily access the information you want, see "Dell Systems Build and
Update Utility Overview" to get an overview of the Systems Build and Update
Utility and the functionalities it offers.

About This Document 9

10 About This Document

Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Overview

This chapter provides an overview of the Systems Build and Update Utility.
This chapter helps you understand the functionalities that the Systems Build
and Update Utility provides to update and deploy your Dell systems.

What is the Systems Build and Update Utility?

The Systems Build Update and Utility is an integrated tool for deployment
and update of your Dell systems. It has modules such as Server OS
Installation, Firmware Update, and Hardware Configuration. These
modules enable you to update BIOS and firmware in the pre-operating
system environment, apply these settings on the current system or on
multiple systems, and install the operating system.

For example, if you have bought a new Dell system, you can use the Systems
Build Update and Utility to update the system firmware, configure your
system hardware, and install a supported operating system. If you have an
existing Dell system, you can use the Systems Build Update and Utility to
update to the latest firmware, modify the hardware configuration, and install
a new operating system. You can perform these operations on your existing
system (one-to-one) or create bootable media for multiple systems of
different models of your choice.

What’s New in This Release

The key new features of the Systems Build and Update Utility in this release
are:

• The three main modules—

and Hardware Configuration

configure all the three modules at the same time and apply the
configuration as required.

• You can apply
the same session.

Hardware Configuration

Server OS Installation, Firmware Update,

—are now interlinked such that you can

settings to your current system in

Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Overview 11

• You can create customized bootable media to deploy multiple systems
(different platforms) of your choice.

• You can deploy your newly purchased Dell systems for which you had
already created a bootable media. This is possible with a multi-system
configuration file (

.csv

file) that you create and save in a centralized
network location. For more information about the configuration file,
see "Generic Prerequisites and Requirements."

• You can use the

Apply/Export Configuration

feature of the Systems Build
and Update Utility to export your system configuration for future use.
You can use this configuration file, with minor modifications, to deploy
similar systems by using the import feature. Importing such a
configuration file also pre-populates all the graphical user interface (GUI)
fields with values that you saved and exported for future use.

Overview of Functionalities

Table 2-1 lists the functionalities of the Systems Build and Update Utility to
deploy and update your Dell systems.

Table 2-1. Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Functionalities

You Want To Go To For

Update your system firmware
(Baseboard Management
Controller [BMC], Dell Remote
Access Controller [DRAC],
Redundant Array of
Independent Disks [RAID]) and
BIOS in a pre-operating system
environment.

Configure your system
hardware.

"Updating Your System
Firmware"

"Configuring Your
System Hardware"

Dell systems (excluding
PowerEdge SC systems)

Dell systems (excluding
PowerEdge SC systems)

12 Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Overview

Table 2-1. Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Functionalities (continued)

You Want To Go To For

Install an operating system on
your system.

Create customized bootable
media to deploy multiple
systems (different platforms) of
your choice

"Installing the Operating
System"

"Using the Systems Build
and Update Utility in
Different Scenarios"

Dell systems

Dell systems

Now that you have an overview of the Systems Build and Update Utility and
what functionalities it offers, read "Before You Begin Using the Systems Build
and Update Utility" to see what you should have before you begin using the
Systems Build and Update Utility in your environment.

Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Overview 13

14 Dell Systems Build and Update Utility Overview

Before You Begin Using the Systems Build and Update Utility

This chapter lists the prerequisites for using the Systems Build and Update
Utility and where to get other information that you may need while using
this utility.

Prerequisites and Requirements

You should have a Dell system with:

• Minimum memory of 512 MB

• DVD drive

Table 3-1 lists the prerequisites and requirements for the Systems Build and
Update Utility.

Before You Begin Using the Systems Build and Update Utility 15

Table 3-1. Prerequisites and Requirements

Module Prerequisites and Requirements

Generic Prerequisites and
Requirements

• To make effective use of the Systems Build and
Update Utility, you will need at least two Network
File System (NFS) or Samba multiple network shares.
If you do not have network connectivity for the
system you are deploying, ensure that you have
multiple USB keys.

• If you are planning to deploy multiple systems using
the Systems Build and Update Utility,
Dell recommends that you create a multi-system

.csv

configuration file (
about all your systems on your network. Information
includes the service tag, host name, IP addresses,
subnet mask, operating system(s) ISO file name(s),
product keys, DRAC IP address, and Domain Name
System (DNS) IP addresses. Save this file on a
common network share or a USB key.
The Systems Build and Update Utility does not
validate the file but uses it during actual deployment.
When you want to apply your customized bootable
media on a group of similar systems, the Systems
Build and Update Utility prompts you to browse and
locate the multi-system configuration file.

• A common network share or a USB key to export your
configuration for later use.
Similarly, if you want to import your previously saved
configuration, the files exported in the earlier session
must be available on a network share or on a USB key.

• A common network share or a USB key to save your
customized bootable image.

• A common network share to save logs for each
system on your network share. These logs can be a
useful reference if you want to troubleshoot any
problem your systems might have encountered
during deployment.

file) that contains information

16 Before You Begin Using the Systems Build and Update Utility

Table 3-1. Prerequisites and Requirements (continued)

Module Prerequisites and Requirements

Server Operating System
Installation

Firmware Update Either of the following:

Hardware Configuration

• Operating system media or a network share or a
USB key on which to save the operating system
ISO image.

Dell Systems Management Tools and Documentation

•

™

DVD (if you want to install Dell OpenManage
System Administrator). This is not applicable for

™

Dell PowerEdge

• Basic knowledge of Redundant Array of Independent
Disks (RAID)

• DVD drive and

• A network share with the Server Update Utility
content and knowledge of setting up the Network File
System (NFS) or Microsoft

• Basic knowledge of BIOS,

Management Controller (BMC), and Dell Remote
Access Controller (DRAC).

SC systems.

Dell Server Updates

®

Windows® share.

RAID, Baseboard

DVD

Supported Operating Systems

For the list of operating systems that the Systems Build and Update Utility
supports, see the readme.txt file in the root folder or the

Support Matrix

on the Dell Support website at support.dell.com or the Dell

Systems Management Tools and Documentation DVD.

Dell Systems Software

Supported Systems

For the list of Dell systems supported for this version of the Systems Build
and Update Utility, see the readme.txt file in the root folder or the

Dell Systems Software Support Matrix

support.dell.com or the Dell Systems Management Tools and
Documentation DVD.

Before You Begin Using the Systems Build and Update Utility 17

on the Dell Support website at