Bios update of dell powerage 2950 through an ESXi installation

[mortetnma]

I'm unsure of how best to update the bios of a Dell powerage 2950 on which I have a 3.5 u2 ESXi installations.

I have two virtual machines running.

Dell has a "Update Package for Microsoft® Windows®" (PE2900_BIOS_WIN_2.1.0.EXE) which, I think can update the bios from a windows OS.

[RParker]

You have to use the floppy version, copy the extracted files to a bootable CD, and update the bios from a bootable CD or flash drive. Call Dell they have an ISO you can download for just this exact purpose. And if you do it right you can do the bios, fw for RAID, everything on the same disk so when you upgrade 1 you can upgrade them all at the same time, therefore rebooting the machine once.

[glynnd1]

Are you suggesting updating the server's BIOS from with in a Windows VM? If so, no, that isn't going to work, they whole abstraction layer is going to stop you.

The old fashioned way of using a floppy is your best bet, it can be done from a USB floppy. An other way would be using Dell's "System Build and Update Utility" and "SUU" CDs - the first is a bootable CD/DVD, and will ask for the seconds CD/DVD which contains a library of updates for various Dell hardware.

[TomHowarth]

BIOS updates need to be done via a bootable CD, as Richard says, there is a ISO for download from Dell, call support.

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Tom Howarth

VMware Communities User Moderator

Blog: www.planetvm.net

[Texiwill]

Hello,

Moved to ESXi forum.

Best regards,

Edward L. Haletky

VMware Communities User Moderator

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[mortetnma]

Hi Tom

I'm new to the ESXi server (wow for a cool product), so I have a few new concepts to grasp. Thanks for your replys. I'll update the bios using a bootable cd.

[balacs]

You might find this document useful: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/eslvmwre/Systems_Mngmnt/ESXi_MNGMNT/PDF/MSMPA02.pdf. It provides an overview of systems management of Dell servers with ESXi.

It is in the Dell | VMware support site: http://support.dell.com/support/edocs/software/eslvmwre/

Bala

Dell Inc

[s1xth · Accepted solution]

I had to do some searching, but I posted directions on how to update your Dell Server that is running ESXi via the SUU Discs. Below are the intructions....I do this prior to putting any servers into production and after pulling any old hardware out of the rack before cycling them back into production, never had a problem.

Below is my process for updating ESXi servers (dell hardware of course).

1. Download the DVD Dell Software Update Utilitly disc, its 1.9GB. (if you have a dvd drive in your server you can boot directly off this disc but if you had a CD drive in your server continue, or if you want store the rep files on a USB drive look below).

2. Extract the contents of the iso (winrar), now a lot of my servers came with

just CD drives so I take a USB stick and load JUST the 'repository'

folder from the update utility disc, which is about 1.2GB of update

files.

3. Next download the CD version of the Dell Software Update Utility, it

wont have all the updates as the DVD, and dell doesnt keep it updated

but that is fine, boot off that disc.

4. Boot the CD, at the boot screen select Update utility, wait 15-20

mins for the linux to load, at the update screen select 'updates are

located on usb drive', put your usb drive in with the repository folder

on it, hit next, it will search for updates, display what is needed and

you can update.

5. Install and boot up.