In one of my previous posts I described the process of upgrading a Dell FX2 chassis firmware using Dell Repository Manager (DRM).
In an ideal world you just follow the process and in an hour or two you can get your chassis upgraded. You may sometimes run into issues. I want to go through some of them in this post, including possible remediation.
Issue Description
When exporting firmware to a bootable ISO you can find DRM not being able to download some of the bundle components with the following error in the Job Result:
Processing failed:
Failed downloading files:
Diagnostics_Application_PWMC8_LN64_OSC_1.1_A00.BIN
And errors in the Log:
…
60. 24/03/2016 5:58:50 PM Export to Bootable ISO : Downloaded 34 / 56
61. 24/03/2016 5:59:44 PM Export to Bootable ISO : Error downloading some files
62. 24/03/2016 5:59:45 PM Export to Bootable ISO : Failed exporting to Bootable ISO.
Workaround #1: Skip the Component
You can try the following option “Continue download irrespective of any error (in the selected components)” in the export dialog. It won’t help to get the component downloaded, but you will got a bootable ISO.
However, DRM will still keep the failed component in the bundle and try to install it during the upgrade, which will obviously fail (update 16/56):
Once the upgrade is finished you will get the following error at the end:
Note: Some update requires machine reboot. Please reboot to CD/DVD to continue for the failed update because of the dependency…
No matter how many times you reboot you will obviously get the same errors. You can ignore it if you 100% sure this is what causes the upgrade to fail or use Workaround #2.
Workaround #2: Create Custom ISO
When you create a repository in DRM it’s populated with pre-built components and bundles. But you can create custom repositories. The idea is that you can exclude the failed component from the repository by creating it manually.
Assuming you already have the base repository configured, do the following:
- Open the existing repository and click on the Components tab
- Deselect the failed component in the component list (in my case it was Diagnostics_Application_PWMC8_LN64_OSC_1.1_A00.BIN)
- Click on the “Copy To” button:
- In the opened dialogue select “Create NEW Repository and copy component(s) into it”
- Follow the wizard and when you click finish, components will be copied to the newly created repository
- Open the new repository and click on the Componenets tab
- Select all components and click on the “Copy to” button once again
- This time select “Create a NEW Bundle in the same repository and add component(s) into it”
- On the next screen give the bundle a name and make sure to choose “Linux 32-bit and 64-bit” in the OS Type
As a result you should get a new bundle created which you can export to a bootable ISO using the same process.
Workaround #3: Use Server Update Utility
If none of the above helps you can fall back to a proven upgrade approach and use Server Update Utility (SUU). SUU is a huge 12GB ISO to download, but you can use Dell Download Manager, which supports resuming interrupted downloads. Make sure to disable proxy! Dell Download Manager does not support resuming an interrupted download if you’re using a proxy server.
SUU is not a bootable ISO. Previously you had to use Dell Systems Build and Update Utility (SBUU) to boot from it first and then mount the ISO to proceed with the upgrade. Starting with Dell 11G servers you don’t need it anymore and can upgrade firmware straight form Dell Lifecycle Controller (LC).
You’ll need to boot into the Lifecycle Controller and choose Firmware Update > Launch Firmware Update > Local Drive(CD or DVD or USB). Mount the SUU ISO and the rest is fairly straightforward. LC will upgrade the firmware and reboot the blade.
Conclusion
Dell Repository Manager is the recommended approach to upgrade firmware on Dell hardware. Unlike SUU, DRM downloads the latest updates and only the necessary components. It is also capable of making a bootable ISO.
If you have issues, rely on Server Update Utility as it’s bulletproof and always work. But be prepared to download a 12GB ISO image and make sure you have an option to bypass proxy.
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