Dell 1855 manual Updating chassis components, Offline updates, Online updates, BMC flash updates

Offline updates

To 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	Although the offline update
process is time-consuming
and requires several manual	process is time-consuming
steps, this is a safe method
to update system software on	and requires several manual
virtually any server because
the network is not involved.	steps, this is a safe method
In contrast, network traffic,
Trivial FTP (TFTP) server	to update system software on
response time, packet loss,
and link loss can affect firm-	virtually any server because
ware updates that are per-
formed over a network.	the network is not involved.
On a PowerEdge 1855
server blade, administrators

can update BIOS, BMC firmware, RAID firmware, SCSI hard disk drive firmware, SCSI controller firmware, and OS-level drivers using DOS-based update utilities found on the Dell support Web site (support.dell.com). Note: The PERC 4/IM is integrated into the PowerEdge 1855 server blade motherboard, so PERC 4/IM firmware is included as part of the system BIOS update package.

Online updates

Unlike an offline update, the online update process minimizes server downtime by allowing the process to run in a normal OS environ- ment. The greatest advantage of the online approach is its capability to automate the update process. Online updates enable organiza- tions to update multiple server blades from a central console using Dell OpenManage change-management tools or third-party change- management frameworks.

Dell OpenManage change-management tools for the PowerEdge

1855 blade server comprise the following:

•Dell Update Packages

•Dell OpenManage Server Update Utility (SUU)

•Dell OpenManage IT Assistant (ITA) 7

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

Package contains the logic to verify that the update will work on a given system. Dell Update Packages support both a graphical user interface (GUI) and a command-line interface (CLI). BIOS and BMC firmware Dell Update Packages are available for PowerEdge 1855 server blades. Dell Update Packages are supported on Microsoft® Windows Server™ 2003 and Red Hat® Enterprise Linux® operating 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, Altiris® Deployment Solution, and others. 1

Dell 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.

Dell 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.

BMC flash updates

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 boot. Then the flash update can be performed again.

Note: 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.

Updating chassis components

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

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

1For 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 Subbu 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.

www.dell.com/powersolutions Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved DELL POWER SOLUTIONS 57