Dell 1855 manual Keeping blade server system software components up-to-date, Dell OpenManage

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

bootimage boot

Note: Best practices recommend saving extra copies of the switch configurations on a TFTP server, especially before a firm- ware upgrade.

The PowerConnect 5316M Ethernet switch module used in the PowerEdge 1855 blade server chassis does not come equipped with its own serial console port. Instead, the serial console can be accessed as a module to which the DRAC/MC is connected. Therefore, 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:

1.Ensure that the current shell interface is already at the DRAC/MC command prompt. If not, switch back to the con- text of the DRAC/MC command prompt by pressing the Enter key, the tilde key, and the period key. Note: Press the 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 following command:

DRAC/MC: racadm config –g cfgSerial

–o cfgSerialConsoleIdleTimeout 0x3000

3.Redirect 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

where N is the chassis I/O module bay number in which the PowerConnect 5316M Ethernet switch module is inserted. Press the Enter key several times to ensure that the terminal connection is successfully established and that the Ethernet switch module prompt appears.

SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

Note: ToterminatethebinarymodeconnectiontothePowerConnect 5316M Ethernet switch module’s serial console, disconnect the current session of the terminal. 7

Keeping blade server system software components up-to-date

The modular design of blade servers, such as the Dell PowerEdge 1855 blade server, brings an added dimension to the traditional change- management process. Today’s industry-leading change-management and software distribution frameworks such as Altiris Patch Management Solution 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 capaci- ties. He has an M.S. in Computer Science from Alabama A&M University.

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

7For more information about configuring and using the DRAC/MC, refer to the Dell Remote Access Controller/Modular Chassis User’s Guide at support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/smdrac3/dracmc.

www.dell.com/powersolutions Reprinted from Dell Power Solutions, August 2005. Copyright © 2005 Dell Inc. All rights reserved DELL POWER SOLUTIONS 61